《Infinite Stratos》 Volume 1 - CH 1 "Everyone''s here, right? Then let''s start the SHR (student homeroom meeting)--" The vice homeroom teacher, Yamada Maya-sensei, who introduced herself before, stood in front of the blackboard as she earnestly smiled at everyone. She has a petite figure, and doesn''t look any different than a student. However, wearing clothes that didn''t quite match her body made her look even more petite. And it looked ever more out of place with her large olive green eyes, behind her hazy glasses. How should I say it? Instead of saying that it was a disproportionate sense of ''a kid wearing adult clothes''...it was more like a kid being forced into adult clothes, and it seemed that I wasn''t the only one thinking like this. "Then everyone, let''s get along with each other over the next year~" "......" However, the classroom was filled with an awkward mood, nobody reacted. "Now, let''s move on to self-introductions. Mm, we''ll go by seating arrangements." Even though I thought that the vice homeroom teacher was a little cute when she panicked, that didn''t stir me with a ''I feel that I''ve got to do something'' kind of state of mind, because unfortunately, I had no time for that. If you want to know why, The reason is simple: excluding me, everyone in the class is a girl. Today is the high school entrance ceremony, and for the first day, a new world opened up. That itself was good, something worth being happy about. However, the primary problem is that I''m the only boy. (This... is a lot more serious than I thought...) It wasn''t just me over-thinking it, but in fact, I really could feel the gazes of all the girls in my class. Besides, my seat isn''t preferable. Why was I placed right in the front middle row of the class? My extremely unmistakeable upper body continued to be noticed even though I didn''t want it to. My eyes turned toward the windows. "..." Though I sent a pleading look, the sad thing is that my childhood friend, Shinonono Houki turned her head away irritably, pretending to look outside. Such a cold reaction. Is this the attitude that a childhood friend should show after being separated for 6 years? No... Does she completely hate me now? "...kun, Orimura Ichika-Kun." "Ye-yes!?" Suddenly having my name called out, I subconsciously responded. As expected, there were snickers, and it was difficult to stay calm. Even though it''s not like I''m bad at handling girls, there''s always a limit. It''s similar to liking ramen and letting it be the main course, I''d get sick of it in less than 3 days. Sigh, I don''t know. Besides, I never liked ramen to that extent...eh, I shouldn''t be thinking about that now. Anyway, I''m the only boy in the class, there are 29 other female students in this class, and the assistant homeroom teacher is a female as well. As for the homeroom teacher...I don''t know, but he or she is likely to be a female as well. It seems that she hasn''t arrived yet. What is she doing now? "W-well, I''m sorry for calling you out so loudly. Did I startle you? Sorry-sorry! But, the self-introductions... we started from '''' (a) , and now we''re at '' (o)'' for Orimura-san now. So, pl-please, could you introduce yourself? Co-could you?" The vice homeroom teacher, Yamada Maya-sensei, bowed politely. However, the bowing caused her spectacles to slide forward. And her air of ''anything goes'' really worried me. Speaking of which, is she really older than me? If it was said that she''s as old as me, I could believe that. "No, there''s no need to apologize... besides, it''s just a self-introduction, so please calm down, sensei." "Re-really? Really? Really? Yo-You said it, so you better do it properly, okay?!" Yamada-sensei suddenly looked up and grabbed my hand, and held it really tightly... well, it seems I just attracted quite a bit of attention again. However, since I said it, as a man, I can''t get out of it. And the most important thing is that once I form a crack here, I have to face this awkward environment again (TN: Most likely, human interaction). I stood up and turned to face the class. Uu... At first, I just thought that I sensed them staring at my back, but now I could definitely feel their gazes piercing through me from the front. Anyway, even Houki, who had abandoned me, glanced over. As expected, even I, who is self-admittedly rather capable of handling girls, was fearful. Even if I like curryno, I must stay focused. "Hm-... Well, I''m Orimura Ichika. I''ll be in your care." After I bowed courteouslywait a second? The expressions on my classmates'' faces seemed to generate a weird feeling, almost as if they were thinking, ''say something more'' and ''it can''t be just this, right?''. It''s impossible for me to rattle on about myself. It''s not that I''m uninteresting, but I don''t want everyone to hear it. Besides, isn''t it more troublesome to talk about ones'' interests right from the beginning? I''ll scare them if I suddenly talk about ''planting and grafting cacti!'', right? On a side note, I''m not actually interested in planting and grafting cacti. I just thought I''d mention it as a word of caution. "..." I could feel the sweat trickling down my back. What should I do? What should I say? Speaking of which, why am I here? -- "Uuso cold..." In the middle of February, I, as a third-year, was heading towards the examination center. "If I only want to get into the high school nearest my house, why must I go to a place that''s four stops away from it...and today is so cold..." Due to a cheating case last year, the government would only divulge the location of each school''s entrance exams 2 days before the actual examination took place. Though I felt that it was completely excessive, as you can imagine. I was only a third-year at the time. Besides, what could I say? Basically, I could only think about my bitterness as I grudgingly headed towards the examination center. My ideal school was the Aoetsu Private School that was situated near my house, a school that was an average standard in education, and also had a school festival. If there''s any special advantage that''s worth mentioning, it is that the private school''s fees are extremely inexpensive. Exceptionally inexpensive. Why? That''s simple. This is because 90% of all the graduates of this school are employed in jobs related to this school''s corporation. Even if it wasn''t like the employment freeze, it''s something worth being happy about when you can be taken care of right after your graduation. And there are so many wonderful jobs out there, and besides, they''re all localized. There''s no need to worry about flying to a different rural place every other day. Really quite wonderful. "And in the end, I still want to get away from Chifuyu-nee''s care..." As for my house, a few things happened. My parents are no longer around, and though my older sister, who''s a lot older than me, has taken care of me for quite a while, I''ve always felt inferior to others for having no parents. Tough, even though we are not destitute since Chifuyu-nee''s earnings are good, I''d still feel bad if I continue to be a burden to her. At first, I thought of working immediately after graduating from middle school, but due to my big sister''s overwhelming strength -- or we could say gentle persuasion -- I couldn''t overcome them, so until then, I was still an examinee. However, getting into Aoetsu Private School was like finding a job. At the same time, I could reduce the burden I''ve placed on Chifuyu-nee. But, it wasn''t really about reducing the burden I placed on her,... it''s just that I wanted to do it. "...Let''s just say that I accept what happened before." Thanks to a year of cramming, I was designated a grade A student. As usual, I went about taking exams, and as usual, I was accepted as per normal, so I wasn''t nervous when I walked into the examinations area. Though I knew the name of the examination facility, I didn''t exactly know the location, and such a common public facility has many functions. Though it is rare for a private firm to borrow from the public sector, those are all regional enterprises, and many obey it exclusively. "Hm... Weird, now how do I get to the second floor?" Not good, I''m lost. Speaking of which, why must this facility be constructed in such a confusing manner? Seems like it was constructed by some designer with a rather good background. Also, that person should be born from some localized industry. "But what''s with this ''I''m too fancy to design this with some semblance of order'', feeling about the place ... and, where are the stairs?... " Seriously, to call this place a maze would be an understatement. It''s difficult to understand why there aren''t any maps on the walls. Glass tiles on the walls in the corridor lowers air conditioning efficiency, right? And wouldn''t it be dangerous to set up tiles on those walls if there''s an earthquake and thus render them pointless? Wouldn''t those lights that are positioned beside one another use quite a lot of electricity? Besides, wouldn''t changing them be extremely difficult? Why is the roof so pointlessly high? Hm... "..." A third year already and yet I was lostno, this is just too embarrassing. "Never mind, I''ll open the next door I see. It''ll probably be the right one." Ah, it''s so nice to have a door over here. Shall I open it? "Ahyou are an examinee, correct? Alright, head over to the opposite side and change. We''re in a rush here. We can only borrow it up till 4 o''clock, and we can''t have any extensions. Really, I don''t know what the government is thinking here..." The moment I walked in, a 30-something, psychotic looking female teacher started to rattle on. However, she really looked busy, or maybe because she was busy or because she lacked judgment or both, she gave me step-by-step instructions without even looking at me before she walked away. (Change clothes? Hm, do we have to change clothes during an exam nowadays? Ahh, the things they think up to handle cheating, no matter which school it is.) Once I pulled aside the curtain, I found something mysterious behind it. How should I put it? It was something like a ''medieval armor placed inside a castle''. Also, it was kneeling down on one leg, as if it was swearing loyalty to its master. In stark contrast to medieval armor, only minor parts were well protected, and probably no one would find such protection acceptable. Anyway, putting that thing over there would make anyone wonder ''what the heck is going on''. It has the shape of a human, almost as if it were silently waiting for its user to arrive. I know what this is, it''s an ''IS''. The actual name is ''Infinite Stratos''. It was originally created as a multipurpose power suit for space operations. However, its development did not go as the creator had originally intended, but ended up being modified by the other mechanic specialists involved, into a ''war machine''. However, all the other countries designated it as a ''Sport'' a so called high performance flying device. The fatal flaw of the ''IS'' is that this machine will only react to females. Thus, right now, the thing in front of me was like a dummy in a windowed cupboard. It didn''t do anything, nor will it do anything. It''s just an object. Thinking about this, I touched it. "Hm!?" Ting! A sound of metal echoed in my mind. Next, all sorts of information appeared in my consciousness. In just a few seconds, all the things that one wants to know yet is unable to know appeared in front of me. The basic movements of the ''IS'', operation method, capabilities, characteristics, existing equipment, active time limit, movement range, sensitivity, radar search, armor residue, output gauge, and so on... As if I had used it for years, as if it was a technique that I refined, I understood everything about it, and mastered it. The vision was also linked to the sensors, the numbers directly appearing in my mind. I could also feel the information of my surroundings through numbers. "What, what''s going on...?" It moved. The ''IS''. Like my own hands and feet. I felt something expanding over my skin-mucosal armor extended... over. My body suddenly felt light, and I felt as if I were floatingjets operation normal... confirmed. While my right hand felt increasingly heavy, a weapon started to form out of light, a close-range combat knife... extend. I felt chilly about this sudden increase in knowledge of the world, ultra-aware components in the most comfortable way... complete. I understood everything about what it does. Despite not having known it, despite not having ever learned about it, I understood. And the world that I saw through the data of the ''IS'' was like -- "..." Hm~ Let''s confirm the situation again. Today''s officially my first day in High School, and I''m currently doing a self-introduction. In front of me are 29 girls, and behind me, it seems like Yamada-sensei is about to cry...oh yeah, Yamada-sensei''s name is easy to remember. From up to down, it can be read as ''Ya Ma Da Ma Ya'' (ޥޥ). Hm, nice name, it''s easy to remember. Anyway, enough small talk. And yet, my self-introduction hasn''t ended. The girls are giving me looks of ''tell us more about yourself!''. Hey, Houki, aren''t you going to give me a hand as a childhood friend?Ah, she''s ignoring me again? So heartless. How about that touching reunion scene again? Even though it never happened. (Not good. This is bad. If I remain silent like this, I''ll end up being branded a ''sinister individual''.) I held my breath before inhaling deeply, looking determined as I said, "That''s all." DANG~! Several girls collapsed onto the floor. What were they expecting from me? Stop spouting nonsense. "That, that..." Behind me, I could hear a voice crying. Eh? This won''t do? PANG! I got knocked on the back of my head. "OW!?" It hurt, but compared to this, something even more important flashed through my head. This way of hitting with suitable force, perfect angle, acceptable speed, someone though it''s extremely similar to someone else''s method that I''m familiar with, but... "..." I gingerly turned around. Black tight fitting skirt, tall and slim, the body line of someone who doesn''t look muscular even after lots of training. Her hands folded in front of her chest, her sharp slim phoenix eyes would remind anyone of wolves. "Eh, Guan Yu!?" PANG! There goes another hit. The impact was quite hard, well, look, all the girls are staring. Black tight fitting skirt, tall and slim, the body line of someone who doesn''t look muscular even after lots of training. "Who''s a hero in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms? Idiot?" A deep voice. Though I have heard the sound effect of a gong, but, eh? No, wait, hold on hold on hold on. Why is Chifuyu-nee here? That sister of mine whose job I don''t even know about, my own sister who couldn''t even make it back home once or twice per month. "Ah, Orimura-sensei, is the meeting over?" This little argument would only end badly. In the end, our connection as siblings was revealed. "Ah, Yamada-sensei. It''s been tough on you, forcing you to make them introduce themselves." Oh, I''ve never heard her use such a gentle tone before. Where did Guan Yun Chang go? Did he ride the Red Hare Horse away and change into Liu Bei? "No, it''s nothing. As the assistant homeroom teacher, if I can''t even do that..." The crying disappeared, as vice homeroom teacher Yamada-sensei responded to Chifuyu-nee with such an energetic voice and an attentive look. Ah, she''s actually embarrassed. "Everyone, my name is Orimura Chifuyu, and my duty is that for this one year, I''ll be training you in the operations and controls of IS. Everything I teach, you have to remember, and understand. To those who can''t understand, I''ll teach them till they can. My job is to thoroughly train you during your first year, from the age of 15 to 16. You can dislike my attitude, but you still have to do what I say. Understood?" What''s with this declaration of war? No mistake... this is my older sister, Orimura Chifuyu. But there weren''t any awkward cries, but shrieks, "KYAAA! It''s Chifuyu-sama, it''s the real Chifuyu-sama herself!" "I''ve always been your fan!" "I came to this school from North Kyuushuu because I admired you, onee-sama!" "I came all the way from southern Hokkaido!" "I''m so happy to be taught by Chifuyu-sama!" "I''ll gladly die for Chifuyu-sama!" Chifuyu-nee stared at the chattering girls with a disheartened expression. "...it''s really quite a sight to see so many idiots gather here every year. What a surprise? Or is there a special reason? Are these fools only here to attend my class?" It''s not an act, Chifuyu-nee really is disappointed. Chifuyu-nee, popularity can''t be bought you know? How about you be a bit gentler? I was too naive in thinking this, as sweet as the sweet wine of the Misaka Shrine (that''s just sugar water), as sweet as the Gotanda Canteen''s pumpkin. Maybe not Tianjin''s sweet chestnutssweet but not to the extent that I can write something about it, or something like that. "KYAAAHH! ONEE-SAMA! SCOLD US MORE! CONTINUE TO SCOLD US MORE!!" "BUT BE GENTLE TO US FROM TIME TO TIME!" "AND BE EXTREMELY ELEGANT AFTERWARDS~!" At least my classmates are good at being energetic. However, I was rather shocked and confused at my homeroom teacher being Chifuyu-nee -- that shouldn''t be the case, but I managed to calm down due to all of the girls'' shouting. Of course, when there''s such turmoil right next to you, one will consciously calm down, or something like that. I''ve experienced such things before. "Oi, so you failed at making even a simple greeting?" Extremely sarcastic, extreme sarcasm is this the meaning of being strict? My own elder sister who takes care of me, she''s just that kind of a person. "No, Chifuyu-nee, I" PANG! That''s the third time this has happened today, got that, Chifuyu-nee? 5000 brain cells die every time my head''s hit. "Call me Orimura-sensei." "...Yes, Orimura-sensei." "Eh...? Then, it means that Orimura-kun is Chifuyu-sama''s younger brother...?" "Maybe that has something to do with him being the only guy in the world that can use the IS?" "Ah~ Great. I really wanted to switch him over." I''ll ignore those words for now. Let''s move forward. I came here to this public IS Academy as the only male in the world who can pilot the ''IS''. The IS Academy is, as its name suggested, an educational corporation meant to nurture IS operators. The Japanese government sees it as a principle duty to fund it and run it. However, the results of the research are revealed to the entire world due to the common agreement, and at the same time, Japan has no right to either remain silent or hide them. No matter what happens in this school, the Japanese government has to intervene fairly, and has the obligation of settling these matters under the premise that all the countries in the treaty have agreed upon. Also, the school has opened its doors to foreign students without any conditions, and the Japanese government is to provide protectionas accorded to the contents of the IS treaty regarding IS pilot training agencies. This is the school''s code of discipline. Basically, it''s like ''damned Japan, creating the IS and causing chaos in the world, the very least you could do is build a school to train individuals in this area of expertise. And hand over your research and technology. Ah, and you will be bearing all the financing costs''. A certain country A is really a rogue. (Why am I at this school? ...Well, because I activated a test IS in an IS examination arena, but speaking of which, how did I end up getting in there?...) Are Aoetsu Gakuen and the IS Academy similar? Anyway, that seemed to be the case. "..." Suddenly, in this extremely excited classroom, I felt a stare. Looking back, Houki, who was just now looking outside the classroom, turned around to stare at me. (Hm, though she doesn''t look angry... did I do something?) Never mind, I''ll ask her later. Just as I was thinking about it, the bell rang. "Oh my, SHR is over. Everyone, I''ll have you memorize the basics of IS within the next 6 months. After that, it''s practicals, you must let the basic maneuvers sink in as a part of your body''s instincts within half a month. Okay? If you understand, answer me. Whether acceptable or otherwise, respond to whatever I announce." Oh, a demon trainer from Hell. Right now, Chifuyu-nee could be a demon in a human skin. No, I would still be able to handle it if it was a demon, because they aren''t human. And yet this person in front of me seemed to acknowledge only half of the human functions, how inconsiderate. Either way, this Orimura Chifuyu was the first generation IS pilot that represented Japan, and was undefeated in an actual match. However, one day, she announced her retirement and disappeared... which must mean that she came here to teach... she should have at least told me as a family member... I was an idiot for worrying about her. "SIT DOWN, YOU FOOL!" Yes, yes ... I''m an idiot. "Aahh-..." I can''t bear it. It''s too much work. I can''t. I''m desperate. ".................." The first theory class for IS is finally finished, and it is now break. But, I didn''t know how to react to the abnormal aura within the classroom. Incidentally, while the IS institute is a profit-earning business, there is also education about IS, that make up the daily courses. The structure of the school? You can look at the map by yourself. (But, I couldn''t make it out one way or another...) Apart from me, everyone here is a girl. Not only my class, but everyone in the school. Incidentally, the news that ''I''m the only male able to pilot an IS'' has also spread throughout the world, everyone knows about me, from the people of the school to the students. Which is why, in the middle of the corridor there are girls from the other classes, as well as 2nd and 3rd year senpais. Even though I''m used to seeing girls, but in this case, almost no one has approached me to talk. It seems that, from their expressions, schoolgirls of the same year are thinking ''come talk to me''. The air filled with ''Hey, are you running away from your problems'', kind of tension bearing aura. By the way, even though the IS Academy is the world''s only specialized IS school, a lot of schools with the intention of stimulating their students enter them in the IS study program so they can take advanced studies. And these types of schools are 100% all-female. However, in the end, the girls from such schools have almost no immunity against males, and as for the boys in a normal society, there''s a dilemma about their status. The current weapons are waste metal in front of an IS, that''s why the balance of the world''s military has been broken. And because IS was invented by the Japanese, Japan had monopolized the IS technology. The other countries that had become more aware of the threat signed an IS Application Protocolcommonly called the ''Alaska Treaty'', and had authorized the disclosure of the IS''s technology and sharing of information, establishing a foundation of world research institutions, and prohibiting military usage, among other things. That is why, the number of IS pilots in a country has a very close relationship with its military force (a credible defense force). Only girls can be pilots, so all the involved countries created a prioritized female protection program. That''s why, because the ideology that ''woman = great'' was accepted, in the last ten years women had become considered superior to men. When suddenly an equal ''man'' had appeared, it was obvious that there would be curiosity first. (After that, we arrive at our present predicament.) By chance I looked over at the girl sitting in the next desk, and though she was staring at me before, she immediately looked away in a panic. It created a feeling of anxiety of ''being approached''. Also, becoming the object of the entire country''s girls'' admiration, along with being titled Orimura Chifuyu''s little brother seemed to make things very complicated. (Who could lend me a hand in this kind of situation...) Suddenly, I thought about my old friend Gotanda Dan. That guy always said that he envied me, where is he now? It still isn''t too late to switch places with me. "...Excuse me for a moment." "Eh?" Suddenly, someone talking to me. Seemed like there''s a winner among the girls who were trying to duke it out?...No, from the almost silent conversations that were carried out inside and outside of the classroom, there''s only one girl who would do so. "...Houki?" "..." In front of my eyes stood the childhood friend whom I last saw six years ago. In front of my eyes stood the childhood friend whom I last saw six years ago. Shinonono Houki. We learned kendo together in the same dojo. Her hairstyle was still in the ponytail I remembered. Her more than shoulder-length hair was tied together with a single white ribbon (Shinonono dojo is a half-shrine). Even though her height is the average for girls of her age, an effect of her practising kendo over these long years is that she has acquired a slender shape. According to her, she was born with her scowl. ... no, even the possibility of being hated by her isn''t zero. Actually, when she called my name, it wasn''t just my imagination that she was angry. My impression of Houki, is someone that reminds you of a katana, which has in these six years grown ever sharper. "Is it OK if we talk in the corridor?" It''s probably hard to talk in the classroom. Forget it, if it can pull me out of this current uncomfortable situation, nothing else matters. It''s really a childhood friend who lends a hand. Not fickle. Wanting to apologize to me for what she said before. Ah, me. "Quickly." "I-I know." Houki hurried to the corridor, and the girls gathered there stepped away in the blink of an eye. Like Moses parting the sea. Even though I came out to the corridor, Houki and I were surrounded by others four meters in diameter. Also, I kinda had the feeling that everyone was eavesdropping. The classroom was also silent. "By the way..." "What?" I just thought about it, so I initiated the conversation. Say Houki, you asked me to come but you''re not saying anything, is it too late? "Last year, you won the world kendo championship, right? Congratulations." "..." After Houki heard me say that, her mouth immediately became the shape of a '''', and her cheeks turned red. ...Huh? Why is she angry? I was obviously congratulating her. "Why do you know that?" "Why, because I saw it in the newspaper..." "Why, why did you see it in something like a newspaper." What are you getting at, Houki? I don''t understand. It''s obvious that one reads newspapers, when they like them. Also, even though I haven''t heard you speak for a long time, you haven''t changed a bit, still talking like a man, like a warrior. "Ah--also." "Wh-what?" "..." "Ah, no..." Finally I noticed the hostile attitude, Houki becoming uneasy, and now inconceivably excited. Unbelievable girl. "It''s been a long time since we have seen each other. Even though it''s been six years, I still recognized you immediately." "Eh..." "You see, the same hairstyle." I pointed at my own head while saying this, and Houki immediately started playing with her ponytail. "At-at least you still remember." "That, I can''t forget that, since we are childhood friends. " "..." A fierce gleam flashes. I''m still being glared at. Huh-, why? Ding--Dong--Dang--Dong. Aye, time has already passed. The bell announcing the second period rings, and the bunch that had encircled Houki and me consequently dispersed. They spread like wildfire. Hmm... no wonder they''re IS pilots, their actions are swift. "Let''s return to the classroom too." "I-I know." Houki immediately showed an unhappy face, and hurried back in the same manner she came. It seems that this childhood friend of mine has no intention of waiting for me. Six years and she has already become like this? -No, that''s not it. Houki was like this from the very beginning. Resolute in following through her decisions, improving herself steadily day by day, engaging in training daily, stubborn and unyielding. Shinonono Houki is a girl who is more befitting of these descriptions than any guy. She hasn''t changed since elementary school. "..." She was still staring at me fiercely. That''s not good, did she read my mind? Houki has, since childhood, always seemed to become especially acute to when someone has spoken ill of her. -No, I''m not speaking ill of you. It''s entirely my wish. Bang! "Why aren''t you sitting already, Orimura." "I''m very grateful to be under your guidance, Orimura-sensei." It''s only morning, and twenty thousand of my brain cells have already died. "...Thus, the basic operations of IS have to be guided by the country. If no permission is granted, we have to pursue criminal responsibilities..." Yamada-sensei continued with her lesson ever so eloquently. However, I didn''t understand anything at all. "..." Five heavy books were sitting in front of me. Just flipping to the top most page, I could only see columns and columns of meaningless text. . (Er, is it only me? Am I the only one who doesn''t understand what''s going on? Do the rest know? This active whatever offsets that wide-area something, what does it mean? Does it mean that I have to memorize everything...?) I took a peek at the girl on the next table, and could only see her listening to Yamada-sensei''s words, nodding away and jotting down notes from time to time. (Ku... don''t tell me those rumors about IS students studying before they enrolled are true...) IS pilots have a direct link with our national security strength, so in a certain sense, this school exists to groom the elites. Also, these are scholars who managed to ace exams several times tougher than regular entrance exams. (Though I''m not too interested in being an elite... hm-, can''t let this continue. Anyway, got to study.) Feeling somewhat inferior, I lowered my head, and unknowingly, I peeked over at the girl who was jotting down notes. "Is-, is there something wrong?" As expected, after the girl noticed me looking at her, she expressed surprise and nervousness, showing a forced smile that conveyed a certain kind of expectation. "Ah, no, it''s nothing. Sorry." "Is-, is that so?" After hearing that, the girl showed me a look of relief and disappointment, before returning back to working in her notebook...hm~ did I do something to upset her? "Is there something you don''t understand, Orimura-kun?" Yamada-sensei noticed me talking to the girl besides me, and thus specifically asked me. "Ah, that..." I again looked back at the textbooks mm, I don''t understand anything at all. "If you have any questions, please ask me. I''m a teacher after all." Yamada-sensei lifted her chest up and answered confidently. Oh, maybe she really is reliable. Alright, I''ll give it a go. "Yamada-sensei!" "Yes, Orimura-kun?" An answer that''s full of enthusiasm. Seems like this will work, as expected of a teacher. "I don''t understand anything at all." I honestly blurted out my shortcoming. When I do this, usually others tend to empathize with me. "Erm...ev, everything...?" Yamada-sensei looked extremely bothered and was wearing a completely stiff expression...that''s weird? Where did that reliable teacher go? "Th-Then...except for Orimura-san, is there anybody else who doesn''t understand the current lesson up till this point?" Yamada-sensei raised her hand to prompt the class. Silence... Strange, that''s too strange. Nobody raised their hand. If they only understood half of it to begin with, they''ll definitely regret it in the future. Is that alright, is that really alright, with everyone? "...Orimura, did you read the reference book before entering the school?" Waiting for an opportunity at the side of the classroom, Chifuyu-nee asked this. Alright, I decided to reply honestly. "I mistook it for the old telephone book and threw it away." PANG! "Didn''t I write ''compulsory to read'' on it, you fool?" Another 5,000 of my brain cells died. Damn it, it''ll be cheaper to have the coroner give me a checkup now. "I''ll issue you another copy later, but you must memorize it within a week, got it?" "No, that, the thickness is a little..." "I''m telling you to do it." "...Fine, I''ll do it." Already surpassing the designation of demonic sergeant, Chifuyu-nee glared at me. A devil, she''s a devil in human clothing. She''s a human and yet she''s so inconsiderate, how could she not understand the limitations of human beings? "Whether it''s in terms of mobility, firepower or suppressing ability, the IS far surpasses all the older weapons in that aspect. If you don''t understand this weapon ''thoroughly'' before operating it, accidents will occur. We teach you basic knowledge and train you to prevent such accidents from occurring. Even if you can''t understand, memorize it, and remain strong and steady. These are the rules and regulations." Yes, that''s completely true. Let me add on one thing, I didn''t wish to be here. One day, a group of black-clad men came up beside me, said something about ''we''ll protect you'' and left a notification letter regarding enrolment into the IS Academy. I don''t understand, does this ''protection'' consist of tossing a boy into a girls'' garden and abandoning him? Right now, I want protection, and Chifuyu-nee''s the reason. "...You brat, you''re thinking that you didn''t come here of your own choice, right?" I was shocked. Why did she consider it alright to reveal my thoughts so brazenly? "No matter whether you wished for it or not, people can''t get away from an interactive life. If you want to abandon it, abandon your identity as a human first." As sharp as ever, it''s about time for me to face reality. Chifuyu-nee was a realistic person right from the very beginning, and I know the reason. "..." Ho looks like I have to work. Well, maybe I won''t be able to get to the level where Chifuyu-nee wont be all red in the face, but at least I don''t want her to be embarrassed on the professional field. I won''t abandon my family members, unlike my parents who I had never seen. "Th-Then, Orimura-kun, I''ll teach you everything that you don''t know, so you must work hard? Alright? Alright?" Yamada-sensei tightened her hands and closed in. As she''s shorter than me, it naturally turned to her shyly looking away. "Yes. Then, I''ll leave it to sensei after school." After saying that, I sat down. Chifuyu-nee also returned to the side of the classroom. "After-, after school... a teacher together with a student, two people alone after school... Ah! No, no, Orimura-kun. Your sensei will become weak when she''s forced... and this is my first time with a guy..." Suddenly blushing and saying such things. Yamada-sensei, are you alright? IS pilots really have no resistance to males. Speaking of which, all the stares directed at me were very uncomfortable. If these stares could generate a physical force, I would have become a pincushion. "How-However, if it''s Orimura-sensei''s younger brother, then..." "Ahack ack! Yamada-sensei, continue with the lesson." "Ye-Yes!" Chifuyu-nee coughed twice, causing Yamada-sensei to return from her fantasy. Yamada-sensei frantically moved back to the stage and failed. "Uuit hurts..." (...Is she alright? This teacher...) Only then did I realize just how many catastrophes I would be in for. -- "Ahh, can I have a moment?" "Huh?" During the break after the second period, again I was confronted with a feeling of uneasiness. Suddenly being asked to talk caused my response to come out somewhat weird. The girl who asked was naturally blond. She''s stared at me, and her blue eyes that are held exclusively by people of white descent revealed a sense of unhappiness. Her hair was slightly curled up, giving off a sense of nobility. Her radiating demeanour was the one which women normally give off in today''s society. In current day society, due to the IS, women are given higher status. It''s not just a privilege, even the archetype of ''women = great'' came into being. At the same time, men were relegated to being slaves, manual labor. Right now in the city, it''s not rare to see men being abused by women they never met on the streets. Anyway, in the minds of the women nowadays, men are basically considered servants. To be honest, that''s not necessarily a bad role. On a side note, since this IS Academy has the duty to accept a large number of students, it''s not rare to see foreign students enrolled here. As a result of this, only about half the girls in the class are Japanese. "Are you listening? Hello?" "Ah-, ah, yes, I''m listening... was there something you wanted?" Upon hearing my reply, the girl in front of me deliberately increased her volume. "Wait a second! What are you saying? Just the fact that I''m talking to you should be enough to make you feel greatly honored. Shouldn''t you have a better attitude towards me?" "..." To be honest, this is the kind of person that I''m the worst at dealing with. Being able to use an IS means that a person will become part of their country''s military. Thus, IS pilots are held in high regard, and currently, only females are IS pilots. But the difference between that and flaunting power is that, if the power is begotten through violence, it''s just a tool for violence. "I''m sorry. But I have no idea who you are." It''s true. Even though I did pay attention to the self-introductions and all sorts of rhetoric, I couldn''t recall what was said before. In my defense, Chifuyu-nee being my homeroom teacher was a rather shocking experience. However, my reply didn''t seem to go over too well with the girl in front of me (it would be great if she would tell me her name). She narrowed her eyes to slits and said in a tone conveying complete contempt with regards to men. "You don''t recognize who i am? You don''t know who Cecilia Alcott is? You''ve never heard of me? The representative candidate student for England and the top scorer on the school''s entrance exam?" Ah, so her name''s Cecilia. Oh "Well, may I ask a question?" "Humph, it''s the job of a noble to answer the requests made by people of the lower class, so you may ask." "What''s a representative candidate student?" KATHUNK! Several girls eavesdropping on our conversation collapsed onto the floor. "A, a, a..." "Ahh?" "Are, are you serious?" She really looked angry now. If this were a manga, she would most likely have a crossed-vein popping out of her forehead. "Ah. Because I really don''t know." If I don''t know something, I have to honestly admit to it. It would be to my own demise if I did otherwise and still wanted to try to maintain a good standing. "..." After being angry for a bit, Cecilia actually calmed down. She pressed her thumb against her temples, conveying a headache, grumbling... "I can''t believe this, this is really quite unbelievable. Though this is a land to the far east, this is not some under developed country. This is common knowledge, common knowledge. Don''t tell me you don''t have a television..." How rude, I do have a television, it''s just that I don''t normally watch it. "What''s a representative candidate?" "The pilot of a country''s IS is decided from the pool of representative candidates, which means the elites...you, should be able to understand what the words mean." "Now that you mentioned it, that does ring a bell." Seems like it''s true that it''s easier to forget simple things. "That''s right, we''re elites." Oh, she revived. As expected of a representative candidate. She pointed her finger at me, the tip nearly touching the tip of my nose. "It''s a miracle for you get into the same class with the chosen ones... you should feel blessed. Do you realize the situation that you''re currently in now?" "Is that so? How fortunate for me." "...Are you trying to make a fool out of me?" Wasn''t it you who told me how lucky I was? "In the first place, you knew nothing about IS'', and yet you were able to make it into this school. When I first heard that you were the only male in the world who could pilot an IS. It had me expecting a lot more of you." "Making assumptions about me, will only leave me in an uncomfortable situation." "Humph. Because I''m an elite, I''ll even be nice to people like you." Oh, what a friendly attitude. This is the first time I''ve experienced something like this during my 15 years of life. "If you don''t fully understand anything regarding IS, hmmm... if you cry and beg me, I may be inclined to teach you. After all, I''m an elite amongst elites, the ''only'' one who defeated an instructor during the entrance exam." It feels like she purposely emphasized on the word ''only'' eh, hm? "That''s the entrance exam you''re talking about, right? Are you talking about initiating the IS?" "What else?" "That? Well, I managed to beat an instructor as well." "Huh...?" That''s what happened. Though rather than defeated, I evaded the instructor that had suddenly come charging towards me. She accidentally crashed into the wall and was unable to move. That''s all. Maybe my words caused quite a shock to her, since Cecilia widened her eyes in disbelief. "But, but I heard that I was the only one?" "Maybe it''s because I''m not a girl?" *Pacha*. Ah, that''s not a good sound. It sounded like walking on cracked ice. "In-, in other words, I''m not the only one?" "Well, I don''t know." "You! You said that you beat an instructor, right?" "Mm, well. Something like that." "Something like that? What do you mean by that?" "Erm, calm down, okay?" "How-? How can I calm down after hearing that?!" DINGDONGDANGDONG. The bell for third period interrupted our conversation. It felt like a saving grace to me now. "...! I''ll be back! Don''t run away! All right?" Not good, such a reply would likely make her angry. I had to promise her. "For the remaining time, we''ll mainly be describing all sorts of equipment that can be used in actual combat, and their characteristics." Chifuyu-nee replaced Yamada-sensei, who taught the first and second period lessons, as she stood at the front. It seemed like this was important, as even Yamada-sensei took out a notebook. "Ah, but before that, we have to decide on the class representative who''ll take part in the inter-class tournament." Suddenly thinking about it, Chifuyu-nee seemed to have mentioned it before. Hm? Inter-class tournament? Representative? "The class representative is as its name indicates. The class representative will not only compete in the tournament, but will also attend student council meetings and committee meetings as well. Well, you can consider it like a class leader. On a side note, the inter-class battles are meant to gauge each enrolled class'' ability. Though there isn''t much difference right now, competition will encourage further improvement." The class started to become abuzz. Not knowing what was going on, I didn''t even know the significance of all of this. Hm, anyway, what I can deduce is that we''re deciding on our class rep now. Seems like it''ll be extremely bothersome, and the person who''ll be doing it will have quite a rough time. "Sensei, I recommend Orimura-kun!" Hm? There''s someone else who''s called Orimura in this class? What a coincidence. "I feel that it''s a good idea too!" Hm. So do I. Anyone will do, as long as it''s not me. "Then the candidate will be Orimura Ichika... is there anyone else? You can either nominate yourself or another person, both are fine." Hoho, wait there''s only one Orimura Ichika in this class... ACK, there''s no way this could happen! "M-Me?" I immediately stood up, and what struck me were the piercing stares. Even without looking back, I knew that they conveyed irresponsible expectations of ''if it''s him, he can do it''. "Sit down, Orimura, you''re a troublesome sight. Then, isn''t there anyone else? If so, Orimura will be elected without a vote." "W-Wait a second! I don''t want this!" "I said that no matter whether you nominated yourself or someone ''else'' nominated you, the one nominated doesn''t have the right to refuse. The one nominated should be prepared already." "Ev-Even if I''m not willing" Just as I was trying to protest, I got cut off by a highly enthusiastic voice. "Hold on a minute! I can''t accept this outcome!" *PAM!* Cecilia slammed her hands against the table as she got up, her figure became a lot more intimidating. Oh, so that''s how you exert yourself. I really have to get on her good side. "This kind of election outcome is totally unacceptable! Anyway, having a man as our class representative is totally disgraceful! Do you expect me, Cecilia Alcott to endure this embarrassment for a whole year?" That''s right, talk, keep talking... hm? "In terms of ability, it''s obvious that I should be the class representative. It''ll be troubling if some rare far-east monkey is to be chosen because he is a rare breed! I came to this island country to polish up my IS skills, and I have no interest in joining a circus!" That''s weird, how come I''m no longer human? Why? Speaking of which, Britain is an island itself, right? That means that Britain and Japan aren''t much different. "Isn''t that right!? Only the most talented can be the class representative, and I''m the most suitable one!" She could not hold back her excitementspeaking of which, as Cecilia was getting more into it, her choices of words were getting more and more crude, more anger-driven. Though I didn''t want to be the class rep, even a simpleton would get somewhat upset from being told off to such an extent. "In the first place, living in such a country with an underdeveloped level of culture is excruciatingly painful for me" Boom. "Even if Britain''s a powerful country, you''re far too arrogant on your part, right? How many years has it been now that you''ve won the world''s worst cuisine award?" Ah. "Wha...!?" In the end, I said it. Just like that, it slipped out of my mouth. I gingerly turned my head to face her. Right now, Cecilia could only be described as furious, the thoroughly red face indicating her rage. Wah... I messed up... "You, you, you! Are you insulting my country?" Ah. Really, now there was no way I could stop this. Right now, we''re past the point of no return. "It''s a duel!" *PAM!* Cecilia slammed her hands on the table. In the next instant, she would have thrown her gauntlets, had she been wearing any. In other words, this is a battle of pride? "Oh, great, bring it on. It''s better than a debate anyway." "You talk big. Since you deliberately asked for defeat, I''ll accept you as a servant no, a slave!" "Don''t look down on me. This is a serious showdown, don''t try and do it halfheartedly." "Is that so? Perfect timing, this will be the perfect opportunity for me, Britain''s candidate, Cecilia Alcott to display her ability." In the end it became a duel, a boy shouldn''t be fighting seriously with a girl, right? What should I do? "How much of a handicap do you want?" "Oh my, asking for a favor so soon?" "No, I''m asking how much of a handicap I should give you." At that moment, the class erupted with laughter. "O-Orimura-kun, are you serious?" "Isn''t a man being stronger than woman a story of the past?" "Orimura-kun. Maybe you can pilot an IS, but that''s just overdoing it." Everyone was seriously laughing damn it, that seemed to be the case. Of course, men are overwhelmingly weaker. They''re powerless. It''s true that only a few can pilot an IS, but all females are potential IS pilots. In contrast, men logically can''t pilot an IS at all. If a war happened because of a difference in views between men and women, the male faction probably wouldn''t even last 3 days. If there''s a champion, we''d likely be suppressed within 3 hours. This is because as a super weapon, an IS far exceeds fighter planes, tanks and battleships of the past. "...Then I won''t give you a handicap." "Yes, that should be the case. More accurately, it bothers me that I don''t have to give you a handicap. Hum hum, saying that men are stronger than women, Japanese males really have quite a sense of humour." The excitement had just now died down. Though, Cecilia''s expression is one of contempt. "Hey, Orimura-kun, it''s not too late, you know? You can still get Cecilia-san to give you a handicap?" The girl sitting diagonally behind me sincerely advised. However, the complicated expression of hersthe laughter and smirk that she was visibly holding back made me even angrier. "A man would never go back on his word. I have no need of a handicap." "Hai a representative candidate is being looked down on. Or is it that you don''t know what an IS battle looks like?" "..." To be honest, I had never seen a real IS battle before. At most, I secretly watched videos of Chifuyu-nee while she was doing her military service (because Chifuyu-nee didn''t want to see me get involved with IS). "Then, we have a common understanding. The battle will take place next Monday in the 3rd arena. Orimura and Alcott, make sure you are well prepared. Now, let''s get back to the lesson." Chifuyu-nee clapped her hands to end the conversation. I harbored an uneasy feeling as I sat down, speechless. (I can master the basics in a week. It shouldn''t be too hard. Also, I did manage to activate it during the entrance exams. Never mind, I''ll think of something once I get there.) However, after I get past that battle, I''ll be taking the position of class representative. Though it''s a headache, I can''t back down now. And I won''t get a second chance. (Alright, time to pay attention to class.) I immediately opened the textbook on the table. "Ugh..." After school, I moaned while tiredly sprawling on to the table. "No, I didn''t understand anything at all... why must it be so complicated...?" Anyway, I became a soldier specialized in terminology, and had to investigate all sorts of vocabulary. However, it seemed like there wasn''t any IS specific terminology, which in other words means that I hadn''t done anything constructive today. Even though it was after school, the situation hadn''t changed a single bit. As usual, the other students from different years and classes weren''t approaching me, and were instead muttering things amongst themselves. (Ku... spare me the agony...) It was the same during afternoon break, and it could be said that I was in a living hell. I went to the cafeteria, and all the girls were following behind me, and it wasn''t like they were my honor guards. And when I went to the canteen, the situation was like Moses splitting the sea, and I ended up in a blank slate situation. Am I some mystical animal who only just arrived in Japan for the first time? Speaking of which, there seemed to be one species of Mexican Salamander that''s commonly talked about (An amphibian axolotl). I couldn''t even tell what kind of creature it was with just the name alone. "Ah, Orimura-kun, you''re still in the classroom? That''s good." "Is there something you needed?" Being addressed, I lifted up my head. It was my vice homeroom teacher, Yamada-sensei, standing in front of me holding a book. She''s a teacher no matter how it looks, and as expected, my first impression of her was that she''s short, even though she''s basically the same height as an ordinary girl. "Well, your dorm''s ready." Yamada-sensei said as she handed over a paper with the dorm number on it and a key. That''s right, the IS Academy is a boarding school, and the school requires all students to live on the campus. Most likely, this is to protect these IS pilots who have unlimited potential. Truly, these individuals are integral to the future defense of countries. Ever since this school started, there have been a few countries who have tried to tempt them, and this isn''t uncommon at all.Speaking of which, every country has been trying to lure over elite pilots. "Wasn''t my room still undecided on? I heard that it might take a week." "That''s the case, but special circumstances require special solutions; it seems like you were forced to change rooms... Orimura-kun, have you heard anything from the government?" The last few words were said softly, so that only I could hear them. On a side note, the government she''s referring to is obviously the Japanese government. Without exception, there haven''t been any ''male'' IS pilots before, so even the country has taken measures to protect and keep watch over me. Ever since news about me being an IS pilot broke out, it was either the mass media, the ambassadors from other countries, or even human DNA research people that were sent over, saying that ''we have to do a live sample no matter what''. Whoever would go along with that is an idiot. "Because of those circumstances, the government created a special directive. Anyway, you''ll live in a dorm until your room is prepared in a month. So until then, please endure and live with the others." "...Well, Yamada-sensei, your breath is making my ear all itchy." Speaking of which, how long is she going to bite on my ear? Everyone else in the class really seems to be enjoying this. "Ah, no, this is because... it wasn''t on purpose..." "There''s no need to apologize, I know... since there''s a room for me, I''ve got to go back and get my stuff. So can I go back home today?" "Ah, no need. If it''s luggage" "I''ve already arranged everything. Be sure that you are grateful for this." Oh my, this voice definitely belonged to Chifuyu-nee. Immediately, the tune of Darth Vader played in my mind without a moment''s hesitation. On a side note, there''s also another tune in my mind. It''s called the Terminator. "I-I''m extremely thankful for it..." "Well, it''s just some daily necessities. Some changes of clothing and a cellphone charger should be enough, I suppose." As expected of an unrefined and careless individual. In truth, she''s right, but personally, I feel that everyday conveniences are important as well, nee-san. "Then please use this time and head to the dormitory. For dinner, please be sure to head down to the first-year dorm cafeteria from 6 to 7pm. On a side note, each room has a shower, and there''s a large public bath. The time to use it differs by school year...hm, well, currently, Orimura-kun is not allowed to use the large public bath." "Eh, why?" I really like bathing in a large public bath. "Are you an idiot? Do you want to bath together with girls of the same age as you?" "Ah..." Oh yeah. Besides me, everyone here is a girl. "Ya, Orimura-kun, you want to bathe with a girl!? No, we can''t allow that." "No, it''s not that. I don''t want to bathe together." I don''t know if I''m unlucky or what. Speaking of which, it''s forbidden outside school as well. This is an ethical issue. "Wha? You''re not interested in girls!? That, that could become a problem..." What now. She has no clue what I''m talking about. Immediately as the words left Yamada-sensei''s mouth, it spread around rumors like a broken telephone. The females'' chatter in the corridors started to intensify. "Don''t tell me Orimura-kun''s only interested in guys..." "However... that''s not bad." "We''ll need to check starting from his middle school days! It''ll be done soon! The results will be here in 2 days." Talking about this and that. "Then, I have a meeting to attend to, so goodbye. Orimura-kun, please head to your dorm room, and don''t wander about aimlessly." Considering that the distance from the school to the dorm is only 50m, do I need to be heading there directly even with it being so close? It''s true that they have all sorts of facilities here, all sorts of club rooms, IS arenas, IS maintenance rooms, and IS development rooms. But today, I won''t be able to go to them, and it''s not like I won''t be able to visit them another day. Therefore, I may as well rest for today. Finally, I will be able to get away from the girls'' prying eyes. "Ho..." Watching Chifuyu-nee and Yamada-sensei as they walked out of the classroom, I sighed as I stood up. I could still hear the ruckus coming from both inside and outside the classroom, but today, I won''t worry about it anymore. It will be better to be in my dorm than here. "Hm~?, it''s here, right? Room 1025." I confirmed the room number and was about to insert the key. Eh, that''s strange? The door was unlocked. *Kacha*. I entered the room, I saw 2 large beds, arranged side by side. I dare to bet that even a commercial hotel would not be able to compare to it. Just by looking at them it made me feel all light and fluffy. This should be the difference in level. Long live our country. Temporarily tossing my luggage onto the floor beside the bed, I immediately leapt at it...ohhh, how soft. These are definitely high-priced beds and quilts. "Is anyone there?" Suddenly, a voice came from inside. Maybe since the door was blocking it, the voice sounded a bit deep. Speaking of which, every room should have a bathroom, right? CHm? "Ahh, you''re my roommate, right? Please take care of me from this year on." I had a bad feeling about this, this uneasy feeling trickled up my legs. "I was using the shower, so I''m sorry for looking like this. My name is Shinonono" "Houki...?" The one who came out from the bathroom was my childhood friend, who I had completed my reunion with. She had just finished showering, and now walked out of the bathroom. It seems like the bathroom was constructed to be both a shower and a changing room. And without confirming that the other person was a girl, Houki had walked out with only a towel wrapped around her. Ah, it''s not a ponytail. The small surface area of the towel could mean several things. Below the edges were the naked and tender thighs; and seemingly indicating that she had just showered, the water droplets... skirted down her legs. Healthy white skin is a real eye-opener. Above that was her slender body that had been rigorously trained, and I could see it even though she had a towel on. It really made my heart race, as I''m really weak toward women with unique curves. Pressing a hand in front of her chest, the large breasts behind her towel were lifted up. No matter what, the last time I saw her body was during swimming lessons in 4th grade, and it didn''t really leave me with much of an impression. To think that Houki would choose to wear thin clothingthe above 0.3 seconds of thought was over. "..." Houki was shocked. I was too. The all-Japan''s most shocked person tournament had begun. "I-I-Ichika..." "Oh-, mm..." I made a definite reply, and Houki''s face became extremely red. Basically, this should happen when two people of opposite genders are face to face with each other after a bath, right? Even I would be rather troubled with how to react and handle a situation like this. "...? Do-Don''t look!" "So-Sorry!" I frantically turned my head aside and looked away. From the image I managed to see out of the corner of my eye, Houki had tightly wrapped the towel around herself, as if she was trying to hide her body (or protect it)...the cleavage of her breasts was obvious due to the movements of her arms. This made my heart race even faster. "Wh-Wh-Why, are, you, here...?" Houki stiffly asked, and it sounded like gears clattering with one another. "Well, I''m also staying her" Out of the corner of my eye, she took action. Extremely fast, as expected of the champion of the National Kendo competition. Houki grabbed the bokken beside the wall, whirled it around and quickly thrust it forward. She lowered her body and instantly decreased the distance between us CI''m about to die! "Uootsuge!" (sound effect) I jumped down from the bed and retreated towards the door. *Pada!* I managed to escape outside the room in the nick of time. The inertia created by the joints threw me forward. "Saved" *Chi Dong!* The sound of the door splitting could be heard. The bokken broke through beside my head, the tip missing me barely by 2mm. Hey, this is a wooden door. To be able to stab a bokken through a wooden door, what kind of skill is this? *Ci* *ci* *ci*...the blade sank back through the door. Ho, so she''s letting me off? *Ci Dong!* The sound of the wooden door exploding could be heard again. "Are you really trying to kill me? I''d be dead if I didn''t dodge that!" A sudden barrage of attacks had stabbed through where my head was a few moments ago. "...What? What?" "Ah, it''s Orimura-kun!" "Huh, so Orimura-kun lives in this room? That''s a good piece of information~~!" With all the commotion that was caused, the girls started to emerge from their rooms. Also, what was troubling was that they were all wearing simple nightgowns, completely oblivious to a guy seeing them in them. Some of them had taken it a step further, wearing only a shirt, and not wearing pants or skirts. Instead, I could see white inverted triangles. In addition, some of them were wearing blouses, and I could see flesh-colored chests...girls, should you really be revealing your underwear so casually? In more ways than one, is this really alright? "...Houki, Houki-san, please let me in. It''s going to turn out badly. I''ll apologize, so please, I''m begging you like this." I clapped my hands together and lift them above my head. I must pass these feelings over. "..." The only response I got from inside was silence. However, the bokken was pulled back. I sincerely hoped that there wouldn''t be a third attack. Silence... After that, it was silent for about 2, 3 minutes, but to me, it felt like an hour. *Ka cha*. "...Come in." "Woah, oh." The door opened, and Houki was wearing kendo attire. It looked like these were the only clothes she could put on quickly. Truthfully, since she had been hasty in putting them on, she hadn''t managed to tie her belt properly. Either way, I had been granted permission to enter, and I entered my room... eh? There''s something strange about that, right? "What now?" A fierce glare. I was glared at. Sorry, I didn''t do anything wrong. Houki sat down on the bed. Ah, oh dear, she wants to deal with me inside. "..." Looking rather angry, Houki quickly tied her wet hair back into a ponytail. Hm, it was the Houki that I knew, at least that''s what she seemed like from the outside. "So, you said that you''re my roommate?" "Oh, yeah, it seems so." I was glared at. This girl, her eyes were as sharp as bamboo. Really alert and piercing. "What-, what''s your purpose?" "Huh?" "I''m asking what you were thinking? Boys and girls can''t share the same bed after they turn 7, it''s common sense!" What era was that from? Even though it''s not the same bed, for 15 year old males and females to be living together... err... living together might be problematic. "Wa, wa, wa...!" "Wa?" "Was it because you asked for this...? To be in my room..." "That''s stupid." Why would I purposely risk my life and choose something like this? Besides, I did not. However, it seemed that I had failed with my answer, for if I had not, the bokken wouldn''t be flying toward me. "That-!, that was close!" A close call. It was really a close call situation that I had blocked the bokken, and there would be a fatality if it had hit. From a certain manner of speech, it was now an empty-handed vs. katana situation. Even though it was a bokken, my palms were still hurting, because there was no way that the assault''s strength could be fully canceled. "Stupid... you''re saying that''s stupid? So it''s like that huh, like that..." Ah, her expression was scary. Very scary. Even though she says that she''s a childhood friend, in fact she''s a member of a secret organization, a code-named assassin, tasked with executing a certain assignment. Even though the wooden sword had been blocked by me, Houki was still continuing to exert pressure on the sword. Not good, this is going to be complicated. It isn''t a real sword, so it can''t cut me to death, but if this weight hit my head, I''d be knocked out. The worst scenario would be my skull splitting in two. No, it can''t end like this. "..." No, I withdraw my previous statements. The Houki that was standing before me was already a reaper, so even though it wasn''t a real sword, it could still split me into two parts. Also, if you added to the fact that she had been using her own weight from the beginning to force the sword down, it meant that right now the situation looked as if Houki was forcing me down "Waaah... Shinonono-san, very bold" "You shouldn''t take the lead." "The way Orimura-kun is getting it isn''t bad either..." Hey, what''s the meaning of that last comment. Also, five faces were peeking in from outside the open door. There were probably over five times as many in the corridor, also watching what was going on inside the room. "Wh-wh-wha...? Houki, greatly surprised, immediately got off my body. I''m saved. My life is preserved. "Ah, it''s already finished?" "The feeling obviously wasn''t bad" Hey. Do high school girls nowadays say ''the feeling wasn''t bad'' when they see a murder scene? Please remember. In a few moments you''ll see me giving your e-mail addresses to Gotanda. ".........!" Houki quietly chased the girls out, and whole-heartedly closed the door. As if entering a scene of murder, it looked like establishing a fictional setting was the highest priority. Though, what about the alibi? No, wait a moment, it was only that I didn''t think about it, maybe that girl has some assurance, and she''ll be protected. What''s that? That way the victim could disappear. What a scary world. "...Ichika..." "Yes, what is it?" I am facing death, without entanglement. Ah, humans arriving to this point are unimpeded. "What''s with your face..." "?" Wasn''t it like this when I was born? "Nothing, that, about the situation right now?" Ah, how I will be executed. You know, Houki, the problem with murder isn''t what''s before, but after. The human body is composed of slightly over 50kg of lipids (fat) and proteins. It also includes about more than 10L of blood. After that are the neglected bones in the skeleton. In fact, the discomposure of the upper part of the skeleton is quicker. Isn''t it different from what we think? That is why most people are puzzled. For the analysis of the skeleton a considerable amount of experience is needed, and if you do it one by one, a lot of time will be wasted. That''s when the freezer comes in to play. The freezer... "Are you listening, Ichika?" "Uh-, uh!? What!? No I''m not!?" "Is there someone who would actually say that he isn''t, stupid..." She sighed, as if she were resigning, seemingly amazed. Hmm, it seems that I did something wrong. Considerable amount of guilt. So I didn''t feel comfortable. But if I had run away, I wouldn''t be a man. "So-Sorry, can you tell me again..." Someone who acknowledges their own faults needs to lower their head. It''s common sense everywhere in the world. Even though I don''t think like that, but in front of an angry individual, one ought to acknowledge their faults first. That way the world could grow in harmony. "That-, that''s why. To be placed in this room... that-, what. That means that drawing a line in the aspect of living is needed..." The voice was indistinct at first, but she said the latter half forcefully. Say, why is Houki looking very uncomfortable? It''s probably psychological, her cheeks are also red... a fever? "First is the bathing schedule. Mine is from seven o''clock to eight. Ichika is from eight to nine." "Uhm, isn''t it better if mine is earlier..." "Do you want me to wait with my body drenched by sweat from my club activities!?" "Club activities, is it the kendo club?" "Ye-Yeah." "Weird. Doesn''t the club have showers?" "I-, I don''t feel easy if it''s not in my own room!" Uh, if you say it like that then I can''t object to it. I also think that the washroom at home is better than the ones at school. "Oh? Speaking of which, there''s no toilet in our private rooms right?" "Yeah, there are only two at either end of each floor." "That means, there aren''t any men''s bathrooms?" I just thought about this problem merely by chance. But it''s really like this, from the IS academy''s foundation there were only girls, so there wasn''t any reason to make a men''s bathroom. "......" "Eh, that, what should I do?" "I don''t know! Can''t you just ask a teacher?" Even if you say it like that, but in the worst case "In the worst case, only the women''s bathroom can be used...?" A killing intent suddenly burst forth, and I immediately turned around. I saw Houki, again holding her sword. She pointed at me with her bokken, conveying an aura of a reaper. "You, you, we haven''t seen each other for a long time, and you''ve engaged in these perverted interests... I''ve misjudged you!" "Hey!? Why would I become what you said, Houki!?" "Isn''t it obvious! Wanting to go into the women''s bathroom, if you''re not a pervert then what else could you be!? Hum, I''ll execute you right now!" "Like I''d let you!" For the time being I found a shinai at the edge of her luggage. It was near Houki''s personal things, stacked by her suitcase. (I need to use the shinai well... you, in the past you didn''t need me nagging) If the bokken and the shinai cross, the shinai could break. Anyway I''ll just be holding the shinai until Houki calms down. With that thought I pulled out the sword. (Hmm? It seems like there''s something blocking the shinai preventing it from being pulled out) *Shaa*. "Aaaaaahhhhh!?" Finally I pulled out the shinai, and confronted Houki while keeping a reasonable distance between us. "?" In front of the shinai, Houki''s mouth was opening and closing like a goldfish. Panicking and looking freaked out. "Hmm? That, what''s that...? I suddenly noticed something unusual attached to the shinai. If I try to summarize, it has a structure of two parallel triangles attached together, and the thing is "Re-re-return it to me!!" She quickly tried snatching at it, the bokken had been abandoned on the bed. With unbelievable speed Houki grabbed the thing attached to the shinai, and she covered it with both of her hands. "........." Weird? Why is she staring at me while blushing? A fever? Ah. Suddenly, I thought about the things in relation to one another. I know what the thing with which I was in contact is. I finally understood. "Houki." "Wh-what?" As if she was protecting something, Houki changed from the offensive. Now she was vigilant in keeping distance between herself and me. I looked at the gap, and clearly saw a light pink, light blue fabric. Ah, I''m sure now. "I see you''ve started wearing bras." "!!!" Dong! An explosive sound rang inside my head. Volume 1 - CH 2 "Hey..." "..." "Hey, how long are you going to remain angry?" "...I''m not angry." "You''re not looking too happy." "I''ve been like this since I was born." Acting so indifferent. On a side note, it was 8 am on the second day of school. We were in the first-years'' cafeteria, and like before, there were girls all around us. I was still rather shocked that even the staff members were female (though it was logical). I, who supposedly had a "same-room-relation", was having breakfast together with Houki; but ever since last night, we haven''t had a proper conversation. On a side note, my breakfast was of the traditional Japanese style, including natto, blocks of salmon, miso soup and mild pickle, very delicious. Maybe it was because of the exorbitant taxes. Long live Nationalism. And on another side note, Houki and I had ordered the same thing. As a Japanese, I do feel that having rice for breakfast is still the best. Even though I like bread as well, this salmon was so delicious that it suited my tastes. The rice was soft and hot, wonderful. An electric rice cooker couldn''t make this taste. So was it cooked over a rice stove? "..." I''ve been ignored. As if in agreement with the me who''s being ignored, Houki picks up a piece of salmon. Never mind, that is nothing. I grew up living with Chifuyu-nee, so I don''t have that feeling of ''I''m living with a girl! My heart is beating like crazy! I''m so nervous!''. Besides, I handled many years of Chifuyu-nee''s dirty laundry, so I''m not going to panic just because of a piece of girl''s underwear. But then again, maybe my experiences don''t have any sort of relation with my childhood friend Houki. In other words, Houki''s unhappy because of my attitude when I saw her underwear...right? Hm? That''s strange? Why is Houki angry? "As I said, I''m not angry." Even though the person in front of me said this, she didn''t turn her face towards me at all, and even when our eyes met, she would look away frantically. Hm, if it wasn''t for her angry expression, I would believe that the world was peaceful. "Look look, he''s the famous boy ~~" "Seems like he''s also Chifuyu nee-sama''s younger brother, you know." "Huh, so both siblings are IS users? Is he strong?" Today''s the same as usual. The girls keep their distance, forming a perimeter around me, known as ''even though he''s delicious, don''t be greedy''. If it were far-sea fishing, it would be quite a catch...hm, that''s just a meaningless example. "So as I was saying, Houki" "Don''t call me by my name." "...Shinonono-san." "..." If she won''t allow me to use her name, I''ll just use her surname. This time though, she could only remain silent. The fact that Houki doesn''t like to be called by her surname hasn''t changed, huh? Besides, this name has quite the history "O-Orimura-kun, can we sit here, please?" "Huh?" I could see three girls holding their trays of breakfast as they anxiously waited for my reply. "Well, it''s not like you can''t." The girl who tried to talk to me finally heaved a sigh of relief. Behind her, her two friends were secretly encouraging her. Nearby, there was quite a commotion. "Ah~ I should have tried to talk to him earlier..." "It-it''s just the second day. Nothing to panic over!" "Say, speaking of which, the people who rushed into the room yesterday are present as well!" "WHAT DID YOU SAY!?" ...Ah, mm, that''s right. 8 first-years, 15 second-years and 33 third-years came over to introduce themselves. It''s already tough enough to memorize all their names. On a side note, if anyone''s to come up to me and ask me ''do you remember me?'', the probability of me remembering them is only about 20%. This is too cruel. It''s early in the morning, and I can''t even remember three names. On a side note, those three probably had their seats assigned, so they managed to sit down quickly. A six-seater table. Houki and I are sitting on the side nearest to the window, and they filled up three seats. As for the remaining one, I hope that no one will squeeze in. "Wow, Orimura-kun, you do eat a lot in the morning" "He, he''s a guy, you know." "I''m the type who eats very little at night, so I have to eat a lot in the morning or else I won''t be able to make it." On a side note, this is true. After experiencing it for many years, testing all sorts of methods, this is still somewhat helpful in maintaining my body shape and health. I learnt it from Chifuyu-nee. "Is it alright to eat that little for breakfast?" The trio, though they had three different menus, they all had a drink, a piece of bread and a side dish (very little of it, by the way). "U-Us?" "M, yes, is it alright?" The fuel cost is extremely cheap. Don''t tell me the reason why only girls can pilot IS is because of this? "Because we eat a lot of snacks" ...You''ll grow fat if you eat too many snacks. Besides, that''s not good for one''s health, isn''t it? Is this really good? Their glory of ten years is going to run out. A human starts to age from the age of 22, it seems. "...Orimura, I''m leaving now." "Ah? Okay. See you later." After Houki cleanly finished her breakfast, she left her seat. Though it was a buffet, she still chose a traditional meal. As always, she was trying to maintain a samurai image. She should be like Japan''s excellent traditional Yamato Nadeshiko. No, well, I don''t know what qualities a Yamato Nadeshiko should have. (But since Houki''s the one living with me, well, at least it''s better than living with someone I''m unfamiliar with.) Houki and I are childhood friends. When I was in first grade, Chifuyu-nee brought me to the Shinonono dojo to train, and until 4th grade we remained in the same class. For some reason, the two of us didn''t have parents, so Chifuyu-nee and I were often taken care of by Shinononos'' parents and were invited for dinner. Truthfully, it really helped us a lot while we were poor. However, instead of saying that our relationship was bad, let''s say it was terrible. Though we walked down the same path, comrades in swordsmanship, we parted ways soon after (I''m rather mindful about this.) (I couldn''t remember anything in the past at all...) Never mind, it''s not just me, everyone''s the same now. The past is the past, and the present''s the present. "Orimura-kun, are you familiar with Shinonono-san?" "Even though I heard that you two are living in the same room..." "Ah, sort of. We''re childhood friends." Though I really didn''t know the significance behind this, there was still quite a commotion around us. Some people even let out a ''WHAT?'' "Huh, that''s" The girl beside memm, Tanimoto-san? Just as I was about to ask, a clapping sound could be heard inside the canteen. "How long are you going to eat!? You got to be fast when eating, be efficient! If you''re late, you''ll have to run around the field ten times!" Chifuyu-nee''s voice echoed throughout the canteen, and everyone inside frantically returned to eating their breakfast. If you want to know why, it''s because one lap around the field in IS Academy is 5kmthis is not a joke. I frantically finished up my food. On a side note, it seems like Chifuyu-nee was acting as the first-years'' dorm supervisor. As usual, she wasn''t getting any rest at all. Even though as her brother I was rather worried, I figured it should be alright. Truthfully, nobody could fight with Chifuyu-nee when it came to not knowing fatigue. (Never mind, I couldn''t think of how to focus on learning the IS at all.) Truthfully, I still have the match against Cecilia next week. Before that, I need to learn how to control the IS. (Trying to control it, huh?) In the end, there wasn''t any progress. Before the second period ended, my mind was already all dizzy. (Not good...) It couldn''t be helped. It was possible to understand some terms through practice, but there were some parts that were impossible to understand in the first place. Like a math problem that''s impossible to solve no matter what. Yes, those kinds that are impossible to solve unless an example is given. "..." However, the situation now feels even more inexplicable. When I first touched the IS, it felt like I was familiar with it, with many years of experience. It was that kind of a feeling. But I really couldn''t understand by reading the textbook like this, that feeling was like ''did I really activate an IS before?''. (Hm~...) I folded my arms in front of me and stared at the textbook. Of course, we''re having lessons now. Yamada-sensei may end up speechless at times, but she still continued to teach the students basic knowledge regarding IS. "In other words, the IS was originally created for space work, so the pilot is covered in a special armor. Also, the armor has the ability to increase body functions and keep the pilots in a stable state. This increases the heart rate, pulse, lung capacity, amount of sweat lost, endorphins (amino acids that the brain releases during times of pain, exercise, excitement and other exciting things)" "Sensei, is that really alright? It''s kind of scary when the body is manipulated like that." One of my classmates said with an uncertain look on her face. It''s true that the unique feeling created by piloting an IS may cause people to feel uncomfortable. "It''s not really that complicated. Oh yeah, for example, everyone''s wearing a bra, right? If one has that kind of support, there''s no reason that it will cause any adverse effects on humans. Of course, if it''s not by your own measurements but out of shape, then" ...Coincidentally, our eyes met, and Yamada-sensei just stood there, dumbfounded. Several seconds later, she blushed. "Well, that, no, that''s, Ori-Orimura-kun, you have no need to understand that. I, I don''t know. This example. Ah, ah ha, ah hahaha..." Yamada-sensei could only laugh blankly, unknowingly creating a subtle atmosphere throughout the classroom. Compared to me, some of the girls seemed to realize something as they folded their arms in front of their chests, looking like they were trying to hide their breasts. Like the conversation with Houki yesterday, up until now, I didn''t have the interest of getting excited by seeing a girl''s underwear. However, now I was surrounded by thiswanting to see it and yet not wanting to see it at the same timethis itchy feeling, and I couldn''t seem to calm down no matter what. This abnormally bad atmosphere continued for another 10 or 20 seconds . "Ahem, Yamada-sensei, please continue with the lesson." "Ah, okay." Deliberately faking a cough to disperse the atmosphere, under Chifuyu-nee''s prompt, Yamada-sensei returned back to topic even though it looked like she was about to bury herself in the book. "Then, well, I got something important to say. The IS has something similar to a human''s consciousness that can converse with the pilotin other words, understanding each other by living together. Mm, the longer the operation time, the more the IS understands the pilot''s characteristics." I see. In other words, it meant that I couldn''t slack off during training. "The more you understand each other, the more you can use its utmost capabilities. You have to understand that the IS isn''t a tool, but your friend." Immediately, a girl raised her hand. "Sensei, is it like a lover~?" "Well, that, mm...it should be that kind of feeling. I haven''t experienced it before, so I don''t really know..." This so-called experience should be of a boy and girl being in a relationship. Ignoring Yamada-sensei, who lowered her head as she blushed, the girls in the class started to chatter about things related to boys and girls dating each other. How should I say it? It''s like this place is a bit too much like a ''girls'' school'' already. The air''s full of sweetness, isn''t it? Honestly, this classroomwell, not just here, the air in the school was sweet. It wasn''t just the atmosphere, but rather, real sweetness. It was the aroma that only girls have. Anyway, this sweetness was everywhere. Actually, it was like this; it filled up my abdomen so much that I felt sick from it. "..." "Is, is there anything wrong, Orimura-kun?" "Ah, it''s nothing, nothing at all." After hearing my words, Yamada-sensei vaguely waved her hand. It felt like someone was staring at me... I had been feeling like that since yesterday. DINGDONGDANGDONG "Ah, then, during the remaining time, we''re going to start training on basic IS braking in the air." Besides practical skills and other unique subjects, IS Academy is basically in charge of all the basic training. Within these 15 minutes of rest time, to the teachers who have to head back to the office, it''s been tough on them. "Hey, hey, Orimura-kun." "Over here~ over here~, a question~ a question~" "Do you have time during the day? Do you have time after school? Do you have time at night?" So the scenario from yesterday has ended, hasn''t it? Once Yamada-sensei and Chifuyu-nee walked out of the classroom, half of the girls wound up gathering around my desk. I just heard the words ''Can''t delay this any longer!'' and I guess that it''s not a mistake on my part... "Then, please listen to me" I was really bothered, and while I was trying to finish what I wanted to say, I saw a girl giving away some sort of coupons, and even receiving money for it. Please don''t do any commercial businesses in school, just don''t. "..." My childhood friend Houki wasn''t far away from the group surrounding me as she looked on. It seemed like she was still angry. Please don''t complain silently, humans are learning creatures. (But I''m already lost now. Even though I want to let Houki teach me about things related to IS...it looks like I can only ask later.) I thought, even if it was for only a short time, it was still hard to endure those ''hurry up and answer me'' looks that the girls were showing. Now which question should I answer? "How''s Chifuyu-nee in her own house!?" "Huh, unexpectedly" *PAM!* "Break time''s over. Scram." Ah, when did she get behind me? She''s the only one who would smack me at this time. She''s here to prevent me from leaking information about her, right? Speaking of which, Chifuyu-nee, hitting people like that isn''t going to give people a good impression. Is it really alright for you to do that? "Oh yes, Orimura, your IS needs some more time before it can be prepared." "What?" "There''s no available suit. So wait a while. It seems like the school''s making a personal suit for you." "???" Just as I was confused, the entire classroom started buzzing. "A, a personal suit? For a first year, and at this time!?" "Which means that the government has given support..." "Ah~ so good...I want to have my own personal suit soon." What''s going on? Is there anything really worth being envious of? I just showed a look of not knowing anything at all, that Chifuyu-nee couldn''t endure seeing as she muttered, "Page 6 of the textbook. Read it out." "Mn, mm... ''Today, even though we have links to many countries and enterprises that provide IS technology, all the information related to the manufacturing of the core is never revealed. The cores of the 467 IS that exist in today''s society are all created by Professor Shinonono. This core has been completely transformed into a black box, and none have achieved the success that Professor Shinonono has. However, the Professor has declined to continue creating more after a certain amount, and all countries, organizations and enterprises have started research, development and training of their own cores. The dealings of cores are against Title 7 of the Alaska Treaty, that these are forbidden no matter the circumstances''..." "That''s the case. You understand?" "Sort, sort of..." Mm, let me clear this up a bit. 1. There are only 467 IS existing in the entire world. 2. Only Professor Shinonono can create the cores, and the Professor''s no longer willing to create more. 3. I got a special privilege, but this is a test prototype. That''s the case. Mm, I understand it rather clearly. On a side note, this Professor Shinonono is "Erm, sensei. Is Shinononon-san, a relative of Professor Shinonono...?" A girl trembled as she asked Chifuyu-nee...that''s right, this surname Shinonono will be discovered anyway. Shinonono Tabane, the complete genius who designed the IS all by herself. She was Chifuyu-nee''s classmate, and Houki''s elder sister. No matter how many times I met her, I always thought of her as''genius''. "That''s right, Shinonono''s that person''s little sister." Hey, sensei, is it really good to divulge other people''s information like that? Actually, Tabane-nee is now a person who''s placed under unique security that exceeds National laws. Though she''s not a criminal, the whereabouts of the person who has all sorts of technology in regards to IS are unknown. This makes every related person to the governments and organizations feel rather insecure. (However, she herself doesn''t seem to mind though...) Remembering that haughty look on her face, well, if I have to describe it, an example would be a ''cunning sheep''. On a side note, Chifuyu-nee''s an ''honest wolf''. Hm, I''ll call that rotating image. Rather suitable, isn''t it? "WHAAAAAT! This, this is great! We have two famous people''s relatives here!" "That that, how''s Professor Shinonono as a person!? She''s a genius, right!?" "So Shinonono-san''s a genius too!? Teach me how to operate an IS the next time." We were supposed to be having lessons now, but the girls were now gathered around Houki. Ah, if I look from here, it may make quite the nice scene. According to common sense, nobody will help you out. (Strange? Speaking of which, did Houki pilot an IS before...?) I tried to search through my memory. Hm, I''ve definitely never seen it before. Besides, Tabane-nee and Houki "I HAVE NO RELATION WITH THAT PERSON!" Her sudden loud voice cut my thoughts like bamboo. Looking over, the girls surrounding Houki were revealing similar expressions, not knowing what''s going on. "...Sorry for using such a loud voice. However, I''m not that person, there''s nothing I can tell you." After saying that, Houki turned her head to stare outside the window. It seemed like the girls'' enthusiasm got doused, everyone was looking troubled and unhappy as they returned to their seats. (Does Houki really hate Tabane-nee...?) I again tried to search through my memory, and for some reason, I couldn''t find any images of them being together. Speaking of which, Houki would always refuse to talk about Tabane-nee, once anyone mentioned her, Houki would end the topic. "Then, let''s start the lesson. Yamada-sensei, the command." "Ye-Yes." Yamada-sensei seemed to be mindful of Houki as well, and from this viewpoint, she definitely looked like a professional teacher. The lesson finally started. (I''ll ask Houki later...) Harboring these thoughts, I opened the textbook. "Now I can be at ease. No need to worry about having to use the simulator." Ah, is that so, Cecilia-san? During break time, Cecilia came over to my place and said this as she placed a hand on her hip. It really doesn''t matter, but you really like this posture, huh? It really doesn''t matter. "Oh my? The victor''s obvious already? It''s really unfair though." "? Why do you say that?" "Oh my, you still don''t know? Alright, let me tell you, an ordinary civilian. I, as the English representative of England, Cecilia Alcott...in other words, have my own personal machine." "Wha" "...Are you taking me for a fool?" "No, although I feel that you''re amazing, I don''t know how amazing you are." "Normally speaking, wouldn''t you be treating me as an idiot if you''re saying that?" *BAM!* She slammed both hands hard onto the table. Hey, look what you have done, the notebook dropped onto the floor, idiot. "...Ahem, wasn''t it just mentioned during the lesson? There are only 467 IS in the entire world. In other words, those able to have their own personal IS are the elites among elites chosen from the 6 billion people in the entire world." "Is, is that so..." "That''s right." "So the current global population is already over 6 billion..." "That''s not the main point!" *PAM!* Hey, idiot, now the textbook dropped on the floor, you idiot. "I say! Are you really treating me like an idiot!?" "No, no such thing." "Then why are you rebutting me...?" Huh, why so? "Why, Houki?" *DING!* With the sound, the glance flew over. Alright, the time taken was 0.8 seconds. Houki responded to me silently ''I DON''T WANT TO CARE ABOUT YOU!''. "Speaking of which, you''re Professor Shinonono''s little sister, right?" Facing Cecilia who pointed the tip of the spear at her, Houki responded with a sharp look. "I''m just her little sister." Hey, Houki, are you trying to scare people? It''s terrifying. Look, even Cecilia''s giving a "uu..." sound. What kind of delinquent are you? "Ne-Never mind. As for whoever''s suitable to be class representative, just don''t forget about me, Cecilia Alcott." Swinging her hair down with her right hand, she turned around and left. Hm, show off a little POSE. Even a model can do that. "Houki." "..." "Shinonono-san, let''s go and eat." It''s important to patch up. Because of that incident just now, there was a rift formed between Houki and the rest; as a classmate, I couldn''t just leave it like this. "Who''s coming along?" Got to pretend. "Me me me!" "I want to gohold on a minute" "I made a bento, but I''ll go as well!" Oh, I got so many willing to join in for lunch. It''s important to have a good relationship with our classmates, isn''t that right, Houki? "...I''m, not going." "Don''t say that. Come on, stand up, stand up, let''s go." "Hey, hey, I said that I''m not goingstop putting your hand behind my back like that." Hahaha, I knew that Houki would refuse, so I made all sorts of preparations. Forcing this person along is the correct thing to do. "What, you don''t want to move? Do you want me to carry you?" "Wha...!" *Dong*, Houki blushed. For my namesake, she will come along even if she doesn''t want to. "Let, let go of me!" "After we reach the cafeteria." "Let, let go of me right now! Hei" With the elbow at center, Houki twisted my arm in order to get away. At the same time when I thought ''it hurts!'', my vision got flipped and I was thrown onto the floor. "..." Ow, it hurts. The delayed sense of pain quickly spread throughout my back. On a side note, the surrounding girls were staring in shock. "You''ve improved your technique." "Hm, humph. You became weaker, right? This is an additional application to kendo." Most likely, among all the girls in Japan, you''re the only one who''ll learn ''additional applications'' in Ancient Martial arts. "Umm, that..." "We''re still..." "Well, never mind..." Ahit''s rare for us to gather together, and yet the girls ran away as if it were a wild-life escape. Look what you have done, you idiot, I gathered them for Houki''s sake. "..." After saying goodbye to the ground, I patted myself clean of the dust. Houki not only said "It''s not my fault", she even folded her arms in front of her chest and looked away. "Houki." "I, I told you not to call me by my name" "Let''s go eat." I''m hungry. I forcefully grabbed Houki''s hand. "Hey, hey. Act a bit more gently, will you" "Just shut up and follow me." "Uuu..." I coldly said those words, and just then Houki obediently followed. Really, I should have done this right from the beginning, right? Alright, we reached the cafeteria. It was kind of crowded, but it looked like we could find seats for two. "Houki, everything''s okay, right? You''ll eat something, won''t you?" "Don''t treat me like a pet kitten or dog, I do have my own tastes." "Hmah, I''ll get two ''Meal of the day'' sets. It''s the salted mackerel meal set today." "Are you listening to me at all?" "I am. Why did you think I was so gentle and got those people to join us, idiot. You ruined it in the end. What''ll happen if you can''t make any friends? Your High school life will be very gloomy and boring." "I, I don''t remember...particularly asking you for this!" "I don''t remember you doing that either. Ah, aunty, two ''Meal of the day'' sets. Can I leave the meal coupons here?" I placed the meal coupons on the collection booth. I could only use my right hand right from the beginning, which was extremely inconvenient. My left hand? It was grabbing Houki and not letting her go. Most likely, this person''s escape rate rivaled that of a Cactuar (TL Note: Final Fantasy reference, a Cactuar''s an enemy/summon) "You know what? I wouldn''t do that if any ordinary person were to ask me. It''s because it''s Houki that I''m doing this." "Wha, what do you mean..." "It''s nothing. I just said hello to the aunties and told them that we''re childhood friends, don''t read too much into it." "..." Houki''s gaze turned towards the ceiling, feeling silently depressed. This person, ever since I moved in with her, has got a lot more eccentric. No, it seems like it has been like this since a long time ago. If I''m not careful, she''ll break away from the group. That''s Houki for ya. "Th-That...thanks" "Here, two ''Meal of the day'' sets, sorry for making you wait." "Thanks, aunty. Oh, it sure looks delicious." "It not just the looks, it''s really delicious." Saying this, the burly canteen aunty smiled heartily. Hm, such a nice person. "Houki, are there any empty seats?" "..." "Houki?" Since she didn''t reply, I turned around to look. Her facial expression was a lot uglier now. "...There''re some empty seats over there." She shook my hand off, grabbed her own set meal and hurriedly moved off. Huh, why? Why is she angry all of a sudden? Anyway, as I caught up to Houki, I found two empty seats in front of me. "It''s not really nice of me to say this, but," "...What." Since you answered with miso soup still inside your mouth, I''ll explain as I slice this grilled fish up. "Can you teach me anything related to IS? If this keeps up, I''ll lose in the battle next week without even doing anything." "Who asked you to accept such a challenge, idiot." Doesn''t it mean despair when she says it like this?...Even though that is the case. "Anyway, please help me in regards to this." Holding the chopsticks and clapping them together, I begged Houki. It''s a common saying that once a man has a first time, he won''t feel ashamed later on. ''A man is useless if he doesn''t want to win'', this was the reason why I was doing this. "..." Silence. I got ignored. She''s not just remaining silent, she''s still eating that spinach salad as well. Such a cruel person. "As I was saying, Houki" "Hey, aren''t you that person mentioned in the rumors?" A girl beside me suddenly asked me. She appeared to be a third-year. The color of the tie varies according to the year. Blue for first-years, yellow for second-years, red for third-years. The ends were gradually curled up, and her curly-hairstyle looked really memorable. She looked rather approachable, like a squirrel. Oh, completely different from this childhood friend of mine who narrowed her eyes. As expected of a third-year, the looks and even the feeling she gave off was just like an adult. You see, Houki? This social language is a must for society. "Ah, most likely." At the same time I gave my reply, the senpai naturally sat down beside me. She folded her arms and placed them on the table, her face closing in on me. "I heard that you''re going to fight against that representative, is it true?" "Hm, that seems to be the case." What now? Has the rumor spread that fast? So it''s true that girls are addicted to gossip and special rumors. "But you''re still an amateur, right? How long have you piloted an IS?" "How long...I guess about 20 minutes." "You can''t win if that is the case. The key to an IS is the operation time. Your opponent''s a representative, right? Then it''s likely that she has exceeded 300 hours easily ." HmI''m not sure whether having more operational time is impressive, so I didn''t really understand her words. However, she''s right that I''ll obviously lose to Cecilia. "Hm, do you want me to teach you about the IS?" The senpai (I still don''t know her name) said this as she latched onto me. Oh. How intimate. No matter who it is, it''s a far cry from a childhood friend. This should be the so-called relief rain (And it just so happened that the garbage truck appeared when I wanted to throw the packaging away). "Okay, please" Before I could say the words ''please help me out then'', someone butted in. "No need. I''ll be teaching him anyway." Houki, who was eating her meal, suddenly said such a thing. Huh? Is Houki going to teach me? "You''re only a first year, right? Pardon me, but I would be more suitable to teach him." "...I, I''m Shinonono Tabane''s little sister." Houki said. It felt like she did not want to say it, but she said it reluctantly in the end. "Even if you say Shinonohuh~?" Once she had said it, the senpai was stunned. That was to be expected, since the younger sister of the creator of the IS was right in front of her. "Thus, there''s no need to bother." "Is, is that so. If that''s the case, then it can''t be helped..." As expected of the world famous genius''little sister. Anyone will be afraid when she uses that name. Actually, that kind senpai suddenly felt awkward and walked away. Ah, she was so kind. "What?" "What do you mean...well, are you going to teach me?" "That''s just what I said." Wouldn''t it have been much faster if you had just said this right from the beginning? Anyway, at least I''ve got someone teaching me now. It''s practice after that then. "Today, after school." "Hm?" "Come to the kendo arena later. I want to see if you''ve gotten rusty in your movements." "No, what I want is the IS" "Just do as I say." "...Got it." Why is it that there are so many stubborn girls around me? Maybe it is fate. Good grief. "What was that?" "Well, even if you ask me that..." After school, we were at the kendo dojo. Even though it was packed with spectators, Houki was still throwing her temper at me. 10 minutes into the scrimmage, I lost one set, and Houki raged at me as she took off her ''men''. "Why have you become so weak?" "Cause I was preparing for exams, I guess." "...what club were you in during middle school?" "Well, I was in the going home club, and I never missed a day during my three years." Well actually, I went to work part-time to support my family. "Got to retrain you." "What?" "Retrain! This is much worse than not knowing how to pilot an IS! From now on, I''ll train you for three hours, every day, after school." "What? That''s a little too longspeaking of which, it''s not IS training, you know." "That''s why I said that it''s an even more serious problem!" Wah, she was rather angry. It seemed like she wouldn''t listen no matter what I said. "How miserable. Not just IS, you can''t even beat a girl in kendo when you''re a guy...aren''t you ashamed, Ichika?" "Well, hm... I do feel embarrassed about it." "EMBARRASSED!? You''re mindful about your own embarrassment in this situation? Or, I see, you''re happy to be surrounded by so many girls!" *Pata*. It''s here. She''s angry. No matter what, there''s no reason for you to tell me off like that. "I can''t be happy at all! I''m being treated like a pet here! Worst of all, I have to live together with a girl! What kind of tragedy is" "So, does that mean you''re very unwilling to live with me!?" *Shua!* Right at the critical moment, the bamboo sword she swung down was blocked by my own bamboo sword. Wah, hold on, you idiot. I took off my gear already! Are you trying to kill me? "Ca-Calm down a bit, Houki. I don''t want to die yet, and you aren''t at the age when you can think about killing, right?" Speaking of which, my right hand singlehandedly-blocked the full force Houki brought over, and my left hand was trembling like crazy. "As I was saying, Houki? Please, I''ll treat you next time, so let me off this time!" "...Humph, such a spineless guy." I finally managed to defuse this attack, as Houki glanced at me with a look of disdain before heading to the changing room. (However...) Houki had become stronger. In the past, I would have won easily. My forearm that got hit was now aching. Ah, it''s all swollen here... "Orimura-kun is, well..." "Rather weak?" "Can he really operate an IS" Those were the voices of despair from the spectators. Ah damn it, there''s nothing more humiliating for a guy than losing to a girl. I can''t forgive myself, even more than anyone else would. Right now, if I want to beat everyoneforget about that, I can''t even protect those close to me. I continued to sulk about it, bringing out all the feelings within me. "...So, training''s about to begin again?" Since I''m placed in the lower rung...since I''m at the lowest point, I can only work hard. I can''t run away any more. Right, got to work hard. Because I can''t falter here. (Maybe I was a little too harsh...) Inside the changing room of the kendo dojo, Houki was changing her clothes. Up till now, she has been thinking the same thing over and over again. After six years, these two childhood friends finally met each other again. Being as childish as ever and seeing the places that grew up, her heart started to race. (No, no, that''s the standard. He''s normally not the kind of person who would work hard, and he clearly hasn''t wielded a sword for a year, or else it wouldn''t be) If it were the past, he wouldn''t have lost to me. "..." Ichika has gotten stronger compared to six years ago. And he''s a lot cooler than anyone else. (Ne-Never mind. That, erm, how can I explain it. The looks...ermm, not bad.) Of course, he''s a lot more like an adult as compared to 6 years ago. That cool looking expression alone gives the feeling that he has become a man. (But he gave up like that. Doesn''t he find it embarrassing to lose after fighting so seriously? Really.) Thinking about it, she continued to rage, and her anger couldn''t be stopped. (What''s going on with him. He was always training so seriously in the past, and now he became so wasted. So unlike a man at all!) Normally speaking, a person who hasn''t practiced kendo for three days will effectively lose a week''s worth of training. That should be the case for Ichika. It''s not that he lost his skills, but his senses. Also, regaining the senses will take the longest time. The senses are gained through accumulation of experience. It''s hard to gain it, but easy to lose it. (Even so) Removing the scarf in her hair, her silky hair scattered and extended all the way to her waist. (He knew all about me...) 6 years ago...it''s been 6 years since they were 9 years old. Even though her face and even other parts of her body have entirely matured, it seems that the former childhood friend knew it was her before even hearing her name. "Hoho." This made her extraordinarily happy. Houki recognized Ichika based on the name alone. Early on, his photo was shown on the reports. If it hadn''t, she probably wouldn''t even know that her childhood friend became so manly. To be honest, she even felt that he has ''quite the build''. The moment she heard the name, the bowls in her hands dropped onto the floor. Ichika said that he read about her winning the national championships. But those reports normally don''t have any photos. However, Ichika said, ''I immediately knew''. He did say that to her. (Does this mean that it was worth not changing my hairstyle?) It''s as if she had placed all her hope on one single minor coincidence, as if she had been hoping for a wish to be granted; more or less, it was a childish thought on her part. Besides, Houki''s a youthful 15-year-old girl, so it''s not unnatural for her to be cautious about romance. "...Huh!?" Suddenly, she saw her face in the mirror and recovered. "Ho..." She sighed, feeling rather embarrassed about that naive expression on her face as she backed off. "..." Though there wasn''t any huge significance, she stared at herself through the mirror. There is really no significance about thisif there''s a need to mention it, it''s that she''s trying to hide her own embarrassment it looked like this was the only way for Houki to regain her composure as she let out a scowl again. (An, anyway, starting tomorrow, it''ll be special training every day after school. It''ll be troublesome if I don''t get him back to normal standard.) How troublesome would it be? What can be considered ''normal standard''? Though she hadn''t sorted these out, Houki still folded her arms and nodded in agreement with herself. (Besides--) That''ll mean that she has a reason to be with Ichika tomorrow. "No! Im not thinking of it like that!" Right, that should be the way. There''s nothing illogical about it, and there''s nothing to worry about. There''s nothing strange at all! "Therefore, it''s justifiable!" In this ordinary spacious changing room, Houki, who was alone, clenched her fist as she shouted. Week 2, Monday. The day of the match against Cecilia. "As I was saying, Houki." "What now, Ichika?" Having lived together for a week, our relationship has been restored back to such that we''re calling each other by our names. Maybe the gulf of 6 years was even smaller than expected. This is good. "Maybe I''m thinking too much." "Really. Maybe you are." Yes, there''s still a problem that''s not settled yet. "What about my IS training?" "..." "Don''t, you, pretend, to, be, looking, somewhere, else." In those six days, Houki drilled me extensively on kendo. However, the problem is that that''s the only thing she did. "It, it can''t be helped anyway. You don''t have an IS." "Yeah, you''re rightno wait! You could have taught me all the textbook stuff and basic operations!" "..." "Don''t, you, pretend, to, be, looking, somewhere, else." Anyway, that''s the case right now. There seems to be quite the dispute over my Personal IS, and thus, it hasn''t arrived yet. That''s right, as of today, it has yet to arrive. "..." "..." Houki and I remained silent. "O-Orimura-kun, Orimura-kun, Orimura-kun!" There''s no need to call my name three times. The vice homeroom teacher that I''m so familiar with, Yamada-sensei came running to the A-block seating area of the 3rd arena. She looked like she was going to tumble at anytime as her feet movement made everyone worry for her like usual. However, she seems to be a lot hastier than usual. "Please calm down, Yamada-sensei. Here, take a deep breath." "Okay, breathe in~ breathe out, breathe in~ breathe out." "Okay, stop there." "Mm." Sure feels like I''m doing a demonstration here. After I said that, Yamada-sensei really held her breath. After a while, her face started to turn red due to the lack of oxygen. Can''t this person even tell that it''s a joke? "..." "...Huah! Is, is it not alright?" Hm, seems like she just doesn''t know when to stop. "You have to respect your seniors, idiot." *PANG!* As usual, there was a cracking sound of impact. I would be happy enough if the pain was about the level of a carbonated drink, but unfortunately, the force is of a heavyweight. As expected of a former representative of Japan. "Chifuyu-nee..." *PANG!* "Call me Orimura-sensei. Remember this, or die." Wah! You heard that? I don''t think that''s what an educator should say. It''s because you have such a personality that you don''t have a boyfriend even though you''re a beauty. "Hmph. If I didn''t have to take care of this stupid brother, forget about dating, I could have already gotten married by this time." Oh, mind reading. Any trick is useless against Chifuyu-nee. "Th-that, there! It''s here! Orimura-kun''s personal IS!" Huh? "Orimura, hurry up and get ready. You can only use the arena for a limited time, so make this match yours." What? "It''s just this level of an obstacle. If you''re a man, then get past it easily, Ichika." Excuse me? "Huh? Huh? Wha..." """HURRY UP!!""" Yamada-sensei, Chifuyu-nee and Houki''s voices overlapped each other. The females around me were all on the same page. Emptiness. The cargo doors of the base opened, letting out a blunt sound. The slanted, patterned fireproof doors let out a heavy opening sound. On the other side of the door, it gradually appeared in front of me. The ''white'' is over there. White. Snowy white. No decorations, no colours at all. The IS that was basking in pure white armor was waiting for its pilot. "This is..." "That''s right! This is Orimura-kun''s personal IS, [Byakushiki]!"[1B 1] Snowy white and inorganic, this thing seems like it is waiting for me. That''s right, like the last time; it''s always been waiting. For this moment, just for this moment. "Get moving and start mounting. We don''t have much time, so format and fit all the settings during the battle from your own memory. You''ll lose if you can''t do it, got it?" Being prompted, I touched the IS. "Strange..." I didn''t get the electric shock-like feeling of touching the IS like I did during the exam, merely common knowledge and understanding. What it is, why it exists I understood it all. "Lean on your back. Yes, just like that. You''ll feel like you''re sitting down. Next, the system will optimize itself." Like what Chifuyu-nee said, I left my body to the IS with the opened armorByakushiki. It feels like someone''s riding on me as the armor fits to my body and closes up. The sound of air being let out can be heard as the union of the armor feels like it''s a part of my body. It feels like it fused with me, as if it became compatible with me. It was created for me in the first place, so Byakushiki and I are ''linked''. It feels like my vision widened and got clearer, like a higher resolution. After that, the feeling spread throughout my entire body. Values spread throughout all the sensors on my body, and I could understand each and every one of them as if I''ve been staring at them everyday. "Ah." Sensing an IS in standby mode, the pilot''s name is Cecilia Alcott, the IS codename is ''Blue Tears'', it''s a long-ranged type suit, and has a unique armor "The high spec IS sensors are functioning well, right? Ichika, are you feeling okay?" Chifuyu-nee looked as usual, but I could sense it from her voiceah, is she worried about me? "No, Chifuyu-nee. I''m alright." "I see." She sounds like she''s assured. If not for the hi-specs of the IS sensors, I wouldn''t even be able to sense those hidden feelings. (But since she already called my name, I should have sensed it, right?) I secretly focused my consciousness on Houki. My eyes didn''t need to look over directly, since through the IS, I could ''see everything'' 360 degrees around me. "..." All I could see was that she was trying to say something, but she obviously didn''t know what she wanted to say. If it were the usual me, I wouldn''t be able to sense this change either. "Houki." "Wh-What?" "I''m going." "Ah...mm, win and come back!" I nodded my head in response and headed towards the gateway of the control room. After bending down slightly, the Byakushiki lightly floated in the air and flew forward. *Clak* *clak* *clak* *clak* *clak*, Behind the clear consciousness of mine, the Byakushiki was processing tons of data and formatted the primary settings in accord to my body. Even during this current second, the surface of the Byakushiki''s continuing to change and shape itself. As the software and hardware were both updating, the values shown have reached an extent to such that I''ve never seen them before. Even so, now''s not the time to notice this background. There''s still 2.05718422 seconds before the doors openand the ''enemy'' awaits there. "Oh my, so you didn''t run away." Cecilia snorted as she placed her hand on her hip, giving off that princess vibe again. However, I''m not mindful about that. The sensors won''t bother about such things. The bright blue machine ''Blue Tears'' has the unique characteristic of four rear fin armors on the back, making it look as royal as a knight. The pilot, Cecilia, was wielding the large 2m long guna search indicated that it was identical to a six or seven caliber unique laser gun ''Starlight MkIII''. As the IS was originally developed for space activity, in principle, it''ll float in the sky. Thus, it was not strange for her to wield a weapon that was taller than she is. The arena was 200m in diameter, and the estimated time for a fired shot to reach the target was about 0.4 seconds. The bell indicating the start of the match has already rung, so it was not strange for an attack to come anytime now. "I''ll give you one last chance." Cecilia moved the hand that was on her hip and pointed her index finger at me, and the muzzle of her rifle casually pointed downwards. "Chance?" "It''s obvious that I''ll be winning no matter what. Thus, if you don''t want to end up being seen in a battered and pathetic state, I may as well forgive you if you apologize now." Having said that, she narrowed her eyes at mewarning, enemy IS pilot''s left eye is in firing mode. Confirmed to have removed safety lock. I received all the information the IS told me and sorted myself out. If I don''t do so, I might be swallowed up in an instantwhether by Cecilia or by Byakushiki. "That chance isn''t yours to give, right?" "Really? That''s a pity. If so" Warning. Enemy IS is entering a firing posture. Trigger has been confirmed to be squeezed, the first energy shot is loaded. "It''s farewell with this!" *Clank!* With this unique ear-rumbling sound, the flash instantly pierced through my body. "Oh?" The Byakushiki''s auto defense system seemed to have protected my body. Though I avoided a direct hit, bits of debris started to fall off the left shoulder that was not fully fitted. After that, the slightly slower sonic boom nearly ripped away at my left arm, as my nerves reacted like an electric shock. As the Byakushiki immediately booted itself to drag my arm back, I managed to end up without any blood loss. Though there was an anti-vertigo function which allowed me to not lose consciousness, I did feel a really uncomfortable gravity. Defensive armor was pierced. Damage: 46. Shield Energy remaining: 521. Actual damage: Low. (Damn it! I can''t follow the reactions of the Byakushiki!) Basically, in an IS battle, one will win if the opponent''s shield energy fall to 0. However, if that happens, once the armor''s pierced through, there''ll be actual damage. This is different from the numerical defensive capabilities, the damage locations, no matter how big or small, will end up affecting the battle. On a side note, in order not to let the pilot die, the IS seem to have an ''absolute defense'' ability. It can block any attack, but will drastically reduce the defensive energysince this is what the textbook wrote, it should be right, right? As it was a hit on the shoulder, the IS did not use the ''absolute defense'', probably thinking that ''it''s alright even if it''s blown away''. "Now, let''s dance. Dance to the waltz that Cecilia Alcott and Blue Tears are playing!" A shot, and another, and another, and another. The attacks continued to rain down on me, and they were all shot precisely, so I couldn''t dodge them all. The shield energy continued to drop, and the Byakushiki continued to let out the alert signal. "Weapon. What''s its weapon!?" Immediately after asking this, the current weapon checklist showed itselfthe checklist? "There''s only one..." It showed itself. There was only something called a ''close combat sword''. Sigh, this may be my imagination ...sigh. "Well, at least it''s better than nothing!" At least it''s better than fighting barehanded! I drew the close combat sword ''name unspecified'' and used it. *Clang*... With the high frequency sound, my right shoulder let out a ball of light. The ball shaped itself, and my hand ended up holding it. This sword, this 1.6m long ''sword'' is my weapon. "Using a close ranged weapon to challenge me in a long-ranged type suit...what a joke!" Cecilia immediately launched her attack. Though I managed to slightly dodge it, the distance between me and the opponent was a staggering 27m. To me right now, it''s basically a few kilometers worth of distance. However "Looks like I can only fight on!" I can''t admit defeat. The intense battle starts here. "27 minutes. You''ve really hung in there. I''ll give you credit for that." "Thanks..." My shield energy are down to 67, and the actual damage is medium. Though I''m barely using my weapon, it''s just ''barely''. "You''re the first person I''ve seen who has managed to hang on that long against Blue Tears." After saying that, Cecilia looked as if she was praising a dog that has managed to chase down a Frisbee as she stroked the four independent mobile weapons that floated around her. On one of the board like things, there was a BT laser muzzle directly installed on it. That weapon seems to have a complicated name, so it''s called ''Blue Tears''. ...In other words, this IS became a first unit after these unique armaments called ''Blue Tears'' were equipped on it, and thus, the unit was named after it. In the past 27 minutes, Cecilia has been rattling on even though I didn''t say anything. Got to thank her for her explanation. "But let''s bring this to an end!" Cecilia chuckled as she raised her right arm. And then, two Blue Tears received the commandsit''s too troublesome explaining them, but the BIT-like things come flying at me from multiple angles. "Ku...!" The BITs that have come to surround me from above and below started to glow on their tips and fired out lasers. Once I barely try to block them or even dodge them, Cecilia will use this opportunity to fire her rifle. Anyway, this has always been the case. "I''m taking your left leg!" Damn it! That part has already lost its armor, so if it''s attacked, the ''absolute defense'' will definitely be activated. Therefore, the shield energy will drop to 0, and I''ll lose. If that is the case, I''ll give it a go "AHHH!!" *CLANG!!* A loud sound could be heard, and for an instant, sparks flew. While forcing myself to accelerate, my body slammed into Cecilia''s rifle, forcing the rifle to be knocked aside, and at least I''ve finally managed to avoid being hit, at least once. "What...? You''re really just messing around! However, this is just futile resistance!" Cecilia pulled her distance away from me and swept her left hand across. With that, the 4 BITs that were on standby came flying at me. Good, so now I understand. Getting past the lasers that can pierce through humans, the sword strikes, and I can feel the heavy metal being sliced in half. The blue and white sparks danced on the BIT that was sliced in half, and it exploded a second laterone down. "How did you?" Facing the shocked Cecilia, I swung the sword downward. "Uuu..." Cecilia dodged the attack that came from behind and again waved her right hand. BITs 2 and 3 were deployed. "These weapons will only move on your commands! Also" After investigating the routes, I destroyed the rear boosters of BIT2 to make it fall. "At that moment, you can''t launch any other attacks, because you have to concentrate in order to use them, right?" "...!" Cecilia''s right eyebrow twitched a bit. Heh, I''ve nailed it right on the spot! There''re only two BITs left, and I can already tell where they''re going. They''ll definitely come to attack me from an angle where my reaction will be the slowest. The IS vision field is perfect. However, the humans who use it can''t ''look'' behind, below and above simultaneously, so when our brain processes the information, the response will be slower by a few seconds. Cecilia must be aiming for this chance to attack. On the other hand, it means that ''I can lure the enemy to attack from where I want it to be''. The logic is simple, I just need to create an opening and let the opponent attack from there, and just wait for it. (--That will work! I just need to concentrate here.) I gripped the sword in my right hand again. The training after school that I did with Houki has become unexpectedly useful. The basic of kendo is to strike, and I didn''t lose the feeling I''ve gained from my multiple experiences in the past, even though I''ve become slower. And is it my imagination? The IS is moving more agilely. Normally speaking, the more damage the IS has, the functions should decrease, but for some reason, I feel that the response is a lot faster than what it was at the beginning. (Anyway, if I can close the distance down, I''ll have the advantage.) As what Cecilia declared, her IS is a long-ranged type, and in a distance suitable for close-ranged combat, that large and long rifle is completely useless. And from what I see, she doesn''t have any close range equipment. Even though such equipment might be ''on standby'', but even so, since the distance is being reduced extremely quickly, she shouldn''t be able to deploy them in time. This little ray of hope caused my heart to race. "Ooh...Orimura-kun''s amazing!" Yamada Maya exclaimed while watching the live broadcast on the screen inside the control room. Truly, the way Ichika is fighting doesn''t look like one who has just mounted an IS for his second time at all. However, compared to Yamada, Chifuyu looked rather irritated. "That idiot sure looks happy." "Wh? How do you know?" "He has been clenching his left hand all this time, right? That''s a habit he has had since he was young. When this happens, he''ll start to make very simple mistakes. "Wha...to be aware of that, you two really are siblings!" Maya just casually mentioned it, but Chifuyu was stunned for a second. "Ye-Yeah, how should I say it...even if he''s like that, he''s still my brother..." "Ahare you embarrassed? Are you embarrassed?" "..." *CRRRAACCCKKK!!* The headlock exploded. "OOWWWWWW!!!" "The one thing I hate the most is to be made fun of." "Yes, yes! I know, I know! So please let go ofOWWWW!!!" Houki was completely unaware of the commotion Maya was making behind her, staring intently at the screen. For some reason, her expression started to look really scary. "..." She wasn''t making any praying gesture; Houki isn''t the kind of person who would do that. And thus, because of that, this expression of hers had many feelings within it. (Ichika...) While Houki was biting her lip lightly, the battle situation started to change again. Got her. Having entered Cecilia''s range, I swung my sword to destroy BIT3, and because of the zero gravity mechanism of the IS, I kicked BIT4 away. The rifle couldn''t aim at me in time, and so this would be a good chance to land a hit on her. "I got you." I see Cecilia smirkdamn it! My basic instincts detect danger and tell me to pull away, but it''s already too late. *PAM* The skirt-shaped like armor spread from Cecilia''s abdomen, and those parts that suddenly rose up started to move. "I''m sorry, but there''re six Blue Tears!" I can''t dodge them in time! And they''re not those laser shooting BITs. These are ''auto-tracking'' types. *BAM*! The explosion got so red that it became white as it surrounded me. "ICHIKA...!" Watching the broadcast, Houki suddenly shouted out. Chifuyu and Maya, who were squabbling about just now, looked serious as they stared at the screens'' image, that was covered with black smoke. "Humph." While the black smoke scattered, Chifuyu let out a snort. However, she looked as if everything was okay. "You got saved by the machine, you idiot." The smoke that vaguely floated around scattered as if it crumbled. And the pure white machine was right in the middle of it. That''s right, it''s true appearance Formatting and optimizing of settings are complete, please press the button to confirm. (What, what now...?) The information was sent directly to my consciousness. At the same time, a window appeared in front of me, with a ''confirm'' button right in the middle. Without knowing anything, I pressed the button. After that, a large wealth of information came flowing into me. No wait, this should be processed information I could understand this based on the feeling. After that, a huge transformation occurred in me. *CLANG...!* It''s a high frequency sound. However, I feel the gentleness within it. At that moment, my body got wrappedno, the light ball that appeared on my IS instantly disappeared and then reshaped itself. "This is..." The newly-shaped IS again let out a dim glow. This glow erased all the damage I got just now and refined the appearance of the suit. "Don-Don''t tell me...that''s the First Shift? This means, this means that you were fighting with the initial settings right from the beginning!?" The window that showed ''formatting'' and ''settings optimized'' seem to mean that. If so, this is my real suit. I looked at my suit. Those constructive curves that were there in the beginning were now gone, instead becoming one with the polished curves and sharp edges, giving the feeling of a medieval designed armor. And then, what had changed the most was my weapon. Close ranged enhanced sword [Yukihira Nigata][1B 2]. The blade that seemed to be derived from a Japanese sword. Instead of a sword, it was more of an arched longsword. There was a shallow groove on the blade itself, and it revealed a glow that seemed to respond. From the intricate mechanical function, one could tell that it was definitely made for an IS. And most importantly, the name. Yukihira. That''s the name of the weapon that Chifuyu-nee once used. At that time, the sword-shaped weapon that she used was called Yukihira.[1B 3] ...Ahh, this is so touching. "I really have the best sister in the world..." No matter whether it''s three years ago or six years ago or even fifteen years ago, that person is still my always-reliable sister. However, it''s about time for me to end this one-sided protection. From today onwards "I''ll be the one to protect my family." "...Ah? What''re you saying" "Anyway, first of all, I''ll defend Chifuyu-nee''s name!" I''m the younger brother of the ex-representative of Japan, so if this brother is weak, it''ll be too embarrassing! That''s right, how can I let the cool Chifuyu-nee lose her face? Even if it''s a joke, there has to be a limit. Besides, this isn''t funny at all. "More like I''ll be mocked." "What are you rambling about...ahh geez, you''re too irritating!" The two BITs again reloaded themselves with guided missiles, and under Cecilia''s command, they started to fly over. It''s those multi-angle paths again, and they''re faster than the shooting type BITs. However (I can see them...!) I clenched my right hand tightly. ''Yukihira'' seemed to respond to me as it let out a deep mechanical sound. I know how to use it, since I watched a few of Chifuyu-nee''s matches without her knowing, and I remember how she used the ''Yukihira''. *CLANG!* The blade of light flashed, and the BITs that were cut in half moved forward due to the momentum, passing by me before exploding. Before the explosion reached my back, I again attacked Cecilia. The suit instantly accelerated, and the sensor efficiency was a lot different from before, such that it was easy to control it. "OOOOHHH!!" I again attacked Cecilia. The suit instantly accelerated I felt the energy intensity in my hand gradually increasing. At that moment, Yukihira''s blade glowed, telling me that it has a tremendous power. (I can win this...!) Charging right at Cecilia, I let out a reverse kesagiri[1B 4]. But, before it could hit her, the buzzer signaled the end of the match. "Ending the match. WinnerCecilia Alcott." ...Wha? "That''s strange...?" My face was most likely filled with ''whys''. Facing me, Cecilia was the same, as her slightly opened mouth revealed a similar expression to mine. And not just us, all the spectators in the 3rd arena, even Houki and Yamada-sensei, who were watching the match from the control room silently, were the same. Everyone was just shocked. Only one person...only Chifuyu-nee was giving the ''can''t stand you'' look. In these unknown circumstances, the match ended. The result isI lost. "Everyone was actually praising you, and this is the outcome we got in return! You big idiot!" After the match ended, I was upgraded from an idiot to a big idiot. This upgrade wouldn''t make me happy at all. Chifuyu-nee''s style sure is to not relegate me like this. "It''s because you didn''t consider the special characteristics of the weapon before you used it. Now you have experienced it for yourself already, right? From tomorrow onwards, start working hard. Activate the IS when you have time, got it?" "...Yes." I nodded. Guess I could only do that...who asked me to lose despite acting so confident. "Well, the IS is in standby mode now, but if Orimura-kun calls it, it''ll deploy right away. However, there''re rules to this, so please study it closely. Here, this is it." Thud. It made a ''thud'' just now. What''s this in front of me? Though it has IS activation information on it, it''s actually a ''phone directory'', right? It''s not just thick, the pages are so thin...how many pages are there anyway... "Anyway, that''s it for today. Head back and rest." This order doesn''t consider anyone''s feelings at all. I really hope that she can learn from gentle medicine and painkillers. Speaking of which, do I really need to protect this person...? "Let''s go." Oh, she appeared; another person who lacks gentleness. Her name is Houki, and she''s my childhood friend. I stood up tiredly and prepared to head back to the dorm. "..." "Wha-What?" While walking together, Houki stared at me without turning away. Did she discover some treasure? This treasure called ''me''. "Loser." Huh? What''s with her!? You''re like a priest who lets a dead person revive with 1HP before sending him into a labyrinth, right? On a side note, that revival was a daylight robbery! As the common saying goes: ''the devil resides within everyone''. I didn''t expect to witness that illustration first hand. This should be a new scenario: enter a new chapter, and the plot starts to pummel like crazy, creating a shocking situation. The enemy again shows up as an ally, and the enemy in front turns out to be a dead assistant. The world''s fate rests on youno wait, don''t come near me! "DON''T COME NEAR ME!" "What?" "Nothing..." As that''s the main point, I repeated it twice, but since Houki''s glaring at me, I better be content with this. ''The most important things are the parts where the human eyes can''t reach''. This is something an author casually said before, so ''since I got glared at by Houki, the 9th of April is Houki''s memorial day''something like that. "Are you making fun of me from within your heart?" "Where did you get that from." "Why is your tone so weird?" "It not weird at all. This is normal, it''s normal to speak like this in middle South America." "Ohh..." She really drew the wooden sword out quickly. What, are you going to swing your sword around over here? Such a strict fellow. But then, Houki, training the body is different from resting! I can''t call it resting if I have to carry out some activity. *BAM!* "OOOOWWWW!!! IT HURTS! YOU, YOU, WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" "Since there''s an idiot here, I just knocked on him." What''s with that ''I''m holding an umbrella because it''s raining'' tone? Is it alright for you to keep using violence like that? What''s wrong with Japan''s security!? "Are you that thing? The vegetable chopper, or are you the envoy of violence!?" "Want me to go again?" "...Sorry, I''ll shut up." With a ''mm'', Houki keeps her bamboo sword back. She''s scarier than Mount Osore...huh, but Mount Osore isn''t really terrifying. (Literally meaning Mount Fear, it''s a volcano in the center of the remote Shimokita Peninsula of Aomori Prefecture, Japan. The Bodai Temple near the crater lake is seen as one of the three great spiritual fields.) "..." "..." Houki and I silently walked on. Though it''s not that we have nothing to talk about, I''m really affected by today''s defeat, and so I have nothing to say to Houki. At this moment, what I really want to do the most is to take a shower. I think that the feeling that comes from lazing around in the bathtub can''t be found in any other activity. I did mention this to Gotanda before, only to be told ''you''re like an old man''. Really, he doesn''t understand the beauty of a silent simplicity. (Hm? Speaking of which, don''t I have someone like that beside me?) If it''s Houki, she may be able to understand that feeling. Besides, if I were to introduce her as someone from the Edo period, 60% of the foreigners would believe me. The source of this information: me. "Ichika." "Hm, what''s up?" That''s strange, she''s actually talking to me. Is this the so-called telepathy? How convenient, this is so much more convenient than a handphone, and I don''t have to pay monthly bills. How alluring. "That, well, how should I say it...are you unhappy about losing?" "Well, of course I am." "Is, is that so? That''s good..." Since when is that good? Are you talking about me losing? You''re too much! "Ah, s-starting tomorrow...that...ah, you have to do IS training." Continuing with the talk, for some reason, didn''t her voice sound rather courteous? Or was it distraught... "So, in the end, Houki''s gonna teach me how to control an IS, right?" "I, I don''t intend to force you! Wouldn''t you prefer Chifuyu-sensei to teach you?" "No, Chifuyu-nee would find it bothersome, and I don''t want people to misinterpret it as favoritism." "How, how about getting a senpai to teach you? As they say, the seniors can teach you lots of things, and it''s important to improve yourself." Seems like instead of trying to change the topic, Houki''s been trying to divert it to somewhere strange. And I have no idea if it''s just me, but why is she glancing at me? It seems like she''s waiting for something. "Mm, since Houki doesn''t want to, I''ll just look for someone" "I, I DIDN''T SAY THAT I DIDN''T WANT TO!" I got terrified at her, shouting out all of a sudden. Houki seemed to notice that she got too fierce, as she immediately pulled herself together. "That, that...ahem, I-Ichika, do you want me to teach you...?" "That''s right." At least it''s easier than having to get other girls to teach me, and she''s Tabane-san''s little sister, so she should be able to understand ISs pretty well, right? "Is, is that so...hoho, I see. I guess it can''t be helped." Why is she so happy all of a sudden? Did something good happen? She seemed to be extremely happy as she again started playing with her hair, continuing to flick her long ponytail apart with her fingers. "Alright, I''ll teach you then. This is a special exception!" For some reason, it felt like she emphasized the words ''special exception'' quite a bit. But that''s right. Truthfully, I''m really grateful for that. If I were to continue losing to girls, my man''s pride would definitely die. Though it''s already half dead, when that happens, it''ll be completely dead. "Starting tomorrow, make sure to leave some time after school, okay?" "Okay." Since I have no clubs that I can join (they''re all girls'' clubs), this is perfect. Basically, I can''t stand having to smear Chifuyu-nee''s reputation like that. No matter what, I have to make myself stronger. "Oh yeah, Houki." "Hm, what is it?" Oh, she''s still in a good mood. I then gave an honest question I''ve been harboring up till now. "Have you been holding yourself from going to the bathroom all this time?" *BAM!* The bamboo sword let out a sound. *Drip* *drip* *drip* *drip* *drip*... The hot water continued to spurt out from the shower head. The water landed on her skin and flowed down the curves of her body. Her well-proportioned body that was rare among Caucasians and her beautiful streamlines, to Cecilia, were something to be really proud of. Those long legs were shiny, silky and beautiful, and they could not only compete with those of an idols, but would most likely even beat them in beauty. Though her breasts were a little smaller, compared to other white girls of the same age, it made her body profile stand out even more. Thus, she had some rather complicated feelings because of them. However, that was just for white girls. If they were compared to a Japanese girls'', they were more than enough, enough to even be called big. Cecilia continued to let the water rush down her breasts as she pondered deep in thought. Cecilia continued to let the water rush down her breasts as she pondered deep in thought. (Today''s match) Even now, she didn''t understand why Ichika''s shield energy dropped to 0. However, if he had struck her with that last hit, it was unknown what would have happened. To Cecilia, who had always believed that she would win, and would constantly strive for it, this bewilderment made her unable to calm down. (I definitely won...) But she wasn''t satisifed by it at all; on the contrary, it made her feel uneasy. (Orimura, Ichika) She still remembered the guy with those strong-willed eyes. That not-giving-up look often reminded Cecilia of her own father. (Daddy would always go according to mommy''s whims...) Having married into a wealthy family, her dad must have felt extremely inferior to her mother. And having such a father during her growth, Cecilia inadvertently thought ''I don''t want to marry such a useless man''. And after the IS was rolled out, her dad''s attitude got increasingly sulkier. Her mom must have felt that such a man was a disappointment, so she didn''t want to talk to him. "..." Her mom was already an impressive woman. Before the society became a women-strong-men-weak society, she had already managed numerous companies, and was an accomplished person. Though she was extremely strict, Cecilia had always respected her a lot. Yes, ''had''. Her parents are no longer alive. They died in an accident 3 years ago. Why were her parents, who had been working separately, together on that particular day? Up till now, she still doesn''t know the reason. Though there were once rumors of some conspiracies, the scenario of that accident removed that possibility. It was a cross-border railway accident with more than a hundred causalities. Just like that, her parents became people who won''t ever come back. After that, time flew. Cecilia had a vast inheritance, and in order to protect the money from those who wanted to laud it, she studied hard to learn everything, and during an IS suitability test that was part of her learning curriculum, she got an A+ grade. Hoping that she would maintain her nationality, the government came up with all sorts of generous conditions; and in order to protect her parents'' inheritance, she immediately agreed. Cecilia was chosen to be the first test pilot of the 3rd generation armament ''Blue Tears''. In order to obtain operation informations and battle experience, she came to Japan, and then She met Orimura Ichika; she met the ideal man who had such firm looking eyes. "Orimura, Ichika..." She tried to shout his name out. Unbelievably, she could even feel her chest heat up. Her heart was pounding without any restraint. Cecilia gently stroked her lips. Those pretty, wet lips stirred an unbelievable excitement like they desired to be touched. "..." Warm and sweet, saddening yet delighting. What''s with this feeling? Before she knew it, her chest was already overwhelmed with this feeling. I want to know. She wants to know its true identity, she wants to know what''s behind this feeling. I want to know. I want to know, about Ichika. "..." Only the sound of water flowing echoed throughout the bathroom. The next morning during, the SHR, something unbelievable happened. "Then, the class representative of 1-1 will be Orimura Ichika-kun. Ah, it sure is nice to have a ''1''[1B 5] for everything!" Yamada-sensei said delighted, and the girls showed a strong reaction to this. I was the only one in the dark...just me alone. "Sensei, I have a question." I raised my hand. Basically, I have to raise my hand if I want to ask a question. "Please say, Orimura-kun." "I definitely lost the match yesterday, so why did I still become the class representative?" "That''s because" "That''s because I gave up on it!" Cecilia forcefully stood up and quickly put her hands on her hips. She''s giving that ojou-sama vibe again. No, actually, I''m not really thinking about that nowmore importantlywhy did she resign? And she seems rather emotional...no wait, she''s always like that...however, how should I say it? She doesn''t seem as angry as yesterday. She seems to be feeling rather happy howeverwhy? "Hm, Even though you lost, that was to be expected, since your opponent was this Cecilia Alcott, so it couldn''t be helped that you lost!" Uu...I can''t argue back, since I really lost. "Besides, I have reflected on my actions for being unable to control myself. So..." So? "I decided to hand over the class representative position to ''Ichika-san''. For IS piloting, having practical fights is the best way to improve. So, If you become the class representative, you will have lots of battles." Ooh, thanks for giving me this burdenhm? That''s weird. Did she call me by my name? "Ooh, Cecilia''s really professional!" "That''s right. Since he''s the sole male in the world and in the same class, we have to support him" "We can gain valuable experiences and sell the information to other classes. Orimura-kun''s presence here can kill two birds with one stone!" Didn''t I tell you not to do business already? Don''t sell your classmate out like that. "Therefore" After coughing a few times to clear her throat, Cecilia placed her hand on her chin. This is different from what she normally does; is there a special significance to this? I feel that there''s something, but just don''t know what it is. "Also, if this outstanding, graceful, elegant and perfect person that I am, were to teach you how to pilot an IS, you would definitely imp" *BAM!* With the sound of the table being slammed, Houki stood up. "Sorry, but Ichika already has an instructor. He already asked me directly!" Wha, what''s going on? Houki actually emphasized the ''me'' as she glared at Cecilia with intense killing intent. (Didn''t I tell you that those eyes can scare anyone!?) But for some reason, Cecilia, who was afraid of her just last week, now behaved completely different. She took Houki''s glare head on and stared back, looking rather satisfied. "Oh my, IS grade C Shinonono-san? Is there anything you want to talk to this grade A me about?" "This..., this has nothing to do with level! I was requested. I-Ichika begged me earnestly for this!" I didn''t. "Huh, Houki''s grade C...?" "That, that''s why I said that it has nothing to do with level, right!?" I got scolded. Well, on a side note, it seems like I got the grade B. Even so, Chifuyu-nee did say before that this is the initial ranking that''s obtained from the training suit, so it''s not really significant "Sit down, you pair of idiots." Chifuyu-nee quickly walked over and smacked down on Cecilia and Houki''s heads as she swiftly went to them. As expected of the Japanese representative in the first Mondo Grosso, the dreadfulness is on a completely different scale. Both of them could only sit down dejectedly. Dreadful and dejected[1B 6], it''s really interesting to combine these two things together. *BAM!* "WHAT ARE YOU BEING ALL CARRIED AWAY ABOUT!? BUCK UP!" I got hit by the attendance book. Chifuyu-nee, do you know that the cover of the attendance book is really hard? However, only I know that. "Your level''s like that of trash. The way I see it, each one of you are flocks of a feather. Don''t show your superiority before you break through your shells." Regarding Chifuyu-nee''s words, it seemed like even Cecilia couldn''t argue back. Though it seemed like she had something to say about it, she swallowed her words in the end. "I should have mentioned before that even representative candidates have to learn everything, starting from the beginning. Though I would say that it''s a youth''s privilege to bicker over something trivial, unfortunately for you people, I''m in charge, so you better respect yourselves more." Hmso Chifuyu-nee''s such a reliable person in her profession? That''s really unexpected. She doesn''t seem to be the kind of person who always complains that the food tastes bland. Speaking of which, since I''m living in the dorm now, how will Chifuyu-nee turn the house around? No one will be in the house, right? Seems like I''ll have to go back on weekends. Speaking of which, has Chifuyu-nee been doing her laundry properly? She has always asked me to help her wash her laundry when I''m washing mine. However, it would be great if she threw those underwear-like clothes into the laundry net. If she were to wash them together and damage the fabric, she would be the one angry. You should do that yourself, you 24-year-old member of society. *PAM!* "...You''re thinking of something rude, right?" "No...Not at all." "Is that so?" *PAM!* *PAM!* "I''m very sorry!" "Good that you know." A kind citizen actually succumbed to violence? This defies all logic! "The class representative will be Orimura Ichika. No one has any objections, right?" "Nope", everyone (except for me) replied. Unity is a good thing. However, it would be great if it was also good for me. That''s what I think. Volume 1 - CH 3 "Well then, let''s start practicing some basic IS maneuvers. Orimura, Alcott, try flying with your ISs." It was near the end of April, the time when the late-blooming Sakura petals were falling. Today, I''m seriously learning from the instructor from hell called Chifuyu-nee. "Hurry up! A properly trained pilot doesn''t need more than a second to deploy the IS." After being prompted, I started to concentrate. Once the IS is optimized, it will remain with the pilot in the form of a decoration. Cecilia''s is an earring on her left ear, and mine is an arm guard...no wait, they''re mostly decorations, but mine''s a defense tool, right? Why is it? "You better concentrate!" Damn it, I''ll get beaten up next time. I stretched my right arm out, and used my left hand to grab it. After many tries, I found out that this pose allows me to concentrate bestor rather, it allows me to imagine deploying my IS best. (Come out! [Byakushiki]!) I muttered in my heart. At that moment, I felt a thin layer extend from my right wrist over my entire body. The time it took to deploy was about 0.7 seconds. The balls of light scattered out from my body before seemingly combining together to form the IS. My body instantly became lighter, and all sorts of sensors started being linked to my consciousness, which raised my line of sight. In the blink of an eye, my body was equipped with the IS [Byakushiki] and was floating about 10cm above the ground. Cecilia was also equipped with her own IS [Blue Tears] as she floated. The BITs that were destroyed by me during our battle were already completely repaired. "Okay, fly." After Chifuyu-nee said that, Cecilia immediately got into action. She quickly rose up and stopped high above the ground. Though I managed to do it as well, my speed of ascent was much slower than Cecilia''s. "What are you doing? In terms of specs, [Byakushiki] has a higher power output!" A lecture could be heard from the communication line. On a side note, I''ve only just learned how to do an emergency ascent and descent, and that the method of piloting is to ''push in the direction I imagine''. However, I just can''t grasp that feeling. "Ichika-san, imagination is just imagination. You should find a more suitable image for yourself!" "Even if you say that, I can''t really understand it. Basically, this feeling of flying through the air is still strange to me. How can this thing even fly?" Though the [Byakushiki] does have two pairs of wings, if I think of it like this, it can''t possibly fly like a plane does. Basically, since the theory of flying is unrelated to the direction the wings spread, it can fly in any directions, which makes me wonder what is going on. "I wouldn''t mind explaining it, but there''s a lot to it. This includes the anti-gravity wings and the theory of flow interference." "I know, you don''t need to explain it to me." I immediately refused. My brain definitely can''t process all of that. "Is that so? What a pity. Hoho." Cecilia revealed a delighted smile, and it was neither a ridiculing, nor a courteous one. It was just a normal, happy smile. Ever since that match, she seems to always have a reason to train me, which I''m really grateful for. Also, as expected of a representative candidate, she''s really outstanding. However, how much has her mindset changed? Her initial attitude seems to be a lie or something. "Ichika-san, if you want to, I can teach you after school. We''ll be alon" "ICHIKA! HOW LONG ARE YOU GOING TO KEEP FLYING UP THERE!? HURRY UP AND GET DOWN!" An angry shout could be heard from the communicator. Looking closely, far far below on the ground was Houki, who snatched the speaker from Yamada-sensei, while looking completely flustered. On a side note, my vision could be compared to that of a telescope, and it was all due to the IS high-grade sensors. I could see everything clearly from 200 m above the ground. If this sort of ability were to be used for something bad, it could really create quite a lot of trouble! "Let me add on a bit, right now, the sensors are still limited. The IS was originally intended for space activity, and since the IS has to grasp objects at a distance of tens of thousands kilometers, it''s to be expected that we can see so many small things at this distance, so clearly." As expected of a model student, to be so knowledgeable on such stuff. On a side note, Houki''s explanation was like: "Like a ''mm'' feeling." "With a ''dong'' touch." "And also with a ''clang'' mode." Her explanation was completely useless to me. Speaking of which, did Houki really activate an IS just like that? I haven''t really started practicing how to pilot an IS, so I didn''t ask how far Houki had gone with that. On another side note, Cecilia would always rebut Houki''s explanations, and then both of them would start to squabble. If so, she''s soft to me, yet antagonistic to Houki. Why is that? "Orimura, Alcott, try doing a sudden dive and then come to a complete halt. The target is 10cm above the ground." "R-Roger. In that case, I''ll be going first." After saying that, Cecilia immediately dropped towards the floor. I was somewhat impressed as I watched her become smaller. "You''re good, aren''t you?" Just like that, she seemed to have completely stopped perfectlyokay, time for me to go down. I gathered my concentration as an image of a rocket cannon firing from my wings formed in my mind; after focusing on that, I instantly dived down to the ground. *WhooshDHUMP!!* I landed. However, to an expert, it would seem more like a crash. My body didn''t hit the ground too hard due to the anti-gravity function, but my heart nearly got killed by my classmates'' laughter. If possible, I hope that the IS could protect my heart as well. "You idiot. Who asked you to open a hole in the ground?" "...Sorry." Anyway, I got a hold of myself, and rose from the ground. Thanks to the IS shields, the [Byakushiki] didn''t get dirty. "You''re embarrassing! Ichika, have you forgotten what I taught you yesterday?" Giving me a cold stare, Houki folded her arms in front of her chest as she waited for me there. What you ''taught me yesterday''...don''t tell me you are talking about those weird noises? Houki can actually tell a joke! Hm, so having a change in perspective is a good thing. "You''re definitely thinking something rude right now, aren''t you?" Why is it that others can read my mind? "Basically Ichika, ever since the past, you''ve been" Just when I thought that Houki was going to continue to rattle on, someone actually appeared in front of me and interrupted her. "Ichika-san, are you alright? Are you hurt?" "O-Oh, I''m alright..." "Is that so? That''s great." Hohoho, Cecilia again laughed happily. Uua girl''s emotions just change when they want to. I really want to ask, who it was that said that ''a girl''s feelings are like an autumn''s sky''? Isn''t it even more unpredictable than the weather? "...How could he possibly be injured when he is equipped with an IS..." "Ah, Shinonono-san, isn''t it normal to be concerned about others? Even if he''s equipped with an IS, this is common sense, right?" "You''re one to talk, you wolf in sheep clothing." "Well, it''s better than donning the clothes of a demon." *BOOM!* Both glared at each other, creating many sparks...no, even though they''re not creating sparks, for some reason, I''m seeing them. Is it because of the IS sensors? If that''s the case, even though it''s amazing, it''s not hard to think that this is something useless. Speaking of which, the relationship between these two seems to be on even worse terms, I wonder why? "Hey you, idiots, don''t block the way. If you want to quarrel, go somewhere else!" Forcefully pushing Houki and Cecilia''s heads apart, Chifuyu-nee stood in front of me. "Orimura, deploy your weapon. You should be able to do so at will, right?" "Yeah." "Answer ''yes''." "Ye-Yes." "Okay, let''s begin." Hearing her words, I turned to the side. After confirming that no one was in front of me, I, once again, used my left hand to grab my right wrist. It can cut through objects, has the shape of a sword. It''s a sharp, solid object, and also a strong weapon (Come out...!) My left hand held onto my right hand tightly, and at the moment my focus was at its peak, my palm let out a glow, which shaped itself into an object. Once the glow vanished, my hand was holding onto the ''Yukihira Nigata''. (Great, now I can summon it all the time!) It''s also a hard thing to imagine this, but this is to be expected, right? Who''ll start thinking of a sword when going about with their daily lives? "Too slow! Practice until you can summon it within 0.5 seconds." Ack, there she goes again...not only did she not praise me, she even looked down on me. No matter what she says, This is all I could improve within just one week! "Cecilia, deploy your weapons." "Yes!" She raised her hand to where her shoulder was, and then stretched her arm to the side. Unlike me, she didn''t glow, but gave off a sudden burst of light. With just that, she was already holding onto the ''Starlight MkIII''. Compared to me, she was a whole lot faster, and her gun was loaded. Cecilia just had to look in order to remove the safety. Within one second, she deployed her weapon, even getting ready to shoot. "As expected of a representative candidatehowever, you''ve got to change your pose. Who''re you aiming at when you point your gun to the side? Try and point it at the front." "Bu-But, but I need to maintain this for my image" "CHANGE IT! YOU HEAR ME?" "...yes." Cecilia looked like she wanted to argue back, but she immediately shut up after Chifuyu-nee glared at her. Seems like we just trained one good soldier! "Cecilia, deploy your close-range weapon." "Wha? Ah, yes, yes!" Cecilia seemed to be grumbling about something (that''s definitely it), so she got shocked when she was called, and answered slowly. The gun in her hand became light particlesthis seems to be called ''keeping''and then, she ''deployed'' a new close-ranged weapon. However, the glow in her hand couldn''t shape itself as it floated around in the air. "Huh..." "Isn''t it ready yet?" "It, it''ll be ready soonahh, damn it! ''Interceptor''!" She half-reluctantly shouted out her weapon''s name. After her focus gathered, the glow shaped into the weapon. However, the preface of the textbook did mention this before. It mentioned that this is a ''beginner''s method''. For a representative candidate like Cecilia to deploy the weapon through this method, it''s really humiliating. "...How long did you take? Do you want the enemy to wait for you in a real battle?" "In, in a real battle, I wouldn''t allow the enemy to enter my range! So, so there would be no problem!" "Oh? But against Orimura, you seemed to have easily let a beginner get close to you." "Th-That, that''s because..." Cecilia mumbled; Not knowing what to do, she was obviously unable to speak clearly. Just as I was looking at this indifferently, she glared at me. At that moment, a signal came through a private frequency. "It''s all your fault!" Why? "Be-Because you came rushing at me..." My IS only had a close-ranged weapon, of course it became like that. "You, you better take responsibility!" What do you want me to take responsibility for? On a side note, I didn''t respond to her signals, she was just sending them to me. Maybe I should say that I have no idea how this private frequency is to be imagined. What''s with the ''imagine with the rear right side of the head to communicate''? And what rear right side of the head are you talking about? "Time''s up, that''s it for today''s lesson. Orimura, clear up the field." You mean that you want me to fill up that large hole? Where''s the soil? I glanced at Houki, only to see her quickly turning her head away. Seems like she doesn''t want to help out. As for Ceciliashe was long gone. ...I got it! You people want me to settle this by myself, right? Forget it, This is a man''s job, as it is one which requires strength. Those guys who need girls to do labor work are just trash. (Never mind, I had it coming...) Seems like I''ve still got a long way to go before I can thoroughly learn how to pilot an IS. "Oh, so this is the place..." At night, in front of the IS Academy Entrance, stood a girl with a Boston bag that didn''t match her petite size at all. Her hair that was flowing in the still warm April night was tied with two ponytails on both sides at the top of her head. Her hair that looked like it was going to touch her shoulder was a pretty brown color that matched the yellow hairband it was with. "Lemme see, where''s the reception counter?" She pulled out a slip of paper from her shirt''s pocket. That crumpled piece of paper really was proof of the girl''s straightforward character and her lively nature. "The 1st level General Service Counter in the Main Building...so I want to know, WHERE IS IT?" No matter how much she grumbled, she won''t get an answer from the paper. The girl stuffed the paper along with her frustration into her shirt pocket. Even though the crumpling sound could be heard, she didn''t mind at all. "I''ll just have to find it, right? So be it!" As she muttered this, her feet continued to move. ''Instead of thinking, why not take action?'' that is the sort of girl she is. To put it nicely, she followed the ''practical doctrine''; to put it bluntly, she ''doesn''t thoroughly think things through''. Really...I was told that no one would come to pick me up, but isn''t this too ruthless of them? Those government people, really...aren''t they worried about dumping a 15-year-old girl in a foreign country? At first glance, the girl looks like a Japanese, but taking a closer look, she doesn''t really look like one. Those sharp and beautiful eyes of hers belong to a Chinese. Even so, to this girl, Japan is not only her second homeland, it''s also a place that she''s very familiar with and has fond memories of. As History puts it aptly ''History is a human''s story''. (Is anyone around? A student or a teacher? Anyone who can lead me?) As she continued to walk in this unfamiliar school, she was still looking around for people. However, it was already past 8pm, and the lights in the campus were already out. At this hour, the students were already in their dorms. (Ahthat''s enough! So troublesome! I might as well fly through the sky and look...) Despite her ''this is a good idea'' feeling, upon remembering the school rule book, which was as thick as 3 ''city telephone directories'', she immediately dismissed it. "It would be bad if you activate your IS at school before being formally transfered! In the worst case, it would become a diplomatic issue. Please spare us that agony!" Once she remembered the high-ranking officials pleas and useless expressions, the girl started to feel better. (Haha, that''s right, I''m an important person as well! Better have some self-discipline.) To be honest, seeing adults many times her age kneeling down and begging her stirs a good feeling. For her, who has always hated ''adults who flaunt on their seniority'', today''s society could be described as `comfortable. "Men''s muscle power is just a kid''s act, a lady''s IS is the real justice''. She was happy about this as well, because she had always been a girl who hated ''kids whom are full of themselves just because they''re males''. However, that guy''s different. She remembered a certain boy. To her, he was the biggest reason for her return to Japan. I wonder if he''s doing alright now? Hm, maybe he''s still rather energetic. She never saw him being gloomy. He''s that kind of a person. "Besides...that''s..." Suddenly, a sound was heard. She turned to its point of origin, and saw some girls coming back from an IS training facility. She could immediately identify it because all IS related facilities in every country look similar. Great, I''ll just ask them! The girl strolled towards the entrance of the arena to ask them. "Anyway, I''m not thinking like that!" The unexpected shout shocked the girl as she stopped. It''s a guy''s voicesimilar to one she''s familiar with. No, most likely it is that person''s voice. This unexpected reunion caused the girl''s heart to race. Will he recognize me? He should be able to, right? It has been only a year. She told herself this while being distracted by the thought ''what if he doesn''t recognize me?''. It''s alright, it''s alright! Besides, if he doesn''t recognize me, it means that I''ve gotten prettier!" Getting into an ultra-optimistic thinking mode, she once again moved forward. "Ic" Ah, the volume''s too much! Doesn''t this mean that I''m mindful about this? So embarrassing! "Ichika, when are you going to grasp that feeling? You''ve been stuck at it since last week!" "That''s because your explanation is too unique. What''s that ''huh'' feeling?" "...It''s a ''huh'' feeling." "Didn''t I tell you I don''t know what that isHey, wait for me, Houki!" The boy chased after the girl as she walked very fast. Who''s that girl? Why do they seem so familiar with each other? Why are they calling each other by their names? The racing heartbeat vanished as if it had never taken place, and it is replaced with an icy feeling, as if an avalanche had struck, stirring her with frustration. After that, she quickly found the General Service Counter. The main building was actually behind the arena, and since it was lit over there, she immediately found the place. "Mm, then, the procedures are complete. Welcome to IS Academy, Huang Lingyin-san." The receptionist''s friendly words seemed distant to her, as none of it was engraved into her brain. The girlLingyin didn''t look happy at all. She pouted and asked, "Which class is Orimura Ichika in?" "Oh, that famous kid? He''s in class 1. Huang-san''s in class 2, so you''re in neighboring classes. Oh yeah, that kid''s the representative of class 1. As expected of Orimura-sensei''s younger brother!" It''s women''s nature to gossip. Lingyin coldly stared at the receptionist, who noticed this as the girl continued to ask, "Is the class representative of class 2 decided?" "Yes!" "What''s her name?" "What? Erm...why are you asking this?" Perhaps because she noticed that Lingyin''s attitude was a bit weird, the receptionist looked troubled as she asked. "I would like to ask her if she could relinquish the position of class representative to me" Veins could be seen popping out of her smiling face. "Orimura-kun, congratulations on becoming the class representative!" "Congratulations~!" *PA!* *PA!* *PA!* *PA!* The pops land on me from all directions, and the colored ribbons that land on me weigh a lot more on my heart than the actual weight itself. On a side note, it''s now free time during dinner, and this is a campus restaurant. Everyone in class 1 is gathered here, and each one is holding their own drink. The atmosphere''s rather animated. "..." I don''t want to celebrate! I don''t want to celebrate at all! What''s with this party? I glanced at the wall. There''s an ''Orimura Ichika Class Representative Assignment Party'' banner. Oh, so it''s a assignment party...sigh. "Yathe class representative tournament will be a lot more exciting!" "That''s right, that''s right!" "We''re really lucky to be in the same class as him." "That''s right, that''s right!" From those girls conversation, they should be from class 2, right? Or is it just me? Speaking of which, isn''t it too strange? There''s definitely more than 30 people here. Why is it that there are more people than there are in our class whenever we gather everyone in class? "You''re really popular, Ichika." "...You really think so?" "Humph." Houki gave a cold response before drinking. Why is she in a bad mood again? "Look over here, look over here. I''m from the News Paper Club. I''m here to do a scoop on the hotly discussed freshman Orimura Ichika-kun''s special interview!" Everyone gave an excited ''oh''. What ''oh''? "Ah, I''m Mayuzumi Kaoruko, nice to meet you. I''m the vice-president of the News Paper Club. Here! This is my card." I received the card and looked at the name. Sure has a lot of strokes in the kanji, she herself must feel that it''s bothersome to write her own name. "Then, then, Orimura-kun! Please state your thoughts on becoming the class representative. Here!" She held the recorder in front of me, her eyes shining like the ones of a naive kid. "Erm..." What should I say? I have no intention of going along, but I can''t betray everyone''s expectations. Sigh, I''m just a weak Japanese anyway. "Huh, anyway, I''ll do my best." "Huhgive us something awesome~~ like, like ''don''t get too close to me, you''ll get hurt'' or something like that!" What the heck! That''s a popular line from the last generation, right? "I don''t really talk a lot." "Wow, an outdated proclamation!" What? Are you mocking the Japanese actor that we''re so proud of?[1C 1] "How about you make up a few sentences?" This isn''t good at all! Do news broadcasts air all arbitrary and biased news? That''s scary! "Oh yeah, how about having Cecilia say a few words?" "I don''t really like to make this sort of interview, but since you asked me, it can''t be helped." Though she''s grumbling, she doesn''t look like she''s refusing...and she''s already waiting over there! I don''t know if I''m thinking too much, but her hair''s a lot more glamorous than usual. Maybe she''s ready to take a photo or something? "Ahem. Then, first, we''ll have the ex-class representative make a statement, so" "Ahh, if it''s going to be long, forget about it. Just take a photo." "You, hear me out to the very end!" "No problem, I''ll just make up some content. Oh, let''s just assume that you like Orimura-kun." "Wha, wha, what...?" Cecilia immediately blushed. Seems like she''s definitely angry. Hm, better find some cover from the fire. "What nonsense are you spouting?" "What, really?" "That, that''s right! What''s stupid about it?" What, that''s weird? Why is Cecilia angry at me? Don''t glare at me. That''s scary. "Ba-Basically, you" "Okay okay, anyway, both of you, please stand together! I''m going to take a photo now." "What?" Cecilia sounded rather surprised. However, it seemed like she was rather delighted as well. "Because you have your own personal IS! Let me take a photo. Ah, it would be good to hold hands too!" "Is, is that so...that''s right." For some reason, Cecilia, who''s starting to fidget, continues to peek at me. I''m getting the ''now''s the chance, but I can''t let people feel that I''m very casual'' vibe from her. "Excuse me, but you''ll give me a copy of the photo, right?" "Of course." "Then let me go change clothes first" "No way, that''ll take too much time. Okay, hurry up and stand together." MayuzumiCsenpai pulled Cecilia''s hand and mine before making us hold hands together directly. What a hard-styled senpai. "..." "What is it?" "Not-Nothing, nothing at all." As she was staring at me, I thought that she felt that something was wrong. Seems like I''m mistaken. Really, I really can''t understand her. "..." "...What now, Houki?" "Nothing." This side''s staring at me as well...I''ll omit that, please read on. "Then I''m going to take it. What''s 35 times 51 divided by 24~~?" "Huh? Let me think...2?" "Wrongit''s 74.375!" What the heck. *Pacha!* She pressed down on the shutter of the digital camera...hold on, hey! Pacha!* She pressed down on the shutter of the digital camera. "Why is everyone squeezing together here!?" Everyone in class moved at an utterly terrifying speed as they immediately gathered around Cecilia and me the moment the photo was taken. Ah, even Houki''s moving in! What is this group of idiots trying to do? "You, you people!" "Don''t mind, don''t mind." "Cecilia can''t just have a headstart, right" "Wouldn''t it be great to have a class memory?" "That''s right" Everyone was unanimously saying persuasive-like things to Cecilia. Why is that? "Erm, uu..." My classmates started to stare cheekily at Cecilia, who was unable to say anything...why''s that so? Anyway, this ''Orimura Ichika Class Representative Assignment Party'' lasted until past 10pm. Damn it, I underestimated the girls'' energy. Before I realized it, it was already late at night, and my strength had already vanished for no apparent reason as I collapsed onto the bed. "Today sure was fun, right? Good for you." Houki said such irritating words with a mocking tone. What''s she planning to do? Start a quarrel with me? "Who says that I''m happy? Would being tired make me happy? If you were in my position, would you be happy?" "Uu...ah, that''s right, maybe I would be happy!" She definitely doesn''t feel that way, but this person here would never take her words back once she says it, and would always end up suffering. She''s that sort of person. Seems like I''ll have to end this conversation quickly, or else even I''ll feel weird if she''s going to continue on with something weirder. "Whatever. I''m going to sleep now." "Wha-What? It''s just 10.30pm!" "I''m already tired! It''s best to sleep now." After I said that, I snuggled into my bed; and then, a pillow suddenly came flying over at me. "Heywhat''s with you?" "That, that is something I should be asking, right? I''m going to change into my sleepwear, so face the other direction!" Though we''ve been living together for more than a week, why is it that she always wants to change into her sleepwear when I''m around? Couldn''t she have done it when I''m brushing my teeth? Really, I wonder that myself. "Hey, Houki. I did tell you before that you should change clothes when I''m not around" I got glared at. "I get it, I get it. I''m turning over now." That''s why I said that girls are hard to understand. Anyway, I turned to face the other side. "..." "..." That''s right, I hate this silence. It feels strangely long, and the sound of clothes rubbing together really bothers me. I''m a healthy 15-year-old, it''s hard to get used to this uncomfortable feeling. I heard the sound of clothes being put on, and my mind recalled the time when I saw her finish bathing, which made me unable to calm down. After that, the sound of her changing clothes affected me, and I couldn''t sleep at all. "I-It''s fine now." After gaining permission, I again turned my body around. Though I do feel that there''s no need to deliberately switch around like that, but after I said that just now, Houki got angry for some reason, so I decided not to mention it again. "Oh? Is that a new sash?" Houki changed into a bedtime yukata. She''s really one traditional-styled person. However, I do feel that it looks good too. Anyway, since the sash is different from what it was yesterday, I pointed that out without thinking much further. "You, you sure are perceptive." That''s strange? Is it my imagination? For some reason, I feel that the sharp attitude of hers is gone now, and, did her mood improve just now? I really can''t understand her. "No, it''s not that. The color and pattern are different, so of course I would notice it. I look at Houki every day after all." "Is, is that so? You were looking at...me? I get it, I get it." Why is she nodding about it so happily? "Okay! Let''s sleep!" Is this the enthusiasm that a person who''s about to sleep should have? She''s really strange. Anyway, Houki snuggled into her bed and turned off the lights. The room was filled with silence. (Uuu...I missed the opportunity to sleep.) Sleepiness is something that occurs in moments. Once I miss it, it''ll be hard to sleep before it occurs again. Maybe that''s just for me though. "...Ichika." "Hm?" "Just, just now, about what happened...I''m sorry." What is she talking about? Since I couldn''t recall, I simply replied, "It''s fine, don''t worry about it." "Is, is that so? Then that''s fine...then, goodnight." "Ah, goodnight." Being sleepy right from the beginning, I never let go of this sleepiness now as I gradually slipped into dreamland. In that night''s dream, for some reason, I started to recall what happened in the past. "Good morning, Orimura-kun. Have you heard about the rumor of the transfer student?" In the morning, just as I was about to sit down, my classmates started talking to me. It''s been several weeks since I entered school, and I can talk with the girls normally, so this should be considered a huge improvement, right? Besides, it would be lonely if I were left alone in class. "A transfer student? At this time of the year?" It''s just April. Why isn''t it an enrollment but a transfer? Besides, I heard that the conditions required to enter this IS Academy are rather strict. An exam''s definitely required, and without a country''s recommendation, it''s impossible to enroll here. Which means "That''s right. I heard that it''s a transfer student from China!" "Woah, is that so?" Since we''re talking about a transfer student. "Oh my, so is she wary of my existence and decided to transfer in?" Class 1-1''s representative from England, Cecilia Alcott; like usual, the pose of putting her hand on her hip really fits her this morning. Don''t tell me that all English folks would do this pose? "She can''t possibly transfer into this class, right? There''s nothing to get worked up over." That''s strange. Houki was definitely walking to her seat (at the front row near the window), and somehow she appeared beside me who knows when. Since Houki''s a girl, she should be rather sensitive about this sort of rumors, right? "What sort of girl is she?" Since she''s a representative, she should be rather strong, right? And she''s also like Cecilia. What, is she an arrogant person? Really, I''m sick of it. Oh well, at least she''s going into another class, so doesn''t concern me. "Uu...are you concerned about that?" "Hm? Yeah, a little." "Humph..." After I answered honestly, for some reason, Houki''s mood worsened as she shows an unhappy look. Nowadays, it seems like her mood will swing from good to bad; such a troublesome person. Is her mind unstable? Or maybe that''s the rebellious mood that commonly appears among youths, right? "You don''t have the time to think about other girls? The class representative tournament is coming up next month." "That''s right! Just like that, Ichika-san. In order to get ready for the class representative tournament, we''ll be having more practical lessons. As for the opponent, allow me, Cecilia Alcott to take that place. Besides, the only ones with a personal machine in this class are me and Ichika-san." She forcefully emphasized the ''only''...but that''s right. If it were the other classmates, requesting a training suit, getting authorization and optimizing it would take a whole day, so if I want a quick mock battle, asking Cecilia would be the fastest way. On a side note, the class representative tournament is just what the name implies, it''s a battle between the class representatives, and a chance to give everyone a realistic goal before they really start learning how to pilot an IS. Besides, this also seems to allow the classes to act as units and allow each other to work together. In order to motivate everyone, the class that gets the first prize will earn half a year''s worth of free dessert coupons. I see, no wonder the girls are so excited. "Oh well, I''ll do what I can." "Doing what you can isn''t enough! Ichika-san, you have to win!" "That''s right! As a guy, how can you not have some self-confidence!?" "If Orimura-kun wins, the entire class will be happy!" Cecilia, Houki and all my classmates, they are all saying nice things. But even if you say that, though not too serious, the obstacles I''ve faced in my basic IS training won''t allow me to confidently answer everyone''s expectations. (I did have a nostalgic feeling when I first activated it...) The feeling I first experienced was like a rebirth, and now it''s completely gone. Even so, I''m steadily getting used to piloting an IS because [Byakushiki] is getting optimized to my characteristics...or something like that, right? One, two, very soon, everyone started to gather, and I was surrounded by girls. Since this is something that happens normally, I''ve gotten used to it. However, the one thing I really can''t get is that girls really like to gossip. "Do your best, Orimura-kun!" "This is for the free coupons!" "At this point, only the representatives from class 1 and class 4 have a personal IS, so it should be easy to win this!" As I didn''t want to ruin my classmates'' exciting mood, I merely replied with a ''yeah''. "Your information is outdated." Hm? A voice came from the entrance of the door. Why do I find that voice familiar... "The class representative of class 2 also has a personal IS, you know! You can''t win that easily." The person who folded her arms in front of her chest as she puts a leg on her other kneecap and leans on the wall is "Rin...? You''re Rin, right?" "That''s right. I''m the representative candidate from China, Huang Lingyin. Today, I came here to declare war." She gave a little smile as her trademark twin ponytails swayed about left and right. "What are you acting cool for? It seriously doesn''t suit you." "Wha...? Why are you saying something like that?" Ohh, at least she finally reverted back to her normal way of talking. What was that tone about just now? Really, I can''t understand that. "Hey!" "What was that for" *PA!* Asking that, Rin got hit viciously by the attendance bookthe instructor from hell has arrived. "It''s time for SHR. Head back to class." "Chi-Chifuyu-san..." "Call me Orimura-sensei! Hurry up and go back, don''t block the door here. You''re a bother" "So-Sorry..." Rin trembled as she retreated from the door; that attitude clearly shows that she''s afraid of Chifuyu-nee. She''s always been afraid of Chifuyu-nee, but I just don''t know why. "I''ll come again later. Don''t run away, Ichika." Why must I run away? "Hurry up and get back." "Ye-Yes!" She dashed towards class 2. Hm, still the same Rin I know. However, why must she purposely come all the way here just to act cool? Is she trying to change her image after entering High school? That really doesn''t suit her at all. "So, she''s an IS pilot? This is the first time I heard of that..." I subconsciously uttered out what I was thinking...this is bad. "...Ichika, who was that? Someone you know? You two seem rather familiar with each other." "I-Ichika-san? What sort of relationship do you have with that girl" Everyone else started to gather their fire as they aim and fire questions at me. Sigh, I was so stupid... *PA!* *PA!* *PA!* *PA!* "HURRY UP AND GET TO YOUR SEATS, YOU BUNCH OF IDIOTS!" Chifuyu-nee''s attendance book puffs out fire...is it my fault?yes it is. (Hmbut why am I reuniting with all the people I know? What they call life is really inexplicable.) And then, a whole day of IS training begins. (Who was that girl just now...seems like she''s very familiar with Ichika...) Getting so concerned about the girl that appeared this morning, Houki has been unable to concentrate during class. (Besides, Ichika seems like he) It seems like they''re childhood friends. She got infuriated. (I should be his ONLY childhood friend, right...!?) She continued to try and suppress her anger as she glanced at Ichika. But maybe he was really affected badly by the setback he had yesterday, as he was studying seriously. (I can''t even concentrate on the lesson, and you even...!) She started to feel a lot angrier, and started to develop a little ''notice me some more!'' feeling. "..." However, calming down and thinking about it, it''s really nothing. Besides, since she''s living in the same room as Ichika, like yesterday, they can have time on their own. (Really, such a worthless guy, I''ll be the one to teach him more IS stuff!) She folded her arms in front of her and smiled heartily. Her advantage won''t change, this remains the same even with the presence of the girl that just appeared. Same goes for Cecilia, and the other classmates. (Looks like we need more special training from today onwards.) Houki nodded in happiness, her face unable to suppress the happy-look. "Shinonono, what''s the answer?" "Yes! What?" Having her name called out, Houki accidentally raised her voice. They''re having lessons now, and Orimura-sensei, not Yamada-sensei, is giving the lesson now. "What is the answer?" "...I, I wasn''t paying attention to the lesson..." *PAM!* The sound of a painful impact echoed throughout. The attendance book remains as hard as ever! "..." At the back of the classroom, Cecilia was drawing in her notebook with the mechanical pencil. However, she was just drawing some random lines, unable to create any phrases. (Who was that? That person just now!) She was really bothered by that girl who was obviously close to Ichika. Right now, she already has the strongest opponent in Houki, and she couldn''t let the number of competitors rise. Besides, in terms of relationshipwith Ichika, the girl just now is obviously closer to him. Right now, she feels like she''s like a marathon runner who has almost finished, only to have a runner overtake her from behind. (That''s too despicable! She should be fighting with me fairly!) Though she doesn''t really know if she intends to fight fairly in a relationship battle, this is what Cecilia thought. She has enough confidence that if they were to fight over something under identical conditions, she wouldn''t lose, but since this is the first time she''s fighting over a guy with someone else, things aren''t developing as she had hoped. This fact made Cecilia really anxious. (And that girl''s actually a representative candidate) In this IS Academy, there are little more than twenty representative candidates. However, this should mean that each grade should have four of them. And subtracting Ichika, the number of people who have a personal IS should be 2. This is an advantage Cecilia should have, but now... (She said that she has a personal IS as well...) This is bad, this is really bad. It''s like she had let the medal in her hand be forfeited and rendered useless. (This, this is cheating, right!?) But then, it doesn''t matter right now. She has to fight for the driver''s seat, and it''ll be useless if she can''t deal the deathblow to Houki and Rin. (An IS mock battle won''t be enough, I have to find something much more definitive) "Alcott." "...How about I ask him out on a date. No, if I want an effective..." "..." *PAM!* The blond hair on her head got flattened by the attendance book. "It''s all your fault!" "It''s all thanks to you!" When lunch started, the first thing Houki and Cecilia started to do was to scold me. "What did I do now...?" Just this morning alone, they got warned by Yamada-sensei 5 times and slammed by Chifuyu-nee 3 times. Don''t they want to study? Blanking out in front of Chifuyu-nee is like spreading barbecue sauce on their bodies in front of a ferocious tiger, as if trying to emphasize ''come, come eat me''. "Oh well, if you have anything to say, we''ll talk through lunch. Let''s go to the canteen first." "Uuu...well, since you said it, let''s do it." "That, that''s right, it''s not like I can''t go along with you." Okay okay okay, thanks girls. Including the other girls from our class, our entire clique moved off to the canteen. Like usual, I bought a Japanese set at the lunch voucher vending machine. It continues to reasonably provide different types of food, which I am truly grateful for. On a side note, Houki got a beancurd skin udon, and Cecilia got a Western-styled lunch. Eating that again? You should try some other types as well. But for me, I don''t really have the right to say that. "I''ve waited for you for a long time, Ichika!" *DONG!*, with a single sound, the one blocking me was the famous transfer student, Huang Lingyin. Adding on to that, I''ll normally just call her ''Rin''. But this person over here really hasn''t changed a single bit. Her hairstyle''s still the same twin pigtails (or more accurately, they should be called high-side ponytails)hm? Oh, I can tell that it''s the same person, just like Houki! Deep inside, I pat on these two childhood friends of mine who have such a common trait. "Okay okay, just stand aside. I can''t hand the voucher over if you continue to stand here, and you''ll be blocking everyone as well." "How, how long-winded! I know that!" On a side note, she''s holding onto a bowl of ramen. "The noodle will lose its spring." "I, I know that! Seriously, it''s because you made me wait for you for so long! Why didn''t you come over earlier?" How should I know? I''m not an esper. Oh well, it''s not like she''s not talkative for once. Anyway, I hand the voucher over to the madam. "Speaking of which, it''s really been a while. We haven''t met for exactly a year, right? How are you doing right now?" "O-Okay. What about you? At least get sick for once!" "What kind of wish is that..." The people of the opposite gender around me...I''ll cut that short, please read the above. Why am I surrounded by so many people with such offensive power? Is it because I''m inconsiderate? I''m really sorry for that. "Ahahem!" "Ahem! Ichika-san, your lunch is ready, you know?" Houki and Cecilia immediately coughed loudly to interrupt my conversation with Rin. Ohh! So today''s lunch set is salt-grilled mackerel. The appearance of that slightly charred skin really increases my appetite. "The table over there is empty. Let''s go over there." Including Rin, I prompt everyone to follow along. Since this is a group of almost 10 people, it''ll take us some time to move there. Good thing we managed to move over to the table quickly. We''re lucky. "Rin? Since when have you been in Japan? How''s aunty? When did you become a representative candidate?" "You''ve asked too much already. I want to ask you, how could you use an IS? I was shocked when I saw you on the news." Since it''s a reunion after a year, I tossed out many questions that I wouldn''t normally be asking. As a childhood friend, I would definitely be intrigued by how she has been during this time. It was the same when I met Houki again. "Ichika, it''s about time you give us an explanation." "That''s right, Ichika-san! Are you...going out with this person?" Maybe because both of them felt somewhat strange to me, Houki and Cecilia sounded rather shrill when they asked me. The other classmates of course nodded their heads excitedly. "N-no-no-not really, we aren''t dating..." "That''s right, why must we go to that extent? We''re only childhood friends." "..." "Why are you glaring at me?" "Nothing!" Rin just got angry. Such a strange person. "Childhood friend...?" Houki replied with a surprised tone. "Oh yalet me see. Houki''s family moved out when she had just finished 4th grade, right? Rin transferred in during 5th grade. After that, she went back to China when she finished her sophomore year in Middle school, so it''s been about a year since I last saw her." I see, so Houki and Rin never met before. They just happened to miss each other when they moved. "Then, this is Houki. Oh, I told you about her before, right? She''s a childhood friend I''ve known since grade school, she''s the daughter of the dojo owner where I used to go to train kendo." "Oh, I see." Rin stared at Houki carefully, and Houki, not willing to lose, did the same. "Nice to meet you, I hope we can get along." "Yeah, me too." While both of them greet each other, for some reason, I seem to see sparks flying between them. Am I hallucinating because of all the fatigue I''ve built up? If so, I need a rest. Some French boss mentioned before that Japaneses weakness is that they don''t know how to rest. I''m finished, I''m already like this in High School. I''ll definitely die once I enter society. "Ahem! It would be bothersome if you forget about my existence. Representative from China, Huang Lingyin-san?" "...Who are you?" "What? I''m Cecilia Alcott, the representative candidate from England! Don''t tell me you don''t know me?" "Um, I''m not really interested in other countries." "Wh-Wha-What...?" Cecilia got so angry that she couldn''t even say anything. Her face is flushed red like a cooked cuttlefishshe would get angry if I say that, right? Better not say it. "Let, let me say this first, I won''t lose to someone like you!" "Really? If we were to fight it out, I would win! Sorry, but I''m strong." Rin said that in a somewhat proud voice. She hasn''t changed one bit, always having a weird amount of self-confidence, and not having any malice in her words. This is the real her, she really thinks that way. But even if she doesn''t mean any ill, some people might get angry. "..." "You, you actually dared to say it..." Houki wordlessly put down her chopsticks; Cecilia trembled as she clenched her fist. In contrast, Rin was still casually eating her ramen right in the afternoon. Casually (nani kuwanu), eating lunch in the afternoon (kao de meshi wo kuu)...that rhymes. "Ichika." GYA! Did they find out what I was thinking? I''m just thinking of something random, so there should be no reason for them to scold me...sort of. "I heard that you''re class 1''s representative." "Oh? Yeah, well, things just turned out like that." "Oh..." Rin picked her bowl up and started to drink the soup in large gulps. This person doesn''t use anything like a spoon, maybe because ''she doesn''t like to lack the attitude of a guy''...you''re a girl, right? "That, if possible, may I guide you a little on your IS piloting?" She turned her face away, only giving me a glance. It''s rare to see Rin stutter like this. "That would be gre" *BAM!* twice the sound of the table being slammed on. Houki and Cecilia stood up after slamming it hard. "It''s my job to teach Ichika! He requested me to do it!" "You''re in class 2, right? We won''t receive help from the enemy!" Wah, both of them look absolutely terrifying. Seems like they''re really into the inter-class battles. I should look up to them a bit more. "I''m talking to Ichika right now. Would people not involved please leave?" "Who, who said that I''m not involved? Ichika begged me to train him!" Well, I didn''t go to the extent of desperately begging...huh, that''s strange. Seems like this was said before; as usual, Houki emphasized on the ''desperately'' part, and looks like she seems to insist on this. "Since he''s the representative from class 1, he has to be taught by someone from class 1. Seeing how it is, to suddenly appear like this, I''m guessing that you''re plotting something" "I didn''t just pop out of nowhere. I''ve known Ichika longer than you have!" "If, if you''re going to point that out, I''ve known Ichika since a lot earlier than you! Besides, Ichika has often come over to our house to eat, so we understand each other very well!" "He ate at your house? However, the same goes for me." That''s right, Rin''s house is a Chinese cuisine shop. Though I would cook when Chifuyu-nee was at home, at that time, she was active as an IS pilot, so she didn''t return home often. Because of that, it was pointless for me to cook. If I''m going to eat by myself, though it''s a little extreme, I just need instant noodles. But speaking of that, instant noodles don''t have any taste at all, and more importantly, they aren''t good for your health. Because of that, I would consider going to a nearby shop. Rin''s shop has cheap food which is delicious, and they are generous in their servings, so I would go there about 4, 5 times a week. Because a lot of things happened during grade school, I would often go out with Rin. At the beginning...huh, because of Rin''s personality, our relationship began with a rocky start. But after a lot of things happened, we got to know each other to such an extent that we could call each other by our names. (Speaking of which, it was the same with Houki. We started off rough as well; was it because of my misdeedsah, even Cecilia''s the same!) "I-Ichika, what''s going on!? I''ve never heard of this!!" "Neither have I! Ichika-san, I demand a proper explanation!" "What''s to explain...we''re just childhood friends, and I often patronized the Chinese restaurant Rin''s family owns." After I told them without holding anything back, Rin, who was looking rather carefree, now seems rather unhappy. In contrast, Houki and Cecilia heave a sigh of relief. "Wha-What? So it''s just a restaurant?" "Oh my, I see. If it''s just a restaurant, there''s nothing strange about it." The girls from my class also looked tense before relaxing. Wha-What? Has Chifuyu-nee arrived? "Is your dad doing well? No, he should have recovered by now, right?" "What...erm, he''s doing wellseems that way." Hm? Rin suddenly looks rather depressed, and I feel that something''s wrong here. "So, so then, you''re free after school, right? Since we haven''t seen each other for such a long time, let''s find a place to talk! Maybe the restaurant in front of the train station." "Ahit closed down last year." "Is, is that so...what the heck! How, how about a student restaurant? You should have a lot of things to talk to me about, right?" Uuthere''s nothing much to say, is there? I was totally busy during my 3rd year, but that isn''t something worth talking about. "Sorry, but Ichika''s having special IS training with me, so he doesn''t have time after school." Hold on! Houki, why are you deciding things for me? Don''t I have the right to decide what I want to do after school? There''s nothing more unreasonable than this! "That''s right, special training is required for the inter-class tournament. I have my personal IS, you know? That''s right, while Ichika-san''s training, I have to be around no matter what." The disadvantage (?) just now seemed to have disappeared, and the two people seemed to have seized a chance to attack as they suddenly mentioned the special training. They even took away my time after school! Are you girls devils? No, wait, they''re helping me out a lot here. However, people sometimes would love to see some affections. Even so, you gals could have asked me first, right? You have to learn some social skills if you want to survive. "Well then, after you''re done with training, I''ll come looking for you. Remember to leave some time for me, okay? Bye bye Ichika!" Rin drank up the last gulp of soup, packed her things and walked away without waiting for my reply. As expected, she couldn''t possibly be polite enough to say good bye to everyone before leaving, as she leaves the canteen. (So I have to wait for her before I can refuse...?) "Ichika, I have priority in your training!" "Ichika-san, we''ll be spending meaningful time in your training, don''t forget this fact." And I can''t refuse them here as well. Really, I''m suffering. Sigh... "Wha?" After school, at the 3rd arena, I was expecting to see Cecilia training me on IS piloting, so I couldn''t help but let out a sound when I saw that unexpected face. "Wha-What''s with that look...is it really that strange?" "No, well, instead of saying that it''s strange" "Shinonono-san? What are you doing here?" That''s right, Houki appeared in front of Cecilia and me, wearing the ''Uchigane'' IS, deploying it. Among IS that are locally produced, the Uchigane is a highly-rated 2nd generation frame. As it is a defensive model that focuses on stability, it''s easy for beginners to use it, thus many countries, even this IS Academy, use it as a training model, so they''re very common...all this comes from the textbook. Houki appeared in front of Cecilia and me, wearing the ''Uchigane'' IS, deploying it. "What''s with the ''why''? Ichika requested me to do so." Did Ioh, I did, right? "And besides, you still lack practice in close ranged combat, right? Which is why I''m stepping up here." Just like she said, the Uchigane''s design looks like an armored samurai. Basically, its only weapon is a ''close ranged sword''. Well, based on this alone, it really fits Houki, giving a ''end-age samurai'' feeling. A glare! Damn it, I got glared at. "Uu...I never imagined that you could get permission to use it so easily..." For some reason, Cecilia was looking rather unhappy. Why is that? "Well then, Ichika, let''s begin. Draw your sword!" "Oh, okay." Oh, so full of enthusiasm! That dull black metal color on the sword she drew smoothly exhibits its sharpness. Maybe this is called being ''warned'', right? The chilly nervousness spread to my soles. "Thenhere we go!" At this moment, a voice interrupts us. "Hold on a minute! Ichika-san''s opponent should be me, Cecilia Alcott!" Before I could even finish, Cecilia is already standing in front of me as she faces off against Houki. "Hey, don''t interrupt me! Or else I''m going to cut you down as well!" "I''m not so fragile as to lose to a training suit!" Houki let out a kesagiri, only for Cecilia to block it with her knife ''Interceptor''. Cecilia used the collision of the blades to pull apart and distance herself, then quickly squeezing the trigger with one hand. The ''Starlight Mk III'' fired off supersonic bullets. Wa! The battle started! No, wait, what about my training? "HAAA!!" "YOU''RE TOO NA?VE!" ...I''ll just wait for them to finish. The chill that flows through my spine tells me that it would be a disaster for me if I interfered. "Ichika!" "Why are you standing there, just watching this so casually?" "Huh? What...you''ll get angry no matter which side I help, right?" "Of course!" "That''s right!" See! What did I tell you? Speaking of that, Houki and Cecilia seem to only work well together in such a situation. Why is that so? On a side note, it seems like it''s also bad to remain silent. For the next several minutes, I was forced into a 2 vs 1 battle. Now, this is true hell...are you girls trying to kill me...? "Then, that''s it for today." "Oh, okay..." Unlike me, who was already out of breath, Cecilia looked just fine. Is this the difference in experience expected from a representative candidate? "Humph! You''re like that because you lack training." Houki looks somewhat tired, but at least she''s not as tired as me. ...That being said, the reason is that both of you were whacking at me! Isn''t that too devilish!? ...But how can I put it? The sweaty Houki gives some sort of elegance, slightly raising my pulse--just ''slightly''. Please, lets leave it at ''slightly''. "What are you doing? Hurry up and get back to the control zones!" "Oh? Oh...huh, Houki? Why are coming this way?" "I''m going back to the control zone." "No, no, Cecilia''s over there--" "They, they''re both control zones anyway!" That''s right. But if so, can''t you just join Cecilia? --Even though I wanted to say that, I could foresee a meaningless argument, so I just returned to the control zone. "Hu..." I undeploy my IS, and as it vanishes, so does its support, and the fatigue hits me. After removing her IS, Houki retied her sweat-drenched hair, and said, "You''re tired because you made too many unnecessary movements. You''ve got to find a way to control it more naturally!" She said this as we were returning. The kindness of this childhood friend of mine almost makes me cry. Houki, it wouldn''t hurt if you gave me a handkerchief! With Cecilia in the opposite control zone, before I noticed it, Houki and I were together alone. Doesn''t matter anyway, ''cause I''m thinking of getting a shower as soon as possible. On a side note, the closest facility with showers is the social club tower, but it''s in the complete opposite direction to the dorms, so it would be pointless for me to go there. Even more, as there are no men bathrooms, I would have to use it together with the girls. Even though it doesn''t bother me to be seen with just my underwear, it would be a different story for the girls. Besides, there would be too many problems, and honestly, that''s not tempting. Or I should say that, instead of problems, I would get killed by Chifuyu-nee or Houki before I could even explain. Recently on the ''kill me'' list, there''s also a ''Cecilia'' signature when she deploys her IS. That new sign beside her is ever so bright. "Houki, I''ve got something to ask you..." "What is it?" "Please let me use the shower first. By the way, didn''t you join the kendo club? If you''re training with me everyday, you''ll get pestered by the other girls in the club." "You, you don''t have to worry about that...the big problem occurs when I''m being chased..." "Huh? What''s wrong?" "No, nothing!" I don''t know what''s going on, but it seems like everything''s okay. Looks like I don''t have to worry. "So, about the shower--" "Ichika!" The sliding door was opened. Rin appears! "Good work! Here''s a towel! Also, a sports drink should be okay, right?" Ohh, what''s going on? Does this childhood friend of mine have a gentle side to her? I''m really grateful;. "Thanks! Ah--I''m alive..." It''s already annoying having my face drenched in sweat. And right after wiping it off with the towel, there''s a drink to effectively replenish the lost water. Even though I may find that it has too much glucose, that would benefit the body after a workout. Also, glucose is an important source of energy. Let me go further on this; bringing a drink that''s not cold was the right choice. Drinking a cold liquid after exercise is harmful for the body, especially when it''s hot. It is best to drink lukewarm drinks. A cold drink might make people feel good, but being so negligent harms them, so, I don''t think it''s worthy. "You haven''t changed Ichika. Still so young, yet so concerned with your health." "I told you, it''s best to start early. This will form a habit, sparing your family from many worries!" "You''re just like an old man." "Shu-Shut up..." For some reason, Rin''s staring happily at me as if she can see through me, making me nervous. That ''I understand you well'' expression makes me feel ridiculously irritated for some reason. (Speaking of which, has she always looked so cute...?) Last time I saw her was in Winter, during our second year in middle school, and it''s been only a year since then. But I''m somehow getting a ''girl''s scent'' within her brash attitude. Back then, I treated her just as a friend, but right now, the ''male'' in me is reacting to this change in her. "Ichika, you must have felt lonely without me, right?" "Well, I would feel lonely if I lost a playmate, right?" "I don''t mean that!" Rin was smiling. She had a delighted smile on her face, as she continued. Uu--it is exactly the same expression she used to have, whenever she was holding some weird movie ticket! --AH! I see! Is she going to sell something to me? So scary, I almost fell into her trap. "Rin." "Hm? What is it?" "I won''t buy anything." Rin stumbled. That''s strange? Did I guess wrong? "I''m saying...you''re my long-lost childhood friend, you should have something to say to me, right?" Something I should say...huh, I haven''t thought of anything. "For example--" "Ahem!!" Deliberately coughing to interrupt Rin, Houki says in an ''I don''t care what you people do'' attitude, "I''m going back first, Ichika. As for the shower, you can use it first." "Oh, thanks." "Then, see you later, Ichika." For some reason, it seems like she emphasized on the ''see you later'' part. Am I thinking too much? It seems like I''m thinking too much...no, it definitely happened. "...Ichika, what did she mean by that?" After Houki walked out of the control room, it looked like Rin got in a bad mood--she tried to force a smile in order to hide it--and as she asked me, the voice she made was lower by two keys. "Hm? Nothing, just that Houki''s the one who usually showers first, but since I''m all sweaty now, I asked her if we could switch the bathing order--" "Sho-Show-Shower? ''Usually''? Ic-Ichika, what sort of relationship do you have with that girl?" "What relationship...didn''t I say it before? We''re childhood friends." "Si-Sin-Since when are the terms ''childhood friends'' and ''bathing order'' related?" Oh yeah, I haven''t told her yet. "I''m living in the same room as Houki." "...What?" "It''s not like ''that''. My entrance was rather unexpected, and it seems like they couldn''t get a room ready for me at the time. So I''m now living in a standard two people-room--" "Do-Does that mean that you''re living in the same room as that girl?" "Hm? Sort of? But really, it''s a good thing that it''s Houki. If I had to live in the same room with someone I don''t know at all, I would be too nervous to sleep." "..." "Hm? What''s with you?" "...if it''s a childhood friend, it is..." "?" As Rin lowered her head, I couldn''t hear her clearly, so I pulled my ears closer. I can''t see her expression due to the angle. "I''M JUST SAYING, IF IT''S A CHILDHOOD FRIEND, ITS OKAY, RIGHT!?" "WAH!" She forcefully lifted her head high, and I stepped back in shock. Had I been closer to her, I would have been headbutted by her. "I got it, I got it! I see, I see, I understand it clearly." For some reason, Rin was expressing that she understood something, as she continued to nod. What now? What did she understand? "Ichika!" "Ye-yes!" "Don''t forget that you have two childhood friends." "I won''t forget even if you don''t remind me..." "Then, see you later!" After saying that, Rin dashed out of the control zone. Will today''s fluency award be presented to the ''see you later'' part? It''s only April!? Speaking of which, did she accumulate quite the experience? Rin? You do know that ''not doing what you promised'' has many implications on trust issues, right? "Ugh..." Whether they''re girls'' thoughts, or even childhood friends thoughts, I don''t really understand them at all. "As I just said, let me change rooms with you!" "Wha-what kind of a joke is this? Why should I listen to you?" We were outside my room right now, and it was past 8pm. Right after I finished dinner, and was pouring some tea, Rin suddenly barged into our room, and things ended up like this. --No, these two are completely at loggerheads. "No, but Shinonono-san must hate living with a guy, right? Since you have to consider other people''s feelings, you probably can''t relax at all. I''m not bothered by it, so I''m saying that we should switch rooms." "I-I never said that I hated living together with a guy...besides, this is both Ichika''s and my problem, so I don''t want anyone else interfering!" "Relax, I''m his childhood friend anyway!" "What kind of reason is that?" So far, the situation hasn''t shown any progress; or better put, they can''t seem to reach a common agreement. Rin has always had a ''do as I please'' personality, and Houki''s a lot more stubborn than normal people. No matter what, I can''t see them settling this peacefully. Even when it''s the 21st century, humans are still humans; old habits die hard. Speaking of which, am I seeing things? It seems Rin brought her luggage bag over. "Rin." "Yes?" "Is that your luggage bag?" "Yup. All I need is a Boston bag and I''m ready to go." She''s as quick as ever. Among girls, Houki already has very little luggage, but Rin has so little luggage that it''s an exaggeration. I once joked that she seemed capable of moving out anytime, and she got quite pissed off, so I never mentioned it again. On a side note, when Cecilia brought me to see her room, for a moment, I thought that I had entered a high-class hotel. The bed, dressing table, table, even the chairs; all the furniture and decoration were specially ordered, even the wallpaper and lights--I only dare to say it now, but that was somewhat scary. That was the first time I had ever seen a bed with a canopy over it. And the girl who''s living with Cecilia looked really pitiful; almost all the space got taken by Cecilia! Hey, England''s representative candidate, you should live more modestly, you know? "Anyway, I''ll also be living here from today onwards." "Wha-what kind of a joke is that? Get out! This is my room!" "It''s also ''Ichika''s room'' right? Then there''s no problem!" After that, Rin turned to me as if she wanted me to agree with her. Houki also looked like she wanted me to agree with--getting Rin out--as she looked at me; or more accurately, glared at me. Rin turned to me as if she wanted me to agree with her. "Please, don''t get me involved..." It hurts, I need a light painkiller pill here! "Anyway, I won''t switch rooms! You''re the one who should get out, so get back to your own room!" "Oh yeah, do you remember our promise, Ichika?" "Don-don''t you dare ignore me! Okay, if that''s the case, I''ll use violence..." Completely agitated, Houki grabbed the shinai beside her bed, ready to be used anytime. "Ah, you idiot--" I couldn''t stop her in time. Houki lost all her cool as she swung the blade at the completely defenseless Rin. *BAM!* Such a loud sound. No, wait, now''s not the time to sit by and watch the show! "Are you alright, Rin?" "Of course I am. Right now, I''m--a representative candidate after all." Looking closely, the attack I thought that hit her head was blocked by the IS part deployed on her right arm. "...!" More shocked than anyone was Houki. Even if the IS deployment is fast, the one doing that is the pilot--a flesh and blood human. In other words, the deployment can''t possibly surpass human reflex. And that attack wasn''t at a level where a normal human could react at such an important moment. In other words, this proves a simple yet clear fact, Rin is strong. "Speaking of which, had it not been me, that would have been very dangerous, you know?" "Ugh..." Maybe pointing out that she lost control in her anger was more effective than anything else. Houki looked full of guilt as she turned to look away. "Fine, nevermind!" Rin didn''t mind as she removed the IS part. The right arm that was covered by the cool armor flashed and reverted back to its original state. "Wha, that..." How awkward. Houki remains silent as she''s affected by the abnormal out-of-character moment she showed, and Rin''s looking excited as she waits for my reply. --Hm? Now that she mentioned it, she did say something about some promise or something. "Rin, as for that promise." "Wha. Mm, you should...remember that, right?" She suddenly lowered her head as she continued to peek up at me, looking rather embarrassed. Is it just me? "Let me see, you mean that one? If Rin''s cooking skills improve, everyday, she''ll cook sweet-and-sour pork--" "Yup, that''s right. That''s the one!" "--For me to eat, right?" I remember that we seemed to have made that promise when we were in elementary school. Really, so amazing! I must have a good memory if I can recall that much into the past! Seems like my brain cells are seriously working; I''ll have to reward it. "...What?" "Isn''t it about the promise that Rin will treat me to eat, once she learns to cook" Anyway, it''s free, so there''s nothing better than that. "But I''m really impressed with my own memory--" *PA!* "...Wha?" I suddenly got slapped. As it happened so suddenly, I couldn''t understand what''s going on. I blinked my eyes, and my gaze met Houki''s. She was giving me a vague look as well. "Wha, that..." I slowly, really slowly, turned my face back to where it was facing, and see Rin. However, the thing I see is a scene I don''t want to see the most. "..." Her shoulders were trembling, and she was glaring at me with hatred. Her eyes were watery, and her lips looked like she was about to cry anytime soon, as they remained sealed up. "Oh, hey, Rin..." "YOU''RE THE WORST! YOU CAN''T EVEN REMEMBER THE PROMISE YOU MADE TO A GIRL! YOU''RE A SHAME AMONGST MEN! GET BITTEN BY A DOG AND DIE!!!" Right after it, Rin moved really fast; she grabbed the luggage on the floor as if she was snatching something, and charged out of the room, almost as if she had kicked the door. *BAM!!* After hearing the noise of the door being slammed, I finally pulled myself together. "...It''s over, I made her angry." It was completely my fault...I guess? Even so, I''m infuriated that she said that I''m the worst amongst guys. I don''t remember making such a promise with her, that I had to get scolded to such an extent. --No wait, she was crying...that''s right, she was definitely crying. "Ichika." "Ah? What is it, Houki?" "Get kicked by a horse and die." GACK, WHY IS HOUKI ANGRY NOW? And my face''s starting to hurt now. I hope the swelling subsides before tommorrow... If it doesn''t, I''ll definitely face my classmates interrogation squad. No matter how many times I have experienced it, I can''t get used to it. Speaking of which, why are the girls'' topics so distant? To be honest, I can''t catch up at all. "Sigh..." Anyway, let''s sleep for today. Though it''s not even 9, I can''t do anything even if I''m awake. Besides, Houki''s angry as well, nothing good will come of me being awake. The situation should improve tomorrow morning...probably not. As the saying goes, girls'' feelings last 3 times longer than guys''. Sigh, why are the people of the opposite gender around me...I''ll omit this part, please read the above text. --The next morning, there was a large poster pasted on the students corridor. The topic is Class Representative Tournament Schedule. And my preliminary opponent is--Rin from class 2. Volume 1 - CH 4 May. It''s been several weeks since what happened that time, and Rin''s mood hasn''t improved, it has worsened. Not only did she avoid me, she would deliberately turn her head away whenever we occasionally met in the canteen. Her firepower is all deployed in the ''I am really angry'' department. Unfortunately, this anti-air firepower wasn''t used on the Yamato-class battleships during World War 2...well, I don''t know, but that''s a pity. "Ichika, the inter-class battle will be next week. The arena will undergo a settings adjustment, so today will be the last day for a practical battle." After school, while seeing the sky gradually turning orange, I started to head towards the 3rd arena for my special training. Like usual, the members were me, Houki and Cecilia. Thanks to the tense situation in my class simmering, the number of times I got surrounded by questions and stares has drastically decreased. Even so, the fact that the raging topic is about me being in this school hasn''t changed one bit. The stands on that day should be packed! Let''s cut at this part first. The 2nd years who sold the seats in the stands as ''reserved seats'' were punished by Chifuyu-nee a few days ago. It seems the mastermind was confined in her dorm for 3 days. What in the world did they do? "At least the IS control has gotten somewhat decent, so this time--" "Because I''ve been training him as well! It would be strange had he not reached this standard." "Since when is mid-range useful! First, Ichika''s IS doesn''t have any ranged weapons." Houki''s words were more forceful now, maybe because she got interrupted. Truth be told, she''s right. My Byakushiki IS doesn''t have any ranged weapons, only the Yukihira Nigata. Usually, every IS should have its own signature weapons, but only this ''prototype armament'' wouldn''t be enough, so there are also side arms. For example, Cecilia''s initial IS weapons are the Blue Tears, while the gun and close-ranged sword are the side arms. Something like that. And for this sort of side arms, the ISes have something like an ''equalizer''. Though the number of armaments a suit can equip differs due to the specs, an ordinary IS can have at least two...that should be the case. The reason why I said ''that should be the case'' is because my IS doesn''t seem to be like that. The number of equalizers I have is zero. And since I can''t change my initial weapon, the weapons I have only include a close-ranged sword. "If we''re talking about credit, what about Shinonono-san''s kendo training? It''s useless to train without the IS." "Wha-what are you saying? Haven''t you heard the saying ''the essence of kendo is the ''insight''? The ''insight'' refers to everything that is in front of the eyes--" "Ichika-san, we''ll start learning from the ''no recoil spinning attack'' we worked on yesterday!" "Hey, you--listen to me, Ichika!" "I told you, I''m listening!" Speaking of which, why are you venting your anger on me? After sensing that something''s wrong, I touched the sensor of the A control zone door of the 3rd arena. Through fingerprint and pulse identification, I got clearance, and the door opened with a ''whoosh''. No matter how many times I hear it, the release of compressed air still feels loud to me. "I''ve been waiting for a long time, Ichika." To think that the one waiting for me here is actually Rin. She folded her arms, looking rather cocky and fearless as she smiles. She definitely looked angry yesterday, so how much has her mood changed...ah, I can feel Houki and Cecilia frowning behind me. Don''t look at me, it''s not my fault! "Why are you here" "Unauthorized personnel are not allowed to enter this place!" Houki got interrupted again. Give it up, it''s that kind of a day. With an ''ah?'', Rin gave a taunting smile as she said with self-righteousness. "I''m authorized, I''m related to Ichika! So there''s no problem." Well, sort of, but isn''t that a bit weird, Houki "Oh? Then I should ask what sort of relationship do you have..." "I guess the saying ''the wicked strikes first'' refers to people like you!" Woah, even Cecilia''s mad. But Houki''s twitching lips are even more terrifying. Even if I''m not the one at fault, this silent rage puts a lot of pressure on me. Those with weak hearts, please take note, there''s a humanoid weapon nearby. "...Are you thinking of something rude, Ichika?" "No, nothing. I''m just giving a chopper knife alert." "You, you bastard!!" Rin interrupts me and Houki. "It''s my turn to take the stage, I''m the main character now, all supporting characters can just move aside!" "Su-Supporting character?" "Okay okay. We won''t be able to move on like this, so I''ll explain later...Ichika, have you properly reflected?" "Huh? About what?" "About what, you say! You should feel regret about making me mad, or thinking how to ''make up with me'', right?" "Even if you say that...you''re the one who has been hiding from me, right?" "You...don''t tell me you would really ignore a girl when the girl says ''don''t bother me''?" "Yup." Isn''t that obvious? If the girl doesn''t want others to bother her, isn''t it better to ignore her? "Is there anything wrong?" "Is there an...AHH, DAMN IT!!" Rin shouted agitatedly as she scratched her head irritatedly. If you mess up your hair, it''s not my fault! "HURRY UP AND APOLOGIZE!" Sorry, but I can''t just agree to this one-sided request. It''s not that I''m hesitating over that, but I just can''t admit guilt in a case where I can''t accept it. "Why should I? I did remember the promise, right?" "I don''t believe it! Are you still talking about that? You were wrong about the meaning, the important thing is the meaning''!" "Meaning (Imiga)?" That Okinawa dish made from pork? That''s pig ears (Mimiga). "You''re thinking something rude again, right?" Wah, found out again. As expected of the childhood friend that came after Houki, she has gotten used to observing me already! "How infuriating. So you won''t apologize no matter what?" "That''s why I said, I''ll apologize when you give me a proper explanation!" "It-It''s because I didn''t want to explain it clearly that I came all the way here!" So what is it? I don''t understand what she means at all. But since I expressed it, I can''t just back away like that. A man can''t take back his own words like that so easily; a declaration without action is just sophistry or a lie. And sincerity is the result of continuing to take action. This is what a man has to prove. "So be it! In the class rep battle next week, the loser will have to listen to what the winner commands, is that alright?" "Okay, if I win, you''ll have to explain it clearly." Fight fire with fire, an eye for an eye, this is a deal that doesn''t allow any backing out. As a guy, how can I step back after I''ve agreed? I won''t be that shameless. "Ex-Explain it..." For some reason, Rin started to blush as she pointed at me. Why? Is it really embarrassing to say why you''re angry?" "What''s the matter? You can back off if you want." Good thing I said that cordially, but it seems to have the reverse effect on Rin. "Who would back off? You better practice how you''ll apologize to me?" "Why? You idiot!" "Who are you calling an idiot? You obstinate blockhead! Idiot! You''re the idiot here!" How infuriating. "Shut up, you ironing board!" Ah, damn it! Clang! The sudden explosion and impact caused the entire room to shake. Looking closely, Rin''s entire right arm morphed into the IS part. It was like punching the wall fully without touching the wall at allit''s that kind of an attack. "You, said...you actually said something you shouldn''t have said!" Purple sparks flew through the IS defensive jacket. This is bad, she''s really angry now. "I-I''m sorry about that. That was my fault, that was all my fault." "''That was''? It should be ''that was also''! It''s all your fault no matter what!" A really ridiculous logic, but unfortunately, I don''t have any space to retort back. "I actually wanted to go easy, but it seems like you really want to die...okay, I''ll grant that wishI''ll crush you with all I''ve got until you can''t stand." Rin finally gave me a sharp glance that I''d never seen before, and left the control zone. *BAM*...the sound of the door closing sounded really terrifying. The momentum Rin let out just now was that sharp. I glanced at the door. There was a 30cm diameter hole. No matter how I look at it, she has enough power to break through a special metal wall. "...A power-type! And she''s a close-ranged type like Ichika-san!" Cecilia seriously inspected the damage done. Compared to that, I just sank into the deepest regret I''ve had in the past few words. (And I just had to say what I was thinking...) And that was the phrase that would infuriate Rin the most. That was completely my fault. (This is bad...) No matter whether I win or lose, it seems like I''ll have to apologize to Rin no matter what. On the day of the battle, the match between me and Rin is held at the 2nd arena, and that will be the first match. As it''s the rumored battle between freshmen, there''s not an empty seat in the stands. Even the sidewalks are completely filled with students. As for the people who can''t enter the place, they can only view the match through the broadcast screens. (...But now''s not the time to be concerned about that, right?) In front of me is Rin, who''s silently waiting for the match to begin, and her IS ''Shenlong''. Like with the Blue Tears, the floating parts should be the unique characteristic of the ''Shenlong''. The cannons on both shoulders look like they will attack on their own...it''ll hurt if I get hit by them... (But the name sure is something. Though the kanji is different...okay, I''ll call it Kouryuu. It''s kanji anyway. That''ll be OK!) "Then both of you, please get into position." The broadcaster prompted us. Both me and Rin are in mid-air, 5m away from each other. Both Rin and I turn on our communicators and say to each other. "Ichika, if you apologize now, I''ll reduce the pain I''ll inflict on you!" "The pain will only be about a prick, right? I don''t need my opponent to go easy on me. Show me what you''ve got!" I''m not forcing it here. Like the battle against Cecilia, I''m always serious in battles; I won''t deliberately go easy on others, and I don''t like others going easy on me. This so-called decisive duel is like that, the battle is only meaningful if everyone goes all out. "Let me say this first, the IS defenses aren''t perfect. The suit can be damaged by an offensive power that can break through the defensive shields." That''s not a threat, but a fact. It''s said that there seems to exist a ''final weapon'' that can directly damage the IS pilot. However, it''s against the rules, and more importantly, it''s dangerous. "It''s possible to wreck the entire suit without killing the pilot." This isn''t any different from the situation now. And representative candidates should be able to do so, right? I should consider it a miracle that I could force Cecilia into a corner. But a miracle won''t occur twice in a row. "Then both of you, begin." *HUA*with the sound of the buzzer, Rin and I start to take action. *CLANG!* The ''Yukihira Nigata'' that was deployed instantly got blocked back by a physical shot. I use the 3 dimensional Cross grid and grab Rin from the front. "Oh. You''re quite good to be able to block my first shot like that. However!" The unique shaped ''scimitar'' swordeven if I call it that, the shape''s about the samein Rin''s hands is swaying about like cheerleaders'' rods. As there are blades on both sides, they''re more like weapons on a blade. Rin''s attacking me from sideways, vertically and diagonally, and since it''s spinning rapidly, it''s hard to cut it in half. PA!*, Rin''s shoulder guards open. (Not good. This will become a battle of attrition. Got to pull back first) "That''s too naive!" *PA!*, Rin''s shoulder guards open, and the moment the ball-like things fired, my body got ''blown'' away by some invisible impact. I immediately summoned back my consciousness that was gradually blacking out, but Rin didn''t stop attacking. "That was a jab." She reveals a proud look on her face. After that, the real attack will come! *DOMP!* "WAH!" I got hit by the invisible fist onto the ground. The pain pierced through the defensive shields as they struck at me, and the suit got damaged quite a bit. This is bad! "What was that...?" Houki, who''s watching the live broadcast from the arena, muttered. Replying her is Cecilia, who''s also watching the screen. "''Impact cannons''. These compress the nearby air into a cannon barrel, and the resulting shockwave will fire it out like a cannon" They''re 3rd generation weapons like Blue Tears, Cecilia said. However, Houki isn''t listening, as on the screen, Ichika''s in a tough spot. Every time Ichika got hurt, Houki''s heart would skip a beat. (Ichika) It''s a tougher battle than the one against Cecilia. More than getting victory, Houki just wants Ichika to be safe. "You sure can dodge really well, even though the specialty of the ''Dragon''s Roar'' is that both the barrel and bullet are invisible to the naked eye." That''s right, because of that, I couldn''t even see the barrel of the cannons, let alone the shots. And it seems like the oblique angles of these cannons can continue to attack without limit. They can attack from above, below and even behind. The trajectory is linear. So from these, it can be said that Rin''s abilities are supreme, no matter whether they''re ''unlimited movements'' or ''all-around axis reversals'', she managed to learn all the basics to a rather skilled extent. To be able to mix and mash these basics together, she''s really a tough opponent. (Maybe I should use the hi-grade radar to find space and the atmospheric distortions, but that would be too slow. I can only detect it after I''m hit. Got to strike first...) I gripped the ''Yukihira Nigata'' tightly in my right hand and recalled the training last week, When I asked her, Chifuyu-nee nodded her head. After my match against Cecilia, Houki and I had questions on why I lost. Even after looking through the record of the IS battle, we couldn''t get any conclusion. Thus, Chifuyu-nee, who was exasperated by our lack of progress, finally explained why that happened. "That was ''Yukihira''s ability. No matter how much shield value the opponent has, it can cut through the shield and deal direct damage to the main body. In that case, what would happen, Shinonono?" "Ye-yes. The IS will activate the ''absolute defense'', which will drastically deplete the shields." "That''s the case. I became Number 1 in the world because of this ability of the ''Yukihira''." Though Chifuyu-nee said it, it''s really an impressive thing to do. The ''Mondo Grosso'' is held once every 3 years, and the person who won the first tournament was this Chifuyu-nee. As her younger brother, my feelings of having the N 1 ranked sister in the world are both complicated and mystifying. This is how I truly feel. "So this means that I could have won if I landed the last hit?" "''If you had landed'' it. Speaking of which, why do you think you lost?" "Huh? I don''t know why, but it''s because my shield reserves dropped to 0, right?" "There''s no why, that''s to be expected. How much energy do you think you need to activate ''Yukihira''? Are you an idiot?" "...Ah" I see. This means "That means...that the shield''s converted into attack power?" Houki asked. Chifuyu-nee again nodded her head. "In other words, it''s a flawed suit." HEY! " A FLAWED SUIT!? YOU JUST SAID THAT THE SUIT''S FLAWED, DIDN''T YOU!?" *BAM*...looks like I have to be careful about my attitude when talking to a teacher. "I didn''t really put it in the right way. The IS is already an incomplete product, so it''s not defective or anything else. It just means that compared to the other suits, the Byakushiki''s somewhat unique in terms of offense. Most of the suits have their own equalizers, right?" "That, that can be considered a flaw?" "Listen to what I have to say! As there should be some equalizers left, they''re used to wield the ''Yukihira'', so its power is the strongest among all the IS." Now that she mentions it, I remember. (Chifuyu-nee only had the ''Yukihira''...) And this Chifuyu-nee was the strongest. Just this alone is enough to tell how inhuman she is. I''ve always thought that she is amazing, and now, after I became an IS pilot, I finally realized how far Chifuyu-nee exceeded my expectations. "In the first place, can an amateur like you survive mid-ranged combat? Suppressing the recoil, calculating the trajectory and pulling the distance, stopping suddenly, making an absolute turn...and also the characteristics of the projectile, the atmospheric condition, the effects of the armaments of the opponent; this is a strategic battle...and there are others! Can you do it?" "...Sorry." I could only admit my mistake by apologizing. Chifuyu-nee nods her head and says, "It''s good that you know. You''re more suited for training on one aspect to the extreme, sinceyou''re my younger brother." After that, I focused all my training on close ranged combat and basic movements like emergency acceleration and stopping. With the kendo training I had with Houki, I also grasped the characteristics of the ''blade'' and the distance between two blades. (What''s left...is a heart that won''t give up!) Normally speaking, the difference in ability is too obvious. Besides, Rin''s different from Cecilia in combat, she''s calm and collected in battle. This sort of opponent is strong. If I have to use ''something'' to make up for the difference in ability, I guess that''s the ''heart''. As long as my heart won''t lose to anyone, the ''will'' shall create a light in the darkness. I believe firmly in it, and now all that''s left is to try it. "Rin." "What?" "I will fight seriously." I sternly stared at Rin. She showed an ambiguous look, probably being surprised by my attitude. "Wh-Wha...isn''t that obvious...an-anyway, I''ll show you the difference of ability!" Rin spins the two ''scimitar'' swords like cheerleaders'' rods before grabbing them. As for me, I get into position so that I can accelerate in order to close the distance before she fires. I learned the skill ''ignition boost'' this week; if I time it right, I can match up against her despite her representative candidate level. The IS pilot protective features prevents the pilot from being knocked out because of sudden G-forces that comes with acceleration. "WOOOHHH!!" As this sudden attack can only be used once, I have to use the ''barrier void'' function of the ''Yukihira Nigata''. If I can''t damage her cannons by more than half and cause them to be damaged bit by bit, I''ll definitely be in disadvantage. *THOMP* *THOMP* *THOMP* *THOMP!* "?" Just as Rin''s blades are about to hit me, the entire arena shakes with a sudden boom. The cause--isn''t Rin''s cannons; the attack range and power is different. Also, smoke can be seen rising from the center of the stage. Seems like the noise from just now was the shockwave caused by ''that thing'' which pierced through the arena and its defensive barrier. "Wh-What''s going on...?" Through the private line, Rin asked me, who''s all confused because I don''t understand what''s going on. "Ichika, the match''s suspended! Hurry up and return to the control zone!" What''s Rin talking about all of a sudden? Just as I''m wondering this, the hi-tech sensors of the IS gave an emergency notice. --The heard source in the middle of the stage is an unknown IS. Sealing the arena now. "Wha--" The arena and the barriers are made of the same material as the IS. As something which could penetrate it entered, this place is sealed. In other words, we''re in trouble. "Hurry up, Ichika!" "What do you want me to do?" As I don''t know how to communicate with an opponent, and I''m fighting while speaking for the first time through the chatter, I just asked Rin normally. "I''ll buy you some time, hurry up and run away!" "Asking me to run away...how can I just leave a girl like that?" "Idiot! You''re weak! It can''t be helped, right?" Rin just said that without thinking. On a side note, since I don''t know how to use the private line, Rin''s using an ordinary line to talk to me. "Of course I have no intention of fighting till the end. In this abnormal situation, the school teachers should be here to handle it--" "WATCH OUT!" At the last second, I lunged at Rin. The infrared laser was just shot at where we were. "Ho-Hold on a minute, you idiot! Let go of me!" "H-Hey, stop getting agitated--you idiot! Stop hitting me!" "Shu-Shut up! You''re too noisy!" Though I have the shields protecting me, the cannon-like fists that are hitting at my face aren''t something to feel happy for. "Be-Besides, where are you holding me--" "Incoming!" Forget about Rin, right now, after the mist cleared, another shot is fired over. After barely dodging the enemy''s attack, the enemy IS floats over. "When did this..." The greyish IS looks abnormal; it''s arms are abnormally long, all the way till below the waist, and there''s no neck, shoulder or head that can be seen. Most uniquely, it has a ''full-body armor''. Normally, the IS will only deploy armor over only a part of the body, because there''s no need to have a full armor. The defenses are all done by the energy shields, so the armor appearance is meaningless. Of course, there are defensive IS that can carry physical defensive shields, but even with that, an IS without even 1cm of skin revealed is something unheard of. Besides, the large size of the IS means that it''s not a normal one. Including the arms, the frame of that thing is over 2m long, and probably the jet propulsion nozzles all over its body are used to maintain its position. Its head reveals sensors that aren''t arranged properly. There are also 4 holes on both sides of the forearms that allow it to fire those lasers. "What are you?" "..." Of course--this is to be expected, but the mysterious intruder didn''t answer my question. "Orimura-kun! Huang-san! Leave the arena! The teachers will use their IS to suppress it." The one who spoke through the broadcast was Yamada-sensei. Is it just me? Her voice seems a lot more serious than usual. "--No, we''ll deal with it before the teachers arrive." The IS broke through the barrier. In other words, if nobody''s going to be its opponent, it may end up attacking the audience. "No problem, right? Rin?" "Who, who do you think you''re talking to? Be-Before that, let go of me! I can''t move like this!" "Ahh, sorry." After I let go of her, Rin suddenly hugs herself as she moves away. Uu...does she really hate being touched by me? "I''m really sorry." "Orimura-kun? No, you can''t! If something happens to any stu--" I could only hear up to there. As the enemy IS charges on, I focus in order to dodge it--success. "Oh, seems like the enemy''s raring to go!" "Seems that way." Rin and I stand besides each other, each wielding our own weapons. "Ichika, I''ll cover you with the shock cannons, so go right in. You only have that weapon, right?" "That''s right. Let''s do this." *CLANG!*, with that, we clashed our weapons. That''s the signal; Rin and I charged forward with an improvised combination. "HELLO, HELLO? ORIMURA-KUN, CAN YOU HEAR ME? HUANG-SAN!!" There''s no need to shout into the IS private chat, its just that Maya got so anxious that she forgot about that. On a side note, the people around her must be thinking that she''s just a weird person. "Since he said that he wants to fight, why don''t we just let him do so?" "W-WHAT, ORIMURA-SENSEI! HOW CAN YOU CASUALLY SAY SUCH A THING!?" "Calm down, and have some coffee. You''re anxious because you lack sugar." "...Erm, sensei, that''s salt..." "..." Suddenly stopping the spoon that''s pouring salt into the coffee, Chifuyu puts the white pieces back into the container. "Why is there salt here?" "Who, who knows...? But there''s the oversized label ''salt'' on it..." "..." "Ah, so you''re worried about your brother? No wonder you made such a mistake--" "..." An irritating silence, a really irritating silence. Feeling that something bad may happen, Maya tries to change the topic. "Oh, yes--" "Yamada-sensei, please drink this coffee." "Huh? I-Is-isn''t that the one you poured salt in..." "Here." Facing the coffee (with some salt) being forced onto her, Maya can only weep as she accepts. "I-I''ll take it then..." "The coffee is hot, just gulp it down in one go." THERE''S A DEVIL HERE! "Sensei, please allow me permission to use my IS! I can deploy it right away!" "I would really want to, but--look at this." Chifuyu knocks on the flatscreen display and changes the intel screen. These values are the data on the 2nd arena. "The barriers are set at level 4...? And the doors are all locked--is it that IS''s doing?" "That''s the case. Because of that, we can''t evacuate nor send support." Though Chifuyu''s saying this calmly, on a closer look, her hands are unable to unrestrain her anxiety as she knocks onto the screen. "If, if that''s the case, why don''t we ask for support from the government under the excuse of an emergency situation!--" "We''ve done that already. Right now, the elites who have trained for 3 years are forcefully entering the system. Once we get rid of the shields, we can let the squads attack." Having said that, the increasing anxiety causes Chifuyu''s eyebrows to twitch. Treating that action as a signal of danger, Cecilia restrains her emotions as she sits down on the bench. "Sigh...so we can only wait..." "What''s the matter? We won''t be sending you into the assault squad, so don''t worry!" "Wh-What are you saying?" "Your IS armaments are suited for taking on many suits, it would be a hindrance when used to take on one enemy, while being along many other suits." "Such thing! To say that I''m--" "Have you done any combined training before? What was that mission? How do you use a wide range weapon? What''s the setup of the enemy? Did you think of what the enemy level is? The suit''s operation time--" "I-I got it! That''s enough!" "Humph, its good that you get it." Giving an ''I surrender'' pose, Cecilia shakes her hands to prevent Chifuyu from going on rattling about what seems to be an hour long lecture. "Sigh...I''m really unhappy about my own ineptness.." Due to fatigue, the sigh is even longer than the previous one. Then Cecilia notices something. "That''s strange? Where''s Shinonono-san..." In contrast to Cecilia, who''s looking around, only Chifuyu''s looking sharply in a different direction. However, nobody has the time nor mood to realize this. "Ugh..." Though I got close enough to land a 1-hit kill, my attack got dodged easily. This is already the 4th time I missed. "Ichika, you idiot! Aim properly!" "I am!" I''ve been attacking the enemy suit at angles and speed that it''s normally impossible to dodge. However, the propellers output throughout the suit are extremely abnormal, so much that it actually took it less than 1 second to get away from my reach! And no matter how Rin tries to attract its attention, it will prioritize reacting to my sudden movements and dodging it. (How troublesome...) My shields reserves are less than 60, I have only 1 chance to use the Barrier Void attack. "Run, Ichika!" "O-Oh!" The enemy will normally counterattack wildly after dodging. Those extremely long arms let out roars of wind as they spin around at us like a spinning top. It continues to fire lasers at us while spinning rapidly, making it impossible for us to react in time. "Ahh, damn it! This guy''s irritating!" Rin impatiently fires her impact cannons--however, the enemy''s arm swats that invisible impact. That''s already the 7th time. Anyway, with Rin supporting me, I''ve managed to evade the enemy''s firing barrage. As far as I know, it''s under the circumstances, in which the lasers are fired while spinning, that their reach is only half the usual. "...Rin, how much shield reserves do you still have?" "About 180." This is energy that can''t be used as an attack...or the HP (health points) in those games. Though she lost most of her shield reserves, at least she''s better off than me. Speaking of which, my ''Yukihira Nigata'' really eats a lot of energy. "It''s a bit tough...with the current firepower, I guess there''s a single-digit chance of us breaking through that guy''s shields and stop it, right?" "At least it''s not 0." "You''re really unbelievable. Of course the larger the probablity, the better! You always keep yapping away about how health should come first, just like an old geezer, an yet, you''re the type who''ll buy the lottery or play those slot machines, right!?" "Shut up..." On a side note, I''ve never taken in the lottery. I just can''t gamble. During Middle School, I ended up treating Gotanda to who knows how many drinks. Humans only have their own savings, and the so-called pensions are just urban legends. "--Now what?" "If you can run, run." "Wha...stop treating me like an idiot! I''m still a representative cadet! It''s not funny to run away with my tail behind my back!" So they do consider pride issues in selecting a representative cadet! Cecilia herself would say such things as well. "Is that so? I''ll cover your back then." "Wha? Ah, mm...thanks--" The laser barely sweeps past Rin, who''s blushing for some reason. Damn it, we''re in a battle now. Though we weren''t too careless, we still try to focus as much as possible. "...You know, Rin, that guy''s movements are like something." "Something? Are you thinking about a spinning top?" "That''s the appearance--what is it called? It''s a robot that a car manufacturer created, right?" "Is there?" So you don''t know? Seems like it''s called ''ASI...''[1D 1] something "No, well... doesn''t it resemble a machine?" "The IS is a machine!" "I don''t mean that! I mean...is there really someone inside it?" "Ah? It''s impossible for an unmanned IS to mo--" Speaking up till here, Rin suddenly became silent. "--Speaking of which, the enemy doesn''t seem to attack when we were talking, right? It seems like it''s interested in listening..." As if pondering, Rin recaps the battle up till now. Her rather strict expression is different from usual. "No wait, there has to be somebody inside. An IS can''t move without anyone in it. That is how it is." I read about it in the textbooks before. An IS definitely can''t move without anyone inside. But is that really true? Even now with the latest technology, it''s not impossible. No matter what, we just can''t remain silent about that. "If, and just if it''s an unmanned suit, what do we do?" "What? Can we win if it''s unmanned?" "Yup, if there''s no one inside, we can continue to attack without holding back." The power of the ''Yukihira Nigata'', including the ''Reiraku Byakuya'', should be dangerously high, therefore, I couldn''t use my full power in training or in matches, but if it''s unmanned, it''s okay even if I don''t consider the worst case scenario. --And i have a plan. "You can''t hit it even if you go all out, right?" "I''ll make it count the next time." "How conceited. Though it''s impossible, let''s just see if it''s really an unmanned suit!" Does she know that I have a plan? Rin smirks brazenly. That''s an expression she would show a year ago, a ''if you''re wrong, you''re treating me crepes from the shop in front of the station!'' look. This gal''s really evil, stop threatening for money from someone who''s working part time! Really. "Ichika." "Hm?" "What will we do?" Rin shows a ''I''ll help out, but if we fail, you''ll...let''s leave out the rest'' expression. We exchange looks with each other; the scenario is just like an ancient saying of ''heart to heart''. "I''ll give the signal, and you hit that guy with your shock cannons with all you got." "Okay. But what if I miss?" "That will be alright." --I have my own ideas. "Then get ready--" While I get into attack position, the audio broadcast of the arena lets out a loud voice. "ICHIKA!" *Cree*--carrying a loud extended echo along with it was Houki''s voice. "Wh-What are you doing..." Looking at the audio room, the umpire and commentors have collapsed onto the ground! They probably got hit when the door opened, right!? And it looks like they won''t be able to recover in the short term. Uwahh... "IF YOU''RE A MAN...IF YOU''RE A MAN, EVEN IF YOU CAN''T WIN, YOU HAVE TO DEFEAT THAT KIND OF OPPONENT!" She shouted, and the *cree--* echoes rings from the speakers. I use my hi-zoom sensors to look at Houki through a 10x zoom, and can see her panting ''ha...ha...'' as her shoulders tremble. She looks angry, yet anxious, a really unbelievable look. "..." --Damn it! The moment I noticed it, the enemy IS seems to have gotten interested in the voice that came from the audio room. Its sensors turn away from us as they look at Houki. "RUN, HOUK--" Ahh, damn it! Since it''s too late to say it, then--looks like I can only do this! I get ready to attack and turn on my ignition boost. Closer in, I can see the cannons of the enemy IS aiming at Houki. "ATTACK, RIN!" "I-I got it!" Lowering her arms and pushing her shoulders out, Rin gets ready to fire the largest impact cannon shot as I deploy my ''energy field wings'' behind me. "Hold, hold on a minute! What are you doing, you idiot?" "Doesn''t matter, hurry up and fire!" "Ah, really...I don''t care what happens to you!" Feeling the high energy reaction behind me, I activated ''ignition boost''. The ''ignition boost'' works like this--the energy that''s released from the wings behind will concentrate and compress all the power before releasing it, using inertia to release a sudden burst of speed. This means that I can use external forces, and the ''ignition boost'' speed will be proportional to the amount of force added. *THOMP!* I feel a huge blast behind me. That''s the blast from the impact cannons. While hearing the creaking sounds formed through the frame, I continued--to accelerate forward. "---WOOHHH!!" The ''Yukihira Nigata'' in my right hand lets out a giant glow, and I can see the center release an even larger energy blade than the ''Yukihira Nigata''. --''Reiraku Byakura'' can be used. Output exchange exceeding 90%. This information isn''t heard, but understood. The first time I touched the IS, I had this feeling of having all the senses in the world, a consciousness that seems to have 10 times the focus...and most importantly, I feel the energy rising up withing me. (I...will protect Chifuyu-nee, Houki, Rin--and everyone else!) The one strike hacks the enemy''s right hand. However, my entire left hand got countered. Seeing the heat source, it seems like the enemy wants to counterattack with the lasers under close range. ""ICHIKA!!!"" I heard Houki and Rin shout--don''t worry. Didn''t I say that I have a plan? "...Is the target locked on?" "Perfectly!" The voice came over. Though I feel that she can be too talkative sometimes, at this moment, her voice has never been so reliable. At that moment, the 4 Blue Tears spear through the enemy IS from the stands. That''s right. The attack just now broke through the barrier. *BAM!* The attack causes a small explosion, and the enemy IS falls onto the ground. Unshielded, the enemy shouldn''t be able to take even a single second of the Blue Tears combination attack. Though humans can expect it, an unmanned suit can''t surpass the attack functions out of what it knows. A great person seemed to once said that free-will is humans'' greatest advantage, and that is the case here. Humans are cunning creatures who can operate differently and use tactics that robotics wouldn''t think of. "That was close." "If it''s Cecilia, it''s possible." I replied in a confident tone. Since she''s an opponent I fought before, I know best how strong she is. But are my words too unexpected? Her response seems rather barmy. "Is, is that so...that, that''s to be expected! Besides, I''m Cecilia Alcott, England''s representative candidate!" Right now, the conversation is held through a private channel. I don''t know how to talk to someone I''m fighting for the first time, as for the opponents I talked to before, I can use the communicator records to reply. It feels like using the rear right side of the head to talk on the phone. "Hoo, either way, this is ov--" --Enemy IS detection confirmed! Warning! Locked on "?" The left hand, the only remaining part of that IS, is aiming at me from the floor at maximum power. While the laser strikes, I charge into it without hesitation. In this white surrounding, I can feel the blade cutting through the armor-- "Uu..." Being woken up by all the pain in my body, I open my eyes. Not knowing where I am, I look around. This seems to be the infirmary, and I''m lying on the bed. In the small and cramped space that''s separated by the curtain, it makes me feel tight yet comforting. I continue to look around as my consciousness registers both these conflicting feelings as I try to understand what''s going on. (Hm...what''s going on...? What happened after I was attacked--) "You''re awake?" The curtain got pulled aside. Taking action before she confirms what''s going on...ahh, that''s definitely Chifuyu-nee. "Your body didn''t get any fatal injuries, but there are bruises all over your body. I guess you''ll feel like you''re living in hell, so get used to it." "Yes..." I''m still dazed. While hearing Chiifuyu-nee''s words, I continue to wonder why my body is covered with wounds. My eyes naturally turn to look outside the window. The sky is gradually turning a deep red; it should be school dismissal time. "You got hit by the largest blast of the impact cannons and yet you turned off the IS''s absolute defense? To think that you could survive." Hearing Chifuyu-nee''s description, I still can''t remember anything. Huh? I thought the absolute defense isn''t something that can be shut down? "Anyway, good to see you are safe. I would be unable to go on with my everyday life with ease if someone of my family dies." Right now, Chifuyu-nee''s expression is a lot more gentle than usual. As a family member who relies on me, she can only reveal such a look. "Chifuyu-nee." "Hm? What is it?" "Nothing, well...sorry for making you worried." Surprised by my words, Chifuyu-nee smiles. "I''m not worried about you, as you wouldn''t die that easily. Besides, you''re my younger brother." That''s a strange type of trust you have. However, I know that this is Chifuyu-nee''s way of hiding her awkwardness, so I''m not really bothered by it. "Then, I got other things to settle. I''m going back to work. You can go back to your room once you finish resting." Chifuyu-nee merely said this as she quickly walked out of the infirmary. She''s really someone who''s serious at work; that is the ideal adult to me. "Ah--ahem, ahem!" Seems like somebody just brushed past Chifuyu-nee...or should I say, the one who deliberately coughed must be Houki. Can''t be wrong here. *Shua!* She pulled the curtain aside with both hands. The half-opened curtain is now opened completely by Houki...eh, there''s no need to open it completely! "Yo, Houki." "Hm, nn." The childhood friend with a ponytail straightens herself as she snorts. What should I say? She''s not angry, but she''s definitely not in a good mood. "Th-That, well, as for the battle today..." "Hm? Speaking of which, how was the match? It didn''t count, right?" "Ah, ahhh, that''s to be expected, since a lot of things happened." That''s true, but when will the next match occur? I would be really grateful if it could be held after I recover. "Wh-What were you thinking!?" "Huh?" I suddenly got scolded. What is she angry about? Is she really angry? It looks like she''s acting angry to hide some other emotions." "I told you to win...but you could have left it to the teachers, right? Haven''t you heard of ''overconfidence will lead to self-destruction''?" "Ah, so I won?" "Stop talking about winning!" What''s with her? Houki''s panting as her shoulders continue to tremble. Why are you so angry--ah! "Were you worried about me?" "Of, of course not! Who would be worried about you?" You weren''t...at least worry about me a bit! You''re my childhood friend after all! "An-anyway! You''re grateful for the training you had, right!? We will continue with it, you got it!?" "Ah--okay, okay, I got it." "Good that you know...I''m heading back to the room." Not waiting for me? What a cold childhood friend. "...Ichika." "Hm?" "That, during the battle...you were, were, were..." Funny?...Or something like that? "Cool...no-nothing!" I couldn''t hear the front part clearly, but since she said that it''s nothing, it should be nothing, right? I''ll just treat it as nothing! "Okay then." Houki briskly walked out of the room as if she was escaping. Whatever the case, please remember to close the door! Also, if possible, I really hope that she can pull the curtains up for me! "Hooo...I really want to sleep..." I got dragged into a deep slumber, probably out of fatigue. Without any resistance, I just sleep comfortably on the bed. "..." Hm? What is it? Seems like someone''s breathing on me, and the persons seems close. Who is it? Speaking of which, how long did I sleep? What time is it? "Ichika..." "Rin?" "Uu?" I know the voice belonged to Rin, but I was shocked when I opened my eyes--Rin''s face is 3cm away from my face. "...What are you doing?" "Yo-you-you''r-you''re awake?" "I got woken up by your voice. Why so frantic all of a sudden?" "I-I''m not panicking! Stop uttering rubbish, idiot!" Is this person really the kind who would end a sentence with ''idiot'' as a verbal tic? It''s somewhat too much to say that so many times! A peculiar role that fails won''t have a good end!" "Ah--that''s right, I heard the match was null!" "Of course!" Sitting beside me on the bed, will Rin peel an apple for me? Though I don''t see an apple... "Ah!" "Wh-what?" "What was the result!? We haven''t got the rematch, confirmed, right?" "It doesn''t matter!" "Huh? Why?" "Anyway, it doesn''t matter!" Such a ridiculous reason. But since she said so, I''ll just listen to her! But that matter is that matter, men have to be partial. "Rin." "What?" "That...well, I''m sorry, for a lot of things...sorry." I honestly lowered my head in apology. No matter what happened, nor what happens, once I realize that I did something wrong, I have to apologize. Seeing me like this, Rin reveals a shocked expression before recovering. "I was too agitated at that time...it''s not a problem now!" Seems like she voluntarily forgave me. Even the most intimate friends have to abide the rules, as I don''t want to lose the bonds I have with others. "Ah, I remembered." For some reason, the promise I had with Rin suddenly awoke within me. If I was right, we were in grade 6. The place was the classroom, and like now, it was at sunset. "More accurately, it was ''if my cooking gets better, you''ll eat my sweet and sour pork everyday, right''? Or something like that? How is it? Did your cooking improve?" "Huh? Ah, erm..." Rin seems to be at a loss of words as she looks around and nods her head. Is it my imagination? her face seems really red. "Even though I just thought of it, that promise doesn''t have any other meaning, right? I always thought that you would treat me to free--" "Tha-That''s right! You remembered correctly! If, if I let others eat what I cook, wouldn''t my cooking improve? So...that, that''s right!" Rin suddenly rattled off like a machine gun. I feel like I got nearly overpowered by her momentum. "I see. Sigh, I thought it would be some promise like ''drinking miso soup everyday~!'' Good that it''s not, seems like I thought too much. "..." "Rin?" "Huh, that, that''s right! You thought too much! Ah ha, ahhahahaha!" Laughing out in a ridiculous manner, Rin seems like she''s trying to hide something. But if she''s deliberately trying to hide it, there''s no need to go after it! Speaking of which, there''s still something I''m concerned about, "Are you going to reopen the shop? Your dad''s cooking great, I still want more!" "Ah...that, the shop...won''t be opened again." "Huh? Why?" "Because my parents divorced..." ...What? I thought they were a lovely couple? What happened? But it seems like this isn''t a joke. Seeing Rin''s face look so empty, I''m hesitating on what I should say. "That was the reason why I returned to China." "I see..." Now that I remember, at that time, Rin''s emotions were unstable. Back then, it seemed like she wanted to hide something as she often acted cheery. I always felt that it was weird. "Basically, my mom got my custody. Right now, in whatever aspects, females are superior, and they get treated better, so..." I thought that she would try to assure me, but her tone deepens. "It''s been a year since I last saw dad. I suppose he should still be energetic!" I don''t know what to say to Rin, the fact that Rin''s parents divorced left a deep impact on me. It''s definitely a bad thing for a family to break up, but something must have happened to cause them to break up! I recall that easy-going uncle and the energetic aunty. Why--why did it end up like that? But I can''t ask Rin, because she''s even more hurt than anybody else. "Each family has their own skeleton in the closet." I...don''t know what sort of people my parents were. To me, who only has Chifuyu-nee as family, I really can''t embrace the feelings in Rin''s words. "That...Rin." "Hm? What is it?" "Where are we going out to next time?" "Wha? Does this mean, a da--" "I''ll get Gotanda over. We haven''t met together for a long time." "..." "I''m not going." Rin puffs her cheeks as she said this. What! I just invited you! You really don''t know the value of being a friend! "If, if it''s just both of you going, if I had to accompany you, it''--" *BAM!*, the infirmary door got slammed open. "Ichika-san, how''s your body? I''m here to nurs--ah!?" Striding in, Cecilia stopped the moment she saw Rin at the bed. "Why are you...? Ichika''s from class 1, there''s no need to be visited by someone from class 2, right?" "What are you saying? It''s alright since I''m his childhood friend! You''re just a real outsider!" "I-I''m a classmate, so it''s alright! And I''m now Ichika-san''s special coach!" She just emphasized on the ''special''. However, the moment Cecilia said that ''because I''m a representative candidate'', she just dug her own grave. "Then I''ll be his special coach from tomorrow onwards, I''m a representative candidate as well." "That, that won''t do?" "Why? Is there any reason? Ichika agrees, right?" "No, no you can''t! Right, Ichika-san!?" Why do you ask me? To be honest, I''m fine with anyone, as long as I''m taught about IS...ah, Rin should be better, right? She''s a mixed long/close ranged fighter, but she''s of the same energy type as me. "Rin is definitely more suitable." "Wha...?" "Humph, isn''t that right?" "Because we''re both power types" "..." "..." That''s strange? Why did they just widen their eyes? There shouldn''t be any other special reason, right? "That''s right! It''s just that you''re both power-types, right? However, don''t worry! Even if I, Cecilia Alcott, am a mid-ranged type, I''ll be an excellent special coach for Ichika-san!" And just now she emphasized on the ''just''. Is this what made Rin feel bad? On first glance, she seems angry. Or rather, she''s glaring at me. Eh? Am I the problem here?" "Okay, let''s analyze the battle today! Just you and me." "What are you saying! Ichika fought together with me, of course he has to analyze it with me! Are you an idiot!?" "Id...? Humph, because of that, classless people can really be troublesome." "At least they''re better than pretentious people." "What did you say!?" "What?" Ah, these two people''s personalities really don''t match...or I should say, doesn''t Cecilia want to be at least a bit friendlier to Houki or Rin--even if I say that, it''s because she didn''t that this happened! (Ahh, really...I just want to go back to my room and sleep...or I should say, I want to take a shower...) They completely ignore my troubles. Right between the two of them who''re quarreling loudly, I sighed. 50m below the school grounds is a secret place that only people with level 4 authority can enter. The IS that stopped functioning was immediately transported there. In those two hours, Chifuyu continued to rewatch videos of that battle. "..." The lights in the room are off,. and Chifuyu''s face, which was lit by the screen lights, looks extremely cold. "Orimura-sensei?" A pop-up suddenly appears on the screen. The image that appears on the pop-up shows Maya, who''s holding a flatscreen computer. "You may enter." After being allowed in, when the door opened, Maya moves in with much more vigor than usual. "The IS analysis is complete." "Ah, so how is it?" "Yes, it''s--an unmanned drone." There are IS technology that the world is still developing, and either or both these technology--remote control, stand-alone movements were used to commanding this. This is a fact that all the people related to the Academy were ordered to keep quiet. "We don''t know how it was operated. The core was burned by Orimura-kun''s last attack, and it''s unlikely that we can repair it." "The core?" "...It''s not registered." "Is that so?" Chifuyu then mutters ''as expected''. Seeing her declare this with a confident attitude, Maya reveals a surprised look. "Have you thought of something?" "No, nothing. Nothing--yet." Saying this, Chifuyu turns to look at the image on the screen again. That''s not an expression of a teacher, but more like a warrior. That expression would make one think of the ''legendary pilot'' who once stood at the top of the world; however, those sharp eyes of Chifuyu are merely staring at the image on the screen. "You''re too slow!" This is the first thing I heard the moment I returned to the room. Is this childhood friend of mine the devil? "What the heck were you doing? Really...I waited for you with a hungry stomach!" "Waited for me--huh, what? You haven''t had dinner yet?" "I TOLD YOU I WAS WAITING FOR YOU!" No, you could have gone first...even though I really want to say it, I didn''t most likely because it would anger Houki! Hm, I am learning after all! "Then let''s go to the cafeteria then! It''s about time they close down." "Hol-Hold on!" Houki stops me just as I''m going out. What''s going on? There''s already no time, is there really something important? On a side note, the cafeteria closes at 8, we can''t even get anchovies after that time. "To-Today, is, that...erm..." "Hm? Do I smell food?" And it seems like it was just cooked. Right now, my sense of smell is 20% stronger, ''cause I have an empty stomach. "There seems to be something on the table...ohh? Isn''t that fried rice? What''s going on?" There''s a magical smell to it. It''s the smell of being fried with sesame oil. This smell can induce my appetite. "I-I...cooked it." "What? Really?" "Why do you look so surprised?" No, well, it''s surprising... But the fact that it''s not Japanese cuisine makes me even more surprised. What''s the wind blowing today!? Is she going to demand money from me? Don''t worry, I don''t have any money with me. "Ar-Are you going to eat or not; which will it be?" "Well, I''ll eat, but...why are you angry?" "I-I''m not!" She sounded angry, but seems like she''s not. Since she said this, she shouldn''t be angry, right? To trust before suspecting, this is the basis of building a human relationship. "Anyway, can I eat?" "Wash your hands first. Also, rinse your mouth, too." As expected of Houki, she''s really someone who emphasizes on the customs. Though I can''t just brush it off as common knowledge, since people of all ages with lack of common sense are increasing in numbers, it''s nothing much to mention it as a common knowledge. As this is something I will normally do even when not being told, it won''t take too long, and I quickly finished it. The moment I walked out of the bathroom, Houki''s already at the table telling me to sit down. I quietly sit down and palm my hands together in thanks. "Well then, itadakimasu." "Hm, help yourself. Eat as much as you want." I start to gulp it down. "..." "How is it? Is it good?" Houki looks delighted, but I haven''t given out a definitive answer. "It''s...bland." Houki snatched the ceramic spoon away from me and takes a large bite out of it. "...It''s bland." "Isn''t it?" From the appearance...it''s just ordinary fried rice, but I couldn''t taste the flavor. Why is that so? Most likely, there''s not enough flavorings--no, she probably did not add in any condiments at all. If so, I''m amazed that she could actually cook it to such a color. Is the slightly charred brown that increases the appetite a form of magic? "This, this is just an accident...that''s right! Usually, I would never forget to add it!" "No, forgetting to put in seasonings isn''t something that should happen often." "You''re too noisy! If you don''t want it, I''ll just eat it all!" "I never said that! Here, give me the spoon." I grabbed the spoon from the angry Houki and started to wolf down the fried rice. Even if it was bland and I couldn''t enjoy it, I still carefully chewed it before swallowing. Even if it''s bland, I still have to be thankful to the person who cooked this personally. I can''t be called a man if I leave leftovers! "Thanks for the meal." After polishing off the rice, I put down the spoon and brought the palms of my hands together in thanks. "..." "Wha-What?" Houki wordlessly stares at me as she reveals a hard to describe expression--one of the many emotions, but not really of it. "Don-Don''t be mistaken!" "What?" "Today, that, was...just an accident, a really seldom moment in which I failed. Normally, I''m successful!" Is that so? I don''t really know, but at least I can trust her...however, this seems to be the first time I''ve seen Houki cook. But then again, the last time we met was in 4th grade, so it isn''t that weird. "But why Chinese cuisines? Aren''t you more skilled in Japanese cuisine?" "The, the way of the cuisines isn''t divided by countries, I just want to prove that." But since you failed, in the end you couldn''t, right!? This is a dish that doesn''t even have a nationality! "Bu-But, no matter what, if you''re unhappy with it, I can still cook it instead of you." "YOU, YOU DON''T WANT TO EAT WHAT I COOK FOR YOU!?" "No, I never said that...what''s with you? You''ve been acting strange so far!" "...I said that I wanted to cook for you every day..." What happened to the roaring voice? Houki just curled back suddenly and moved her mouth softly. Of course, I can''t hear what she''s saying. "I-It''s all your fault! You made a promise with someone, how do you intend to settle it?" "The promise...is it about Rin? I settled that already!" "Wh-What...?" "I said ''I settled that'' already. I apologized to her, and she forgave me." "..." Why are you looking so suspicious, am I not trustworthy? "That''s not something that can be settled with an apology!" "Didn''t I say that it''s settled already!?" Why is this person so obstinate? How ridiculous! "Besides, when can a lifetime vow be settled that easi--" The angry machine gun-like voice of Houki got drained out by the casual opening of the door "Are Shinonono-san and Orimura-kun in?" This slow response comes from Yamada-sensei, as she forcefully opens the door. See! It''s her. "What''s wrong, sensei?" "Oh, you have to change rooms." "What?" Change rooms? Yamada-sensei? This room is a two-persons room! "...Sensei, please tell us what''s going on." "Ye-Yes! Sorry!" The sharp gaze from Houki causes Yamada-sensei to shrink away like a small animal. Really, stop bullying her, she''s a teacher! "Well, the one changing rooms is Shinonono-san. The rooms are finally arranged, so you two don''t have to live together from today onwards." No need to live together--oh, Yamada-sensei''s pretty capable. "Ichika!" "Oh, ohh!" Found out again! Why, just why? "I''ll help out as well. Hurry up and get ready!" "Wa-Wai-Wait a minute, do I have to move out now?" Houki just said something unbelievable, and Yamada-sensei blinks in surprise, probably not expecting that. "That...that''s true. There would be many problems if a boy and a girl live together in the same room. Besides, Shinonono-san, you haven''t been able to relax, right?" "No, that, I--" Houki continues to stutter as she glances at me--ahh, I see! So that''s the reason. "No need to be bothered. Don''t worry, I will obediently wake up and brush my teeth even without Houki around." "--!" *PA!*...huh, that''s strange? I seem to hear something weird, like someone going crazy or something... "SENSEI, I''M MOVING OUT NOW!!" "O-Okay! Then let''s start!" As Houki prompted her, Yamada-sensei''s body trembles again "Can I help out?" "NO NEED!" Wah, she''s really angry, just like a katana that will slice on touch. Seems like I''d better shut up first. "...I was so worried about you, and yet you..." She muttered as if anger''s mixed into it, but that''s just it. As expected of Houki, the packing is done in less than an hour. "Umm..." Now that my co-habitant is suddenly gone, the room seems to feel like it''s twice as large. Speaking of which, it''s really lonely to be alone. If possible, I really want to take a bath. However, the sad thing is that they''re still adjusting the guy/girls time schedule--I remember Yamada-sensei''s face when she said that she will try to settle this during this month. (But about that...because of IS, I reunited with Houki and Rin, and met Cecilia...that''s unbelievable.) People normally say that ''the fate between people is inexplicable'', and truthfully, it''s even more fantasical as compared to a novel, and light novels have more graphical than novels--I won''t continue on, that''s too overboard. "...Let''s sleep!" I took my shower, brushed my teeth and wore my sleeping clothes. On a side note, my indoor clothes are my sleeping clothes. Okay, let''s sleep! *THOMP* *THOMP!* WAH! Whose fist is it now! I immediately lept out of my bed and dashed towards the door. "Yes, may I know who--" "..." The one standing in front of the door with an unhappy face is Houki. "What is it? Did you forget something?" "..." Houki didn''t answer me. She continues to look unhappy, as if she''s a time bomb with unknown danger rating and has 5 minutes left...well, I haven''t watched those kinds of things. "What happened? Enter the room first!" "No need, I''ll just stay here." "Really?" "Yeah." "..." "..." Oi! "...Houki, if there''s nothing to say, I''m going to bed." "OF, OF COURSE THERE''S SOMETHING!" Houki just shouted out, scaring me. You''ll get scolded if you shout that loud on the corridor--by the devil-like dorm supervisor. "Ne-Next month, in the individual division tournament..." That tournament should be held in June, and it seems different from the class representative tournament; it''s a free-for-all individual tournament. Except for the fact that the applicants are sorted by the year of the student, there isn''t really that many special conditions. However, the fact that a personal IS has an overwhelming advantage hasn''t changed. "You''ll go out with me!" "If, if I win--" Houki blushes as she continues. For some reason, she seems to be blushing as she looks at me. "You-You''ll go out with me!"[1D 2] Houki emphatically points at me. "...What?" Of course, as of now, I am a bit puzzled, but this seems to be a declaration of war. Now, if I only I could know who this declaration is targeted at-- Volume 2 - CH 1 On the first Sunday. I went outside IS Academy--or more accurately, I went to Gotanda''s residence. "So?" "So? So...what?" Ugh, talking to me while we''re playing a fighting game! Cheh, UWAH!! A super move on me! Damn you, don''t get cocky! "C''mon, of course I''m talking about the all-girls school. There should be many good things over there, right?" I''ve told you so many times, no! How many times must I say it before you get it? Let me explain. Gotanda Dan here, is a friend of mine from middle school. The day we first met, we kicked it off quite well. Also, during those 3 years, Rin and us were in the same class, so during middle school, the 3 of us often hung out together... "Stop lying. I can tell that you''re lying from those messages! What, don''t you have a ticket to that kind of Heaven?" Who would, you idiot? The school I''m studying at right now is a special independent High School that''s managed by the country--''IS Academy''. IS--formally called ''Infinite Stratos'', is a multipurpose unit that was designed for space exploration, but right now, it''s used on earth, and it''s even used by many countries for military weapons. The person who invented the IS was the older sister of that childhood friend of mine, who seems to be hiding something. It''s really hard to explain it, so I won''t. The thing is that IS can ''only be used by women''. On a side note, I''m just a normal boy. But for some reason, I--Orimura Ichika, am half-forced to study in IS Academy as the only ''male'' in the world who can pilot IS, so right now, I''m living a dormitory life with all the students, teachers and staff, who are female. "Speaking of which, about that, it''s great that Rin transferred in, otherwise i wouldn''t have many people to talk with..." "What? You''re talking about Rin? Rin..." Hm? What? Why is this he sneering at me? He''s so weird. "Alright, I win!" "WAH! USELESS STUFF! WHO WOULD USE SUPER MODE TO KILL AT THE END~~..." On a side note, we''re playing ''IS/VS''. It''s a game that broke a million sales within one month. Oh yeah, the game uses the second Mondo Grosso data. ...Well, for some reason, Chifuyu-nee''s data wasn''t included in it. "Italy''s Tanbesta''s really powerful! Or rather, really violent." "You should change characters once in a while. Like England''s Milton or something?" "Nope. That one''s ridiculously hard to use, her moves are weak, and even the combos are weird." Oh yeah, as the company that produced this game was from Japan, one could expect the other countries to voice their discontentment, saying ''Our countries aren''t that weak!''. Thus, the harassed video game company actually increased the specs of each IS in its respective country, and sold them separately in 21 countries. They managed to sell it well just because of that. Speaking of which, to actually manage to make 21 versions of the same game just by tweaking the specs, they sure can earn lots here. But in the World Cybergames Tournament, every country wanted to use their own country''s version and started arguing over it until the tournament was terminated. "Then, let''s get back on topic. As for Rin--" Just as Dan, for whatever reason, brought Rin up again, someone interruped him. "Onii[2A 1], hurry up and come eat already. Lunch is ready--" Kicking the door down and walking in is Dan''s little sister--Gotanda Ran. She''s a year younger than him, and is now in her senior year of middle school. She''s said to be an honour student in a prestigious private girls'' school. Hm, she''s really different from her older brother. "Ah, hi, long time no see. Sorry for disturbing you here." "I-Ichika...san!?" As expected, girls dress up like this when they''re at home, huh? Ran''s shoulder-length hair is tied back with only a hair clip holding it from behind, and she''s wearing shorts and a sleeveless vest. It''s really a get-up that focuses on functionality. But maybe I''ve gotten too used to it, since at IS Academy, I sorta see everyone dressed up so skimpily. And maybe because the weather''s been getting too hot lately, the girls have been wearing clothes with a low neckline, and besides, in such an environment where there''s no guys other than me looking, it seems like no one wears any bras indoor, either due to liberty or to openness. To be honest, the awkwardness of having ''girls finding me blocking my eyes while being unable to decide on where to look'' can''t be described. "I-It''s not that, well, you were here...? I heard that you went to a boarding school..." "Oh, that''s right. I had something to do today, so I went out. I wanted to check up on my house, so I thought that I should drop by." "I, I see..." However, Ran''s always been like this. Why is it that she would stutter and sound so respectful all of a sudden? That''s weird. "Ran, you could at least knock, right? You''ll be considered a shameless woman--" *Kling!* Ran instantly shot a glare. Oh! Dan curled up already like Super Ma**o. The difference in battle prowess between those two is obvious. "...Why didn''t you tell me that he would be here..." "Oh, wait, I didn''t tell you? Sorry, my bad. Ah hahahaha..." "..." *Klong!* Ran again shot a glare at Dan with the intensity of a knife being thrown at a corpse, and then frantically left the room. "If, well, if it''s alright, please join us for lunch, Ichika-san! You aren''t leaving yet, right?" "Oh, sorry for the inconvenience. Thanks." "It, it''s alright..." *BAM!* After Ran slammed the door shut, silence then filled the air. Speaking of which, what about a skit of the ''Hot-blooded Siblings Dan and Ran?'' Can''t they air it on the Sunday morning timeslot? Most likely not. "But I have to say, I''ve known Ran for 3 years, and yet it seems like she won''t open up to me." "Ha?" Allow me to go off-topic for a while. Don''t you feel that guys who call younger girls with a ''chan'' are impressive? I can''t do it, even if it''s my friend''s little sister. I have reservations about it, which is why I prefer to call them by their names. Now that I recall it, the person involved did say ''It-It''s okay'' and agreed to it. "That''s not it. Don''t you find that she''s rather courteous to me? She just left the room so quickly." "..." Well, Dan sighs, and then exhaled. "...What?" "Nothing. Sometimes, I really wonder if you''re like this on purpose." "?" "Well, it''s good if you don''t notice it. I don''t wanna have a younger brother at my age." "What are you talking about a younger brother, that came out of nowhere? That''s ridiculous." "Oh well, it''s nothing. Anyway, wanna go out after lunch?" "Oh, that''s great. So you''re treating me to lunch? Thank you~[2A 2]" "What are you getting so worked up for, we''re eating the leftover set meals." I see. So we''re eating that super sweet pumpkin stew set meal. But even so, I won''t throw it away; things like rice are earned with so much hard work, so I have to be thankful to the uncles who worked in the fields. "Let''s go downstairs then." We left Dan''s room and headed downstairs, through the back door and then took a turn to the front door of the dining area. Even though it''s troublesome, Dan did say before that ''thanks to this set-up, our private lives won''t be affected by the business''. Normally to people, the definition of a family is just to make the people who''re staying in the house feel comfortable. Doesn''t anyone feel that a house that''s set up so nicely in TV is hard to live in? No wait, the most important thing is that the residents find it comfortable. I''ll leave out the rest. "Eiyah!" "Hn?" "..." Dan let out that voice of disgust, and I peered over from behind him to look. Our lunch''s already prepared and laid out on the table, and someone''s already sitting there. "What? You have some complaint? If you want to, onii can go eat alone outside." "Did you hear that, Ichika? Those super gentle words make me wanna cry!" Sitting over there is Ran. And I suppose it isn''t really brotherly of me to play along with Dan who''s acting like he''s wiping his tears off. "It should be alright for us to have lunch. Besides, there are other customers around. Let''s hurry up and sit." "That''s right, baka nii[2A 3], hurry up and sit down." "Okay okay..." And thus, I, Dan, and Ran sat down in order at the table...hm? That''s weird. "Ran." "Wh-what is it?" "You changed clothes? Are you going out later?" "Ah, it''s nothing. That''s because...well, this, that..." Ran''s home get-up disappeared, and she let her hair down, giving off an impressive shine. As it''s June, she''s wearing a short-sleeved dress. The body that''s covered by a thin clothing gives off the radiance of a teenager''s youthful legs underneath the dress. As for the black stockings that look like some decoratives, those who are into that should really like this, right? Well, I''m not really sure about it. "I got it!" I thought of it, and a light bulb seems to light above my head. Ran''s home get-up disappeared, and she let her hair down. "Are you going on a date?" *BAM!* "That''s not it!" Woah! She stood up to deny it! This is bad, did I step on a landmine or something? They say that the Japanese lack awareness in terms of danger; I will die if this is a battlefield. I really lament my own immaturity. "So-sorry." "Ah, it''s nothing...an-anyway, it''s not a date." "And you say that you''re not. As your older brother, that''s the last thing I want to hear from you. Besides, it''s only once in a few months that you would dress up like that--" *PA!* The iron claw strikes over. Is that the so-called shut-up attack? She''s actually holding down Dan''s breathing; that''s a scary technique, where did she learn it from? The famous private girls school even teaches assassination skills to go along with self-defense? "...! ....!" "(Klu klu klu!)" And then, both of them exchange looks. Dan''s giving a painful look of a criminal begging for forgiveness, nodding away at Ran, who''s glaring at him with an ice queen glare. Even so. "Well, you two have quite the nice relationship here." ""HAA!?"" Ohh, their voices finally overlap! On a side note, the word ''harmo'' (overlapping voices) came from the word ''harmony''. Well, can''t they just use the word ''mony'' (resounding voices)? Or if they want to, ''harmy'' (overlapping sounds) can do. "You brats, if you don''t want to eat, hurry up and get out." "Ku, we''re eating, we''re eating!" Silently appearing without anyone noticing is the head of the Gotanda family that runs the Gotanda eatery, Gotanda Gen, who''s still in great shape despite being over 80. His long-sleeved cooking uniform is rolled up to the shoulders, revealing his muscular biceps. He can move two Chinese woks at one go, and those biceps are tanned due to the exposure to heat after so long. This really feels healthier than going to the beach 100 times. On a side note, I''ve gotten punched by him a few times, but the power definitely can''t lose to Chifuyu-nee. Well, better start eating. "Itadakimasu." "Itadakimasu." "Itadakimasu..." In order, the ones who said those were me, Ran, and Dan. "Oh, start eating." Grandpa Gen nods in a rather satisfied manner as he continues to fry another dish. It seems like some customers ordered a Gotanda''s eatery specialty ''Wildfire Roasted Vegetables''--and there''s a double entendre to it. *Tatatatatatatata*, the light-hearted sound of the vegetable knife being knocked down can be heard from the kitchen. With the sound of the vegetables being fried acting as background music, we start to talk while eating. If we continue to eat and talk, the iron wok will fly over, so we have to follow the customs here. "Oh yeah, Ichika. You said you and Rin...eh, and who else? The first childhood friend? So you reunited with her?" "Oh, Houki." "Houki...? Who''s that?" "Hm? She''s my first childhood friend." And so Rin''s the second childhood friend. "Ah, that..." For some reason, Ran''s expression just got somehow stiff. Was there a same-sex repulsion because their names are so similar? Hold on, does same-sex repulsion refer to this? "Oh yeah, Houki and I once lived in the same room, but we are no longer--" *BAM!* "IN, IN THE SAME ROOM?" For some reason, Ran got confused and stood up without a warning, as the chair behind her collapses backwards. "What, what''s going on? Calm down." "Yeah, you should calm down there." *Klang!* With another sharp glance, Dan seems to have shrunk like Super Ma**o. On a side note, grandpa Gen really dotes on Ran. If we were to flip the chair like what she did, the ladle would have flown over. "I-Ichika-san? Living in the same room...that means, you ate and slept together?" It''s really an old saying, but Japan has always been a country that values traditions, so Ran''s actions can be considered a virtue--report over, I end this report without even understanding what I just said. "Hm, maybe. Ah, but that was until the end of last month. We aren''t staying in the same room now, and that''s to be expected." Today''s fried beancurd''s really good-- "You, you two stay--stayed together for more than one and a half months?" "Mn, sort of." *BAM*... I seem to hear a huge blow, or maybe that''s my imagination. Speaking of which, Dan-kun, can you please tell me why are you sweating crazily? Do you really have skin that sweats a lot? "...Onii, we''ll talk later..." "Well, I-I''m going out with Ichika later, so...hahaha..." "Then, tonight." A tone that doesn''t allow any refusals. I remember that Ran''s the student council chairman in the school of ojous[2A 4], so she got affected by them? Anyway, for some reason, I find her intent really sharp. "...I''ve decided." Yes, what did you decide on? "I''m taking the IS Academy entrance exam next year." *Gakunk!* "What, what are you saying--" *Bikonsu--gan!* Wow! The ladle hit Dan directly on the face, and the floor trembles due to the chair falling backwards. "Wha? Why do you want to go there? Isn''t Ran''s school a direct path to university? Can''t you get into some super good university?" It''s just that I can''t remember the name of that school. "No problem. I can get in with just my grades." "But IS Academy doesn''t accept school recommendations..." Dan wavers as he stands up. Though his Hit Points are low, he recovers fast--that''s the hidden skill of Dan. However, that''s meaningless anyway. "Unlike my onii, I just need a notebook." "No, but...that, that''s right, Ichika! They have a practical test right?" "Hm? Ohh, that''s right. There''s a ''IS initiation test'', and it seems like those who aren''t suited at all will be rejected." On a side note, the initiation test basically estimates how the candidate would start, and then uses the result to set the level of the candidate when they enter the school. My battle with the instructor (and apparently, it was Yamada-sensei) was like that. "..." Ran silently takes a piece of paper from her pocket, and Dan receives it and opens it. "Gack!" What, what just happened? Did Guan Yu just arrive? I haven''t even heard the gong! "IS suitability test...result--A..." "Problem solved." Wooah! That''s a cool line! I want to say that at least once in my lifetime. "That seems to be some test for those interested, right? I remember the government used it to gather IS pilots." "That''s right! It''s free." It''s free. It doesn''t matter whether there''s too much of it as long as it''s free. Grandpa Gen continues to nod away. This person really dotes on Ran... "So, so then," Ahem. Ran clears her throat and gently returns back to her seat. "So, so Ichika-san, please guide me through as my senpai..." "Oh, okay, that''s if you get in." The moment I agreed heartily, Ran happily stood up. "Then, it''s a promise. You must, definitely, definitely abide by it!" "Oh, okay?" I got held down somewhat by her pressure and nodded twice. "Hey, Ran! How can you just choose to transfer schools like that!? Isn''t that right, mom?" "It''s okay, there''s no problem. Ichika-kun, I''ll leave Ran to you then." "Oh, okay." Speaking of which, Gotanda Ren-san''s the self-proclaimed mascot of the Gotanda eatery. Her age''s a mystery, and it''s said that ''my age won''t increase after 16''. She still maintains a smiling face--people would say that a smile can make them prettier than their actual looks, and that''s true. She''s really a huge beauty today. "WHAT''S WITH THAT!?" For some reason, Dan was getting agitated alone. Who are you going up against? "ARGH! I CAN''T TAKE IT! DAD''S NOT EVEN AT HOME AT THIS TIME! IS THIS REALLY ALRIGHT, GRAMPS!?" "Ran made the decision herself. Nobody else has the right to argue." "No, but--" "What, Dan, you have any comments about it?" "Nothing--" Ahh, this guy''s really weak. If it was me, even if the other person''s a relative, I would viciously argue back when I have something to say. "Do you really think that you can beat your own sister?" Yes, I do remember how my only relative is like. Pardon me, please allow me to take that back. "Well, that''s decided. I''m done." Unknowingly, Ran finished her meal, stacks the chopsticks neatly, place her hands together to say grace, and stands up from the seat. Of course, you have to clear your own dishes. Ohh, Ran may become a good wife in the future. Anyone who becomes her husband in the future should have a good life. "Ichika." Dan cautiously brings his face over, and for some reason, whispers to me, "You better get a girlfriend now, immediately!" "What?" "Hah?" "What do you mean by that, hurry up and get one! This year--no, in this month!" Why is this guy so agitated all of a sudden? Oh yeah, let me add on. I heard that bulls can''t recognise red, right? It''s said that humans will get excited by the red cloth, not fighting bulls. I see. "I have no interest on that." "You haven''t changed at all...you''re a withered old man! Because of you, Rin--" "What''s with Rin?" "No, never mind, Anyway, no matter who it is, hurry up and get a girlfriend! Got it? You hear me?" What''s this guy planning to do? Speaking of which, how did this conversation begin in the first place? "Speaking of which. Since when were you interested in girls? I know, you''re the kind that finds yourself cool and popular, right? Stop messing around, you bastard!" "What are you getting so angry for?" "I''m not!" Doesn''t sound convincing. You''re the kind who''ll shout ''I''m not drunk'' when drunk, right? Well, I don''t really know myself. I''ve never drank alcohol anyway. "Onii." That''s strange, Ran came back. For some reason, I feel the air temperature drops. "Oh, ooooooo, I''m here, whhhhhaaaattt''s up?" Dan''s trembling, is he feeling cold? Thus, I turn to look at Ran. --For a moment, just for a moment, I clearly saw an Asura embedded deep in her eyes. ''Don''t get involved in this'' Her eyes are clearly saying this. As for the guys who came here to watch, it seems like she can just use a finger--or just a glance to knock them down. "We-well, I''m leaving then." Finally recovering, Ran hurriedly leaves. Dan is stunned. Was he just frozen? Well, doesn''t matter, the weather today is warm, so he should thaw out soon. "Oh yeah, almost forgot. I can''t let the food that others have prepared for me go cold." Though the pumpkin stew''s as sickeningly sweet as ever, the flatfish that''s cooked together with chili tastes just right. How can I make such a perfect taste? Better get them to teach me next time, I should let Chifuyu-nee try this. "...The...face..." "Hm?" "WHY ARE YOU SO POPULAR!? IS IT THAT FACE? IS THAT FACE THE COOL AND POPULAR KIND? I HAVE THE COOLNESS, SHARE SOME OF THE POPULARITY WITH ME!" That''s enough! Stop uttering rubbish. "YOU''RE TOO NOISY, DAN!" "Yes, I''m sorry." With grandpa Gen shouting, Dan quickly kneeled down on the chair and greets. That''s a product of good teaching, or rather, training? Besides, after training for so long, even the king of beasts can leap through a fire hoop. "Ichika, I''ll battle with you later." "Yeah sure, what?" "Air hockey." He actually chose something he has lost 10 straight times in. Is this the so-called not admitting defeat...such he''s prepared, no problems! "Don''t think I''m the same man from middle school, Ichika!" With burning flames rising up behind him, he looks like a dragon who''s about to fly into the sky. Expecting a fierce battle, I tightly clench my slightly trembling left hand. "Ahh...my hand''s all numb now..." Maybe I thought too much, as there wasn''t a rising dragon. Just today alone, I managed to increase my winning streak to 16 times. Speaking of which, Dan, more than half of the wins were suicides on your own part... "..." It''s past 6 now, and having returned to my dorm room, I''m lying on the bed, resting. I shake my arm that''s somewhat tired and naturally look towards the bed beside me. Houki was still there last week, and now she moved to another room. I guess it''s too big for one person. "Uun..." But why did she say that all of a sudden? I remember the day when she switched rooms--just when I thought that she was coming back, she suddenly made a declaration and then ran away like an escaping rabbit like a tornado just swept by. (And the Individual Division tournament she talked about is in this month...) I check the calendar that''s hanged on the wall. The individual division tournament-- As its name indicates, it''s an individual tournament, and it will be held the entire week. As for the reason why, it''s because everyone''s required to take part. Each grade has about 120 students. As there are so many people taking part in it, the scale of this tournament''s pretty big. The school will use this chance to assess the talent level of the first years, the growth and learning abilities of the second years, and the in-depth combat abilities of the third years. The third year tournament is all the more important--forget about the scouts from the IS related enterprises, even the high-ranked officials of all the countries seem like they will be here. This makes me realize and admire that fact that I''ve really entered an amazing school. (Well, anyway, got to work hard. I have to be active enough so that I can be at least on a level where I can at least make Chifuyu-nee proud.) Last month, the class representative tournament was suspended for that attack, and everyone got ordered not to say anything about it. As for me, Cecilia, and Rin, who fought the enemy directly: we were even forced to sign an oath. (What was that anyway?) Even though I can''t understand it even if I continue to think about it, I still can''t stop myself from thinking about it. Suddenly, I raised the right hand that I used to play with just now and brought it in front of me. Rolling up the sleeve, the gauntlet that''s was strapped onto the skin reveals itself. That''s the standby mode of my IS ''Byakushiki''. It''s really hard to imagine that it''s the control for some really powerful weapon. In standby mode, it''s extremely quiet, or rather, it''s asleep, though I don''t really know whether it has the idea of sleeping. (At that time, Byakushiki told me that ''that''s unmanned''.) Though I tried so hard that I forgot about myself, but I could still feel it. On a retrospective, I recall that there was something that felt like a ''report''. It seemed like Byakkushiki sent it to me. Even though there''s no concrete evidence, I had that feeling. (Oh well, can''t change anything now no matter how much I think about it. Better go get dinner.) I get up from the bed and walk towards the door. Just as I''m about to put my hand on the door handle, I can hear some knocking on the door. "Ichika, are you there?" "Yeah." The moment I opened the door, I see Rin standing there. "Do, don''t just open the door like that so suddenly! That scared me!" Huang Lingyin, my second childhood friend. She''s the pilot of the personal IS ''Shenlong'', and she was my classmate before she went back to her home country. She has the lively twin ponytails and a flat chest--ha, better not think about it. For some reason, my thoughts are often being seen through, so I''m rather mindful about that recently. "Wh-why are you staring at me like that..." "Oh, it''s nothing, nothing at all." I said that as there was really nothing wrong, but Rin muttered ''I''m alright with that...''. What does she mean by that? "Oh yeah, I''m going out for dinner now. Anything you want, Rin?" "Fufuu, I thought as much, so I intended to get you alone. I''m someone who will bring a stray dog back after seeing it on a rainy day and feel that it''s pitiful!" Am I a dog? "Well thanks. Let''s go to the cafeteria." "Okay." Rin and I walked out. As it''s dinner time, a lot of students opened their doors and walked out. "..." There are still many girls dressed in homestyle, and I really don''t know where to look. Shorts, tank tops, and no bras...what should I say? Please be more mindful of how the opposite gender will look at you-- "Oh, it''s Orimura-kun. Hello--" "Whaaa!? O-Orimura-kun!?" A scantily dressed girl waved at me happily after she found me. On a side note, her name is...eh, Nohohon-san[2A 5] (for the time being). In the dorm, no matter what the time is, she''ll always be wearing a wide and large nightgown, and at the moment, she will always use the hands hidden in her sleeves to wear it properly. She looks like she''s going to tumble any minute, and that has left a deep impression on me. "Yo, Orimu--" "You''re using this nickname?" "It''s been decided! Also, you''re eating together with me and Kanalin~~" This Nohohon-san (again, temporarily named as such), will always stick to me about 20cm away from me. This image should be similar to that--a mini puppy wanting someone to play with it and then using both feet to approach the guest. "Unfortunately for you, Ichika''s going to have dinner with me." "Wa--it''s Ling Ling. You''re so brave~~" "Do-don''t call me that!" Slightly agitated, Rin''s voice sounds somewhat crazy, but Nohohon-san isn''t affected at all. Is this what they mean by wasting one''s own breath? Let me add on. When Rin was in elementary school, her name was often a joke among the guys in the class. And since she''s a Chinese national, there will be scenarios like ''Ling''s'' the name of a panda, right? Go eat some bamboo.[2A 6] Let me add on to that, I ended up fighting against 4 people that day, and of course, I got severely reprimanded. "Forget about it, Rin. Calm down. It''s alright if the 4 of us eat together, right?" "It''s not like I don''t mind...but oh well." Hm? Is this the so-called ''I did not-aru''[2A 7]? Damn it, that''s a taboo. Mustn''t say it. "Isn''t it strange for Chinese to have an ''aru'' behind? Who thought of that!?" She once went crazy because of it, and once Rin gets angry, she''ll be angry for a long time. I experienced that first-hand last month during the class representative battle. "Speaking of which, where''s that girl called Kanalin?" "Uwa--you''re right. She''s gone--" Perhaps since she found the home get-up really embarrassing, she used her arms to cover her body and disappeared into the other end of the corridor. "Ah--...wait for me~" And so, that Nohohon-san went off in a certain direction. Uwa! She''s so slow. "..." "What?" "Ichika, how is it? You''re really popular with the girls aren''t you?" "Huh? How did you derive that conclusion? Everyone''s just feeling that it''s weird having a guy around." "Is that so...never mind, it doesn''t matter." Rin''s expression doesn''t look like it doesn''t matter. She just hurriedly moves off to the cafeteria. Ah, really. Wait for me! "Hey, did you hear that?" "I did I did!" "Huh, what are you talking about?" "About Orimura-kun." "Good things? Bad things?" "The best news!" "I want to listen!" "Okay okay, calm down? You can''t tell the other girls. Actually during the IS tournament this month--" As usual, the cafeteria''s crammed full of pubescent girls. And Rin and I notice the group of people gathered in a circle at a corner. "Hm? What''s going on over there? There''s a lot of people over there." "Maybe they''re playing poker? Or maybe some divination." But even so, today''s a lot more rowdy than usual, and there are even squeals. What''s going on? "WHAAAAT!? IS, IS THAT TRUE!?" "IT''S TRUE!" "LIAR--! KYA--WHAT DO WE DO!?" Did something good happen? I can hear squeals and screams all over the place. Hm, but it''s good to be happy. If humans can keep their smiles often, it seems like they won''t age too fast. Anyway, we''ll be struggling a lot in society, so it''s better to smile when we can now. At least that''s how I often feel. "Ichika." "Hm." On a side note, my dinner''s herbal fried chicken, fried mountain greens, omelet and a red spinach miso soup. The taste of the dried fish cake is great. Rin''s food is mostly the same as mine, but she chose clam miso soup. She continues to drink the soup as she says to me, "You''re thinking stuff that old blockheads would think of." How rude. "No, that''s definitely right. Whenever Ichika thinks of that, your eyes will narrow. What''s that about. Are you in deep thought?" "Shu-shut up..." Why is she staring at me? That''s enough. "Don''t point at others with chopsticks. People will think that you''ve been raised improperly." "Doesn''t matter. It''s nothing too great anyway." "That''s not the problem. You have to learn how to change your habits. Speaking of which, it''s because of that that you got scolded by Chifuyu-nee." "Shu-shut up..." As expected, it seems like Rin''s still scared of Chifuyu-nee, as she really looks somewhat in pain. "--Ichika, you." "Hn?" "...Oh well, never mind." What is it? Rin swallowed those words that she was about to say out, and seems like she wants to sink it deep inside as she gulps down large mouthfuls of rice. "..." "..." Now that the conversation got interrupted, Rin and I silently continue to eat. Unbelievably, the moment we stopped talking, no matter how much we chewed, we managed to finish our dinner. "I''ll get tea. Is Bancha okay for you?" "O-okay. Thanks." Though she''s just helping me, I''m rather happy that Rin''s concerned about me. However, Rin''s looking unhappy for some reason, causing me to stutter in my response. (Un, did something make her unhappy? No wait, got to find some way to calm the atmosphere down.) Is there something we can talk about? I start to search through the forest in my brain--oh, let''s talk about Gotanda. Rin probably wants to listen about the middle school friend who she hasn''t met in a long while. "Ah--! It''s Orimura-kun!" "What, really? Where?" "Let me ask you, is that rumor tru--suu" In the corner at the room, a girl suddenly rushed up at me after noticing me--hm? What''s that rumor about? A girl did say that, but she got shut up by the other girls... "It, it''s nothing, nothing at all! Really, there''s nothing at all! Ahhahahaha..." "--Idiot, didn''t I tell you that''s a secret?" "But he''s the main guy involved..." Someone''s blocking me while the others are muttering behind her."What rumor?" "Hn, oh? What''s that?" "I-I say, we can talk about rumors 365 days, right!?" No, that''s not right. That''s too long. It''s already a year. "Wha, what are you saying, Miyo!? It''s only 49 days!" No, that''s wrong as well. Speaking of which-- "What are you hiding?" "We''re." "Not." "Hiding anything!" They immediately retreated after launching a combination attack, and the process took only 2 seconds. Even I can''t tell what''s going on, and can only stare blankly as they vanish. "What did you do now?" Rin came back. She''s holding onto two cups of hot tea that are letting out steam, making it look good. "Why are you treating me like a problematic person!?" "Don''t you find that you''re one?" ... "Ahh, the tea tastes good." "You''re just trying to escape." You''re so rude! On what basis do you say that!? "Fuu...a good tea after a meal sure is soothing to me, soothing." "...Ah, never mind, it''s nothing." After chilling out for a while after dinner, I prepared to talk about Gotanda. Rin must have missed him--or rather, I should have called him along. "Speaking of which--" I start to talk about what happened today, and Rin was attentive to what I said until we started talking about Ran. She started to show a dark expression. "...So, she''s going to study in IS Academy?" "I guess." "Oh..." For some reason, Rin and Ran don''t really get along with each other. Is it because their names are similar? Assuming that there''s someone with the name Ishika appearing in front of me, I''m not confident enough to believe that I can be good friends with him. "So when she enrolls here, I have to take care of her." "Oh...HOLD THAT, WHY!?" Rin slammed onto the table and stood up. Why, why''s she angry? "STOP GOING ABOUT MAKING PROMISES WITH GIRLS SO EASILY!? YOU DEFINITELY CAN''T TAKE RESPONSIBILITY LIKE THAT, ARE YOU AN IDIOT? I SHOULD SAY YOU''RE AN IDIOT! AN IDIOT!" Woah, she''s really angry! Speaking of which, I got scolded by her last month because of another promise. "No, that, well? Sorry, Rin." "Instead of apologizing, why don''t you just stop making promises so--" "Ah." "Ah." "What are you ''ah-ing'' about--ah!" What''s with this scenario? Three people just went ''ah'' for no reason...let me add on. I called out first, then Houki, and finally Rin. "..." That''s right, Houki. Houki''s here. Seems like she''s here to have dinner. Looking at the time, it seems like she was trying to avoid me...but it seems that I stayed around for too long. Houki looks rather awkward as she looks away from me. "Erm, hi, Houki." "We-well, if it isn''t Ichika." "..." "..." Damn it, can''t continue on. --Ever since that declaration last month that seemed like there''s some emotions, during the time when she moved out, it seemed to be like this between us ever since then. At first, I would try to look for her and find something to say, but she would often answer ''oh'' or ''is that so'' and things like that, which makes me really tired. "What is it? Something happened between you two?" ""No! Nothing!!"" --Damn it, I wanted to deny it and made an immediate response, but we unexpectedly replied in unison. ...In this situation, even I can only think ''it''s over, we''re dead''. Hold on, will others think about anything else? Hm, maybe I''m really sick. "Are you deliberately giving me this ''we definitely did something'' reaction?" "How is that possible..." With Rin glaring at me, I inadvertently try to give an answer that sounds like an excuse. However, it seems like I made Houki unhappy somehow, as she looks away and walks off. "Ah--..." Though it''s weird to mention it, the way she sways the ponytail makes me unable to explain it[2A 8] Well, I don''t really understand what I just said. "I''m going back to my room then." "Hm? Oh, thanks for eating together with me." "...Really, you should at least come invite me once in a while..." "What?" "Nothing. Bye bye." Rin shakes her twin ponytails and walks off in the opposite direction. Let me put on something that can sway, maybe a jacket or something. (Uu--oh well. Never mind, let''s just slowly think through this.) Walking off to my own room at this point, I never expected what would happen tomorrow. "As expected, Hazuki Company''s still the best." "Eh? Really? But doesn''t Hazuki only focus on design?" "That''s why it''s good." "In terms of functions, I find Myurei''s to be really good, especially the smooth and slick style." "Ah--that, it''s good, but expensive." On Monday morning, all the girls in the class are chatting away happily. Everyone''s holding onto a catalog and comparing the products on them. "Speaking of which, where''s Orimura-kun''s IS outfit produced? I''ve never seen that model before." "Ah, it''s said to be custom-made. As there''s no male attire, it seems like they got a certain research lab...let me see, I heard that it was some English company''s armed-style." I can really remember quite a bit. This should be the result of studying hard recently. Not bad, not bad. On the side note, the IS outfit as what its name stands for. It refers to the unique tight-fitting clothing when an IS is deployed. Even without it, I can still activate my IS, but the response seems to be slower. Eh, what''s the reason... "The IS suit will detect the weak electricity on the skin and pass the signals of the user''s movements to all the parts of the body before the IS can take action. Also, this suit is really durable, it can completely withstand a mini-caliber gunshot. Ah, but the impact won''t vanish. Please remember it." Yamada-sensei appeared with a clear explanation. "Yama-chan''s really so knowledgeable!" "I''m a teacher after all...hold it, Ya-Yama-chan?" "I really have to look at Yamapi differently!" "Today''s the day when everyone has to request for their attire, so I came earlier, hehe...no wait, Ya, Yamapi?" It''s been only 2 weeks, and Yamada-sensei already has about 8 nicknames. I guess that''s proof of her popularity, and the result of her personality. "Everyone, it''s not really nice to call a sensei like that..." "Eh, it''s alright, it''s alright." "Maa-yan''s really a serious person!" "Maa, Maa-yan? That''s..." "Really? Do you prefer to be called Mayamaya? Mayamaya?" "That, that''s a little..." "Well, how about we call you Yamaya?" "Pl-please don''t call me that!!" Yamada-sensei finally says that with emphasis, showing her refusal. What is it? Does she have some bad memories about the Yamaya nickname?" "An-anyway, everyone must call me ''sensei'', got it? Got it?" Though everyone replied with a ''yes~'', that''s just a random perfunctory. As for Yamada-sensei''s nickname, I suppose there will be a lot more of them in the future. "Good morning, everyone." "Good, good morning sensei!" The classroom that was noisy just now immediately became a neat and orderly squad (of course, that''s impossible, this is just an expression), as the homeroom teacher of class 1, Orimura Chifuyu-sensei appears. --Orimura Chifuyu, my older sister, who was the IS representative of Japan, and is now a teacher in IS Academy. Her treatment toward herself is the same as others, she stands like a soldier and sits like a samurai, and the way she walks is just like an armored tank--would I be killed if I were say that out loud? I would definitely be killed. Inspection''s over. (Ah, she changed into the clothes I prepared for her.) When I returned home yesterday, I remembered to bring the summer clothes over, and she seemed to have worn it immediately. The attire''s black, and it doesn''t look that much different from a mini-skirt, but as the material''s really light, it feels rather comfortable. Speaking of which, the individual division tournament will be held at the end of this month, and once it''s over, it seems like the students can wear summer uniforms. "From today onwards, we''ll be having practical training. As there are training suits, we''ll be using ISs, so everyone must pay attention! Don''t forget to put on the school regulated attire before you get your own IS suits. Anyone who forgets will have to wear the school swimsuit and truit! And as for that person, well, he can wear a bikini for all I care." No, there''s definitely something wrong with that! Most of the girls other than me must be thinking that way--besides, I''m the only guy, so it would be bad if I wore a bikini, just a bikini. On a side note, for some reason, the IS designated swimsuits are actually traditional gym outfits, those deep blue kind. People have been saying that it''s facing extinction, but unexpectedly, it managed to survive here. If Gotanda knew of it, he would most likely be elated, but as for me, it''s nothing. (Speaking of which, the gym outfit here for guys are pants.) Gotanda...I''ll omit the rest, please read the front part. Anyway, I''m wearing shorts. Let me add on. The regulated IS suit has a rather simple design, tight-fitting sleeveless vest and matching shorts. But you may wonder why is it that the school has to specially provide one for everyone when they have their own regulated ones. That''s because 100 people can have 100 types of IS. Of course, not everyone can have their own personal suits, so it''s really hard to tell how usable their suits are. But at least this is a respect to the girls who love to follow the melancholic girls'' hearts? I heard someone tell me that girls are creatures who emphasize on fashion. Let me see, I think Cecilia said that. On a side note, once one has the right to have a personal IS, the suit will be deployed at the same time as the IS, removing the time needed to change clothes, so it''s really easy. And its noticeable that the worn clothes will be scattered into elementary particles and then kept in the database of the IS, or something like that. To be honest, I don''t really remember the explanation regarding this, so it''s better not to ask too much. Anyway, it''s just ''POW, flash, and transform'', extremely easy to understand. However, this direct mode that also includes the IS really drains a lot of energy, thus, it''s better to deploy an IS normally and put on an IS suit unless it''s a critical situation. "Then, Yamada-sensei, please begin the homeroom." "O-okay." After the briefing, Chifuyu-nee hands it over to Yamada-sensei, but Yamada-sensei seems to be rubbing her eyes as she frantically puts her glasses back, looking like a panicking puppy. "Well, today, I''ll be introducing some transfer students, and there are two of them." "Wha..." """WHAAAAAT....!?"""" On hearing the introduction of transfer students, everyone in the class exploded. Can''t be helped, to the class that feeds on gossip even during their meals, it''s to be expected that they would be shocked now that a transfer student slipped past their information network, and there are two of them. (But why our class...? Wouldn''t they be separated into different classes?) While I was thinking about this really seriously, the door opens. "Excuse me." "..." The moment the class saw the two transfer students, the buzzing quietened down. That''s to be expected. That''s because one of them--is a guy. Volume 2 - CH 2 "I''m Charles Dunois from France. I''m not too familiar with this country, so please take care of me." One of the transfer students--Charles, smiles and bows to everyone after saying that. Including me, everyone in the class is stunned. "I''m Charles Dunois from France. I''m not too familiar with this country, so please take care of me." "A, a guy...?" Someone muttered. "Yes. I heard that there''s someone in the same situation as me here. So I transferred here from my country--" He has a face that''s easily approachable, courteous, a fine and proper body, bright blond hair on his head--that''s neatly tied behind. His body is also so thin that one may feel that it''s too skinny, a pair of straight legs, and he sure looks cool. The image he gives is of ''some royal prince'', and that''s not an exaggeration. Most notably, that smile which isn''t irritating at all is really shiny. "No..." "What?" "NO WAY--!" Is this the so-called supersonic? Nope, I''m not kidding, a squeal started in the middle of the classroom and spread out just like that. "A MALE STUDENT! A SECOND MALE STUDENT AT THAT!" "AND HE''S IN OUR CLASS!" "AND HE''S HANDSOME! THE TYPE THAT YOU WANT TO PROTECT!" "I''M SO GRATEFUL TO BE ABLE TO LIVE IN THIS WORLD~!" Our class girls are really energetic. On a side note, the reason the other classes haven''t run out is most likely because it''s Homeroom period, right? To all the teaching staff, it''s been tough on you. "THAT''S ENOUGH, SETTLE DOWN AND SHUT UP!" Chifuyu-nee seems to feel rather irritated as she grumbled. Though it''s work, it may seem irritating to hear such girly screams. Besides, she never really got along with ordinary girls when she was still studying. "Ev-Everyone please be quiet. We haven''t ended the self-introduction~!" Actually, no one actually did forget about the other transfer student--or rather, it''s rather difficult to forget about her. That''s because she looks like a unique radical. She has shiny silver hair that''s almost white, and the hair''s almost reaching her waist. It''s pretty, but she didn''t tidy it, so it just seems like it''s naturally long. Also, she has an eyepatch on her left eye; not a surgical one, but a real black eyepatch like what those colonels in those 20th Century war films would wear. Though the other opened eye is red, hidden in it is a seemingly endless zero degrees Celsius. The impression she gives with her attire doesn''t need much description. She''s a ''soldier''. Though her height is obviously shorter than Charles, the chilly presence she gives seems to make her as tall as she is. Let me add on, Charles is rather short for a guy, so the other transfer student is considered rather short amongst the girls. "..." The person involved still hasn''t said anything as she maintains her folded arm stance, looking uninterested as she stares at the girls in the class--and that''s for just a moment. Right now, she''s staring only at one person...Chifuyu-nee. "...Hurry up and greet them, Laura." "Yes, instructor." Facing the transfer student who''s standing straight and answering honestly--Laura, everyone''s stunned by her. In contrast, Chifuyu-nee, who got a greeting by a foreigner, reveals a troubled look even though it''s different from before. "Don''t call me that here, I''m no longer an instructor. And you''re an ordinary student here, so you must call me Orimura-sensei." "Roger that." Having answered that, Laura puts her straightened arms to the side and stands straight with her ankles put together--no matter how I look at it, even if she''s not related to the military, she did call Chifuyu-nee ''instructor'', so she''s definitely a German. --For some reasons, Chifuyu-nee was an Army instructor in Germany for one year, and after a year of absence, she became an IS Academy instructor, or so I heard. The reason why I said that is because I''m not too certain myself. I heard that from the other people related to the Academy like Yamada-sensei. She herself didn''t tell me anything, probably because a lot of things were involved in that... (But she should''ve at least told me what she was doing, right?) What should I say? Am I feeling unsettled? Nope, this isn''t a feeling of loneliness. "I''m Laura Bodewig." "..." The students remain silent, waiting for her to continue, but after she said her name, she shut her mouth up like a clam. "Is, is that...all?" "That''s all." Unable to stand this atmosphere, Yamada-sensei tries to force a smile as she asked Laura, but got an unrelenting answer. Hey, Hey, stop bullying the teacher! Look, she''s about to cry! Really. For some reason, maybe because of this, Laura and I exchanged looks. "So it''s you--" Hm? What? She just closed in without hesitation. *PA!* "..." "Wh?" I got hit suddenly, and it was a vicious slap--Wha? "I won''t accept it. You''re actually that person''s little brother. Who would accept it!?" While I straightened my thoughts, my face started to ache--what? What''s this? Why did you hit me? See? Everyone''s looking over, stunned--no wait, now''s not the time to be thinking about this! "What are you doing?" "Humph..." As quickly as she came over, Laura quickly backed away and sits down on the empty seat, folding her hands in front of her chest, shutting her eyes and not giving any reaction at all. Uwa, I got ignored. I got ignored? What''s this? What''s this person intending to do? Is she an alien from an uncivilized culture? Is this a show of friendship when people meet for the first time in Germany? I don''t want to live in that country at all. "Ah...ahem! Homeroom lesson will end now. Everyone has to change up, as we''ll be doing IS practice together with Class 2. Dismissed!" Chifuyu-nee clapped her hands to prompt everyone into action. As for me, I''m more angry than unable to accept it, but there''s no time to grumble about it now. The reason is that, if I''m going to stay in the classroom, I will have to change clothes with the girls--once that happens, there will be trouble, big trouble. So I have to get out of the classroom...huh, I remember the changing room of the 2nd arena''s empty today. "Hey, Orimura. Take care of Dunois. You''re both guys, right?" Oh yeah, almost forgot about him. So it ended up like this. "Are you Orimura-kun. We''ve met for the first time, I''m--" "Ah, save that for later. Let''s get out first. The girls are starting to change clothes." While explaining, I leapt into action. I pulled Charles''s hand and walked out of the classroom. "We''ll change in the changing room at the arena, and we have to do that for every practical session in future, so better get used to it." "O-Okay..." What''s wrong now? He''s looking rather anxious, different from just now. "Do you need to go to the bathroom?" "It, it''s not like that!" "Really? Then that''s good." Anyway, got to get down the stairs to the first level. We can''t slow down. If we do-- "Ahh! Rumored transfer student detected!" "And he''s together with Orimura-kun!" That''s right. Once homeroom period is over, all the students from all classes and all years will send out their elite troops. If we get caught in the flood, we''ll be questioned until we''re late for lessons. And finally, what awaits us is a hellish special training--I won''t allow that to happen, ever. "Found them! They''re here!" "Everyone who heard them! Hurry up and surround them!" Hold on, since when has this place become a samurai''s house? Now the entire atmosphere feels like someone just used a trumpet shell to blow and alert everyone! "Orimura-kun''s black hair is great, but blond hair''s great as well." "And his eyes are green!" "Ah! Looky look! They''re holding hands!" "It''s great that I can live in Japan! Thank you okaa-san[2B 1]! I promise that for this Mother''s Day, I will give you something other than seaside flowers!" No, you should give a proper gift in other years as well. "Wha-What''s going on? Why is everyone like this?" It seems that Charles hasn''t got what''s going on as he asked me, looking really puzzled. "That''s because we''re the only two guys here." "...?" What''s with that ''I don''t understand'' look? "No, it should be rather weird, but that''s because we''re the only two guys in the world who can pilot an IS, right?" "Ah--ahh, okay. I see." "Also...the girls in this school don''t seem to interact much with guys, so they became some sort of Uupaaruupaa (Axolotl)!" "Uu...what''s that?" "Some mysterious monster that was endangered during the 20th century, and was a popular trend in Japan for a while." "I see." Oh well, that''s not really important anyway. Right now, the most important thing is to break through this line. Before I reach my destination, I shall not die, even if I have to cut a bloody path out! "But that''s great." "What''s great about it?" "It''s really hard to be the only guy in school, so I had to be careful. Even if only one person is added, I feel relieved that it''s a guy." "Is that so?" Asking me that...isn''t he like this? Hm, I really can''t understand him. Or rather, are there IS related schools outside this country? Logically, there shouldn''t be any other IS related educational institutes other than this place. Huh, that''s weird. "Oh well. Anyway, nice to meet you! I''m Orimura Ichika, so just call me Ichika!" "Hm, nice to meet you, Ichika-san. You can just call me Charles." "Got it, Charles." Alright! We managed to get out before the crowd got us! Now there''s even more reason for us not to stop. Got to run forward. "Alright! We made it!" With the ordinary sound of the air lock being removed, the door slides aside, and we managed to reach the second arena''s changing room unscathed. "Oh no! Not much time left! Let''s change!" I look at the time and found the situation to be critical. Speaking of which, this IS suit''s really hard to wear! Anyway, as it''s urgent, I said that as I removed all the buttons on my uniform and threw it onto the bench, and then took off my T-shirt as well. "UWA!" "?" Wha-What''s going on? "Did you forget anything...no wait, why aren''t you changing? You''ll be late if you don''t do so! You might not know this Charles, but our homeroom teacher''s really strict about being punctual and all--" "O-Okay, I, I''ll change. But, erm, can you please look at the other side...please?" "Huh, I won''t look at you when you change...but Charles, why are you looking at me?" "I-I''m not! I''m not looking at you!" Charles raises his hands out to block his face and hurriedly turns to look at the floor. Why is he looking like this? Unbelievable chap. "But really, let''s hurry. It''s not good to be late on the first day--or rather, that person won''t be laughing." But then again, I feel that what the burning red-flamed teacher from hell, Orimura Chifuyu-sensei just needs is a heart that''s willing to listen to jokes. Even if it''s just a lame one, she can just laugh at others and forgive others, saying ''Hahah, you big idiot!''. Can''t she become someone like that?...maybe not. That kind of Chifuyu-nee would be rather weird. "..." That''s strange. I seem to feel a gaze. "Charles?" "Wha-What?" Just as I looked around, seemingly bothered, I found Charles frantically looking at me and turning back to look at the wall while pulling his IS suit up. "Wow, you''re really fast at changing! Is there a trick to it?" "I-It''s nothing. Sort of normal, I guess...you still haven''t finished changing yet, Ichika-san?" I already took over my pants and underwear, and my IS suit''s already at the waist. What can I say? It''s a pathetic state now. "This clothing''s really hard to wear, I have to strip myself just to wear it, and I''ll get tangled easily." "Ta-Tangled?" "Yeah." I don''t know whether it''s just me, but Charles blushes. Such a strange fellow. "Heyo--okay, let''s go." "O-Okay." Once both of us were suited up, we left the changing room. While heading to the arena, I turned to look at Charles again. "The suit you''re wearing really looks good. Where''s it made in?" "Ah, um, this is a suit created by Dunois Enterprise! Though it was developed through the basic Greek design, it seems to be a thoroughly customized version." "Dunois? I seem to have heard of that before..." "Yup, that''s my family. My dad''s the President, I guess it should be the largest IS related enterprise in France." "Ohh! So Charles is the son of the President. No wonder." "Hm? No wonder what?" "Yup. Well, how should I put it? You have an aura like you''re grew up in some great environment. Now I understand." "Great environment...huh?" Charles suddenly looked away. Did I say something I shouldn''t have said? He''s showing a complicated look right now. "Well, compared to me, Ichika-san''s even more impressive, right? That you''re Orimura Chifuyu-san''s little brother." "Hahaha, you idiot." "Wha?" "--It''s nothing. It seemed like we stepped onto landmines and blew up a fighter jet on each side." "??? I don''t really understand..." There are some situations in the world that are hard to understand. Situations, circumstances, toppo[2B 2]-- "No no no, this thought process is bad. It''s weird in all aspects." "?" Huh, he''s looking at me strangely...I already took caution not to be stared at. To think that I made a fool of myself! Ten thousand deaths aren''t enough for me! I''m dead! "...Ahem, Charles-kun, let me ask you a physics question." "Why must you suddenly add a -kun suffix?" "That''s not important. How do you calculate the resistance force when a high speed object moves under force A?" "Huh, the resistant force is -A." "That''s the case." Nice going. That''s an intelligent question. Now my ''intelligence value'' should be rated at 50, right? I''m certain of it. "..." Wha? That''s strange. He''s silent now, what? ''The Silent Frigade''[2B 3]? But maybe Charles like the lamb[2B 4], right? But the lamb''s not in the ''Silent'' series? "Wh...ahhahaha! What was that? Fu, fufufu, you''re weird, Ichika!" I got laughed at. To think that I made a fool of myself here...I''ll omit the rest. Read what happened above! "Since I''m going to be laughed at either way, I actually would prefer it if you used ''Haha, you idiot!'' again..." "Well--that''s not it! I was praising Ichika''s talent in joking." Huh? Is that so? Well, that''s that." "YOU''RE TOO SLOW!" We just got to the second arena successfully. Ahh, the devil''s folding her arms and waiting for me...''Do you need a mace''? Oh yeah, though it''s not important, if I write it as canabow, it feels like some brand, canabow! "Since you have time to think about such useless things, hurry up and get in line!" *Passu-n!* Thanks for your sermon. Charles and I got to the side of class 1. "You really took your time." Oh, what coincidence. Cecilia''s standing beside me. Ever since the representative battle in April, she would say some stuff to me--I''m sorry, but my sister already took up that space. "Why did you need so much time just to change clothes?" On a side note, as IS suits were designed for females, it looks like some kind of swimwear or tight-fitting clothing. As for why some skin would be revealed, it seems like they considered the need for mobility. Well, there are the IS shields, so the area covered by the IS suit doesn''t really matter much. But Charles and I are different. We''re covered entirely up to the neck. That''s because only the neck, hands and legs are exposed, so it feels like a diving suit. I remember they said that some data is required or something. Well, that makes sense, I guess. If we were to wear something that''s like swimsuits, the guys would have to go naked on top. The school must have considered this right? I guess. "We got caught in a jam." "Stop lying, you could have made it." Wha? Why is Cecilia sounding so vexed? Is she fulfilling the saying that a pretty rose has it''s thorns? I seem to have said it before, but at that time, Rin angrily scolded me, saying ''Wow, don''t you even feel embarrassed at all?'' "I got it, I got it. Ichika-san''s really popular with girls, right? Or else you wouldn''t have gotten hit twice within 2 months." Wah! I got mocked! She reminded me of the fact that I got hit by the transfer student, and now my face is swelling in pain again. "What? What did you do?" I could only hear the voice--damn it, is that a highly-skilled ninja? Where are the guards!? "I''m behind, you idiot!" Ohh, yes yes yes, class 2''s behind us. So it''s Rin. Wait, hold on, is Rin the only class 2 girl who''ll call me that? Like idiot, big idiot, moron, or something like that? "This Ichika-san just got slapped in the face by a transfer student today." "What? Ichika, why are you so dumb?" --Relax, I have two more in front of me. *Kekekeke*...Cecilia and Rin turn their necks with creaking sounds. And waiting for them in front is the administrator of the hellish practical lesson, the instructor from hell. Accepting anyone, not caring about the age, nationality, gender, the gates of hell have opened. *PA--!* Under the azure sky, the smack of the attendance book is still loud and clear today. "First, we''ll be watching a practical battle that involves close range and shooting." "Yes ma''am!" As it''s a combined practical between class 1 and class 2, there''s double the number of people as per usual, and even the replies sound a lot louder. "Kuu...how could you just hit my head like that..." "...It''s all Ichika''s fault. It''s all Ichika''s fault. It''s all Ichika''s fault..." Teary-eyed, Cecilia and Rin stroke their heads, maybe because it''s painful. Speaking of which, don''t you feel that it''s wrong? It''s alright if it''s just me thinking too much, but if that''s the case, I want my lawyer! *DONK!* "I can tell what you''re thinking..." Wah! She kicked me! I got kicked in the back by a girl! Sensei! Sense-I~! "Today, I would like to let everyone see a real battle, and there just so happen to be lively girls here present--Huang! Alcott!" "Wh-Why me too?" Ohh, so you got dragged in. Give up, Cecilia, most common sense doesn''t work on Chifuyu-nee. But while we back away, she will make up some random sense[2B 5] to deal with us, and that''s even more irritating. But then again, she mostly uses physical attacks. "Since you two have personal suits, you can start battle immediately. Okay, get out here." "Why me..." "It''s definitely Ichika''s fault, so why..." Ahh, I heard nothing, I heard nothing. "You two better buck up--and show that guy what you two are made of!" Hm? What''s wrong? Seems Chifuyu-nee whispered something to them. What did she say? "This is the stage for me, the representative candidate for England, Cecilia Alcott!" "That''s right. It''s a great chance to show everyone the difference in ability as a personal IS pilot!" For some reason, both their motivation values just shot up. What? They can get a free meal if they win? Ah, as they''re girls, it''s likely it''s for desserts. "Then who''s my opponent? I''m alright even if it''s against Rin-san." "Fufu, that''s my line. I''ll slaughter you." "No need to rush, idiots. Your opponent will be--" *Kiiiiinnn...* Hm? What''s that sound? Sounds like air being split. Don''t tell me-- "AHHH--! PL-PLEASE GET OUT OF THE WAY~!" Huh? What, she''s referring to me? --Ack, WAA!!" *DONK!* Just as I wanted to turn to look at the source of the voice, it''s too late. After being hit by one UFO, I got sent flying several meters away and tumble onto the floor. "Ho...good thing I barely managed to deploy [Byakushiki], but what was that--" Something soft. "What?" What''s with this feeling in my hand? Is the ground that soft? Did they patch up some pudding or something? Ah, so that''s what they mean by purine, right? (TL Note: Both pudding and purine are written in the same manner:ץ, purin) "That, that, Orimura-kun...kya!" The pudding talked--wait, hold on, how''s that possible? Fearful, I looked down at my hand. "Th-That, you see, in this situation, I''m really troubled...no, this isn''t the only problem. No matter what, I still have a teacher-student relationship with Orimura-kun...but if it continues like this, Orimura-sensei will be my sister-in-law, and that''s very tempting somehow--" Yamada-sensei. It''s Yamada-sensei! The pudding''s Yamada-sensei! The pudding''s not just a pudding, it''s an elastic one--why am I like a dirty old man now... my hand''s holding tightly onto Yamada-sensei''s breast, grabbing it. She normally doesn''t wear tight-fitting clothes, so I couldn''t tell; but the IS suit she''s wearing now is the the kind that''s extremely voluptuous. Her hefty beautiful breast curves are exposed in front of everyone. Hu, those breasts are huge...bigger than Chifuyu-nee''s... However, the problem is our positioning--I got knocked away, and she and I tumbled together, so right now, I''m pressing down on Yamada-sensei, and my hand''s holding tightly onto Yamada-sensei''s breast, grabbing it. No, I understand that it''s bad if I don''t let go. But even so, I can''t let go for some reason...no, I''m serious, serious! I know I have to let go soon, but my body''s mysteriously frozen. Is this what they mean by being crushed by ghosts-- "--!?" After my instincts detected danger, I got out of my frozen state and leapt away from Yamada-sensei. At that moment, the lasers shot past where I was just a second ago. "Hohohohoho...what a pity, I missed." She''s smiling, but I can see veins on her forehead--she''s the firmament of the sky, Cecilia Alcott (Large dragon buster mode). Wa... "..." I seem to hear the sound of something combining together. Wha? It''s that thing right? That''s Rin''s ''Souten Gagetsu'', right? The blades are separated at the beginning, and they can be combined to a create a double-bladed form. And in that situation, it''s possible that she may throw it. That''s right, that''s right, she may throw it-- "WAAAAHHHH!!!" SHE JUST THREW IT AT MY HEAD WITHOUT HESITATION! At the last moment, I bent backwards to dodge the attack, but my momentum carried me further back. Then, I saw the sight of despair. The ''Souten Gagetsu'' that was thrown out spins back as its shaped like a boomerang. "HAA!" *PAM!* *PAM!* As the two shots ring, the bullets accurately hit the two sides of the ''Souten Gagetsu'' and change its trajectory. While hearing the bullet shells drop, I turned around to look, and found that the sniper who saved me from such a crisis was actually Yamada-sensei. Anchored sturdily in her hands is a 51 caliber assault rifle ''red bullet'', the firearm and its ammunition made by an American company called Claus. As it''s practical and extremely reliable, it became a main essential model that many countries have come to use. However, what was most surprising was Yamada-sensei''s image--she was still lying on the floor in a prone position, only lifting her body slightly to shoot. She looked extremely cool and poised, unlike the normally clumsy demeanor she shows. Though it''s not to the extent that it seemed like she switched personalities, I really can''t imagine her being the one who crashed into the wall and couldn''t move during the entrance exam. "..." It seems like I''m not the only one who''s shocked--forget about Cecilia and Rin, even the other girls are speechless. "Though Yamada-sensei doesn''t look like it, she was a former representative candidate, so shooting like what she just did isn''t much." "Well, that was ages ago. And I never got past being a representative candidate..." It''s back to the normal Yamada-sensei presence. She turned around, stood up, placed her rifle into the weapon box on her shoulder, and then used both hands to adjust her glasses...ah, looking at the actions, this is the Yamada-sensei we know alright. It seems like she''s shy about what she heard Chifuyu-nee say as she blushed. "So then, little girls, let''s start already." "Wha? Erm, 2 vs 1 is..." "No, this is too..." "Relax, if it''s you two, you''ll definitely lose." Maybe they felt unhappy after hearing that they would lose, as Cecilia and Rin''s wills start to burn, especially Cecilia, since it''s important for her to beat her opponent at least once, so her killing intent and power have risen. "Then, let''s start!" Cecilia and Rin shouted out as they flew. Seeing this, Yamada-sensei flies up as well. "I won''t hold back!" "I wasn''t serious back then anyways!" "H-Here I come!" Yamada-sensei''s talking as per normal, but her eyes are now as cool and sharp as they were before. Cecilia and Rin launched a preemptive attack, but Yamada-sensei easily dodged them. "Then, during this time...Dunois, give a commentary on the IS Yamada-sensei''s using." "O-Okay." Charles continued to watch the battle in the sky as he explained with a reliable voice, "The IS Yamada-sensei''s using is a [Raphael Revive] from Dunois Enterprise. It''s a machine developed at the end of the 2nd generation phase, but the specifications rival that of the early 3rd generation machines. In terms of deployed mass production IS models, it was the last to be sold, but has the 3rd largest user-base in the world. Only 7 countries are permitted to create it, and 12 countries use it as a standard IS. Most notably, because of the controls it can allow pilots to fit what they want. By changing the equipment, it can be configured for all types of combat, including close ranged combat, sniping and defending types, so there are many partnering companies working on it." "Mm, that''s enough for now...it''s ending!" Engrossed in Charles''s explanation, I forgot to look at how the battle is right now. I turned back to look at the battle, and found that Yamada-sensei''s shots were luring Cecilia and Rin to collide together. Yamada-sensei then threw a grenade at them, and once the explosion occurred, two figures crashed onto the ground in a puff of smoke just like that. "Ku, uu...to think that I actually..." "Ah, you...she predicted so much of your evasive maneuvers, it''s so silly..." "Is-Isn''t it the same for you, Rin-san? We failed because you made too many meaningless mixed tactics and Impact Cannon attacks!" "That''s my line! Why did you release your BITs immediately? The power was depleted so fast!" "Ggggrrr....!" "Kkkkkkk...!" Seems like this is a Battle Royale--anyway, it doesn''t look like they have a good relationship anyway. What should I say? Both of them have their own ideas that are pretty random. Anyway, I just can''t watch this further. I can hear the ''representative candidates with their personal suits'' stock drop drastically. However, the most heartless thing seems to be that there''s doesn''t seem to be a limit in the drop. In the end, both of them continued to glare at each other until the girls of class one and class two started to chuckle. "Okay now, everyone should understand the ability of the teachers now. From now onwards, please show some respect to the staff members." Chifuyu-nee clapped twice to divert everyone''s attention. "The ones with personal frames are Orimura, Alcott, Dunois, Bodewig, and Rin. Then, we''ll be dividing the class into groups of 8. Personal machine users will act as leaders, got that? Split up now." The instant Chifuyu-nee finished, the 2 classes of girls rush over to Charles and me. "Orimura-kun, let''s work hard together!" "Teach me what I don''t know~" "Dunois-kun, please show me your piloting skills." "Hey, hey, can I join in too? Let me join you too!" ...What can I say? The reaction''s a lot stronger than what I expected, and Charles and I don''t know how to respond as we could only stand about. Either because she couldn''t stand this situation or ''cause she''s angry that she didn''t foresee this, Chifuyu-nee pressed onto her forehead with her fingers, feeling really bothered as she bellows, "These idiots...EVERYONE SORT OUT ACCORDING TO SEATING ARRANGEMENTS! GROUP LEADER ORDER WILL BE AS DESCRIBED. IF YOU DON''T GET SORTED INTO GROUPS FAST, YOU PEOPLE WILL CARRY IS MACHINES AND RUN AROUND THE FIELD 100 TIMES!" Is that an Authoritarian''s roar? The girls who were surrounding us like ants all moved quickly and managed to get into their groups within 2 minutes. "I should have done this from the beginning. Really, they''re a bunch of idiots." "...That''s great. I''m in the same group as Orimura-kun! I''m really grateful for my own surname..." "...Sigh--, it''s Cecilia...she just lost so badly..." "...I''ll be in your care, Rin-san. Please tell me more about Orimura-kun..." "...Dunois-kun! You can ask me about anything you don''t know! Also, I''m still single!..." "..." On a side note, the group that isn''t saying anything is the group of that German transfer student Laura Bodewig. The tense atmosphere, the presence that refuses to work with others, the cold stare-down on the other students, and the mouth that never spoke since the beginning. Facing such an iron wall, even those pure-hearted 10+ girls wouldn''t even dare to talk to her. Everyone''s just lowering their heads and forced to remain silent...ahh, I really feel sorry for them... "Then, please listen up. Each group is to take one training suit. There are 3 Uchigane and 2 Revives, so each group, please decide on the type of frame you like the most. Ah, it''s first comes first served--" Yamada-sensei''s even more reliable by 3 times--no, 5 times now. The mock battle just now got her confidence back, right? As her attitude''s really proper, so just removing her glasses alone seem to make her a ''really capable woman''. However, what''s proper isn''t just her attitude. The breasts that girls who are in their teens don''t have are now exposed. Yamada-sensei has a habit of adjusting her glasses, and every time she does this, the breasts that seem to be called out will touch her elbows--and the heavy sweet fruits will jingle. "..." *CRACK!* "OW! WHA...WHAT WAS THAT?" My foot got stamped on, and at the back of my ankles. It''s one thing to be attacked on the back like that, it''s another to be attacked at a perfect angle, causing me to cry out in pain. Who, who did that? The only one who would do something like this is... "What are you staring intently at? Hurry up and start!" "Yes, Houki..." "What?" Wah. She''s really angry now. This isn''t good. --Speaking of which, we''re in the same group? If that''s the case, I have to use this chance to repair our relationship. Due to many reasons, we haven''t spoken to each other properly for a week. If this keeps up, I feel that we can''t even call each other by our names. (Okay, time to show my friendliness--) "Orimura-kun, teach me how to pilot an IS!" "Aa--n, this IS is really heavy. I never lifted anything heavier than chopsticks." "I remember that the practical lessons require 2 people in a group. Orimura-kun, let''s go." "Hey, hey, it''s great to have a personal IS, right? I''m so envious of you people--" Just when I wanted to talk to Houki, the girls in my group took the opportunity to surround me, and besides, since I''m the group leader, I can''t just say okay to everyone. Things have gotten a lot complicated. "W-Well, everyone, please listen to m..." "Every leader is to assist each group member in putting on the suit. As everyone needs to use it, we removed the optimizing and personalizing modes. Anyway, before lunch today, everyone please practice on the initializing." On the IS broadcast channel, Yamada-sensei''s voice can be heard. As it''s already past the lesson phase, right now, I still have some aspects that I don''t understand. And besides, I''m the group leader. It''ll be bad if I mess up. "So then, please queue up in order of your student number. Practice your walking. The first one--" "Register no. 1! Aikawa Kiyoka of the Handball club! My hobbies are watching sports and jogging!" "O-Okay, but you didn''t need to do a self-introduction..." "Nice to meet you!" She bowed deeply and extends her right hand out. Hm? What? Does she want to shake hands with me? "Aa, that''s too sneaky!" "I wanna do that as well!" "Please make a choice based on your first impression!" For some reason, all the other girls are lined up and bow politely like her, extending out their right hands. "Wh-What''s going on? I don''t really understand--" """Please take care of us!""" ...At this moment, another few voices can be heard from behind. Turning around to look, I see a row of people bowing in front of Charles, each waiting to shake hands with him. He sure looks troubled. "Er, erm...?" I can see him all confused here. That''s a coincidence, I am too. """OW OW OW!!!""" It''s a chorus of perfectly timed cries. I guess it''s easy to knock them on the heads as they''re lined up, right? As Charles''s girls are rubbing their heads and looking up, they all seem to realize who''s the Asura in front of them. "It''s great that you people have that much enthusiasm. If that''s the case, let me see your performance. Who''s first?" "Ah, no, that''s..." "We, we''ll just have Dunois-kun teaching us~...that''s all." "How, how can we let sensei trouble herself..." "Is there a problem? There''s no need to be so polite. To all you prospects, I must give you a certain level of training...ahh, let''s start by seating arrangement." I seem to hear a gasp. Let me put my hands together, if you survive, we may meet one day. Seeing the terrible state that befallen Charles''s group of girls, the fear struck Orimura''s group, and they naturally fell in line. Right now, Aikawa-san''s opening the exterior of the IS controls to confirm the values. Let me add on, our group''s training suit is [Uchigane]. "Oh well, let''s begin. Aikawa-san, you should have taken an IS a few times, right?" "Ah, yes, but only during lessons." "Then there should be no problems. Anyway, please suit up and try to activate it. If we exceed the time, we have to stay behind after school." "The-then that would be bad! Okay, I''ll do this seriously!" Though it does sound like she wasn''t serious up till now, in this situation, I''ll just close one eye. We hate sin, not humans, and our past mistakes aren''t related to our future...huh, who said that? Anyway, there''s no problem with the suit up, initializing and walking, and the practice went by smoothly. --Logically, that should be the case, but when the second person suited up, there was a small problem. "I''m sorry, but, I can''t reach the cockpit..." "Ah! Aa~..." Damn it, it''s over. I forgot everything since I had my own personal machine--while using a training suit, we have to kneel down to get out. If we stand up to remove it, the IS will naturally be in a standing position. "What''s wrong?" Ohh, Yamada-sensei appears! As she removed her IS already, she''s wearing the busty IS suit--so naturally, I can only look away awkwardly. "The, that, I forgot the instruct to leave the IS bent down..." "Ah--so you mean that the cockpit is at a high position, right? If that''s the case, it can''t be helped; Orimura-kun, please escort her up there." "...Huh?" "Wh-What?" "Huuh~ How lucky-!" Let me add on, in order, the people who spoke that were me, Houki and the 2nd person (sorry, I forgot the name). "Because that''s the easiest way. Orimura-kun, please summon [Byakushiki]." "Oh, okay..." Like how she instructed, I deployed [Byakushiki] and suited up. The more-than-one month''s training wasn''t for show, as I could immediately summon it now. "Then, please carry Kishisato-san up." "Huh? No, that--" "Wh-Why?" Ohh! Houki jumped in! Nice going! Do your best! I don''t know her personal reasons, but I''m a healthy male after all, so obviously I would try to avoid contact with girls. Besides, there would be trouble if something happens. "Since the IS can fly, if he just needs to send her into the cockpit, this would be the most suitable method." "There''s no need to do that. Just let him be a stepping board!" That''s right, that''s right--huh? A stepping board? "A stepping board? Huh, may I ask who you want to act as one?" "Of course it''s Ichika!" What''s with that ''of course''? "Hold, hold on a minute. If I have to become a stepping board, I rather send her up. That''s safer." "Yeah, it''s a lot safer." "Che--whatever!" Ahh-...I seem to have made her angry. Houki just turned her back at me and walked away. "Then Orimura-kun, please carry me up over there!" Though I''m unwilling, it can''t be helped. Since it''s just this one time, I guess it''s alright. "Oh yes, Orimura-kun? You weren''t looking at sensei just now. This won''t do! We don''t have to look at each other in the eyes all the time, but once you enter society, such a response can be seen as rude, so please take note of that." "Ah, that''s..." "You see? You''re doing it again! You must look at me straight on." Maybe the battle just now increased her confidence, as Yamada-sensei grabbed my shoulder with an unimaginable force and turned me over. And because she used both hands to pull me, the huge breasts that are stuck between the shoulders are even more ample. "Ya-Yamada-sensei, please listen to me..." Damn it, I can even tell that my body''s heating up. However, all my hopes in her to understand a boy''s innocent feelings were crushed, as it seems like not even a third of those feelings were passed while Yamada-sensei pulled me even forcefully. "Look over here, Orimura-kun!" As she used force, the ample breasts that were crampled between her shoulders started to shake. To be honest, for this 15 year old healthy boy, it was really mesmerizing--or rather, I should say, one poisonous scene. "Sensei, Orimura-kun doesn''t know what to do~" "Ya ya, that''s a low blow, emphasizing on the breasts like that." "Br-Breasts...!?" At this moment, finally figuring out where the problem lies at last, Yamada-sensei stares at her own breasts, and then at my face. "~~!?" Yamada-sensei seems to back away from me quickly as she frantically covers her own body. "Wha, that..." I really want to change this invincibly awkward atmosphere, but I don''t really know what to say--''your breasts are superb''...I''m an idiot. I''d get sued for sexual harassment. "O-Orimura-kun." With her back facing me, Yamada-sensei turned her face over at me. She sounds really shy as her face is blushing red. "Th-That...you saw that?" "Huh, about that...yes." Even though I told myself not to look, not to look, not to look, I still more or less saw it. As lies will raise a few eyebrows, I honestly admitted it. However, on hearing my answer, Yamada-sensei''s ears went red as well. "Th-That, even though age and gender can''t be helped, this isn''t good. Besides, we have many problems in regards to age differences and standpoints...personally, I''m happy that I can make you aware of this, but it''s still--" "Yamada-sensei...would you mind telling me what you''re doing..." Chifuyu-nee has a hand supporting her head as she said that. Does she have a headache? That''s tough on her. "O-Orimura-sensei!? No, I-I''m, this...!" "Sigh...I''ll listen to your explanation. Right now, the main point is that Bodewig''s group is extremely slow, so please go over to help them." "O-Okay!" Yamada-sensei stood up and ran towards Laura''s group. On the way there, she glances back, just so happens to meet me in the eyes, and start to blush again. "What..." "Hurry up and practice, you idiot. The next slowest group will be yours, Orimura." Ahh, I got scolded by the instructor from hell. Is that my fault...I guess so. "Then let''s hurry up!" "Hiyaaa!!?" Anyway, I followed the instructions and carried Kishisato-san up. However, she let out a strange sound--hold on, hold on, I didn''t touch her in anyplace weird. "O-Orimura-kun''s really forceful..." No, that''s because we have so little time left. Speaking of which, girls are really light! Why''s that so? That was easy. It wasn''t easy the last time I carried up the fainted Gotanda. He was so heavy that I almost thought of dumping him on the road. But of course, I did send him to the infirmary properly--oh well, that''s not important. "Hold on tight or you''ll drop." "O-Okay..." After confirming that Kishisato-san''s grabbing onto my shoulder with slightly trembling hands, I slowly raised her up. However, the height''s about only 1m, so it''s not that dangerous. However, the IS training frames are basically maintained in deployed form. Thus, one has to lean back on top to seat in. Thus, it''s still dangerous even if it''s not too high. I take care not to drop Kishisato-san as I carry her to the Uchigane''s cockpit. "Then, move your back in and raise your body up. Also, it''s better to put your hand on the armor there. Do you understand?" "I, I''m okay." As I haven''t let go of her yet, our conversation was held in a rather tight position. She''s still mindful about being touched by guys, huh? Kishisato-san''s eyes are wavering about uncomfortably. "I''m letting go now. Is this okay?" "Huh? Th-This..." "Is there a problem?" "It''s more like I''m in dreamland..." "?" While we''re talking, the other groups are starting to talk. "AHHH! WH-WHAT''S THAT!?" "THAT''S TOO SLY! I WANT TO BE HUGGED!" "WHY! WHY''S MY REGISTER NUMBER 12? I HATE THE ANCESTOR WHO GAVE ME THIS FAMILY NAME, UNTIL THE END OF TIME!" No, ancestors should be respected, right? Besides, the end of time would mean your children and grandchildren, so please don''t involve them in some strange grudge. "An-Anyway, I''m okay. Hurry back, Orimura-kun. If this keeps up, I don''t know what will happen to me later..." "Mn, I got it." I don''t know what''s going on, but she has some hidden feelings, right? Should be that legend only girls know of. Though I don''t know what it is, it''s more or less that. "Try activating it then." With me prompting, the initiation starts. The opened armor locked up and secured the pilot inside. Then, with a silent initializing sound, the [Uchigane] stood upright. "Then next--" (Argh, this is infuriating me!) Houki folded her arms and shut her eyes as she pretended to look calm. However, her heart was very unstable, and what happened just now was still on her mind. (And what was that? Was there a need to be so close? Ichika could have just acted as a stepping board. Yes, a stepping board!) That being said, in actuality, even if that other girl tramples down on Ichika, that wouldn''t interest her. That''s because Houki herself is still ambiguous about her own feelings, so even if others are to ask her ''what do you want to do then'', she isn''t clear about what she wants. That''s how the human heart is. (And he was staring at Yamada-sensei...aahh, such a useless bum!) To be honest, thanks to kendo training, Houki''s still rather confident of her own figure. Even though she feels burdened by her own breasts, it''s good that they can become part of her charm. However-- (He didn''t notice it when he was with me...!) Until when they stopped living together with each other, Ichika''s attitude hasn''t really changed much, which made her really unhappy. ...However, it''s not that Ichika didn''t notice it. He just felt that if he showed that he was really troubled by it, Houki would be bothered, so he acted as if he didn''t care... Of course, it''s not that he would be bothered by everything. It''s also a characteristic of human nature to not be so straightforward. "Alright, remove the suit now." While Houki was pondering, the practical training seemed like it was a success, and the second girl finished activating the IS and walking. "Ah, please remember to bend down and remove it, or else--" Before Ichika managed to finish, the second girl seem like she just thought of something as she removed the IS while it was still in a standing position. With that, the cockpit''s stuck on top like how it was just now. "Ahh! Wh, what were you doing!?" "It''s not that, the other girls are staring at me so strongly..." "Wh-What?" "Ahem...that''s my personal problem." Adding on, she was obviously referring to the other girls in her group when she said that, as everyone''s giving her a ''do you think that you can just earn that benefit like that'' look. Wow, that''s really scary. All the other girls in other groups are opening their mouths in envy, looking like chicks waiting for a mother to feed them. However, what awaited them wasn''t a reward, but a stern treatment by the instructor from hell. "Oh, so you still have time to look at other places, right? To reward you of your boredom, I''ll let you run 20 laps around the field. How is it? Are you satisfied?" "Tha-Thank you sensei..." The instructor from hell can also cry. No wait, those should be the reflection of other people''s tears in the devil''s eyes. "Ahh--...so I have to send someone up again? Huh, who''s next?" Ichika looks really bothered as he scratched his head and looks around. --Ahem, after clearing her throat to ready her feelings, Houki tries to act calm as she says, "Me." "O-Okay." Seeing Ichika''s shocked look, Houki wants to back away, but she knows that she has even more reason not to panic. Maybe it''s due to the pride of practising kendo, as Houki''s expression remains unchanged while she steps forward. "Huh--, so." "What? Hurry up and get me up! I don''t really want this, but considering the safety reasons, this can''t be helped." Though Houki wants to emphasize that it can''t be helped, Ichika still considered her feelings and thought that it''s because of another thing altogether. "Then, I''ll be a stepping board--" "Didn''t I say that this can''t be helped due to safety reasons?" "--I''ll send you over, I''ll send you over." Aah, really, what in the world. Though Ichika muttered so, Houki''s not listening. Because no matter what, he''s going to carry her. And seeing how he carried the girl just now-- (Is-Isn''t that the legendary ''princess carry''...!? But, what should I say...great...no! Logically speaking, boys and girls shouldn''t be sticking that close together!... But forget about it, considering the safety reasons, this can''t be helped...that''s right, this can''t be helped!) "Ah, ahem!" "What''s wrong, Houki? Got a cold?" "No, nothing." Anyway, Houki, who was so happy that she wanted to laugh out is trying her best to hold her emotions back. Perhaps it''s due to that strong emotion of holding back that strong emotion that her face''s looking twice as serious as usual. "I''m carrying you up then!" Ichika wraps his arm around her waist, and it looks like it''s happening in slow motion. As his hand reaches over, Houki''s heart starts to beat faster, and her body temperature begins to increase. "Heyo!" "Kya--ahem ahem!" She nearly shouted out, but she coughed even forcefully twice to hide this. (I-Id-Idiot! Who in the world carries someone so suddenly like that!? Is, is he trying to scare me...speaking of which, it feels like he''s so well-trained...) Being mindful, she looks up at Ichika''s face, and at that moment, Ichika seem to notice it as he looks around. "What''s wrong?" "No-Nothing! Nothing at all!" As their faces are even closer than what she thought, Houki frantically looks away. What she was mindful about just now has been all forgotten. Right now, she''s more bothered by Ichika. The body warmth of those strong arm muscles, and the breathing and heartbeat of hers that she worries about showing to him if they get too close--those are feelings of expectations and anxiety. "Houki." "Wh-What?" "Nothing. I''m telling you to hold tight, or you''ll fall off!" "O-Okay...that, that''s right. It''s over if I drop. I have no choice but to grab onto Ichika." After repeating another ''have no choice'', Houki timidly reaches out and slings her arms around Ichika. As the IS suit is a skintight design, once her fingers touch Ichika''s skin, Houki''s heart start to pound faster. (It, it''s like I just touched him directly--KYA! WHAT AM I THINKING!?) Ichika stares at Houki with an incredulous look while she continues to shake her head violently, bringing her up near to the [Uchigane]''s cockpit. "Houki." "Wh-What?" "Well, if you don''t sit in onto the IS, we can''t continue with the practical class. Do you mind if I bring you closer in?" "No, no! If you bring me closer in, even I can''t remain calm--" "? What did you say?" "No-Nothing! An-Anyway, I''m okay!" Like what Houki said, she pushes her hand away from Ichika and quickly sits inside the Uchigane. "Doesn''t look like there''s anything wrong. Then after you finish the activation and walking, please hand over to--" "Ichika." "Hm? What is it?" "We-Well you see, do you have plans for lunch today?" Though she''s acting calm, her voice''s obviously a bit louder than usual. "No, not that I know of." "Oh, really?" Seemingly looking like she just randomly asked, Houki''s expression immediately lit up, but only for a few seconds as she reverts back to her cool expression. "If, if that''s the case, how about we have lunch together once in a while! Hm, just like that." "Hm? Ohh, I guess it''s sounds nice." Houki continues to say as she activates the [Uchigane] before making it walk. This process isn''t draggy, and it feels like some kendo movement. However, while Houki looks like a samurai who''s trained before, she''s actually overwhelmed with joy. She hid her feelings though, so of course Ichika doesn''t know. "There''s no problem! As expected of Houki! Okay then, please bend over and come down--" "..." "HEY! WHY IS THE IS STANDING AGAIN!? ARRGHH! I''M GOING CRAZY!" Before hearing Ichika''s words, Houki quickly landed. Of course, she knew she has to let the IS bend down, but she still can''t refuse the silent demand of the girls in her group. However, a more accurate reason would be because she''s feeling so happy that ''it doesn''t matter even if she gives the other girls a little welfare''. (Ev-Ever since that day, I never had a chance to talk to Ichika properly. I have to do whatever it takes to get it back!) To be honest, she does have a secret plan. Anyway, having gained an advantage over the other girls (or so she thought), Houki''s mood is as great as ever. "Then, that''s it for morning practice. As we have to inspect the machines that''re used in the morning, all groups please gather at the hangar. All people with personal machines please watch out for the training machines and their own. Then, class dismissed." Our combined group of class 1 and 2 barely managed to complete the activation test. After everyone managed to hurriedly move the IS to the hangar, they returned back to the field. As time was really short, everyone''s moving about crazily. At this moment, if we''re late, I don''t know what the instructor from hell will say. And after we huffed and puffed till we finished all of that, Chifuyu-nee and Yamada-sensei quickly left the scene. "Ah--...never expected it to be so heavy..." Though the training machines were delivered by IS escort vehicles, there''s nothing to move this. In other words, ''humans'' are the moving forces, and in this group, obviously, I''m the main person pushing. All the girls think that manual work has to be done by guys, and even if there''re some people who don''t think that way, right now, the men have almost no right to say that. It''s that kind of a culture now. (But if I, a guy, don''t push it and call the girls to do it, wouldn''t it be too shameful instead of weird. I''ll do it anyway.) On a side note, Charles''s group is having a situation when ''how can we let Dunois-kun do this!'' as they have several sports-group girls transport it.--huh? Hold on? Why''s the attitude different from my group... "Sigh, forget about it Charles. Go change now! We still need to get to the changing room at the arena." "Huh, erm...I''ll go after I adjust the suit, so you go first. I may need to take some time, so it''s okay not to wait for me." "Hm? No, I''m okay with waiting for you, you know? I''m used to it--" "No, no no non, there''s no need! I have a problem! Is it alright? Can you head back to the classroom?" "O-Okay, I got it." Under his ridiculous pressure, I inadvertently nodded my head. But why''s the chap so desperate? Anyway, since he said so, there''s no point waiting for him, so I quickly headed towards the changing room. (The IS suit sweat absorbing function is working almost perfectly. Despite operating for quite a while, it is generally amazing that it is completely not sticky.) I don''t know whether it''s because it''s developed for space, but even if I''m not certain, I''ll treat it as the case. Alright, finished changing. It''s 3 times easier to take it off than to wear it. I use my towel to rub my head and leave the changing room. "...What is this." "Hm?" During lunchtime, all of us are at the roof. Normally speaking, a high school''s roof access will be sealed off due to many reasons, but this IS Academy has no such ruleson the garden that''s decorated beautifully, as the seasonal flowers bloom, the floor''s of a stone cold floor that makes people think that they''re in Europe. As all the round tables have chairs, on a bright sunny afternoon like this, there would normally be many girls waiting around here to talk. Maybe everyone ran to the cafeteria to look for Charles? There''s no one here to occupy the space other than us! Yay, we have the entire place! "Didn''t I tell you that I want to come up here to eat since the weather''s good?" "That''s not what I''m referring to...!" Houki glances aside to look at Cecilia, Rin and Charles. "Since we''re having lunch, the more the merrier, isn''t it? Besides, Charles just transferred in, so he doesn''t even know where to eat." "Th-That''s true..." Uu. Houki looks like she wants to say something as she clenches her raised fist. She''s holding some home-made bento that''s wrapped into a cloth. As the IS Academy is a boarding school, it seems like they open the kitchen early for the students who want to prepare their own bentos. I went there to look, and found that there were all sorts of utensils that expert chefs would use. As expected of a specially designated school that''s controlled directly by the government, the spending''s on a completely different level. --And then, Houki looks like she just made a bento today, and even had my share! Childhood friends are really wonderful. "Here, Ichika. This is for you." After saying that, Rin throws the container to me. Hey, don''t throw food. "Wow, it''s sweet and sour pork!" "Yup, I made it this morning! Didn''t you say that you wanted to eat it?" Let me repeat it again, childhood friends are the best! However, to have sweet and sour pork without white rice, that''s a daring innovation! Let me add on, Rin did go to the cafeteria to buy the white rice she wanted to buy here. She''s smart. "AhemIchika-san. For some reason, I woke up earlier as well, so I prepared some things as well. If you like, please try some." Cecilia opens her basket. There''s a stack of neatly arranged sandwiches, however... "Th-Thanks, I''ll eat it later." I timidly responded. On a side note, Rin''s giving a ''wow'' expression. Che, this person is either thinking of eating it herself or watching a show. "What''s wrong?" "No, nothing!" ...Let''s just put it this way. This English representative candidate Cecilia Alcott just can''t cookthough it looks tasty, the food''s just bad. Why must she just add stuff that she doesn''t know of? I really, really wanted to seriously ask her, but right now, I don''t have any intention to do so. For some reason, I felt that things would get out of hand if I asked. Why? Well, I guess, since she''s from a prominent family, I guess all rich ojous[2B 6] are like this? She should more or less have a personal chef, so she probably never even tried to choose her ingredients, let alone touch a knife. Even so, the appearance is great. She herself noted ''shouldn''t it be done like how it''s like on the book?''. Hm, Cecilia-san, that''s not making it like ''how the book describes it'', but ''how the photograph describes it''. I really think that it''ll be great if you can make it as tasty as how it''s described on the book. "It''s because you never said it clearly that the problem continued to persist. Idiot." And you dare to say that, Rin. I had the same feelings when you came up with those killer dishes for me. You even had that ''I''ll kill you if you say it''s not nice!'' look! Oh well, let''s forget about that for now. Either way, she did personally prepare this for me, and if possible, I really don''t want to say that it tastes bad. Besides, I''m really grateful for the intention. Besides, since I had to cook my own food before I entered IS Academy City, I''m already grateful that someone can cook for me. Ahh, it would be great if Chifuyu-nee had the same thoughts. But even so, it still doesn''t change the fact that I''m lying. Sigh... "Huh? Can I really eat together with everyone?" Sitting beside me, Charles said so. It was the same just now. I''m really bothered by the extent of politeness he''s showing. To be honest, a large number of girls gathered in front of class 1-1 in order to get the 2nd guy, but he managed to refuse them with an extremely polite attitude. Maybe Charles''s polite rich boy demeanour caused the girls to feel really awkward if they push on with their self-introductions. Thus, everyone gave up with a happy yet bothered look. Besides, he said, "I can''t let you girls waste your bright sunny time for someone like me. That''s because I''ll get drunk from such a sweet aroma surrounding me." And so that''s the case. What should I say? He''s amazing. Really, that''s what I think, because he''s not even acting at all. That sincere attitude of his and the atmosphere that''s shining even more brightly that the mysterious presence caused his words to seem even more shining. Besides that, he''s really gentle, so it was all the more irresistible. The 3rd year sempai who shook hands with him immediately fainted! Anyway, the girls gave up just like that, which was why I got him along to eat with us. Though Rin and Cecelia came along, I had no reason to refuse them. It''s better to have more people together, right? Since they''re both representative candidates, I''m sure they should be able to chat happily about it. On a side note, strictly speaking, I''m not a representative candidate, I guess. As I''m a guy, I don''t know whether this breaks the Alaska Treaty, as it looks like the international community''s debating over it. As for me, I don''t really care whether I''m a representative candidate, but it''s great to have a personal machine. I once accompanied Houki when she went to request one for loan, and the paperwork alone nearly made me faint. Those are like, maybe 10 or so pieces of A4 paper? What''s the point of writing so much... "Don''t say that. We''re guys, so let us get along well. I know there are many inconveniences, but I can help out as well! If you have any problems, just ask me...except for IS." "You have to work hard." "I am. There''s too much to remember! You already practiced through before you enrolled in, right!?" "That''s true. Though one should have considered about the suitability test, even if there are those who start late, everyone did start studying during middle school." That seems to be the case. On a side note, Rin started working hard after the 3rd year of Middle School before she had her own personal machine. I really can''t imagine how hard she worked. In terms of the mock battle winning percentage, Rin''s 1st, Cecilia''s 2nd, Houki''s 3rd and I''m last. "Thanks, Ichika''s really kind." *THOMP!* *THOMP!* Though I know that he''s a guy, I really have a strange feeling on seeing that defenseless smile of his. "It, it''s alright. Since we''re roommates, that''s just a formality, just a formality." "Ichika-san, has he been assigned a room?" "Well, no, but frankly speaking, he would definitely be assigned in my room. He''s a guy anyway." "Really? Well, I guess so, that makes sense." We continue to eat lunch as we talk. Rin and I are eating sweet and sour pork, Charles is eating bread that he bought, and it seems like Cecilia bought her own share. This means that the sandwiches were meant to be eaten by me. In the midst of all these, Houki, who''s sitting beside me, hasn''t moved her chopsticks at all, or I should say, hasn''t even opened the cloth that''s wrapped around the bento as she remains silent. "What''s wrong? Is your stomach feeling weird?" "That''s not it..." "Really? Oh yeah, Houki. If you could hurry up and give me that bento, I would be really happy--" "..." Houki silently passed the bento over, and I really don''t know how to respond. In the end, even though we were on the same practical group, it doesn''t look like the relationship improved. Or rather, it seems like she''s still angry, is it...? "Let''s get to it. Oh!" Opening the bento, I see many dishes with balanced nutrition--including salted grilled salmon, deep-fried chicken, chilli fried konjac burdock, spinach and sesame salad. "That''s amazing! Each dish looks like it took a lot of work." "I, I just had other reasons. I spent time on it so that I could eat it myself anyway." "Even so, I''m happy. Thank you, Houki." "Heh, hehe..." Even though she looks like she doesn''t mind, Houki still looks rather happy as she opens her bento. Of course, her dishes are similar to mine...hold on. "Houki, why doesn''t your bento have any fried chicken?" "That, that''s because, huh..." For some reason, her eyes seem to waver. What''s wrong? Did I ask something I shouldn''t have asked?" "...It can''t be helped that those are the only dishes that are nice..." "Huh?" "I-I''m on a diet! That''s why there''s a missing dish. You unhappy!?" "Not really...but you''re not fat anyway." I don''t know whether this declaration''s really bad, but I got bombed by Rin and Cecilia who were glaring at me. "Ah really--, why do people keep thinking that dieting = because she''s getting fat." "Really! That was inconsiderate of you!" "No, it''s just that she really doesn''t look like she needs a diet--" As she''s just beside me, I turn to look at her--but with that action, she forcefully pushes my face aside. "Wh-Where are you looking at!? Stop looking!?" "What...isn''t that the body?" Obviously, I''m not looking at the face--ack! "You''re looking at a girl''s breasts so brazenly!? You, bastard!" Rin forcefully used her heel to knock onto my back, and four times at that! Stop hitting, stop hitting! It''s super painful! Speaking of which, we definitely have a table between us! You''re really nimble there... "Ichika-san really lacks a gentleman''s attitude." Ahh, she''s smiling and yet having veins popping out. It seems like Buddha (,hotoke) Cecilia''s patience has a limit. That''s really refreshing...however, to put the England-born her as Cecilia from France (,futsu), that''s a little weird. ""ICHIKA!"" My two childhood friends erupted with anger again. How did they even see this little joke of mine? And why are they angry over it? Girls are really unbelievable creatures. "?" Unable to understand the situation, Charles reveals a puzzled look. Oh, speaking of which, Charles is born in France! Hm, that works. "Ichika...what''s with you? Your expression really looks rather weird." "Weird? Oh, like how?" "Even your tone changed...well, it sounds like a grandfather who''s watching his married grandchildren gather for a reunion." "Not some wise old scholar who loves coffee and history?" "Hahaha, not like it at all! You''re really interesting, Ichika." Wah, I got denied with a smile. This is the first time I felt an angel''s cruelty. "Ahem! That''s enough nonsense. Let''s hurry up and eat! Lunchtime''s not long enough for us to continue talking like this." Houki sounded really serious. Hold on, what does that mean? "Never mind, itadakimasu" I stuffed a piece of fried chicken into my mouth. "Woah, it''s good!" As it''s a bento, it will naturally go cold if left for a long time. Even so, the fried chicken Houki made was still delicious--the skin was crispy, not soggy at all, and I don''t know if she knew that the food would get cold, as there''s still the juiciness of the meat in my mouth when I bit it. Even so, what''s unbelievable is that it doesn''t feel oily, and it does make one want to eat more. "This had take a lot of work to prepare, right? Let me think. There''s grated ginger, soy sauce, and uhm...hmm, what''s that? I definitely tasted it before." "It''s garlic. I mixed in a bit of pepper before frying and then added some grated radish to improve the taste." As it''s really good, I was shocked. I really can''t tell that this person is the one who made that bland fried rice last month. But what should I say? This should be what they say. In cooking or housework, once girls remember the basics, they will improve greatly. Guys have to use a lot of time to gain experience before being able to get to an ordinary standard, so the basic nature is different from girls. I''m really envious and yet unhappy about that. As for me, my cooking was atrocious at the beginning...but even so, Chifuyu-nee finished off the food even though she grumbled, so that''s why I worked hard to learn how to cook better before having the skills I have now. "But it''s really good! Houki, is it really okay for you not to eat it?" "...I ate all the failures myself, so..." "Hm?" "Ah, ahhh? No, it''s nothing, nothing at all...anyway, I''m glad that you find it good." Just now, her words did sound somewhat inaudible. Why did Houki try to cover her volume? Is she saying something that''s meant to be left just as it is? "It''s really good. You should eat it, Houki! Here." Then, I cut the fried chicken till it''s large enough to feed a girl and grab it with my chopsticks. Of course, I placed my left hand underneath to prevent it from dropping. "Wh-What?" "Here, eat it." "No, it''s not, that, but..." For some reason, Houki''s stuttering. I don''t know if I''m thinking too much, but her face does look like she''s blushing. "..." Her normally razor sharp personality seem to have disappeared out of nowhere, and right now, Houki''s just showing a puzzled look as she looks at her bento and my chopsticks. "..." "..." On a side note, two glares are aimed here from beside Houki. It''s Rin and Cecilia. What now? Why are you two glaring at me like that--ha! You want to have a piece of the chicken as well? "Let me explain that. You''re definitely thinking about the wrong thing." "You''re thinking about something a posh lady wouldn''t do, and that''s too rude." I seem to have guessed wrong. Oh well, whatever. "Hurry up, Houki! Have some." "No, it''s not, that...yeah, erm...ahem." Just when I find her smile extremely mysterious, she suddenly clears her throat and frowns. What''s with her psychological state? "Oh, could this be considered what they call ''here, say ah`n'' that couples do in Japan? You two are really on such good terms with each other." The moment Charles finished saying, his face shows a smile that''s easy to understand--that smile definitely belongs to an outstanding blond rich prince. However, once the prince finished, Rin and Cecilia immediately become an immortal tiger and a war goddess. "Wh-Who said so? How can you say that they''re friendly!?" "That, that''s right! I request the right to correct that!" Both of them continue to pester at Charles, but even in such a situation, his smile still hasn''t disappeared. Is this the so-called ''duty of nobility''[2B 7]? Really amazing, France''s really amazing. "Hm, then how about this? Everyone, let''s exchange food! If everyone feeds each other, there should be no problems, right?" "Hm? Oh, I''m okay." "I, I guess. Since Ichika said that it''s alright, I can go along with you people." "I wasn''t intending on taking part in such a crude eating etiquette, but since today''s a normal day and we''re in Japan, I supposed this should be called ''going along''." Thus, it seems like everyone''s participating. "Then, I''m starting now!" After Rin said that, she quickly snatched the piece of fried chicken off my chopsticks. "Hey, return it now!" "Um, hm...o! I-It-It''s good, it sure is decent." "Ho, I can do it if I follow the customs." Even though her fried chicken got taken away, Houki''s still looking rather carefree, and Rin looks like she''s fighting for something. Really, I don''t know what they''re thinking. "Ah-...sorry Houki, but the only piece of chicken left is the one I ate." "Is, is that so?" "Yeah. I don''t think you want to eat what a guy bit before, right? But if that''s the case, I have nothing to give you now, since our other dishes are all the same." "--It''s okay even if it''s bitten..." "Houki?" "Eve-Even if you...took a bite out of it, I don''t mind." "Hm? Is that so? Then here, ah--" It seems like we are normally able to say ''here, ah--". Is this a right exclusive to Japanese?" "Ah, ahh---umph..." Even though it''s somewhat unnaturally, Houki still opened her mouth after saying that as she ate the chicken. Seeing her face, I find that maybe she''s somewhat embarrassed. Hm, is it really weird to be fed after becoming a high school student? "It, it''s good..." "Isn''t it? This chicken''s delicious." "Though I''m not referring to that...but, it''s good." I don''t know what the reasons are, but it seems like she became happy. That''s good. "Here, Ichika! Have some of my sweet and sour pork. Hurry up and eat it!" "Ichika-san! Please have some sandwiches! I''ll give you all of it!" Rin and Cecilia immediately squeezed over. What''s going on!? ""HERE!!"" Both of them squeezed their food over that me, and they seem to have giving a similar ''here, ah--'' action. "Hold, hold on a minute. I have sweet and sour pork here, and it''s weird to have it go along with sandwiches, so I think I''ll have it--" ""..."" Ahh, what the heck, using silence to make me unable to make a comeback (or rather, ending up causing a breakdown in the dialogue). If these two are to live in the Three Kingdoms, they should be able to become military strategists, and then there''ll be a fantasy Five Kingdoms...or maybe not. "I-Itadakimasu..." Sigh, really, why can''t guys lift their heads in front of girls? Ever since year 2000, it''s been the same, so it''s mostly due to history? I guess that''s right. Anyway, let''s start from Rin''s sweet and sour pork. "Hm, it''s nice...but Rin, why''s your food warm?" "I used a microwave to heat it up when I bought rice." Couldn''t you have heated up mine...but anyway, it''s still nice even when it''s cold. "Ahem! Then, please try my hand-made sandwiches." "Um...I-itadakimasu." I really can''t say no to Cecilia when she''s showing me a shy look of friendship, and can only take a bite off her sandwich. WAHH...it''s ridiculously sweet! What the heck? What''s in there? She definitely put vanilla extract inside. That''s right. I can''t even taste anything else. But it''s abnormally sweet. Why is a tomato and bacon sandwich so sweet? I could think of 120 explanations if it were just an egg sandwich... "How is it?" Ugh, it''s best that I answer... "It''s better if you say the truth earlier." Rin said so casually and continues to eat her own sweet and sour pork. What she said does make sense, and it''s correct after all. But, that, what should I say? Doesn''t she feel that it''s hard to tell a girl that her cooking''s lousy? "Oh, ohh yeah, it''s good...I, I kind of liked it." Sigh--I just chose to say something nice. Really, I''m really sad that I don''t have the guts to say my true thoughts. "Is that so! Then, please have the rest!" Cecilia''s eyes immediately brightened as she quickly passes the entire basket to me. Well, if I treat it as dessert, I should be able to eat it down. "Id--iot." Rin continues to drink the packaged oolong tea that she most likely bought together with the white rice as she criticized me. Ah, whatever, I''m just an idiot, I''m an idiot... "But, really, I feel similar to that. Like a growing bird." Good thing there''s no other students on the roof other than us--speaking of which, if there were other people around, I definitely wouldn''t do this. Besides, it''s really embarrassing to be fed like this when I''m so old. But Houki doesn''t look like she minds. Perhaps it''s just a guy''s thing? "Ya, yeah, I guess, but it''s not bad to be like this once in a while." "That, that''s right. Hm, that''s not bad at all." Rin and Cecilia nod their heads. Maybe I''m thinking too much, but both of them are blushing somewhat. Hey, don''t tell me now that you find it embarrassing! I''ll feel even worse as I was the one being fed! "I-Ichika, is there anything you like to eat?" Houki suddenly said such a thing. "I-It can''t be helped. Let me feed you something." "Th-There''s no need. Besides, we have similar dishes other than the fried chicken. If you give your share to me, Houki, wouldn''t you have none left?" "Mu...you''re right..." "Speaking of which, everyone, hurry up and finish eating! I don''t want to run after eating, since Charles and I still have to head to the changing room at the arena." Though the hangar''s closer to the arena, I remember we can use the changing room of the first arena, and the hangar''s at the 4th arena, so in the end, we have to run twice. So if we end up spending too much time eating, we have to run quite some distance after that. Please spare me the agony. "Hm, Ichika? Don''t tell me you take off your IS suit after a practical?" "What? Can''t I?" Hearing Rin say that, I asked back. Don''t tell me-- "Half of the girls keep them on, you know? It''s really troublesome." Che, I see...well, it''s sweat-absorbent and doesn''t obstruct movement, so it''s okay to wear it. "If that''s the case." Not just Rin, even Houki and Cecilia are wearing it? I can''t really tell with their clothes on. Hm, I really feel that the girls have it easy. My IS suit will wrap my ankles, so I really don''t want to have another pair of pants over it. It''ll feel stiff...I don''t think that will happen, but it''ll be hot. "Di-Didn''t I tell you not to continue staring at a girl''s body like that!? You pervert!!" "Huh? No, I don''t mean that--" "Who, who cares about what you mean, that''s not gentlemanly at all!" "I was just observing--" "Wh-What''s with you saying that you''re ''observing'' a girl''s body? That''s inconsiderate!" ...What''s inconsiderate about it here... Speaking of which, why I am ganged up by them? Sigh...after sighing, I gave up on trying to make a comeback. Anyway, right now, I just want to focus on eating the bento. As every dish''s delicious (my bad, except for Cecilia''s), once I start tucking in, I would naturally continue to eat. "............" "What''s wrong, Ichika?" Without any reason at all, I turn to look at Charles, who''s sitting opposite the girls. Of course, Charles didn''t lecture me. Even when I''m staring at him, he''s not angry at me. He''s even concerned about me. "It''s great to have guys." I''m dead serious. From today onwards, I will have a strong partner of the same gender! That''s awesome. Maybe the school will even give us time to let us use the giant bath. Right now, it seems that due to several reasons, as a guy, I can''t use the giant onsen. Even though the school mentioned that I can use it as long as they separate the bathroom, this seemed to have caused a large number of protests from the students. They said ''if there''s a guy who''ll come in after we go out, we wouldn''t know how to go in anymore!'' or something like that...huh, can''t you just do it like in a normal giant bath? On a side note, if I''m to start before the girls, it seems like there will be a lot more problems, and there''s even more protests. ''if we''re to bath after a guy, how are we going to use it!'' or at least that''s what they said...like bathing in a large onsen, I''ll omit the rest. Please read the above. Anyway, it''s really too wasteful to come up with a divide just for one person, so I never had a chance to use the dorm''s onsen. To a person who likes to take baths, it''s not much different from being interrogated. "Is, is that so? I don''t know what you mean, but it''s great that Ichika feels that it''s alright." Maybe he''s just shy, as Charles just sounded really stiff. "...What''s good about having guys..." "...How unhealthy..." "...An idiot who hasn''t even realised what''s going on..." The three girls seem to mutter softly. I don''t know what''s going on, but I guess it''s best not to ask. After that, for some reason, I got blank white eyes from this trio of girls. Why''s that? I really don''t understand how girls think. "Then, please let me repeat this again. It''s nice to meet you." "Yeah, nice to meet you too, Ichika." It''s night. After finishing dinner, Charles and I return back to our room. As he''s the second boy, while we were in the cafeteria, we were surrounded and assaulted with questions. It looked like it was going to continue on like that, but luckily it ended just in time. And I really don''t know whether it''s obvious, but Charles and I are in the same room. As we''re resting after dinner, we''re drinking the Japanese tea I just brewed. "This tastes really different from red tea. It''s weird, but nice." "It''s great that you like it. If we have a chance next time, let''s go drink some matcha." On a side note, it seems that Cecilia can''t take Japanese tea, so she doesn''t drink it at all. It seems like she''s repulsed by the color. Is green really that strange? "Matcha''s the thing that''s to be drunk on tatami mats, right? I heard that it needs a special skill. Do you know how to brew it, Ichika?" "Matcha has to be ''set up'', not brewed. But I''ve only drunk a simple sample of it. Right now, they''re selling some matcha coffee in front of a station, and it does taste like coffee." "Oh I see. I want to go along next time to try it once." "Alright, I''ll bring you along then. Besides, it''s a rare chance, so let''s go out for a Sunday trip, okay?" "Really? I''m really excited. Thank you Ichika." I know that this gentle smiling Charles is a guy, but my heart started to pound. Maybe it is because he feels so mature? I don''t really know how to respond once he shows a straightforward smile. "It, it''s nothing. I haven''t drunk matcha for a long time, so I''ll bring you along." "Oh ho, thank you." Maybe he''s seeing me blush now? There''s a gentle presence in Charles''s smile. As my impression of a family was always living together with Chifuyu-nee, I don''t really know how it feels, but perhaps this is what they call ''a family-style smile''. Normally speaking, that smile can calm anyone down, but it''s making me jumpy for some reason. Anyway, let''s talk about something else. "Yeah--then how should we shower? We can go by how the day proceeds." "Ah? I''ll shower later. You can use it first, Ichika." "U? Huh, now that you mention it, I''ll feel rather apologetic...after a practical, you would most likely have a day when you want to rush to the shower, right Charles?" "No, I''m okay, I don''t really sweat, so I don''t really mind even if I don''t get to rush into the shower." "Really? Then I''ll accept that then. But you don''t really have to worry too much about me. We''re both guys anyway." "Erm, thanks." After saying that, he smiles again. Ahh I get it. As Charles''s method of thanking is too natural, anyone''s heart will race on seeing that smile. "Speaking of which, I heard that Ichika always has special IS training after school. Is that true?" "Yeah, I started off later than the rest, so I can only train to make up for it." As Charles is moving in today (but he didn''t bring his luggage), I stopped training for one day. However, I have to start training from tomorrow onwards, since there''s still the indiviudal division tournament this month. "Can I join in? I want to thank you, and I have my personal machine, so I should be able to help out." "Oh, that''ll be great! Sorry to bother you then." "Mn, leave it to me." Just like that, having obtained a partner in public and in private, I managed to sleep comfortably with a sense of relaxation. Volume 2 - CH 3 "So the reason why Ichika can''t beat Alcott-san and Rin-san is mainly because you haven''t grasped the nuances of ranged weapons." "Is, is that so? I thought I should have understood..." It''s been the fifth day since Charles came here, and today''s Saturday. In the IS Academy, Saturday mornings are for theory lessons, and afternoons are free. As the arenas are completely open on Saturdays, almost all students will use the time to practice. I''m one of them as well, as Charles and I exchanged a few moves with each other while he lectures me about IS battles. "Mm-yeah, it may sound like I''m using some half-baked knowledge, but when you fought against me, you almost couldn''t close the distance in, right?" "Um...that''s true, even the [Ignition Boost] was seen through..." "That''s because Ichika''s IS can only fight in close range, so if you downplay the characteristics of ranged weapons, you can''t win in a battle. Also, Ichika''s ignition boost goes in a straight line, so even if I can''t react in time, I can use the trajectory to predict the attack." "A straight attack...hm." "Ah, but it''s better not to forcefully try to change the trajectory. The air resistance or pressure will cause additional burden on the machine, and in the worst case scenario, may even cause fractures." "...I see." I listened seriously to Charles as I continued to nod my head. That''s because Charles'' explanation is too easy to understand. "Like, *rip*-- after I do that, there will be *klang!* *Donk dong!* feeling." "Your instincts should be able to understand, right? Use your feelings, feelings...whaa? Why can''t you understand that, idiot!" "When you defend, the right part of your body must tilt forward by 5 degrees, and when dodging, you must turn in the opposite direction by 20 degrees." So far, those three who call themselves coaches have just given me such welcoming words. In all sense, I was already at a dead end, and the savior Charles Dunois appeared. This grace is so touching that I can''t express it in words. What''s even better is that there''s no need to think too much if it''s between guys. (Speaking of which, the IS suit is really too revealing...) It doesn''t matter if it''s just an ordinary battle, but training''s just training. To be honest, my eyes will accidentally look at other places, so it''s really hard to move. "Humph, that''s because you didn''t listen to my suggestion." "I made it so easy to understand already, and yet you couldn''t understand." "Do you have any dissatisfaction against my clear and elaborate explanation?" Sigh...and the three so-called personal coaches of mine were muttering behind me. Like I just said. The arenas are completely available on Saturday afternoons, so in this third arena, there''re a lot of students who are seriously studying. However, it seems like as the only two guys training here, there''s a lot more people who want to use the 3rd arena as it looks like it''s about to overflow. Right now, many of other groups have been knocking into each other or being hit by stray bullets. That''s really tough. So far, I''ve already knocked into other people thrice. "Doesn''t Ichika''s [Byakushiki] have an equalizer?" Oh, Charles-sensei started to speak, and I have to listen. Maybe it seems that as a guy, it''s easier for me to understand another guy, so as of right now, I''m just like a sponge that can absorb water. "Oh yeah, I asked others to check a few times, but it seems like there are no more expansion slots, so everyone told me that it''s impossible to add on." "It''s just my guess, but the capacity is used on a one-off ability." "What do you mean by a one-off ability?" "As what the name says, it''s a ''one and only'' ability, and it''s an ability that occurs naturally when IS pilots are in maximum synergy with their IS." From how he was about to describe it so fluently, I can tell how outstanding Charles is. "But most of the time, it appears in second phase. Even so, as there are so many machines that haven''t discovered such power, there are 3rd generation IS that can allow multiple users to use a unique ability. Alcott-san''s [Blue Tears] and Rin-san''s [Impact Cannons] should be the same." "I see. So [Byakushiki]''s unique point is the [Reiraku Byakuya], right?" As long as it attacks something that has an energy source, it can negate and destroy it--that''s the most powerful attack of the [Byakushiki], however, activating it will deplete its own shields and energy fast. It can be described as a cursed weapon, a double-edged sword. "[Byakushiki] actually has that ability even though it''s in its 1st shift, and that alone is rather abnormal because there''s no precedence in such an ability. And its ability is even similar to Orimura-sensei''s--first generation [Brunhilde], right?" That seems to be the same. Chifuyu-nee''s weapon is the same as mine, and even the IS design''s the same. It''s really hard to explain. "But can''t that be explained as us being siblings?" "That''s not enough, I don''t think that just being siblings is enough to establish a reason. I just mentioned that it''s important for IS pilots to have synergy with the machine. So no matter how we try to emphasize on it, it''s not enough to deliberately cause such a thing. "Is that so? But anyway, we still can''t think of an answer even after thinking so long, so let''s forget about it for now." "Hm, that''s right. Then, let''s have some shooting practice! Here, this is for you." After Charles said that, he passed me the 0.55 caliber assault rifle [Vent]. "Huh? Aren''t we unallowed to use other people''s weapons?" "Normally, but if the owner unlocks it, everyone can use it as long as they''re registered. Hm, right now, I allowed Ichika to use it with [Byakushiki]. Try shooting it." This is the first time I''m holding a gun, and I find it unexpectedly heavy. As the IS has an energy field, normally speaking, I shouldn''t be able to feel the weight. This is the first time I''m holding a weapon, so most likely, that''s the reason why there''s a mental feeling. "I, I just need to hold it like this, right?" "Let me see...close your armpit down and move your left arm here, got that?" Charles got behind me, and though there''s a difference in our height, he used the floating feature of the IS to nimbly guide my arms. "And as it''s a firearm, there will be lots of recoil, but the IS will almost negate it completely, so you don''t have to worry. Can you do a connection detection?" "You''re talking about that option when using firearms, right? I was looking for it since just now, but I couldn''t find it." As I''m shooting in hi-speed, I definitely need a super hi-grade sensor. That''s to include the required signal when the enemy''s in firing range for the IS pilot to detect. The weapons and sensors have to be linked together, but ever since the beginning, [Byakushiki] doesn''t even have such an option. "Hm--even if it''s a close-ranged machine, normally speaking, there should be one..." "I feel that this is a flawed machine." "Maybe it''s a 100% close combat fighter frame. Well, it can''t be helped. You can use just your eyes to judge." Ohh, to think that I actually have such disadvantageous conditions while shooting for the first time. But it''s useless to complain now. Anyway, let''s shoot first. "I''m firing then." "Well, I guess once you shoot, you should find it rather different." I can''t understand the feeling if I don''t try it myself, so what Charles said should be correct. Anyway, I take a deep breath and force my strength into the trigger. *BAM!* "WOAH!" The explosion of the firearm was too loud, and it shocked me. So I can hear such a loud sound even when shooting? "How is it?" "Ah, ahh, I don''t know. The first thing that came to my mind was ''fast''." I understand that a bullet''s speed is really fast, but after firing it, this became even more obvious. "Go-Got it." Besides, my body got hit by the recoilthough most of the power was worn off, and this is the first time I experienced such a different feeling from a sword, so my heart started to pound like crazy. "That''s right. It''s fast. Though Ichika''s [Ignition Boost] is fast, the bullet is small in size, so its speed increases at a faster rate. Thus, if the enemy predicts the trajectory, it would be easy to hit you, and even if it didn''t, it can suppress an enemy. It''s right for Ichika to have an attacking mindset, but there still has to be a brake in your heart." "So that''s why the distance kept getting away and the enemy started to attack me..." "Mn." ...I see. So that''s the reason? Eliminating Houki, who specialises in close range, it''s no wonder that whenever I fought against Rin or Cecilia, I always ended up being attacked...I see. I can finally understand now. "I already explained so many times that it was like that...!" "So you didn''t even know that? Sigh, what an idiot." "I almost wanted to say that you almost understood. Why did you still chose to fight like that when you''re practically underestimating yourself?" Ahh, what''s going on? I seem to have some people rolling their eyes behind me as they said to mehm, a conversation is important, so we should talk more to understand each other more. It''s because we don''t understand each other so well that we ended up having miscommunications on so many different aspects. "Ah, please continue trying. It''s alright to use up one magazine." "Okay, thanks." After calming myself down more than before, I shot 2-3 rounds. I felt the impact spread through the shoulders and throughout my entire body as I continued to think of how to close the distance. "Speaking of which, is Charles'' IS a [Revive]?" "Mn, that''s right. Ah, your arms are open. Close your armpits tight again." "Is, is that so...like this?" "Ok! Also, try to let the gun''s sights remain in front of your eyes. You can''t shoot accurately if you tilt your head!" I continue to accept his guidance as I ask something that I''ve been wondering about. "As for that IS, it looks very different from the one Yamada-sensei''s using. Are they really the same model?" The IS [Raphael Revive] (commonly called the Revive) that Yamada-sensei uses has 4 deep blue multi-directional thrusters on the exterior. In contrast, Charles IS is different in colour and design. The pair of thrusters on the back of Charles'' IS look like 2 sets of wings that''re divided down the middle, which increases the mobility and acceleration. Also, the armor has somewhat been modified from Yamada-sensei''s machine. In terms of the weapon box, it seem to have one huge box behind with another small thruster on it. It seems it''s used for maintaining balance. However, the biggest difference in all these is that the 4 blocks of physical shields that were attached onto the shoulders were all removed. What replaced them is an arm-sized shield on the left arm and a cooling exterior on the right arm to prevent any disturbances when firing. "Oh, that''s because its been customized for me, so a lot of things were modified. The actual name of this baby is [Raphael-Revive Custom II]. The functionality has been multiplied after removing a few pieces of equipment." "Multiplied? That''s amazing...I really hope you can share some with me." "Hahaha, I''m okay with giving you one. As it''s custom-made, right now, it has about 20 equalizers. "Wowthat feels somewhat like an armory." In fact, since they were all weapons that were specialized for IS, it wasn''t something that could be brought over with just ''somewhat''...what I said wasn''t an exaggeration at all. The firepower''s basically equivalent to 10 tanks...or more seriously, hundreds of them. However, Cecilia and Rin have only about 5 IS equipment slots, or at the most 8. That''s because it''s impossible to use all the weapons that are stored up. More importantly, considering the waiting time needed to summon a weapon, there''s no point in having more. And that custom machine of his should have been made with these considerations, so maybe Charles has some unique skills? "Huh, look at that..." "No way, that''s the 3rd generation German model." "I heard that it''s still in the testing phase in their country..." The arena started to buzz all of a sudden. I just used up an entire magazine of 16 rounds, so I turned to look at where everyone''s looking at. "..." Standing over there was the other transfer student, the German representative candidate, Laura Bodewig. Ever since the moment when she first transferred in, she had never interacted with anyone in class, let alone say a single word. She''s a lonely and proud girl. On a side note, I haven''t talked to her at all. That''s because she slapped me for no good reason, so I don''t really know how to talk to her...u--yeah, how about a smile? "Hey." A voice could be heard from the IS communication channel. As it happened on the first time, I could never forget that voice. It''s Laura herself. "...What." Though I didn''t really want to answer, I couldn''t just ignore her. After I answered her casually, Laura continued to speak as she glided down. "It seems like you possess a personal IS. If that''s the case, it''s simple. Fight me." What''s this person saying? Does she like to fight? "Nope. I have no reason to fight you." "You don''t, I do." Ahh, I see--Germany, Chifuyu-nee. I can link these two events together to remember one thing. It''s the finals of the 2nd Mondo Grosso. That''s a memory I myself personally don''t want to remember, yet it''s etched deeply within me. --Basically, on the day of the finals, I got abducted by a mysterious organization. This mysterious organization--this isn''t even a name in a movie script...how lousy is that. However, they were so mysterious that there''s no other way to describe them, and since it''s a mysterious organization, I suppose it should be alright to describe them as such. Nobody knows why they did that. Anyway, I got abducted and locked into a pitch black place. As it was dark all around, I lost all feelings for a while, but after a while, the room suddenly shook due to an impact, and after the wall collapsed, what appeared under the rays of light that shone in was Chifuyu-nee in an IS. It seems like she got notification from the finals arena and flew directly here. That''s right. At that time, I couldn''t forget how Chifuyu-nee looked. Suave, overpowering and beautiful. Thus, the finals naturally ended up with Chifuyu-nee losing on default. She didn''t manage to complete her bi-championship, and as everyone believed that Chifuyu-nee would win, her decision to forfeit was quite the shock. Though the fact remains that I was abducted, at the time, the German military managed to obtain information through their unique reconnaissance. And then, as a condition, the Germans got ''compensation'' for providing information to save me. After the tournament, Chifuyu-nee became an instructor for a year. After that, she disappeared for a while and suddenly reappeared before becoming an IS Academy instructor. "If it wasn''t for your existence, instructor would have easily reclaimed the championship, so I will never, ever, agree to your existence." ...And that seemed to be the case. As Chifuyu-nee''s student, Laura must practically worship her strength. That''s why Laura hates me for breaking Chifuyu-nee''s perfect, undefeated record. Well, I guess I can understand her feelings, because I''m the same as well. To be honest, I couldn''t forgive myself for being so weak that day. However, that''s different from the situation now, and that''s not enough reason for me to fight Laura. At least, I don''t want to fight. "Maybe next time." "Humph, since that''s the case. I''ll make you fight me." After she said that, Laura switched her black IS into battle mode. At that moment, the large missile that was equipped on her left arm immediately shot out. *BAM!* "Suddenly starting battle in such an enclosed space. Germans are really hot tempered, huh? So are your people''s beers and brains hot?" "You..." Butting in, Charles used his shield to deflect the live bullet and pointed the .61 [Garm] sub-machine gun on his right hand at Laura. "To think that the likes of a second generation French IS is standing in my way." "It''s probably more mobile than your third generation German model which still can''t be mass produced." They glared at each other coolly. Though I''m shocked by Charles interfering, I''m more impressed that he managed to summon his equipment so quickly. He managed to summon the weapon immediately in 1-2 seconds and even aim at the enemy. I see, it''s because of that that he''s able to have so many equalizers? He can probably choose the most suitable weapon for battle even if he doesn''t summon it and reload at the same time. In other words, he has an overwhelming advantage in an endurance fight, and can even switch his own weapons to counter the enemy''s. I can finally understand why Charles is a representative candidate and why his machine''s a customized one. "You students over there! What are you doing! State your year, class and register number!" An audio broadcast can be heard. Most likely, the teacher who''s in charge came rushing over. "...Humph. I''ll retreat for today." Maybe her enthusiasm was curbed because someone interrupted her, Laura casually got rid of her battle mode and left the arena through the gates, although it''s very likely that the extremely angry teacher that is standing over there, seeing Laura''s personality, will pretend not to notice her. "Are you okay, Ichika?" "Oh, yeah, I''m okay. Thanks." The sharp expression that Charles showed when he faced off against Laura several seconds back disappeared, and right now, he''s looking concerned as he observes me. "That''s it for today''s training. It''s already past 4, and the arena''s closing soon anyway." "Ah, that''s good. Oh ya, thanks for your gun. I got quite the lesson here." "That''s good." He smiled again. Though that lack of defensive mindset often caused me to feel anxious, the problem is always what happens next. "Huh...we''ll go back after you change." That''s right. It happened all the time. After the IS practicals, Charles never changed clothes with me...it''s not that he''s unwilling, but he never changed clothes with me after practicals. The only time he changed clothes with me was on the day when he first transferred in. After that, he either changed into the IS suit or headed out faster and changed faster than me. And what''s even more weird is that Charles, who would guide me through so earnestly during practicals, would become really stiff once we returned back to our room "Huthat''s refreshing...ah, you can use the shower." "I-Ichika, why aren''t you wearing clothes?" "I am. I''m just wearing shorts." "Uu, you have to wear something on top. And, and also, dry your hair." "Ahh, no need to be so troublesome." "You, you have to. Ichika has to be properly dressed up!" "We''re both guys, so there''s no problems! Speaking of which, Charles, you always dress up nicely before going out. Well, you don''t have to worry too much about me." "I-Ichika! You should think about others more! Ahh that''s enough! I''m leaving you alone!" --We used to have such conversations. I don''t really know why, but Charles would start to nag at me when we''re alone. It''s more like ''he started to tell me off after being unable to stand it''. Hm, is Charles the naggy mother type? I don''t really understand how parents really are, so I tried to imagine it from what I heard from Gotanda. Such words should be said by a mother, right? Let''s not talk about that...since we''re already roommates, and are guys, we should use this chance to build our relationship with each other. Alright, time to convince him. "We should occasionally change clothes together." "No, no." "Don''t be so heartless." "Instead of being heartless, why do you want to change clothes with me, Ichika?" "Well, then why doesn''t Charles want to change clothes with me?" Though it''s really classless to answer a question using a question, I have to be more forceful in order to deal with Charles. That was what I learnt during the past few days, so there shouldn''t be any problems. "Why...that''s, that''s because, I-I''ll feel awkward..." This chap''s really weird. Though Charles himself looks rather slender, he does look like he trained his body. If that''s the case, what''s there to be embarrassed about?" "There won''t be any problems once you get used to it. Come on, let''s go change together." "No, that, that..." Maybe he''s still thinking of an excuse as he looks aroundalright, time to give him a nudge. "Hey, Charles--" WAH! "Okay, okay, hurry up and go change. You won''t have any friends if you don''t know how to hold back." I got choked on the neck from behind. Wah, this is killing me! Let go, Rin! RIN! "Ah, ahem...if you want to find someone to change with, well, I''m not too willing, but it can''t be helped. I, I can change with you" "We''re changing as well, Cecilia. Hurry up and get over here." "Houki, Houki-san! Don''t grab my neckI, I got it! I''ll go over! Okay okay okay! I''ll obediently change in the girls'' changing room!" Just when Cecilia was about to argue, Houki forcefully grabbed her by the back of the neck and pulled her back...what? Is such a skill required to be a childhood friend? (Speaking of which, the girls'' have been calling each other by their own names since who knows when.) Though they looked like they didn''t meet eye to eye, I guess that can be explained by them being with each other for a while. It seems that they can call each other by their names now. I got it, it''s that, right? Fighting at the riverbank until the sun setand then starting to talk? ''You''re good'', ''you too'' kind of thing, right? Hold on. If that''s the case, doesn''t that mean that they have to fight against each other? No way, I''m against violence. "Rin." "What?" "I''m against violence." "THIS IS CALLED VIOLENCE!" How rude. Knocking me on the head like that, I just said that I''m against violence! "Who asked you to raise an objection before I even hit you, idiot." No matter what, I don''t want to be hit continuously. The arena''s about to close. Better go change now. "I''m going off then." "Ah, okay." After saying that to Charles, I headed towards the gate. As I''ve gotten used to accelerating and stopping suddenly, my IS control is more or less refined now. "But speaking of which, this sure is luxurious." In the empty changing room, there are already about 50 lockers, and the room''s naturally as wide as it indicates. I transformed [Byakushiki] back into the standby mode as I sat down on the bench and took off the IS suit. "SighI really want a bath..." Though the suit can really absorb sweat, it doesn''t change the fact that I sweat, so to be honest, I really want to relax my body and soul. According to rumors, as there are 2 guys in school now, it seems like Yamada-sensei is rescheduling the onsen usage time. Thank you very much. "Alright, I''m done changing." It''s easy for guys to change clothes, it will be over after I just think about something. "Excuse me, are Orimura-kun and Dunois-kun inside?" "What''s wrong? Huh, only Orimura''s inside." I heard the call of someone from otuside. The owner of the voice should be Yamada-sensei. Speaking of the devil. "Can I come in? Are you changing?" Why is it that voices will drag when they''re calling someone from afar? It really can''t be explained...but that goes for me as well. "Ah, no problems. I''m done changing, so please enter." The door swooshed open, and Yamada-sensei walked in. The opening chorus of compressed air was as cool-sounding as ever. "Isn''t Dunois-kun with you? I heard that he was training together with Orimura-kun." "Ah, he''s still in the arena. Maybe he went back to the control zone. What''s up? If it''s really important, I can call him over." "Ah, it''s not really anything major, so please pass the message to him. From the end of this month onwards, both of you can use the onsen. As there will be problems allocating times to allow you to use it, we decided to allow you to use the onsen twice every week." "IS THAT TRUE!?" What do you mean it''s not something important? This is something important! I can finally take a bath now! I''m so touched that I couldn''t help but grab Yamada-sensei''s hands and say, "I''M SO HAPPY, THAT''S WONDERFUL! THANK YOU YAMADA-SENSEI!" "It-It''s alright. It''s my job anyway..." Maybe that''s true, but right now, I''m so thankful and overwhelmed with emotions that I really want to express my thanks. "No no no. It''s all because of Yamada-sensei''s great work. Thank you very much!" "Is, is that so? Saying it like that, I''m getting really embarrassed, hahaha..." At that moment, I just realised that there''s only both of us in the changing room, and I''m holding onto a female teacher''s hands so passionatelywhat should I say? I feel an ominous presence that indicates that something bad is about to happen. "...Ichika? What are you doing?" ACK! ...What, so it''s Charles? Phew. "Ah, no. It''s nothing." I suddenly let go of my hands. Maybe it''s really embarrassing that Charles had to say this to me. Yamada-sensei immediately turned her back at me after I let go of her hands. "Ichika, I should have told you to go back first." "Oh yeah, you did. Sorry." Phew, why do I feel that Charles sounded really vexed? But he''s giving the same look. Maybe I''m thinking too much. "Charles, I got good news for ya. We can use the onsen starting from the end of this month!" "Oh." Having removed his IS, Charles glanced at me, who''s all pumped up, as he starts to rubs his head with a towel. Uuhm, seems like he''s not feeling too good. But it''s such rare good news, and his response is so dull. It''s really somewhat anti... "Ah, that''s right. I still need Orimura-kun for something. I got some documents for you to fill, so can you please come to the office? As it''s related to the official registration of [Byakushiki], there''s a lot of pages." "Got itthen Charles, This will take quite some time, so you can use the bathroom first." "Mn, got it." "Then let''s go, Yamada-sensei." Closing the doors up, Charles, who''s alone in the dormitory room, sighed. Maybe he endured it up till now, as the sigh he unconsciously let out was much deeper than what he expected, shocking even himself. (What am I frustrated about...) Recalling the attitude he showed in the changing room, it was really shameful on his part. It''s likely that Ichika should be even more shocked, causing his mood to worsen. (...Let''s take a shower to lighten the mood.) Charles pulled out a change of clothes from his own cupboard and walked towards the bathroom. "Hoodone, done." There were a lot of documents alright, but they''re just things that need to be signed, so it''s not as time-consuming as I thought it would be. So now I''m the official pilot of the [Byakushiki]...hm, but that''s just what the documents mean, so there shouldn''t be any drastic changes, right? "I''m backhm, that''s strange? Charles isn''t here." Thinking about this, I hear the sound of water in the bathroom. (Oh, he''s bathingspeaking of which, he did tell me that we ran out of bathing foam.) Remembering what Charles said, I pulled out the pre-prepared bathing foam from my cupboard. Since I had thought that I would be the one bathing first, I thought I should fill it up while bathing. (HmmCharles probably doesn''t know what to do. Let''s just take it to him.) The bathing room is separated from the sink and the changing area, so I should just head to the changing area and call him, I guess. After thinking about that, I head towards the sink. *Klak* --*Klak*? Huh. I just opened the room, and it''s too strange to hear such a sound...ah, did Charles open the bathroom door? He should be looking for bathing foam. "Ah, nice timing, this is the refill" "I-I-I...chika...?" "Wha...?" A ''girl'' I didn''t recognise walked out of the bathroom. --How can I tell? It''s simple, she has breasts. Her drenched hair is blond and curly with such softness and elasticity, and she has nice long legs on her slender body. Her slender waist also indicates larger breasts than what they should be. Her blond hair and purple eyes clearly show that she''s not Japanese. Maybe it''s because of that the breasts are probably at least size C no matter the measurements. It''s really unbelievably eye-catching. The crystal clear skin carried beads of water on them, and they looked as beautiful as diamonds. Anyway, the girl was completely naked, and though I wanted to look away, my eyes continued to stare involuntarily. "Huh, well~, that..." I seem to realise where I had met this naked girl before, but as my mind''s in a mess, I really can''t arrange my thoughts well. Let me think, blond hair...blond--? "KYAHH!!" A ''girl'' I didn''t recognise walked out of the bathroom. *BAM!* Suddenly recovering, the girl hurriedly covers her breasts and escapes back into the bathroom. "..." "...Wh-at..." The person on the other side of the door doesn''t say anything. It''s likely that she''s like me, not knowing what to do. "I-I''ll, I''ll leave the bathing foam here..." "O-Okay..." After this conversation that ended with a questionable outcome, I placed the bottle in front of the bathroom door and left the changing area. Huh, what''s the situation now? Logically, Charles should be inside the showers now--mu, so it was Charles just now? Speaking of which, she does look like Charles. If he was to let the hair he ties up down, it''s likely he would look like that. But that''s not the main problem. (But it''s weird. Why does Charles have breasts? That''s right, breasts--) I can''t shake off the image that''s imprinted into my eyes. (Her breasts...are pretty) I''M AN IDIOT! THAT''S NOT THE MAIN POINT! No, I can''t deny it completely. (Damn it, it''s better not to think too much. Burn till thy heart is cooled off, and everything shall be dreams amongst dreams.) *Klak*... "!?" The changing area door opened softly, but to me, that''s a lot louder than anything else, causing my body to freeze. "I-I''m done..." "I-I see." The voice that came from behind did belong to Charles. I tried my best to ignore my rapidly beating heart as I slowly turned around. A girl was standing over there. "..." "..." I guess it''s about an hour since we got like this? The girl in front of me--or rather, Charles herself--is facing me as both of us sit on the bed, but our eyes waver as we let time pass silently. "Ah--that..." As there hasn''t been any progress, I opened my mouth to speak, and the female version of Charles trembled...there''s no need to be so shocked, right... "Would you like some tea?" "Huh, okay, I''ll have some..." Both of us probably agreed that it was better to have something to drink while talking. At this point, this was the first time I realized that we had the same idea. Anyway, I boiled the water using the electric kettle and poured it into the teapot. "..." "..." Both of us sank into silence before the tea was prepared. But this couldn''t be helped. I just hoped that the tea leaves would dissolve faster. "It''s done. Here." "Oh, thank you--KYAH!!" As my hand passes the teacup to her, I touched her fingers, causing her to recoil in shock. In this situation, I nearly dropped the teacup onto the floor. And just when I re-grabbed the cup, the tea landed on my hand due to the reaction. "HOT HOT! WATER, WATER!" I rushed towards the basin and turned the faucet to the maximum. The gush of water cooled my hand down. At least I managed to settle it without creating such a serious situation. "So-Sorry! Are you okay?" "Sor-Sort of. I cooled it off with cold water immediately. There shouldn''t be any scalding." "Le-Let me see...ahh, it''s all red now. I''m sorry." Panicking, Charles ran over to my side and pulled my hand, looking at the place where I got scalded with tea-water painfully. "I''ll get ice over here immediately!" "Hol-Hold on, wait a minute. There''ll be problems if you go out like this. I''ll go get it on my own." Like usual, Charles'' wearing a clean cut and suave sports jacket, but maybe due to the fact that her identity is exposed, she''s not wearing anything to restrain the breasts, and the clothing she''s wearing will clearly show her figure, so one can immediately tell that she has breasts. "However--" "More importantly than the ice...that, how am I going to go about with this...your breasts, they''re pressing against my body..." "!!!" After I mentioned this, Charles finally noticed her positioning. She jumped away from me like she was flying, looking like she wants to cover her breasts as she hugged her own body. "..." Though it''s faint, Charles'' definitely giving me a look of protest that all girls would have. "And I was worried about you...Ichika no ecchi[2C 1] ..." "Why''s that?" What''s she talking about!? She''s treating me like a bad guy, totally illogical! I''m being slandered, I tell ya, slandered! Maybe it was just my imagination, but Charles wasn''t just giving a look of protest, there was also a look of embarrassment and yet happiness mixed together. ...Huh, maybe I''m just thinking too much, but no guy should be feeling happy after being touched by a guy, right? "Ho...I guess that''s enough cooling. Then, here''s another cup." "Thank, thank you." Charles received the teacup properly this time and took a gulp of tea. And after I took a sip to clear my throat, I raised the question I had been holding back. "Why did you choose to crossdress as a guy?" "That''s because...that...tha...someone in my family, he told me to do..." "Hm? Your family? That''s the Dunois''" "Yes. My dad''s the chairman of that company, and he ordered me to do it." ...? For some reason, I feel that something''s wrong. Ever since he began, it looks obvious that Charles has some bad memories about it. "You said he ordered...your dad? Why did he order you to do such a" "Ichika...well, I''m an illegitimate child." --I have nothing to say. I''m a 15-year-old boy who only has a normal understanding of society, and I don''t even understand about what''s going on around the world, and don''t even know the meaning of the term ''illegitimate child''. "I was sent back 2 years ago, about the time when my mother died. My dad''s subordinates came looking and put me through many check-ups. They immediately found that my IS aptitude was extremely high, so...while it was unofficial, I was made a test pilot." It''s likely that all of these were things that Charles didn''t want to mention. Even so, she still said it out, so I listened to her silently. "I only met my dad twice, and only talked to him those two times. I usually stayed somewhere else, and was only summoned to the main house onceit was horrible. I got beaten up by the real wife and labelled ''a thief''s daughter''. It was miserable...had my mother told me more, I wouldn''t have been so lost." Hahaha. Though Charles laughed softly, her voice was still dry and without emotion, and I couldn''t answer to her smile. Besides, Charles probably doesn''t need such an influence, right? But for some reason, I started to rage, and had to clench my fist to endure that emotion. "After a while, the Dunois Corporation was facing a crisis." "Huh? But the Dunois Corporation has the third largest share of mass-produced IS in the world." "That''s correct, but the Revive is still a second generation machine after all. IS development needs a lot of money, and most of the enterprises were only able to develop after getting the support of their respective country. However, France was omitted from the European Union''s ''Ignition Plan'', and facing this crisis, they had to create 3rd generation frames. Though it was out of national defense concerns, for a country that doesn''t have enough capital, what awaits it is doom if they don''t get any benefits right from the beginning." Speaking which, I remember what Cecilia said about 3rd generation IS development. "Right now, the European Union''s having a surge in selecting the 3rd generation Ignition Plan! Right now, the ones taking part are my country''s [Blue Tears], Germany''s [Schwarzer] and Italy''s [Thunderstorm II]. Though England''s leading right now in terms of practical usage, there''s still some instability, so the country sent me into this IS Academy to obtain data." I remember she said that. So this means that the reason why Laura transferred in was also because of that. Back to the main pointthus, the Dunois Corporation would end up developing the 3rd generation frames, but they were already a lot slower than the other countries and was the last company selling the second generation frames. Thus, they had too little data and time, and couldn''t create much. Thus, the government naturally gave far little capital to the Dunois Corporation. Then, the situation had become one such that ''if the company fails in the next selection, the government will completely cut off funding and even revoke the rights to develop IS''. "I can get what''s going on, but what does that have to do with you having to dress up as a guy?" "It''s simple. I''m supposed to gain publicity. And also" Charles looks away from me and says with an anxious voice, "If I''m a guy, it''ll be easier for me to approach the current irregular case that appeared in Japan. If possible, I''m to take his IS and biometric data back. Just like that." "In other words" "That''s right. He called me to steal [Byakushiki]''s data. That person." As I listened to what she said, isn''t that father just using Charles? She just so happened to have high IS aptitude, and if that''s the case, make use of herit felt like that. And then, Charles herself should understand more of this better than I can...I see, no wonder she talked about her real father like an outsider. That''s not a father, that''s just a strangerthat''s the way she segregated him out of her life. "Hm, that''s the case, but now that Ichika found out, I''ll definitely be recalled back...as for Dunois'' Corporation, mn...whether it collapses or merges with other enterprises, it shouldn''t be the same as now, right? It doesn''t matter to me anyway." "..." "Ah, I feel a lot better saying it out. Thank you for listening to me! Also, I''m sorry for lying to you. I''m sorry." Charles bowed to me deeply. Before I realized it, I found myself grabbing onto her shoulders and forcing her to look up. "Is that fine with you?" "Huh...?" "Is that alright with you? Definitely not, right? So what about them parents, do they have the rights to take a kid''s freedom away? That logic''s too strange!" "I-Ichika...?" Charles shows a timid look of not understanding what''s happening, butahh damn it, I can''t stop talking. That''s mostly because I can''t even control my emotions now. "It''s logical that kids won''t be born if there are no parents. But still, that doesn''t mean that they can do anything with them. That''s absolutely ridiculous! Everyone has the right to choose how they live, AND THAT''S NOT SOMETHING THAT EVEN PARENTS CAN INTERFERE WITH!" As I kept talking, I seemed to noticeI see, I''m definitely not talking about Charles. I''m talking about myself, right? And then, thinking about Chifuyu-nee who''s been working so hard, I had all the more reason not to endure further. "Wha-What''s wrong with you, Ichika? You seem strange..." "Wha, ah...sorry, I just got agitated all of a sudden." "It''s alright...but what happened to you?" "IChifuyu-nee and I were abandoned by our parents." Perhaps she understands what it means to ''be abandoned by parents'', Charles lowers her head in apology. "About that...I''m sorry." "Don''t. I only have Chifuyu-nee, and right now, I don''t want to see my parents at all. Right now, the most important thing, Charles, is, what are you going to do next?" "How...I guess it''s a matter of time? If the French government learns the truth, they will revoke my rights as a representative candidate without saying a word. If I''m lucky, I''ll spend some time in prison..." "Is it okay?" "That doesn''t matter. I have no right to choose. This can''t be helped." After saying that, Charles reveals a smile that''s heart-wrenching. That''s an expression that far surpasses the realization of despair. I can''t forgive Charles for showing such an expression, and at the same time, I''m furious that I can''t do anything to help herI''m extremely frustrated that I can''t even save a friend now. "...If that''s the case, just stay here." "What?" "Clause number 21 of the special directive: students who are studying in this Academy will not be affiliated to any country, organisation or syndicate. Without the student''s agreement, external organisations are not allowed to manage them.''" Oh yeah, that can be used! Thinking about this, my mind calmed down, and I then recited what I memorised from the textbook with such fluency. "In other words, you won''t be affected for 3 years as long as you stay in this school, right? If there''s so much time, we can find a way to solve it. Besides, there''s no need to rush." "Ichika." "Hm? What is it?" "It''s amazing that you could remember it. There are 55 clauses." "...I do work hard, you know." "Really. Hehehe." Charles finally laughedand that''s a 15-year-old girl''s laugh, devoid of any dark clouds. (Uu, it''s making me nervous for some reason...) Looking closely, Charles'' body''s really nice looking, and most importantly, she has a gentle presence. Maybe it''s because of this that she looked really cute to me. Right now, this defenselessness of hers is making my heart race. "An-Anyway, the decision''s still Charles''. Do what you want." "Mn, I will." As I''m starting to feel awkward about this, I immediately end this conversation. But should I give her a little push? Thinking about this, I again turn to look at Charles, and our eyes crossed each others. "Hm? What''s wrong?" "Ah, it''s nothing..." I don''t know if Charles understands what I''m thinking as she glances at my face. This isn''t just a defenseless expression. The cleavage that''s showing from below the collar is causing my heart to beat crazily. "An-Anyway. How should I say this...Charles, please back away." "?" "No, that...your breasts..." After bringing it up, Charles'' cheeks blush...it felt like something similar happened a second ago. "I-Ichika, you''ve been fixated at my breasts...could it be that you want to see them?" "Wh-What?" "..." "..." Charles said something that''s hiding her real thoughts, causing me to panic. For some reason, she blushed and remained silent, causing an awkward atmosphere between both of us. *THOMP* *THOMP* ""!!"" "Ichika-san, are you there? It seems that you haven''t eaten dinner yet. Are you feeling bad?" The sudden knocking and calling at the door made us jump up in shock. "Ichika-san, I''m coming in." Damn it, damn it, damn it! We''re doomed this time! Once she sees Charles like this, any dimwitted fellow can tell that she''s a girl. "Wha-What do we do?" "An-Anyway, hurry up and hide." "I, I got it. I''ll go hide then" "HEYY! Why the cupboard? The bed, the bed! Cover yourself in the blanket!" "Oh, oh yeah, I forgot." Charles and I hurriedly movedclak, the door opened. "Oh, oh, hi Cecilia! What''s up? Is something up?" "....What are you doing?" Right now, the scenario is that I''m using a blanket to cover Charles'' body and pressing her down from above. Anyone would probably find it weird to see someone sprawled wide on a blanket. Cecilia''s looking like she''s trying to point it out anyway. "No-Nothing, Charles seem to be sick, so I was just covering him with a blanket. Hahaha..." "...Do Japanese have a way of curing sick people by sprawling on them?" No, there isn''t. There has never been such a thing in the world, right? Or rather, how could there be one!? "An-Anyway, about that, Charles just said that he''s not feeling well, so he wants to sleep. It doesn''t seem like he wants to eat dinner either, so I just said something along the lines like I''ll go alone or something like that." "That, that''s true." A vague voice could be heard from inside the blanket. Hey, act more like a sick person, will you? "A-Ahem." Wahh, that feels deliberate. So I still can''t fool her...? "A-Ahh, is that so? I haven''t eaten my dinner as well. Uh hm, there sure are rare coincidences in the world." Seems like I just fooled Cecilia as she suddenly changes her attitude and changes the topic to going for dinner together. Now it seems like I need to find a way to get food back for Charles. "Ahem, then, enjoy yourselves then." "I, I got it." "Dunois-san, please take care. Ichika-san, let''s go then." She links an arm with mine. As expected of an Englishwoman, doing something that a Japanese doesn''t really do. To be honest, I''m really troubled that she''s being so close to me, but right now, I don''t want her to keep thinking about the weird stuff, so I might as well just let her crazy me out like this. We left the room and arrived on the corridor. While walking down the staircase, we hear a shout. "WHA-WHA-WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" Another person came running down fast from the other end of the corridor, and I can tell who''s that without looking...it''s Houki. "Ahh, Houki-san, we''re going to have dinner together now." It seems like she''s emphasising on the word ''together''. Is there a special meaning behind it? Maybe it''s something that I don''t know and the girls do, some myth or something. "WHAT HAS THAT GOT TO DO WITH LINKING ARMS AND STICKING YOURSELF SO CLOSE TO HIM LIKE THAT!?" "Oh? It''s absolutely natural for a gentleman to escort a lady." Is that so? I thought that I was the one being escorted...ahh, Houki''s glaring at me now. Why is it my fault now? "You too, Ichika! I was waiting at the cafeteria for you, what''s going on!?" "Even if you ask me, I had..." I still had other things to do. Besides, you went there on your own. Isn''t it too much to scold me then? "Anyway, we''re going to eat now. We''ll take our leave now." "Hol-Hold it! If that''s the case, I''m coming along as well. I''m going for dinner as well." Hm? Is that so? "Ara ara, Houki-san, eating too much will speed up weight gain, you know?" "Humph, don''t worry about me. I will burn off those calories through my activity level." Ohh, are you talking about the kendo club that you never show up for? The sempais will cry. There''s a national-level freshman who doesn''t come for practice at all. Houki, I''m really happy that you''ll train me after class, but you should at least show up at the club? It''s too bad if the potential you trained so much goes to waste. "Besides, my household sent me this, so I''ll be training Iai with this. There won''t be any problems." She said that as she shows us--WAH! IT''S A KATANA! It''s sheathed, but I remember it. I remember it''s a famous katana that was passed down for generations ever since the Edo period--in other words, it''s a real katana. "It''s name is Akeyou, crafted by the master swordsmith Akaru Giyou in his last years." After the master swordsmith Akaru Giyou chose a swordswoman as his lifelong partner, he abandoned all the swords he made before and moved up into Hida mountain. It seemed like he created ''a sword that exists for women''. The idea of ''women beating men'' was of using soft power to beat hard power. As a swordsmith, it seemed that he was always chasing that theme. Of course, all these started from when he first met his wife. That Akaru Giyou finally came up with two conclusions. "When swinging swords, swords should never touch other weapons. Also, a fatal blow must be dealt while the sword''s close." "One must draw the sword faster than the enemy, and the first hit must kill the enemy immediately." Houki has the latter--which is a katana that''s made to be long and thin. The sheath was made to be longer than normal, but what''s unbelievable is that the drawing speed is actually faster than a dagger. I remember that one reason was because of the smoothness of the sheath and the circular motion of the body. And the other was the footing. But is this alright? There''s a high school student carrying a katana with her in this law-enforced country called Japan...oh yeah, I forgot. This is IS Academy, it''s ''a land that does not belong to any country'', whether in legal terms or in international. "The-Then, let''s go." Hm, Hm? Why did Houki run to me--HUH, WAH! WHY ARE YOU EVEN HOLDING MY ARM!? "...Houki-san, may I know what you''re doing?" "It''s natural for a man to escort a lady, right?" Escort...you two, we''re just heading to the cafeteria! Let me add on, Cecilia''s holding onto my left arm, and Houki''s on my right. Hey, three people in a straight line will block the corridor! Look, everyone''s looking! "Ahh, so good..." "This is the so-called being hugged on both sides, I guess." "What childhood friend? That''s too sneaky!" "What personal machine? That''s too sneaky!" Hm? Huh...why is everyone staring and Houki and Cecilia with such envious eyes? And it seem like these two people are doing it deliberately to earn the envious eyes of many. Is being escorted by a boy really something that''s worth being envious for? Cecilia''s holding onto my left arm, and Houki''s on my right. "Excuse me." "What?" "What is it?" "It''s really hard to walk like this." Kii! I got pinched on both hands! What, what are you two doing? Everyone watch them! "Don''t you have anything else to say in this situation..." "People who don''t realize how happy they are are dumber than dogs." Happiness? Well, is being pinched on both sides really considered happiness in England? Sorry, I just don''t have that habit. "Ne-Never mind. Anyway, let''s go for dinner." After I prompted them, we continued to walk, but there''s another awkward situation. "Today''s fish set meal is mackerel, it should be delicious." Squeeze over here. "I heard that the Western set today has half-cooked egg and bacon spagetti. Want go get some, Ichika-san?" Squeeze over there. "Oh, oh yeah, well, about that. I think both are good." Though I thought this way, what my mind was really thinking was: ANYTHING WILL DO! Actually, I would prefer to change the current situation now. They''re holding onto my arms, and 3 people walking together will be rather obstructive. Thus, while both of them continue to walk, for every step we take, my arms are--well, how should I say it? I feel the soft ample parts of the girls, and even though I told myself not to think about it, I would still remain aware of it. "What''s wrong, Ichika?" "Is there anything wrong, Ichika-san?" Both of them squeezed over. They glance up at my face, and they''re sticking even closer to me. While our bodies are touching each other, my arms can clearly feel their breasts being squashed underneath their clothes. "NO, NOTHING AT ALL! NOTHING! REALLY NOTHING! DEFINITELY NOTHING!" [2C 2] I tried to use the five perfective regular verbs to grasp tightly onto my sanity I was rapidly losing. Though it seemed like I lost a part, I don''t need to mind that stuff. Speaking of which, is it used like that? After that, I don''t even remember much about what I ate, let alone the taste. "I, I''m back..." "Ah, Ichika, welcome back--what''s wrong? You seem to swaying about." "Oh, no, don''t mind me, I''m alright. Actually, you should be pretty hungry now, right? I brought a grilled fish set meal here. You don''t mind eating that, do ya?" "Um, thanks, I''ll have some then." Charles smiled as she takes the tray, but she froze the moment she put it on the table. "What''s wrong?" "Huh, we--ll..." "The food will go cold if you don''t eat it. Since other people specially made it for us, it would be bad if you don''t eat it while it''s hot." "Ye-Yeah...well, itadakimasu." Just as I''m laughing at Charles'' insecurity, I realised the reason why she showed such an expression. "Ah..." *PAK*. "Ah, ahh..." *Pak* *Pak*. Dropping the food again, Charles lets out a dejected voice. She had no problems separating the fish from the bones, but for some reason, she couldn''t pick it up. Speaking of which, I believe this is the first time I see Charles using a pair of chopsticks. "Are you bad with chopsticks?" "Um, yeah, I did try to practice using it, but I still can''t get it. Ah..." The fish dropped. There was no wastage since she dropped the food on the plate, but no matter what, she won''t be able to eat if this continues. "Sor-Sorry. I''ll get a spoon for you." "Huuh? It, it''s alright. No need to take another trip, I''ll find a way to use the chopsticks." "Even if you say that, it''s still difficult for you to do that, right? Didn''t I tell you not to be so hesitant?" "Bu-But..." "Charles, you should be more dependent on others. It''s because you''re so courteous that you lose out." "Uu..." "Hm, it''s probably difficult for you to change so suddenly. How about you start relying on me...maybe it''s a bit besides the point, but including the family problems, I''ll stand on your side, so just rely on me." "Ichika..." Though she hesitates for a while, it seems like she still can''t eat, so she says while seemingly decided, "Th-The-Then..." "Okay, you just need a spoon, right?" "Huh, well, then...Ichika, please feed me." What''s with the stuttering, sure seems like you really can''t say it out--just as I thought about this, I heard an unexpected sentence, causing me to be stunned. At this moment, Charles lowers her jaw and looks up at me with a begging expression, and says, "You said that I can rely on you..." "That, that''s right. Men keep their word. Alright, let''s do this." I seem to feel that something''s amiss, but I can just ignore that for now. Charles herself finally asked a favor. If I don''t grant her this request, I can''t even be considered a man--let me just think of it this way. (No, but that looking up and begging expression must be criminal...) Her eyes were just like those of an abandoned puppy poking its head out from a cardboard box at me in the middle of a rain. Those who would reject such eyes are either brave warriors or a demon king, and I don''t want to be either of them. I received the chopsticks from Charles and picked up the bits of mackerel meat she just dropped. "The-Then...say ahhnn." "Ah, ahhnn--" Never would I have dreamed of Charles letting me do an ''ahh--'' action. Maybe I''m thinking too much, as Charles, who''s chewing seriously, looks a bit red. "Is, is it good?" "Yup, yeah, it''s delicious." "Good for you then." "Umm...I want rice next..." "Oh, okay." Thus, I used the chopsticks to pick up a serving of rice that a girl can mouth and used my other hand to cover the bottom to prevent it from dropping as I delivered it to Charles'' mouth. "Here, ahnn--" "N..." Seeing Charles eat all of that at one go, I start to feel nervous for some reason. What''s going on? Is this the feeling of a hen feeding her chicks? I started to get quiet for some reason. "Now it''s the cold dish." "I, I got it." Anyway, even though I feed her until the end, we started to talk less and less. After finishing, both of us just said a few words before going to bed. A lot of things really happened today. Maybe it was the physical and mental strain that caused me to fall asleep immediately the moment I snuck into my bed. It''s dark. In this heavy darkness, a person is staying there. "..." She didn''t know when she started to become like this, but when she was born, she knew the blackness of darkness. It''s said that humans will see light when they''re first born, but this girl was different. She was brought up in darkness, born amongst the shadows, and this fact hadn''t changed. In the room that was without light, her silhouette lurked in the darkness and the red eye was shining darkly. Laura Bodewig. She knew that this was her name, but at the same time, she didn''t understand the significance behind it. But there was one exception, that was when she was called by the instructor--only when she was called by Orimura Chifuyu that she felt that the name had a special significance, and lifted her spirits. (That person''s existence...that strength, has always been my goal, and my reason to live...) It was like a ray of light. When she first met Chifuyu, she was stunned by that indomitable strength. Fearful, moved and delighted, the feelings revebrated within her, making her feel hot. She then made such a wish. Ahh, I really want to be be like--her. I want to be like such a person. The originally empty places within her quickly filled up, forming her everything. She was her teacher and also had absolute strength. She was the complete incarnation of her ideals. That was the only existence, to be ''like her''. So she can''t forgive those who aren''t complete. (Orimura Ichika--the person who caused the instructor to be blemished...) She can''t agree with that person''s existence. (I must eliminate him, no matter the means...) With burning dark will, Laura silently closed her eyes and merged with the darkness as she sank into a slumber without dreams. "I-Is that true?" "You are not lying, are you?" On Monday morning, as I headed towards the classroom, I got shocked by the sudden noise that could be heard on the corridor. "What''s up?" "Who knows?" Charles (male version) was walking beside me. "I''m telling you it''s true! This rumor is the hottest topic in school! If you''re victorious in this month''s division tournament, it seems like you can go out with Orimura-kun--" "What''s with me?" """KYAAAHHH!!!""" What, what? I just walked in to talk to everyone normally, and they''re giving me cries. Hey hey, that''s too classless. "So what are you talking about? I think I heard you people mentioning my name." "U-Ugh? Did we?" "Wh-Who knows what we were saying just now?" Rin and Cecilia continued to laugh as they changed the topic. What now? Is it something that I can''t know? "No-Now then, I should return to my class." "Th-That''s right! I should return to my own seat now." Both of them left with a somewhat fake smile. Maybe everyone else who had gathered here are trying to use this opportunity to escape and return to their classes and seats. "...What''s going on?" "Who knows...?" (Why, why has it become like this...) Sitting at the table at the window, Houki''s trying to act calm, but she''s boiling up deep inside. She knew of the rumor that seemed to be related to the individual division tournament. But the problem was with the content. "If you''re victorious in this month''s division tournament, it seems like you can go out with Orimura-kun--" (That should be something only I should know!) Ichika couldn''t have spilled the beans, so who leaked the information? Recalling it, she remembered that her voice may have been too loud. Even so, she always thought that it was a secret between both of them and felt relaxed about it. (...) But the fact is that most of the girls already knew, and even sempais came running into the classroom with questions: ''so how about the winner is from a different grade?'', ''can we hand the award out at the ceremony?'' (Things have gotten out of hand now...) That''s to be expected. She''s vehemently against Ichika going out with girls other than herself, and that''s to be expected. But when that happens, news will spread that she''s going out with Ichika. To be honest, Houki finds ''the secret relationship that only they know'' fits her agenda, and she always had this goal. She finds that the feeling of ''those who are normally aloof, but when alone with someone'' is good. But those feelings went amok on a 10+ year old girl who''s growing up, and nobody can blame her. Even if her tone''s more traditional than normal and that others don''t think that she''ll do such things, Houki''s wishes aren''t any different from Cecilia and Rin. (An-Anyway, I''ve got to win! It''ll be alright once I win! It won''t be like that time. It''s alright, it''s alright...I guess.) Houki made the promise with Ichika when she was in fourth grade. At that time, it was during the national kendo competition, and all the elementary school students were banded together, so 5th years and 6th years were participating as well, but in terms of the difference in experience, everyone viewed their hometown dojo''s Houki as the favorite. In fact, Houki''s ability was a lot stronger than the rest, so naturally, she should be able to win--logically, that should have been the case. However, they had to move out on the day of the finals, and the one who caused her to forfeit because she couldn''t attend it was her own sister, Tabane. The IS that Tabane developed was so overwhelmingly powerful that many people felt that it could be used as a weapon. Thus, they[2C 3] could only follow the counsel of the government and move away for the sake of protection. Ever since that day, Houki never liked Tabane. Or rather, she hated her. After that, their family still had to move under the VIP protection plan, and it was a rush to get everywhere. They couldn''t do anything about it. She once received a letter from Ichika, but was told that ''there will be problems if a 3rd party knows where you are'', so she couldn''t even reply due to the pressure from the government. Then, before she realized it, she was forced to stay apart from her parents, and the culprit behind this, Tabane was still missing. As her older sister was involved, Houki had to undergo many invigilations and investigations, and her heart and soul crumbled, unwilling to go on. In those days, the only thing she hadn''t given up was kendo, for she felt that kendo was the only thing that linked herself to Ichika. But even though she won the national championship, it didn''t really satisfy her. The reason is fast and simple. That''s because kendo was ''just a way for her to blow off steam''. --She just wanted to beat anyone down into the ground. That''s right, that was what she thought. However, the blade is a mirror that will reflect her expression, and once that extremely ugly look of hers heavily struck back to her, she was so mortified that she felt like she wanted to leave the prize award ceremony. And what drew her into deeper despair was when she saw her opponent cry after losing to her in this state. --What was I doing... Her actions were just violence, not strength. Strength doesn''t refer to this, and she knows of this...very clearly--that''s what she thought. "..." She again shakes her head. It would be great to dump the adhesive-like memories away, but the human heart can''t do such a simple thing. (This time, I will...I should be able to win without misunderstanding the meaning of the word strength...) No, I have to win! For myself. Unknowingly, she started to desire getting back her old self more than Ichika. "Ho--can''t anyone change the distance..." In the school compound where there are only 3 toilets for guys (i.e. me) to use, I immediately dashed out once the bell rang. Of course, I had to sprint at full speed in order to catch up to class. But I got mercilessly scolded a few days ago ''don''t run on the corridor''. What else can I do but to run!? (But thinking about it, Charles was the most worst off...) She''s a girl but she has to go to a guy''s toilet. In other words-- (Nope, don''t think about it. It''s better not to.) Anyway, I have no time to dilly-dally. The next lesson will be about basic IS battle technical knowledge and response. To me, that''s something that I have to attend no matter what. "WHY ARE YOU A TEACHER HERE!?" "What a headache..." Hm? I seem to hear a voice down the corner, and I try to notice. Those are voices I''m familiar with. One of them is Laura, the other should be Chifuyu-nee''s. "Don''t let me repeat this again. I have my duties to perform, that''s all." "What kind of duties can you possibly have in this small far-east country!?" I guess there''s nothing else that can cause the ice-like transfer student Laura Bodewig to be so agitated. From what they''re saying, Laura seems to be expressing her discontent about Chifuyu-nee''s current job and her idol worship like emotions of Chifuyu-nee. "Please instructor. Please come back to Germany to guide us. You can''t even show off half your abilities here." "Oh?" "Basically, the students over here aren''t worth teaching." "Why?" "They aren''t prepared enough. They have too little sense of danger, they think that IS is a trendy thing, those low-class people aren''t worth the time for instructor to te--" "--End of the line, little lady." "Ugh...!" Chifuyu-nee''s voice has a terrifying presence, and even Laura seems to be afraid of the huge intent hidden in the voice as she stops, unable to continue. "To think that you believe you''re rather good after we haven''t met in a while, is it? Just 15 years old, and you think that you''re superior to others. I''m impressed." "I, I''m..." Even I can hear the trembling in her voice. She probably felt terrified, I suppose? Feeling fear from the overwhelming force in front of her, and feeling irritated that it can''t be helped. "Alright, it''s time for lessons. Get back to the class." "..." With Chifuyu-nee''s voice reverting back to normal, Laura silently leaves quickly...ah, man! "Are you eavesdropping, the boy over there? I can''t allow that abnormal fetish." "WHO, WHO HAS SUCH A WEIRD FETISH! CHIFUYU-NEE, YOU--!" *PAM!* "In school, call me Orimura-sensei." "Ye-Yes..." Just like that, I couldn''t even lift my head in front of Chifuyu-nee, as I got knocked on the head before I could even do so. We''re not playing whack-a-mole here... "Alright, hurry up and move along, you low-grade student. If this keeps up, you''ll be eliminated on the 1st round of the individual tournament. Don''t forget to work hard." "I get it..." "Is that so? That''s good." Chifuyu-nee smiles. It seems like she just said that as an older sister. "I''m going back to class then." "Mn, then move fast. Oh yes, Orimura." "What is it?" "Don''t run on the corridors...I won''t say that. If you want to run, make sure no one finds out." "Got it." I turned my back at Chifuyu-nee. It seems like she''s letting me off the hook this time. I cautiously sprinted back to the classroom without anyone noticing. ""Ah."" Both of them let out dumbfounded voices--the time''s after school, the place is at the 3rd arena, and the people involved are Rin and Cecilia. "What a coincidence, I''m about to do some special training for the divisional tournament in order to win." "What a coincidence. I''m thinking the same thing." Invisible sparks fly between them. It seems like both of them want to win. "Now''s a good opportunity to decide here, once and for all, who''s better." "Ara, it''s rare for us to have a common agreement. Now we can use this chance to see who''s stronger, and at the same time, who''s more elegant." Both of them summoned their main wapons and aimed them at each other. "Then--" At that moment, a supersonic cannon blast came from above, blocking out their voices. ""!!"" After doing emergency evasions, Rin and Cecilia looked up at where the beam was shot from, only to see a pitch black machine standing over there. The machine name was [Schwarzer Regen], and the registered pilot was-- "Laura Bodewig..." Cecilia looks unhappy as she braced herself, one reason being that another European Union competitor was here. "...What are you doing? Firing a shot over here, that''s really amazing." *DONG!* Rin raises the attached [Souten Gagetsu] up onto her shoulder and moved her [Impact Cannons] into standby mode. "China''s [Shenlong] and England''s [Blue Tears] ...humph, I actually felt that they were only stronger on the data." Hearing the sudden taunt, Rin and Cecilia scowled. "What''s the matter? You really like to fight, don''t you? Coming all the way here from Germany just to get beaten. You must love being bullied. Is this really something trendy in the potato fields?" "Ara ara Rin-san, that Missy doesn''t seem to have much vocabulary, so don''t bully her too much or it''ll really seem pathetic. Even a dog can whimper." Laura''s sharp glare of arrogance seemed to offend those two. Even so, they still tried to vent their anger with words. But unfortunately, that was futile. "Sigh...so they let two people who''re so weak that they would lose to a mass-produced machine be personal IS pilots? It seems like they really lack talent despite the numbers--your weak countries that can only be redeemed by your history." *BOOM--!* With the sound of something being cut off, Rin and Cecilia remove the final safety on their equipment. "Yeah, yeah, I got it, I got it! She wants to be trashed--Cecilia, let''s decide who should go first with janken[2C 4]!" "Mn, well, I don''t really care whether I go first or last--" "Ha! Then how about both of you go at me? 1 + 1 equals 2 anyway. How can I lose to women who seem to be fighting over a useless stallion?" These words were obviously taunts, but having went past their patience, both of them didn''t care anymore. "--What did you just say? My ears just heard ''Please, punch me as much as you like''." "Insulting people who aren''t here, I''m really ashamed of you as a fellow European Union candidate. Let me beat you up until that frivolous mouth of yours is shut for good." Both of them tightly gripped onto their weapons, and Laura coldly stared at them before opening her arms out slightly and flipping her fingers[2C 5]. "Come at me already." ""AS YOU WISH!!!"" "Ichika, are you going for special training today?" "Well, yeah, I remember the only arena that can be used is--" "The 3rd arena." ""WAH!"" Charles and I walked down the corridor side by side, only to hear an unexpected voice, causing us to jump up in shock. Maybe she was unhappy with our united response, but the 3rd person who was standing beside us from who knows when, Houki frowns. "...Is there a need to be shocked. That''s rude." "Ah, oh, I''m sorry." "Sorry, I got shocked. It was too sudden." "Ah, no, I''m not blaming you..." Seeing Charles bow down properly, even Houki''s momentum got cut by half. And then, seemingly feeling like she lost face, Houki deliberately coughed a few times to change the topic. "Anyway, let''s head to the 3rd arena. I heard that there will be very few people using it today, so if there''s time, I should be able to carry out some mock battles." That''s really''s great. Since the IS ability is proportionate to the actual operation time, it''s great even if it''s just a little time. I''m really grateful to have some training like a mock battle. As we headed towards the arena, we found a lot of tension over there, and there were a lot of students running around in the corridor. It seems like the commotion happened at the 3rd arena. "What''s wrong?" "What''s going on? Should we check it out?" Charles said as she pointed at the gate to the spectator stands. It''s better to go there than to go through the ordinary gate, so I nodded my head in agreement. "It seems like there''re people having a mock battle, but the situation seems to be--" *DONG--VROOM!* Just as both of us turn to look at the sudden explosion, two shadows flew out of the smoke like they were cutting through it. "RIN! CECILIA!" Under the isolation of the protective shields, the explosions on the stage itself didn''t spread to us, but at the same time, I couldn''t hear them. Both of them looked hurt as they gazed directly at the center of the explosion, and standing over there was Laura, who was piloting the pitched-black IS [Schwarzer Regen]. Looking closely, Rin and Cecilia''s ISs were severely damaged. There were damage marks all over the frame, and a part of the IS armor was completely broken. In contrast, Laura''s IS wasn''t completely unscathed, but the damage was relatively light compared to them. "WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING--HEY, HEY!" My voice couldn''t reach them from here, and it couldn''t be helped. After looking at Rin and Cecilia, I turned to look at Laura. Though it was a 2 vs 1, the ones in trouble were Rin and Cecilia, who, logically, should have been in an advantageous situation. "EAT THIS!" *KLANG!* Rin''s IS [Shenlong] opened its shoulders. Docked on them were the pressurized-air impact cannons [Ryuhow], the maximum output weapons of the [Shenlong]. If it were a training machine, one shot would definitely wreck it, but Laura wasn''t avoiding at all. "That''s useless against the absolute barrier of the [Schwarzer Regen]." The invisible shots of the impact cannons were aimed at Laura, but no matter how I looked at it, the attacks never landed on her. "Che! To think that you can hold me off like that..." Maybe she deployed some protective shield or something like that, but Laura only reached her right hand out, and the impact cannons were completely nullified while they impact. She shot out blades from her shoulders at Rin''s IS. As they were both linked to the main body by electronic cables, she was able to let them fly out in complicated paths to avoid the direct shots and thus grabbed Rin''s right foot--they seemed to be weapons that were a mix between blades and cables. "Do you think I''ll let you do as you please so many times!?" Covering Rin, Cecilia attacked and launched her BITs at Laura. "Ho...I don''t know if [Blue Tears] is said to have the highest mobility in theory, but treating that design as a 3rd generation frame? That''s a joke." Cecilia used accurate sniping and the BITs to launch attacks from all over the place, and Laura continued to dodge and extend her arm out like just before. This time, she seemed to grab something in front of her while she was folding her arms, and the moment she did that, the BITs stopped. "Your movements are sealed!" "Yours too." Though Cecilia managed to snipe her target accurately, Laura shot her large cannon to completely negate it. Laura threw Rin, who she caught just now, at Cecilia, who intended to continue firing. It was a theory of using cables to swing down in a clockwork manner, simple, yet effective. "Ah!" Facing the two of them while they lost their balance in mid-air, Laura launched her attack. Her speed could be compared to a bullet as she closed in within a second. "[Ignition Boost]--!" I definitely didn''t see it wrong. That''s my move, a special technique for close-range. But if this is a close combat battle, it was beneficial for Rin as well. At this moment, she could also use her [Souten Gagetsu] to counter. Just as I was thinking that, I was shocked to see Rin undoing the knot. However, I immediately understood the reason why she did that. Laura deployed the plasma blades from her sleeve and hacked at Rin with them. Rin backed away and increased the distance, dodging a few blows in the process. "You...!" While Laura was moving forward, Rin backed away and increased the distance, dodging a few blows in the process, skillfully using the shape of the arena to move and forcing herself not to get into any dead ends. However, Laura''s cable blades attacked again, the two on her shoulders and the ones on both sides of her waist, 6 of them altogether. They all attacked in 3 dimensions as she continued to use her plasma blades to attack viciously. Even if it was Rin, who was so used to fighting, it was too difficult for her to deal with all the attacks adequately. "Heh!" Rin again deployed the impact cannons and gathered the power there. "How naive! Using pressurized-air weapons that need time in this situation?" As Laura said this, her cannons destroyed the impact cannons before shooting. "Got you!" "!" As the armor on her back got shot off, Rin''s body lost balance and Laura used this chance to stab the plasma blade at her chest. "I WON''T LET YOU!" At the last moment, Cecilia rushed in between Rin and Laura and used the [Starlight Mk II] as a shield. After avoiding the sure-kill attack, she shot the missile type BITs on her waist at Laura. *BOOMM!!!!* That was almost the equivalent of a suicidal close-ranged rocket as the explosion caught Rin and Cecilia, causing them to tumble on the floor. "That was reckless of you..." "Save the complaints for later. But really, that should have done some damage--" Cecilia stopped as she spoke. As the smoke scattered, standing over there was Laura. Even though it was an explosion at close range, she was still floating in mid-air without a scratch. "Is it over? Well then--it''s my turn." The moment she said that, she used the [Ignition Boost] to glide down to the ground, first kicking Rin and then shooting Cecilia with a cannon. Then, Laura used the cabled blades to grab their bodies and drag them to her. After that, one-sided violence ensued. "AHHHH!!" Laura''s fists clamped down hard on their arms, legs and bodies, causing their defenses to drop lower than what the machine maintanence warning zone permited. If the damage kept up, the ISs would be forcefully removed! It will be critical danger to their lives! But Laura didn''t stop as she continued to beat and kick Rin and Cecilia, ripping their ISs armor apart. Seeing Laura''s usual emotionless face actually smile for a moment due to delight, something seems to explode in me. "OOOOOOHHHHH!!" I deployed [Byakushiki] and formed the [Yukihira Niigata], gathering all the power together to activate the [Reiraku Byakuya]. An energy sword that was several times bigger than the main body was released as I used it to hack the protective layer surrounding the arena. [Reiraku Byakuya], which can destroy anything that uses energy, hacked through the protective shield, and I slipped through the gap to charge in. While entering, I activated [Ignition Boost]. Logically, it would be suicidal to use this move along with [Reiraku Byakuya]''s maximum output, as it would cause much more stress on [Byakushiki] which already uses a lot of energy and drains a lot out of the shields, but I''m not in the mood to bother about that. "LET GO OF THEM, YOU!" I charged at Laura, who was grabbing onto Rin and Cecilia, and swung my sword down. "Humph...emotional and reckless, just like a fool." Just when Reiraku Byakuya''s energy blade was about to hit her, my body suddenly stopped. The right eye of Laura that was not covered with an eyepatch accurately grasped my movement from my body. "Wh-What''s going on? Damn it, my body...!" It felt like I got held down by an invisible hand as my body couldn''t move and my arms are held high, unable to land. [Reiraku Byakuya]''s power started to disappear bit by bit. "As expected, you''re not worthy of being my opponent. In front of this [Schwarzer Regen] of mine, you''re just another weakling like them--disappear." The huge cannon on her shoulder turned over, and with a clank, it''s aimed at me--damn it! "MOVE ASIDE, ICHIKA!" Charles shouted through the private communicator as she uses two assault rifles to rain down bullets. "Che...another small fry..." The invisible force that''s grabbing onto me disappeared as my body regained its freedom. I then flew to Rin and Cecilia, who were released by Laura and carried them away. (Please [Byakushiki]! Let me use another [Ignition Boost]!) Due to the bad habit of running out of energy after putting it at the maximum output, I had very little energy left. But [Byakushiki] seemed to grant my wish as it focused all the power on the huge thrusters behind me--good! *Klang*...for a moment, the world became some sort of slow-motion picture before accelerating fast at the next moment. After experiencing the unique feeling of [Ignition Boost], I immediately got away from Laura. "How are the two of them, Ichika?" Charles was covering me as she followed me from behind, asking me as she continued to shoot at Laura. She was using a super-high explosive assault rifle, and since she was reloading fast, the gun would be reloaded immediately after the bullets were used up, so Laura didn''t have any chance to counter. "Ugh...Ichika..." "I let you...see me get embarrassed out there..." "Don''t talk...Charles, there''s no problem. They''re still conscious." "Good." Charles responded with a somewhat relaxed tone, but she didn''t stop as she kept shooting at Laura after doing a third reload. "Interesting, let me show you the difference in power across different IS generations!" Laura dodged the bullets, or rather, defended against them, even using that invisible forcefield to stop the bullets. She then bent down to counter--probably to do [Ignition Boost]. I was still carrying Rin and Cecilia, so I couldn''t fight in this situation, but I knew that it would be dangerous for Charles to handle this alone! "Here I come...!" "Kuu!" Just as Laura was about to rush in, a figure jumped in between us. *CLANG!* As the sound of metal could be heard, that figure stopped Laura''s Ignition Boost. "...My my, it''s because of little things like this that I grew tired of handling kids." "Chifuyu-nee?" To think that the figure belonged to an unexpected person, and she was still wearing a normal suit. There were ISs here, and she wasn''t even wearing an IS suit. She was holding onto a IS sword easily, and that was a huge sword that was 170cm in length, all without the use of an IS. Besides, she just interrupted the battle from the side. No matter how I feel, she''s definitely not an ordinary human. "It''s fine to have mock battles--but, to the extent of destroying the barriers of the arena? As a teacher, I can''t stand by that. You can finish this battle at the individual division tournament." "Since instructor says so..." Laura nodded in obedience and got rid of her IS. Her armor scattered into particles of light and disappeared. "Orimura, Dunois, is that fine with you two?" "Ah, yeah..." I just accidentally answered as per normal, probably stunned by this sudden scenario. "Answer yes when you''re replying to a teacher, you moron." "Ye-Yes." "I''m fine with that as well." After I corrected my answer, Charles agreed too. Hearing her say that, Chifuyu-nee again addressed everyone in the arena. "In that case, until the individual division tournament, all personal battles are forbidden. Dismissed!" *PA!* Chifuyu-nee forcefully clapped her hands, and it sounded as loud as a bullet being shot. "..." "..." We''re now in the infirmary, and it''s been an hour since what happened at the 3rd arena. Rin and Cecilia have completed their treatment, and now that they''re bandaged, they''re staring away in different directions. "It would have be alright even if you hadn''t saved us." "We could have won if it had continued." Forget about thanking me, I even got such an answer. Oh well, it''s not like I interfered just to earn their thanks. Basically, I interfered due to my own anger. "You two..well, at least you two don''t look too injured. I can relax now." "These injuries are nothing--OWW!!" "It''s really meaningless to lie down here--EEKKK!!" ...Are these two idiots? "WHO ARE YOU CALLING AN IDIOT! YOU MORON!" "YOU''RE A BIG IDIOT, ICHIKA-SAN!" And the response was so intense. I didn''t even say anything and they found out? Either way, I really don''t know what to do with these two injured people who''re enraged. "It must be quite embarrassing for you two to show such an awkward side to the person you like." "Huh?" Charles bought the drinks and came back. She seemed to say something, but I didn''t listen to it carefully. But it just seemed like I''m the only one, as Rin and Cecilia just blushed and started to rampage after hearing something. "W-WH-WHA-WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? I DON''T UNDERSTAND AT ALL!!" "I-I-I WASN''T TRYING TOO HARD! IT''S UNCOMFORTABLE HEARING YOU MAKE GUESSES LIKE THIS!" Both of them continued to get flustered as their faces turned extremely red...what''s wrong? Did Charles say something? "Here, Oolong tea and red tea. Drink something to calm down, okay?" "H-Humph!" "I''ll accept it reluctantly then!" Rin and Cecilia snatched the drinks Charles served up and opened the bottles, gulping them down in one go. Hey hey, you''ll damage your bodies if you drink such icy stuff in one shot! "Well, sensei did say that you two can go back after calming down, so rest for a while--" *DON* *DON* *DON* *DON* *DONG...!* "Wh-What? What is that sound?" The quake-like sound came from the corridor, and it seemed to be getting close, or maybe that''s just my imagination. *BAM!* The infirmary door got sent flying...and no, I''m not kidding. It got sent flying, really! This is the first time I saw the door get sent flying like that. I thought this could only happen in the movies. "Orimura-kun!" "Dunois-kun!" Entering the room were--several girls who came in like an avalache, and this is something really big. As the infirmary only has 5 beds, it''s packed full with people in an instant, and they surrounded us on sight, reached their hands out like some mega-sales...wah, this is just like a horror movie. Anyone would be terrified by the numerous hands. "Wh-Wha-What''s up?" "Wha-What''s going on? Everyone...pl-please calm down." """This!""" Facing us while we''re still confused, the girls handed over the emergency news and registration form. "Wha-What...?" "''In order to make the battles more realistic, the individual division tournament this month will be done in pairs. Henceforth, all those without pairs will have a partner selected for them in the lottery. The deadline is''..." "Ah, anyway, just read this part! Here!" Another hand reached out. Hiiee. "Pair up with me, Orimura-kun!" "Dunois-kun, be partners with me!" I don''t know why there''s a sudden change in format of the individual division tournament, but anyway, all the people who came here right now are all first years (I can tell from the color of the ribbon). They probably came running here thinking that they can get the opportunity to pair up with the only 2 guys in school, but-- "Huh, well..." That''s right, Charles'' actually a girl, so it will be bad no matter who she pairs up with. As the pairs will have to train together, her real identity may be exposed. So I thought as I looked at Charles, who was staring back at me with a bothered look. After our eyes met, it seemed like she knew I understood her plea for help as she looked away. Charles'' cautiousness caused me to grimace as I declared in a voice loud enough for all the girls who were bickering to hear, "I''m sorry everyone, but I''m pairing up with Charles. Please give up!" Utter silence...the sudden silence caused me to back away somewhat. Ugh, so this idea can''t work? "Well, can''t be helped if that''s the case..." "It''s better than teaming up with other girls..." "A picture of two guys together is more beautiful...ahem." It seem like they accepted it, and as the girls continue to say that it can''t be helped, they leave the infirmary one by one. Trying to look for the door, I can still hear a commotion on the corridor. "Hoo..." "Well, about that, Ichika--" "Ichika!" "Ichika!" Charles started to speak as I finally heave a sigh of relief, but Rin and Cecilia jumped off the bed and overpowered her with shocking pressure. "Pa-Pair up with me! Aren''t we childhood friends?" "No, I''m your classmate!" Both of them seem like they''re about to strangle my neck. Hey, injured people should rest in bed, or else the injuries will get worse. But what should I do? They''re not like the girls from before, and it seem like I can''t shake them off easily...haa. "You shouldn''t." Wha? It seem like I''m not the only one who''s shocked by this sudden voice, as Rin and Cecilia blinked, stunned by Yamada-sensei''s sudden arrival. "I just confirmed the state of both your ISs. The damage level sustained by both of your ISes have exceeded phase C. If you don''t focus on recovering, there will be fatal problems later on. Take it as rest for your ISs, I won''t allow you two to participate." Can the two representative candidates with burning will accept this? I guess not... "Ugh, ku...! I-I got it." "I''m not willing...not, not at all! But I''ll withdraw from the tournament..." What? They actually accepted it...why? "Sensei''s happy that you can accept it. If you use the IS past the limits, you have to pay the price. It''ll be bad if you lose the chance at the opportune time, and sensei doesn''t wish for you two to become like that." "Yes..." "I got it..." Though both of them look like they can''t accept Yamada-sensei''s serious lecture, at least they recognize that they can''t participate in the tournament. "Ichika, what''s the third point of gaining experience in IS basic theory?" Huh, huh... "...''The IS will gather all the experiences from the battles and cause to it evolve faster. As experience gained is also done while the IS is damaged, if the IS is damaged past phase C, the incomplete state will cause a surge in energy, which will be bad for normal operations.''" "Ohh, that''s right! As expected of Charles!" Charles gave the explanation that I couldn''t remember. In other words, it''s like ''there will be muscle aches when one tries to move during a fracture'', and that should be right. Anyway, back on topic, I asked Rin and Cecilia what I wanted to ask, "So why did you two fight against Laura?" "What, nothing, that''s because..." "Eh, well, how should I explain this...because we females got our pride hurt." "Hm?" Why is it that both of them look like they can''t swallow it? I suppose one side started battle after a taunt, but as representative candidates of different countries, isn''t it bad to act after a taunt? Hm. "Ah, don''t tell me it''s about Ichika--" "Ahh! You''re being a loudmouth, Dunois!" "Tha-That''s right! Really! Ahhahaha!" Charles seemed to finally thought of something, but those two girls quickly stopped her from saying it. Charles'' mouth is cupped by those two as she struggles painfully. "Hey hey, stop it. Can''t you tell that Charles'' really sad now? You''re wounded here, and yet you were moving non-stop since just now...hey!" Trying to calm them down, I reach my hands out to grab Rin and Cecilia on the shoulders. "EEEKKK!!!" As expected, it''s painful. I just saw them shriek out and freeze. "..." "..." "Ah...sorry, I didn''t expect it to be that painful." Seeing them remain silent as tears well up in their eyes, I can roughly understood how painful it is. I feel that I overdid it and immediately apologized "I-I-Ichika...you..." "Yo-You...you better remember this..." Wah...they''ll punch me once they recover, I guess? And then they''ll demand set after set of set meals, and maybe even dessert. Drinks? That would be unlimited. "Th-Then, about that, Ichika." "Wha?" After dinner, as we headed back to the room, Charles finally spoke. Maybe it''s just me, but she sounded really forceful. What''s going on? "Well, it may be a little late, but...thank you for helping me." "Hm? What did I do? I feel that you helped me out at the arena." "It''s not that, I''m talking about what happened at the infirmary. You said that you would be my partner for the tournament. I''m really grateful about that." "Ah, about that? Hn, no need to worry. I''m the only one who knows the truth, so it''s right for me to support you, right?" I didn''t really think that it was somewhat special, but Charles didn''t seem to think this way as she thanked me with much enthusiasm. "That''s not it. It''s because you''re so kind, Ichika, that you naturally did that. I always felt that it''s great to stand up for others. Thank you." ...Hm, as expected of a blond royal prince, even the wording used is really elegant, causing me to feel somewhat embarrassed. I used my hand to slap my face and fan it. "Th-That''s right, well, Charles, you don''t have to deliberately use such a boyish-tone to talk to me when I''m around." "Hn, hn, well I-I do think this way, but before I came here I had to study a boy''s movements and speaking habits in order to ''avoid showing my real identity'', so it may be impossible for me to change it back." The one who taught her all these would be Charles'' father, who I''ve never met. Though I''m really angry about this, seeing her just mention this nonchalantly, I can only endure--who am I angry for? For myself? I can''t mistake this now. "Bu-But that''s...not really like a girl, is it?" Looking dejected, Charles looked around as she asked me timidly. "Hm? Are you talking about how you keep using ''boku''[2C 6]?" "That, that''s right. It''s not what a girl would say, so I''ll try my best to use an ordinary method to speak while we''re alone." "Ah, there''s no need to try so hard, right? You''re rather feminine anyway. I think Charles'' rather cute already anyway." "Cu-Cute...? Me? Re-Really? You''re not lying to me?" What''s going on? Charles seemed to be even more panicked than before as she continued to ask me, but I didn''t intend to lie to her as I answer honestly. "I''m not lying. Trust me." "Re-Rea...Really--that''s alright, I guess." Though I didn''t really know what was going on, it seemed like she felt that it was alright. She just gave a reply and nodded her head. "Oh yeah, a lot of things happened today. Let''s change then." Hearing her say this, I suddenly realized--Charles'' a girl, so it couldn''t be helped that she had to wear the IS suit inside the changing room, but when we were in our room, she had all the time and space to do whatever she wanted. I should wait outside for her to finish changing. "I''m going out then." "Huh? Why?" "Well, you can''t change when I''m around, right? It would be hard to remove the IS suit, so I''ll leave the room for now." Speaking of which, I remember that the same thing happened while I was with Houki. I''m still rather uneasy when I''m living with girls, and things are a lot more complicated with Charles acting like a guy. "Huh? It''s fine. I feel bad for Ichika. Well...I don''t really feel bothered..." "But even if you say that, I''m bothered by that myself..." "Bu-But...well, since we''re both guys, people might think it''s weird if one of us were to go outside, right?" "Well, that''s true...well, I''ll go to the sink then. Call me when you''re done." "I, I said that you don''t have to mind me. We, can change like normal, and Ichika, you have to change anyway, right?" Hm...anyway, it seems like I don''t have to go out of the room. I don''t know why Charles'' trying so hard to make me stay here, but since she said so, I can''t just leave it as it is. "I''ll change as well then." "Okay, let''s do that." Charles smiled. Her face must be getting somewhat hot as it''s flushed to a certain extent, probably because she was working so hard to find an excuse. "Okay, it''s about time to wear short-sleeved clothes. H-uh, where''s my change of clothes...ah, found it found it." "..." "Hm? What''s wrong?" Though Charles had just told me that I didn''t have to go out outside, she wasn''t changing at all, so I stared at her in a puzzled manner. "Wha, Ichika, I can''t change if you continue to stare at me like that..." "Th-That, that''s right, sorry." I turned around. Why do I find this familiar? It was the same feeling when I was with Houki-- "I, I''ll be changing then..." "O-Okay." I was thinking, and after I heard her call, I curled up in shock. After a few seconds of silence...I started to hear the sound of clothes being taken off. (Ugh, not good...that''s a sweet smell over there...) Though I felt nothing when she was a guy, ever since I knew that Charles was a girl, I could feel a seductive gentle aroma as long as I remained in the same room. That''s right, it''s the aroma a girl has. (What is this...guys don''t have this smell at all. Is it the so-called pheromones?) "I-Ichika, aren''t you changing?" "O-Oh, oh yeah, I''m changing now." Hearing her say that, I suddenly realized that I was spacing out. Anyway, better get up from the bed and begin taking off my clothes. "..." Stare-- Is it my imagination? For some reason, I feel that someone''s staring at me from behind. "Charles?" "Wah! Wh-What''s wrong?" Hearing her being extremely shocked, I started to feel shocked. As it seemed like I was getting panicky while looking for something to say, it became a problem when I couldn''t even think of what to ask. "I''ll apologize first if it''s just a mistake, but are you staring at me?" "No, of course not!" "I, I see." She vehemently denied it. Maybe it''s just me being too self-aware. I''m a guy and yet I''m so mindful of others looking at me. Why am I so vain? (Never mind, let''s just hurry up and change.) "..." Stare-- ...Well--Charles-san? "No peeping." "Ah? I-I''m not, I was--ah!" Charles'' awkward voice became a soft whimper, and I instinctively turn around to look at her. "Oww...I tripped...huh?" "Huh?" ""WHAAT!!!"" Charles got tripped by the pants and fell onto the floor. The problem was her posture; she was wearing the tight bra she would normally wear while she''s in guy''s clothings, and at the bottom, besides the pants that are pulled down to the knees, there are the panties--and girls ones at that (although that''s obvious). As Charles lost her balance and fell onto the floor, her hands and legs were on the floor and her butt was slightly lifted up. That perfectly-shaped butt and the pink panties that were slightly curled in were really alluring--not good, not good at all! At least for me anyway. "WAH--" Damn it! It''s bad for us both if there''s a girl''s cry in here! I thought as I jump onto Charles, who was taking off her pants and stuffed her mouth up. In fact, Charles got shocked by my sudden action and stopped screaming, but as my body was in mid-air, the scream stopped for a while, and then I continued and landed on Charles. But that wasn''t all. When it rains, it pours. While I''m in mid-air, the pants caught onto the bed and tangled me up, and I then lost speed like an object being thrown and crash onto the floor. --And a second before I crash onto the floor, I instinctively reached out my hands, and they firmly grabbed onto something I shouldn''t be grabbing. "Ugh~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~" The force bounced back on me, and the firm muscles, silky smooth skin and the intricate fabric...in other words, that means I''m grabbing onto Charles'' butt. My first thoughts were that it''s soft and warm--ah, that''s right, I can understand why people who are dying would be extremely calm. That''s because they would think about everything. Also, gravity won''t forgive anyone. My body dropped down. In other words, Charles'' underwear would also slide down-- "AHHHHH!!!" MOVE!!! On the floor, Charles'' instincts told her to use her leg to kick, and it landed perfectly on my jaw. Just like that, I got a concussion and fainted--KU! "..." Charles put the unconscious Ichika on the bed and blushed as she changed into her nightwear. She was looking angry, embarrassed and somewhat happy, and it was rather complicated and weird. "Re-Really, Ichika''s always looked like this, and yet he''s..." Though she knows that Ichika didn''t do it on purpose, Charles still can''t hold back her emotions. That was just an accident. It was nothing much, but she still felt angry treating it as a simple coincidence. "A-Actually, I wouldn''t..."[2C 7] Saying up to that, Charles finally recovered, and after noticing what she was about to say, her cheeks blushed again. She looked like she wanted to shake off the redness on her face as she shook her head forcefully. (Ah, whatever, I''m going to sleep! Yes! That''s good!) Looking away from Ichika, Charles turned off the lights in the room. As the room immediately became dark, her eyes couldn''t adjust immediately. And maybe because she couldn''t see Ichika''s face, Charles became unexpectedly daring. (W-What am I doing...) Charles thought as she closed in on Ichika''s face and stared at him. Both of them are less than 5cm away from each other. Charles could feel the breathing and even the body temperature of Ichika, and that caused her heart to pound faster. "..." Then, she remembered what Ichika said to her with a serious expression earlier. "...If that''s the case, just stay here." --That was the first time someone said that to her. Ever since her mother died, she had lost her only place of refuge. As her blood-related father only gave her a stifling ice chamber feeling, she could only pretend to live in the light. She no longer felt that she was wanted, continuing to live through the grey cold life. When the order her father gave her to go to Japan was finalized, she had no special emotions about it. However-- (Why did Ichika cause my heart to waver?) --She met the boy. Sometimes, it felt like she got involved in a storm, but as she thought of that, he felt like a shamrock that blooms in spring and appeared beside her. However, when she tried to reach her hand out to get close, he would escape like a squirrel in a forest. Thus, she could only look in through the gaps between the trees, unable to close in. "He''s really sneaky, that Ichika." He''s just in front of her now, but he can''t wake up, just like a ''sleeping beauty''. Thinking about this, Charles suddenly felt weird. (Hoho, so the roles are reversed now.) Charles again stared at Ichika for a while and showed a gentle look. Then, she kissed Ichika gently on the forehead like a mother kissing a child. "Good night, Ichika..." Charles hugged her body that continued to burn hot through the rest of the night. Volume 2 - CH 4 It''s now the last week of June. IS Academy had already gotten into the individual division tournament mode, and the panic far exceeded what was expected. It was about time for the 1st round, and all the students were still settling the admin matters, clearing the arenas and guiding the guests in. The students who finally gained their freedom frantically headed into the changing rooms in each block, and the boys'' changing room is still so large, and still occupied by 2 people. It''s really generous for them, but the other changing room has to accommodate twice the capacity of the room, so the situation''s rather serious. "But this is really shocking..." I looked at the state of things from the changing room''s television screen. Government officials from all over the world, researchers, enterprise representatives and other people were all gathered here. "There will be people scouting the third years and others checking the progress of the second years after their training. Though the first years shouldn''t be affected, I guess they will be noticed if they get the top few positions in the tournament." "Hm--that''s hard work." Though I just listened to something that I wasn''t really interested in, Charles seemed to notice what I was thinking as she chuckled. "Ichika, you just want to fight against Bodewig, right?" "Well, that''s right." As expected, Rin and Cecilia weren''t allowed to participate, so they had to forfeit. It would have been alright if they were ordinary students, but they''re representatives of other countries, and have their own personal machine. They couldn''t even take part in the tournament, let alone getting a good result. This would drastically affect their circumstances. "It must be hard for them to be unable to test themselves." I remembered the commotion from before and unconsciously gripped my left hand. Maybe I''m being too forceful, as Charles gently covers my hand with hers and soothes it. "Don''t be frustrated. I guess she''s most likely the strongest among all the first years." "Yeah, I know." Ever since it was decided to be a double battle, and since we were living in the same room, Charles and I had gotten a lot closer. Normally, Charles would start to sense my feelings or detect things really quickly. But nowadays, I seemed to understand what she was thinking. Maybe this was telepathy. It''s become normal to start action without saying anything first. It''s practically as common as having meals...not just meals, but the basic three meals. "--Ichika, this isn''t funny." "Uu...really?" Though one couldn''t really tell from her appearance, Charles had a vicious tongue when it came to criticizing jokes. But why is it that she''s become able to tell what I''m thinking like the rest of them? That''s a mystery. "Alright, I''m ready." "Same here." We''ve finished changing into our IS suits. While I was making sure to check one last time before activating my IS, Charles seemed like she was checking her male IS suit (at least the outline was made like it). "The schedule should be out." I don''t know the reason, but it seems like the double battle format seem to cause the system to be unable to function as per normal. Thus, the schedule which was supposed to be finished yesterday was only done by students today using a lottery. "Those in the first round who get the first group in block A are really lucky." "Hm? Why?" "Because we won''t be standing around thinking. This momentum is important. Problems can be settled once they come, it''s better to enter the finals decisively." "Hoho, maybe. For me, I''m thinking that if I show my ability right from the start, my thoughts will start to get more negative." It''s really just like what Charles would be like. Maybe it was because both of us seemed to have such contrasting ideas that we would agree with each other. But I did feel that Charles was just going along with me. I recalled the scene when both of us were training--Charles has a nice personality and is extremely gentle. I don''t seem to have any of such people around. Though it may be an exaggeration, she does look like a goddess or an angel to me, and that can''t be helped. I''m serious! That can''t be helped! "Ah, it seems like we have our opponents." I switched the screen to the schedule and paused my thoughts, looking intently at the words on the screen. ""--WHAAAAT?"" On seeing the words on the screen, Charles and I shouted out. Our opponents in the first round are Laura and Houki. "..." "..." Located opposite Ichika and Charles was a corner of the air-conditioned changing room that was overcrowded. One of them was Laura Bodewig, and the other was Shinonono Houki. Both of them gave off a weird presence, seemingly covering all the heat that was generated. (My first opponent''s Ichika? Why is it this combination...) Though Houki closed her eyes, her heart was still wavering. On the day when the tournament format was switched to a double battle, she continued to wonder whether she should ask Ichika to partner her, and unknowingly, it was already midnight. But when she rushed to Ichika''s room just before midnight, the answer she got was ''I already teamed up with Charles''. After that, she was thinking of what to do. Once the deadline was reached, her partner was chosen through a lottery, and she ended up teaming with Laura. It seems that the only two 1st years who had to use a lottery were Houki and Laura. (I wanted to win no matter what!) --This is bad, this is the worst case scenario. Though Laura was more than capable in terms of battle prowess, Houki couldn''t agree with her, and Laura had no intention of listening to her. Even if she spoke, the most she said was ''Don''t get in my way''. They just couldn''t get along. And also, Houki hated something else--the person who was like her. Laura felt that strength''s everything, reminding Houki of her past self. It''s like my ugly state in the past was seen by others! Houki can''t hold back this irritation. (...No, now''s not the time to think about this.) She couldn''t fight if she didn''t do this--no, she couldn''t fight alongside Ichika. The hands cupped in front of Houki''s chest tightened as she silently gathered her concentration. "Sure saves a lot of time, meeting in the first round." "I feel the same." There''re only 5 seconds till the start of the battle, 4, 3, 2, 1start. ""DOWN!"" To think that Laura and I would say the same thing. The moment the battle started, I immediately activated [Ignition Boost]. We''ll get a huge advantage if we get the first move. "WOOOHHH!" "Humph..." Laura stretched her right hand outit''s coming. I remember the conversation I had with Rin and Cecilia, who fought directly with Laura. "AIC? What is that?" "It''s the [Schwarzer Regen]''s 3rd generation weapon, [Active Inertia Canceller]. It''s an ability that removes inertia." "Hm" "Ichika, do you know about PIC?" "...No." "Th-That...isn''t that basic knowledge? It''s basic! All IS uses this [Passive Inertia Control] to float in mid-air, accelerate and stop!" "Ohh, seems like I heard of it somewhere before." "Really, you..." "Okay okay, stop making blind guesses and start thinking about how we should counter it. To be honest, this is the first time I saw it for real as well. It''s unbelievable that it has advanced to such an extent." "Ah, I''m the same as well. To think that it''s able to hold down the [Impact Cannons]..." "But logically, it should work like the [Impact Cannons], right? They create energy to interfere with the space." "Ah, sort of. I guess it''s basically correct. Though the specifics may be different, it does operate similarly to weapons that compress space. It''s controlled by energy." "So that means that [Reiraku Byakuya] should be able to cut through it, right?" "Logically, that should be the case, but you still got blocked, right?" "That''s true...how did she do that?" "It''s simple. She just needs to touch your hand without touching the [Reiraku Byakuya]." "Directly...onto the hand? But I''m moving so fast. Can such a small part be blocked?" "Seems like it. Speaking of which, Ichika, your movements" "Are really easy to predict." "Huh..." "Your hand movements always move in one straight line, right? Straight down or horizontal. So" "She could just block it easily by emitting AIC energy waves in the opposite direction." "I see...so what should I do?" "It''s your job to find out." "...You''re right." In the end, I didn''t manage to think of a way to accurately break through the AIC. If that''s the case, there''s only one methodan unexpected one. "Ugh...!" But it seems like this level of tactics have been seen through, as my hands, body and legs got caught by the AIC net, and I couldn''t even close in or back away. I couldn''t move my body, like it was grabbed by some invisible hand. "Launching an attacking after the get-go? You''re really easy to understand." "...Nice going, nice going, it''s good that we have telepathy." "Then you should know what I''m about to say." Yes, I didn''t really want to know, but what I could imagine was...*SCREECH!* With the loud sound of the large wheel spinning, [Byakushiki]''s sensors let out a warning. "Enemy''s IS railgun is deployed, safety removedwarning! Locked onwarning!" Don''t worry, this isn''t a 1 vs 1 battle, is it? "I won''t let you." Charles jumped over my head and began firing her .61 cal sub machine gun [Garm] and started to fire the explosive bullets that scattered down like rain. ""Che...!"" Laura''s cannons deviated slightly due to Charles'' attacks, and the shots missed me. Also, because of Charles'' attacks, she had to back away and widen the distance between both of us. "Don''t you run away!" Charles immediately changed her gun and pointed it forward, summoning an assault rifle on the left hand. Light gathered in the air and formed a gun in less than a second. This is Charles'' special skill [rapid switch], summoning weapons in battle without calling it out. This could be pulled off due to Charles'' skill and decision making. "Don''t forget about me here." Mobilized in the [Uchigane], Houki appeared to block the attack that was aimed at Laura as she deployed a physical shield that was well-suited for a defensive IS, knocking the bullets aside as she hacked at Charles. "You''re the one who forgot about me!" Being released from Laura''s AIC, I immediately accelerated towards Charles from behind. Just when I''m about to crash into her, she did a backflip to switch positions with me. This chemistry is all due to the special training. *KLANG!* Houki and I are locked in close-ranged combat as the hits let out sparks. I continued to use my sword to attack and defend as I increased the power of my thrusters. The accelerated slashes started to push Houki back. "Ugh! Damn it...!" Being pushed back, Houki panicked and raiseed her sword up high. Now''s the time! "Charles!" "Got it!" *CLACK!* I used both hands to grip the sword tightly and used the [Yukihira Niigata] to knock Houki''s attack aside. At this moment, Charles, who was on standby behind me stretched both hands out. She was holding two .62 caliber auto shotguns [Rain of Saturdays], and it was impossible to dodge them at this short range. It was too late for Houki as she went pale, and Charles squeezed the triggers. "?" Houki disappeared right in front of us, and the rain of bullets zoomed past vacuum. What''s going on? "How bothersome." Having switched positions with Houki, Laura quickly closed in on me. She used one of the cable guided blades on Houki''s leg and used the centrifugal force to toss her to the edge of the arena. It seemed that Houki was able to do an emergency landing through the whip. "Wh-What are you doing!?" But Laura wasn''t intending to help her partner at all. She just wanted to throw Houki aside, thinking that she''s a bother, resulting in Houki pouting in rage. However, Laura herself didn''t hear that as she launched the attack at us. Laura deployed the plasma blades and attacked us from both sides. The mix of slashes and stabs accurately forced us to back away. "It''s more advantageous for me to have a disadvantage in numbers." "It''s just twice the number!" Laura Bodewig, who would actually say such words, is truly as strong as a monster. Right now, she was engaging in close range combat with me as she held Charles off with the cabled blades to separate her from me. Though she couldn''t combat all 6 cabled blades at the same time, she swiftly shot them out and retracted them in fluidly to create a rapid-fire attack. "Are you alright, Charles?" "What about you, Ichika? I''ll support you now." "No, it''s alright. It''ll be that battle then." "...I got it." We switched to the private frequency to talk for a short while and switched our battle plan to what we originally planned, which was to ''Beat Houki down first''. She can complain afterwards anyway. The reason why we chose this plan was simplebasically, Laura''s battle strategy was to go up against many enemies at one go, which she would never expect to fight in group, so she probably wouldn''t help Houki. So, we should beat Houki and attack Laura in a 2 vs 1 situation. Of course, like I just said, Laura has the ability to take on many machines at one go, but this is where the trap lies. A tag team is formed by having 1 plus 1, but there aren''t 2 possibilities. "Sorry, but your opponent isn''t Ichika." "What...? Don''t look down on me!" Leaving Laura''s range, Charles immediately closed in on Houki. Houki didn''t understand what was going on, but Charles'' taunt certainly made her blood boil. *KLANG!* Charles used the close-ranged knife [Bread Slicer] to block Houki''s sword, and then, while maintaining the position, she starts to fire the [Rain of Saturday] with her left hand. "Kuu...!" The impression that Charles gave was that she''s really strong at shooting, but actually, the biggest attribute about this ability is ''flexibility''--and in fact, she won''t lose to anyone in combat. Also, with the [rapid switch] skill, once the opponent feels that she wants to fight it out with melee style, she can suddenly switch into a gun to shoot, and once the distance is pulled apart, she can close in to close combat range again. She can maintain a certain distance and attack motion whether the opponent''s near or far away, and her attacks and defenses are great. This stability is hard to break through. On a side note, this tactic is said to be called the ''Desert Mirage'', which is ''The closer it is, the further it gets; once one gives out, it closes in again; called in by the green lushness and forgetting the fatigue on the legs as one steps closer towards death''. I understand it now. "So it''s a tactic of beating one person? That''s meaningless." Laura most likely never factored Houki in, but this to us was still meaningful. Anyway, my role was to hold off Laura''s attacks until Charles beats Houki. The 2 plasma blades in her hands and the cabled wires form wave after wave of attacks, and it wasn''t easy to deflect them all. Also, once I''m not careful, the distance would be pulled apart. So I could only hang on and maintain close proximity. "You only have that sword as your only weapon, so you can only damage the opponent being in close range, right?" That was also another reason, right? However, the main reason was because if the distance was pulled apart again, I would become the target of that large caliber railgun, and she had those electric cable-controlled blades. If the distance was pulled apart, I would have to use a lot of time and energy just to get close to her. (Anyway, I have to hang on!) I switched the [Yukihira Niigata] to my right hand and used my left to hold Laura''s plasma blade off by grabbing her left hand. My legs were maintaining their position as they continued to operate fully, kicking the cabled blades aside. The movements of the cabled blades were very complicated, I would be scratched if I didn''t kick it to the side, so right now, the situation is that ''It will be over if I don''t concentrate''. "WOOOOHHH!!!" *KLANG!* *CRAK!* *SCREECH!* *KLAMM!* This was a zero distance battle, and I didn''t know when my concentration would run out as I continued to rely on Charles. "...Time to end this." Laura shut the plasma blades off. Not good! *BAM!* My body froze like ice. Laura''s blades were crossed as she raised her hands towards me. (Damn it! It''s the AIC!) "Alrightdisappear." Six cabled blades shot out at me. "DAMN IT!" It was useless to shout as the cabled wires pierced into my body and took off 1/3 of my IS armor. My shield reserves dropped to nearly half. And Laura''s attacks weren''t stopping as she used 2 cabled wires to tie my right hand and twist it around a few times, seemingly trying to twist it off and slam me to the ground. "WAH!" Unable to take the impact that pierced through me, my breathing immediately stopped. --Got to stand up fast! Just when I thought about this, Laura''s large railgun is aimed at me. "This is the end!" *BAM--!* The scene in front of me looked extremely slow as the bullet shot out with flames surrounding it at the cannon and moved forward after passing through the flames. That was a unique anti-armor bullet, and once it hit the spot, it would decide the victor. And right now, it was coming at me. (Can''t dodge it! Then...let''s slice it!) It wasn''t about slicing it, but that everything would be over if I didn''t do so. Thus, I gathered my strength in my right hand to raised the sword-- "!" --My right hand suddenly stopped. (The cabled wires are still tied on my hand!) There''s only one, but it''s holding [Byakushiki]''s forearm armor, so I couldn''t take it off immediately. Ahhh damn it! "Sorry to keep you waiting!" *KLANG!* With a heavy sound, Charles used her shield to block the shot, and then sliced the cabled blade apart to drag me away from the battlezone. After that, rain-like bullets flew at where I was. "You saved me there...Thanks Charles!" "No problems." "Where''s Houki?" "She''s taking a break." After saying that, Charles turned to look aside, and I turned to look at where she was lookingat the side of the arena, there was an unhappy looking Houki, who was in a severely damaged IS with 0 shields and kneeling on one leg. "Nice!" "Say that after we win!" Charles tossed aside the twin assault rifles in her hands to summon new weaponsthey were an auto shotgun and a machine gun. "Now''s the real show." "Right, let''s show her our chemistry!" "Wow--that''s amazing! They managed to work together like this after just training for slightly more than 2 weeks." Inside the observation room that could only be accessed by teachers, Maya was watching the battle footage as she marveled at them and muttered. "Orimura-kun''s really amazing. He sure is talented!" "Humph, it''s only because of Dunois'' co-operation that they were able to do that. That person didn''t even do anything." Seeing Chifuyu criticize her own family member like that, Maya could only smile awkwardly and say, "But even so, isn''t it amazing that Orimura-kun''s able to work with others like this? Nobody would want to work with him if he didn''t have charisma." "Well...I guess you''re right." Though Chifuyu frowned as she answered, recently, Maya started to realize that the action was meant to hide her embarrassment, so she didn''t really mind. Thinking about it, perhaps this was a ''Show of protectiveness of her own little brother''. "But the reason why they suddenly changed the format of the individual division tournament was because of the ''Incident'' last month, right?" The incident that happened last month--when the black machine attacked. Most of them felt that it was a terrorist plot. As attacking IS Academy was a serious problem, and since they found out that it was an unmanned suit, the situation got even more critical. Right now, many countries were all suspecting whether they should start to doubt each other. "Though I haven''t heard about the specifics, that''s most likely the case. They chose to adopt a tag team system to let the students gain more battle experience." "But the 1st years enrolled just 3 months ago, right? Besides, it''s not that a war really happened. I guess there shouldn''t be any need for mock battle trainings..." Maya was correct, and Chifuyu knew that she would ask this question, which is why her expression didn''t change. "It''s because of what happened last month. Now that we have many freshmen who have their own 3rd generation frames. When they''re facing a mysterious enemy who suddenly appeared, what should they be worrying about?" "--Ah! So you want them to defend themselves?" "That''s right. Forget about the pilots, we still need to protect the 3rd generation IS that were issued. However, we have a limited number of teachers, so the principle is to let them defend themselves, which is why there''s a need for practical mock battles." "Oh, I see!" Maya''s questions melted away like ice. Basically, IS technology must be revealed, but if newly developed technology was revealed immediately, the other countries could easily use it, so this wouldn''t be beneficial to them. If the IS pilot is unable to familiarize herself with the important parts of the technology, the developing country would be lead to ruin. And this is the aim of IS Academy. Hidden amongst the mission of IS Academy when it was first developed was the element ''All the laws don''t work here''. Of course, it wasn''t that all laws were ineffective against IS Academy; the main point was the ''Prototype IS Technology''. "This place allows new technology to be tested out, and they can decide on whether they want to reveal their data here. They have no need to reveal it." In other words, IS Academy was the only place in the world where ''They don''t have to declare the data of their mock battles''. That is why China, England, Germany and other countries were sending their 3rd generation IS here. Also, their real aim was to get the [one-off ability] and fuse with it. As long as their IS could switch into second phase within 3 years to create a one and only unique ability, they would have no problems with revealing their technology. That was because a ''one and only unique ability'' definitely couldn''t be imitated. Of course, the chances of success were astronomically small, but with 3 years of piloting experience, the data gained will become a huge experience. It''s because of this that the IS Academy students already got the latest models even though they were just representative candidates. The ones chosen to pilot these frames are definitely elites, but there aren''t just one. To put it radically, anyone who fulfills the criteria can do. Thus, at the candidate state, there wasn''t really a large difference." "But Shinonono-san was really trashed thoroughly." "That''s what happens when you don''t have a personal machine, and in terms of character, Shinonono''s at a disadvantage to Dunois." It''s like janken[2D 1]. Chifuyu added as she turns to look at the screen away. On the screen, it showed Laura still fighting against her opponents despite this disadvantageous situation. "Bodewig-san, she''s strong." "Humph..." While Maya was really amazed, Chifuyu snorted, seemingly bored. "Nothing changed. The potential and attack are the same, but even so--" She still can''t beat Ichika. But she definitely can''t say these words. If she says it, Maya may start to say something again. WAAAHHH!!! The atmosphere in the arena boils as the cheers enter the observation room. "Ah! Orimura-kun took out the [Reiraku Byaku]! Does he intend to settle this in one attack?" "Looking at this, things won''t go as planned." "Here we go again. Even if you act like you don''t care, that attitude''s--" "Yamada-sensei, we haven''t done any martial arts sparring for a long time. Now''s a rare chance, so how about 10 rounds?" "No, no thanks! I...ahem...have to watch the students'' machines!" Yamada frantically shakes her head and waves her hands, but Chifuyu uses a deep voice to declare, "I hate people who come up with nonsense to make fun of me the most. Do you remember that incident?" "Ye-Yes...I''m sorry..." Maya, who was retreating and curling back, looked really pitiful, and because of that, Chifuyu patted her head gently. "Alright, continue to watch the match. It''s worth seeing how they intend to beat their opponent." "Ye-Yes!" "I''LL BEAT YOU WITH THIS!" I activated [Reiraku Byakuya] and charged at Laura. "I heard that all the shields will be drained once I touch it...but it''s nothing if I don''t get hit." Laura''s AIC binding attacks continued to assault me. My right hand, left hand, my vision, all these continued to be assaulted. I immediately stopped, turned and accelerated, barely dodging them all in the process. "Running around like that, what an eyesore...!" She then started to become more vicious in her attacks while striking at me with more cabled blades, but I wasn''t fighting alone. "Ichika! Break through the front at 2 o'' clock!" "Okay!" Laura, who''s attacking using her ranged weapons, wasn''t relaxing against my guard. I began to feel that it was great to be on the same team as Charles. If she were an opponent, it''d be really weird to go up against her, somehow. "Che...another of your petty tricks!" After zipping through the cabled blades, Laura finally entered my range. "It''s useless, I can predict your attack." "That normal slash''s just a start, then--what about this!?" I raise the tip of the sword that was below my foot to chest-level. "!?" If the slash can be predicted, then I''ll just stab in. Though it''s easy to predict as well, the trajectory of the hand should be difficult to grasp. It''s way harder to predict that than a line. "IT''S USELESS!" *BZZT!* My body froze as the AIC net completely stops me. "I have no need to focus on your hand. As long as I stop you before that--" "...Ahh, what''s wrong, have you forgotten? Don''t you know? We''re--a tag team!" "!?" Laura frantically moved her eyes, but it was too late. Closing in to zero distance, Charles quickly fired off 6 shotgun bullets, and at the next moment, Laura''s large railgun exploded with a loud bang. "Ku...!" As what we predicted, Laura''s AIC had a fatal flaw. The flaw was that ''If she didn''t focus on the target she wanted to stop, she wouldn''t be able to maintain the effect'', so right now, I was freed. "ICHIKA!" "GOT IT!" I again raised the [Yukihira Niigata] and got into position--she shouldn''t be able to escape this time! "...!" This was the sure-kill hit that I so believed in, but unexpectedly-- *KUriiiii...* "WHAT? HOW CAN THE ENERGY RUN OUT AT THIS TIME!" It seemed like I took a lot of damage, as the energy blade of [Reiraku Byakuya] began to shrink with the sound of the voice before disappearing. "What a pity." Laura''s voice was close. I turned around, and saw her leap into me and deploy her twin plasma blades. "SINCE YOU''VE USED UP YOUR SHIELD ENERGY, YOU CAN''T FIGHT ANY LONGER! I''LL WIN WHEN I GIVE YOU ANOTHER HIT!" Laura was right. My shield reserves would drop to 0 if I was attacked again, and it would be determined a loss for me. Either way, I continued to block the vicious blade attacks that were coming from both sides. "I WON''T LET YOU!" "YOU''RE ANNOYING!" Laura didn''t stop in her attacks on me as she continued to use the cabled blades to hold off Charles, who came in to support me. Her attacks on both sides were as fast and accurate as ever, and with this, we again found out how skilled our opponent was. "WAH!!" "CHARLES! KU--" "THE NEXT ONE WILL BE YOU! FALL!" Distracted that Charles got hit, I let my guard down, and Laura definitely didn''t let this opportunity slip as her attack hit me cleanly. "GUWAHH...!!" This hot sensation is the numbing sense of an electrical flow surge through me. The feeling can''t be described in words, but it indicated that I got damage. The strength swept out of my body--and [Byakushiki], as I fell onto the floor. "Ha...HAHAHA! IT''S MY WIN!" A fast moving silhouette attacked Laura, who loudly proclaimed herself the winner. That''s-- "IT''S NOT OVER YET!" That was Charles, who immediately used [Ignition Boost] to the maximum speed. "WHAT...! THAT''S [IGNITION BOOST]!" For the first time, Laura showed a dumbstruck look. Maybe it was because the data never specified that Charles could use [Ignition Boost], and I was shocked as well--because even I didn''t know of that. "Well...this is the first time I''m using it!" "Wh, WHAT...? DON''T TELL ME YOU LEARNT IT DURING THIS BATTLE!?" It seems now that Charles'' flexibility isn''t just a unique attribute, but a skill altogether. Maybe one can even call it a ''one and only unique ability''. "Humph...BUT IT''S NO USE AGAINST MY STOPPING BARRIER!" Laura said as she switched into the AIC activation mode, however, the one who stopped was--Laura herself. *BOOM!* "!?" Being attacked somewhere that''s unexpected, Laura looks around before seeing me, who''s right below her. I''m holding the loaded sub machine gun that Charles threw just now. That''s right, that''s the gun that I was allowed to use in the training. At this point, Laura finally realized that the throwing of the loaded gun just now was Charles and my double-set plan. Now, I could only believe, in myself, and in Charles. --But though I said that, it had a lot to do with luck. It was [Byakushiki] who managed to hang on against Laura''s attacks, and for this time, I really can''t show my face to this partner called [Byakushiki]. "NOW YOU CAN''T USE AIC!" "DAMN IT...YOU HALF-DEAD ZOMBIE!" Laura shouted, but she still didn''t lose her cool. She probably would ignore my inaccurate shooting and focus on Charles. She again aimed the AIC in front. "But I got a window to attack now." "SO WHAT! WITH A 2ND-GENERATION''S ATTACK POWER, TRYING TO TAKE DOWN THIS [SCHWARZER REGEN] IS--" At this moment, Laura suddenly stopped. That''s right. She discovered the strongest weapon amongst the 2nd generation in terms of offensive power, And Charles always had this weapon hidden in her shield. "I WON''T MISS AT THIS RANGE!" Charles'' shield armor opens, revealing the wheel and pilebunker that was fused together. It''s the .69 caliber battering ram [Gray Scale], also known as-- "[SHIELD PIERCE]!?" For the first time, Laura revealed a panicked expression that showed that she didn''t expect to make it. ""OOOOHHHH!!"" Both voices overlapped. Charles clenched her left hand to charge forward, and it was a simple forward thrust like what I had just done. However, what''s different is that she even used [Ignition Boost] to close in, so it was too late to even activate AIC on her. If Laura couldn''t stop the battering ram between these few millimeters, she would be hit directly. "!!!" Laura focused on that target--but missed. In a moment, just for a short moment, Charles showed an angelic smile that looks like a declaration of death, a dazzling yet guilt-ridden smile. *BAM!!!* "KUuu...!" The battering ram hit Laura''s abdomen. If she concentrated all her shield reserves and activated [Absolute Defense], she could block this hit, but as her reserves were almost drained, she couldn''t block the impact, and it slammed hard through her body. Laura''s face twisted with anguish. However, the attack was not over. As the [Gray Scale] had a roller function, it could be quickly filled with explosives--in other words, there were multiple shots. *BAM!!!* *BAM!!!* *BAM!!!* Three consecutive hits. Laura''s body trembled terribly. Purple electricity jumped up her frame, forming a forced ejection sign. --But in the next moment, another change occurred. (To think that I...would actually lose here, me...!) It''s true that I underestimated that opponent''s power, and that was a mistake on my part. But even so-- (I CAN''T LOSE! HOW CAN I LOSE...!) Laura Bodewig. This is my name. A code to identify myself. My earliest codename was Gene Perfection Experiment C0037. I was created through artificial human means, born out of a metal womb. --It was dark. I was in darkness. I was created, born, bred and trained to fight. That''s my only objective. I only know how to attack humans. I only understand tactics on how to defeat the enemy. I learnt to fight, use guns and remember how to use weapons. I was outstanding, and in terms of capabilities, I always had the best records. But at that time, as the strongest weapon, the IS appeared, and my world suddenly changed. The operation to implant the [Odin''s Eye] into me in order caused a drastic change. The actual term of [Odin''s Eye] should be a hyper-sensor package, and what it does is that it can heighten nerve processing to the brain at an explosive speed. The aim is to react quickly in a hi-speed combat. The operation was supposed to transplant the nanomachines into my eyes, and those eyes that went through this operation are called the ''Eyes that Surpasses the World''. There were no risks with the operation, and logically, there wouldn''t be a rejectionlogically. However, this operation caused my left eye to turn gold, and I couldn''t control it. It couldn''t shut down on its own, it was always activated. This ''Accident'' caused me to deteriorate amongst my peers in IS training. I don''t know when I fell from the top position. What awaited me were the mockeries and humiliations of my peers, and the mark of ''Trash''. My world changedI went from infinite darkness to even more darkness. And the first time I met the light, it was when I met the instructorOrimura Chifuyu. "Though you look like your grades are bad, there''s nothing much to worry. In a month from now, you should be able to get back to being the strongest in your squad. You''re going to be trained by me after all." Those words weren''t a lie. Though I just obeyed that person''s training honestly, I managed to get back to the top after I started learning IS. However, I couldn''t stay in the same situation. I didn''t care about my peers who drifted away from me. I continued to admire that person greatly. Strong, courageous, indomitable. Seeing her like that made me anxious. --Ah, I really want to be like this, I really want to be like her. With these emotions, I would talk to her when I had the time before she went back to her own country half a year ago. No, it''s alright even if we don''t say anything. As long as I could stay with her and stare at her figure, I can feel strength coming out from within. It''s somewhat a feeling of ''Courage''. Maybe that''s because she had such power. One day, I tried to ask, "How did you become this strong? What must I do to become this strong?" At that timeah, it''s at that time...that person, that instructor who was as strict as the devil showed a gentle smile. For some reason, it felt like my heart got punctured through by a needle. "I have a little brother." "A little brother...?" "Once you see him, you''ll understand, what''s strength, and what''s more than strength." "...I don''t understand." "It''s good that you remain like that. Ah, if you have a chance to come to Japan one day, maybe you can meet him...but let me give you a warning. That person" A gentle smile, a fearful expression. That''s (That''s not right. That wasn''t what I envisioned youStrong, courageous, indomitable, that''s you.) SoI won''t forgive the person who made instructor show this expression. I can''t agree with the existence of this little brother who made instructor like this. So (I MUST DEFEAT HIM! USE MY OWN POWER TO BEAT THAT GUY, THAT BASTARD...INTO DUST!) That''s why, I can''t lose here! That guy, that bastard''s...still moving. I must thoroughly break him until he can''t move! That''s right! So (I WANT POWER!) Ku...someone rumbled deep inside me. Then, it spoke. "Do you wish for it...? Do you, wish for a change within yourself...? Do you want a stronger power...?" Of course. If I have power, if I can get itI''ll even pay for it with this hollow existence! So give it to me...give me the invincible, strongest, absolute power! Damage Level...D Mind Condition...Uplift Certification...Clear [Valkyrie Trace System]...boot. "AAAHHHHHHH!!!" It seemed that Laura just got ripped by something as she let out a scream. At the same time, [Schwarzer Regen] let out a strong electrical jolt and knocked Charles off. "Ugh! What''s going on...--!!!" "WHAT''S THAT!?" Charles and I couldn''t believe our eyes. In front of us, Laura...her IS was changing! No, it wasn''t that simple to say that it was changing. The lines that formed the armor were melting softly into something soft and sticky, engulfing Laura''s body in it. The pitch black corroded darkness swallowed Laura in whole. "What is that thing..." I subconsciously muttered. I guess anyone who sees this would think the same thing. Normally, IS won''t change shapes, or more accurately, it can''t. IS could only change shape ''In the first shift when it gets used to the pilot'' and ''Switches Modes''. Though the equipment and some other parts may change slightly, it was impossible to have a base change. Anyway, that was just impossible. That''s a flaw on the design. However, the impossible thing was happening in front of us right now. And this wasn''t just a change in shape, but a mud doll that was shaped through the fusing of the sticky mass. What was supposed to be [Schwarzer Regen] covered Laura''s entire body and continueed to move on the surface. It then started to beat like it had a pulse and slowly descended to the floor. The moment it landed on the floor, the body looked like it was quickly changing at a high speed before forming a shape. Standing over there was ''something'' similar to the black IS, but it was completely different from the one that attacked last month. The appearance and shape was of Laura''s shape. The girl''s hands and feet were armed with the minimum amount of armor, and the head had armor that covered the entire body. Also, the red lights of the display sensors could be seen from the eye below the armor. The problem, however, was the weapon in her hand. I definitely couldn''t be mistaken. That''s "[Yukihira]...!" It was similar to the sword Chifuyu-nee once used. It was basically a duplicate. I subconsciously gripped onto the [Yukihira Niigata] and raised it to the middle. "!" The next moment, the black IS flew toward me. Looking at the way she was keeping the sword behind her waist, she must be trying to use an Iai technique. If she used it at a distance where I''d definitely be hit, it''d be a flash sure-kill hit. That was definitely the katana technique that Chifuyu-nee uses. "KU!" The [Yukihira Niigata] that I was holding tight on was knocked away, and the enemy raised the sword upnot good! "!" The sharp slash that was swung down straight on assaulted me, and I couldn''t receive it with my sword at the last minute. At that moment, I immediately ordered [Byakushiki] to ''back away''. It was because I knew how Chifuyu-nee fought that I was barely able to dodge it. However, [Byakushiki]''s shield reserves had already dropped to 0, and the left hand only got a little grazed, yet there was blood flowing out. That emergency evasion took out the last of me, and [Byakkushiki] disappeared from me in a glow of light. "...So what..." But right now, it doesn''t matter to me. "SO WHAT!!!??" Driven by burning emotions, I clenched my fists as my weapons and rushed towards the black IS. Unforgivable, unforgivable, UNFORGIVABLE! "WOOOHHH!!!" Just as my fists nearly hit the black IS, my body got dragged away in the opposite direction. Once I felt the impact on my back, I realized that the one who pulled me was Houki, who was equipped with the [Uchigane]. "IDIOT! WHAT ARE YOU DOING! DO YOU WANT TO DIE?" "LET GO OF ME! THAT PERSON''S JUST TOYING WITH ME! LET ME GO BEAT HER UP!" That technique just now was the first technique I learnt from Chifuyu-nee, and I can still remember the first time I saw it. "Listen Ichika, a sword is to be swung, but just trying to swing it isn''t kendo.'''' To me, who lifted that heavy piece of metal item for the first time, the weight alone made it hard for me to carry it. I was already sweating while it was on my hand, and I couldn''t even lift it because of the weight even though I tried to make a pose. "It''s heavy, isn''t it? This is the weight of a weapon, one that can take someone''s life away." The cold and slightly glittering katana. An existence that was born, created and refined to kill. "You have to consider what does it means to carry such a weight. This is what it means to be strong." When she said that, Chifuyu-nee''s eyes were stern, yet it had a tinge of gentleness. It looked somewhat dazzling, an expression that was different from usual. That was why I chose to become strong, to become Chifuyu-nee''s supporting power...that''s right, ever since that day, I always "LET GO OF ME, HOUKI! IF EVEN YOU DARE TO INTERFERE, I''LL!!" "Che! GET A GRIP!" *PA!* My face got hit, and I flew away and landed horizontally on the floor. My face felt the pain as it touched the icy cold floor, causing my rage to drop. "What''s going on!? Tell me in a way that I can understand!" "That...that''s Chifuyu-nee''s data, CHIFUYU-NEE''S! THAT''S SOMETHING THAT ONLY CHIFUYU-NEE HAS! THAT...DAMN IT!" The black IS remained motionless in the arena. Right now, it seemed like it was automatically programmed to attack anything that had weapons or that would attack. "Really, you...always Chifuyu-nee this Chifuyu-nee that." "That''s not all! The corrupted power that Laura''s using, I don''t like her for doing that. The black IS, Laura...both of them...I HAVE TO PUNCH THEM!" Powerthis so-called strength wasn''t referring to offensive power. That power couldn''t be called strength, but mere violence. "Anyway, I must beat that thing up. I need to calm down first." "I understand your reasons, but what can you do now? [Byakushiki] doesn''t even have any energy; how are you going to fight?" "Ku..." Houki was right. It was likely that the black IS didn''t have much energy left, but it was meaningless if I didn''t beat her down. And right now [Byakushiki] didn''t even have enough energy to deploy, let alone attack. "Urgent emergency! All matches are suspended! Situation''s at level D. Teachers are to deploy to suppress the enemy! All guests and students, please evacuate! I repeat!" "You heard it. Others will handle this even if you don''t do anything, so" "So there''s no need to jump into a dangerous situation necessarily, right?" "That''s right." Houki was right, but even though that reasoning was sound, my consciousnessstill refused it. "That''s wrong, Houki, completely wrong. It''s not that ''I have to do it'', but ''I want to do it''. I don''t care what others think, but I won''t be me if I back away now. I won''t be Orimura Ichika!" "Ah, you idiot! Now what are you going to do? You already ran out of ene" "If you don''t have it, just get it from somewhere else. Isn''t that right, Ichika?" "Charles..." Charles seemed to have recovered from the jolt just now as she gently landed beside us. "It can''t be helped if it''s just a normal IS, but I guess my [Revive] can use the core circuits to transfer energy." "Really? Thanks, hurry up and help me!" "But!" Charles sternly warned. Her tone''s abnormally harsh, not allowing any arguments. "But you must promise me not to lose." "Of course! I''ll swear with all my life here that if I lose now, I''m not a man." "Then, if you lose, tomorrow, Ichika, you have to wear a girl''s uniform to school." "Ku...! I-I''ll do that! I won''t lose anyway!" This little joke manages to remove some tension, and my mind that was flushed with anger is cooled off to a fine extent. "Then let''s start...opening the [Revive]''s core circuits and allow the outflow of energy. Ichika, set the [Byakusiki]''s mode at single 1 mode. You should be able to use [Reiraku Byakuya] now." "Oh, got it." The cables reached out of the [Revive] and attached themselves to [Byakushiki], which was in bracelet mode, and the energy flowed through it. It felt like a sudden surge in energy. I felt this power as I had an explicable feeling. (This...feels like that first time when I activated the IS...) It seemed like I hadn''t had this feeling for a long time, and there was an inexplicable sense of reunion and nostalgia, and the feeling that the world was reborn, this feeling of being able to feel the surroundings completely. "..." What''s going on? Either way, there''s no need to bother about this. Right now, the most important thing is right in front of me. "Done! I transferred [Revive]''s remaining power to you." As Charles declared, [Revive] scattered into bits of light and disappeared in particles of light. And [Byakushiki], which was in single 1 mode, began to build itself on my body. "So the most you can go is the weapon on your right hand." "That''s enough!" [Byakushiki] understood that I was about to use [Reiraku Byakuya] as it materialized itself on my right hand in the form of [Yukihira Niigata]. No defenses, a definite loss if I get hit, and at best, heavy injuries. However, I was prepared to be hit, and next, it''s my turn. "I-Ichika!" Houki, who''d been standing on the sidelines till now, finally couldn''t help but say something. Her eyes were staring at me, looking extremely serious. "Don''t die...you definitely can''t die!" "What are you worrying about, idiot?" "Wh-Who''s an idiot! I''m worried about you" "Just trust me." "Huh?" "Trust me, Houki. No need to worry about me, and no need to pray for me. Just believe in me and wait for me. I''ll win." I''ll no longer mistake the meaning of strength. I know what''s strength without power. I understand more than others, people who continue to be strong to protect others. Then, then I hope to be strong for a certain someone, I hope. "I''m going then." "Ah, yes! Win, Ichika!" After I promised Houki that I''d win, I faced the opponent in front of me. I glanced at Charles, and she didn''t say anything, only nodded her head silently. That''s enough! "All right, bring it, you fake!" My [Yukihira Niigata] in my right hand responded to my will as it deployed. "[Reiraku Byakuya]activate!" "[Reiraku Byakuya]activate!" *Vmmmm*...this little reaction sounded like [Byakushiki]''s answer. The blade that could erase all energy sources and negate it appeared with twice the length. (It doesn''t have to be this big now. What I need is speed and sharpness, and to be able to draw the sword fast. A refined blade.) I gathered my concentration and imagined a shot of light in the darkness. It then became smaller, fine and sharper. Once this concentration was at the maximum, [Yukihira] changed. What was just a [Yukihira Niigata] that was giving a large glow was now becoming smaller and sharper. The moment the transformation was complete, the original physical blade of the [Yukihira] was completely gone. The blade was just an energy sword that was made out of the [Reiraku Byakuya], and the energy was forming a katana-shaped blade. (Thank you, [Byakushiki], thenlet''s go!) I kept my blade at my waist and got into a sword drawing position in front of the the black IS. That was a fusion of what Chifuyu-nee taught me and what I learnt from Houki, the ''First Flash, Second Strike'' move. "Listen, you must draw the blade through its weight, not through your hand, but to be treated as a part of your body. When drawing, don''t do too many unnecessary movements. No gaps, no mistakes." "Ah, really, why don''t you understand! I''ll show it to you! Watch!" Both of their postures overlap in my mind, forming my own posture. I lowered my body and readied myself, bringing the hand with the sword behind me. My eyes continued to gaze forward, and a motionless surface of water appeared in my heart. Then, while it seemed that I could respond to all the movements, I sealed my feelings, that consciousness into a single spot, right at the enemy in front of me. "..." The black IS swung down the sword. That was a move identical to Chifuyu-nee''s, a slash that quickly attacked the enemy from the shoulder on one side to the waist to the other side. However, there was none of Chifuyu-nee''s will there. In other words, that''s "THAT''S JUST AN IMITATION!" *KLANG!* My horizontal strike that was drawn from the waist knocked the enemy''s blade aside. Then, I immediately raised the sword above my head and slashed the enemy down from the top. This is the ''First Flash, Second Strike''. The first is to strike like a flash, and the other is to slash the target, "Ke, kre...klak..." *Bzzt*...the purple electricity jumped about, and the black IS got sliced in half. And the moment Laura was about to lose consciousness, I exchanged looks with her. Her eyepatch dropped off, revealing the golden left eye. She stared at me with a really weak expression, like one of an abandoned puppy, seemingly saying: Please save me. "...Well, I won''t beat you up then." I hugged Laura, who lost her strength as I muttered. As for whether she heard it, I guess only she knows. "Let me give you some advice. Once you meet that guy, make sure you have a strong heart, because though that person''s really immature, for some reason, he sure can attract the girls easily. You may fall for him if you''re not careful, you know?" Instructor seemed to say that happily, even showing some slight embarrassment, and that really irritated me. So--I understood. Yes, I felt jealous, so I finally asked, "Have you fallen for him, instructor?" "That''s stupid. How can an elder sister fall for her little brother?" She smiled as she said that, and I couldn''t calm down. That guy was able to let the instructor show such an expression--I was envious of him. And then, after we met, after the battle, I understood. What is strength? There should be numerous answers. But I found one of them. "Strength is where the heart is, where you stand. I guess that would mean consider what will happen to me." ...Is that it? "I guess it should be. Forget about how strong you are, if you don''t even know what you''re doing, you don''t even know where to go, correct?" ...How should I go... "Go somewhere, where you want to go...and things like that." ...Where must I go... "In other words, you''ll win if you do what you want. Isn''t it bad to worry or restrain yourself?" And then, this guy--this man--he smiled and said, "You must do what you want to do. Isn''t that what life is supposed to be about?" --Then, what about you...? Why do you want to get stronger? What makes you strong? "I''m not strong. I''m...not strong at all." He replied so firmly, and I couldn''t answer back. He had such strength, and yet he said that he wasn''t strong. I really couldn''t understand. "But if you claim that I''m strong, I would be because--" --Because...? "Because I want to become strong, that''s why I would be strong." -- "And there''s something I want to do after I become strong." --Something, you want to do...? "I want to protect someone, using my all, I just want to fight for someone with my all." --That''s exactly...like that person. "Yeah, so because of that, I''ll protect you too, Laura Bodewig." Hearing him say this, my heart wavered strongly for the first time due to this impact. "I''ll protect you." He said that. I--ahh, I see, so that''s it...that''s how it is. My heart moved. My rapidly pulsating heart indicated that in front of him, I was just a 15 year old ''girl''. --Orimura, Ichika. Ahh, that, that''s right. I seem to have fallen for him. "Uu, ahh..." The sunlight shone down on Laura, waking her up. "Are you awake?" She remembers this voice. She had heard it before--and not only that, Laura was able to deduce where she heard of it before. It was the instructor she so loved and respected, Orimura Chifuyu. "What''s...with me...?" "Your entire body took too much burden, causing wounds and muscle fatigue. You can''t move at the moment. Don''t force yourself." After finishing, Chifuyu wanted to change the topic, but Laura was still her past student, it wasn''t easy to fool her. "What...happened...?" Laura barely managed to lift her upper body up. Her face twisted in agony due to the pain that spread throughout her entire body. However, her eyes were staring intently at Chifuyu. The eyepatch was taken off her left eye for surgery, and it was a golden eye that was different from the eye on her right. This mysterious eye was merely showing a puzzled look. "Hoo...basically, this is both a major case and a top secret article." However, Chifuyu knew that she wasn''t someone who would give up after hearing such an answer, so after she remained silent to indicate that this can''t be said to others, she began to speak, "Do you know of the [VT system]?" "I do...the actual name is [Valkyrie Trace System]...it records the systems of all the previous Mondo Grosso''s Champions. I remember that''s..." "That''s right. Right now, the research, and even the development, usage and all is banned under the IS treaty, and it was in your IS." "..." "It was hidden really well. The pilot''s mental state, the damage the machine took, and most importantly, the pilot''s will...no, the desire. It can only activate with all these conditions. right now, the academy''s questioning the German Army, and the committee members will most likely carry out an investigation." On hearing Chifuyu''s words, Laura grabbed tightly onto the bedsheets. For some reason, she looked down at the void below her eyes. "That''s because...I wished for this." I wanted to be you. Laura didn''t say it, but Chifuyu understood. "Laura Bodewig!" "Ye-Yes!" Having her full name called out, Laura looks up in surprise. "Who are you?" "I-I''m...I''m...m,..." She can''t continue on. Under this situation, she can''t say that she''s Laura. "If you are no one, that''s convenient. You will become Laura Bodewig from now on. Besides, there''s a lot of time, since you have to stay here. After that, until you die, you still have a lot of time to use, so continue to be bothered, young lady." "Ah..." Chifuyu''s words confound Laura. As she never expected Chifuyu to encourage her, she didn''t know what to do. She didn''t know how to answer, as she couldn''t even say a single word. Chifuyu got up from the chair and began to leave. She had said whatever she wanted to say, and was ready to head back to being in the position of a teacher. "Oh, and also." Chifuyu put her hand on the door, and without turning back, added on, "You can''t become me. If you become that guy''s elder sister, you will continue to worry like me." She did smile when she said that, right? Laura felt this way. Then, a few minutes after Chifuyu left the room, Laura began to feel weird. "Fu, fufu...hahaha." Ah, such a cunning pair of siblings. Both of them always wanted to run away after saying what they wanted to say. Having said so much, she still had to consider this. What was more sly than that? (Think on my own, act on my own. Is that so...) Though just laughing alone would cause aches in her entire body, Laura still felt happy. She lost thoroughly, lost completely, but she never felt better. Right now, the life of Laura Bodewig begins now-- "The tournament is called off due to an unexpected situation. But as the tournament is related to the tracking of individual data, all the matches in the first round will be continued. Please check the changes in locations, dates and times on the PD" *Beep*. Someone turned off the television in the cafeteria. I was watching the TV while eating sea-salt flavored ramen. Though the foreign language film had finished playing, it was rather smooth...I''m talking about the ramen. "Mn, just like what Charles said." "Yeah. Ah, Ichika, please pass me the chilli powder." "Here." "Thanks." Though people may criticize us for ''Looking like it didn''t involve us even though we were the ones involved'', we were questioned by the teachers all the way until just now, and the cafeteria was about to close when we were finally released. Thus we hastily headed here, only to find a large number of girls waiting at the cafeteria, ready to question us. Anyway, better finish dinner first. We sat at the table, ready to finish dinner, but the running trailer on the TV showed an important announcement, which was the section just now. "PhewI''m full! School cafeteria, hostel cafeteria, it''s great to have such delicious food in this school...hm?" I don''t know the reason, but the girls who were waiting for us to finish eating suddenly looked extremely depressed. The way they looked depressed is like a Yamato-class battleship. I''m sorry, I never saw one before. "...Our chance...to win...gone..." "Date...wasted..." "...WAHHH!!" *Pa pa pa*. Several people ran out, crying...what, what''s wrong now? "What''s going on?" "No idea..." Charles and I didn''t even know what''s going on. At this point, we just found another example of how ''Girls are inexplicable beings''. After the girls left, I saw someone standing around. That was my familiar childhood friend, Houki. Houki looked like her soul had just floated out of her mouth...anyway, better get to her. "Oh yeah, Houki, about our promise last month" "Ku." A response. Good, she''s not dead yet. "I can go out with you." "What?" "I''m saying that I can go out with you...WAH!" Houki suddenly jumped up like a loosened spring. She just grabbed my neck when I was already a lot taller than herGUH!! "RE-REA-REAL...LY!? REA...REAL-REALLY!?" How many times do you need to say ''really''? It''ll become a lie if you continue on. I guess now. "...Mn, yup." "Wh-Why? Yo-You, tell me your reason..." Houki suddenly backed away from me, cupped her chest and gave a dry cough. Why is her face so red...well, forget about it. "That''s because it''s a request from a childhood friend, so I can go along with you..." "I-Is that so?" "...On a shopping trip that is." Ugh! Houki''s expression''s really scary...hey, hey! Is that what an oni''s[2D 2] expression is like? "...That''s..." "Hey, hey." Was Houki''s expression''s really this terrifying? It''s best not to irritate her. Those who have eaten nitroglycerin and chilli should be treated [delicate] and [softly]. "YOU THOUGHT IT WAS SOMETHING LIKE THAT!?" MOVE! "GUH!" She launched a straight punch that was empowered with the twisting of the waist, causing my eyes to seemingly be covered by a black cloth--Sei kobushi no buratsuku sumi su[2D 3]...never mind. "Humph!" *BAM!* Ugh, her toes landed straight in my chest. I-Idiot, I just saw your panties already...--let me tell you, it''s white. "U-Ug-Ugh..." I immediately collapsed onto the floor, and couldn''t see Houki stomp away angrily...it seems like I got critically damaged. Right now, I didn''t want to move, and I couldn''t move anyway. "Ichika, sometimes I feel that you''re doing it on purpose." "Wh-What? What do you mean?" "What do you think?" Charles suddenly looked away. What the heck, what''s... It was 15 minutes later before I finally recovered. Stroking my still-aching abdomen, I faced Charles as we sat. "Oh yeah, I got some things to ask you." "Okay, what is it? You can ask anything." Having finished her Tsukimi udon, Charles smiled as she answered. Though we seemed to have met a lot of terrible stuff ever since the tournament ended, for some reason, she seemed to be in a good mood. "Can we actually talk through IS? Huh, not by private channels. It''s like talking to each other in a space both people have." "Hm? Well...I seem to have heard of it before. Though it''s thought to be the interference in the IS network, but in fact, it should be some sort of a consciousness interference when the pilots are of the same wavelength, or something like that." "Ohh, that may be the case. But, the wave...wavelength. I really don''t understand." "IS itself has a lot of phenomenons and functions that can''t be understood, and also, the inventor, Professor Shinonono Tabane didn''t even reveal the complete details and disappeared. Though she once said that IS is designed to improve itself, it seems like she herself couldn''t grasp it, so she couldn''t even roughly describe it." "Well, that sounds like what Tabane-san would do..." That person basically wouldn''t bother with things she wasn''t interested in...she could have checked it out herself. Seems like she deliberately chose not to do so. As I continued to think this, I suddenly noticed Charles staring at memaybe it was just me or that I was distracted, but she seemed to be rather vexed. "...Ichika, when you talked about 2 people talking in a space, are you referring to Bodewig?" "Mn, well, yeah..." "HmI see." Charles nonchalantly answered as she kept her cutlery. Thanks to the recent training...or the telepathy between partners, I immediately knew that she wasn''t happy. She''s trying her best not to show it, so it''s almost impossible to detect it, but as she got into that situation, she would emphasize the ending in all her sentences, and she would walk faster. But why is she unhappy? That''s a mystery. "Ah, Orimura-kun, Dunois-kun. You''re here. It was tough on you two." "You too, Yamada-sensei. It must be tiring to continue recording, right?" "No, no. I''m already used to such dry work. Don''t worry about me. Besides, I''m a teacher after all." Hehe, Yamada-sensei lifted her chest up, and that voluptuous chest of her shook due to the weight, making me wonder where I should put my eyes on, and I can only look away. "..." "Ichika no ecchi." Though that was just a little side comment, I could hear it clearly. "Wh-What? Hold on, Charles! That''s a misunderstanding!" "Humph, God knows." Ah, whatever. Why is her mood so poor? She didn''t like to eat tsukiri udon? I did tell her that the traditional way of eating it was to eat the egg last... "What''s wrong?" "No, nothing, nothing at all." "I see...well, let''s not mention about this. There''s good news!" Yamada-sensei clenched both fists and gave a victory pose, and her breasts bounced again. Well, though it was an eyecandy, it wasn''t good for the eyes. "It''s really good news! Starting today, the boys'' bath is opened!" "Ohh! Is that so? I thought we had to wait till next month." "That''s because they had to check the boiler of the baths today, so the students weren''t allowed to use it. But now that the inspection''s done, there''s no need to prevent the 2 guys from using it!" Great, this is really great! Awesome! To be honest, because of the large number of problems that occurred with the tournament, I really wanted to take a bath to remove all my fatigue. However...whether it was the inter-class match last month or any of my matches, there always seemed to be something unexpected, something impossible that happened. Right now, my fatigue level''s almost at 100%, and I really can''t be pleased about it. "Thank you Yamada-sensei!" Being extremely touched, I grabbed Yamada-sensei''s hands tightly, wrapping my own hands around hers, and my eyes that were staring at Yamada-sensei''s eyes should be glittering like gold...ahh, it''s great to have a bath! It can be considered a tradition in Japanese history...no, it may even be the soul of it! "We-Well...sensei will be troubled if you close in like this! That..." "Yes?" "No, nothing, nothing at all! It should be alright, right?" For some reason, Yamada-sensei was unable to calm down as she looked about. You have to look at others in the eyes when they''re talking to you! You said so yourself! And she was blushing. Does she have a cold? A summer cold affects the body badly. I hope that she can take care of her own body more. "Ah--...ahem." Charles coughed dryly a few times to interrupt our conversation, and I suddenly felt that the warmth in her eyes is lower than before. Why is that so? She''s not happy about a bath? I am! "An-Anyway, both of you, please hurry to the bath. You just need to soak your body up to your shoulders to remove all your fatigue, right?" "Yes! Then let''s hurry and goah!" Immediately after I quickly answered, I remembered something. Yamada-sensei did say ''Both of you, please hurry to the bath''she did refer to Charles and me like that. Not, good. Up until now, Charles had always been attending school as a guy. It wouldn''t be natural to go in separately, and they forced us to use it together. Anyone would roll their eyes about this wasteful manner. "Huh, what...that..." "What''s wrong? Okay okay. Both of you, hurry and get your change of clothes. I have the key to the bath, so I''ll be waiting for both of you in front of the changing room. So then." After saying that, Yamada-sensei immediately scooted off...ahh, what do we do now... "...Charles?" "Well, that''s trouble...some. What do we do? An-Anyway, lets go back to the room to get our change of clothes." "Well, let''s just hope that someone up there can find a way for us..." As we were with a common mindset, she understood it. Anyway, Charles and I headed back to the room first. While getting our clothes, we still couldn''t find a way. We didn''t even have time to talk about normal stuff, and could only prepare to bathe. And then "Ah, you''re here! Please enter! You''re the first ones in!" "Th-Thanks..." Sounding really excited, Yamada-sensei sent us in, saying ''Take your time~'' as she closed the door to the changing room. Then, the time of silence came, and Charles and I turned our backs on each other in the changing room. "..." "..." No, this won''t do. I want to take a bath, but no matter what, I can''t do it together with Charles. Well...I did see her naked before, but that was another thing altogether. As expected, a girl at this age can''t show her naked body to guys like that. And I have to try my best to avoid seeing it. Though many would say ''It''s not like you''ll lose a lump of flesh'', that''s a misunderstanding, a very serious mistake. It''s basically idiotic. They will decrease; the dignity, elegance, value of a girl will drop. Logically, guys should be protecting girls, so how can I look down on them? That''s the ''Lack of Shame'' that Houki said. "En...Charles?" "Ye-Yes?" Why does she sound so polite now? Sigh, never mind. I still have to talk to her while facing her. It''s really hard to talk to her while our backs are facing each other. But if I have to look at her face, a lot of unexpected things will come out of my mouth. This is really unbelievable. "You''re tired today, right, Charles? Go in then. I''ll spend the time outside, and once you''re almost done, I''ll go back to the room." "Huh? What about you, Ichika?" "We can''t possibly bathe together, right? Hm, well. Since it''s like this, go in and bath then, Charles. I''ll go back to the room to bathe." Guys have to wait silently. Besides, since I have to accommodate my partner Charles, this is nothing. I don''t have to be responsible for strangers, but Charles did care for me a lot. In modern society, it''s not rare to see girls suddenly order a guy they don''t know, but if I meet one, I''ll definitely reject her without a second thought. No matter who the person is, I have no obligation to listen to any rude and unreasonable orders. On the other hand, if there''s a reason I can agree with that is meaningful, I''ll do my best to fulfill it. Don''t look at me like that. I''m good at things like domestic stuff and massaging. Chifuyu-nee can guarantee that. Though I may be bragging, I could make a good house-husband, heh heh~ "It, it''s alright. I''ll wait for you in the changing room. Well...I don''t really like to take baths, but you do right, Ichika?" "I do!" Of course I do! If I have to compare between the importance of bathing and eating, bathing would come on top. But it''s a different case if it''s a meal with delicately prepared food. Huh? Why is Charles blushing? "What''s wrong?" "No, nothing! An-Anyway, go take a bath then, Ichika! Don''t mind me, okay?" "...Really?" "Ye-Yeah." "I''m going in then! Thanks Charles! I''ll pay you back next time!" Since she said this, it would be rude of me to I refuse her. Knowing that I can take a bath (in such a large bath to boot!) made me feel a lot better. Thus, I moved to a place where Charles couldn''t see and took it off. Though it''s rather troublesome to put on the IS suit, it''s easy for guys to take off their clothes. I''m not kidding. It didn''t even take half the time it takes to wear them. "I''m going in then." "O-Okay, take your time." I called Charles before I entered the bath, but for some reason, she sounded rather sheepish. Is she planning on pulling a prank? I hope not. "WOW!" It''s huge! It''s really huge. There was a large bath in the room, 2 medium-sized baths that had massaging and air-bubbling functions respectively, and one hinoki bath. Furthermore, there was also a sauna, a body shower and even a waterfall-style massage water pillar. The facilities were perfect! It''s great to live in Japan! Long Live Japan! Wah, I''m feeling way too good now. I really want to use all the facilities of this bath. Anyone who doesn''t feel excited about seeing this isn''t a Japanese. No, isn''t even human! "Wait, hold on. Calm down. Haste won''t make the cut. Let''s just wash my body first." Got to wash my body first, really. "WAHAHAHAHAHA!!!" IT''S ALRIGHT TO SHOUT HERE! THIS IS A LARGE BATH AFTER ALL! (Note: all good kids shouldn''t try this.) I held back my exhilaration as I hurriedly washed my body and quickly washed off the soap. I had to wash once first, bath, wash another time, bath, and then get out. That''s my policy. Though it''s alright to not follow through the routine, I''d feel better if I do, so I would often follow my routine. After washing my body, I soaked my entire body into the bath pool that I oh so awaited. "Hoo~" Ahh, this relaxing feeling that spreads through my body. The tired feeling of fatigue and stiff body, and the relaxing feeling the steam brings to remove them...as I continued to relax my body, I try to remove all the thoughts in my mind. I don''t want to think about anything. I just want to enjoy the bath on my own. "Ah~! I''M REVIVED~" REVIVED~REVIVED~REVIVED~... As expected of a large bath, even the echoes are nice to hear. Hm, this is just like an onsen that promotes the importance of a bath. I should stick a gold star and then pin it up. Thus, as I continued to soak in the pool, I soon forgot about the time, and a sleeping sensation gradually struck me. Maybe it was because I was tired, as the sleep monster carried me away after I relaxed. (Ahh...I''ll really sleep at this rate.) I''ll drown at this rate. This isn''t good. *Shashasha...* (...? Is it my imagination? I seem to hear the door to the changing room opening...) But my mind''s really fuzzy now. Maybe it''s just my imagiantion. *Patapatapata*. I heard a pair of beautiful legs walking on the wet marble. The reason why I knew that was because it sounded beautiful. The source of the beautiful sound would most likely indicate that it was beautiful. Heh~ "I-I''m coming in..." "!!" I quickly raised the face that was half-soaked in water, and on the other side of the steam, I saw a completely naked Charles. Of course, she had a towel wrapped around her, but it was a thin sports towel. The color of the skin behind could roughly be seen, and because of the backlight, I could see the body curves extremely clearly. "Wh-Wha-What!?" "...Do-Don''t look! Ichika no ecchi..." "So-Sorry!" AHHH, why must I say sorry!!? AHHH!! I don''t understand, but I better apologise! Then, I quickly turned right at a rotation speed that could match an IS. The human body sure is amazing! "Wh-Wha-What? Why are you here! Ah, I did ask you to come in, but that was when I was not inwhy did you come in, Charles-san?" Ahh, not good. My mind is in a mess now. Though I know what sort of situation I am in now, I couldn''t control it nowor rather, how am I going to control myself now? Who could bring together, the gathering of a poltergeist? If there''s one in the bathroomyikes! "You, you don''t like...to be...with me...?" "No, that''s not it!" That''s not a case of liking someone or not. If I have to say it, I''m troubled! That''s right, I am troubled! I''m a healthy 15 year old boy, and I have an interest in the opposite gender like others. I''d be lying if I said that I am not excited. And at this moment, I''m in this large and sealed room (with high temperatures and echoes to boot) alone with a naked girl. This isn''t good. I don''t find that it''s good at all. Right now, I can somewhat hear Charles breathing behind me, causing my heart to beat wildly. "I still felt that it''s better to come take a bathif you, you''re bothered by this. I''ll just get out. Is it okay?" "I-It-It''s alright. I''ll come out instead. I got enough of it, and besides" "WA-WAIT!" She suddenly shouted for me to stop, and I stopped due to the shock. "We-Well, I have something to say! It''s important, so I hope that Ichika can listen..." "I, I understand..." If she has something important to say to me, I have to listen. Thus, I put my body that got up back into the bath pool. But naturally, I couldn''t stare at Charles, so I could only turn to the right side of the bath and listen to her with my back facing her. I could only turn to the right side of the bath and listen to her with my back facing her. "Well...do you still remember what you just said?" "What I said before...are you talking about staying in the Academy?" "Yes, that...well, I intend to stay here. Because I don''t have any place to live, and..." "An-And what?" "..." For some reason, she answered with silence. Our conversation suddenly stopped, and the entire bath went silent. *Plop*. "Kyah!" "Wh-What''s wrong?" She just let out a cute sound, causing my voice to panic as well. "I, I just got a water droplet on me...just scared me." "Is, is that so..." "..." "..." And then, the silence continued. The water droplets that would occasionally drop from the ceiling seemed to feel abnormally large. Swoosh... "Charles?" As I heard the sound of water moving about in the pool, I turned my face to the source of the water instinctively. "Do-Don''t look here! Turn around!" "So-Sorry!" Though the steam was thick, both of us were less than 1 meter apart, so I could clearly see Charles facing me. (Wh-What is she trying to do? No, is blood gushing into my head? I feel dizzy...) But my wavering consciousness got shook up at the next moment. *Swoosh*. Charles used her hands to touch my back. "Cha-Charles" Her hands were hugging me from behind, and her slender body was pressing onto my back. My heart was pounding like crazy, it was as if it was about to jump out of my mouth. "Ichika, I''ll say it because it''s here I want to remain here because you are here." "I, I see..." Though it''s nothing much to me, I find that it''s enough that I could help Charles. I feel that, depending on how the people around me treat me, I would treat them back in the same way. If others are to protect me gently, I wish to give the same gentleness to them and protect them. That''s what I think. "Also, that...I decided on something." "Something...?" "Yup, how I ought to live. Ichika taught me that, right?" "Is, is that so?" "Yeah. Fuuf, it seems like Ichika''s so slow-witted whenever he''s involved, that it''s really irritating!" "We-Well...sorry about that." "It''s alright, I forgive you. But can you call me Charlotte from now on? Just call me that when we''re alone together." "That''s your real...?" "Yes. My name. Mother gave it to me, my real name." "I got it, Charlotte." "Mn." Charlesno, Charlotte happily answered like, as naive as a child. I could immediately imagine her completely worry-free expression. "Th-Tha-That''s right, well...if we continue to remain in this position, to be honest, something bad may happen..." Though I didn''t realise just now, when I noticed the parts she and I were sticking together, it couldn''t be helped that I was mindful of the lumps on my back. The size should be ordinary, but the springy-ness shape is rather goodWHAT IN THE WORLD AM I THINKING!!?? "Ah, ahh, oh! That''s right! I, I have...to wash my body and hair first!" Charlotte finally seemed to notice her situation as she got away from me with water splatting sounds, standing up from the pool. "Do-Don''t look here, okay!?" "I, I won''t..." "...It would be alright even if you looked..." She finally seemed to mutter something, but as the water splatters were too loud, I couldn''t hear it. Then, Charlotte and I continued to wash and bath, and then we left the bath after relaxing for 30 minutes. OF course, we put on our clothes separately. While I waited, Charlotte was putting on her clothes. Guys just need a moment to put on their clothes, and I''m donelook, I''m done. "Let''s go back then." "Mn." Charlotte nods her head. Her head''s flushed red, maybe because she just bathed. Though she was wearing the bra as per usual, the hair that was wet and combed back caused my heart to beat ridiculously for some reason. After returning to the room, we first talked about some pointless stuff, and then slept. I don''t really remember what happened, maybe because I was too tired...maybe. Let''s just leave it as that. The next, day, Charlotte didn''t show up at homeroom. ''I''m going then''. That''s what she said to me before she left when we were at the cafeteria. What happened? I look around the classroom. Besides, Charlotte, Laura wasn''t around either. She was probably still recovering due to the injuries yesterday. Either that, or she got taken by the teachers for questioning. "Go-Good morning everyone..." For some reason, Yamada-sensei tumbled as she walked into the classroom. Maybe she got severely affected by something early in the morning or something. Maybe her poached egg wasn''t half-cooked or something...that could make her feel so moody. "Orimura-kun. I don''t know what you were thinking, but you can''t treat me as a kid! Sensei''s angry. Haa..." She''s angry...but not forceful. That''s all. Sorry sensei. "Uhm, today...I will be introducing a new student. Umm..." I really can''t understand Yamada-sensei''s introduce...what? Transfer student? My classmates seem to respond at the same time, as there''s a commotion. It''s already this late into the term, and we already had two transfer students. Another one? What''s going on? "Okay, please enter." "Sorry to intrude." Huh? This voice is-- "I''m Charlotte Dunois. Everyone, it''s nice to see you." Wearing a dress, Charlotte gives a deep bow. Including me, everyone in the class is stunned, but they still bowed back politely. "Erm, Dunois-kun san is actually Dunois-san, just like that. Haa...I have to reassign dorms again..." I see, so sensei''s bothered about this. ...Hold, on, a, minute! "Wha? Dunois-kun was a girl...?" "I always knew that it''s weird! She''s not a bishounen, but a bishoujo."[2D 4] "Hey, Orimura-kun, you were sharing a room together, don''t tell me--" "Wait a minute! I remember the bath was being used by the guys yesterday!?" *Zawazawazawazza!* The buzzing surrounded the entire room, and the next moment, it rushed out. --Ah not good. I have a bad feeling about this. *BAM!* The classroom door looked like it got kicked down. "IIICCHHIIIKKKAAA~!!!" Crashing in and saying hello was Huang Lingyin. Her expression was showing rage that was like burning fire, and there seemed to be a dragon behind her. Ahh, this is the 4,000 year old history of China! "GO AND DIE!" She deployed the IS armor and opened the [Impact Cannons] on both shoulders with full force. --Ah, I''m sooo going to die now-- Tomorrow''s headlines will be decided. "A 1st year high school male student was unfortunately killed by a girl of the same year. His body was completely blown to bits, and the classmates screamed out in shock." ''MEAT SAUCE!'' ''TOMATO SAUCE'' ''A PERSIMMON DROPPED ONTO THE GROUND!'' ''A FIG!'' ''A TRASHED CAN OF COKE!'' ''OR PES(beep)COLA!'' Hey, the last two are the same-- *BZZT!* "FU-AH, FU--AH, FU--AH!" Rin''s shoulders were rising and dropping due to anger, and she looked like a cat who was so angry that the fur was standing up--hm...huh? I''m...still alive...? I''m still alive? "..." I don''t know if it was at the last second, but the one who arrived in between Rin and me was--that Laura. She was covered in the black IS [Schwarzer Regen]. Maybe she used the AIC she specializes in to negate the impact waves, but on closer look, that large railgun wasn''t there. "Thanks for saving me...is your IS repaired? That''s amazing." "...Luckily, the core''s alright, so I just used spare parts to reassemble it." "Oh, I see--bku!?" Suddenly-- Really, out of a sudden, Laura grabbed my chest and pulled me to her before--kissing me forcefully. Laura grabbed my chest and pulled me to her before--kissing me forcefully. "!?!?!?!?" SHOCKING NEWS! Can someone tell me what happened? Including Rin, everyone present widened their mouths in shock. They''re showing the same expression; me too. "You, you''re going to be my bride! It''s decided! I won''t allow any objections!" "Bride? Not groom?" Being extremely confused, I commented calmly. Maybe I''m really a great artiste--okay, that''s enough of my own ecstasy. "I heard that the Japanese customs would say to the ones they like ''yome ni suru''[2D 5], so you''re my bride." Who told her all these rubbish!? Hey! Call the one responsible for this! --Hn? "Y-Yo-You...!" Stuttering as she opened her mouth, Rin could only sputter some sounds like a goldfish. But for some reason, I couldn''t get rid of the sense of danger. It''s just like a goldfish sensor. Hold on. "YOOOUUUU BBBBAAAASSSSTTTAAARRRRDDDD!!!" *KLANG!* She activated the [Impact Cannons] again. "HOLD ON A MINUTE! IT''S NOT MY FAULT! I''M THE VICTIM HERE!!!" "IT''S ALL YOUR FAULT! ALL! ABSOLUTELY!! ALL YOUR FFFAAAAULLLLLTTT!!!" THAT''S TOO UNREASONABLE! But it seems like I can''t talk sense into her. As I could feel my own life in danger, I tried to escape through the back door of the classroom. *Bhew--!* The laser grazes my nosetip, and I tremble as I turn around. "Oh my, Ichika-san? Where are you going? I got something to say to you, you know? Well, it may be sudden, but it''s necessary. Ohohohohoho..." Eek! Cecilia has 1, 2, 3...at least 5 ruptured blood vessels! She''s slowly getting up, the [Starlight Mk III] in her hands, the particles of light are forming BITs on her back. Too late, the IS armor is covering her body. Things just got worse! I gave up on escaping through the corridor and turned to the windows. As this is the 2nd level, I can just jump down. In the worst case scenario, I just need to deploy [Byakushiki]-- *DON!* And right now(nanto)--here it goes (kanto). The south''s (nanto) really great, and I mean exactly as what it indicates. It''s good to complete it (kanto), and I mean exactly as what it indicates. I got a katana stabbed right in front of me. Huh, is this the Sengoku era[2D 6]? Sengoku IS Academy...or something like that? Though it''s not important, but Yodogimi''s IS must be pretty powerful, I guess. "...Ichika, how do you intend to explain?" "HOLD IT HOLD IT HOLD IT! I''M THE ONE WHO WANTS AN EXPLANATION--OWOAH!" I''M TOO LAZY TO LISTEN! The sharp slash echoed these words as it assaults me. AHH, YOU IDIOT! STOP IT! DO YOU WANT ME TO DIE!? STOP IT YOU IDIOT! NO NO NO! I''ll really die if this keeps up, so I bent my body down to escape without address--damn it, I don''t even know what I''m saying now. *BAM!* "Huh?" I knocked into someone. Who''s that? I half-instinctively lifted my head. "..." It''s Charlotte. "Nikotsu." "Ni-Nikotsu." Ahh, is this the so-called angelic smile? It''s like a buddha in hell, so I return an angelic smile at her. I''m rather good myself. "I''m pretty shocked Ichika actually kissed another girl in front of me!" "Well--...Charlotte? I was kissed, and I did not kiss someone. And why are you deploying your IS?" "I wonder why." [Rapid switch]--it doesn''t really look necessary, as Charlotte didn''t summon any weapons onto her hands. That''s right. That''s because her strongest weapon and armor is deployed, so she doesn''t need any other weapons. *PAM!* With the sound of gunpowder exploding, the shield dropped off to show the .69 caliber battering ram [Gray Scale], also known as [Shield Pierce]. "Ha, haha, hahaha..." When humans go past the limits, it seems like they can only laugh--a musician said this. Right, that''s right...! *DOKAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNN--!!!* In this homeroom period today, loud noises, huge explosions, and continuous impacts shake the classroom as what the words indicate. Volume 2 - Epilogue "Hm..." It really was a mysterious area. There was machinery stuffed all over the room, and the cables extended out like roots. Moving up the metal, shaped like cables, was a mechanical mouse, and sometimes, screws could be heard dropping like rubber fruits. *Tatatatatatatata*, it sounded like how ordinary people would use the keyboard to key in data in the first. This was the only place in the world that had a squirrel that identified extraneous parts, analyzed the design, took it in and formed another shape. Yes, this was Shinonono Tabane''s secret base. "Ohokay" *Kla*, *kla*.... *Kakakakakaka*.... "Oh~" Shinonono Tabane looked a lot more weirder than before. She was wearing a western dress that was as blue as the sky, just like Alice in ''Alice in Wonderland''. The apron and the huge butterfly now behind her was also eye-catching. As expected of Houki''s own older sister, they were similar in appearance. However, what made them greatly different from each other was that Houki had bright, piercing eyes, while Tabane''s eyes were lethargic looking due to lack of sleep. There were several years of black rings gathered below her eyes. This may be what people meant by ''Geniuses can''t be liberated from their thoughts''. Her dreamland got taken by the time spent in experiments, and thus she had never experienced sleeping soundly for once. Tabane didn''t even know what a real sleep should be like. Tabane was different from her sister. She didn''t know any kind of sports, let alone kendo, and she had never done that before. But her body was very streamlined and curvy. And what was most eye-catching were those huge breasts of hers. The buttons on her chest were about to burst open, probably due to the misfit in size. Through the gap of the white shirt, one could see the tempting skin color of the woman. Also, the hairband on her head could also be considered a problem. She had white bunny ears on them...basically, she had completely gotten into the role of ''Alice in Wonderland''. It was already weird to dress up like Alice and a white bunny at the same time, but that was Tabane''s interest, and the clothing she liked. Last month, she dressed up as all the characters in ''Hansel and Gretel''. Needless to say, that looked ridiculous. And Tabane, who was dressed up like this, was waiting on the strange chair. It may be weird to describe it as a chair, but it could only be described as that. The silver chair was giving off a silver glow, and the body of the chair was large and curved, surrounding Tabane''s body like a cage. It looked like a fossilized dinsosaur. And Tabane just needed to move a finger, and the cables linked on the top would let the mechanisms move. *Kla*, *kla*... *Kakakakakakaka*.... Once she moved the fingertips slightly, each part of the chair moved like they were alive as they gave the orders to the small mechanical hands. And right now, the mechanical hands were quickly moving their tweezers to assemble smaller parts. The chair was assembling something, attaching smaller parts with even smaller mechanical hands. After repeating the process numerous times, they finally stopped, and what was formed was a plastic IS model that was created from nano-units. It was weird, and useless, and it was so stupid that anyone would want to give her a punch. This was probably what ''wasting time'' meant to her. "Ahdone." It was complete! The painting and the surface streamlining were perfect. Tabane said so in a bored manner and walked out of the chair. The chair was tightly packed together, and there was no sign of it crumbling, but it would immediately crumble once Tabane touched it, forming a hill of spare parts. "Hn...I''m bored, bored." *Tulalatulalala~?* The Godfather''s theme rang[2E 1]. This is a famous theme hoodlums entering the new century would use, but the composer[2E 2] most probably did not expect someone in the Far East to love this song. To be honest, it would be interesting to see whether the composer would be extremely happy or sigh about this if he knew about it. "This, this ringtone is...ha!" A large jump, or rather, she jumped at her handphone in a diving like manner. Tabane didn''t mind that her mug and toolbox got scattered all over the place as she immediately brought the handphone to her ear. "Hello, Hi hi? Every day!"[2E 3] *Du* *Du*the line''s cut in both ways. "Wahwait wait!" Maybe it was Tabane''s wish coming through or some divine prank as the handphone rangs again *Tulalatulalala~?*. "Hello!This is everyone''s favorite idol Shinonono Tabanewait wait! Chi-chan!" "Don''t you call me that." "OK, Chi-chan!" "Sigh, whatever. I have something to ask you anyway." "What is it?" "Is it related to you this time?" "This time, this timewhat are you talking about?" Tabane tilts her head. She''s not feigning ignorance; she really doesn''t know. "I''m talking about the [VT system]." "Ah, that? Ohhoho, Chi-chan, do you think I created that crude amateurish thing? I''m the perfectly flawless Shinonono Tabane. Besides, it''s meaningless to create such a thing that''s not perfect." "..." "Speaking of which, as for that research lab, I erased it from the surface of the earth more than 2 hours ago...oh, though you may know, the death count is zero. It''s as easy as breaking a child''s handoh yeah, Chi-chan, is it hard to break one? Am I the only one thinking like this? Oh my, that''s weird." Ohohohoho, Tabane adds on a little laughter and smoothly brings this conversation to an end. "Really? Sorry for disturbing you." "No no, it''s not a bother at all! As long as it''s for Chi-chan, I''ll service you a full 24 hours a day. I''m not a convenience store! But I''ll gladly service you~" "Alright, I''m hanging up then." *BAM!* Chifuyu hung up the phone. It seemed like she wouldn''t be calling back again. Tabane looked somewhat regretful as she again stared at the handphone, but 2 seconds later, she just threw it away without abandon. "Oh my, Tabane''s happy to hear a voice she hasn''t heard in a long time! Chi-chan''s still as amazing as ever, don''t go running into the other side of the sunset." Tabane folded her arms in front of her chest as she muttered, laughing away. Orimura Chifuyu and Shinonono Tabane first met each other in elementary school, and after that, they were always in the same school and the same class. Of course, Tabane deliberately set that up, and Chifuyu knew that. However, that wasn''t all to their relationship. The IS was released when Chifuyu was studying high school, and for the next few years, Chifuyu had been assisting in the IS development as a pilot. In other words, what Chifuyu knew about IS already far surpassed the other pilots by a lot, and the comprehension level was on a completely different level. Because of all that training and unique skills, it wasn''t a surprise that she became the 1st Mondo Grosso championat least that was what Tabane felt. "But why did Chi-chan~ choose to retire?" Even now, Tabane doesn''t understand. In terms of age or ability, Chifuyu could still be a first-stringer if she returned to the squad, and she would immediately become a winning candidate in the next Mondo Grosso. However, the human heart was complicated, weird and inexplicable. Even a genius'' mind couldn''t comprehend its depths. It was because of just that reason that she wanted to know. Tabane was only interested in 3 people in the world. *Tralala~?* *Tralala~?* You people better get ready~ BAM BAM! AH, ONII-CHAN! IF YOU WANT I''LL GIVE IT TO YOU! Suddenly, another ringtone could be heardyes, this ringtone''s really weird. It''s likely that among the million fans of ''The Yakuza Wives''[2E 4], Tabane is the only one who would use the BGM of a conversation in the movie as a ringtone. On a side note, the number of fans is just pure speculation, so there may be a large difference in numbers, please take note. However, Tabane wasn''t a fan of this movie. It was a reaction she just does. The folded bunny ears of hers straightened up, and this response far surpassed all words. Why would that person call here? And for the first time! She already knew who the person was before she even picked up the phone. "Oh my oh my oh my! Long time no see! I''ve alwaysalways been waiting for you~!" "...Nee-san." "Yes yes, I know why you called. You want it, right? The one and only machine that you want Houki-chan''s personal machine. I did prepare it for you! It''s the strongest and far surpasses all other specs, and it''s even a match for the white one. And the name of that machine is... [Akatsubaki]!" Volume 3 - CH 1 "Sorry for making you help me." "Don''t worry." Under the red sunset, Ichika and Charlotte were walking together through the corridor. Both of them were carrying the itinerary information for the seaside school that was to be held this month. "But...is this really alright? You''re supposed to go with Cecilia and the rest, right?" "It''s alright. It''s pointless for me to go if Charlotte''s not going." "Huh?" "Well, how should I say this. Even if it''s just giving out pamphlets, I still prefer to be with the ones I like." Saying that, Ichika''s face blushed somewhat. That didn''t seem to look like the color of the sunset. "Ichika..." "Charlotte..." On the corridor where they were standing on, both of them were looking at each other in the eyes. At this point, silence is golden. In this orange scene, the two shadows overlap-- "--That''s, weird?" She looked around to confirm. She had spaced out. She was in her own first-year dorm room in IS Academy. It was 6.30am in the morning. "..." While she was still a little drowsy, Charlotte blinked twice, and finally grasped the current situation. "It was a dream..." Siiggghhh....she sighed deeply, so deep that it reached 20,000 feet below sea level. (Ahh, at least let me dream on for another 10 seconds...) She continued to cling onto to remnants of her dream, obviously looking unwilling to give it up. Even the dream sequence that would be quickly forgotten continued to linger as she continued to hang onto it. The image that was left in her mind was like a video record she loved to watch, as the ''play'' button seemed to be pressed in her mind. "..." Charlotte''s face blushed. As her consciousness started to clear, she began to feel embarrassed about the dream. (We actually...in the sch-school corridor...) However, as the words indicated, that was just a dream. She placed her hands on her chest, and found her heart beating wildly. (Wha-What was I thinking...) Ever since the individual division tournament last month, she went from Charles Dunois to her actual gender of Charlotte Dunois. Right now, she was sleeping in a separate room from Ichika. But every week, she would dream of such a thing twice a week. She knew that they''re in different rooms, but she would turn her eyes to look at the bed beside her for Ichika. "That''s strange?" Her roommate wasn''t in the bed. And that didn''t mean that she left the bed and went off. That bed wasn''t used. "...Well, never mind." Right now, the most important thing to her is to continue to dream. If she were to sleep again, maybe she might dream of the continuation. Carrying such casual thoughts, Charlotte closes her eyes, intending to sleep again. (Since it''s rare to have a dream, I won''t mind having some erotic content in it--) ... "Wha-What am I saying!!" Charlotte covered the top of her head with the blanket, as if trying to hide her rapidly blushing face, and finally calmed her crazily beating heart down. *Chirp chirp...* "Mn..." The sun that frantically tried to enter the room passed through the window, and the chirping of the sparrows seemed like they were prompting me to get up. (A little longer...just a little longer...) At this moment, staying in bed is the most wonderful feeling. I suppose everyone knows how to enjoy this peaceful feeling, right? Well, that should be the case. It''s soft. (...?) Soft and squishy. (Huh? What''s this feeling? Do I have something smooth in my bed?) However, right now, I can''t get myself to give up on this comfort and laziness to stay in bed and search for the unknown. (Ahh--how wonderful...) Soft and loose. "Mn..." --HOLD ON A MINUTE! I just heard a voice that doesn''t belong to me. And that''s most likely not a guy''s voice. (Speaking of which, it would be really terrifying if it''s a guy.) A premonition passes my mind, letting out a *GONG* like sound effect. *POW!* I flip the blanket off, and what appears in front of me is-- "La-LA-LAURA!!?" The German representative, Laura Bodewig. Ever since she transferred in last month, she suddenly challenged me, and after that, a lot of things happened--lots of them. However, that''s not the problem. The problem is ''why is she not wearing any clothes?''; which means, well...she''s completely naked. She has only a left eyepatch and an IS on standby--the black leg band on her right thigh. The flowing silver hair is scattered down her waist. "Mn...what...? It''s already morning...?" "IDIOT, IDIOT!! HIDE THEM!!: "You''re saying such weird things. I heard that spouses don''t hide things from each other." "Maybe you''re right...NO! HURRY UP AND PUT SOME CLOTHES ON! WEAR SOME CLOTHES!!" Ignoring my chaos, Laura just rubbed her eyes once and immediately reverted back to her usual expression...amazing, she can actually get out of bed easily. Such a terrifying person. --No, now''s not the time to think about this! Just when I was busy thinking about it, Laura said, "I heard that this manner of waking people up is very common, isn''t it? It''s said that engaged couples do this." "...Who''s the bastard who gave you such false information?" "But it seems to be have an instant effect..." "?" "Are you awake?" "Damn right..." Anyone who''s still not awake after seeing this either has a damaged brain or a rotten body, right? Either way, their specialty is that they''re dead, devoid of response and just like an ordinary corpse. But to a bystander, only a psychologically abnormal person would talk to the dead, right? The dead need a grave, and that guy needs a doctor or something. "But there''s still some time ''til breakfast." Laura''s covered with the blanket, and the hair that was bundled behind at one point is scattered. I''m unhappy about it, but that shiny silver hair that''s basking under the morning sun is really beautiful. (Even so, this gal here has been doing this kind of stuff ever since the tournament last month. It''s really troublesome...) She basically treated eating food at the same table as something to be expected. Once, she appeared when I was showering, and even before that, she was below me in an IS suit...no way! If I leave her like this, she would be even more incorrigible. "..." Uu--is there a way to make her less enthusiastic? "What''s wrong...ah, stop staring at me like that! I''ll get really embarrassed." I have a liar in front of me. But the way this liar looked embarrassed is a little...no, extremely cute. (Ugh, ah...NO! NO, NO, NO!!) --Oh, I got a great idea! "Laura." "What?" "I like dignified and elegant girls, you know." "Oh--" Seemingly surprised, Laura widened her eyes slightly, and then nods her head twice, seemingly processing what I meant. Ohh, things are proceeding smoothly! I''m glad. Here''s a reward! Haha, thanks for your reward. I''m the Master and the Servant is Me[3A 1]. "But that''s just what you like, right?" "Huh?" "I''m me." Those eyes filled with determination are staring at me. The hand that''s seemingly pointing at where the heart is draws what looks like a heart. "..." ...Whaa-- What''s with this organism that''s full of belief? I''d likely sleep with her if I''m a girl, I guess? Sorry, I was just spouting nonsense. "Bas-Basically, didn''t you say that..." Huh? What did I say? Damn it, I can''t remember? "You told me to do anything as I wish, but now...that''s too despicable..." Uu, I seem to have said that before, but what should I say...being liked to such an extent. I should be troubled or something like that... Speaking of which, she went from a brazen attitude to looking up at me and talking to me now. It looks abnormally charming. This is what she''s talking about, right? Besides, it nearly caused her to blush or her heart to start pounding like crazy...well, I don''t really know anyway. Once this thought developed, even the hand that she placed in front of her chest so openly now looked like it''s blocking my sight. Unbelievable. "Yo-You''re telling me to cover them, but you seem to be enjoying it, isn''t it?" "WHAT....? I-IDIOT! I''M NOT! I''M NOT!!!" "The-Then, do you want to look? You''ve been really daring ever since morning started..." "WAAH!! WAIT A SECOND!!" Seeing Laura flip the blanket off, I panicked. Though I intend to make her cover it up, I got easily passed, causing me to end up in a wrestling match. It''s now 6 plus in the morning...to the residents in the rooms besides me, above and below, I''m really sorry. "You...!" I tried to grab a corner of the blanket to suppress Laura...or so I intended. But she used my momentum that was going above to sweep me down. It''s over, this is a military combat skill. I can''t possibly win. And thus, having been flipped over, my head landed directly on the floor in an embarrassing manner, and my neck got twisted by 90 degrees. IT HURTS!!! "You should do some more wrestling techniques." Huh...Laura''s tone is just like Chifuyu-nee. As expected of her ex-student, even the icy cold stare''s the same. "Bu-But, about that...if you want to do sle-sleeping technique training, it''s not that I can''t join in..." Why is she blushing? Basically, the sleeping technique she''s mentioning is--AH! "I-IDIOT! GIRLS SHOULDN''T BE SAYING SUCH THINGS!!" "Oh? You want to say it yourself? I-I''m fine with it..." "NO WAY! SPEAKING OF WHICH, YOU DID SUCH A THING TO ME, AND YOU NEVER REFLECTED ON IT!!" "What thing?" "Wha, huh, that, that..." Huh--ah--uu-- "A...a kiss..." Uu...remembering this, I didn''t just blush, my body went hot on it''s heart. However, I don''t want to remember the hellish sight from that time, so I have to stop here. Anyway, my lips got taken by Laura last month, and also-- "Th-That was my first time..." Though I feel inferior for saying this, this is still a fact. That was my first kiss. As it was too much of an impact, who would notice the taste? Those people who said that a first kiss has a taste of lemon, stand right up! "I see." "What do you mean by ''I see''..." The irritating response made me rage, but before I went berserk, Laura continues, "I-I''m the same as well...first time! Mnn...I''m really happy..." Because she blushed as she said that, I had nothing to say at all. Please think carefully. When the girl in front of you is blushing and extremely cute (outstandingly cute), who can complain? Any guy who can complain isn''t a guy at all, or at least that''s what I think. I guess. "..." "..." Huuh, what''s with this silent presence? More than awkward, it feels more like we feel more aware of each other''s presence. No wait, let''s change the atmosphere. "WAAH!!" Intending to stand up, I got forced back by Laura back onto the bed. That''s a splendid yet quick skill, making me suspect ''where did she get such tremendous strength on those slender arms?''. "You, you''re really troublesome. I really want to ask you, why are you so capable of inflaming other people''s feelings?" Wh-Wha-What''s she saying!? I don''t understand at all! But right now, time is essential. Laura''s blushing as she''s covered by the morning sun, slowly pressing down on me. Behind the dormitory, in an empty space that''s occasionally used as a simple gathering place, Houki would come here to train seriously almost every day. "Hoo..." Having finished her morning shadow swing practice, Houki pulled out her towel from her bag of belongings. The beads of sweat that were lit by the morning sun shone like precious stones. The white torso guard (do) and the navy blue skirt (hakama) covered her healthy skin. Houki actually wore tabi socks and straw shoes (zori). To put it seriously, footwork has a very important significance in kendo. The tabi[3A 2]and zori[3A 3] that can allow the practitioner to step forward, defend and conserve energy are the ''imaginary battle practical equipment''. In kendo tournaments, the practitioners are required to be barefooted. And the tabi and zori combination can give a barefoot-like touch. But either way, Houki seemingly never went to the kendo club before. Even so, she continued to practice in order to not waste her skills. (But it''s already July...) Recently, the morning sun began to rise earlier. Besides that, she began to feel that the gradually rising hot air was mixing in the atmosphere. Though exercising did improve her mood, she wouldn''t feel good after being all sweaty and sorts. (Let''s go take a shower then.) If that''s the case, my roommate should be sleeping, right? Though they''re rather distant, she would feel bad waking her roommate up, thus Houki walked towards the club tower bathroom. (July--it''s July already, Ichika, you haven''t forgotten about it, have you?) At this point, the first month of summer is extremely special to Houki. "Oh my, you woke up early as well. Good morning." "Good morning, sensei." The teacher who''s in charge of the club tower still opened the facility at this time today for the students who were practicing in the morning. Sakakibara-sensei, who was about to be 29 today, is gentle to students, has great morals, and has good looks, but her luck with men is abysmal. Anyway, the guys she likes every time are the ones where other females would think ''no, I think he''s a little...'', guys who aren''t going to have positive impressions. Many times during the year, she would be dumped badly and would go drink alone. But this is the last year where she''s going to be 20+. Her parents have been trying to matchmake for her, which is her present trouble recently. Unable to refuse, Sakakibara-sensei went dating with a few people, but she kept having the same thoughts. "He''s good. But I just can''t fan my passion..." Yes, that''s right. She doesn''t want peace nor stability. That''s why she keeps falling for strange guys. She feels it herself too. If the target she meets can''t fan her passion, nothing he says can change her mind. She doesn''t want to end a marriage just because she''s tired of it--that''s Sakakibara Natsuki''s introduction. "I''m here to borrow the bathroom." "Okay, take your time. Make sure that the faucet''s turned off properly once you''re done." "Okay." Hearing Houki''s clear answer, Sakakibara-sensei smiles as she nods her head--she''s a beauty, but as for her luck with guys, just read the above. (Then...) She walked into the changing room. There was no one here other than Houki, and it was to be expected given the time. Before the students end their morning exercise and run in, she could probably dilly-dally for another 30 minutes. In fact, Houki came here earlier because she didn''t want to meet the students who were training. And the reason why she did this is-- "..." As the ''do'' was taken away, the breasts that were held down underneath bounced out. The breasts that were way too developed for a girl her age would attract looks from people of the opposite gender and of the same gender. Once, she was changing with the girls who were doing morning exercise, and all of them stared dumbstruck at her breasts. As Houki walked towards the bathroom, the girls started following her like she was the piper who led the girls away[3A 4]. After that, though everyone went into their own bath cubicles, she couldn''t calm down with all the stares around her. And that time, something worse happened. After someone mentioned the word ''watermelons...'', everyone started playing a charades game with round-shaped fruits like they were hypnotized. Embarrassed and angry and blushing red, Houki escaped the bathroom that time. (Uu, seems like they''ve gotten bigger...) Uu, seems like they''ve gotten bigger... Huge breasts aren''t as good as what people say, at least that''s what the person who has them will say. First, the shoulders would ache. They shake every time she made a large movement. She also found them bothersome. There seemed to be few matching bra sizes for her, and because of that, the number of clothes she could wear were few. And no matter how she wore them, the clothes seemed to emphasize the bustline, attracting looks from both genders. (Can''t I deal with this problem...) Haaa...she sighed. On a side note, if she were to say that trouble to Rin accidentally, she would face a situation even worse than being pursued and hunted by her till the end of the world. It''s that terrifying. A woman''s pride is higher than the Everest, deeper than the Mariana Trench and even more delicate than the sweets from that famous Kyoto Ogiya. It''s also classified as the first kind of dangerous items, level 1 ''highly explosive and dangerous'', to be handled with respect and cautiously. (B-But, that...if Ichika likes girls with large breasts, it would be a different thing altogether...) She remembered that when she argued against Cecilia last month, she couldn''t help but grab Ichika''s arm. To Houki, that was an unbelievably daring thing to do for her normally, but seeing that Ichika realized that she''s of the opposite gender, it made her even happier than she imagined. Truth be told, even though she wanted to go against Cecilia, just having Ichika''s arm touch her breasts made her self-aware and embarrassed at the same time. However-- (If that can make Ichika be aware of me...) Anyway, that''s good as well. No matter how much kendo training she puts in, she''s still a girl in her youth, so it''s unavoidable that she would like someone. And there''s also the seaside school this month. In terms of timing, there''s nothing better than this activity. Of course, the main aim of the seaside school is to have IS equipment mobilization in the open unlimited space, but this is IS Academy, where 99% of them are girls, so naturally they would consider the girls'' feelings. The first day would be free and easy--in other words, everyone can swim or play, and the school did think of the students feelings by not limiting them to just school swimsuits. It''s all free and easy. (This is a rare chance...!) There will be an intense battle to get the only guy, Ichika. Though this is to be expected. Houki has her own plan. "Okay! I''ll get him to buy something with me this weekend!" Unknowingly, as Houki clenched her fist, her voice echoed throughout the bathroom that has only her in it. (...Okay.) Having used the shower to wash away her sweat and blow her hair dry, her clean summer clothes were already put on herself. Then, she checked her hair thrice, cleared her throat five times to adjust her voice. After doing all that, Houki finally knocked on Ichika''s room door. *Knock* *knock*. "I-Ichika, are you in there? It''s a rare chance, so how about we go out for breakfast?" Silence, no response. "Ichika? Are you still sleeping? You''ll miss breakfast if you don''t wake up." But even after saying that a second time, she didn''t get a response. Somewhat unhappy, Houki placed her hand on the door handle. *Clack*. (Hm? The door isn''t locked...that guy''s really careless. Really!) "I''m going in, Ichika. Hurry up and get ready--" "Ge..." "Mu?" *BISSH!!* Houki''s expression, movements and her entire body froze. As she pushed the door open and walked in, she saw a thoroughly naked Laura pressing on Ichika''s body, getting ready to kiss him. For some reason, Ichika didn''t look like he was making any resistance. Understanding till this part, Houki finally lost it. "ICHIKA! WH-WHA-WHAT ARE YOU DOING, YOU WEAK BASTARD!!" *SWOOSH!* She drew out a real sword at one go. That was the result of training everyday, but to Ichika, who''s being pointed at, this isn''t a joke. "What? Hold it, Houki! That''s a misunderstanding!!" "WHAT MISUNDERSTANDING!? HOW DID I MISUNDERSTAND! HUMPH, JUST LET ME SLICE YOU UP!!" "AHH!! STOP IT, I''M TELLING YOU TO STOP, YOU IDIOT!!" "YOU''RE AN IDIOT! YOU BIG MORON!!" Being unreasonable, Houki raised the blade above her head, getting into a position where she''s about to slice my head in half. Unquestionably, that blade that''s reflecting pure light is as serious as ever. I can tell that I won''t just be injured if I get hit. "YOU-YOU-YOU BETTER ACCEPT PUNISHMENT NOW!!" *SWOOSH!* As the sound of the blade dancing through the wind could be heard, Ichika felt his sweat foreboding his imminent death. --But that blade stopped at the last second. More accurately, it got blocked. "It''ll trouble me if you end up killing my bride." "Cheh, you..." Laura''s right arm deployed the IS. It seems like she put the AIC on that part to block Houki''s blade. Being held down by that invisible force, Houki was unable to move, making her even more impatient. On a side note, Laura''s bride = Ichika. Though it should be the groom, but it''s unknown where Laura heard that ''in Japan, everyone would treat the people they love as ''their bride''[3A 5]. So the conclusion became Ichika = Laura''s bride. One day, just one day, I have to choke that person who taught her this extremely wrong piece of information--Ichika swore deep inside. "Hoo, I''m saved...hm? Laura, you took off your eyepatch?" Noticing the shiny gold left eye Laura''s showing, Ichika''s shocked. Once, due to a certain event, this eye changed color. It contained Laura''s self-loathing past, thus she fought with her sealed left eye, but lost. That''s because that left eye had nanomachines that were used to complement the IS''s extremely potent sensors. It enhances her sights, and even if the IS is in standby mode, she can see objects more than 2km away. "I really hated this eye in the past, but not anymore." "Oh, really? That''s great." Ichika added on with a ''no point hating your own body...'' as he nodded his head. Seeing him like this, Laura blushed again. "Be-Because you said that it''s pretty..." Seeing Laura turn away in an embarrassed manner, Ichika''s heart raced for some reason. But Houki didn''t feel interested. "Che..." "Che?" "CHIESTOOOOOO---!!" Roaring, Houki broke through Laura''s AIC with brute force and swings down. "WAHHH!!" *ZUDOMU!* The blanket and bed got sliced down in half. She had such talent wielding a sword at 15 years of age. Any swordmaster who''s around would definitely recruit her into his clan. "ICHIKA!! DIE!!!" "YOU DON''T KNOW WHAT YOU''RE TALKING ABOUT!!" "How rude of you, putting moves on other people''s brides." 3 people, 3 different reactions. The standoff continued as they trudged on line by line. The morning commotion proceeded until the dorm caretaker Yamada-sensei frantically came running in. "..." After a while, the location changed. This is the first year student cafeteria. Having been released from the hellish calamity just now, I''m eating a slightly late breakfast. On a side note, Laura''s sitting beside me, and Houki''s sitting opposite me. I ordered a natto and grilled fish set, Laura chose bread, corn soup and chicken salad. As for Houki, she chose- "Hm? Do you want to eat it?" Having noticed my stare, Laura added ''I''ll share some with you'' and used her mouth to pick the bread up. Hm? Why must you use your mouth to pick up the bread...sigh, WAH!! "Hm...what''s wrong? You can bite it, you know?" "ID-IDIOT! WHO CAN EAT LIKE THIS! THIS IS JUST LIKE KISS--" The moment I said ''up till there'', Houki forcefully slammed onto the table. "Can you please be more quiet when eating...?" Her lips are twitching, giving a terrifying smile. "Fuu... are you jealous?" "What?" "You''re envious because you couldn''t do it?" "Wh-Who, who can''t do it! I-Ichika!!" After drinking a large gulp of miso soup, Houki reaches out. Don''t tell me this is...no, whatever the taste is, isn''t she going to feed me with her mouth? Huh, when can I eat breakfast? "...!...!" The meaning of this is to prompt me to drink. So this is the meaning of talking with your eyes. It''s referring to this. It''ll be good if those eyes can be less like some highly-skilled sniper. "Let me tell you something. Ichika said this himself." Laura, who stuffed a large amount of chicken salad into her mouth, swallowed it before saying. "Ichika likes elegant and dignified girls, you know." "!" Facing Laura who said that without any care, Houki revealed a mystified look. Then, she swallows the miso soup in her mouth and then sits down. After that, she keeps a serene expression on her face as she eats her breakfast. Maybe she''s mindful of the ''elegant and dignified'' part, I guess? The amount of food she picked up is a lot less than usual. (But, Houki''s really a beauty when she can remain serene like this...) Due to her daily training, her back''s normally straight, and she doesn''t have any additional fat on her arms and legs. The fingers that are holding the chopsticks are exceptionally pretty and her skillful use of the chopsticks has the elegance of a pianist. "WAAHH!! I-I''M LATE...I''M ALMOST LATE...!" Suddenly, a rare voice range. The person who spoke hurriedly rushed into the cafeteria and picked one of the remaining sets that''s closest to her. "Yo, Charlotte." "Ah, Ichika, good-good morning." As there happened to be a seat beside me, I waved my hand to call her here. It''s rare for Charlotte to come to the cafeteria at such a late timing, and it''s easy to tell from her hurried expression. It''s true that in this situation when she just got ready to eat breakfast, she''ll be late if she doesn''t finish it up quickly. "What''s wrong? Charlotte? You would be punctual most of the time. Did you oversleep?" "Y-Yeah, a bit...well, too much..." "Oh, so Charlotte also oversleeps." "Uu, well, yeah, oo...that''s because...I went back to sleep..." Maybe it''s because she''s eating? Charlotte seemed to be mumbling. Also, I don''t know if it''s just me, but she seemed to be delicately keeping her distance from me...? "Charlotte..." "Uu, hm?" "You seem to be avoiding me." "No, no, such thing!! Mn, not at all!!" Though she said that, it seems that she''s wary of me. Besides, she was my roommate who stayed with me for about a month, so I can more or less tell that Charlotte''s hiding something. (But it will be irritating if I press on. Never mind. Speaking of which--) Unknowingly, I start to look away from Charlotte who was hurriedly eating her breakfast. On a side note, after my one on one training with her, she became rather skilled with chopsticks. Right now, for her to remove the bones of a grilled fish is as easy as washing her face before breakfast...we''re eating breakfast, and I just mentioned about before breakfast[3A 6]. "I-Ichika? You''re staring at me, you know? Is-Is my hair messy due to sleep?" "No, that''s not it. It''s because you''ve been wearing guys clothes the past month that I felt it''s refreshing to see Charlotte in girl''s clothing." "Re-Refreshing?" "Hn. I feel that you''re cute." Maybe she''s not used to being praised, I guess, as Charlotte immediately blushed on hearing my words. "...Though you say-say that, you told me to wear guys clothing in the dream..." "Hm? Dream?" "NO-NOTHING! NOTHING AT ALL!!" Charlotte forcefully shakes her head and waves her hands to deny it before retracting her hands to continue eating her breakfast. And because I''d finished eating breakfast, I intended to drink some tea. However-- "OWW!!" There was a shoe stomped on my feet, and my face got pinched. "Saying to others that you like elegant and dignified girls, yet you''re pretty frivolous, aren''t you?" "You''re my bride. You should praise me more." On a side note, Houki and Laura said these as they did those things respectively. Huh? Where did this hell come from? Do I have to keep pressing the ''B'' button to escape[3A 7]? Spare me the deep-fried punishment[3A 8]. "Huh..." Hurry up and think of somethin--okay, got a good idea! "You''re both beauties if both of you calm down." *DONK!!* MY FEET GOT STAMPED BY BOTH PEOPLE!! IT HURRTTSS!! ""STOP COMPARING US TOGETHER!!"" Uwahh, really terrifying...both of them are glaring at me really fiercely. What''s wrong? You two hate to be mentioned together? Get along together more, you two. Really... *DING--DONG--DANG--DONG*. See, even the prep bell rung because both of you don''t get along well with each other--hm? The prep bell? "UWAHH! IT-IT''S THE BELL! WE HAVE TO GO GET READY FOR CLASS. HURRY UP!!" Huh, that''s weird? Frantically getting up from the table, I was the only one left. Houki, Laura and Charlotte have already left the table and ran off...uwahh! Wait for me, you people! "DON''T, DON''T LEAVE ME BEHIND! I REMEMBER IT''S CHIFUYU-NEE''S--NO, ORIMURA-SENSEI''S SHR[3A 9]!!" It''s practically suicide to be late. "I don''t want to die." "Me neither." "Sorry, Ichika." UWWAHHH, THESE PEOPLE ARE TOO MUCH!! EVERYONE SHOULD DIE TOGETHER RIGHT!? --On a side note, if I were in their shoes, I would''ve answered the same. Besides, the number of martyrs and salt content should be reduced to the lowest. Just when I was thinking about this, we arrived at the main door. We had to change to outdoor shoes when we leave the dormitory, and we had to change back to indoor shoes once we reach back to the school building, so it was really troublesome...ugh, the three girls have already disappeared. "Hurry up, Ichika!" OOHH! My hand got grabbed immediately after I put on my indoor shoes on. I thought who it was. Charlotte seemed to have been waiting for me. Such a great person. Are you willing to die with me? "I''m flying off, Ichika!" "Huh?" Just when I was about to ask, Charlotte''s deployed parts on her legs and back, assimilated them and flew off. This was a partial deployment of Charlotte''s personal IS, the ''Raphael Revive Custom II'', which was basically materializing the parts on the legs, to allow thrust, and on the back, to allow flight. "--OWAAHH!!" My body got dragged up suddenly. I couldn''t even see anyone on the corridors when the official bell that indicates the start of lesson rings. With the IS'' flight capability, Charlotte and I got up to the 3rd level in a jiffy...but, about that, what should I say...I think it''s best that you don''t fly with a mini-skirt, because, well...I just saw her light blue panties. "We''re here!" "Oh? It''s been tough on you." ...That''s strange? The official bell hasn''t rung yet, and yet the demonic teacher is already in the classroom. The homeroom teacher of class 1-1, Orimura Chifuyu, my own older sister and the ex-representative of Japan in the IS global tournament. She''s also winner of the overall and close ranged categories in the first tournament, and she''s a teacher who''s still as strong as an Oni even without any equipment. I glanced at Charlotte''s face, and this is the first time I saw her face turn blue like that. "This school is established as an institute to develop IS pilots, so this place isn''t affiliated to any other country or is it affected by external powers...however--" *BAM!!* The attack of the attendance book sounded as loud as ever. "You are not allowed to deploy IS without official permission, even if you''re in school. Do you understand me?" "Ye-Yes...I''m sorry..." To think that the honor student Charlotte would actually do something that would break the rules. This seems to have left quite the impression on the other classmates as everyone just remained dumbstruck. On a side note, Houki and Laura used the time when Charlotte and I got lectured and sneaked in through the back of the classroom, getting into their own seats. Huh...I guess it''s to be expected, but they don''t intend to help me. "Dunois and Orimura, after school, stay behind to clean the classroom. If there''s a second time, I''ll make you two write a letter of reflection and live in the special classroom, am I clear?" ""Yes..."" Both of us got to our seats with dejected moods. Being scolded by the devil, tough luck. *DING* *DONG* *DANG* *DONG*. Ignoring the occasion, the bell rung, and SHR started. "We''ll be having an ordinary lesson today. Though all of you are IS Academy students, you are all still High School students. Don''t fail!" That''s right. Though there''s less lesson time, we have to learn ordinary subjects. These subjects aren''t tested in mid-term, but they are tested at the end of the term. If I fail, I have to spend the entire summer vacation in remedials, and that''s the only outcome I want to avoid at all costs. "Also, from next week onwards, it will be the special school trip practical lesson time. Everyone is reminded not to forget your items. We will be leaving school for 3 days, so remember not to play too much during your free time." That''s right, the special school trip practical lesson time in early July--the seaside school will last 3 days. The first day is basically free and easy. Of course, because we''re going to the seaside, these girls in their youth of teenage years were already excited since last week. On a side note, I find that buying trunks is too much of a hassle. But when I mentioned that honestly, Cecilia and Rin warned me like a machine gun, so I have to buy a pair. Well, I''ll go take a look during the weekend. But I haven''t swum in the sea for a long time. Actually, I''m really looking forward to it. "Then, that''ll be the end of SHR. Everyone''s to study seriously today." "Excuse me, Orimura-sensei. Is Yamada-sensei on leave?" The good student in class, Tagatsuki Shizune-san raised an obvious question. To be honest, I''m mindful as well, but she either overslept or got bothered by something else, right? "Yamada-sensei went ahead to check the place for our field trip, so she won''t be here today. Thus, I''m taking over Yamada-sensei''s duties for today." "Huuh, Yama-chan went to the seaside already? That''s so cool~!" "That''s sneaky! She should have brought me along!" "Ah--is she swimming? She must be swimming--!" As expected of the girls in their teenage years. Once there''s something, they can make a ruckus out of it. Chifuyu-nee found it irritating since she continued on. "Ahh, stop making a big commotion out of everything, it''s irritating! Yamada-sensei went to work, not to play!" Yes-- the girls in class answered in unison. Such amazing teamwork[3A 10]. After school, in the classroom that''s dyed sunset, Charlotte and I are cleaning the classroom. There''re no other students here, or rather, in this IS Academy, they wouldn''t call on the students to clean the floor. The assigned cleaners will clean the classrooms, corridors and even the ceiling are cleaned neatly. The reason they don''t allow students to clean the classroom seem to be because in the past, the caretakers of the students voiced an objection, saying that ''even if it''s just a little time, they should focus on IS education'' and made the rule. Thus, cleaning the classroom became a light punishment for students, and we''re experiencing this now. But-- "Mn--it''s interesting." "Huh?" "Nothing. I''m just saying that it''s interesting to clean, especially when it''s the classroom we use so often." "Is-Is that so? You''re so weird, Ichika..." Huh? How did it end up like this? I thought Charlotte would agree with me. I''m a little hurt here. But either way, no matter how she felt, Charlotte''s still Charlotte as she seriously helped me in cleaning up. "Ugh, uu~" "Ah, don''t force yourself. I''ll shift the table." Speaking of which, that''s Kishisato-san''s table right? Her textbooks are all over the floor. Though she herself said that it''s a ''fully-armored'' table, there''s all sorts of holes to this saying... "No, no problems! I''m an owner of a personal IS, so my physical ability compared to the rest is..." Saying that, Charlotte lost to the weight and slipped. I immediately supported her body from behind. "That was close...wouldn''t that be adding insult to injury if you''re hurt? See, just let me..." "Uu, yeah, tha-thanks..." As I slipped back to support Charlotte''s back, the movement feels like I''m hugging her. Maybe she couldn''t calm down because a guy''s body''s around her as her eyes seem to waver. "Huh--sorry, I''m letting go then." "Ah..." Hm? Why do I feel that Charlotte sounded like she felt that it was a pity gesture, how come? "...That was alright..." "What?" "No, nothing!" "That''s good." Including what happened this morning, I really feel that today Charlotte''s been acting strange. (Wa, wa, my heart''s beating so fast...my face, is my face alright? I''m not showing any strange expression, right?) Though they were punished to clean the classroom, the fact that Charlotte got the dream sequence of being alone together naturally made her heart beat faster. The classroom that''s dyed orange suddenly overlapped with the scene Charlotte saw in the morning, causing even her ears to become red. At this moment, she also realized that the heat on her face is such that she would be giving off hot air, and that the calm demeanour she would usually show is no longer present. (Wha-What should I do...got to say something, uu, but I really can''t say anything, and I don''t know what to say...) "Oh yea--" "KYAAHH!" Ichika''s sudden words caused Charlotte to react in shock since her voice went embarrassingly high-pitched. As the voice was too weird, she immediately covered her own mouth after making that sound. "Wha-What''s wrong? Letting out such a strange sound..." "It-It''s nothing! Nothing at all!! I-I was just thinking about something, that''s all..." "Really? That''s good." Seemingly without any suspicion, Ichika moves the table. After putting these things back onto the original position, the cleaning was finished. Thinking about this, Charlotte starts to feel an inexplicable loneliness. "I''ve felt something weird since last month started, so I should ask you now." "Uu? Oh yes, what is it?" "Huh...when you said to me that ''please call me Charlotte when we''re alone'', I thought that you intended to continue your disguise as a guy. The next day, you just returned back to your girl identity, so I was wondering if something happened..." "Ah, huh, well, that, that''s..." As for the details to this, Charlotte really has difficulty saying it out. Normally, she would just answer simply, but today, she''s been stuttering all day long. "Ah, it''s not that. It''s fine that you don''t want to answer, it''s just that I feel weird about it." "Do-Do you care about that...?" "Of course I do." "Is-Is that so...I see." Huh...even though she felt puzzled, Charlotte tried to think of a suitable vocabulary. After exchanging looks with Ichika many times, she finally decided on it and said, "Well, I hope that Ichika can seriously..." Even though her face immediately blushed, Charlotte continued to stare at Ichika and say, "...treat me like a girl. So, when I''m a girl while we''re alone, I don''t know if it''s weird or despicable...but, that, an-anyway, you''re the reason, Ichika." "Is-Is that so? I''m really sorry then..." "The-There''s nothing to be sorry about..." After saying that, Charlotte turned her face to look at the window. Even under the shine of the orange sunset, her face still looked exceptionally red. "But I did seriously treat Charlotte as a girl." "Huh? You mean..." As Charlotte heard something unexpected, her heart began to pound crazily. But at this point, while the girl in her teenage years was a little expectant for him to step forward, the blockhead of the blockheads, Orimura Ichika, stood there. "Because you''re not a guy." *KRAU*, *KRAU*. A crow flew behind Charlotte. Well, it didn''t actually fly by, but it sounded like a dumbfounded crow''s cry. (Uuu~! Ichika, you, Ichika, you...!) Recovering herself, Charlotte felt like stomping deep inside her heart, and her face was red from anger instead of the emotion just now. However, she couldn''t say it out clearly, or rather, she couldn''t say it out at all, so she ended up at her wits end like this. In fact, she was about to suspect if Ichika was deliberately doing this. Speaking of which, it was because he didn''t do it on purpose that made it irritating. He''s definitely a big blockhead, yet he would say things that will make people nervous, causing Charlotte''s face to instantly become like a hot water boiler all the time. It was the same this morning; hearing him suddenly say that she''s cute, causing her heart to nearly pop out at that moment. (Never mind...that...I''m really happy...) But really, she just wished that he would just say those things to her. She knows that it''s difficult, yet she couldn''t help but continue to wish for this. It''s really a girl''s complicated feelings. "But now, the name you asked me to call you has become normal already. Don''t you want a nickname?" "Huh, can-can I?" "If Charlotte doesn''t mind." On hearing Ichika''s answer, Charlotte immediately nodded her head forcefully. "Yeah, okay! I have no objections at all! It-It''s rare to have this chance, so I''ll leave it to you!" As she was excited and shocked, Charlotte''s voice accidentally went high by half an octave. In order not to let him realize this, Charlotte tried to act as calm as possible, yet her heart was already showing a scene of a blooming flower field. (WA~! WHA-WHAT''S GOING ON? WHAT''S WITH ICHIKA!? SUDDEN-SUDDENLY SAYING THAT, I HAVEN''T EVEN GOTTEN MY HEART READY YET...AHHH!! BUT...THA-THAT MEANS THAT HE-HE L-LI-LIK-LIKES ME, RIGHT? I''M RIGHT, RIGHT? AM I!?) As she was overly excited, Charlotte nearly let out a strange sound, which she clears her throat to hide it as she awaited Ichika''s words with expectant feelings. "Let me think. Mn, how about Charl? It''s nice and intimate." "Charl--okay! It''s great! It''s very good!" "Is-Is that so? Having such a large reaction, I guess you like it." "It-It''s okay, Charl...Charl, ufufufufu~" Right now in the flower field in her heart, there are 4 large-head chibi-Charls holding hands and dancing. If subtitles are allowed, there would be a ''please hold on a moment''. "--Then Charl, I got something I would like to ask you..." "Hm? What is it?" Ichika suddenly grabbed Charlotte''s hand forcefully while she''s smiling in her own happiness. As Charlotte had a ''?'' pop out above her head due to this sudden action, Ichika closes in with a serious expression and says to her, "Go out with me." "Huh?" Charlotte heard the world stop. "Oh, the weather''s great today!" It''s Sunday. The weather''s clear. That''s great. To prepare for the seaside school that''s starting next week, a certain girl arrived on a street. As for that girl-- "..." Charlotte is--or Charl is giving an unhappy look. "...I just heard my dream shatter..." I don''t know what happened, but she''s been like this ever since morning started. I don''t know whether she''s listless or just moody, but she''s been looking like that. On a side note, Charl''s wearing a short-sleeved white shirt that''s suited for summer, and she''s wearing a cutie-top that''s of the same color as the skirt. That light cream skirt is short, sufficiently showing her healthy leg outlines. --Mn, very cute! Especially the elegance of the matching colors, they do look classy and trendy. "What''s wrong Charl? Are you feeling sick?" As I peered over worriedly, she forcefully pushed my face away, "..." And doesn''t say anything. However, her eyes seem like she''s blaming me badly. "Charl, that''s--" "Ichika." "Ye-Yes?" "Those guys who play with girls'' feelings should be stomped to death by horses." WAH, SUCH INTENSE WORDS! But as for that, I agree with that all the way. Even if it''s not a girl, fooling with other people''s feelings like that is still bad and goes against morals. This kind of guy can''t even support himself, let alone others. "Yeah, such a guy should just die." "Go look into a mirror!" Hm? Is my hair messy? Not good, this can''t do. "Sigh...beside, besides, you just asked me to go accompany you to buy something. Ahh, I feel that you said something similar last month, Ichika...haa~..." Wahh, she just sighed deeper than 20,000 meters deep into the ocean. Wha-What should I do? Is it really a hassle to go out with me? "Huh...about that...I''m sorry, but, it''s alright not to force yourself like that, you know? If you''re really feeling unwell, we can always go back to rest. Health is first priority." "..." Charlotte continued to stare at me as she gave off a silent pressure. What''s with this oppressing feeling? It''s making me feel painful. Because it''s painful, I started making some ridiculous concessions, "Huh, well, to thank you, I''ll treat you to parfait at the shop in front of the station." "Just the parfait?" "An-And cake! And drinks!" "Good. Also, this." After that, she suddenly reached her hand out. Hm? Hold hands? It''s not that I can''t. For some reason, I feel that she just let out a sharp glare. Huh...got to think. Think fast! Me! "I won''t argue with you if you''re willing to hold hands with me." "Ohh, so that''s how it is. Okay." Speaking of which, this is a street she''s unfamiliar with, and since she''s in a foreign land, it would be really bad if we lose each other. It''s Sunday, the day when everyone''s resting, so there''re a lot of people. Thus, to prevent this, Charl actually thought of holding hands. She sure can think fast. I have to learn from her more. "..." Huh? That''s strange? Why did Charl suddenly become so silent? For some reason, I find that she looks different, her face just seemingly blushed, and her eyes are wavering. Does she have a cold? "Are you alright?" "KYAH! Wh-Who-Who''re you asking?" "Huh, you. Do you want to go back to rest?" "No, no need! I''m alright, I''m good, no problem! Le-Let''s go!" Being dragged by Charl as she suddenly took large strides, I follow her to the train station. Even so, right now, Charl''s hand that''s holding onto mine is a lot slender than expected. It contains the warmth of a woman, causing my heart to beat ridiculously. "..." "..." Two figures were hidden in the shadows, noticing Ichika and Charlotte walk towards the station. As both of them passed the crossing with the green light on and disappeared into the crowd, those two figures used the opportunity to appear from the tress. One of them had a pair of lively ponytails, and the other one had elegant blond hair. In other words, they were Rin and Cecilia. "...I say." "...What is it?" "...Well, did they just hold hands?" "...They did." Even if they asked 100 people, they would get 100 same answers. Cecilia lets out a spastic smile as she holds onto the PET bottle. *PACK!* The bottlecap flew up! "Is that so? That happened, right. I didn''t see it wrongly, and I wasn''t daydreaming. So that happened--alright, let''s kill him." Rin clenched her fist, and the IS was partially deployed on it as she got ready to battle. There were about 2 seconds before the Impact Cannons were fired. Girls'' naive feelings can be that terrifying. "Oh, seems like you''re having fun. Let me join in." ""!"" The voice of the person behind them caught them off guard. Standing over there was the opponent that caused Rin and Cecilia to suffer defeat, the one person they would never forget, Laura. "KYAH! Wh-When did you appear there?" "Don''t be so wary, I don''t have any intention to have it at you for now." "Who-Who would believe that! If you want to battle again, I''ll accept it willingly!" Having been beaten in a 2vs1 match, Rin and Cecilia began feeling suspicious, but in contrast to their reaction, Laura didn''t seem to mind as she replied, "About that? Oh well, I forgive you." Hearing her say that casually, both of them just remained rooted to the spot, unable to respond to what she said. However, they immediately recovered. "Wha-What forgiveness, you...!" "Who would say ''Is that so? I got it?'' after hearing you say that...!" "Is that so? I''m going after Ichika then. Got to make a move first." As Laura really made a move after she said that, Rin and Cecilia frantically stopped her. "Wa-Wait-Wait a minute!" "Tha-That''s right, what are you going to say after catching up to them?" "It''s obvious, right? I just want to tell them that I''m joining in." Hearing Laura''s direct response, both of them cowed back. As her response was so direct, they didn''t know whether they should be unhappy or envious. "Wa-Wai-Wait a minute! If you want to fight against an unknown enemy, we have to collect information first, right?" "Well, that''s true. What do we do?" "So we should tail them from behind and observe what state they''re in." "I see. Let''s do it." Thus, under ridiculous reasons, they became the mysterious 3 stalkers. "Let me see...the swimsuit''re over here." Right now, we''re standing at the 2nd level of the shopping center in front of the station. Being the transport hub here, it''s easy to find anything, whether it''s the train, subway, public bus, taxis or whatsoever. This place is accessible from every single place in the city, and can allow access to any place in the city. Also, this shopping center ''Resonance'' that links to the station and the surrounding underground streets has all sorts of restaurants, whether it''s European, Chinese, or Japanese. The shops selling clothes have all sorts of top class international brands. Also, there''re all sorts of entertainment facilities for all ages. It''s been described as ''if you can''t find it here, you can''t possibly find it anywhere else''. It''s that simple, no wait, it''s extremely glamorous. On a side note, this place is linked to the station, and yet I called it ''in front of the station'', which makes it unbelievable. However, this is already ''in front of the shop'' since the beginning, so it can''t be helped. In middle school, Dan, Rin and I would often come here after school. Such fond memories. "Oh yeah, Charl, do you want a swimsuit?" "This, well, that...Ichika, well, do you want to see me in a swimsuit?" Hm? She just asked a weird question. Wouldn''t the main point be whether you want to swim instead of asking me if I want to look at it? Charl can be really be weird at times. "Well, since it''s rare, let''s go for a swim. I haven''t been to the seaside for a long time, so I''m really looking forward to it." "I-I see. Th-The-Then, since we''re here, I''ll just buy a new one then." Charl slightly increased the force of her grip as she nods a few times. Maybe she''s feeling excited about being able to swim after a long time? Speaking of summer, we can''t miss out the sea, the watermelon and the fireworks. That''s right, that''s right. "Well, the guys and the girls have different areas to shop, so let''s separate here." "Ah..." As I let my hand go, Charl let out a sound as if she missed it. After that, she has ''that kiddy look of wanting something but can''t say it'' as she stares at me. "Huh-what''s wrong?" "Ah, nothing, nothing at all." "That''s good. We''ll meet back here in 30 minutes." "Mn, got it." Charl nods her head in understanding and heads off to the girls'' swimsuit area. Just looking at those arrays of colorful swimsuits, it makes me feel like I''m in a Southern country. "No, hold on, I need to choose my own swimsuit as well." Good thing I saved up quite a bit of personal money as I went working during middle school, and now that I''m living in the IS dorms, the meals, electricity and gas are all free. Ahh, how is it that this unique independent school IS Academy is run by Japan so brilliantly. Speaking of which, I haven''t chosen swimming trunks for a long time. I feel that there''s a ridiculous sort of colors, but I just chose a simple navy blue swimming trunks. (Mn, that can do. There''s still 10 minutes, but let''s go wait for her.) Thinking about this, I return back to where I left Charl. Unexpectedly, she''s already waiting for me. "That''s strange. You''re fast. Is everything complete?" "Ah, no, well...I want Ichika to choose for me." "Really? Let''s go look at it then." Saying that, we arrive at the female swimsuit area. But, what should I say? The colors, the styles or whatever, the number of women''s swimsuit far exceed the number of men. Seeing such a huge variety of them, I inadvertently backed away with 3 large steps. (Uu, but since Charl wants me to give her suggestions, I''ll just endure it for now...) As today''s Sunday, there''re female customers all over. They seem to immediately notice a guy walking into a place where female goods are sold. "Over there." "Hn?" Looking around, Charl and I are only ones standing here. "I''m calling you, man! Arrange the swimsuits here!" A woman whose name I don''t know suddenly said to me. 10 years after the introduction of IS, the female superiority quickly spread throughout the world, and every country treats women better. When guys walk down the streets, they will be ordered to do something by someone they don''t know. But I-- "What? Just do it on your own! If people like to order other people to do things, humanity will became dumb!" I hate this the most. Forget about it if it''s a friend I know, but when I don''t know the person, I don''t think I have the need to listen to this, and I don''t want to follow it. "Oh, do you want to say that? It seems that you don''t really understand your own circumstances." After that, the female customer intends to call the guards. Right now, this is a women superiority society, so if she says something like ''he suddenly exerted violence on me'', I don''t need to defend myself and will be deemed as guilty. That''s how society is right now. "Sorry, can you hold it here. I (boku)--I (watashi) brought him here." Charl entered at the right time. Since both of them, are females, things won''t go out of hand. "He''s your man? At least train him better!" Wah, you heard that? That''s basically men=dogs! On a side note, only a few females would be this arrogant. Most females would still think that men are of equal standing to certain extents. However, that attitude was obviously out of the thought that ''men have to help women do things''. "Really, it''s because you people never trained them properly that men would..." The female customer grumbled as she left. What''s wrong? Did she end up meeting something irritating? A stressful society''s really isn''t good for humans. "Sorry Ichika for making you meet such unpleasant things." "Hm? No problems. I''m the one who should be thanking you for saving my life." "That''s to be expected! That, well...can you help me choose a swimsuit?" "Okay." Now that I answered that, Charl dragged me over. Feeling puzzled, I got dragged by Charl to the changing room...huh? Hold on? Charl-san? "We-Well, I can''t tell if a swimsuit''s suitable if I don''t buy it...right?" No, that...well, even if you ask me that, I can''t answer that easily... But I just seem to notice that there''s a large promotional board with the notice ''females can try this'', which seems to make this popular. Also, it seems that those that were worn before will be washed by the staff. Ohh, how luxurious. Female superiority has extended to such levels. "I-I''ll be done soon. Just wait for me." "Huh, then I''ll go outside--" "No, no you can''t!" No, even if you say so, I... "It-It''s okay, I won''t take too much time." Charl said this as she started taking off her shirt. "WAAH!!" I immediately turn my back on Charl. I immediately turn my back on Charl. In the crammed changing room, only Charl and I are here. And no matter how unwilling I am, I can hear the sound of clothing being rubbed, which makes my heart beat faster. And since the space is so crammed, I can immediately detect the sweet smell only girls have...ugh, no! Got to remain calm. "Ah. Cha-Charl?" "Wha-What is it?" "Huh..." Though I really want to ask how it ended up like this, I''m hesitating on whether I should say it, so it''s became a situation in which I don''t know what to say. "Mm..." *Pasari*. I hear something light land on the clothing or something. Don''t tell me that''s--no, doesn''t matter whether I can hear it. Was that the sound of underwear being taken off? WAAHH!! Instead of being troubled wondering what I should do, maybe I should ask Charl what''s she''s doing, right? (Uu, I did this out of impulse, but what should I do next...) Speaking of which, the reason why it ended up like this was because Charlotte noticed three people trailing her. The IS Core Network is a unique network that links together. IS was developed for space exploration, so even if they are a galaxy apart, they can accurately detect each others position, so the network had the specialty of identifying each others location. Of course, to accurately detect each others location, they have to get authorization. But even without it, one can tell roughly where they are. However, if one wants to avoid being detected by the Core Network, they can use what''s called a stealth mode. ''All three are using stealth mode, impossible to detect where they are''. In other words, they''re ''at a place where they don''t want to let other people know where they are''. Thus, Charlotte could tell that they were ''following her from behind''. As Laura, who was in the Army before, was amongst them, they wouldn''t commit such a stupid mistake as being spotted. However, Charlotte had an amazing perception, and so this deduction was just easy. (Hn~ can''t the three of them go back...?) Either way, it''s now here time to go out with Ichika alone. In other words, it''s a date. Right now, let''s not bother about what Ichika thinks. Charlotte just thought of this. The movements of youthful girls couldn''t be underestimated. Even if it was just in her mind, such a pressure was still active. (Bu-But, changing clothes in the same room is definitely too much...) She blushed as she looked back at Ichika. It seemed that he didn''t know how to deal with this as well as he''s been looking up at the ceiling for no good reason. (Uu...does he find think I-I''m a very weird girl?) Besides, she was changing in a room that didn''t have anybody of the opposite gender, and there would be a moment when she would be completely naked, so it''s impossible not to be embarrassed. She grabbed the jewellery in front of her chest, the Cross-shaped jewellery that was the Revive''s standby mode, tightly in her chest. (But, but then, Ichika''s basically a Dreadnought level blockhead! If I don''t do this...ahh, forget about it. Let''s just do it!) After blushing, Charlotte decided on it and removed her underwear down the legs. After putting them on her clothes, she puts on the swimsuit on her naked body. Oh yes, as for the English battleship ''Dreadnought'' that was built in 1906, the official records never mentioned that it was a blockhead. In truth, it was not a human to begin with, so please bear with this. "I-I''m done..." "O-Okay..." She brought him here to see herself in a swimsuit, so it was treated as something to be expected. But the moment her body sensed Ichika''s stare, Charlotte started to feel uneasy. In order to hide this emotion, she rubbed her fingers together, anxiously waiting for Ichika''s thoughts. "..." Up till now, Ichika, who''s the crux to all these, is hit with the triple attack of ''being alone with a girl'', ''a girl is changing clothes'' and ''a bikini look'' in this enclosed space, which bothered him, or rather, made him embarrassed. (Wh-Why isn''t Ichika saying anything? Is-Is the swimsuit weird? We-Well, looking at it closely, this is a really bold bikini...) That was a swimsuit that had been designed as a mix between a two-piece and a one piece. The two pieces at the top and bottom were linked through a cross at the back. It was that kind of a design. As for the color, it was bright yellow, which made one think of the summer. The front design seemed to be emphasizing on the busty breasts. "The-Then, there''s another piece, actually--" "No, no need for that! Isn''t this suitable? Mn, that''s good, Charl!" Ichika was starting to get wary about her changing again, and accidentally said such words in reflex. Those words weren''t something that would make the opposite gender happy, but on hearing Ichika stammer frantically, Charlotte felt like she got praised. "I-I''ll be choosing this then!" "O-Okay. I''m going out then." This time, before Charlotte could stop him, Ichika opened the door and got ready to leave the changing room. "Huh?" "Huh?" "HUUUH?" Standing at the door was actually the vice-homeroom teacher of class 1, Yamada Maya-sensei. Then, behind her, Chifuyu noticed that there was something going on and pressed her head. "Idiot, what are you..." The next moment, Yamada-sensei sank into a light frenzy, and her shrill scream echoed throughout the room. "Oh, so you''re here to buy swimsuits. But two people entering a changing room together is totally unacceptable! It''s not alright even on the educational aspect!" "So-Sorry..." Charl lowered her head and apologized. Well, I seem to find that''s she''s been getting scolded a lot nowadays, and all because of me. Uu, sorry. "Oh yeah, Yamada-sensei, Chifu--ahem, Orimura-sensei, why are you here?" I tried to divert the topic and explain the doubts. Man, I''m good. "We''re here to buy swimsuits. Al-Also, we''re not on duty now, so there''s no need to force yourself to call us senseis." Well, even if she says that...naa, it''s alright for Yamada-sensei, but even though Chifuyu-nee''s wearing somewhat casual clothes, she''s wearing a summer suit. Especially in this situation with other people around, I would likely get scolded if I just call her ''Chifuyu-nee''. At this moment-- "You people should come out now, right?" I seemed to hear a ''gulp''. No, maybe I''m just thinking too much. "We-We were intending to come out." "Tha-That''s right! We were waiting for the right time!" And thus, two people appeared from behind the pillar. They''re Rin and Cecilia. "And why are both of you being so sneaky? I wonder?" "Girls don''t want guys to know their shopping plans!" "Tha-That''s right! Really, Ichika really has got so much nerve that it''s mindboggling." Wa--for some reason, I got blamed badly. I shouldn''t have asked. "Make your purchase and go back." Chifuyu-nee''s seems to be holding onto a swimsuit. It seems like she''s like Yamada-sensei, making her final preparations. "Ah, ah--I got something I forgot to buy! I''ll go buy it! Umm, I don''t know where it is. Rin-san, Alcott-san, please follow me! Dunois-san too!" Y-Yeah? What''s with Yamada-sensei all of a sudden? As I sensed a flash in her eyes, she dragged the three girls away without allowing any protests. With that, only Chifuyu-nee and I are here. The mysterious silence remains around us for several seconds. "...Really, Yamada-sensei''s way too sensitive." "What?" "Sigh...anyway, it''s meaningless to say such words now. Ichika." "Wha-What is it? Orimura-sensei?" As I hadn''t heard her call my name for a long time, I accidentally made a stiff response. Chifuyu-nee just gave a stiff smile, probably seeing that my expression''s weird. "We''re not having lessons now, so you can call me by my name. We''re just normal siblings here." "I-I got it." Seems like this means to be together as sister and brother--or something like that? I really don''t understand Yamada-sensei''s concern. "Then, Ichika, which swimsuit do you think is nicer?" Saying that, Chifuyu-nee showed me two swimsuits that were hung on the clothes hangers. One is a black sporty type with web-parts that''s showing a sexy look. On the other side, in contrast, it''s a white one that cuts a lot of the look and focuses on the functions. Both of them are bikinis, and they both reveal quite a lot. (Well...the black one, I guess.) Considering this, I suddenly noticed something. If she puts on this black swimsuit, maybe she might attract a lot of weird guys, no, that''s a certainty. The white swimsuit may be comparable, but that forbidden allure would definitely cause any guy to be unable to say something. "--The white one" I did try to say it as naturally as possible, but after hearing that, Chifuyu-nee''s response has a bit of wryness to it, "The black one, right?" "No, the white--" "Liar. You looked at the black one first! Ever since before, you would always look closely at the one you like, so I knew immediately." Uu...I got seen through really easily. "Really, there''s no need to worry as a younger brother. Do I look like a woman who would succumb to those frivolous men?" "No, not at all...but Chifuyu-nee, aren''t you going to get a boyfriend? I never heard you mention it before..." "Say that once my brother can be independent." Uu, now that she said this, I have nothing to say. I tried working in middle school, but in the end, most of the living expenses--well, 90% came from Chifuyu-nee. Though I tried spending before, but... "Just use that money to get a gift for the girl you like." --But I got shot back like that. I don''t have anyone I like! "Then what about you?" "Ah? Me? Why?" "What why? Aren''t you dating? Luckily, there''s an abundance of girls in the school, so you can just choose as you like, right?" What do you mean by ''choose as you like''? Speaking of which, I used to think that ''choose as you like'' was a type of color. Green (¤, midori), yellow green (¤, kimidori) and ''choose as you like(ɤߤɤ, yoridorimidori)''. "Let me think...how''s Laura? She''s a really problematic kid, but she''s an empathetic one. She looks good as well." "No, that..." "Besides, didn''t you two kiss?" UGH! DO YOU HAVE TO MENTION IT!? DAMN IT, IT SEEMS THAT I''LL SELF-DESTRUCT NO MATTER HOW I ANSWER. Perhaps seeing that it''s interesting to see me this embarrassed, Chifuyu-nee, who was giving a wry smile up till now, now unknowingly shows a slight smile. "It''s nothing bad, you know." "No, how should I say it? I don''t really understand that..." "Oh, I see. Is she your type or not?" "Well, I...uun. Well, I guess, she''s pretty cute." "Oh--" "Laura''s pretty cute--NO WAIT, WHAT DID YOU MAKE ME SAY!?" "You just said it out, didn''t you?" UGH! That was the case. It feels like I was baited, but it''s my fault for being baited in the first place. "Never mind. Either way, before worrying about me, deal with your own problems first. I''m not so old that I need my younger brother to take care of me." "Okay. I got it. I won''t be worried about anything weird. Is that alright?" "Mn, that can do." After showing a smirk, Chifuyu-nee walks towards the cashier. I don''t know whether I should follow her or wait here for Yamada-sensei and the rest to come back, so I just waited her for a while. Rewinding time back to 10 minutes ago. As compared to Charlotte''s reaction, Ichika was simply too normal, so Rin, Cecilia and Laura, the trio of stalkers all noticed something, "...Ahh, as usual, the blockheads of blockheads, Orimura Ichika." With that, Laura feels that they''re about to be discovered at this rate, and didn''t want to continue. Thinking this way, she left Rin and Cecilia and headed towards the swimsuit area. As the large number of swimsuits form a wall, she doesn''t need to worry about being noticed. (Fum. Speaking of which, I don''t have a swimsuit myself.) But it doesn''t matter anyway. I can just wear the normal school swimsuit. Laura thought. On a side note, the IS Academy designated swimsuit are of the endangered species, the sporty navy blue piece of art, the school one-piece swimsuit. On a side note, there''s even a nametag on it. (Doesn''t matter anyway. If I can swim, I just need to wear something right? That swimsuit''s functionality''s rather good, so there''s no need to find a replacement.) Thinking about this, Laura stared at the swimsuits lined together with icy cold eyes, but at the next moment, her white skin immediately became red. "Laura''s pretty cute." Because of Ichika''s voice, of what he said, she suddenly turned around. Laura knows that he and Chifuyu were talking to each other, but she disliked eavesdropping on others, so she didn''t mind them and got hit hard. "..." The sudden words caused her face to be flushed red, her heart started beating like it was in 4th gear. *DOKI DOKITO, BAKU BAKUTO!!* The beating in her heart couldn''t stop at all. You should praise me more. Laura did say that to Ichika, but in fact, he never praised her before, so of course he never told her ''you''re cute''. But after hearing such sudden words, it''s no wonder that the calm Laura who was called the German Ice would panic. (Cu-Cut-Cute...? I''m, cute...cute...) Ignoring the surroundings, Laura pressed her hand on her chest and closed her eyes. She gathered concentration that would normally be unrequired, and after mis-dialling a few times, she opened the IS private channel. At the same time, in a German training facility, the IS special group ''Schwarzer Hase''--normally called ''Black Hares'' were training. There were ten IS in Germany, and this unit had three, which proved that they were the strongest squad. The unit''s seal was the ''Hare with an eyepatch''. With Laura as the leader, all the members had nanomachines inserted into their eye to improve IS computation. Though Laura''s eyepatch was a function control, right now, all the members wore eyepatches to protect their eyes and for the pride of the unit. "What are you doing!? You''re late by 37 seconds!! Hurry up!!" Growling angrily was the assistant commander, Clarissa Harfouch, 22 years old, the oldest in the squad. With so many members who were in their teenage years, she was a ''reliable big sis'' who was strict and yet could involve everyone appropriately. Her IS suit [Schwarzer Zweig] received a private channel signal from what amounted to a distress call. "--Roger that. This is Lieutenant Clarissa Harfouch." "It-It''s me..." Normally speaking, one has to report the name and rank, but as the other person''s voice was wavering ridiculously, Clarissa inadvertently let out a stunned look. "Commander Bodewig, have you encountered any difficulties?" "Ah, ahh...there''s-there''s a major problem now..." Listening to the tone of the speaker from the other side, Clarissa felt that things weren''t that simple, and immediately used hand gestures to order ''end of training, emergency gathering''. "--Do I need to bring the squad over?" "No, no need, there''s no need for the squad. It''s, it''s not military, anyway..." "What is that?" "Clarissa, well. Do-Do-Do I, look, cute...or not?" ... "What?" Clarissa''s voice, which was rhythmically flat, just raised by half an octave. Facing the unknown sudden situation, the originally intense tone became what seemed to be dumbfounding words to them. "I-Ichi-Ichika, he-he seemed to have said that, so..." Hearing this, Clarissa immediately remembered. "Ohh, so it''s Instructor Orimura''s younger brother. Commander seems to have feelings for that guy." "Uu, well...wha-what should I do, Clarissa? What should I do in this situation?" "Well...let''s understand the situation. Did he say that to you directly?" "No, that''s not it, I think he wouldn''t expect me to be here..." "--That''s great." "Is-Is that so?" "Yes, praising someone when she''s not around, that''s definitely not a lie." "I-I see...!" Laura''s voice, which was wavering up till now, seemed to bloom like a flower after hearing Clarissa''s words. On a side note, Clarissa had been chatting with her using the private channel and using a pen to pass the message to the other members at the same time. There''s hope for the Commander and her crush. "OOOHHHHH~!!!!" More than 10 girls cried out. --On a side note, Laura had a lot of interpersonal relationship problems with this squad, but after the VT incident last month, she started discussing with Clarissa that ''I have someone I like'', and all walls vanished. If there''s a need to describe the situation-- "WHAAAT!! THAT-THAT COMMANDER, LIKES, A...A GUY!!!?" "I THOUGHT SHE REALLY LIKED INSTRUCTOR ORIMURA...!" "Yeah, yeah, I thought so as well. But, well, that commander, I''m talking about her now. She actually asked ''What should I do to a-attract a-a guy...?''!" """KYAAAHHHH!!!""" "So I seriously taught her! I told her that there''s a culture of ''taking the person you like as your bride'' in Japan!" "AS EXPECTED OF THE VICE-COMMANDER! SHE''S REALLY FAMILIAR WITH JAPAN!" "Of course, I didn''t just read Japanese Shoujo manga just to put a front or because of curiosity!" "SO-SO COOL...!" "I LOVE THIS COOL VICE-COMMANDER!" "BUT I LIKE THE CUTE COMMANDER EVEN MORE!" "THAT''S RIGHT! ME TOO!! AHH, WHY COULDN''T WE LINK WITH HER WHEN SHE WAS IN THE COUNTRY!?" "I REMEMBER THAT THEY COOK RED RICE IN JAPAN AT THIS TIME!"[3A 11] "I guess so? It probably means that the blood is thicker than what, or something like that." "AS EXPECTED OF JAPAN, IT''S REALLY EXCITING!!" "IT''S WORTHY OF ADMIRATION!!" "ALRIGHT, EVERYONE, THAT''S IT FOR TRAINING TODAY! LET''S HEAD TO THE ARMY CANTEEN AND COOK RED RICE TOGETHER!" """YES! VICE-COMMANDER!!!""" --It was that sort of feeling. As expected of girls in their teenager years (a small group of them are 20+). Everyone would argue because of trivial matters, and would patch up because of trivial matters. "An-And then, I-I''m at, that-that place where they''re selling, swimsuits now..." "Oh, swimsuits! Oh yeah, you have a seaside school next week. What will you be wearing then, commander?" "U, un? The school issued swimsuit--" "ARE YOU STUPID!!" "!" "I remember that the IS Academy has the old-fashioned sports swimsuit, so it isn''t bad, or not...guys more or less would be aroused by it. But...that''s--" "That-That''s...?" Laura forcefully swallows her saliva. "THAT''S NOT GOING TO BREAK THROUGH THE LINE OF EROTISM!!" "Wha...?" "It''s true that commander can''t use voluptous curves to trap men, but if you give up on this opportunity, you can''t progress with ''that guy you have feelings for''!" "The-Then...what should I do?" "Fuu, I have a secret weapon." As even her words were burning with passion, Clarissa let out a glint in her eye. Volume 3 - CH 2 "I can see the sea!" As the bus went through the tunnel, the girls in the class shouted out. It''s the first day of the seaside school, and fortunately, today the weather''s clear . The sea that''s reflecting the sunlight off is rather stable, with the sea breeze gently swaying it. "Ohh--seeing the sea sure makes me excited!" "Uu, uu? Yeah." On the bus, Charl''s sitting beside me. But it''s been like ever since we departed; I haven''t heard her say much. Right now, it''s the same as well. After she finished answering, she immediately focused on her hand. "So you really like that?" "Huh? Ah, mn, okay. Hehe." The bracelet that Charl''s wearing on the left wrist was a gift I bought for her for shopping with me. She continues to smile at that silver bracelet, sometimes pondering and letting out a laugh. Even so, seeing her liking it so much, I''m rather sorry that I didn''t get her something more expensive. Even though I chose it because she said ''Ichika, you just need to get me something you feel it suits me'', is that really alright? "Ufufufu?" Mn. She''s in a good mood. "Really, Charlotte-san''s been in a good mood since this morning started." On the other side of the corridor, Cecilia said that with an unhappy look. "Mn, that''s right. I''m sorry. Ehehe..." Charl didn''t even care about what Cecilia said as she continues to smile. Mn, she''s in a really good mood, so much that it''s scary, huh? Is she really looking forward to the seaside? I''m looking forward to it though. "I thought both of you separated midway through yesterday. You two unexpectedly went off to buy a gift...that''s so unfair." "Ah-...oh, that, I''ll get one for Cecilia next time when we have a chance, okay?" Seems like Cecilia really wants one as well? No need to be so awkward. "Are-Are we set?" "Mn, but I can''t buy one too expensive." Maybe my promise made her happy for a while, as Cecilia says, "If that happens...well, I''ll forgive you." And she let me off. But if I have to spend money frequently now, it means that I''ll have to find work and earn money. I don''t want to spend all my savings. "..." Speaking of which, unbelievably, Laura''s been sitting beside Cecilia quietly. I don''t know if she''s feeling unwell, but she would look around in a suspicious manner. "Are you alright? You''ve been like this since yesterday. What''s wrong?" "..." "Hey, Laura? He-y!" As I could barely get a response, I got up from my seat and peered at her face. "!? Wha-What...what are you doing? You, you''re too close! Idiot!" "NUWAH!!" My nose got forcefully pushed by her, causing me to make a weird sound. I don''t know whether Laura''s having a flu or a fever as her face is slightly blushed. (Oh well. There''s no need to worry. This person here can deal with her own, so it should be alright.) As Laura seemed like she didn''t have a problem, I turned to look at Houki, who was sitting behind Laura and said to her. "We can swim later. Houki, you''re rather good at swimming." "Ye-Yeah. Ahh, it''s because I used to go swimming often." Hm? Why is Houki acting all weird out of a sudden? She''s either unable to calm down or is fidgeting. "We''re about to reach our destination. Everyone, sit down." The entire class immediately obeyed Chifuyu-nee''s order. This leadership ability is really outstanding. Just like Chifuyu-nee said, the bus soon reached the hotel. The 1st years of IS Academy scoot off the four buses in a chaotic manner and started to line up. "Then, this is the Kagetsu resort. From today onwards, we''re going to be in their care for 3 days, so everyone is to be more respectful and not let the staff''s work increase." """Thanks for taking care of us!!""" After Chifuyu-nee finished speaking, everyone said their greetings. Our Academy seems to be taken care of by this resort every year, and the lady boss-san in the Japanese clothing bows at us politely, "Alright, please move this way. The freshmen this year seem rather energetic. That''s good." She''s probably about 30+ years old, and she gives off a hardworking woman vibe. Maybe it''s because her profession makes her smile often, as she doesn''t look like she became the lady boss of this place at all. She sure feels young. "Oh my, is this the rumoured...?" Meeting my eyes coincidentally, the lady boss asked Chifuyu-nee. "Oh, yes, as there''s a male student this year, it''ll be hard for you to separate the baths. I''m really sorry." "No no no, that''s not the case. He''s a fine boy. Feels reliable." "That is ''just'' the feeling. Hurry up and greet her, idiot!" My head got pressed down forcefully. "My-My name''s Orimura Ichika. Nice to meet you." "Hohoho, how polite. I''m Kiyosu Keiko." After the lady boss said that, she bowed politely to me again. Her action is as full of presence as before, making me, who''s powerless against mature women, really nervous. "My younger brother here''s really useless. Sorry to bother you." "Oh my, I have to say, Orimura-sensei, you''re really strict with your younger brother." "Because I''m normally cleaning up the mess for him." No, I don''t think that it''s that exaggerated. But I can''t deny that it''s the case sometimes. Ahh...I really want to grow up and not burden Chifuyu-nee... "Then, please head towards your rooms. There''s a changing room at the annex. All students who want to go to the beach, please head there to change. If you aren''t clear on where it is, you are welcome to ask the staff members." After the girls answered ''yes--'', they immediately walked into the resort. Anyway, we have to put our luggage down before doing anything else. On a side note, it''s free and easy for the entire first day, so as for meals, everyone has to go to the resort''s restaurant. "A-Ahe-Ahem--Orimu~" Huh? This manner of calling me, it must be that Nohohon-san[3B 1], right? Looking behind me, she''s the same as normal, moving towards me at a snail''s pace. That sleepy look of hers is most probably real. "Where''s Orimura''s room~? The room plan never indicated it. I want to play with you, so hurry up and tell me~" As she said that, I knew the girls around me immediately pricked their ears. But what can they do even after knowing where my room is? There''s nothing interesting in the room. Maybe. "Well, I don''t know. Maybe I''ll sleep on the corridor?" "Wa--, that''s great~ let me sleep! Ahh--the floor''s so cool~" Since it''s summer, maybe that''s it...no, it''s impossible. On a side note, as it seems that I can''t sleep with other girls, my room seems to be located some place else. The reason why I said ''seems'' is because Yamada-sensei only told me that. She didn''t tell me any specifics. "Orimura. Here''s your room. Follow me." Oh, Chifuyu-nee''s calling me. I can''t keep her waiting for too long, so I just said to Nohohon-san ''Please wait a bit'' and separated from her. "Well, Orimura-sensei, where''s my room?" "Shut up and follow me." Uu, I was suddenly forced to shut up. On a side note, this resort''s rather spacious and wide. It''s already amazing that this can take the entire batch of students this year. The interior decors successfully blend the interior decorations and the latest facilities. The optimized air temperature regulator''s simply brilliant! Even the corridor''s rather cooling, making one comfortable. "Over here." "Huh? This is..." Pasted on the door is the paper with the words ''Staff room''. U-mm...? "The initial plan was to give you a single room, but if we do that, there will be girls who will ignore the lights out timing and stay in your room." *Haiz*. Chifuyu-nee sighed, and continued, "So in the end, you''ll be rooming with me. That way, the girls won''t approach you that easily." "Well...I guess?" Nothing ventured, nothing gained. But even if that''s the case, I don''t think there''s anyone brave enough to barge into the demon''s lair for someone like me, right? "Let''s make this clear first. I''m a teacher, don''t forget that." "Yes, Orimura-sensei." "That''s good." Thus, she allowed me to enter the room. It''s a twin person''s room, but the room itself is rather spacious. The wall is a shoji door[3B 2], and the scenery from here is beautiful. The entire sea''s right in front of me. As the room''s facing East, I can definitely see a beautiful sunrise. "Oohh, amazing--" Besides that, the bathroom is isolated from the room, and even the sink has its own room. The luxurious bathtub is so big that this guy here can extend his legs out. "The large bath can be used, but you must use it according to timing. The plan was to separate guys from girls, but since it involves all the students in this batch, it will be too weird if everyone''s to feel uncomfortable because of you. Thus, you can only use it at certain times. If you want to take a bath during the middle of the night or in the morning, do it in the room." "Got it." Even though there''s only the two of us, Chifuyu-nee''s still fulfilling her duty. That''s exactly how she works. Had she not mentioned it before, I would have called her ''Chifuyu-nee'' already. "Alright, it''s free and easy today. We''ve put down our luggage as well. You can do whatever you want." "Huh? What about you, Orimura-sensei?" "I still need to contact and check with the other teachers. There''s a lot of things to deal with. However, well--" Ahem. Chifuyu-nee clears her throat. "Anyway, I intend to swim. Besides, a certain little brother specially chose a swimsuit for me." "I see." Though I answered briefly like Chifuyu-nee, it made my heart beat a little faster, *doki* *doki*. I''m happy that she would wear the swimsuit I chose for her. Speaking of which, how many years has it been since I last saw Chifuyu-nee in a swimsuit? Uu... *Knock knock*. My thoughts got interrupted by the knocking on the door. "Excuse me, Orimura-sensei. Can I bother you for a while?" That voice definitely belongs to Yamada-sensei. "Sure, please enter." On hearing Chifuyu-nee''s answer, Yamada-sensei opened the door, and met my eyes as I''m standing opposite the door. "WAH! ORIMURA-KUN!" "Huh, you don''t have to be that shocked..." It seems that she came here to deal with teaching stuff, as Yamada-sensei seemed like she was looking through some documents as she entered, and then lifted her head up and saw me. "So-Sorry! I forgot that Orimura-kun''s sleeping in Orimura-sensei''s room!" "Yamada-sensei, I thought that was your idea, right?" "Ye-Yes. That''s right! Yes! I''m sorry!" Being on the receiving end of Chifuyu-nee''s sharp glare, Yamada-sensei looks like she got bitten by a snake. "Alright, Orimura, we''re going to work. You can go wherever you want, so enjoy yourself." "Yes, I''ll head to the beach as soon as possible." "Don''t play too much though." After seriously replying to Chifuyu-nee''s reminder, I left the room and pulled out my trunks, towel and change of underwear from the light backpack amongst my luggage. Alright, let''s go to the sea! "..." "..." On the way to the changing room, Houki and I met coincidentally. This is nothing. The problem is the mysterious scene in front of us. There are bunny ears sticking out from the ground. On a side note, I''m not talking about living bunny ears here, but ''rabbit ears'' that bunny girls would wear. It''s just that these bunny ears are white. And there''s even a ''Please pull'' piece of paper stuck on it. "Huh, is this--" "I don''t know, don''t ask me. It has nothing to do with me." Houki immediately denied it before I could even finish asking her. This means--yup, I''m correct. Her talents are limitless, the genius amongst geniuses, the woman who self-proclaimed to have 35 hours a day, the developer of IS, and Houki''s older sister. It''s definitely Shinonono Tabane-san alright. "Huh...I''m pulling, is that alright?" "Do whatever you want. It doesn''t involve me." After saying that, Houki immediately left. Uu, it seems that her relationship with Tabane-san''s is somewhat hard to repair. Being left alone, I had no choice but to pull that pair of bunny ears. *SUPAZ!!* "WAAHHH!!" I thought that Tabane-san would be hiding underground, so I forcefully pulled her out. But that''s not the case, as I tumbled backwards due to the huge force. "OWWW..." "What are you doing?" "Oh, Cecilia. It''s nothing, I was just pulling these bunny ears--AH!" My sight looks up at where the sound came from, but as I''m still on the floor, it means...that I''m looking up her skirt. "!? I-ICHIKA-SAN!" Noticing my gaze, Cecilia quickly pressed her skirt down and backed away. On a side note, huh...white with laces on the sides. NO WAIT, I''M A DOUCHEBAG! WHY COULD I SEE THAT CLEARLY!!? "So-Sorry! Well, that, there were bunny ears over there, so I..." "Wha-What?" Cecilia asked back with a surprised voice. This can''t be helped. If I were to hear others explain this to me, even I would feel that it''s ridiculous. On a side note, as she''s embarrassed and furious, her face is all flushed. "No, Tabane-san is--" *KIIIIIIIINNNN*... Uu? What''s with this thing that''s flying at supersonic speed--hold on, UWAAHHH!!! *DON--K!!* An unidentified flying object drilled deeply into the ground, and it looks like-- ""A-A carrot...?"" Cecilia and I said that together. Also, it looks like an illustration-style transforming carrot. Speaking of which, what''s going on!? "Ahahahaha! You got tricked, Ii-kun!!" *PA!* The carrot split into half, and the person who appeared while laughing is the genius I mentioned before--Shinonono Tabane-san...can''t she enter through a normal way? "Well, when I used a missile to fly, I was nearly shot down by a certain country''s scouting planes! I''m a creature who knows how to learn. Fui Fui!" She''s wearing a tightfitting blue and white skirt that''s like the one in Alice in Wonderland. She takes the bunny ears from me and immediately puts them on. Is she acting the part of Alice in Wonderland alone? I really can''t understand this person''s theme of trends. "Long-Long time no see, Tabane-san." "Yup yup, it''s been long, really long. Speaking of which, Ii-kun, where''s Houki-chan? Were both of you together just now? Did she go to the bathroom?" She takes the bunny ears from me and immediately puts them on. "Huh..." She went off to escape from Tabane-san. I can''t say it, so I really don''t know how to answer her. "Well, no problem. I can use just this little Houki-chan detector to find her! Bye bye Ii-kun. See you later!!" Just like that, she vanished like the wind, and blazingly fast. On a side note, it seems that the Houki-chan detector she''s talking about seems to be that pair of bunny ears. The detectors successfully turn towards where Houki went. No, wait, do detectors look like that? "I-Ichika-san? Was that..." "She''s Tabane-san, Houki''s older sister." "Huh...WHAAT? That-That was Professor Shinonono? The professor who''s currently missing and every country''s looking for?" "Yes, that Shinonono Tabane." On a side note, this seaside school event has a theme called ''IS mobilization in unrestricted area'', so there are all sorts of new models sent over from all countries. But as outside personnel are not allowed to participate, it seem that they can only transport them here through landing crafts. However, as expected of Tabane-san, she likely ignored the rules completely and sneaked in, right? Speaking of which, what''s her aim? "Well, it seems like she''s looking for Houki, so it looks like it''s unrelated to me for now. Speaking of which, I''m going to the beach, what about you Cecilia?" "Oh, okay, I''m going to the beach too. Oh-Oh yes!" Ahem, Cecilia clears her throat. What''s wrong? Is she trying to imitate Chifuyu-nee? "I-I can''t rub sunblock lotion on my back, so I want Ichika-san to help out...can you?" "Hm? Can''t you get a friend?" "Huh? Ohh, that''s true, but if possible...well, Ichika-san..." What''s wrong? Is she still embarrassed that I just saw her underwear? Cecilia looks rather fidgety, and her eyes started wavering about. "Mn, why don''t you just don''t apply it?" "OBJECTION!!" She immediately refused. I actually wanted to make a joke. Maybe it was the wrong timing? I would always make the girls angry when I joke with them. "I''m joking, I''m joking! Well, if it''s that kind of trivial stuff, I''d be glad to help." "Re-Really? You won''t take it back, right?" Woah, is she really insistent on sunblock? She sounded really agitated even though I haven''t even rubbed it on her. "I got it. See you later then." After nodding hard twice, Cecilia ran to the annex. She''s not as fast as Tabane-san, but her footsteps are rather light. "Alright. I''ll go over then." Of course, being a guy, I was told to use the inner most changing room in the annex''s changing rooms. On a side note, once I leave that annex, I can go run all the way to the sea!! (Huh, speaking of which...) The inner most changing room--this means that I have to go past the female changing room. Of course, I won''t be able to see what''s inside, but the screams of excitement would be irresistible. "WAH, MIKA! YOUR BREASTS ARE BIG!? YOU''RE STILL IN PUBERTY, RIGHT~?" "KYAH!! DON''T-DON''T GRAB THEM!!" "MENA''S SWIMSUIT''S RATHER BOLD. AMAZING~" "REALLY? THIS IS COMMON IN AMERICA." ... That''s right. All these topics are being discussed casually. To be honest, I''m really afraid of hearing these. What should I say? Well, I''ll be embarrassed, it''s just that I don''t know why. I slightly increased my speed and headed towards the guys'' changing room. Guys change clothes really easily, and I finished while thinking of what to do for warm-ups. Alright, time to head to the seaside! "Ah, it''s Orimura-kun!" "AR-ARE YOU FOR REAL? IS-IS MY SWIMSUIT WEIRD? THERE''S NO PROBLEM, RIGHT?" "Wa-Wahh~his physique''s amazing~he did train~" "Orimura-kun, let''s play beach volleyball later~" "Oh, if there''s time later, okay." Having just exited the changing room, I met a few girls who exited from the neighboring changing room. They''re all wearing cute swimsuits, and the amount of skin they revealed really made me nervous. And then, I take a step to the seaside--the sand that''s baked hot by the July sun, and my soles got scalded. "HOT HOT HOT HOT!!" For someone like me who hasn''t been to the beach for quite a few years, this feeling''s really nostalgic and satisfying. That''s right, this''s how the beach should be like! The bare feet of mine can feel the heat of the sand, causing me to curl my toes slightly as I walk towards the coast. The beach''s already full of female students. Some are sunbathing, some are playing beach volleyball, some are swimming, everyone''s doing all sorts of activities. They''re all wearing swimsuits of many different colors, and in a certain sense, it''s even more eye-blinding than the sun of July. "He, ho..." I start to do my warm-ups first. It''s been a long time since I''ve been to the seaside. It''ll be ugly if I get leg cramps and drown. Anyway, let''s stretch the arms, contract the legs, stretch the back-- "I-chika~" Oh--HUH, WHAT? "You''re rather serious, doing stretches so seriously. Okay, let''s go swim once you''re done!" Suddenly jumping on my back is Rin. Speaking of which, whether it was primary school or middle school, she would always jump on me when she puts on a swimsuit. She''s really like a cat. On a side note, she''s wearing a sports bikini. The orange swimsuit has white lining and reveals the bellybutton. "Hey hey, do some warm-ups too! I don''t care if you drown." "I won''t drown! I was a mermaid in my previous life, most likely." She continued to pull as she quickly climbed up my body and sat on my shoulders. She was probably a cat or a monkey in her previous life, right? Also, the mermaid illustrations were drawn by men at first. Does she know that? "Ohh--I''m so high up. I can see things far away from here clearly. It''s great. You can be a mini-observation tower, Ichika." Thanks. It''s hard to find a job now anyway, so maybe this can do--WHAT, YOU IDIOT!! "Not being a lookout worker, but a tower!?" "What''s wrong with that? It can benefit others anyway." "Who would climb up..." "Mn...me?" Rin chuckled. Ugh--this person. "Ah-Ahh-Aahh! What, what are you two doing?" Walking over here, Cecilia questioned us. She''s holding onto the foldable beach umbrella, a beach mat and sunblock. She''s wearing a bright blue bikini, and the sari that''s tied around her waist has a bit of elegance. It looks nice, just like a model. The ample breasts the swimsuit emphasizes are more alluring than what I had imagined, thus I inadvertently looked away in embarrassment. "Nothing much, just sitting on his shoulders. Or rather, he''s acting as a movable watchtower." "So you''re actually acting." "Of course, I don''t have a license." "Huh-that''s true." "Isn''t that right? But if someone was drowning, I would still go and save her." "Could-Could you please stop ignoring me!!" Ohh, I suddenly started talking to Rin who''s on my body. On a side note, I''m okay with her sticking to me like this, mainly--I can''t say it to her directly-- ''cause her chest is super flat! Besides, she''s been sitting on me like this since primary school, so I got very used to it. "Anyway, Rin-san, hurry up and get off him!" "No." "What, what kind of childish tantrum are you throwing...!" *PAZZ!* Cecilia stabs the beach umbrella into the sand. Woah, it seems like she''s fuming! "What''s wrong? Is someone arguing?" "Huh? Ah--! O-Orimura-kun has someone sitting on his shoulders!" "Whaat? That''s so nice, so nice~!" "Must be by turn, right?" "So the one who gets first will go first!" I could randomly hear some quarreling girls seemingly creating a misunderstanding as they all squeezed over and asked me to let them sit on my shoulders. This is bad, this is really bad. If so many girls are to sit on my shoulders, it would be mentally draining for a guy, both physically and mentally. "Rin, Rin, hurry up and get down. There will be misunderstandings." "Hmm, well, it can''t be helped." Alright. Rin jumped down from my shoulders and used her hands to land before flipping forward. Amazing, she''s practically the same as a cat. "Rin-san...? Wasn''t that against the rules...?" Cecilia''s showing a stiff smile. She must be fuming. On a side note, I''m explaining to the girls gathering here ''I don''t provide such services''. Sigh, it''s all because of Rin. "Speaking of which, Cecilia, you definitely asked Ichika to do something for you, right? We''re even now, aren''t we?" "No, that..." "Huh? You didn''t ask him to do something? Then, I''ll--" "I-I did! ICHIKA-SAN, HURRY OVER AND HELP ME APPLY SUNBLOCK!" """WHAAT!!!???""" Cecilia said that while I was explaining to the girls, causing them to shout out. Ahh, you idiot! Why did you say that so loudly... "I''LL GET THE SUNBLOCK!" "I''LL GET THE BEACH MAT!" "I''LL GET THE BEACH UMBRELLA!" "I''LL WASH THE SUNBLOCK OFF THEN!" Hey! Since you already applied it, stop deliberately increasing my workload! *sigh*, that girl went into the sea. Heeeeey... Anyway, the girls who gathered here because of Rin dispersed because of Cecilia. "Ahem, I''ll leave it to you then." Cecilia gently takes off her sari. The action itself looked bewitching, causing my heart to skip a beat. "Huh, erm...just the back, right?" "If-If Ichika-san wants, you can apply it on the front as well." "No, well, just let me apply it on the back." "If that''s the case--" Cecilia suddenly undoes the swimsuit knot that''s tied at the back and presses her breasts against her swimsuit as she lies face-down on the beach mat. "I-I''m ready. Please rub, okay?" "O-Okay..." The swimsuit that was undone is now stuck between the beach mat and the body, as Cecilia''s completely defenseless back is naked for show to me. The cleavage that''s revealed under the armpit is distorted, and it''s a little--no, extremely sexy. Also, maybe it''s because she''s pressing down, as her curvy buttocks aren''t making me forget about them, and because the sari was blocking just now, I didn''t notice that the lower part of her swimsuit revealed quite a lot. The straight legs are as pretty as ever, making me swallow my saliva unconsciously. "The-Then, I''m applying it now." "KYAH! I-Ichika-san, you must warm your hands slightly before applying sunblock." "Is-Is that so? It''s my first time doing this...sorry." "Is-Is that so? So it''s your first time? It, it''s not your fault then." For some reason, I feel that Cecilia sounded really happy. Maybe I''m thinking too much. Anyway, I followed what she instructed and squeezed the sunblock on my palms, rubbed them warm until it got suitably warm before applying it on Cecilia. (Uwa, Cecilia''s skin is really supple...I can feel that it''s comfortable just by touching it...) "Mn...that''s nice! Ichika-san, do the bottom part as well." "I-I just needed to rub the back, no?" "No, no...since you already started rubbing it on me, please rub onto the parts my hands can''t reach, including the legs, and the butt." "WHAAAT!?" No-No way! This is way too dangerous. It''s just applying sunblock, but for me to touch Cecilia''s butt is too-- "Okay okay, I''ll rub it for you, until you''re all sticky." "KYAH! Ri-Rin-san, why did you come here to me--IT-IT''S COLD!!" "What''s the problem? Since you just need to apply sunblock, it''s doesn''t matter how you do it. I''ll rub it on you." "Ahh, that''s enough! Behave your--" Cecilia stood up angrily, and the swimsuit slipped down the body-- "AH!" "KYAH!!" That was close! The important parts weren''t shown, but Cecilia ducked down, so embarrassed that her ears are red. "Ah...sorry." "It-It-It''s basically, saying sorry now, that''s...RIN-SAN! I DEFINITELY WON''T FORGIVE YOU!!" "Hmm...I''m running off then. Bye bye!" *Guieee*. "HEY! STOP DRAGGING ME IN! SIGH, REALLY, YOU...SORRY CECILIA! THAT, WELL, I DIDN''T SEE THEM, SO DON''T MIND, OKAY?" "WHA-WHAT...!" Her face flushed red, Cecilia''s unable to grip her fist tight and swing over as she maintains that pose, frozen there. As for me, I got dragged by Rin into the sea. "BUHA! Rin, you''re really...!" "Let''s have a race to that buoy over there, Ichika! If you lose, you have to treat me to parfait at ''@ CRUISE''--READY, GO!" "HEY, THAT''S NOT FAIR! ACK, WAIT FOR ME!!" "HAHAHA, WHO ASKED YOU TO DAZE OFF THERE!!" Just like that, I got dragged into the scenario of chasing after Rin. On a side note, the cheapest parfait ''@ CRUISE'' sells is 1,500 yen, so I definitely can''t lose this match. (I''m really sorry, Cecilia, but let me win this time.) Rin continued to swim against Ichika as she pondered. Last month, she specially made her sweet and sour pork bento. To be honest, it was a failure because she didn''t expect Houki and Cecilia to make their own food. (I thought that was a good strategy!) On a side note, what she had planned for that time was: "Only Ichika''s sweet and sour pork wasn''t hot." "I want to eat some hot sweet and sour pork!" "Really, what''s with you." "Here, ahh--" Something like that, but it wasn''t successful at all. It''s true that the tactic to make him eat sweet and sour pork succeeded, but the fact was that she fell behind Houki, so there was a little sense of failure there. In addition, she only bought her own share of rice because: "Give me some rice!" "Really, it can''t be helped." "Here, ah--" She wanted to employ this tactic, but it failed because of Houki as well. (But to guys, skin contact should be most effective, right? And Ichika knows that I''ll stick onto him once I put on a swimsuit.) But there''s another problem to this reaction, and that is ''He doesn''t really sees me as a girl''. To be honest, she''s rather frustrated as well. (No, no worries! There shouldn''t be that many girls who would stick close to him! As for Cecilia, well, it was a close shave...) Thinking up till here, she remembered the situation just now. (Sunblock lotion...Ichika looked rather stiff just now. Maybe I should just get him to apply it on me.) It was Cecilia''s idea, but the winner is whoever does it first. (Bu-But, he''ll touch my body. It, it doesn''t matter if I touch him, but if he''s to touch me...it''s-it''s a little embarrassing...) She cools her gradually reddening face into the sea, but the fluttering in her chest doesn''t stop as it becomes even faster. (Uu~...but other girls would definitely have confessed to him...) *Bukubukubuku*, Rin''s not exhaling, but sighing to hide her embarrassment. The air form bubbles in the sea. (Huuh, Huang Lingyin, buck up! You''re already studying in IS Academy, what do you intend to do if you don''t work harder!?) Watch me! Trying to motivate herself, she accidentally took in a large amount of air. But this is the sea, so what she breathed in wasn''t air, but seawater. "!? GLUPPLUPLUP!!" As it was too sudden, Rin sank into a light moment of panic and started struggling due to the sudden loss of balance. (Wa-Water, ran in...! Up, got to go up...) But as this was the water, she didn''t know which direction she was swimming towards. As Rin looked like she was really about to drown, a strong arm pulled her up. (Ah! Ichika...this is Ichika''s arm...) A sense of relief spread through her chest. Rin hugged onto the strong arm and floated up to the surface. "Hey, Rin! Are you alright?" "GUHA! Ha ha! I-I''m alright..." "Really, didn''t I tell you? It''s because you didn''t do your warm-ups properly." "Tha-That''s not it. I nearly drowned because, because of you..." "? Never mind, let''s get back to land. Here!" I didn''t hear the last part clearly, but it''s better to get back. Thinking about this, I turned my back on Rin. "Wha-What are you going to do?" "Get on. I''ll carry you back." "I-I''m alright. We''re just heading back to the beach after all." Even though she said this, I can''t just leave someone who nearly drowned right now alone, so I deepened my tone to indicate to her that I must carry her no matter what. "Rin." "O-Okay! I got it..." Now Rin is finally obedient enough. I carried Rin, who became rather light in the sea, and swam back to the coast. Chifuyu-nee once taught me how to carry someone while swimming. If I don''t carry the person a little higher than what I expect, the person on the back can drown, so this will require a little skill. I carried Rin, who became rather light in the sea, and swam back to the coast. "Pat my back if water enters your mouth. You''ll choke if you start to talk." "Mn." I hear her respond with her mouth shut as I swim to the coast. As it will be too dangerous to swim too fast, I started wading slowly. "Well, about that, Ichika..." "You''ll drink seawater once you talk." "No, that''s alright. Forget about that, well..." The voice was soft, but the last few words entered my ears clearly. "Tha-Thank you..." The boast she made about not drowning still remains in my ears, so now she''s probably embarrassed about it. I nodded my head in response and continued to carry Rin up the coast. "It-It''s okay. I can walk on my own now." "Really?" "Really! That''s enough, hurry up and let me down!" Noticing me get onto the coast, the girls quickly turned around. Rin most likely felt embarrassed about being seen by those people, so she was struggling quite stubbornly. "I got it, I''ll let you down, so stop moving wildly. Even if you were a cat in your previous life, what''ll happen if you fall?" "I-I was a mermaid in my previous life..." Nodding away, I bent my body down and let Rin off. "I-I''ll go over there to rest..." After saying that, Rin quickly ran to the annex. Having been carried back, she was really embarrassed as her face blushed slightly. (Mn...maybe she''s embarrassed because she boasted that she wouldn''t drown, is it?) "Ah, Ichika, you''re here!" Having my name called up, I turn around to see Charl and-- "Huh? Who''s this towel mummy?" There''s a super mysterious thing--it''s covered completely in quite a few towels, from the head to the knees...what-what is this thing... "Alright, come out now. It''s alright." "I-I''ll decide whether it''s alright..." Hm? This voice...Laura? But why is it that the proud Laura sounded so cowardly? And Charl''s trying to convince her. Hm, I don''t know what''s going on. "O~kay, it''s rare for you to wear a swimsuit. Let Ichika see it!" "Ho-Hold on, I need a bit of mental preparation as well..." "Well-, you''ve been saying that for a while, and you still haven''t come out. And since I helped out, he should have the right to see it as well, right?" Speaking of which, Charl and Laura seem to be staying in the same room. Both of them were enemies who fought intensely in the incident last month, but now it seems that they''re ordinary roommates with quite the good relationship. Uu, Laura''s still as unfriendly as ever. Maybe she would change if she''s with someone intimate like Charl, I guess. "Okay, Laura, if you don''t want to show yourself, I''m going to play with Ichika and ignore you." "Wha-What?" "Yeah, let''s do it. Let''s go Ichika." After that, Charl grabbed my hand, and then leaned on my shoulder as she dragged me to the sea. "Wa-Wait for me! I-I''ll go!" "Like that?" "Humph--I''ll take it off! I''ll take it off!" *Papapa!* Several pieces of towel dropped down in an instant. Under the sun, Laura''s dressed in a swimsuit. And as for that swimsuit-- Laura seem to be taken aback by that as she paused for a while, her face all blushed. The black swimsuit is decorated with a large number of laces. On first glance, it looks like a sexy lingerie. Her hair that''s usually not dolled up is now tied into ponytails on left and right side. Though it looks like she''s imitating Rin''s get up, in truth, Laura looks--really cute. Seeing her really insecure added that cuteness factor. "It''s not weird at all! Right, Ichika?" "Oh, yeah! I was surprised, but this really suits you." "WHA...!" Did I say something unexpected? Laura seem to be taken aback by that as she paused for a while, her face all blushed. "That-That''s enough for courtesies..." "No, I''m not just saying that at all. Right Charl?" "Yup, I told her that she was cute, and yet she didn''t believe me at all. By the way I helped design Laura''s hairstyle! It''s rare for her to wear a swimsuit, so she should of course look a little trendier." "Oh. So that''s how it is. Yeah, your swimsuit suits you well too, Charl." "Uu, yeah! Thanks." After I praised her, Charl fiddled with her hair looking embarrassed. The bracelet I bought for her yesterday as a gift was still glittering on her wrist. "Won''t that rust? Is it alright?" "It''s alright. I carefully did all sorts of anti-rust measures before coming here. After that, I''ll use salt water to wash it. It''s a rare thing that Ichika would give me something~" Charl chuckled. It seems that she really likes it. "Ichika." "Hm?" In a completely different voice from before, Laura''s voice regained her usual calm. "That''s too despicable! You didn''t buy a gift for me...well, I hope that you buy me one..." Uu, after Cecilia did that, even Laura requested for one. "Well, if that''s the case, I''ll get you one if you have some day worth celebrating, like a birthday or something." "Uu, I see. Then you must give me one if there''s a chance! Promise!" "Okay, but the price can''t be too high. I''m still a student after all." "Uu, but one day, you have to give me a gift worth three months'' salary! I heard my squad mates say that in Japan, important gifts need to be worth that much money." Huh--, it seems that the people making Laura mistaken about Japan are her comrades. Though it''s not really wrong, it does feel that way. "By the way, do you have anything you want? It doesn''t seem like you really wear anything decorative." "You''re right. To be honest, I don''t really have any interest in those sort of things...bu-but, if you choose one for me, I''ll be really happy no matter what it was." "I see. Hmm, what should I get for you? A necklace...ah, your hairstyle now will reveal your ears. Earrings are suitable for you as well. I think it would be very cute." "Cu-Cute...?" The different hairstyle must have made Laura uneasy, right? She looks embarrassed because I said that as she intertwined her fingers. "ORI-MU-RA-KUN!" "WE JUST AGREED TO PLAY BEACH VOLLEYBALL!" "WA- AGAINST ORIMU~ THAT''S GREAT!" It''s the girl I just agreed to play with and her friends, and that Nohohon-san. For some reason, I feel that I should start remembering other people''s names... "Heh! Here, Orimura-kun!" *Pa!* The beach volleyball flew to me. After receiving the ball, I confirmed the members beside me. "Then, after adding Charl and Laura, it''ll be 3 on 3. OK, let''s start!" After hearing my reply, the two girls quickly began to expand the net, and the Nohohon-san is drawing the boundary on the beach. Uwah, she''s super slow. "Then, we''ll use the basic rules, okay? Maximum of 3 hits, no consecutive spikes, first to 10 gets the set!" "Alright, you people can serve first." I threw the ball over. The receiving girl''s (Huh--should be Kushinada-san) eyes glowed. "Hohoho, let me show you the Summer Devil of July''s...ability!" UGH! She jumped for the serve! I can''t complain about the speed or the angle. "Watch me!" Charl said that. As expected of the reliable honor student. I''ll leave it to her then. "Huh! WAH!!" With a ''thonk'', Charl cried out. I turn around and see that Charl chased after the ball and knocked into Laura, who was standing there blankly. "Are-Are you alright?" "Oww...what''s with you, Laura?" "Cu-Cute...sa-said, that...I...UU!!" For some reason, Laura blushed after seeing my face, and then ran off like a scared rabbit. "Huh...HEY! LAURA! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Even though I called her, Laura ran off into the annex and disappeared, leaving me, Charl and the three dumbfounded girls. "Uu~hm, so it''s that~ Orimu''s girl electrobarrier activated~" The Nohohon-san said. On a side note, she''s not wearing a swimsuit, but a fox costume that covers her entire body, with even the ears to boot. Maybe this taste would go along with Tabane-san as well? "Uu...yeah, never mind. We''ll play on. I''ll check on Laura later." "I agree~" Though it became 2 on 3 now, that Nohohon-san''s clothes seem to have a negative effect, so we continued to play 2 on 2. "TAKE THIS!" Moving lightly, Charl jumped up to spike the ball. I looked up at her from the side, and those breasts that bounced crazily when she jumped stunned me. (Uu, no...speaking of which, Charl has quite the nice body--AH, NONONONONONONONO!!!) Realizing this, my attention was diverted, and when the opposing girls jumped up, their soft breasts would jiggle as well. "..." "What''s wrong, Ichika?" "No, nothing! Nothing at all! Yup, nothing!" As soon as I thought that she realized that I was looking at the girls'' bodies all the while, my heartbeat went super fast. Trying to prevent other people from realizing my inner wavering, I tried my best to deny it, by using my hands to wave them in an exaggerated manner. Seeing my reaction, Charl gave out a weird laugh. "I see, Ichika''s really weird." "Huh...it''s summer, so I got a little too hot." "Okay okay. You need more thermal energy in the summer, I know that." Alriight. Recently, it seems that Charl''s been very strict with my jokes. This ''I know what Ichika wants to say'' attitude feels like I got caught by the neighbor nee-san, it doesn''t feel good at all, or even embarrassing, I would say. "Ah, it''s about time for lunch, right? What do you want to do later, Ichika?" "Huh-, I want to swim a little, but I can''t go swimming immediately after eating a full meal. I want to rest before swimming again." "I see. Then let''s go for lunch then. Also, Ichika, which room are you staying in?" "Ah--I want to know too!" "Me too, me too!" "I want to know too~useless bedtop information should be shared~" That Nohohon-san''s words made everyone look awkward. Anyway, let''s ignore her for now. "Huh-Orimura-sensei''s room." The excited looks of the girls up till now seemed to be frozen. It''s like they stopped thinking due to the unexpected development. "So it''s dangerous to look for me." "Ye-Yeah...but we can meet Orimura-kun during lunch." "Yeah! We don''t have to enter the devil''s lair--" "Who''s the devil?" *DONG!* I seem to hear someone. No, it couldn''t be my imagination. A group of girls'' necks are trembling...trembling non-stop. "O-Ori-Orimura-sensei..." "Yup." Ah! The swimsuit she''s wearing is the black one different in style from Laura. That trained figure''s being shown under the sun without any selfishness. That trained figure''s being shown under the sun without any selfishness. To be honest, if Chifuyu-nee and I weren''t brother and sister, my heart would pound even crazier as well. Even though the hands on her waist aren''t different from usual, there''s a slight sense of sexiness the way I see it now. Not to mention she''s got good looks like a model. Compared to the other girls, she has an overwhelming victory over them. Though Chifuyu-nee would normally wear a suit, which makes it hard to imagine, if I don''t look at this from a distorted point of view, the curves revealing those breasts are really ample. And this swimsuit emphasizes a lot on the bustline, so naturally, my eyes are attracted by that. "...Ichika''s drool is about to flow out." "WHA...!? CHAR-CHARL!? WHAT ARE YOU SAYING!? AHAHAHA..." "You were enticed by it." Kuu! Well...I can''t deny that. "Alright, hurry up and go have lunch!" "What about you, sensei?" "I''m going to enjoy this really pitifully little free time." Just as she said, the teachers don''t seem like they have much free time. If that''s the case, I don''t want to delay her much. "We''ll go have lunch then." "Follow the gathering time. Don''t be late." "Yes." I just said that and left the location. As it''s just past 12, other students beside us are moving off as well. "Did you see Orimura-sensei''s swimsuit? So pretty~ cool~" "Ah~ I want to become like that as well." "I don''t think you have any hope." "How would you know if you don''t try?" The students were debating furiously. I''m rather uncomfortable about hearing my relative get praised. I don''t know if I should be happy or embarrassed. (But speaking of which, it really suits her...) Truthfully, Chifuyu-nee''s beautiful like a model--no, better than a model. "Ichika, is Orimura-sensei your type?" "HUH? WHA-WHAT? CHARL, WHAT''S WITH THAT ALL OF A SUDDEN..." "Nothing, it''s just that I find that your reaction on seeing our swimsuits was somewhat different." Wah, Charl-san''s not happy...I guess. Why? "Sigh, there''re so many enemies...and they''re all so strong. It''ll be even tougher with Orimura-sensei in the mix." That''s true. Chifuyu-nee''s strong. Last month, she even used her IS sword[3B 3]. How much power and skill are required to get to that level... "She''s amazing, that Orimura-sensei." "...I get the feeling that Ichika''s missing the point here." "Huh? Really?" "That''s right. Sigh...the strongest enemy is still Ichika." Uu, really? But if possible, I really don''t want to fight against Charl. As we teamed up before, I feel that she''d toy with me. "Oh well, it''s pointless to think too much. Let''s go Ichika." "Oh, okay." I don''t know what''s going on, but as I head off to the annex to change, my hand got grabbed by Charl, who seems to be feeling better. I intend to swim later, but I don''t think anyone would wear a swimsuit for lunch, right? "What''s for lunch? Maybe we might get sashimi[3B 4]." "Sashimi! That''s great! I like sashimi the most." On a side note, this is an example of how used Charl is to Japanese culture. If it''s Cecilia, she would say, ''Eating fish, raw? Tha-That''s unbelievable...''. As for Laura, she would say ''Relax, I''ve gone through raw food eating training to survive in the jungle when I''m alone''. Um, Laura, it''s not like that. (Speaking of which...) Suddenly, I remembered that Houki disappeared. (She''s not in the sea? She should be good at swimming, so why?) Thinking about this, I waved goodbye to Charl and the rest as I walked into the guys'' changing room. Time passed, and it''s now 7:30pm. We''re having our dinner in the large banquet hall that''s composed of 3 halls linked together. "Yeah, it''s great! The sashimi provided for lunch and dinner here is fantastic!" "That''s right. IS Academy''s really too powerful." Sitting beside me, Charl said as she nodded away. Right now, she''s dressed in a yukuta like everyone here. I''m not really sure, but the rule within this resort seems to be that ''One has to wear yukatas while eating''. Normally speaking, aren''t they not allowed...? The 1st years that are sitting neatly in rows are sitting on cushions. So of course, we''re all sitting down in the seiza position[3B 5]. Everyone has a catering table in front of them. The dishes are sashimi and a small hotpot. There''s a salad of 2 mountain herbs, red miso soup and pickled vegetables. That''s good enough, but the sashimi''s actually made from a Thread-sail filefish[3B 6], and there''s even fish liver to go with it. Really unbelievable. I bit into the fish. The feeling''s really unique, and there''s no fishiness to it. It''s really delicious, yet so hard to describe. There''s no stench or bitterness in the fish liver, and the taste is thick. I can understand now why it recently became a high class fish on the market. "Ahh, it''s so delicious! And this wasabi[3B 7] is real! Amazing! Hey, this isn''t something a high school student can eat!" "A real wasabi?" "Hm? Charl, you don''t know? The wasabi sauce that''s grounded direcly through a wasabi root is a real wasabi." "Huh? Then the ones given with the sashimi at the school cafeteria is..." "That''s manufactured. Well, the main ingredients are the wasabi root and horseradish. After coloring and mixing them, it will look and tastes like wasabi." "Oh~so this is a real one?" "Yup. But there''s a lot of nice manufactured wasabi. Based on the way the manfacturer does it, some shops would even mix real wasabi with manufactured wasabi sauce." "I see. Uu..." Huh? Did Charl just swallow the entire pile of wasabi in...? "U~..........................!!!" As I expected, Charl pressed her nose as tears swelled up in her eyes. What the heck... "Are you alright?" "U-Um allbite..."[3B 8] Charl forced her words out with her nose as she tried to force a smile. However, the smile wasn''t too successful because of the tears in her eyes. "It-It''s flavorful. Not bad...ni...ce." That''s forcing it too much, isn''t it? "...Uu..." On a side note, ever since the beginning, Cecilia, who''s sitting on my left has been moaning like this. She doesn''t seem to be used to sitting in a seiza position, and she hasn''t eaten much. "Are you alright, Cecilia? You don''t look so good." "I...am...okay..." Nope, seems like she''s not. Speaking of which, she''s really not used to sitting in a seiza position... Cecilia, who''s trembling non-stop, seem to be forcing all her strength as a show of pride as she acts like nothing''s wrong while picking up her chopsticks. "Thanks...for the...food..." It seems like she''s even having trouble drinking the miso soup. Speaking of which, the students from IS Academy are from all over the world. Thus, there are students and teachers from all countries. The scenery in front of me is as such; blonds in yukata, silver-haired girls, brown-skinned students, blue-eyed students...a whole assortment of races. It seems that this is the only place where one can feel that I just went around the whole world. Of course, that''s impossible. "Ni-Nice..." She-She''s smiling... Hmm, seems like she''s really forcing it... "Cecilia, if you can''t sit down, shouldn''t you move over to the dinner tables over there? A lot of our classmates are there. You don''t have to be embarrassed about it, you know?" By the way, having considered the many nationalities, race and religions of the students, the school provided an eating area for the students who can''t eat in a seiza position. As the meal trays are sorted according to the type of cuisine, so those who want their own food just need to take their own and consume it. "I''m-I''m alright...compared to the effort I spent just to get this seat, this trivial thing..." Hm? Get a seat? What did she mean? I thought the dinner seating was just according to first-come-first-serve, isn''t that the case? "Ichika, girls consider about a lot of things." "Really?" "Yeah." That seems to be the case. (Speaking of which, where did Houki go?) Ah, she saw me. She''s just sitting at the rear behind the rows opposite me. As expected of a girl from the kendo dojo, Houki''s back is straight and proper as she eats her meal. She seem to be talking about something interesting with the student beside her as she doesn''t notice the look I gave her. Should I say that it''s to be expected of Houki? Even the way she''s dressed in a yukata is stunning. Is the typical ''Yamato Nadeshiko''[3B 9] referring to someone like her? "Ah, Orimura-kun. kya~" The girl who''s beside Houki suddenly noticed me and waved her hand at me. Such an action made Houki, who looked like she was chatting away happily, glare at me unhappily. That expression most likely means ''Why are you showing such an indecent smile to a girl? You rude guy''. I casually just waved my hand back at them in response and again focused on eating my dinner. Maybe they can''t eat on if I continue to stare at them? (Speaking of which, where did Tabane-san go...) She just suddenly disappeared after that daring and unruly entrance. I really don''t understand her. "U, ugh...erm..." Right, Cecilia is still having trouble sitting in the seiza position. She has already failed to pick up the sashimi twice. "Cecilia." "I''m not going there." Uu, I got refuted back. "But you can''t eat anything like this, right? Do I need to feed you like what I did to Cha--" "I-Ichika!" "--Sorry." I nearly slipped it out. To Charl, it should be embarrassing that she couldn''t use chopsticks and needed someone to feed her, right? I covered my mouth and apologized to her. "I-Ichika-san, was what you said true!?" WA--I got noticed! No wait, got to give an excuse somewhat. "Huh--at that time, Charl wasn''t feeling..." "FORGET ABOUT CHARLOTTE-SAN! YOU-YOU SAID...YOU-YOU''D FEED ME...!" "Uu, well? Alright then? You''ll be able to enjoy dinner now that your legs aren''t numb. And the fish is a thread-sail filefish. Wouldn''t it be a waste not to finish?" "Th-That''s right! Mn, mnn! It''ll be rude to the chefs if we waste such a delicious thing!" Yeah, that''s right. We can''t just treat the food the chefs prepared for us as nothing. Anyone who can''t appreciate that should end up dead. "I-I''ll leave it to you then." Cecilia said as she passed me the chopsticks. Once I received the chopsticks, I immediately picked up a piece of sashimi. "Do you dare to eat wasabi, Cecilia?" "Wa-Wasabi, well, well, maybe later..." Seems like she doesn''t. Wasabi''s nice. "Here." "Ok, okay. Ah--" The moment she was about to eat it down, trouble happened. "AHHH!! YOU''RE TOO SNEAKY, CECILIA!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!!?" "YOU ACTUALLY LET ORIMURA-KUN FEED YOU!! YOU''RE DESPICABLE!!" "CRAFTY! SINISTER! BLACK-HEARTED!!" Uwah, the other girls found out. But isn''t that to be expected? Everyone''s lined up while eating, so obviously, any ordinary person would find out. "That, that''s not crafty! That''s the privilege of sitting beside him!" "THAT''S CALLED BEING SINISTER!!" "ORIMURA-KUN, I WANT IT TOO!!!" Is this an honor? A group of girls wanting me to feed them started rushing over. Hey! Hold on! You people all look like you can eat normally! "HURRY UP HURRY UP!!" "AHM--MMN!!" A group of girls opened their mouths at the same time. Whaat, are you all nestlings!!? "Why can''t all of you eat your meals quietly?" After hearing that voice, everyone froze. "O-Orimura-sensei..." "Seems like all of you are rather energetic, right? Very good...well, 50km should be alright, so go run a round on the beach and come back, is that alright?" "NONONO! PLEASE DON''T SAY THAT!! WE''LL EAT OBEDIENTLY!" After saying that, everyone immediately returned to their seats. Upon seeing this, Chifuyu-nee stared at me and said, "Orimura, stop creating commotions. It''ll be troublesome to control them." "I-I got it." It''s...It''s my fault? Really? "That''s how it is, Cecilia. Sorry, please..." "..." Uu, she really looks unhappy. If there''s a special effect sound to describe it, it should be like ''hmm~'', right? "Well. Umm..." "I got it, alright? I got it! Ichika-san values his sister the most." Hm...seems like I really made her angry--oh, that''s right. "To make up for it, Cecilia, come over to my room." After I said that softly, Cecilia blinked. "Later to your room...? That means--" *Pa!* She suddenly grabbed my hand and answered softly yet enthusiatically, "Okay, I got it! I-I need to prepare, so you may need to wait a while, but I''ll definitely be there!" Prepare? Prepare what? While I was still thinking about this, Cecilia already changed her mood as she wolfed down her meal. Seems like she got used to the numbness. That''s good. "Ahh, it''s nice no matter what I eat!" She''s-She''s really enthusiastic! But she''s right. Each meal is delicious, so I can understand her feelings. (What''s the base used for this small hotpot? Ginger, wasabi...un.) Even though the soup base is refreshing and not oily, there''s quite the flavor in it. As it''s really tasty, I really like it. It seems that my preference is towards these home-styled type. After that, I continued to analyze the individual ingredients. By the time I realized them all, my stomach was full. "Hoo~that was good." An onsen bath after a meal is truly a luxury. After bathing alone in this open-aired onsen where I could see everything, I went back to my room in high spirits. (Chifuyu-nee went to bathe too?) Seems like she''s not in the room either. I thought--well, she just happened to come back. "Huh? You''re alone? You didn''t bring a girl with you? How uninteresting." "I say, you...umm, never mind. Forget about it." This room is still the ''Orimura-sensei'' room. Once someone does something suspicious, it''s unknown what fate will befall them. Incidentally, Chifuyu-nee did take a bath since her hair''s all wet. Even though she''s my sister, the overly glamorous black hair made my heart race. "Hey, Chifuyu-nee." She glares at me, sharply. "Call me Orimura-sensei." "What''s the problem. There''s only the two of us left, and we just bathed, and we haven''t done it for a long time--" "-?" Having taken a bath after the meal, Cecilia, who had bathed again, was happily changing clothes. She was wearing the yukata the resort provided, but the underwear under it was completely different. (Ahh, just in case...the underwear I brought just in case can finally be used!) Thinking till here, her expression became exceptionally gentle. Seeing that mysterious yet excited look on her, a certain classmate asked incredulously, "Did something good happen, Cecilia?" "Nope, nothing?" "...That expression says otherwise, you know?" "Oh my, really? Ufufu." "Sigh...never mind. Ahh, it''s rare to have a chance to prepare so much just to play with Orimura-kun, and yet he and Orimura-sensei are in the same room..." We can''t possibly play now...the other girls nodded in unison. Incidentally, they had prepared games with poker cards, UNO cards, Hanafuda, the Game of Life and Twister so guys and girl could look forward to. It''s amazing that even in the 21st century these games are still extremely popular. (Ufufu, I don''t need to play games at all tonight.) Cecilia hummed as she blowed-dryed her hair. Her wavering strands were two times more glamorous than usual. "Ah~your underwear is so sexy. It''s so revealing--" Even though her eyes were half-open, the Nohohon-san''s observation and perception skills were extremely great. On hearing her say that, even Cecilia felt a shock deep inside, because... "WHAT? SOMEBODY HELP STRIP HER~!" "STRIP~STRIP HER OFF~!!" "KYAH! ST-STOP IT...STOP PULLING~!" If three people gathered together can perform a skit, then with nine people you could perform three skits. Especially since everyone couldn''t go and find their target, Ichika, to play with, they ended up having a lot of free time. Seeing the girls go crazy like this Cecilia could sense how energetic they really were. "WAH!! THAT''S SOME EROTIC UNDERWEAR..." "ERO~ ERO~" "What''s this? Lucky underwear? We''re unable to go to Orimura-kun''s room, and you''re wearing such a thing!?" The girls started chatting away, and finally declare in unison, """CECILIA''S SO LEWD!!!""" "I''m-I''m not~! This, this is, just preparations for the occasion...yes, for the occasion!" Cecilia pulled on her now ruffled yukata and argued back while blushing, praying silently to herself that the fact that she would be going to Ichika''s room alone won''t be revealed. "Speaking of which, you were pretty thorough in your bathing." Uh oh. "And after bathing, you put on make-up for some reason." Uh oh uh oh. "That''s rather suspicious, you know?" "That''s-that''s not suspicious! Girls should be aware of the occasion! I still have things to do. Got to make a move first!" After saying some mood-killing words, Cecilia stood up. I''ll win once I step out of this room! Just when she thought that... "Un? Hmm? This isn''t the perfume Cecilia normally uses. This fragrance is L''Ireal[3B 10] Number 6? Wa~ that''s pretty high class~" After the Nohohon-san said that, the girls'' expression froze. --Oh no! It was too late, the moment Cecilia thought this, the girls began to hassle her and ask. "L''Ireal number 6? I heard that one bottle costs about 100,000 yen?" "They only produce 100 bottles of it every year, and there''s even a serial number!" "Do you have the product with you? Show me!" "O-Okay, it''s alright to show you. Anyway, I''ll go off first--" """NO WAY!!!""" Ehh~ Cecilia muttered deep inside, but the girls grabbed her hand really tightly, making her to be unable to get away. "Where did you buy this? Didn''t I hear that it''s hard to buy even with money?" "Our family has relations with the L''Ireal company..." "UWA! ISN''T CECILIA SUPER RICH!?" "LET ME HAVE A WHIFF!" "Ah, erm, if you like it, you can use it however you want. As for me, I''ll leave first..." """NO WAY!!!""" Ehhh~...the same desciption follows. "THAT''S A WASTE!" "IF CECILIA APPLIED IT, WE WILL JUST SMELL YOUR BODY! OKAY?" "KAGU~KAGU!" The girls immediately opened their arms wide and rushed over. Cecilia had a bad feeling as she continued to back away until she hit the wall. "Fufufu, we''re not letting you get away." "Alright, just surrender quietly!" "Very good~ very good~" The girls slowly closed in with their eyes shining mysteriously. "No, no, NOOOOOOOOOO~!!!" "Uu, uu...that was too much..." Having been harrassed badly by the other girls, Cecilia looked thoroughly worn out as she walks on the corridor. (But at last, I can finally--!!) Go to Ichika''s room!! Thinking about this, all the damage and fatigue she suffered up till now disappeared in a puff of smoke, and the ruffled yukata recovered in just a few seconds. (I-I need to adjust my voice too. Mn, mnn.) Her excitement caused her to walk like the breeze, moving faster like she was dancing as she moved towards her destination. However-- "..." "..." She saw two girls in front of Ichika''s room door. "Rin-san? Houki-san? What are you two--" "Shh!" With Rin hushing her, Cecilia immediately quieted down. Not understanding what was going on, she suddenly heard voices from behind the door. "Chifuyu-nee, you''re a bit tense because you haven''t done it for a long time?" "How is it possible, idiot--mm! A-A little forceful..." "Yes yes, how about...there?" "Ah! Th-There, there''s...no good, UU!" "You''ll be comfortable soon. There''s quite a bit of fatigue you accumulated..." "AHHH!!" ... "Wh-Wha-What''s going on...?" Her mouth trembling, Cecilia forced a smile as she asked. However, she only got the silent response of the other two. "..." "..." Rin and Houki looked dead serious like they hadn''t slept for the entire night. "Then--" "Hold on, Ichika." Their conversation was interrupted. Just as the three people with their ears at the door felt that it was weird-- *PAM!!* """HUKK!!!""" The door got punched without warning. The moment the door got hit, the three teenage girls shouted out in reflex. "What are you idiots doing?" "Ha, haha..." "Good evening, Orimura-sensei..." "Bye...bye bye, Orimura-sensei!!" The trio intended to escape like rabbits, but got caught immediately. Rin and Houki got caught by the collars, and Cecilia got stepped on the yukata. They didn''t think they could win in a battle of brawns other than in IS battles. "I can''t allow eavesdropping. But since you''re here, come in." """WHAAT!!???""" The unexpected words caused the trio to widen their eyes in shock. "Ahhh, yes, the other two--call Bodewig and Dunois here." "Ye-Yes!" The moment the back of their collars got released, Rin and Houki immediately ran off to call them. With the hem of her yukata removed, Cecilia adjusted it and walks into the room. "Ohh, you''re really slow, Cecilia. Let''s get it started." Ichika slapped the bed, indicating to Cecilia to get on. In contrast, Cecilia was blushing in embarrassment due to such a bold request. "Huh, ahh, isn''t Orimura-sensei still here? This..." "What''s wrong? I''m warmed up already. Let''s get started." "No, not that, but, this, is, the mood..." "...?" Ichika still didn''t understand what Cecilia was trying to talk about as he looked puzzled. He then patted the bedsheet again to prompt her to be faster. Feeling really bothered, Cecilia secretly glanced at Chifuyu, who remained silent and gave a ''Don''t mind me, just start'' look. (How, how can I not be bothered by this...) However, she couldn''t decide. But, since Chifuyu seemed to have called for Charlotte and Laura to come over as well, things would only get worse if she dragged this on. (UU...! WO-WOMEN MUST BE FORCEFUL!!) After screaming this in her heart, Cecilia gave up as she laid on the bedsheet. Her crazily-beating heart sounded like it could explode any second soon. Cecilia''s heart was full of anticipation and anxiety as she closed her eyes. "..." But nothing happened. Ahh...? Just when she felt that this was weird and opened her right eye slightly, Ichika said. "Cecilia, if you don''t lie down, I can''t do that." "Huh? Huh? Do-Do it...lying down?" "Yup." "I-I see..." Even though Cecilia felt bothered that it was different from what she read on the books, she still convinced herself that this was a normal thing in Japan. "I''m starting then!" "O-Okay!" The sudden break in voice caused her to be embarrassed and anxious. Cecilia''s heart started to beat crazily until she felt that it was about to pounce out as she waited for the incoming hand. Then-- "Mn, shoo..." KYU~!!! "OWWWW...IT HURTS! I-I-ICHIKA-SAN! WHA-WHAT ARE YOU DOING--AUUU!!!" "What am I doing? A massage." "Mas...sage...?" "Yup? At the waist." "Waist..." Cecilia looked stunned as she repeated what Ichika said like a parrot. "E-Erm, Ichika-san, did you invite me to your room for this..." "Yup. I just wanted to give you a massage. You''re living in a large room right, Cecilia? I can''t focus if that was the case, so I called you here." ... KAU~ It felt like a crow flew by from above as Cecilia started crying inside her heart. "That-That was bad...I..." "Hm? Wha-What is it? Is it that painful?" "Yeah, it hurts...it hurts so badly that I feel like I will die..." "I-I''m sorry then. I''ll go lighter a bit." "Anything will do..." Cecilia sighed deeply, deeper than the darkness, that even the souls got sighed away as she had the look of fatigue, despair, cool and self-depreciation. But the comfort of the massage and her conversation with Ichika caused her mood to naturally improve. "Will this force do?" "Mn...feels great..." *Gu*, *gu*. Ichika pressed against her back with his thumbs as he started massaging on both left and right sides. "Speaking of which, your waist''s really stiff. What do you normally do, Cecilia?" "Mn, I do play the violin, but only occasionally. It-It feels a bit bad there..." "Oh, sorry. I won''t use my fingers then." Ichika relaxed his thumbs and silently exerted force on his palms. He''s not using his thumbs as a pressure point, but using his palms to relax Cecilia''s body with suitable force. Soon, that touch became a stable feeling, causing her to moan out in comfort. "Haa...Ichika-san really is skillful..." "Yeah, because I''ve been massaging Chifuyu-nee for a while now." "...And to the girls..." Though she sounded like she was grumbling, Cecilia just muttered that at a volume Ichika couldn''t hear. Maybe it was because the massage made her feel good. Her voice did not carry any anger, instead bringing a cute feeling of ''Wanting fawn and wanting to make the other person feel troubled''. "I''ll push up the backbone then." "Okay...I''ll leave it to you then..." Feeling really happy and comfortable with the massage now, Cecilia felt like sleeping as she answered in a dazed manner. "Any place you want me to exert more strength?" "Fufu, I''ll leave it to you then..." "Okay then. Let me check here first." The range of massaging wasn''t just limited to the top of the back as Ichika exerted force on both sides. He rub his palms and gently knocked on her. This method can remove muscle stiffness and making people feel like sleeping. Ichika had said ''A good massage will make people want to sleep, and it will be extremely good if you immediately sleep, as the fatigue will be inexplicably removed from you''. These words were true. Massages with only pain are basically torture and interrogation. Only when the body and soul feels relaxed completely can it be considered a complete massage. A real high quality massage can relax the body, and more importantly, the soul. (Mn...I really...feel like sleeping...) Cecilia thought that with the now empty mind of hers, and now that idea gradually disappeared. Suddenly, she felt a male''s scent on the bedsheet she''s lying on. This is Ichika''s scent, causing her heart to beat wildly again. (Such a wonderful smell..) Just when the half-awake Cecilia''s about to fall alseep with the scent, suddenly-- *Grope!* "!?!?" As her arms got grabbed suddenly, Cecilia''s seemingly sleeping state got woken up immediately. (I-I-Ichika-san!? Eve-Even if it''s a massage? That-That''s too daring...!) She used her right hand to press onto her wildly beating heart and turned around while trembling-- "Yo--you precocious brat." Chifuyu grabbed onto Cecilia''s butt without mercy as she revealed a playful look of one whose prank had succeeded. However, that look didn''t look apologetic or innocent, but one with ill-intent. "Wearing such underwear that really doesn''t match your age. And it''s black too." "HUH...KYAAAAAHHHH!!?" As Chifuyu grabbed Cecilia''s butt from below, the round buttocks got revealed by the yukata that flipped up. Of course, the underwear on the inside got seen. It was a laced ''special underwear'' with extremely little cloth. Both sides were tied using strings, and it looked like it was designed to be taken off easily. "..." Feeling really embarrassed, Ichika immediately looked away. Seeing him like this, Cecilia understood clearly that ''she got exposed'', and felt so embarrassed that she wanted to find a hole to hide in. "SEN-SEN-SENSEI! PLEASE LET GO OF ME!!" She shouted out while blushing, but unexpectedly, Chifuyu just let go like this. "Oh my, to think that you would expect to do such an erotic thing in front of a teacher. You 15-year-old girl." "E-ER-ERO-EROTIC...!?" "I''m just kidding--HEY, THE 4 PEOPLE OUTSIDE, TIME TO GET IN HERE!!" THIS IS BAD!!! """"..."""" After a few seconds of silence, the door opened. Standing at the door were Rin, Houki, Charlotte and Laura. They''re all wearing the yukatas provided by the resort. "You had enough of massaging, right, Ichika? Okay, you girls go get a place to sit." Seeing Chifuyu greet them, the four girls walked into the room with a look of terror. They then followed orders and looked for their favorite seats (though there''s only the bed and chairs). "Fuu--Having massaged two people at one go, I''m sweating quite a bit now." "That''s because you don''t know how to conserve your strength. You wouldn''t become like that if you just skipped a few parts." "No, I would feel sorry for the people who took their time to let me massage them." "You''re rather straightforward." "Just praise me once in a while, okay, Chifuyu-nee?" "Who knows?" Hearing both of them chat away happily, everyone present finally realized what was going on. Anyway, what they just eavesdropped on Cecilia''s voice and Chifuyu''s voice from before were because of the massage. "Ha, haha...haa." "I-I-I knew about this already..." Houki relaxed completely, yet Rin just argued back. ""..."" Having imagined all sorts of ''explicit things'', Charlotte and Laura blushed as they looked down. "Uu, go take a bath again. It won''t feel good if the entire room''s filled with the smell of your sweat." "Okay, I''ll do that then." On hearing Chifuyu''s words, Ichika nodded his head as he took the towel and change of clothes. He then walked out of the room, leaving behind a ''Just relax. Erm, it may be a bit too hard, right?''. "..." Like what Ichika said, the five girls who were ordered to sit down didn''t dare to move at all. "Hey hey, is this the watching of a funeral? What happened to that usual noisy atmosphere?" "No, it''s not that, but..." "Talk-Talking to Orimura-sensei like this. Well, how should I say it..." "It''s the first time anyway..." "Really, it can''t be helped then. I''ll treat all of you to drinks then. What do you want, Shinonono?" Being called out suddenly, Houki''s shoulders trembled as she felt bothered about being unable to answer immediately. Just when everyone was hesitating, Chifuyu opened the fridge of the resort room and took out 5 bottles of cool refreshments. "Here, ramune, orange juice, sports drink, coffee and red tea. If you want to drink something else, just exchange around." Even though she said that, the girls took the respective drinks. Houki, Charlotte, Rin, Laura and Cecilia felt satisfied with their drinks, so they didn''t exchange it. "Thanks-Thanks for the patronage." Everyone said in unison and started drinking. Seeing the rumbling on the girls'' throats, Chifuyu smiled. "You drank it?" "Ye-Yes?" "We-We did..." "Wha-What did you put inside?" "Idiots, stop being so rude. It''s nothing much, I just want to bribe you anyway." After saying that, Chifuyu took out a canned beer with a star logo from the fridge. With the crisp sound of the can being opened, the beer foam bubbles spurted out. Chifuyu just gulped it down in one shot. "..." Everyone present just looked dumbstruck as Chifuyu looked seemingly satisfied as she sat on the bedsheet. "Well, I wanted to share a bit with Ichika...but I couldn''t wait." This person in front of them now is completely different from the lawful and ridiculously strict ''Orimura-sensei'', causing the girls to be dumbstruck, especially Laura, who continued to blink her eyes like mad as if she couldn''t believe what she just saw. "Stop giving me that weird look! I''m an ordinary person, of course I would drink beer! Do I look like I drink machine oil?" "No, no, it''s not that..." "It''s not..." "But, right now..." "Aren''t you working now..." Laura just left her mouth wide open, unable to say anything, and then gulped down the black coffee in her hand. "Don''t be so strict! I just bribed you people anyway." Chifuyu revealed a heinous grin as she looked around at everyone''s hand. At this moment, the girls finally realized the meaning behind the drinks as they let out an ''Ah''. "That''s it for the opening. Now to the main point." Chifuyu wanted Laura to get her a second can of beer. With the crisp sound of the can being opened again, she continued, "I say, what''s so good about that guy?" Even though Chifuyu said ''That guy'', everyone present knew who she''s referring to. The only ''him''--Ichika. "I-I''m not really that interested in him...it''s just that I feel angry that he''s no longer as strong as before." Drinking the ramune, Houki said. "Just a little fate..." Rin mumbled while rubbing her sports drink can. "As the class representative, I just want him to buck up." Completely different in attitude now, Cecilia boasted proudly. "Oh, is that so? I''ll just tell Ichika that then." Chifuyu''s casual words scared the trio as they all stopped her. """PLEASE DON''T SAY IT OUT!!!""" Seeing them like this, Chifuyu laughed and took another gulp of beer. "I--well, I...like his kindness, so..." Charlotte muttered softly, yet it sounded firm. "Oh? But he''s kind to everyone." "Tha-That''s right...which is why I hate it..." She revealed an embarrassed smile as she fanned her burning cheeks. The trio before Charlotte stared at her, seemingly feeling envious. "What about you?" Chifuyu asked the silent Laura. Laura jerked, probably not expecting to be called up. She said, "May-Maybe because he''s strong..." "He''s weak." That was a merciless critique. Even though Chifuyu said that without treating it as much, Laura argued back, which was rare of her, "He-He''s strong! Stronger than me, at least." I see... Chifuyu said as she finished off the second beer can in her hand. "Well, forget about whether that guy''s strong or not. That guy''s pretty useful. He can do housework, he can cook, and his massages are great." Isn''t that right, Alcott? Being questioned, Cecilia blushed as she looked down and nodded her head gently. "Anyway, I know the kind of girl he would like to go out with. So? Do you want to know?" Huh? Everyone looked up. Laura asked timidly, "Are you going to tell us?" "Idiots, you really think I would?" Ehhh~...the girls moaned in their hearts. "As women how can you lack will when fighting for a guy? Work harder brats, and try to get to my level!" Bringing the third can of beer to her mouth, Chifuyu looked delighted as she said that. Volume 3 - CH 3 It''s the second day of training camp, and today, we''re going to carry out testing of all sorts of IS equipment and data collection. As for those with personal machines, they have to try out a large amount of equipment for them, so it''s extremely tough. "Is everyone here--hey, the latecomer over there." "Ye-Yes!" Unexpectedly, the one who cringed when Chifuyu-nee called her was Laura. It seems she got up late, a rare feat for her, and got to the gathering point 5 minutes late. "In that case, explain the IS Core Network." "O-Okay! The IS core network uses all sorts of signals to exchange data. It was originally designed to send the location information in vast space. Right now, it allows the pilots to communicate with each other through public and private channels. Also, through recent researches, the core attracts all sorts of signals through a ''sharing'' method as fuel to evolve. As the creator Professor Shinonono viewed these as a part of evolution, she allowed them to develop continuously, so right now, they''re still under development, resulting in an incomplete grasp of the whole picture." "Outstanding as always. I''ll let you off for being late then." On hearing Chifuyu-nee say that, Laura heaved a sigh of relief. I don''t know if it''s just my imagination, but it seems that she''s patting herself on the chest to comfort herself...oh well, Laura probably just felt the unspeakable terror of Chifuyu-nee when she was an instructor in Germany, I guess. "Alright. Each class is to carry their stuff to begin the IS part testing. Those with personal suits are to test the personal parts. Everyone, move fast." Everyone answered yes. As all the first years are lined up in a straight line, there are a lot of us. On a side note, we''re on a beach for IS testing. The surroundings are extremely high cliffs, so if there''s a need to go to the sea, one has to go underwater and through a water tunnel. It really looked like some underwater filming for a movie. The IS and equipment that was to be used for testing is gathered here for this purpose. Of course, as we have to pilot IS, all of us are wearing our IS suits. It feels like some sort of swimsuit (competition?) at the seaside. "Ah, Shinonono, come over here." "Yes." Houki, who was using the [Uchigane] to carry something, heard Chifuyu-nee call her and walks towards her. "From today onwards, you''ll be pilo--" "CHHHHHIIIIIII~CHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNN~!!!" *Zudodododododododo...!* As a cloud of sand and dust gathered, a figure came flying over at a very fast speed. Maybe she has an IS on her? Though the problem''s that person-- "...Tabane." That''s how it is. That peerless genius Shinonono Tabane just ignored the restriction of the zone completely and came barging in just like that. "Yaa Yaa! I really missed you Chi-chan! Let''s hug to show our love--fuheh!!" Chifuyu-nee held down Tabane-san who came flying over with one hand, grabbing onto her face too as the fingers sank mercilessly into the flesh. Chifuyu-nee really doesn''t know how to show mercy. "Shut up, Tabane." "Mmmn...your iron claw''s as merciless as ever." Actually, she''s amazing for being able to clamp down Tabane-san like that. After shouting out lightly, Tabane-san now turns to Houki. "Yaa!" "...Hello." "Hehehe, long time no see. How long have we not met? A few years? Houki-chan''s really grown up, especially the breasts~" *GANK!* "I''ll beat you up!" "You''ve already beaten me up...and with a Japanese sword sheath! That''s too mean! Houki-chan''s soo mean~!" Pressing her head, Tabane-san looked teary eyed as she complained. Everyone present just looked at that exchange. "Huh, well, well, people other than the ones involved are not--" "Hmm? What you''re saying is really weird. If you''re talking about IS related personnel, I''m the most most important person now." "Huh, ah, so, yeah, so, I guess that''s right..." Yamada-sensei got shot down beautifully. Basically, there''s nothing anyone can do as they just let her on a roll. "Hey! Tabane! Introduce yourself, my students don''t know what''s going on." "Huh--that''s so troublesome...hello, I''m the genius Tabane-san! That''s all from me!" After saying that, she even made a spin around. At this moment, everyone present seem to finally realize that this is the genius scientist who developed the IS, and the girls started to chat. "Haa...can''t you even introduce yourself properly? Hey, first-years, why are you stopping? Ignore this person here and continue testing." "That''s too much, calling me ''this person''. Can''t you call me ''my beloved Tabane''?" "SHUT UP!!" While both of them are exchanging words, Yamada-sensei trembles as she interrupts them. "Huh, erm, what should I do in this situation..." "Ah, like I just said, you can ignore this person here. Yamada-sensei, please help assist the classes." "I-I got it." "Uu, Chi-chan''s so kind...this Tabane-san really feels envious. She got fooled by this huge-breasted monster, right~?" After saying that, Tabane-san leaped onto Yamada-sensei as her hands quickly grabbed onto her ample breasts. "KYAAAAHHH! WH-WHA-WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" "Sigh, what''s the problem, what''s the problem~?" Wa, the topic just changed within a few seconds...where in the world did her jealousy go to? On a side note, Tabane-san''s breasts are slightly bigger than Chifuyu-nee''s and about the same size as Yamada-sensei. Actually, it''s kind of an eye candy to see two huge-breasted women harrass each other. "SHUT IT YOU IDIOT! IF WE''RE TALKING ABOUT BREASTS, AREN''T YOURS BIG ENOUGH?" "Hehehe, Chi-chan''s so lewd." "GO TO HELL!!" After being kicked really hard by Chifuyu-nee, Tabane-san''s face got buried fully into the beach sand. Let me emphasize this again. This woman in front of us is the peerless genius who single-handedly developed the basics of IS and practical design. "So what about the thing I requested from you...?" Houki sounded somewhat hesitant as she asked that. On hearing that, Tabane-san''s eyes lit up. "Fufufu, I prepared that already. Here, behold the great sky!" Tabane-san pointed up at the sky. On hearing her say that, Houki and the other students looked up at the sky. *ZUUUNNN!* "WAHHH!" Suddenly, really suddenly, with the sound of an impact, an unidentified metallic object dropped onto the sand. The silvery metal block looked like it''s a wall for a moment as its front part falls down. Then we see the contents inside. What''s inside is-- "Jya jyan~![3C 1] This is Houki-chan''s personal IS [Akatsubaki]![3C 2] Its specs are superior to every IS in every way and was made personally by Tabane-san!" As if in response to Tabane-san, that crimson red armor was moved out using mobile arms. The red armor was reflecting the bright sunlight, probably because it''s a new IS. It''s really eye-catching. Huh? Did Tabane-san just mention something unbelievable? The specs are all superior to the current ISes. In other words, it''s the newest and strongest frame! "Here, Houki-chan, it''s now time for the optimization! I''ll help out from aside, so it''ll end soon?" "...I''ll leave it to you then." "That''s so rare~. We''re blood siblings. You should talk to me in a more affectionate manner--" "Hurry up and start." Is this what they mean by ''playing alone''? Houki ignored Tabane-san completely and prompted her to move. "Mn~ well, that''s true. Let''s get started then." *Pi*-Tabane-san pressed the remote control, and [Akatsubaki] activated, opening the cockpit to allow the pilot to enter. It even kneeled down automatically to let the pilot enter it easily. Ohh, that''s rather amazing. "I''ve input Houki-chan''s data to a certain level. Now I just need to update the recent values! Then, *pi, pa, pa?*!" Tabane-san opened a control panel and slided her fingers on it. She then summoned out 6 screens in mid-air to navigate through the huge amount of data on the screen, and typed out on the emulated keyboard in mid-air. "It''s a close-ranged suit that''s adjusted to being an all-around type, so I guess you will get used to it soon! Not to mention there''s automatic support equipment! Onee-chan prepared them all!" "Oh, thanks." Houki still sounded rather cold. Really, since you two are sisters, I think you should warm up to her more. I''m not too sure of this myself, but Houki seems to hate Tabane-san because she had to transfer schools when Tabane-san introduced the IS. But that was a long, long time ago. She should let go of it now, right? "Mn~fu, fu, fufu~? Houki-chan''s kendo skills are even more refined. I can tell from your trained muscles. Yaa Yaa, onee-chan''s really proud of you." "..." "Hehe, I got ignored--okay, optimization is complete~ that was fast, as expected of me." Spouting nonsense, Tabane-san never stopped typing. It resembles someone playing the piano more than typing a keyboard, fast and fluid, and she even went through all the pages that switched around. Though she''s rather frivolous, she is a super genius. Again, I realized this. On a side note, probably because of the pre-input data, the IS [Akatsubaki] didn''t change amazingly like the [Byakushiki]. The more it felt like was that it was suited for Houki''s body. Speaking of which-- (This suit''s also for close-range, right? There''s nothing else other than a pair of Japanese swords on both sides of the waist.) I suddenly thought of that because I felt that it resembled [Byakushiki]. But just now, Tabane-san just said that it has ''automatic support'' and ''a close-ranged suit that''s adjusted to an all-rounder''. Maybe it might have equipment like Blue Tears. "That IS is to be given to Shinonono-san...? Because they''re family?" "Yeah, it feels a bit unscrupulous." Voices like these can be heard from the crowd. Unexpectedly, the one who quickly squashed all these reactions was actually Tabane-san. "Oh my, haven''t all of you read history? This world has never been fair." The girls who were called out immediately went back to work. As for Tabane-san, she just left it that as she continued the adjustments, or rather, she never stopped typing even though she was talking. She''s really a genius. Then, the adjustments were complete, and Tabane-san closed the screens. "After that, it''ll just be adjustments, and the personalization will be complete. Ah, Ii-kun, let me see [Byakushiki]. This Tabane-san''s really enthusiastic!" "Huh? Ah, okay." After closing all the screens and keyboard, Tabane-san turned to me. Her light skirt flutters as it gives off a polished woman vibe that''s completely opposite of her childish personality. Anyway, I put my left hand on my right arm as I concentrate. (--Come out, [Byakushiki].) As if responding to my thoughts, [Byakushiki] dispersed in balls of light. The lights then gathered in mid-air to form a circle, spinning a few layers around me before forming. This is my personal IS [Byakushiki], a machine that was developed for close-ranged combat. The weapon''s a [Yukihira Niigata] sword, and it is a stubborn suit that refuses to have any more armaments--well, that doesn''t sound right. "Let me see the figures~uriya!" Saying that, Tabane-san just inserted the circuits into the Byakushiki''s armor. And just like before, the screens appeared in the air. "Mn~...to actually create such an unbelievable diagram like this. What is this? I never seen this state before. Is it because Ii-kun''s a guy?" Let me explain this. The diagram here refers to the development path the IS takes according to the person. In human terms, it''s the genes. "As for what Tabane-san just said...why can I pilot an IS when I''m a guy?" "Hm? Well, why..., I''m not too sure myself. I could understand it if we were break it down to nano units. Can I do it?" On a side note, the target of breaking down would definitely include me. "How can I..." "Ah haha, I knew you would say that. Well, forget about it. I''ll just won''t know about what I don''t know then. I set the ISes to evolve on their own when I created them, so it was obvious such a thing would happen, hahaha." Well--the problem wasn''t solved anyway. "Also, why can''t I have any other armaments?" "Well, I set it like that." "Huh...WHAAAT? Tabane-san created [Byakushiki]?" "Mn, yup. Actually, I just retrieved the scrapped flawed machine and tweaked it slightly until it could move. But thanks to that, you can use the [One-off Ability] in your first phase, right? That''s super convenient. Yup! Also, how should I say it? It was developed like this, you know? In Japan." "Idiot, stop revealing so much classified information!" *BAM!* Tabane-san''s head got hit without mercy. The one who attacked was obviously our instructor from hell Chifuyu-nee. "OWWW! Huh, Chi-chan''s affections have been too intense up till now." "SHUT UP!!" And another hit! While Tabane-san''s rubbing her head in pain, a girl called out to her. "Ex-Excuse me! I heard of Professor Shinonono before. If possible, could you please check my IS?" I thought who that girl was. It''s Cecilia. Most likely, she felt excited about seeing the famous Tabane-san in front of her as her eyes are glowing exceptionally. However-- "Ah? Who are you? I don''t recognize some blond person. And right now, it''s a touching reunion with Houki-chan, Chi-chan and Ii-kun after so many years. I don''t know why are you interrupting me. Who are you anyway?" Her tone suddenly got cold, the content, the eyes and even the tone got cold. "Huh, that..." "Shut up and move aside." "Uu..." After being rejected again, even Cecilia backed away while looking completely distraught. She got rejected without even having the chance to be shocked by the sudden change in Tabane-san''s attitude as her eyes got teary. Well, this person hasn''t changed at all... According to her, the reason is that ''I can''t tell the difference between humans. The only people I know are Houki-chan, Chi-chan and Ii-kun. Papa and mama may count as well. Ufufu, that''s because I have no interest in other people at all!" That''s why Tabane-san treated everyone else beside us like that. But, well, she did improve in this case, which made me rather shocked. (She would ignore others in the past...) On a side note, that seemed to be trained into her by Chifuyu-nee. At least she would answer others now. "Hoo--weird blond hair. I hate the thick skin of the Japanese. Japanese are the best~ but I don''t care about Japanese either way except for Houki-chan, Chi-chan and Ii-kun." "Uncle and aunty too?" "Hm? Well--...that''s right." Hm? Why do I find that her answer was a little false? "Never mind, that''s not important. More than that...Ii-kun, I''ll modify your [Byakushiki]." "Huh? Well...let me ask this. How?" "Hmm...how about a butler? I always felt that Ii-kun''s well suited to wear a cocktail suit! Or a maid outfit." Very good. I''ll just pretend that I didn''t hear that last sentence. "Can you not say it now..." "''Kay! Oh, you agreed! Then let''s begin--" "Ahh! DON''T MISTAKE MY WORDS DELIBERATELY!! I''M SAYING NO! NO! NO, THANK YOU--!" "Well, I''ll Northern Lights then!" Huh...what''s with this unrelated match of starting things with ''no''... "So how about it, Ii-kun? How would you look as a girl?" "WHAT WAS THAT?" "Hm? I''ve been reading these scenarios in manga recently." "DON''T EXPERIMENT THE CONTENT OF A MANGA ON ME!!" "Che~ Ii-kun''s really too much!" "Ah--ahem." Houki coughed twice to interrupt our conversation. "Am I done here?" "Mn, it''s done. Oh, 3 minutes over. Ahh, I could have used the time to cook a cup of instant noodles. Too bad." No, there''s nothing to feel bad about...also, nowadays, instant noodles won''t even need 3 minutes, Tabane-san. "Then try taking it for a ride. Fly it a bit! It should follow Houki-chan''s thoughts~" "Okay, I''ll try it." *Phoosh phoosh!* With that sound, the cables linking to it were removed. After that, Houki closed her eyes, and [Akatsubaki] flew off at a really fast speed. "WAH!" The sudden acceleration caused shockwaves that made the sand dance about. As I turned to look at Houki, [Byakushiki]''s super-sensors captured [Akatsubaki] that was flying 200m above. "How is it? Much more mobile than what Houki-chan expected?" "Mn...yeah, sort of..." Tabane-san''s most likely strapped with an IS as well, as I can sense that she''s using the public channel to communicate. "Then try swingging your swords. The right one is [Amatsuki][3C 3], and the left one is [Karaware][3C 4]. I''m going to send the special data of the weapons over!" After saying that, Tabane-san danced her finger at the sky. Having received the weapon data, Houki drew both swords with a swoosh. The clean strike amazes me. "Let''s add on Tabane-onee-chan''s explanation~?! [Amatsuki]''s used to attack one person. The blade will create an energy blade attack when it attacks. It can turn an enemy into a beehive if it''s used consecutively! It''s a wonderful weapon~ the range is about as far as an assault rifle, no? It can''t reach the range of a sniper rifle, but it''s balanced out by the speed of [Akatsubaki]." I don''t know if she was going along with Tabane-san''s explanation, but Houki got ready to swing the blade. She raised her right hand to her left shoulder into the Shinonono-nitoryu kendo style-the shield-sword style. That''s a position that can easily turn defense into attack, using the force of the attack to counter. As the blade got swung out, the surrounding space let out several red lasers, forming a ball-shaped thing. They then formed bullets of light and pierced out several holes in the clouds in the air. "The next one''s [Karaware]. It''s a weapon used to deal with a group, and can launch a shaped attack with the slash! It can extend its range when it''s swung, so it''s super useful. Try hitting some of them here!" After saying that, Tabane-san summoned a 16-missile pod firing machine. As the lights gathered and formed it, it shot out its missiles at that instant. "Houki!" "--Don''t worry! If it''s this [Akatsubaki]!" Like what Houki said, she swung the [Karaware], that was tucked under her right armpit, one round. The red lasers extended out just like Tabane-san said, taking out all 16 missiles. "Powerful..." Gradually appearing from the smoke of the explosion, Houki and her red IS looked as imposing as ever. Everyone present looked stunned and mesmerized by the overwhelming outcome in front of them, unable to say anything. Tabane-san seemed satisfied as she viewed the scene in front of her, nodding away. "..." However, only one person''s staring at Tabane-san sternly. That person is-- (Chifuyu-nee...? Why would she show such a look? It seems like she''s looking at an enemy--) "TH-THI-THIS IS BAD! O-ORI-ORIMURA-SENSEI!" The sudden voice of Yamada-sensei caused Chifuyu-nee to keep her sharp eyes and turn to her. Though Yamada-sensei''s normally panicking, it felt different this time. "What''s wrong?" "Pl-Plea-Please look at this." On seeing the visual image Yamada-sensei passed over, Chifuyu-nee''s face darkened. "Class A special mission, and a request to deal with it immediately..." "Th-That''s...located at the Hawaiian research--" "Shh! Don''t leak confidential information. The students will hear it." "So-Sorry..." "The pilot of the personal IS?" "One-One''s missing. The rest are present." Chifuyu-nee and Yamada-sensei seem to be discussing about something in a soft voice. Once they notice several students looking here, they started using hand signals instead. (Uu, not a normal sign language...is that a military related hand signal?) I used to see those hand signs when Chifuyu-nee was the representative of Japanese. It feels that both of them are alike. "I-I''ll contact the other teachers then." "Got it--EVERYONE PAY ATTENTION!!" After Yamada-sensei ran away, Chifuyu-nee clapped twice to gain everyone''s attention. "The IS Academy teachers are now going to carry out a special mission, so today''s testing will be over. Every class is to keep the ISes and return back to the resort. You are to remain in your own rooms. That''s all!" "Huh...?" "End? Why? The special mission is..." "I don''t understand at all..." The unexpected situation caused the girls to chatter away. But Chifuyu-nee roared, "EVERYONE IS TO HURRY UP AND HEAD BACK! WHOEVER''S COMES OUT WITHOUT PERMISSION WILL BE LOCKED UP! AM I CLEAR!?" """YE-YES!""" Everyone started moving frantically, removing the equipment on their bodies, shutting down the activated ISes and putting them on the vehicles. It seems that they got scared by Chifuyu-nee''s roar. "Personal IS pilots are to gather! Orimura, Alcott, Dunois, Bodewig, Huang, and...Shinonono!" "Yes!" Answering really loudly was Houki beside me. Oh yeah, she can be considered as one with a personal IS. (But is it...really alright...?) For some reason, I developed this weird sense of anxiety from this panic. "Now, let me explain the situation." The room full of teachers and personal IS pilots, as we all gathered inside the deepest banquet hall of the resort, the Kachihana Room. The room with the lights still off has a large screen floating in mid-air. "There''s news that 2 hours ago, the [Silver Gospel], a 3rd generation military use IS that was developed by both America and Israel, went out of control in the test facility in Hawaii and left the surveillance facility." Hearing Chifuyu-nee''s sudden explanation, I was gob-smacked all of a sudden...huh? What? Military use IS? Out of control? Why must they inform us? Somewhat puzzled, I''m rather mindful of the other members'' reactions as I look around. "..." All of them are looking serious. Everyone else other than Houki and I are official representatives of other countries, so maybe they''ve received training for this kind of situation. Laura''s eyes are looking exceptionally serious. "After that, through satellite tracking, we found that the [Gospel] will enter our air space, 2 km from here. That will happen in approximately 50 minutes from now. Thus, according to the Academy''s higher-ups jurisdiction, we have to deal with this situation. Chifuyu-nee calmly said on. What she said next came unexpected. "All staff members, please use the Academy''s training suits to seal off the air space and sea. The main operation will be done using personal ISes." Wha what? That means that that rampant military IS--will have to be stopped by us? "Next, we''ll be beginning the planning of the battle. Anyone with doubts, please raise your hand." "Yes." Cecilia immediately raised her hand, "Please explain the specs and data of the target IS." "I understand. But these are the highest military secrets of those two countries, so it definitely can''t be revealed. Once the data''s revealed, the parties involved will be court-martialed, and they have to take at least 2 years of probation." "I understand." I don''t really understand the situation now, but including Cecilia, everyone present are already discussing about getting the data. "It''s a unique long ranged type that''s designed to clear the area...it seems that it can launch a full-scale attack like my IS." "It''s frame has enhanced attack and mobility. That''s tough. And the specs are better than my [Shenlong], so the opponent has a slight advantage..." "This unique armor seems to be tough to handle. My country sent a few [Revive] defensive equipment over, but I do feel that it''s tough to defend against them consecutively." "And looking at these figures, its fighting capability is still an unknown variable. The technology it has is also unknown. Can''t we investigate it anyway?" Cecilia, Rin, Charl and Laura are all seriously exchanging views. As for me, I managed to recover from this chaotic situation, but I still can''t catch up to them. Honestly, I''m really useless. "Can''t be helped. This machine''s still moving at a supersonic speed. The maximum velocity it has is over 2450km/hr, so there''s only one chance." "Only one chance...that means, we can only launch a suit with a sure-kill attack, right?" After hearing Yamada-sensei''s words, everyone turned to me. "Huh...?" "Ichika, beat it with your [Reiraku Byakuya]." "That''s the case. However, the problem is--" "How are we going to send Ichika there? It''ll be hard for us to succeed if we don''t focus on the attack, but how are we going to move there?" "And we have to catch up to a fast moving IS. The super sensors are important, right?" "Ho-Hold on a minute! I-I''m going?" """"OF COURSE!"""" All four of them answered in unison. "Orimura, this isn''t training, it''s a real battle. If you''re not ready, don''t force yourself." -- Once Chifuyu-nee said that, I immediately kicked off the cowardice in me. "I''ll do it. I''ll do my best." "Very good. Now, let''s discuss the battle plan. Amongst you pilots, who has the fastest speed." "My [Blue Tears]. It just so happened that the [Strike Gunner] England sent over had a high-capability sensor equipped with it as well." All IS have what''s called [Packet] switch equipment. The [Packet] includes the weapons, additional armor and boosters. There are all sorts of varieties to them. One of them includes a specialized set called an [Haute Couture] that''s used to create special unit sets, though I''ve never actually seen that before... The IS machines capability and nature will change drastically according to the packet, and can allow for all sorts of combat. On a side note, all the first year personal IS pilots, including me, have a semi-customized packet. --Ah, except for Charl whose packet is fully customized...that''s really easy to mix up. "Alcott, how long have you been training under supersonic mode?" "20 hours." "U...that''s indeed suitable" Chifuyu-nee gets ready to end this planning, only to be interrupted by a super energetic voice. "HOLD ON, HOLD ON! STOP WITH THAT STRATEGY~!" And the voice came from the ceiling. Everyone looked up to see Tabane-san''s head appearing upside down from the ceiling. "...Yamada-sensei, please forcefully escort that person out." "Huh? Ye-Yes! Ah, Professor Shinonono, please get her down first." "TOU!" Tabane-san flips a somersault in mid-air and lands. That gentle movement is something even a clown from a circus has to admire. How far is this person going to show her cards like that... "Chi-chan Chi-chan, my brain''s now printing an even more brilliant plan!" "...Get out." Chifuyu-nee pressed against her head. Though Yamada-sensei wanted to follow orders and escort Tabane-san out, Tabane-san easily slipped away from her. "Listen to me, listen to me! This is de~fin~ite~ly the time for [Akatsubaki]''s debut!" "What?" "Look at [Akatsubaki]''s specs! It can fly at supersonic speeds even without additional packets." As if responding to Tabane-san''s words, screens appear around Chifuyu-nee. "Adjusting [Akatsubaki]''s [Fold-Out Armor]...change change change! See? The speed will be great now!" [Fold-Out Armor]? What''s that? Just when I''m puzzled about this strange name, Tabane-san''s already standing beside Chifuyu-nee and explaining it to her, even taking away the mains screen from her. What was an image of the [Gospel]''s data is now switched to [Akatsubaki]''s specs. "Let me explain. Here it comes~this so-called [Fold-Out Armor] will be the 4th Generation frame''s equipment that this genius developed for the 4th generation IS!" Fourth...? "OK! Now, the kind-hearted Tabane-san will start explaining~ this is for Ii-kun! Hehe, are you happy yet? First, the 1st generation frames were aimed to ''complete the IS''. The 2nd generation is to ''diversify according to the different equipment''. Next, the 3rd generation ''carries unique weapons that''re controlled by the pilot''s imagination'', including air-compressed weapons, BiTs and AIC. And the 4th generation are those ''all-purpose frames that don''t need a change in equipment''. Right now, it''s still on the planning phase. Okay, do you understand, Ii-kun? Sensei loves the outstanding students best." "Hm, oh. Huh, no, about that..." Hol-Hold on a minute. I remember that all the countries finally managed to enter the 3rd generation phase after so much experimenting. Why have we jumped all the way to the 4th generation now?" "Fufufu, this Tabane-san isn''t just an ordinary genius! This is just an appetizer from me!" An appetizer. Doesn''t sound nice for some reason... "This was already used on the [Yukihira Niigata] of the [Byakushiki]. I installed it to try it out~" """Huh?""" What she said caused every personal IS pilot other than me to be stunned. The base construct when activating the [Reiraku Byakuya] of the [Yukihira Niigata] is actually the so-called [Fold-Out armor]. If that''s the case, [Byakushiki] itself is a 4th generation already. "And because the development went well, [Akatsubaki]''s entire armor is made of [Fold-Out Armor]! When the system''s at its maximum ability, the specs will double!" "Ho-Hold, hold on a minute. Huh? Whole body? The armor''s the same as [Yukihira Niigata]? That means..." "Yup, it''s invincible! Anyway, it''s the strongest." Everyone present is dumbfounded. The only one who didn''t respond is likely Chifuyu-nee as everyone''s just shocked by what this Shinonono Tabane in front of us said. "Also, [Akatsubaki]''s [Fold-Out Armor] is of the instant configuration type, so it can change to attack, defense and mobility along the way. This is the aim of the 4th generation frame, a multi-type frame. Fufufu, I prepared it a long time ago. Hohoho~" Everyone''s silent. "Huh? What''s wrong? Why is everyone looking like they''re keeping vigil at a funeral? Who''s dead? That''s strange." That''s not something that can be excused with the words ''that''s strange''. All the countries invested money, time, talent in an arms race to develop the 3rd Generation IS frame... And all that was actually meaningless. How, how can there be such a stupid thing!!?? "--I told you before already, Tabane. You overdid it." "Really? Hehe, I got too into it accidentally~" Tabane-san seemed to have finally understood why we remained silent after Chifuyu-nee explained it to her. "Ah, but you see, [Akatsubaki]''s still incomplete, so don''t show such an expression, Ii-kun. Seeing you look so down-heartened, this Tabane-san really doesn''t want to play pranks now." No...it''s useless even if you continue blinking at me like that... "Wellabout that, that''s when [Akatsubaki]''s at full power. Finishing this mission is just a warm-up before dinner!" Before dinner...no, never mind. Never mind at all. "Speaking of which, about that rampant incident, it reminds me of that [White Knight] Incident ten years ago!" Tabane-san chuckles away, and beside her, Chifuyu-nee gives an ''uh oh'' look. The [White Knight] Incident Everybody in the world should have heard of this name. Tabane-san introduced IS ten years ago, but at the beginning, no one recognized her accomplishments. Nobody believed that it could ''surpass all current weapons''. Some of them even felt that those words ''couldn''t be trusted''. "Oh my, I never thought that this world would be that stupid. Ufufu, they wouldn''t believe my ability, yet they would believe God''s blessing. This so-called Idol worship is simply amazing. This Tabane-san''s an actual living person!" A year after the IS was introduced, an incident happened. Well, it would be too weird to call it an incident, since there''s nothing more critical than that point. A hacker sent 2,341 missiles from all the countries in the world at Japan, making them unable to be controlled--and launched them all. The whole world sunk into chaos and despair. At that moment, a female in a full silver and white armor appeared. As that female''s face was covered thoroughly by some facemask-type sensors, nobody knew her real identity. However, how should I put itit was really too similar to some shounen manga plot, as it left everyone speechless. The hero who was dressed like some Middle Ages knight actually, "She slashed them all! She slashed about half of the missiles, 1,221 missiles in all. That''s so cool~" That female was holding a sword no matter what, yet unexpectedly, the human actually flew at supersonic speed to slash down these modern-day weapons called missiles, so it really seemed exaggerated. Then, as the guided missiles are a bit away from her, she suddenly wipped them out with what was called a large charged particle gun, destroying them all. With a combat ability that''s based around speed, an ability to create a large number of things through light particles and the practical usage of light weaponsno modern weapons were a match for it. However, the entire world''s not so slow as to not deal with this starling existence. The countries around Japan ignored the world''s constitution and started tracking through scout planes. The mission of those scout planes was to ''Investigate the Target. Capture If Possible, If ImpossibleEliminate''. At that time, all the countries seemed to have invested a lot into the latest weapons. --But they were completely outmatched. "Vulcan guns or guided missiles couldn''t even hurt the armor of the IS. There was even an energy shield." First, the fighter planes couldn''t turn about immediately as the human pilot can''t handle the tremendous G-Force. But the IS was different. With the defense system guarding it, no matter how mobile the frame was, the pilot would not lose consciousness nor gasp for breath. And according to the figures the sensors calculated, the IS could process calculations faster and make decisions faster. It could also change into action. Despite sinking all the fighter planes of all the countries, the [White Knight] didn''t take a single life away. This proved the battle difference that they despaired over. Anyway, the thing was that ''It could make the opponent powerless without killing them''. Even so, all the countries still sent in troops, yet the [White Knight] suddenly vanished like the sunset. It was like the VTR image of it got rewound and suddenly disappeared, as the illusion-like [White Knight] disappeared completely. They couldn''t track it down using radar, and they couldn''t identify it through their own eyes. It showed complete invisibility. Facing the ability it showed offthis world lost completely. One machine was able to destroy or disable 2,341 missiles, 207 fighter jets, 7 cruisers, 5 aircraft carriers and 8 satellites. This ''Ultimate Mobile Weapon'' IS instantly became famous in one night. Having a machine that can overpower other countries'' military capability, this fact prompted the entire world to immediately propose a constitution about IS to limit its use and also to spread it about. Shinonono Tabane once said that ''Only an IS can beat an IS'', and with the facts in front of them, the losers of this fight, the world accepted it without disagreementsthey had to. "So because of that, my beloved IS became famous! I don''t care about the fact that women got special treatment, but I could be kidnapped or assassinated if I''m careless. That really felt like some other country. Ufufu ?." Describing it really happily, Tabane-san seemed to be gloating like a mother whose son just performed on stage for the first time. "Even so, I don''t know~ufufu, who was the [White Knight]? Who was it? What do you think, Chi-chan?" "I don''t know." "Hm, I guess her bust size is about 88cm" *GONG!* A blunt sound could be heard. That''s Chifuyu-nee''s attendance book attack. No wait, that''s the info terminal attack. Uboah...the info terminal is made of metal on the outside, right... "That, that''s too much, Chi-chan. This Tabane-san''s brain got split into half, you know!?" "Really? That''s good. You can take turns thinking with your left brain and your right brain." "Ohh! I see! You''re so smart, Chi-chan~" ...I mentioned it quite a bit already...but this person in front of Chifuyu-nee and talking back at her is the genius amongst geniuses who developed the IS, Shinonono Tabane. Oh well, I better not do this explanation any more... Hm? Speaking of which, this means that Tabane-san doesn''t know who the [White Knight] was? She did send the IS directly to the person. "Chi-chan was really active in that incident." "Yup, the [White Knight] was really active." ...Well, logically speaking, it should be Chifuyu-nee, right? I guess. But the IS Chifuyu-nee used when it was active was completely different from the [White Knight]''s IS exoskeleton. So where did the [White Knight]''s IS go? It was the first operational IS in history, and it should be in some sort of research facility for others to analyze data from as they toiled on without breaks. Besides, after the last frame of the current 467 ISes was completed, there was no more production of it. Strictly speaking, there should be 467 IS cores. In other words, no country would play around with a core. (Huh, I remember when Tabane-san disappeared 3 years ago, she left behind a letter saying ''This is the last core, not a bun. Congratulations, you people got an IS effortlessly'' or something like that.) The reason why I knew this was because the world aired a show called ''Shinonono Tabane''s live interview with the world''. However, the mass media that went to the research facility went for naught as they only saw a letter and the last IS core. That image was aired directly on worldwide live TV. (...But what''s going on? Chifuyu-nee, Tabane-san, it seems that my elders around me have a habit of disappearing.) If that''s really the case, this will be the toughest partanyway, now''s not the time to talk about it. On a side note, amongst all the IS in the world, 322 out of the 467 ISes are used for actual combat, and the remaining 145 are handed over to all the countries research facility or enterprises as research. Many of the experimental frames that were born out of the researches from these areas were handed over to personal IS pilots. In IS Academy, the ISes are divided into teachers'' use, training use and personal use. In total, there are about 30 of them. However, there seemed to be quite the anomaly this year, as amongst the 1st years, there are more than 5 personal IS pilotsIn the past, there used to be only about 3 at the most. The reason why there are so many IS pilots with personal machines this year isI guess, me? There were supposed to be more 3rd generation ISes, and with ''The only male that can pilot an IS'', every country started making their own moves...I guess. Either way, I don''t really understand things that are too complicated. "Speaking of which...Tabane, how long does it take to adjust [Akatsubaki]?" "O-ORIMURA-SENSEI?" Cecilia shouted out in shock. It seemed that she felt that she was the only one amongst all of us who had a hi-powered booster and could take part in the battle. "If-If it''s me and [Blue Tears], we''ll definitely succeed!" "Has that packet been installed?" "We-Well...not yet..." Cecilia''s voice immediately softened as if her foot got stepped on, stuttering at the same time. In contrast, Tabane-san revealed an innocent smile as she said, "Let me add on, it''ll take just 7 minutes to adjust [Akatsubaki]!" "Okay, then this mission will be carried out by Orimura and Shinonono. You''re to track the target to take it down. 30 minutes later, get ready to act. Everyone''s to get ready in 30 minutes from now." *PAN!* Chifuyu-nee clapped her hands, and the teachers got ready to prepare the necessary machinery. "Those with nothing to do are to help move the equipment or do anything else they can help with. The main frontlines are to adjust their ISes. Don''t be sloppy." Uu, we got scolded again. Actually, looking carefully, I''m the only one who hasn''t gotten into action as everyone else "Huh, what about me...?" "Complete [Byakushiki]''s configurations. Also, remember to fill up your energy gauge." "Un-Understood." After answering that, I immediately summoned [Byakushiki]''s control panel. As for energy...there''s no problem, and there''s nothing really insufficient now. If that''s the case, I can sortie anytime. (Speaking of which, Houki is--) "Then let''s hurry up and get [Akatsubaki] ready!" "..." "Nua you should smile more. Hey hey, you''re already a member of this mission group. Isn''t that good?" "This face of mine was born like this." "Mnbut well, you were a lot cuter when you were born. And you would cry too." "Who-Who wouldn''t cry" Tabane-san casually added a maybe as she patted [Akatsubaki] summoned by Houki. "Uu, I''ll pat here, pat her. The [Fold-Out armor] on the back, the legs, the shoulders seem to be forcefully pushed forward, and some attack support mode, and we''re done. Well, let''s get started." After Tabane-san finished her line, the particles of light gathered around her to form something. Something appeared in front of her shoulders, 2 on each side, 4 in total. They all look like IS arm armor no matter the size. "Is this Tabane-san''s IS...?" "Hm--? Far from it, Ii-kun. This is my mobile lab! On a side note, it''s called ''I''m a cat'' (I don''t have a name yet)." Tabane-san said that as she flipped her index finger up. Unexpectedly, those two right-hand-styled objects followed her action...what-what''s going on, really... "Okay, let''s start." After Tabane-san said that, she used the gaps between her fingers to pick up 10 tools, including screwdrivers, chisels, Swiss-army knife and all sorts of tools with unknown purposes. "Funfu, raise your right hand if it hurts~" And she added such a classic line before starting. She used what looked like a Swiss-army-knife to cut off the joint on the IS arm (I really couldn''t see it from the exterior), and then quickly used other tools to fix it in place. She then pulled out some mechanical parts and modified it. As this action was going on in five separate places, it really looked confusing. Tabane-san was working on the toughest part, and the 4 floating arms were working on the rest. Each unique finger of the arms seemed to have a lot of machinery and functions, as these arms were shooting out lasers from the mechanical fingers as these got to work. However, what''s most surprising is that Tabane-san didn''t need any mechanical support as wellin other words, she''s doing this alone without any hi-tech equipment or even protective glasses. (How-How in the world can she deal with such intricate stuff...?) And she herself is looking rather relaxed as she hummed, working at a fast pace to boot. "Ha--Only the jaw''s sent from afar~?" What do you mean by ''Jaw sent from afar''? I really don''t understand Tabane-san''s thought process. Thinking about this, I suddenly exchanged looks with the anxious Houki. "Wha-What''s wrong?" "Hm? No, it''s nothing." "Re-Really?" "..." "..." Just like that, I continued to stare at her like that without reason. "Wha-What are you trying to do!?" Uh oh, I made her angry. "No, it''s nothing muchADAA!!" Just when I was talking to Houki meaninglessly, I got punched hard on the back of the head. This force definitely belongs to Chifuyu-nee. "If you have nothing to do, learn from Alcott how to carry out a hi-speed battle." "I-I got it." *GOINK*, *POINK*, *DOIINNNGG*, with the BGM of these metal clashing together, I began to ask Cecilia...uu, seems like she''s really dejected. "Uh...I got scolded by Professor Shinonono, and I got kicked off the team. That''s too cruel..." "Hey, Cecilia. Heey, Heeyy." "Yes...--KYAH!?" Suddenly noticing that I''m staring at her face, Cecilia jumped up in a slight shock, and the equipment dropped down (luckily, it''s a mini-screen). I quickly caught it. "Woah, it''s small, yet heavy..." "Wh-Wha-What''s the matter? Is-Is there anything...?" "Well, Chifuyu-nee...no, Orimura-sensei told me to learn from you how to fight in hi-speed battles." "I-I see!" After hearing that, Cecilia''s face immediately brightened. That''s good. I was worried that she would be too depressed. It''s better for a human to be happy than to be sad. "Ah, ahem. Then, I''ll give you some tips on what to look out for in hi-speed battles. Has Ichika-san used the hi-sensitivity Hyper Sensors yet?" "Well, no." "I see. I''ll start explaining from here first. The so-called hi-sensitivity Hyper Sensors adjustments in a hi-speed battle would refer to" Cecilia put both hands on her hips and started explaining as per normal. At this moment, a voice interrupted, "When using that, you''ll feel that the world would slow down. Well, at the start anyway." "Rin-san? I only just explained halfway through? Speaking of which, have you taken part in hi-speed battle training before?" "12 hours. Well, not as much as Cecilia anyway." Cecilia backed away, probably taken aback from Rin''s response. Even so, she coughed to clear her thoughts and explain again, "The-Then, the reason why the slow feedback would occur is" "The hi-sensitivity Hyper Sensors would transfer such details to the pilot to sharpen the pilot''s senses. In contrast, the pilot would feel that the world has became slower. But only at the beginning. You''ll get used to it soon." "Cha-Charlotte-san...? I only spoke halfway through" "More importantly, you should notice how much of the boost''s left, especially when you use the [Ignition Boost], Ichika, so you have to be careful. In hi-speed battles, the rate that boost runs out will be twice the usual rate." "Lau-Laura-san? I" "Also, as the acceleration will be faster than normal, the impact of ranged weapons will be even more devastating. One critical hit will be enough to cause armor damage, so be careful." "EVEN YAMADA-SENSEI CAME TO INTERRUPT!! REALLY, WHY MUST EVERYONE COME AND INTERRUPT ME!?" Cecilia finally got angry. It seemed that she couldn''t take it anymore after being interrupted so many times. "Ahwell, Cecilia." "WHAT!?" "Thanks for teaching me so much. Just tell me if there''s anything else I need to take note of." Completely enraged and losing her sanity, Cecilia sounded really crude, but got shocked after hearing my words. She blinked, not showing an angry look anymore. "Huh, yeah, well, this-this is nothing. I''m Cecilia Alcott, the representative candidate of England after all. You can come and approach me if there''s something you don''t understand." Fufun. She placed her hands on her hips and smiled. Yup, as per usual, I guess. "Anyway, well, Ichika, your [Reiraku Byakuya] will be the key in this battle, so don''t use [Ignition Boost]. That would burn a lot of energy." The next person who spoke up was Rin. It seemed that she went through the last of her moving, so her work''s done. "Next, the thing will be how to defend. Really, it''s better to have a shield to guard against an assault, but Ichika''s always using his weapon with two hands." Having ended her moving as well, Charl entered the conversation officially. After that, even Laura and Yamada-sensei joined it. Though it''s to plan for the battle, I do feel rather happy to have people gather around me like this. (I must succeed no matter what.) I again renew this determination in my mind. The time now is 11:30am. The July sky is as clear as ever, and the strong sunlight lights the land. Standing slightly apart from each other, Houki and I are on the beach. After glancing at each other once, we nodded our heads. "Come on out, [Byakushiki]." "Let''s go, [Akatsubaki]." Our bodies got instantly covered in light, and the IS armors formed around us as a result. At the same time, the floating sensation caused by the PIC and the Power Assist bring lightness to the energy, causing my entire body to feel a change throughout. "I''ll leave it to you then, Houki." "My pride would naturally prevent any man from mounting atop a woman, but I''ll make a special exception this time." In terms of the battle, Houki will have to do all the moving, which means I have to ride on her back. Though Houki immediately protested unhappily after hearing this method, it seemed that her mood was incredibly good, or is it just me. (But then again, is this really alright...?) Houki got her personal IS less than a day ago, and no matter how good Tabane-san''s personalization and the optimization are, the pilot can''t possibly have it easy. (I''ll have to protect her if something happens.) Thinking about this, I reinvigorate myself. "Even so, it''s good that we''re here. If Ichika''s with me, we can do anything. Isn''t that right?" "Well, that''s right, but Houki, the teachers already said that this isn''t training. We don''t know what will happen in the actual battle, so we have to be really careful" "I know that. Fufu, what''s wrong? Are you scared?" "Of course not. I say, Houki" "Haha, don''t worry, I''ll send you to the destination properly. Just wait calmly." "..." Anyway, she''s been like this since the beginning. I know that she''s really happy that she has a personal IS, but isn''t she too happy now? I leapt onto the back of Houki''s [Akatsubaki], unable to get rid of that anxiety. "Orimura, Shinonono, can you hear me?" Chifuyu-nee''s voice could be heard from the IS public channel. Houki and I nodded our heads in response. "The main emphasis of this plan is to take it out in one strike. Remember, we have to win in a short time." "Understood." "Orimura-sensei, I just need to support Ichika according to the situation, right?" "Right, but you don''t have to force yourself. That personal IS you just got hasn''t been used in combat. Maybe something might crop up." "I understand. I''ll provide assistance as much as I can." Even though she sounded really calm, Houki sounded really happy, or rather, too happy. Hopefully, it''s just me worrying too much... "Orimura." "Ye-Yes." Chifuyu-nee''s voice came over through the private channel, and not the public channel she just used. I frantically switched over to that line. "Shinonono seems to be a little excited. Something may pop up in that situation. If anything happens, support her." "Understood. I''ll take note of that." "I''ll leave it to you then." Then, Chifuyu-nee switched her voice back to the public channel and gave the order, "Then, begin the operation!" --The operation began. Houki carried me and got up to 300m height in one go. Wh-Wha-What''s with this speed!? It''s like [Ignition Boost], maybe even faster...! [Akatsubaki] continued to move up despite carrying this heavy load, and managed to get up to 500m height within a few seconds. "Confirming the link to the satellite...information check''s complete. Confirming the target''s current locationIchika, let''s go!" "Oh, okay!" Houki said that as she continued to increase Akatsubaki''s speed. The legs and back parts spray out powerful energy, as to be expected of the [Fold-Out Armor]. (That''s the [Fold-Out Armor] similar to the [Yukihira Niigata]and the complete one to boot.) According to Tabane-san''s explanation, [Akatsubaki]''s [Fold-Out] has the functions of attacking, defending and agility, furthermore its IS armor seems to utilize this [Fold-Out Armor]. What will happen when it reaches full power...? (But where did so much energy came from--) "I see it, Ichika!" "!" The Hyper Sensors visuals show the target as if I was seeing it with my own eyes. As the name indicates, the [Silver Gospel]''s covered in silver. The strangest parts are the huge wings extending out from its head. According to the data, the silver-glow wings that are as shiny as the main body seem to have a lot of large boosters and wide-ranged shooting weapons. (What in the world is the ''multi-direction'' attack that the data indicated?) --Either way, there''s no time for me to think. We flew towards it at high speed, and I wielded the [Yukihira Niigata] in my hand. "I''m going to accelerate! Reaching target in 10 seconds. Concentrate, Ichika!" "Aa!" Houki boosts the output of the thrusters and the [Fold-Out armor]. The speed''s really shocking as it closes the distance between the two frames at a high velocity. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9...10! "UOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH!!!" With [Reiraku Byakuya]''s activated, I also activated [Ignition Boost] at the same time to close in on the [Gospel]. (I can make it--!!) Just when my blade of light was about to touch the [Silver Gospel], "WHA!?" The [Gospel] actually turned towards me at maximum velocity and backed away in preparation for battle. (Let''s readjust the battle positionno, I''ll just attack it like this!) Since we''re already in attacking range, it''s too late to back away. If that''s the case, it''s better to finish it off before the opponent counters. However "Enemy suit confirmed. Switching into counterattacking mode. [Silver Gospel], movement start." "!" A mechanical voice can be heard from the public channel, but I can clearly hear obvious ''antagonistic intent'', and a thought passes my head. --I have a bad feeling about this. And then, in less than a few seconds, it became reality. *Swoosh!* The Gospel''s body suddenly swung beautifully, dodging [Reiraku Byakuya]''s blade with inch-perfect precision. Even for an IS that has [Passive Inertial Canceller], this movement''s still extremely difficult to pull off. "Ku...! Those wings accelerated?" Actually, there''s a lot of high output multi-thrusters there, but I have never seen such accuracy at emergency velocity. For once, I have a whole new understanding to the term Classified Military Secrets. "Back me up, Houki!" "Got it!" Anyway, it''ll be bad for our side if we drag the battle on. I let Houki cover my back as I attacked the [Gospel] with a slash. "Ku! This...!" However, the [Gospel] swayed about gently and evaded at the last second, moving as if it was swimming or dancing. As the remaining time for the [Reiraku Byakuya] was really little, I let out a huge swing at the [Gospel] after being bamboozled for so long. And the [Gospel] didn''t let go of this chance. "!" The silver wings, the armor with the thrusters on it expanded out like wings. (DAMN IT! THOSE ARE--) Cannons. The Gospel presses the wings forward to aim the cannons at me. At the next moment, numerous bullets of light shoot out. "KUU!?" Those bullets were shot out with high pressure acting as the energy source, forming what looks like feathers. I thought they would hit the IS armor, but they exploded at the next moment. The main armaments of the [Gospel] seem to be some explosive-type energy bullets, but the problem''s (Even the firing rate is ridiculous...!) The quantity and speedthis so-called rapid fire is really fast. It''s not really accurate, but since those are explosive bullets, one touch is enough to blow up a single crater. "We''re attacking from left and right, Houki! I''ll leave the left to you!" "Got it!" Houki and I continue to do complex evasive maneuvers as we attack the [Gospel] from both sides. --However, our attacks couldn''t even reach it. The [Gospel] uses the specialized movements to dodge the attacks and counter. The uniquely shaped wing thrusters are used quite a lot, unlike what the unique appearance would indicate. "I''ll stop its movements, Ichika!" "Got it!" After saying that, Houki uses her blades to stab and slash, activating the [Fold-Out Armor] on her wings to match up with the energy blades that are formed as she attacks. (Houki''s machine is a monster too...!) She uses [Akatsubaki]''s mobility and the [Fold-Our Armor] on different places at different timings, using emergency acceleration to bring herself closer to the [Gospel]. This wave of powerful attacks force the [Gospel] to defend itself. "HHAAAA!!!" --We can do it! Thinking about this, I grip the sword in my hands tightly, but unexpectedly, the [Gospel] counterattacked. "La...?!" the wing thrusters went all out blazing, 36 barrels in total, all aimed in different directions. The sharp sound of the machine rang. At that moment, the wing thrusters went all out blazing, 36 barrels in total, all aimed in different directions. "Not bad...! But who''s shaking you off!?" Houki dodged the rain of bullets at the last moment as she closed in on the attackthere''s an opening. "!" However, I''m moving in a completely different direction, down at the sea below. "Ichika!?" "UOOOOOHHH!" I let the [Ignition Boost] and [Reiraku Byakuya] exert full power as I chase behind the last bullet and strike it down. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING!? THAT WAS A RARE CHANCE" "THERE''S A BOAT! THE TEACHERS SHOULD HAVE SEALED THE SEA OFFDAMN IT, IT''S AN ILLEGAL TRAWLER!" Even so, I couldn''t leave it behind like that. Kyuuuu... The light on my [Yukihira Niigata] disappeared, and the [Fold-Out Armor] disappeared as well...I used up all my energy. I lost the one time to use it, and the key to this battle dissapeared. "YOU IDIOT! WHY ARE YOU PROTECTING CRIMINALS...CAN''T YOU JUST LEAVE" "HOUKI!!" "--!" "Houki, dondon''t say such disappointing words, don''t do it! To actually lose sight of the weak, after gaining power...what''s wrong, Houki!? That''s not like you, not at all!!" "I, well, I..." Houki seemed like she was trying to hide her obviously wavering face as she covered her face with her hands. Seeing her dropped swords disappear into light, I panicked. (That was [Limit Down]...! DAMN IT--!) [Limit Down] means that the energy''s used up. And right now, this isn''t IS Academy arena, but a real battle. "HOUKI--!!" I threw my sword down and rushed towards Houki in a straight line, using all of my remaining energy to use [Ignition Boost]. (Please! I have to make it!) In front of my eyes, the [Gospel] again got ready to fire in the same manner, and it''s now aiming at Houki. An IS armor with its energy lost is extremely weak, so even the 4th generation [Akatsubaki] should be about the same. Even if she preserves the energy of the [Absolute Barrier], she won''t be able to take a hit once she takes the Gospel''s rapid-fire attack. (PLEASE! PLEASE! [BYAKUSHIKI]! COME ON!) In the midst of this slow moving world, my vision did capture the movement of the light bullets. The next moment, I rushed between the [Gospel] and Houki. "GUUUUUAAAAHHHHH!!!" The moment I covered Houki by hugging her, all the explosive light bullets hit my back. The shields weren''t able to completely negate the continuous volley of attacks, and I seemed to hear my bones crack as my muscles also let out a cry of agony. After the armor got destroyed completely, the burning sensation hit my skin. The endless pain that was about to drive me crazy remained, and during that time, I just glanced at Houki. (Ahh...you''re alright...that''s great...haha, why do you look like you''re about to cry...that''s really not like you. Ah, the ribbon got burned...fuun, you look rather good with your hair down...) "ICHIKA! ICHIKA!! ICHIKAAA!!!!" "Uu...ahh..." The entire world went upside downahh, wait, I''m the one upside now. With my head below and legs above, I used my last ounce of strength to hug Houki tightly to protect her head. After that, a huge splash of water could be heard, together with the impact that spreaded throughout. Through the sea surface, I looked up at the [Gospel], and immediately lost consciousness. Volume 3 - CH 4 This happened when Ichika was in 2nd grade. Having gone to the kendo dojo with Chifuyu-nee for one year, he finally trained quite a bit. (Reallythose guys--...) For some reason, he just couldn''t get along with the daughter of the kendo dojo owner, the girl who was of the same age as him. It was the same thing today. Both of them fought during morning practice, and it became a scuffle. In the end, Ichika got hit horizontally on the side and lost. (Ah-- damn it--...can''t I even beat her...I really want to win...) Thinking about this, Ichika swept the classroom unhappily. The sunset after school was extremely bright. Ichika knew that everyone other than himself went off to play, but he didn''t mind. He often felt that if there''s a need to do things, he''d do it himself. "Heytomboy~. You didn''t bring your bokutou today." "...That''s a shinai." "Hehe, that weapon sure fits you as a tomboy~" "..." "Even the way you speak is weird~" The girl didn''t respond. The three boys surrounded the girl, mocking her. Even in this situation, the girl just casually glared back at them, not letting aside one bitthe girl''s name was Houki. "Yaii yaii, tomboy~" "...You guys are really noisy. If you have so much time, just come over and help out. Ahh?" Ichika felt that this meaningless harassment was really irritating, so he spoke up for his classmate. "What''s with you, Orimura? You want to stand up for her?" "Heheh? You like this tomboy?" No matter the times, the way kids make fun of others is illogical. Even though they''re of his own age, this mockery made Ichika really unhappy. "You guys are blocking me, I''m sweeping! Move aside!" "Oh~you''re actually sweeping so seriously. What an idiotOWAHH!" Houki suddenly grabbed the boy on the collar. Even though they were the hands of a second grader, they were rather firm due to the training everyday. If she were to fight seriously, those 3 boys would most likely lose to her easily. Houki didn''t respond to how they laughed at her, yet she responded to that statement. "WHAT''S IDIOTIC ABOUT SOMEONE DOING THINGS SERIOUSLY? AT LEAST HE''S A LOT BETTER THAN YOU GARBAGE!!" "WHA-WHAT...WHY ARE YOU SO ANGRY? LET GO! LET GO OF ME! Unlike the boy whose collar was grabbed by those strong arms, the other two boys revealed sinister smiles. "AhhI see! Those two are a couple. I know, you two flirt with each other every morning." (Wah, here we go! What couple? These guys really love to play this. I had enough of it.) Ever since he went to Houki''s dojo, Ichika was told this a few times. Speaking of which, this didn''t hurt Ichika at all because he didn''t have parents, and thus didn''t have any real concept of a couple. "Oh yeah, this guy even tied a ribbon a while back! This tomboy''s really funnyFUU!" This time, the one who got enraged was Ichika, who slammed a punch into the boy''s face. Ignoring the dumbstruck boys around him, Ichika grabbed that boy who fell to make him stand up. "FUNNY!? WHAT''S SO FUNNY ABOUT IT? IS IT FUNNY FOR HER TO WEAR A RIBBON? IT SUITS HER WELL, RIGHT? AH? SAY SOMETHING, YOU RETARD!!" "Yo-You--!! I''ll tell the teacher!" "FINE BY ME, YOU BASTARD! I''LL BEAT ALL YOU GUYS UP FIRST." Having fought again with the three boys, Ichika got caught by a teacher who overheard the commotion, and this incident ended just like that. As Ichika practiced Kendo and also martial arts from Chifuyu, he was able to beat the three boys without so much as a scratch. But this was where the trouble began. Dastardly parents are still bastards, and this seemed to be a logic that doesn''t change. Thus, the three bastards said that they wanted to report him to the police and even sue him. Ichika didn''t mind, but Chifuyu had to go to them and apologize to them, which made him unable to accept it. "I''ll cause Chifuyu-nee problems if I get into trouble." Ever since then, Ichika learnt his lesson, and would deal with the dumb boys in a safe manner. "...You''re really an idiot." "Ah? What? I''m not an idiot!" After a few days, Ichika went to wash his face after the after-school training, and Houki spoke to him, a rare feat at that. "Have you ever thought about how much trouble that would cause later?" "Hm? About that? Yeah, I didn''t. I just wanted to beat up people who can''t be forgiven." Though Chifuyu once lectured Ichika badly, he didn''t feel that he was in the wrong. To the young Ichika, that was something he couldn''t back away from. "Besides, I hate the way they just used the fact that they had numbers. It''s too despicable to gang up on one person like that. They''re scum amongst men." "..." "So don''t mind. That ribbon really suits you. Tie it up next time." "Hu-Humph! I won''t listen to your orders!" Folding her arms in front of her chest, Houki turned her head at another direction. Ichika said ''I see'' and continued to wash his face. He really liked to use the icy cold well water to wash away the sweat after practice. "I''m going home then. Bye then, Shinonono." "It''s." "Hm?" "My name''s Houki. Shouldn''t you remember that already? Besides, my dad, mom and sister have the same surname Shinonono. You''ll just confuse me that way. Just call me by my name, got it?" "Got it. I prefer to listen to what my acquaintances would tell me to do well, the name''s Ichika." "Wha-What?" "My name. There''s also two people whose family name is Orimura. Just call me Ichika." "Uu...mu." "Got it, Houki?" "I-I got it! I-I-Ichika! Is that alright?" "Oh, that can do...would you accept it if it''s a request instead of an order?" "Hu-Humph!" Houki tried to act tough before leaving. Looking at her leave, Ichika felt that she was really strange. It was June, and summer was about to arrive. "..." It was one of the rooms in the resort, and the clock on the wall pointed at just before 4pm. Ichika had already laid on the bed for more than 3 hours. Waiting beside him, Houki continued to look distressed, and the hair without its ribbon showed her emotions. (It was my fault...) She remembered the smile Ichika unconsciously showed her. However, Ichika had lost his smile now, and right now, he was just lying there lifelessly. Ichika got the [Absolute Barrier] of his IS shattered, and he got burned hard as he was now covered with bandages all over. (It''s because of my uselessness that Ichika became like this--!) Houki grabbed her skirt forcefully, and the force exerted on it caused her palms to turn pale. She continued to clench her fists tight as if she was punishing herself. "Mission failed. I''ll call you if there''s a change in the situation. Before that, wait here for now." After being rescued from the sea, Houki heard these words the moment she got back to the resort. After Chifuyu gave instructions on treating Ichika, she immediately went back to the planning room. Houki felt even more miserable that she didn''t get scolded. (Why...am I always, this careless...) She always got carried away after obtaining power. She really wanted to use it. She would always feel the impulse of wanting to use force. (Why did I train for...!) To Houki, kendo was not a tool to train herself, but to discipline herself. --A seal. A seal to control her violent impulses. But...she knew of the limit that restrains this danger. Like thin ice, it will break if she exerted a little force. (I''ve already...IS...) Just when she was about to make this important decision, the door got opened violently. *BAM!!* The sudden opening of the door shocked Houki, but she had no strength to look over. "Ahh ahh you''re really easy to understand." The girl who barged into the room without restraint walked over to the devastated Houki. This voice belonged to Rin. "..." "Hey, you!" Rin said to her, but Houki didn''t respond. She couldn''t. "You think you''re the reason Ichika''s like this, right?" The [Absolute Defense] on the IS pilot, due to this fatal defense mechanism, Ichika became unconscious. The IS used all the energy on the defense, saving the pilot''s life in this manner. With the IS supporting, until it can recover, the pilot won''t be able to wake up. "..." "So are you going to remain like this DON''T MESS AROUND WITH ME!!" Suddenly burning with rage, Rin grabbed the devastated Houki on the collar, forcing her to stand up. "YOU SHOULD HAVE SOMETHING YOU MUST DO RIGHT? RIGHT NOW! HOW CAN YOU NOT FIGHT!!" "I-I...well, I don''t want to...pilot the IS again..." "--!" *PA!!* Houki took a slap to the face and lost her balance, falling onto the floor. Rin again grabbed Houki and glared straight at her. "STOP MESSING AROUND...SINCE YOU''RE A PERSONAL IS PILOT, I WON''T ALLOW YOU TO BE STUBBORN! OR ARE YOU" Rin glared straight into Houki''s eyes. Her eyes were burning with determination, similar to a burning passion. "ARE YOU A COWARD WHO CAN''T FIGHT EVEN WHEN IT''S TIME TO FIGHT?" Those words lit up the fighting will in Houki''s eyes. "That''s..." The voice that was so teeny-weeny soft became louder due to anger. "WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO!? WE DON''T KNOW WHERE THE ENEMY WENT! I WANT TO FIGHT THE ENEMY IF I CAN FIGHT!!" Seeing Houki finally getting motivated again, Rin sighed slightly. "At least you have the will now...ahh, that''s so troublesome." "Wha-What?" "We know where the enemy went...right now, Laura''s" As Rin spoke halfway, the door opened. Standing at the door was Laura in a black military uniform. "It appeared. According to the recent confirmation, the target''s more than 30km away above the sea. It''s in stealth mode, but it doesn''t seem to have used optical camouflage, so the satellites could pick it up." Seeing Laura walk in with the tablet PC, Rin finally smiled as she awaited Laura''s entrance. "As expected of the German special forces, you''re really something." "Humph...what about you? Are you ready?" "Of course, [Shenlong]''s special attack [Packet]''s installed. I wanted to ask how were Charlotte and Cecilia doing." "Ahh, about that" Laura''s eyes turn to the door, which opened again. "Just finished." "All preparations are A-Okay, we''re ready to move out." As all the pilots with personal IS gathered, they all turn to look at Houki. "Then, what do you intend to do?" "I...I" Houki clenched her fists tight. Unlike the remorse she showed just now, this was a show of determination. "I want to fight...I must fight, I must win! I can''t allow myself to lose now!" "Then it''s decided!" Rin folded her arms in front of her chest, revealing a fearless smile. "Then, let''s begin the battle planning! We''ll take down the enemy for sure this time!" "Yes!" *Gya*...*gyann*... (This place is...?) Attracted by the sound of waves from afar, I''m walking alone on the unfamiliar beach. As I step forward, the white sand below my feet would let out a sandy sound. My feet feel the sand and the heat directly. There''s the smell and sound of the tide and waves from the seas, and there''s a cool breeze blowing at me, and the bright sun that''s burning me slightly but painfully. (Is...is it summer? Now...) Where is this place? What''s the occasion now? I have no idea at all. For some reason, I''m wearing my uniform. My pants are rolled up as I''m walking barefoot on the beach. I''m even holding onto the shoes that were taken off, though I don''t know when. "--.--?~--?." Suddenly, I hear singing. A singing voice that''s full of clarity and vibrancy. Feeling somewhat mindful of it, I head towards where the singing''s coming from. *Kisu* *Kisu* *Kisu* *Kisu* *Kisu* The sand below the feet respond carefreely. "La, la~?,lalala?" A girl''s standing there. The waves dampen her toes slightly, as the girl continued to sing and dance about. Her shiny bright white hair dances around. The white one-piece dress dances under the sea breeze, occasionally flipping up. (Fum...) For some reason, I didn''t want to call her out, but sat down near a floating log. This log should have been washed ashore a while back, since the bark''s almost completely peeled, and the colour''s almost white. I sat on the white sofa with an irregular shape, staring blankly at the girl. *Gyagya*, the sound of the waves can be heard. The occasional breeze felt comfortable, and I stared at the scenery in front of me in a trance-like state. "..." Awaiting 200m above sea surface, the [Silver Gospel] curled itself up like a baby. The wings that extended out from its head covered the curled up body. --? The [Gospel] suddenly looked up. The next moment, a supersonic bullet hit it on the head, causing a huge explosion. "First bullet is a hit. Keep shooting!" Floating 5km away, the [Schwarzer Regen], with Laura piloting it, fired the first shot before the [Gospel] could counterattack. The [Schwarzer Regen]''s exterior was a lot different from usual, as two .80 caliber railguns [Purizushi] were each installed on both shoulders. Also, to allow for long-range sniping with cannon fire, 4 physical shields were covering its left, right, front and back as protection. This is the [Panzer Cannons] packet with the cannons installed on the [Schwarzer Regen] (Enemy closing in...4000...3000...ku, faster than I expected!) The next moment, the distance between both of them was 1000m, and the [Gospel] continued to close in. Even though Laura continued to attack, the [Gospel] used both wings to shoot out energy bullets to take out the cannon bullets and close in on Laura. "Che!" To avoid recoil, the [Panzer Cannons] packet didn''t allow much mobility. In contrast, having its mobility customized, the [Gospel] suddenly accelerated from 300m away and reached out for Laura''s right hand. --She couldn''t dodge it! However, Laura curled her lips and smiled. "Cecilia!" The [Gospel] reached out its arm to block the machine that descended from above. A blue IS [Blue Tears] launched a strong attack in stealth mode. Unlike how it was normally, the 6 BITs were all arranged like a skirt on its waist, and the cannons were covered to act as thrusters. Also, the high BT laser rifle [Stardust Shooter] was more than 2m long, more than enough to make up for the lack of firepower of the BITs. Cecilia''s head had the Hyper Sensor [Brilliant Clearance] installed on it to respond to speeds over 500km/hr to go along with her high powered mobility packet [Strike Gunner]. With the information it processed, she suddenly turned at a high speed and aimed at the [Gospel] ready to attack. "Enemy B confirmed. Proceeding with elimination." "Too slow!" After the [Gospel] dodged Cecilia''s attack, another machine attacked from behind. It was Charlotte, who climbed onto Cecilia''s back when she launched the sneak attack in stealth mode. The two shotguns were shot from behind at close range, causing the [Gospel] to stumble left and right. But that was for a moment. It immediately launched a counterattack at the 3rd machine with the [Silver Bell]. "Oh sorry, but this [Garden Curtain] won''t to be taken down so easily!" The [Revive]''s defensive packet used the physical shields and energy shields to block the [Gospel]''s rain of bullets. Its figure seemed to resemble a normal [Revive], as both physical and energy shields blocked the front like a curtain. While defending, Charlotte used her specialty [Rapid Switch] to summon an offensive Gatling cannon, using that time to counter. With Cecilia moving at high velocity and attacking, and Laura shooting while pulling her distance, the [Gospel] began to look damaged as it was attacked from three directions. "...Changing priority. Now setting ''escaping air space'' as priority." Scattering energy bullets all over the place, the [Gospel] immediately turned on all its thrusters as it intended to break through. "DON''T YOU DARE GET AWAY!!" The sea ruptured, and then exploded. The crimson red machine [Akatsubaki] flew up with the [Shenlong] on its back. "Take it down before it escapes!!" [Akatsubaki] attacked the [Gospel], and Rin got off the back to get into battle mode with the [Landslide] packet on to allow an increase in functionality. The 2 pairs of [Impact Cannons] on her shoulders, and the 4 cannons opened fire at the same time. "!" While [Akatsubaki] got away from the area after a little scuffle, the [Impact Cannon] bullets shot out from behind her. However, these weren''t the invisible [Impact Cannons], but rather bullets covered in scarlet red flames. The numbers matched up to the rain of bullet from the [Gospel], and the empowered [Impact Cannons] should really be called [Thermal Diffusion Impact Cannons]. "Did we get it?" "Not yet!" Though the [Gospel] got hit directly by the [Diffusion Impact Cannons], it continued to move. "The biggest counter of the [Silver Bell]begins." The [Gospel]''s arms extended to both the left and right sides, and even the wings expanded outwardsat that moment, a sharp glow of light exploded, and a rain of energy bullets began shooting. "KU!" "HOUKI, BEHIND ME!" Looking at the last failure, Houki''s [Akatsubaki] was still in a limited phase. To prevent it from overexerting the [Fold-Out Armor] and running out of energy, right now, the settings were set so that it wouldn''t activate the [Fold-Out Armor] involuntarily even when on defense. Of course, the reason why this readjustment was made was because she left the defense to Charlotte. This was to maximize the advantage in a group battle, by splitting the roles up. "Even so...it''s a little tough here." Even though she had a defensive packet on, it was dangerous to continue taking the [Gospel]''s continuous attacks. One of the physical shields was completely destroyed during this time. "LAURA! CECILIA! PLEASE!" "DO YOU NEED TO SAY ANY MORE?" "LEAVE IT TO US!" Laura and Cecilia moved forward to back up Charlotte who was backing away, and shot from both left and right sides. Cecilia used the hi-mobility mode to shoot, while Laura exchanged fire with her cannons. "IT''LL BE OUR TURN ONCE THE ENEMY STOPS!" Next, Rin attacked from below. Using the [Souten Gagetsu] to slash, she immediately let out the close ranged diffusion cannons to firethe target''s multi-thrusters on the [Silver Bell] that was connected to the head. "DIE!!" Even though the rain of energy bullets continued to pelt on her, Rin continued to slash. The [Gospel] let loose a spread similar to the [Impact Cannon], and both sides got severely damaged. Rin finally managed to slice off one of the [Gospel]''s wings. "Haa, haa...! HOW ABOUT THATKU!?" Though left with only one wing, the [Gospel] immediately readjusted itself and gave Rin''s left hand a roundhouse kick. This kick, with the thrusters on the foot turned on, smashed Rin''s shoulder armor and caused her to fall towards the sea. "RIN! DAMN IT--!" Houki, wielding one sword in each hand, quickly hacked at the [Gospel]. As the Emergency acceleration caused it to lose balance, the [Gospel] got a cut on its right shoulder. (Got it--!) Just when Houki thought this, something unbelievable happened. The [Gospel] used its hand to grab both left and right swords. "WHAT?" The energy released from the swords could break through the armor, but the [Gospel] didn''t seem to mind as it opened its arms wide. With the swords pulled apart, Houki was forced to open her arms wide, revealing a completely defenseless position. At this moment, the [Gospel] opened the cannons on its remaining wing as it got ready to attack. "HOUKI! LEAVE THOSE WEAPONS AND ESCAPE!" But Houki didn''t leave her weapons behind. (...If I back away here, why did I...) The loaded energy bullets fired out at the same time. (WHY DID I WANT TO GET POWER!) A second before she got hit by the energy bullets, [Akatsubaki] spun around, and the [Fold-Out Armor] on the toes seemed like it responded to Houki''s will as it created an energy blade. "AHHHHH!!" Houki swung her foot and used the energy blade to slice. Finally, the [Gospel] lost both wings as it fell towards the sea. "Ha, haa, haa...!" "Are you alright?" On hearing Laura''s rare panicked vice, Houki''s erratic breathing started to calm down. "I''m...alright. The [Gospel], it" Just when someone wanted to say ''We won'', a ball of powerful light emerged from the sea surface. "!" As if time stopped, a ball-shaped space appeared in the midst of the sea surface. The [Silver Gospel] with the blue electricity covering it was hugging itself, squatting right in the middle. "This...!? What''s going on...?" "DAMN IT! THIS IS[SECOND SHIFT]!!" As Laura shouted this, the [Gospel] turned to her as if responding to the voice. As its face got covered by an inorganic mask, it was hard to see the expression. But from there, they could still feel the antagonistic intent, ringing a warning alarm in all the IS pilots. Howeverit was too late. "KYAAAAAAA...!!" The Gospel let out what sounded like a wild beast''s roar and charged at Laura. "WHAT!?" As it was too fast, Laura got her foot grabbed before she could even respond. Then, like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon, the [Gospel]''s head-wings that were sliced off started to slowly regrow. "LET GO OF LAURA!" Charlotte quickly used [Rapid Switch] to attack using the close-ranged knife. But the knife got blocked by the enemy, barehanded. "MOVE AWAY! ESCAPE! THIS" Before she could finish, Laura got surrounded by those beautiful energy wings. At that moment, the rain of energy bullets at 0 distance pierced into Laura, sending her falling to the sea. "LAURA! DAMN IT...!" Charlotte gave up on the knife attack and summoned the shotgun, aiming it at the [Gospel]''s face and squeezing the trigger. *BAM--!* But the sound didn''t come from the shotgun. The [Gospel]''s armor felt like an eggshell as cracks formed on the chest, waist and back, growing out little energy wings. The energy bullets fired from there knocked the shotgun and Charlotte away. "WHA-WHAT''S THAT? THIS ABILITY...EVEN IF IT''S FOR MILITARY USE, IT''S TOO ABNORMAL" As Cecilia again tried to attack using the high mobility, the [Gospel] arrived in front of her. [Ignition Boost]that was an acceleration that used both arms and legs to ignite an acceleration. "WHAT?" Once she closed in, the huge rifle wouldn''t work. Even though she tried to pull the distance and raise the gun barrel, the rifle got kicked on the side. The next moment, the [Gospel] began shooting from both wings on both sides, and before Cecilia could even come up with a decent counterattack, she began to fall to the sea. "You dareYOU DARE TO DO THIS TO MY TEAMMATES!!" Using emergency acceleration, Houki closed in and continued to slash away, using parts of the [Fold-Out Armor] to do special attacks, dodge the enemy''s attack, and using the boosters to raise her unstable position and launch attacks. ""UOOOOHHH!!!" This was a close-ranged fight with both sides dodging each other, and having increased her output slightly, the [Akatsubaki] finally managed to corner the [Gospel]. (Alright! If this keeps up--) Houki stabbed [Karaware] out. However Kyuu... "WHAT! I RAN OUT OF ENERGY!?KUAA!!" Using this opening, the [Gospel]''s right hand grabbed onto Houki''s collar. Its wings slowly covered Houki. (Sorry, Ichika...!) *Gya*, *gyan...* Hearing the rustling of the waves, I stare at the girl patiently. For some reason, her voice and dance made me nostalgic. (...Ah?) But once I recovered, the girl stopped singing. She''s no longer dancing, just staring up at the sky. Feeling incredulous, I stood up from the log and walked towards the girl. *Gya*, *gya*, *to*. The cooling seawater accompanied the sound of the waves and lightly dampened my feet as I walked on the coast. "What''s wrong?" Even though I asked that girl, she still looked up at the sky, not saying a single word. As I look up at the sky where she''s looking at as well, her voice suddenly reached my ears. "It''s calling me...I have to go." "Huh?" As I look around, the girl disappeared. --Ah? I look around, but there''s no one around, and I can''t hear the singing voice anymore. *Gya gya*, *gya gya*. Only the sound of the waves could be heard. "Um..." Can''t be helped. I could only turn around and return back to that wooden sofa. ThenI hear an unknown voice from behind. "Do you want power...?" "Huh..." I quickly turn around, only to see amidst the wavesa woman whose knees are under the sea. Looking like a shining White Knight. Her face was covered by a mask protecting the eyes, and I could only see her lower half. "Do you want power...? For what..." "Hm? Hm--...you just asked me something that''s really hard for me to answer." *Gya gyan* Only the waves are between me and this woman. "...Well, for my friendsno, to protect my friends." "Friends..." "For my friends. How should I put it? Aren''t there things in this world that I have to fight for no matter what? Not just for struggling, but for lots of things." Even though I haven''t even arranged my thoughts properly, I could only talk with her just like that. As I explained, I exclaimed ''Ah, so that''s how I think'' deep inside as I continued on. "In this situation, well, there are a lot of things that don''t follow logic, right? There''s a lot of unreasonable violence. Because of this, I want to help my friends as much as I can, to help these people who''re fighting with me in this world my friends." "I see..." The woman answered silently and nodded her head. "If that''s the case, you have to go." "?" Another voice spoke up from behind me. Turning around, I see the girl in white dress standing behind me. Her face is showing an earnest smile, staring at me with an innocent expression. "Look. Hm?" She pulled my hand over and ran over to me, smiling. I suddenly got embarrassed. "Yes." I nod my head. A change suddenly happened. "Wha-What!?" --The sky, the entire world started to let out a really bright glow. The scenery around me got swallowed by the white glow, moving further away from me. ''The dream has ended'', that''s what my mind thought. (Ah, speaking of which...) That woman looked like someone. A female White Knight. "Kuu, ugh...!" Houki''s throat got grabbed by the [Gospel], letting out a painful moan as her throat''s being crushed. The [Gospel]''s hand continued to grab onto Houki''s neck, and the [Silver Bell] that evolved into energy mode covered [Akatsubaki] completely. (Is this the end...it''s embarrassing...) The brightness of the wings of light increased. As the [Gospel] let out a countdown before firing, Houki only thought of something. --I want to see him. --I want to see Ichika. --I want to see him immediately. I want to see him now. --Ahh, ahh, I really want to see him. "Ichi-ka..." Unknowingly, she called out Ichika''s name. "Ichika..." Facing the wings that were becoming even brighter, Houki got mentally prepared and closed her eyes. *Iiiiin...!* "!?" The hand of the [Gospel] that was holding onto Houki suddenly let go. As the puzzled Houki opened her eyes due to this sudden situation, she saw the [Gospel] get shot at by some powerful charged cannon bombarding. (Wha-What happened--) Still in a state of disbelief, Houki heard a voice that broke her thoughts. "DON''T YOU DARE TOUCH MY FRIENDS!" A glowing white machine appeared in front of her. "Ah...ahh, ahh..." From her slightly teary eyes, she could see Ichika in [Byakushiki]''s [Second Shift], [Setsura]. Houki''s eyes started to tear up. From her slightly teary eyes, she could see Ichika in [Byakushiki]''s [Second Shift], [Setsura]. "Ichika, is that you, Ichika? Your body, your wounds...!" I fly towards Houki, who''s stuttering, and respond, "Oh, I kept you waiting." "That''s great...that''s really great...really..." "What''s up? Are you crying?" "I-I''m not!" Seeing Houki rub her eyes like that, I gently pat her head. "Don''t worry, it''s alright." "I''m-I''m not worried..." Either way, it really is Houki''s style to act tough. I pat her head. That hairstyle without the ponytail still made me mindful of it. "That''s good isn''t it? Here." "Huh...?" I hand over what I brought along to Houki. "A-A ribbon...?" "Happy birthday!" July 7, it''s Houki''s birthday today. Because I didn''t know what to buy, I could only ask Charl along. "Well, since I bought it, just use it." "Oh, okay..." "I''m going to fight now well, it''s not over yet." Saying that, I carry out an emergency acceleration at the [Gospel] that''s flying over and clash with it head on. "Let''s battle!" I brandish my [Yukihira Niigata] with just my right hand and slice towards it. Facing the [Gospel] that gently evades, I use my new weapon [Setsura] to slash at it with my left hand. This [Second Shift] equipment seems to change according to the situation and form different types as it seems to respond to my thoughts. An energy claw appears from my fingertips. "DON''T YOU GET AWAY!" The claw that extended to more than 1m long slashed the [Gospel]''s armor. Even though it got blocked by the energy shield, it still did hit the [Gospel]. "Enemy information renewed. Changing attacking level A." The [Gospel] expanded its energy wings wide, showing the wings that appeared from its body, and countered with a sweeping attack after evading the last attack. "WHO''S GOING TO LET YOU KEEP ATTACKING!!" I didn''t dodge as I readied my left hand first. --[Setsura] changed into a shield and started defending. *KLANG!* With a sharp sound, the [Setsura] on the left hand started to change shape and expand, negating the rain of bullets from the [Gospel]. That''s right. In other words, it''s a shield with a [One-Off Ability] like the [Reiraku Byakuya]. Even though [Setsura]''s rather draining, it can negate the enemy''s attack, which gives me a huge advantage. I checked the specs already, [Gospel] doesn''t have any live ammunition weapons. "UOOOOHHHH!!!" Armed with 4 large wing thrusters, [Byakushiki Setsura] can do [Double Ignition Boost]. Even the [Gospel] that can do complex maneuvers can''t dodge at my faster speed, so this should be enough to catch up to it. "Change in situation. Using the most powerful attack." As the mechanical voice declared this, the [Gospel] spread its wings to me, and quickly curled itself into a ball, forming a cage-cocoon state. --Damn it, I have a bad feeling about that. The worst case scenario did happen, as I expected. The [Gospel]''s wings expanded out as it spun, and the energy bullets scatter all over the place like a storm. In other words, these attacks would hit Rin and the rest who haven''t recovered yet. (DAMN IT! HOW DO I PROTECT THEM--?) As I immediately intended to become the shield of my friends, I heard a voice call out to me. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING!? NO MATTER HOW BAD WE ARE, WE''RE STILL REPRESENTATIVE CANDIDATES! STOP WORRYING AND FINISH IT OFF!!" "Rin...I got it." Believe in my friends. This is the only thing I can do now, so no matter what, I will believe in them. [Yukihira] in my right hand and [Setsura] in my left hand each create the light blade of the [Reiraku Byakuya], and I flew towards the [Gospel] again. (Ichika''s here...!) This made me really happy. My heart started to race, burning as it continued to beat wildly. Seeing Ichika''s silhouette while battling, I felt an extremely strong wish inside me. (I want to fight alongside him. I want to protect that silhouette!) My heart started to pray strongly and earnestly. As if responding to my wish, [Akatsubaki]''s [Fold-Out Armor] let out golden dust mixed with red light. "This is...?" From the Hyper Sensors, I could tell that my machine''s recovering energy extremely fast. --[Kenran Butou][3D 1] activated. [Fold-Out Armor] and [Energy Bypass]...complete. The words written on it are [One-Off Ability] (Can I still fight? If that''s the case--) I tie the ribbon Ichika bought for me and remotivate myself, keeping my eye on the [Gospel]. (Then, let''s go! [Akatsubaki]!) As if breaking through the sunset horizon, the crimson red machine that''s glowing red and gold dashed forward. "AHHHHHH!!" The [Gospel]''s energy wings got sliced by the [Reiraku Byakuya]''s blade. However, it was hard to slice off both wings. Besides, the 2nd strike got dodged. During this time, the [Gospel] regrew its lost wing and continued to launch a barrage of attacks at me. "Ugh" --Energy left, 20%. Estimated time left: 3 minutes. (Damn it! If this keeps up...) I can''t tell how much energy a military use IS that doesn''t have a limiter has. In contrast, my machine''s almost at its limit. Thinking about this, I started to feel anxious. "ICHIKA!" "HOUKI? YOUR WOUNDS" "I''m alright! Don''t talk, take this!" Houki''s[Akatsubaki] touched my [Byakushiki]. An electrical-like surge and a burning sensation immediately passed through my body, and my vision started to waver for a bit. "Wha-What...? My energyrecovered? Houki, this is" "Don''t think about this now! Go on, Ichika!" "O-Okay!" Gathering my concentration, I let [Yukihira Niigata] increase the energy output to the maximum, and brandished the huge sword with both hands as I swung it around. "OOOOOOH!!" The [Gospel] spun once and dodged my horizontal slash. It then locked me within its vision, and the wings of light turned aroundgot it! "HOUKI!" "LEAVE IT TO ME!!" The [Akatsubaki] used both swords to slice down on the [Gospel]''s wings that were aimed at me. "DON''T YOU GET AWAY!" She deployed the [Fold-Out Armor] on her feet, causing the [Gospel] to take a roundhouse kick with emergency acceleration. Not expecting this initial hit, the [Gospel] lost its balance. I slashed off the remaining wings of light with an uppercut. And just when I wanted to finish it off, the [Gospel] grew out all its wings on itself and fired at me. (It''s come down to this. No going back!) While my body took the rain of bullets, I swung [Reiraku Byakuya] at the [Gospel]''s body. "OHHHHHHH!!!" I felt the energy sword''s contact as I increased the boosters output to the maximum. Even when it''s being held down, the [Gospel] continued to reach its hand for my neck. But before the fingers could touch it, this silver IS finally stopped moving. "Haa, haa, haa...!" Having lost her armor, the pilot in IS suit fell down to the sea. "Damn it--!" "Really, your efforts went to waste, you." Rin finally managed to recover from her injuries and saved the pilot before she reached the sea surface. Also, Charl and Laura seem to be alright, even though they aren''t completely unscathed. "It''s over." "Yeah...it''s finally over." Houki and I stood side by side as we looked at the sky. The blue sky of just now was no longer present. Instead, the sunset gently covers the world. "Mission completedthough I want to say that, you people acted on your own and broke the school rules. Once you get back, write a letter of remorse. I''ve already prepared a special schedule for your punishment, so you people better get ready." "...Yes." Welcoming back the warriors who came back, isn''t that a little too cold? Seeing Chifuyu-nee lecture us with both arms folded in front of her chest, it really made me feel like we didn''t win at all. All of us were kneeling in the hall, and it''s been 30 minutes already. Cecilia''s face went from red to white, and that''s a danger sign. "We-Well, Orimura-sensei, that should be enough...be-besides, there are injured people, alright?" "Humph..." In contrast to the fuming Chifuyu-nee, Yamada-sensei was panicking. Up till now, she had brought a first-aid box and a bucket of water. She sure looked busy. "Th-Then, everyone, please rest for a while before continuing with treatment. Remember to take off your clothes when we do a full body check on youah! Guys and girls are to be separated! Do you understand, Orimura-kun?" ...I do. Speaking of which, the moment she said ''Take off'', the girls subconsciously covered their own bodies, and that really hurt me. Do I look like a pervert who would peep on you... "Then, everyone, please rehydrate yourself. It''ll be a big problem if you don''t rehydrate yourself in the summer." Yes ma''am--as we echoed back in unison, I reached out for a sports drink. For health reasons, I chose a non-icy one. It''s not good to gulp down an icy drink at one shot. "OWWWW...UWAH! I cut my mouth!" It''s rare to have a metallic taste in my mouth. So this is the taste of blood. Maybe I was too excited in battle? I didn''t even know that I bit my mouth. Anyway, I better not dip my dinner into wasabi and soy sauce, or I''ll feel like I entered hell. "..." "Wha-What''s wrong, Orimura-sensei?" As she''s been staring at me, I could only feel awkward and ask...uu, will I get scolded? "...Speaking of which, you people did rather well. Luckily, all of you managed to return back safely." "Huh? Ah..." Chifuyu-nee seemed to look rather embarrassed. However, I couldn''t tell what her expression was as she quickly turned away. Seeing Chifuyu-nee who''s still worried about us, I secretly thanked her inside my heart. I guess she would find it irritating if I were say it to her. "..." "..." "..." "..." "..." Hm? Why are the girls staring at meor rather, glaring at me? "Well...Orimura-kun? I''m going to start treatment on everyone, umm" """""HURRY UP AND GET OUT!!""""" As the five girls shouted out, I frantically escaped to the corridor. I lean my back on the sliding door and closed it, exhaling deeply. "Hooo..." Anyway, this battle''s over. There''s a lot of things I have to think of, to arrange. Anyway (I...protected my friends, didn''t I?) Iand [Byakushiki] did it. "O, O, what''s the result? Tell us~" "...Nope, that''s classified." Sitting in front of me, Charl continued to eat in large gulps as she continued to be questioned by the 1st years. They probably feel that Charl''s the easiest to talk to, right? However, that''s a misjudgment on their part. Charl''s the one amongst the personal IS pilots with the strongest sense of responsibility. That''s one thing I can be certain of. "Che~ Charlotte''s mouth is really tight." "I say, you people will be forced to keep quiet after knowing it, you know. Is that alright with you?" "Ahh...that''s really troubling." "So that''ll be all. I won''t say anything about this." "Bu" As expected of Charl, she sure can handle girls of the same age easily. Yep, Charl''s really suited to be a big sister. "Wha-What''s wrong?" Suddenly noticing my stare, Charl asked. Though it''s nothing, for some reason, if I don''t say anything, it seems that her mood would worsen...erm. "Charlotte, your yukata is undone." The girl besides her seemed to say something. Uu, I have a bad feeling about this. Recently, it seems that any bad premonition about girls would come true for me. "HUUH...!" As expected, Charl blushed and quickly covered her yukata with her hand...hm? What''s with Charl-san''s look of complete protest in her eyes? "I-Ichika no ecchi..."[3D 2] "Ah?" WHY ARE YOU FRAMING ME! SPEAKING OF WHICH, WHY''S THAT? HUH? HUH, HUH? "...I lied. The yukata wasn''t open." "!" The girls beside her whispered something to her as well. After hearing those words, Charl blushed as she stood up. Wha-What''s wrong? "..." "Oh my, this sashimi''s really delicious! Ahahaha, ufufu." Charl''s protesting eyes turned from me to the other girl, but the person involved didn''t mind as she continued to gulp down her food. "Charlotte''s pretty ecchi." "I''M-I''M NOT! I-I JUST...THAT...!" This time, Charl''s the one who looks in panic as she got teased by the girl beside her...um, I''m completely left out here. "I-I-Ichika...? Erm, well, sorry about that...?" "Hm? Okay." I don''t know what''s going on, but I answered honestly. Well done, me. After that, I heard a slam, and Charlotte sat down. She smiled and casually pinched the stomach of the girl beside her...uwa, seems like she''s really angry. --Oh well, let''s just leave that aside for now. The problem right now''s the girl beside me. "..." *Nibble nibble*, *chomp chomp*. Having tied her hair into a ponytail again, Houki''s chopsticks never stopped ever since the beginning. For some reason, I feel that she doesn''t want to talk to me, which is why she continued to eat...am I thinking too much? "Well...Houki?" *Chomp chomp*...stop. "Well...is your body alright? You aren''t hurt, are you?" ...Nods head. After a second''s pause, she nodded her head and started eating again. *Nibble nibble*, *chomp chomp*. ... Hm. "Ahem, Houki." She got shocked. After curling her body a bit, Houki put down her chopsticks and turned to me. She looked rather stiff for some reason, and even if it''s not me, anyone could tell that something wasn''t right with her. "Is-Is-Is there something wrong...?" "Nothing. It''s just that you look weird, so I just wanted to ask what''s going on." "Is-Is it strange...for me to do that?" *DONG!* Ah damn it, I tripped without hiding it. Wh, why, why must she be so courteous...? (Nonono, that''s too weird! Ever since the battle ended, Houki''s been so composed it''s really weird, even the cat that''s borrowed[3D 3] is more lively than her...) But how should I put it. From everyone''s reaction, I understood something. When ''Something is strange to you and you mention it, the girls will get angry for some reason''. Hm, I really don''t understand at all...but as this is a fact, I better not comment. "Erm, well, never mind. It''s nothing." "Huh...ah, umm..." Ugh, I suddenly felt that I said something wrong. I can tell that Houki became even more listless as she continued to eat her food at half her speed...so, sorry... "..." "..." After that, I didn''t talk to Houki as I continued to eat my meal silently. Really, this meal should be delicious, but I couldn''t even remember the taste. *Gya*...*gya*... "Fuu..." Standing on the coast, I knock my head slightly and turn my head both sides to clear the water in my ears. I then walk to a nearby rock to sit down. After dinner, I had walked out of the resort to rest a little, and arrived at the seaside in the night. As it''s a full moon today, even at midnight, the moon''s still extremely bright. I listen to the heavy sounds of the waves as I stare blankly at the bright sky with the moon in it. (Speaking of which, I dreamt of something at evening, but...what kind of dream was it?) I did remember it clearly when I woke up, but now, the dream feels fuzzy to me. Though dreams are always like that, I feel that there''s something important in the dream, something I just can''t forget. "I-Ichika...?" With my name being called, I turned around. Under the bright moonlight, it was Houki in a swimsuit. "Houki...? Speaking of which, I didn''t see you at the beach yesterday" "Do-Don''t stare at me like that...I-I can''t stay calm like this..." "So-Sorry." I frantically turn my body around. Though it was a mere few seconds, I managed to see Houki in the swimsuit, and that image''s fresh in my mind. A white swimsuitand a rare one at that. To put it in a way, that''s a bikini that Houki definitely wouldn''t wear. Black straps alongside the swimsuit, revealing lots of skinhow should I put it. Well, sexy...yeah, it is sexy. (No, no wait. This is too embarrassing...) I try to hide my emotions that are unable to calm down, but it didn''t seem to be working. Besides, after noticing that Houki''s sitting just 1 meter away from me, I couldn''t calm down. "..." "..." "Huh, that...yeah." "Y-Yeah..." I try to talk about some unrelated things, trying to ignore the heart that''s beating non-stop for some reason. But things aren''t going as planned, as what I say is completely different from what I thought. "Tha-That swimsuit, it suits you...yeah, that''s good, isn''t it?" "Uu..." I know that Houki backed away. I secretly took a glance, and her entire face was blushing. "Th-Thi-This, well...I, I just thought of buying...but-but it really feels embarrassing to wear it...so..." Maybe that''s the reason why I didn''t see Houki on the first day of free time. And it seems that she''s feeling awkward about looking over here and talk, so Houki and I continued to talk with our backs facing each other. The moon that''s above us shines upon us. "...Hey, Houki." "Is-Is there anything...else?" "No, why are you using such courteous words? Just talk as if it''s normal." "Uu..." I''ve been mindful of that since dinner started, so I started asking her first. After a moment of silence, Houki seemed like she couldn''t spit it out and stammered, "You-You said that...you like dignified and elegant girls..." --Uu, damn it. That''s... "No, well, I see. Houki, I think you just need to be yourself. You don''t have to force yourself, right?" "Uu...okay." Though she looked rather unhappy, Houki coughed dryly a few times before moving her calm mode. "Is-Is this good...?" "Yup, the original Houki''s good. Oh yeah, is your hair alright? I think it got slightly burned, right?" "I-It''s alright. I just lost my ribbon. It''s nothing. And, well...I got a new ribbon anyway..." "Oh, yeah. Let me say this to you again. ''Happy Birthday''." "Uu, yeah...tha...thank...you..." Though I couldn''t hear the last bit of the voice, I know what she wanted to say. Andhm, the ponytail goes well with Houki. "That, well...I-I want to ask. Are you alright? Are-Are you hurt?" "Hm? Oh, looks like I completely recovered!" "Wha-What?" "Well, the moment I opened my eyes, the IS activated. Before I noticed it, my wounds were healed completely." "Do-Don''t say such silly things! How is that possible" Saying that, Houki grabbed my shoulder and turned me over to look in the moonlight. "It''s gone...there are no wounds on you...?" "Yup, I recovered. Huh, you see. Isn''t there something? The IS pilot protective system." "That''s only used for protection, right? I''ve never heard that it could heal wounds..." Timidly touching my back, Houki used her fingers to check if I had any wounds on me gain. While checking, I could hear her say ''That''s strange''. Anyway, it just feels weird. "Well, the wounds are healed well already anyway, aren''t they?" "Tha-That''s not good! Because of me, you...Ichika, you got hurt..." "What? Are you saying that it''s better not to be treated?" "NO, THAT''S NOT IT!" After saying that, Houki realized that she increased her volume. "It''s not like that...it''s not like that...it''ll bother me if I''m easily forgiven like that..." She sounded really listless, so I start to wonder what she''s thinking about. Seems like she felt that she had to take responsibility for me getting injured, but since the wounds disappeared, she could be forgiven without being scolded, and this seemed to make her unable to accept it. How should I say it? She''s really hard to understand. (But she seemed to have some goosebumps on her.) Can''t be helped then. I decided to give Houki a little punishment. "Houki, I''m beginning with the punishment then." "Uu, okay..." I turn to Houki and look her straight in the face. She closes her eyes, being all prepared now. (Really, she...) I flick a finger on her forehead. "Erm...?" "Alright, that''s enough. If you got the message this time, don''t be overconfident and act on your own next time." "Wha-What?" Houki looks troubled as she blinks her eyes. She then blushes and turns to me. "Are-Are you making fun of me? Flicking my forehead with a finger...!" "Okay, okay, calm down. Don''t get excited." "SHUT-SHUT UP! I''M A WARRIOR! MY PRIDE GOT STAINED. HOW DO YOU EXPECT ME TO CALM DOWN" "No, well...can you back away from me a little bit? Huh, they''re touching me..." Your breasts. "!!!" After realizing how close we were, Houki quickly pulled away from me. After pulling her distance, she wrapped her arms around her chest, glaring at me with complete protest. Uwah... "You, you...! I''m talking to you seriously, yet, you, you''re so indecent!" Yes, that''s the case. I''m sorry that my mum gave birth to me as a boy. "...Well, that...do-do you have any feelings...?" "Haa?" "It''s-It''s that!" My hand suddenly got grabbed, and thenWHAT!? STRAIGHT IN HER BREASTS? HER CLEAVAGE!?...AHH, HOUKI...SAN? "I-I just want to ask if you see me as one of the opposite gender..." While Houki continued to maintain that fierce look, she suddenly lowered her volume, and even her ears were blushing. It seems that she''s really shy. "Y-eah..." Even though I''m not forced by the situation, I still couldn''t help but make the decision. However, with the waves, hurriedly moving near and far, acting as the background music. With my childhood friend in front of me in a sexy swimsuit, and the clear moonlight shining down on us from the sky. It''s because of this atmosphere that I''m moved, there''s nothing to feel weird about. And well...how should I put it. I...actually find Houki cute. "Is-Is that so...uu, then..." As if chewing on her words, Houki reflected on the meaning behind these words, and then digested them. While being kept close, her body temperature spread to me. Houki and I are so close I''m worried that I might hear her heartbeat. "..." *DOKI DOKI!* Even I feel that my heartbeat''s way too loud. Suddenly, Houki and I exchange looks. (Ah...) I''m completely mesmerized. Her face really looks beautiful under the bright moonlight. (Da-Damn it...well. Yeah, that''s bad...right?) Even though I''m thinking that it''s bad, my heartbeat''s getting even faster "CE-CECILIA!? WHY ARE YOU HERE!?'' "YOU TOO, RIN-SAN! COM-COMING OUT OF THE RESORT ON YOUR OWN LIKE THAT! I DON''T CARE IF YOU''RE SCOLDED." "OKAY, ICHIKA''S..." "HUH, LAURA, YOU...RIN AND CECILIA? WHY, WHY ARE YOU HERE...?" ACK!! Rig-Righ-Right now, these voices definitely belong to Rin, Cecilia, Laura and Charl. From the audibility, they should be somewhere far away from us. But if I continue to remain here, I''ll definitely be spotted by them. And right now, there''s only Houki and me here. I have no guarantees of what they would say after seeing me. "Ho-Houki...let''s go to the other side." "Huh? Kya..." Trying to escape from the voices that are getting closer, I pull Houki''s hand and walk up the giant rock on the headland. (Hoo...better hide here for a while. I think it should be alright if I head back to the resort later?" "I-Ichika...that''s too sudden. Well...bringing me to such an isolated place...I-I''ll feel bothered..." "U?" As I have no idea what Houki''s whispering, I turn my face to her. "Nn..." --Huh? WHAAAAT!!? HO-HOUKI, SAN? WHY MUST YOU CLOSE YOUR EYES AND CURL YOUR LIPS!? "..." Houki''s silent expectant face is definitely pretty. --Uu, damn it...damn it, damn it... (Damn it...I''ll be sucked in like this...) As I put my hand on her shoulder, Houki''s body jerked. Then, Houki leans her body over, and I slowly close in on her face *GOOSH!* (...Hm? What''s that?) I again move my face close to hers *GOOSH!* (That''s irritating. What was that? Did something hit my head!?) I thought as I opened my eyesactually, it would have been better if I didn''t. Appearing right in front of me is a floating fin-shaped object, and there''s also a rectangular opening. "...[Blue Tears]..." That''s the BIT. It pokes its cannon in my face. *Kyuuiiii...* "AHHHHHHHH!!!" *BAM!* That was close, I managed to dodge it. Well, my hair got burned. "Hau..." "Very good, LET''S KILL HIM!!" "ICHIKA, WHAT ARE YOU DOING...?" "FUFU, FUFUFUFUFU." The four needle-like stares are waiting for me as I turned around to dodge. On a side note, the ones who spoke in order were Laura, Rin, Charl and Cecilia. "HO-HOUKI! WE GOT TO RUN!" "HUH? AHH? KYAHH!?" Houki let out a scream as I carried her, but there''s no time to bother about her. Like an escaping rabbit, I run away from the four personal IS pilots. (...AHHH) WHY DO I FEEL THAT SOMETHING SIMILAR HAPPENED LAST MONTH!? --Sounds of gunfire continued to chase me. STOP IT, I''LL DIE!! I''LL REALLY DIE!!! "[Akatsubaki]''s operational rate including [Kenran Butou] is about 42%? Hm, that''s about it?" The female stared at the numerous values shown on the screens in the air as she gave an innocent smile. Like a kid, like an angel. The bright moonlight shines on that face that''s no different from usual. The person who often has a bored look, the person called Shinonono Tabane. "Nn--...mn, nn." As she continued to hum, she summoned another screen. It''s [Byakushiki] as he''s fighting in second phase. Tabane''s sitting on the fence at the headlands. Tabane''s sitting on the fence at the headlands, shaking her feet and looking at that image. In front of her, there''s only the wide sea that''s 30 meters in depth. But even though she may fall and hurt herself, her expression didn''t change. "Ha~[Byakushiki]''s really amazing. To think that it can allow the pilot to revive. Just like" "Like the [White Knight], right? Core number 001 was the first frame in action, and the one you spent the most effort on, right?" Chifuyu walked silently through the forest and came out. Covered in the black suit, her figure looked like she was about to take away the darkness in the night, as it''s full of silence and majestic feel. "Yaa, Chi-chan." "Oh." Both of them aren''t looking at each other as they turn their backs on each other. Tabane continued to shake her feet like that, while Chifuyu leaned on the tree. Even without looking, they can understand the expressions on each other''s faces. It''s the trust between them. "Oh yeah, Chi-chan, let me test you. Where did the [White Knight][3D 4] go?" "...You''ll get the answer by reading [Byakushiki] as [Shirokishi], right?" "Bingo, as expected of Chi-chan, the one who piloted the [White Knight] before." The frame that people called the [White Knight] was dissimilated, leaving the core behind. It had a huge contribution to the production of the first generation IS. However, its core disappeared after a certain research lab was raided, and then unknowingly, it was installed in the machine called [Byakushiki]. "And then...hoho. For example, someone exchanged messages through the Core Network, Chi-chan''s first [White Knight] and her second frame [Kurezakura]. If that''s the case, even if they develop the same [One-off Ability], there''s nothing weird about it, right?" "..." Chifuyu didn''t answer. But Tabane didn''t care about her answer and continued. "Speaking of which, it was really unbelievable...that machine''s core was set back to the default form when it was dissimilated. How did that happen? It should be set back to the default setting because I made it, right?" "There''re a lot of unbelievable things happening in this world." Chifuyu doesn''t understand. And neither does Tabane. But there''s no problem. "...Oh yeah, let me give an example." "Huh, Chi-chan? That''s rare of you." "For example, a certain genius deliberately made a boy mistake his high school entrance exam location and put the IS there such that it could only be activated at that time. If that''s the case, the IS that shouldn''t be operated by men becomes pilotable, right?" "Hm~? But if that happens, he can''t continue to pilot it, right?" "That''s right. You won''t waste so much time to do such a thing anyway." "Hehehe, because I''ll get tired of it." "...Then what''s the truth? A certain genius?" "Who knows? Fufufu, actually, I don''t understand why [Byakushiki] activates. Logically speaking, Ii-kun and IS research are completely unrelated, right?" "Humph...forget about it. Next hypothesis then." "You really have a lot." "Are you happy?" Tabane answered ''That''s right'' and continued to listen to Chifuyu. "A certain genius wanted to let her beloved imouto''s[3D 5] IS grace the stage, so she prepared a personal IS and an IS going rampant." Tabane didn''t answer, and Chifuyu continued on. "As the incident happened, the new model hi-capability machine could take part in battle. This genius'' imouto could gracefully enter the stage as a personal IS pilot." "Heh~ that''s a really unbelievable assumption. It seems like such an amazing genius exists." "Yup, such a genius exists. That genius once hacked 12 countries'' military missiles to create a famous incident in history." Tabane didn''t answer, and Chifuyu didn''t continue, "Hey, Chi-chan, is the world you''re living in interesting?" "Ordinary, I guess." "I see..." The strong wind that blew up the headland let out a roar. "---" After saying a few words in that wind, Tabane disappeared. Suddenly. She vanished. "..." Chifuyu sighed and leaned the back of her head on the tree branch. The voice in her mouth disappeared together with the sea breeze. Volume 3 - Epilogue The next morning, after we finished breakfast, we started packing the IS equipment. Everyone was busy until past 10. Then, everyone began to board the buses, and lunch seem to be provided at a rest point on the way back. "Yes ma''am~..." Right now, as I sit down, I can only describe myself using the word ''Tired''. I got chased for almost an hour, and the fact that I snuck out of the resort was found out. I got scolded by Chifuyu-nee, and in the end, I only slept for about 3 hours. I feel like I''m about to die carrying out such heavy activity. "Sorry, anyone got a drink...?" I asked because I was tired, but "...Drink your own saliva." That''s what Laura said. "I don''t know." That''s what Cecilia said. "I have it, but I''m not sharing it with you." That''s what Charl said. Rin''s from class 2, so she''s not around here. With my last ounce of hope, I turn to Houki. "Wha-What are you looking here for?" Just when I''m wondering if she''s blushing, she suddenly karate chopped me. WA IT HURTS!! "Uu, Humph..." Seems like nobody wants to give me a drink. Is it because of my misconduct? Uu... (Hmhe really looks pitiful...) Though Charl''s response was cold, she felt that her conscience was pricked on seeing Ichika that tired. (Oh well. Besides, nothing happened last night. I should forgive him.) Charlotte pulled out the tea from the PET bottle. She bought it before boarding the bus, and it seemed to be useful now. (Everyone doesn''t seem to be taking action yet. Good!) (Was I too cold to him...?) Seeing Ichika really dejected, Cecilia felt rather anxious. It was a rare chance to be gentle to Ichika, yet she couldn''t help but show that attitude because of what happened yesterday. But thinking about it now, all the girls are unhappy with him. Now''s a good chance! (If that''s the case--) She reached for the PET bottle in her bag. She prepared it for herself, yet unexpectedly, it came to good use here. (Time to seize the opportunity...fufu.) (Why didn''t I say it in another way...?) Thinking about this was Laura, who took a new step on this beach expedition. She''s really remorseful that she was petty about what happened yesterday. In that situation, I should smile to him as a good woman! Laura thought as she wondered how to patch things up. (Oh yeah, he looks really thirsty. Might the tea I bought this morning be useful?) She played with the PET bottle she just took out, wondering how to give it to him. It was rare for the other girls not to take action, and Laura felt that now was a good chance. (Hm, I''ll just sneak to him and pass the tea to him...if-if that''s the case, I can remain with him all the way until the end of the trip.) (Ahhh! I messed up...) It''s rare for the atmosphere to be as good as yesterday''s, yet nothing happened in the end. Not only that, Houki''s feeling unhappy that Ichika''s been hiding from the other girls, so she responded like that accidentally. (Thi-This is bad...do I have the habit of taking action subconsciously...?) To be honest, this isn''t good. It was still okay up till last month, but right now, Charlotte''s in the same class. In front of that strong enemy, once she uses violence, he would push her ranking to the back. (O-Okay! Time to show gentleness to Ichika!) Houki holds the PET bottle tea that she bought before the bus ride, and stands up. "Uu...I''m tired..." """"I-ICHIKA!!"""" "Yes?" Hearing the 4 girls call me at the same time, I turn around. At this moment, an unfamiliar girl walked into the bus. "Excuse me, is Orimura Ichika-san here?" "Ah, yes, that''s me." It just so happened that I was sitting at the front-most seat, and I immediately responded once my name got called. That female''s about 20+. She should be older than us alright. Her glamorous blond hair is shining all the more brightly under the summer sun. As for attire, she''s dressed in a cool-looking blue summer suit. However, it''s not the professional kind Chifuyu-nee wears, but a casual trendy windbreaker. The open front cleavage allowed me to see a mature woman''s ample breasts. She hung the sunglasses on the shirt, right in front of the cleavage, and bent over to look at my face. "So you look like this. Oh" The woman said that she stared at me in an interested manner. She''s not sizing me up, but observing me out of curiosity. The fragrant orange perfume on her reminds me that ''She''s a woman'', making me unable to remain calm. "The-Then...you''re...?" "I''m Natasha Fairs, the pilot of the [Silver Gospel]." "Huh" Just when I felt puzzled by this unexpected answer, I got kissed on the cheek! Just when I felt puzzled by this unexpected answer, I got kissed on the cheek! "Oo...this is a present. Thank you, [White Knight]-san." "Huh? Ah, uu...?" "Then, that''ll be my farewellbye bye~" "Oh, oh..." Facing this Miss Natasha who waved at me and left, I could only watch her leave as I waved my hand blankly. ...Huh... "..." For some reason...for some reason...a bad premonition caused me to turn around. "You cheating man." "Ichika''s rather popular." "Sure looks like he''s very lucky no matter where he goes." "Hahaha." The 4 of them closed in onto me. Ahh...I seem to hear the sound of army boots. """"DRINK THIS!!!!"""" They threw 4 PET bottles of 500ml each at me. To be honest, these bottles can kill. "..." After getting off the bus, Natasha found the person she wanted to talk to, and walked over. "Hey hey, stop spreading unnecessary sparks. It''s troublesome to deal with those brats." Chifuyu said that. Natasha felt somewhat shy on hearing that. "Because this guy''s a lot better than I expected, so I accidentally..." "Really...anyway, more importantly, is it really okay for you to walk around like that after 1 day?" "Mn, it''s not a problem. That kid saved me anyway." The ''Kid'' she mentioned about is the [Gospel] that went rampant in this situation. "So it was like that?" "Mn, that kid entered that battle it didn''t want to take part in to protect me. Forcing itself into second phase and cutting off the Core Network...that kid sacrificed her world for me." Natasha continued on, and the carefree tone of hers is no longer present. Right now, she''s giving off a vicious presence. "So I won''t forgive her! The one who took that kid''s decision making ability! Making it as the enemy of all ISI must find that person and make her pay!" Even though the core wasn''t damaged, because of the rampancy, the [Gospel] was ordered to be frozen at dawn this morning. "...That kid loves flying more than anyone else, yet her wings got taken away...I won''t forgive that person no matter who that person is." "Don''t do something foolish now. There''s still the investigations, right? Anyway, watch patiently for now." "Is this your advice to me? Brunhilde?" Brunhildethat''s the title given to the winner of the IS [Mondo Grosso]. Chifuyu was the first winner, but to be honest, she didn''t like others calling her that. "Just a suggestion." "I see. I''ll just wait and see...for the time being." The two who only met each other for the first time didn''t talk any more as both of them went on their way. The next timethese words are etched on their backs. Volume 4 - CH 1 It''s August. Such hot weather must be unreal. From long ago, I''ve hated this country''s summers. I''ve detested them. I''m not this country''s citizen to begin with. I''m here at first due to circumstances regarding my parents, then later due to circumstances regarding my native country. Huang Lingyin is my name. The exclusive pilot of the IS ShenLong and a representative cadet. And now I''m a first-year student attending the IS Academy. "So...hot..." It''s August, and the IS Academy enters the late summer vacation. Because of this, roughly half of the students that came from all throughout the world returned home. I also truly thought about returning to my country, butCC "..............." But, it''s better to forget it. Even if I return home, my parents won''t be there together; and I don''t want to receive the annoying training of the military. Besides, there is another reason why I don''t want to return. (That guy, he should still be here. Good grief; why should I invite him. He really is the same guy from before.) Walking down the dormitory corridor (geez, why is there no air conditioner!), I gradually became angrier. CCOh yeah, I''ll just have to let that guy come invite me. Thinking that, I made a U-Turn CC and at that moment, I unexpectedly ran into him. "Oh, if it isn''t Rin? Whats up?" "I-I-Ichika!? W-Why are you here, weren''t you in your room?" "Ah, it''s because I forgot to turn in my report... Hm? What are you holding?" "N-Nothing!" Reflexively, I hid the ticket that I was holding in my hand, behind my back. ......Ah, not good! "Hum, you noticed? ActuallyCC" Even though I could obviously go on like this! Even though I could''ve said it! "......?" Gu...... he''s giving me a "what''s she doing" face...... Aah, ahem ahem! "T-Today sure was hot." "Hm? Is it? I feel like it''s still cool." "It''s very hot. This country''s summers have always been like this." "Ah, so youve still got something against hot weather." Uuuuhh... He, remembering the past, made me a little happy. CCAh, no no! He''s forgotten the important promise! "Well, whatever. If that''s the case, then do you wanna come to my room? There''s an AC." Hm? Perhaps this is a chance......? "W-Well, is that so. Then let''s go to your room. And give me a drink?" "Yeah, yeah. Is barley tea[4A 1] OK?" "If it''s cold, then anything is fine." As I said that, I walked side by side with Ichika. It''s quiet in the dorms now, giving a bit of a "Just the two of us in the world" feeling. (Come to think of it, I don''t smell of sweat, do I......?) Suddenly bothered by such a thing, I took half a step away from Ichika. Don''t worry. Don''t worry...... Even though I was thinking that, because of this heat, I can''t help but sweat a bit. CCYes, I can''t help it! "Rin, hey." "!? W-What!?" Without hesitation, Ichika brought his face near me. CCWoah, too close, too close! I reflexively forced that face away. "......Say, even though I called you a lot of times, you didn''t respond!" "H-Hmm? O-Oh! Sorry about that! I was thinking about something." "Rin was thinking about something? Hmm." "W-What......" "Ah, nothing in particular. Well, it''s that, if you can consult with someone, do it as much as possible. If you take it upon yourself alone, nothing good will become of it." "H-Hum...... I know already......" Ah, not good...... My heart''s beating very fast. What, idiot. My height has alas grown over a long period of time, I''ve become an IS pilot, and moreover...... I''m improving my manners and whatnot...... As I was thinking about those things, Ichika once again began to stare at my face like someone that has been silenced. "Rin?" "W-What is it!" "What do you mean? We''ve arrived to my room. Let''s go in." "I-I know, stupid." As I said this, I entered the room behind Ichika. I''ve been here many times before, and yet my heart was beating nonstop? (Ah...... Uu...... What, still......) Shit. After entering the room and sitting on the bed, it immediately turned bad. (Ichika......smelled good......) And given that this is Ichika''s room, naturally, that "good smell" feels even stronger. Ahhh, not good, I''m not calming down. (Aa...... Uu......) I wanted to wriggle my legs about, but I didn''t want to be seen moving like that by Ichika, so in the end I shook my body restlessly. After a while, I noticed a book that was placed on the table. But rather than a book, it was a photo album. "Ahh, you still keep commemorative photos?" "Hm? I guess. But these last few years was because Chifuyu-nee wasn''t at home. CCAh. This one we took of the three of us with you, Rin, was the last one. Do you remember it? It was during the 2nd year of Middle School, just before you moved out." "I do somehow or another." CCThat''s a lie. It wasn''t "somehow or another". I firmly remember it. "But, I don''t quite get it. Wasn''t this something Chifuyu-san started? She would occasionally take photos. Even though it''s quite splendid, I can''t see her as the fixated type." "Hm, well. Perhaps, photos that weren''t just of the two of us were essential. She already said that we should properly remember those who were with us in the past. CCHere, it''s tea. It has been cooled." "Thanks." As I drank the barley tea that I received, I casually checked my wallet from the surface of my uniform. ......Hm, all right. It''s still there. "Can I see this?" "Ah, OK. I just finished sorting it out." I, while trying my best to pretend that, "I only paid attention to it because it was opened nearby," turn the pages of the album. Come to think of it, it was actually my first time seeing this. The first page was indeed a photo of Ichika and Chifuyu-san. I wonder how old these pictures were. Chifuyu-nee was wearing her middle school uniform, and Ichika was much smaller than he is right now. "That one was in the first year of elementary school." "Heh? This one was the very first?" "Hm, it seems so. I think that there were no photos before this one." Looking at Ichika who seemed to not know the reason, I also thought about it. Why would Chifuyu-san, who loves her brother so much, have only the pictures of Ichika from the first grade on? --Ah. (Perhaps, in the pictures before this one, both of their parents were also photographed......) I don''t know the details about Ichika''s parents'' disappearance. But I heard that when Ichika became aware of his surroundings, they weren''t there anymore. "Well, the things of the past are fine, I guess." While saying that, Ichika turns to the next page. (Ah, a shy face.) As I thought, when even Ichika looks at the photos of when he was young, he would also get embarrassed, it would seem. This kind of situation is kinda cute, so I naturally got a happy feeling. (Recently, there hasn''t been an event in which the two of us would be alone like this.) --Ah. (T-The two of us alone......? Uh, crap......crap...... My heart''s started to beat fast......) When I noticed, it was too late. My face became flaring red, and the heat rose. "Umm, is this in the second grade? If I remember correctly, this should be when I went grape picking during an excursion." Suddenly. Suddenly, Ichika sat next to me. After my heart jumped with shock, an oddly loud sound was heard from the bed. (Huh, ah, uh......? U-Umm, there shouldn''t be any sweat scent, right? I mean, the bed......the meaning of sitting side by side on a bed is in other words, umm......umm......) I awfully miss the me that heard the phrase ''keep your train of thought short'' from an old song that one time, and immediately thought, ''Huh? How can it be like that. Isn''t that foolish.'' --What, can a train of thought simply be made short like that? Isn''t that low quality rubbish. The one who made this, show yourself. "Rin." "Fueey!?" ---Where did that voice come from, the one just now? Isn''t that unattractive. The worst...... "Do you want it?" --. Huh? Huh? Huh? What, what is it, what''s the situation? I want an explanation of the circumstances. What was that, wait a moment. Huh? Ichika--huh? (What''s with the ''want''......what''s with this staggering straightforwardness......) I mean, he''s making me answer; how sadistic he is. Does he want to bully the girl he likes? --Huh, likes? Likes? Ichika, likes me? "You don''t need it?" "Huh, ah, well, ple--please wait a bit." "Oh." No way, what''s with this development!? How''d this happen!? Furthermore, my heart is pounding greatly, and seems like it could explode at any time. My face has become hot to the extent that it already hurts, and suddenly, sweat came spurting out. (Uuh! Not good, not good, not gooood, I say......!) I panicked at the smell of the sweat that I suddenly felt. Uh...... As I thought, taking a shower before coming here would have been good. (--But if I''m thinking like that......it''s like I was expecting something from the start. Something like, something like this...... Right?) "You don''t have to be so reserved." Whaaaat!? I sensed Ichika''s voice even more closely than a moment ago, and my body hopped several centimeters. *Thump Thump* *Thump Thump* My heart can''t stop beating. Unsatisfied, like a downpour. "Ichi...ka......" I timidly look at Ichika and, straight...he was merely looking straight at me. Not good. This will, draw......me......in......... "So, what do you want to do?" "I......want........." "Hm" Ichika nodded, reached his hand towards me, and then-- "So I''ll pour you another cup." "--Huh?" What did he say? "Another......cup......?" "What I said, the barley tea." "Barley tea......" "Rin, you said that you wanted it." "I said that I wanted it......" After a few seconds of me parroting him, I thought my heart would stop from Ichika''s words. "Hm? Ah, could it be that you misunderstood it for something else--" "Hm, wha!? What, could possibly-- Y-Y-You idioooooot!!" *Smack* A dry sound of a slap magnificently reverberates. "That huurts........." "Hum!!" Up to ten minutes had passed after that, yet Ichika was still rubbing the cheek that I had slapped. Somehow, it seems that it was pain befitting of the situation. Ichika''s mouth is deformed in pain like the shock still remains. (You deserved it, idiot!) Saying such a thing, letting people misunderstand......of course there would be a consequence! (Yeah, that--) That...... "............" If, like that, I had been kissed...... (No, no, no! NO! That kind of thing won''t happen! Because that Ichika, "that" Ichika, that guy''s dead brain surely won''t change until he dies.) After thinking this, the me who misunderstood was embarrassed to death. My own cheeks were different than the warm feeling before, becoming pain. (Wuuu.....should I give him another...) Having thought this on impulse, I glanced at Ichika. "......" Even though it was a misunderstanding, the throbbing in my chest wasn''t fake. For this reason, this kind of misunderstanding without any harm causes even more anger. (Although we''ve been friends all these years, this guy''s thickheadness is still surprising...) Also, it was the same when we reunited. When I had just become a representative contender student, I heard in the news that there was a guy that was able to pilot IS. I was more shaken by Ichika, whom I hadn''t see for a year, even if it was only on the screen. After that, because of my age and my past time spent living in Japan, I got accepted at IS academy. Once that happened, I returned to this country. In short, I was very happy when I reunited with Ichika, but at the same time, I was very anxious. In the past, when I said: "You''ll have to eat my cooking every day", the meaning of that was, like, having the intention of getting married. In middle school the opportunity wasn''t very good, so I wasn''t able show a high level of cooking abilities, but if there was another meeting right now--- (Actually, he was thinking like that...) In the end, he interpreted it like "Feeding me for free, Rin is really a good person"...again fooling me completely, really. Haa... My stiffened shoulders start to feel the exhaustion, so I force myself to relax my mood. (Anyways! The me today is different from usual! Hm!) I searched in my wallet, and held the two tickets. Calm down, calm down......No worries, I''ve practiced so much, it should be alright. "Ichika." "Hmm?" "You, are you going anywhere during the summer vacation?" (?) "Hmm...Now that you mention it, I think I would like to go somewhere." ......not bad, not bad, everything is going as expected. "That''s too bad, so let me give you a convenient solution." "Convenient solutions coming from Rin... in the end, it''s gonna cost." Again, it''s about costs...I restrained myself before I said it. If it has always cost money but now it''s free, there would definitively be a misunderstanding. By the way, that......the fact that I love Ichika might also get exposed. "Of course! Say, who would even think that amusement parks don''t cost money? How dumb are you, really!" In the end, again, I recovered with the previous voice tone. I just thought that in the past I always collected money from Ichika like this. After all, in the very beginning my opportunity was when Ichika came to my family''s Chinese restaurant to eat dinner. At that time I was really happy, and thought about letting him come for free. In the end he said: "No, no, it cannot be free, don''t we say that there aren''t free meals on earth? And after all, uncle''s cooking is too good. That''s why, let me pay." After that, I accepted his meals'' fees. My family''s cooking is good for sure, and even I''ve always known, being said by someone else...hm, I was very happy. (But that day my real thoughts were instantly known by my parents......huuuu...) - - - - -. Every time I remember the moments with my parents, my heart hurts badly. This is also the reason why I can''t return to my mother country. (Don''t think about these things right now...) For now it''s better to forget the pain in my heart. Or else that wood-headed Ichika, who is abnormally sensitive to the bad mood of others, will immediately sense it. "Hum." "That is?" Ichika is constantly looking at the tickets I took out...he took the bait. "You don''t know, do you? It''s the newly built ''water world''. Oh, let me say that first, tickets for this month are already gone. To buy a ticket for a day without being lined up for two hours is impossible." "Is that so?" Anger. He really is insensitive. He doesn''t know how much effort I put into buying these. "So, when will we go?" "G-go?" "? Isn''t it because of that you came here?" "You''re right." Waah, success! The most difficult thing was how to invite him, to make it so simply. ---Oh, calm down, calm down, even though the victory is in my reach I need to control myself, didn''t I learn this in my training. "Well, after all, only I would invite you, so be thankful for my good heart." I said this while knocking Ichika''s face with the tickets. (Even though it''s like this, my heart is beating as if it will break.) "How much does it cost?" "2500 yen." [4A 2] "...not expensive?" "If you don''t want it, it doesn''t matter. After all, if Ichika doesn''t want it, there are others who would." Though there could be others who would buy it, to be honest I don''t want to sell it to anybody if it isn''t Ichika. Because it was for the sake of inviting Ichika that I prepared them, so it is obvious that I wouldn''t do that. "Well, OK. I''ll buy it. When''s the date." "This Saturday." "It''s really sudden." To Ichika, it''s a very common reply. (It can''t be helped; it is because my friends don''t want them so I got them.) "Well, I don''t have any problems, what about Rin?" "Ah, me too!" Ah, I messed up again...this response without afterthoughts is obviously indecisive. My inner thoughts have been beautifully exposed. "Where do we meet? If it''s inside the academy we can only wear uniforms, so wouldn''t it be better outside?" "Hm, hm! Yes! Let''s meet at the park gates to make the most of the opportunity!" ---Success! It really, really has the impression of a date! (By the way, this is a date!) In my heart I quietly clenched my right fist. Recently, because of the increasing opponents, I''ve been pushed aside, but this time it is me who is ahead. "When will we meet up? It should be in the morning." "You''re right, so how about 10 o''clock?" "OK." Great! Great! In my heart I don''t stop making the winning pose. I drank in one gulp the barley tea that has just been brought to me, put the cup on the table with a *Dang*, then stood up. CCHuu, it''s decided. "Why are you acting so strange?" "That''s very rude! Anyway, don''t be late tomorrow!" I closed the door with a *Dang*, then immediately went to the corridor. After I got out from there I did an arm-stretching pose, not in my heart but in reality. (SUCCESS!!!!!!!!!! Success! Success!)[4A 3] Since I couldn''t make any sound, this joy has already enlivened my body. (I need to hurry to my room to prepare myself!) I returned to my own room in large steps. The hot temperature of summer, when I noticed that everything has already gone alright. Usually, the walk to my room feels long, but it felt shorter today. I''m sure that wings grew on both of my legs, without a doubt. In the passage my shoulders may have touched a few students, ------hmm, it should be an illusion. "I~have~returned!" With a *Pa*, I opened the door as if I wanted to blow up it up, and my roommate lying on the bed widely opened her eyes. The fry sticking out of her mouth made a clear sound after a half-beat pause. "You, you have returned." My golden haired and jade-colored eye roommate, Tina Hamilton, blinked mysteriously, holding a magazine in her hands while gazing foolishly at me. [4A 4] "Fu, Fuu, fufufu......" "Wha-? Hey, Rin? Did you short circuit because of the heat? "Yeah." Ah, really, everything between Tina and I goes well. I couldn''t hide my joy and submerged myself on the bed, holding tightly my blankets... "...Wh-what''s that? Do you want to strangle your blankets?" "Yeah~" "Rin, are you seriously answering?" "Yeah~" Yeah, is it, huuhuu~~ Showing an unbearable altitude, Tina''s sight returned to her magazines. After that she tended her arm to reach the French fries which she was about to eat. Well, after all everything goes well! Ahahaha... Not good, I can''t be like that forever. If I don''t prepare for tomorrow right now...... (Swimming suit, OK, the clothes are all newly bought, after that is...) ---there''s also things like underwear. (......) Wait, hmm, don''t we say that a very high impression of pressure would influence the people''s heart, so if something happens, is it, is it? Yeah, this is for a preparation just in case. Preparation! Didn''t the ancestors say that you can be in peace if you have prepared everything, that''s right, the one who said that sentence is really mighty. "Tina, very mighty, isn''t it?" "Yes yes, yeah." *Pa!* The sound of a fry being bitten resounded. Tina, really, from the beginning she was the one talking about gaining weight, there''s really nothing to do about her. (And I don''t have that issue!) I already knew my free time last month during the sea school, so I started adjusting my consumption of snacks since June. And the efforts I have made has a result, now I have a slender body. Yeah, there won''t be a problem for when my body will be seen--- (But, there will maybe be the time when my body gets looked at.) Not being covered by a swimsuit but the body directly. ......... "That, Tina." "Wh-what?" "Summer is really hot, isn''t it?" "Yeah." *Pa!* The sound of a fry being separated resounds again. "Fuuu. It''s finally finished." I, Yamada Maya, am sitting in the indoor training room tasting hot tea. In that hot weather, drinking hot tea with the AC in the room running, it is sumptuous as expected. In this academy''s funds there is a part in which you need to pay taxes, so there''s a bit of guilt in my chest. (But for now I''ll allow myself. Finally......finally I finished a term of work.) Though there are too many incidents this year. With the ''male IS pilot'' as center, abnormal numbers of personal machine pilots, frequent incidents, and the IS committee ordering the transfer of Orimura Ichika... My head hurts each time I think about that. Finally I finished a little more than a half of work, so I think I can rest a little bit. (But, it''s very difficult) I looked at the two documents again and again, and then sighed. The document is about two students, but the problem is the names on them. Orimura Ichika, Shinonono Houki. These two---they are clearly not representatives, but they still have their personal machines, and it''s the source of the problem. Orimura-kun is relatively OK, but Shinonono''s IS doesn''t have the national ownership rights---which is also the nationality register. To say it in another form, every other country is recruiting its own exclusive pilots, so the IS became the other countries'' accessories. Every country would even take an IS by stretching an arm from the mouth. Even if it''s only one, it would greatly affect the country''s military force. Moreover, it is still the IS inventor, Shinonono Tabane, who uses the fourth generation skills by herself, so there are plenty of countries fantasizing about her. [4A 5] "Haa......" Why are these issues concentrating in my class. Especially the transfer students are weird. Normally, a class wouldn''t have that many personal machine users. (---there should be some thinking done) Even if it doesn''t belong to any country''s organization, but wanting to block the countries'' attention is very difficult. (Well, I shouldn''t think too deep in this topic.) After all, these thoughts won''t change anything. (Later, I''ll finish all the work that is still remaining at once.) After I drank the tea, I took a rest and dug in the files stacked in the form of a mountain. Then, I took one document from the files. *Shlaa*--- (*Shlaa*......?) It was a document. A document became two, no; it seems that in the beginning it was two stacked together, and then the bottom one came off. "It scared me. But this document is..." In a second, my mind froze. "That, that is......" It was to keep such things from happening that I looked over all the files, or so I intended. Does it mean that I didn''t see its circumstances and its priorities, and I only took care of the other files? "Shit......this is a very bad situation." In a classroom with the AC running, I panicked to the point that I had cold sweat. And that sweat is very cold...with the both meanings. "Finally arrived." In front of the IS academy door, I just got off from the white Roseloss , and a disturbing hot air came to me, but I''m still in high spirits. (As expected, it''s because I''m under the same sky as the people I missed.) I, Cecilia Alcott finished the work in the United Kingdom, and finally returned to Japan. Alcott family''s job, representative contender student report, re-adjustment of my personal machine, participation at the violin competition, reunion with my old friends, and finally, paying respect to both of my parents'' grave. "........." Every time I think about this, my chest faintly hurts. ---Why didn''t they say anything before leaving. ---Why did they leave me alone. ---Why, at the end, these two were together. (One day I''ll understand too.) "Milady!" !! After being called I turned my body around to face my personal maid and childhood friend Chelsea (?) who showed her usual smile. "What is happening to you?" "No, nothing." Even if I''m somewhat in disarray, I forcefully tried to look calm. Chelsea''s sight for a person''s change of heart is still keen. She''s always been like that, and her body shares a feeling that doesn''t match the coolness of other 18 years old, and though I said she''s my childhood friend, she''s more like a big sister or something like that. That Chelsea is the one I yearn for, and also the goal for my efforts. (After that, I want to---) "Now, do you want to go see Orimura-sama right now? "Chelsea! Didn''t you go transport the suitcases?" "Actually, there''s something I need to confirm, so even though I''m a bit shy I returned just in case." "It, is that right, so what do you need to confirm?" "Is that white fabric underwear for Orimura-sama''s personal use?" "..............." "Milady, if it''s too fancy, it might have a reverse effect." "That, that is..." "So, I''ll go first." Without giving her time to find an excuse, Chelsea politely curtsied. [4A 6] No it''s not, it is, it is---huh? "Wha?" That thing which I secretly bought online was hidden in a double pocket in the suitcase. How can it be? Chelsea''s gentle smile, suddenly burst in my mind. A sudden wave of embarrassment came from me. Ahahahaha...... (The so-called ''there''s a needle so it can penetrate'' is like that.) My cheeks start to burn, and sweat without any connection to the summer starts to spew. And especially the palm of my hands, which I need to wash immediately. "Hmm? Cecilia?" Huh--- Wha? Wha? WHAT-? (This voice belongs to Ichika-san? Why would he be here? Does it mean that he came here to welcome me?) My hand holding my chest beating unstoppably, I turned to him as if it''s nothing. "Oh!" "Ichika-san, I haven''t seen you for a week." I greeted him by twisting a part of my dress, but my heart couldn''t calm down. ---Ah, it''s really Ichika-san! He was really thinking about me so he came here to welcome me......ah, Ichika-san, really! "When I thought that Cecilia was going to return, I couldn''t sit properly." "Really, Ichika-san......you really sweet talk." "I''m serious. The week in which Cecilia wasn''t there, it seemed that the time was running in a infinite cycle." "Ichika-san...... Ah." "We won''t be separated again, ''my princess''." Aha, aha, no, you can''t, in this place! Someone might see us. "Cecilia?" "What?!" Summer daydream---no, it was a vain thought. "Are you OK? You were dazed. Is it because you got a heat stroke? You need to be very careful, having a heat stroke in the summer is very dangerous." "No. No problem! Sitting in the car, I felt only a bit dizzy!" "If that''s all, then okay." "Hm hm, it''s like that." !? "Hm? And she would be?" "This is the first time we meet. I am the maid serving Cecilia-sama, Chelsea Blackett. I''ll be in your care." Chelsea, who after taking care the luggage returned I-don''t-know-when, was introducing herself to Ichika-san. (Ara, why is Chelsea alone?) After thinking carefully, I immediately understood. Seeing Chelsea come alone, she was probably hiding herself to peek somewhere, and appear at the right moment. She''s really good at reading people''s feelings! "Ah, the one Cecilia mentioned before, it was you. First time we''ve met. My name is Orimura Ichika." "Yes, Orimura-sama, please allow the presumptuous me to ask, what has milady said about me?" "Hmm......, a very understanding, outstanding, tender beautiful woman." "Ah" She warmly smiled. That kind of polite speech is very beautiful, and at the same time has a warm feeling without any harm wrapping the person. This kind of thing is undoubtedly clear to me. (Ichika-san really, he hasn''t said that I am a beautiful woman.) Chelsea seemed to have looked through my jealous thoughts. (Wuwu......, Chelsea is Chelsea.) I can''t win against that smile. It''s always been like that. "I''ve also heard things concerning Ichika-sama from Cecilia-sama." -- - - - -!? "Huh, is that right. May I ask you what has she said about me?" Aaaaaaaaah, please Chelsea, don''t get into details! "Uhuh, actually......" This time after feeling that Cecilia shook, Chelsea made the smile which she makes when she wants to make fun of someone. After slightly putting her finger in front of her mouth--- "That''s a woman''s secret." That smile was, even towards girls, fascinating. File:IS v04 044.jpg That smile was, even towards girls, fascinating. "Ah~, Chelsea-san really is the beautiful woman whom Cecilia has talked about." "......Yeah" The scene moved to the caf near the school canteen. This shop has a good AC temperature, business all year, and even the drinks would eclipse the caf in front of the station. Also, you can taste the four seasons'' clothing, so during the summer vacations, the students were obviously flooding the place. "Hey, isn''t that the first-year Orimura-kun??" "It''s true! It''s the first time I''ve seen him in person." "Ayaa. He is really cute; I didn''t think that the younger ones were bad either." "But to me he has the first-year working hard attitude which makes people love him." These kind of ridiculous comments were boiling around. Normally, everyone would fight to be in a picture with Ichika, and be happier and prouder than anyone. And now...... Cecilia is putting on a bad face, and boringly stirring her ice cream. The ice cube that has been in contact with the straw made a transparent crispy sound, and all that was non-important background noise to her ears. (How can they be chatting so cheerfully when it''s the first time that they meet each other......) Thinking about the conversation that Ichika and Chelsea had, she again became irritated. "Chelsea-san is great. And we can''t see that you''re in your teens." "Orimura-sama, please call me Chelsea, and the way you speak to me, please consider me as a simple maid." "No, how can I? To add Csan to someone who''s older is basic respect. Furthermore, even though it''s not needed, to not add honorific suffixes is difficult. I would be nervous." "Well, Orimura-sama can really speak. It seems that you really know how to please a woman." "What? It''s the first time that someone''s said that to me." "So it''s like this, huhu..." On one side, Ichika, who was a bit shy but joyful, and at the same time wouldn''t expose that kind of behavior in front of herself, and on the other side Chelsea, who clearly knows her thoughts but is still getting close to Ichika, were making Cecilia even more disturbed. (That rumor, is it true......) At the end of the last month, she heard a rumor by chance. Until yesterday, it had not bothered her too much, but with things as they were now, she couldn''t remain calm. The rumor was --- ''Orimura Ichika likes older women''. (I originally thought that it was a baseless rumor......) But after seeing his attitude towards Chelsea, Cecilia started to wonder if it could be something more than just a ''rumor''. (Becoming an older woman, that''s impossible) (!) Since the two of them were born in the same year, even if she gets older, the other one couldn''t get younger. Making an effort to achieve this is like trying to climb to reach the sky. Cecilia''s mood oddly went down, feeling even worse. "Ha..." "Hey, Cecilia, why are you so down?......Is it because of me?" "Indeed." "Hey, that was fast!" Looking at the dejected Ichika who seems to have taken a great blow, Cecilia''s mood didn''t get better. Even though he invited me to this caf, I''m not that happy anymore. (It''s all Ichika san''s fault.) For the time being, pushing all this fury towards Ichika, Cecilia puts the straw in her mouth, and the usually tasty sugary milk pot now has also lost its taste. And because removing the straw from the side of her mouth would only make her sigh, Cecilia could only helplessly continue drinking. "........." "........." Ten minutes later, or twenty was it, or just an instant. Anyway, after a silent moment, Ichika opened his mouth to talk. "Cecilia." "What is it?" "Do you want to try coming to that place?" "---Huh?" "Hn~~, today''s weather is awesome! How bright is the sun!" It''s the so-called great weather for a date. Rin tightly held her fist, and used all of her strength to make an encouragement pose. Though the background was still her own room, but with the clothes all prepared, specially all new bought for today. (Hu, hu, hu, finally I took a step before that Houki and Charlotte, this is my entire victory!) To Rin, winning against these cohabiting girls is a great thing, before transferring she couldn''t help being frustrated when she heard that Ichika was living with girls. (Humph, even though I was wearing a swimsuit, but this time is different from the seaside school, to say it in the most basic way. This is a real date! It''s the so-called boy-girl intercourse.) Boy-girl, after pondering this term, Rin''s head was suddenly dyed of a peach color. (Hm, today I chose the cutest underwear between all of them as backup, hm.) Wasn''t it sung in the old times: We don''t know what''ll happen in summer so we can''t be careless. (For example, the returning road or something like that.) ............ "It was very fun today." "Hm. Because I was with Rin." "Yeah, yeah, you can finally appreciate my thoughts. Good, good." "......Rin." "Wha? What is it? Why are you suddenly holding my hand?" "I, have finally understood, to be separated from Rin and to be reunited again, how much is that important." "I-Ichika." "Rin, I love you." "Huh, ahno, not here." "Do you hate me?" "I don''t really hate you......" "So, it''s OK." --It was a joke, A JOKE! "Haha, isn''t that right, Tina?" "Yes, yes, you''re right." Tina, who buried her head while eating ramen, casually agreed with her. When she''s serious, it also means that she looks stupid. After Rin''s scandal from yesterday, the reason behind it, which is the same for today''s excitement, became clear...... the reason for this could only be.... "Then, I''m off." "Be careful on the road." "Maybe I''ll be late tonight!" "Hm, is that right?" "Then goodbye." "Goodbye." After the door closed behind her with a *Dang*, Rin made her encouraging pose again with her fist closed, and strode out of there. "Hn?" "Ara?" In front of the Waterworld''s gate, Rin stumbled upon a familiar face. Rin and Cecilia looked at each other, and in a strange atmosphere, the two of them greeted each other stiffly. "It''s really a coincidence to see you here, Rin-san." "Hn, hn, hello, Cecilia." Why is she here, is what both were thinking, while waiting for someone to arrive. Both were astonished by the clothes the other had chosen to wear. (Is Cecilia''s friend coming too? Never mind, I''m only waiting for Ichika.) Huhu...... Rin couldn''t suppress her laugh, as she was waiting for Ichika''s arrival with a dumb look on her face. ...... ......... ............ (Aaah, he''s late! What''s he doing) "What''s going on?" Cecilia mumbled as Rin was stomping with her feet. Her eyes were constantly checking the hour, making it seem as if the one she was waiting for was also late. Rin still had Cecilia on her mind, but what concerned her the most was what Ichika was doing. It had already been more than 10 minutes since the appointed time, getting close to 20 minutes. (That guy, since the time we met for the first time, has always been late when it matters the most) Her phone then rang, and as she irritably took out her cellphone, she inmediately recognized the number highlighted on the screen. It was Ichika''s. "Hello? What the heck are you doing? Where are you now?" "At school." "Huh!?" "Ah! Let me explain; Yesterday, I heard from Yamada-sensei that today the Institute''s researchers would come to begin a research on Byakushiki. And now, they are saying that they couldn''t get the data on the Second Shift, as it took place so suddenly last month. They want to take the data again." "......What did you say?" "Well, that...... sorry, apparently I won''t be able to come today." "WH-!?" In a second, Rin, who had just gone past her limit, got so angry that her face went white, all while Ichika''s voice continued to reach her ears. "It''s not so simple; in fact, yesterday I tried to contact you, but you wouldn''t answer your phone. I even went to your room, but someone said you were already asleep. You were, right?" "......" As a matter of fact, in order to be ready for today''s date, Rin had decided to go to sleep at 8:00 pm that night, and in order to avoid any potential bother, she specially turned off her cellphone. Finally, she instructed Tina to not wake her up unless it was a great emergency. (Aaah, stuuupiiiid! Wouldn''t that be considered a great emergency!?) "And that''s the situation." "Right." She couldn''t help but to answer discouragingly. "" "I gave the ticket to Cecilia, so you two should play to your hearts content." ----------Huh? "Huh? Cecili...wha? Wait a moment, what do you mean with that?" "Huh? Cecilia isn''t there? I have already said to her that we should meet each other at the front door." "------------" Th-that, that, that.......... "Can I kill this guy?"[4A 7] "Why are you saying something that dangerous. Rin, you''re fine, aren''t you?" Because of the carefree attitude from Ichika, Rin''s ''trembling status'' finally became unbearable. "It isn''t something like ''fine'', what you did to me, you." "Wah, don''t get angry all of sudden. ------Ah, yes. That, do I need to go right now?" On the other end of the phone, seems there is someone talking with Ichika, and the conversation between Rin and him was temporally interrupted by it. "Sorry Rin, I need leave for now, sorry for bothering you. Also, apologize to Cecilia in my stead." *Kacha* The phone was hung up emotionlessly, with only the beeping sound remaining. "Gh, Gh, Gh--" Rin tightly held her mobile phone, emitting a *kk* friction sound, and had Cecilia engaged the conversation a second later, the cell phone would have, without a doubt, fallen on the ground, immolated. "Hey, Rin-san? What happened?" "Heh, Cecilia......listen to me......Ichika won''t come." "......" After hearing this sentence, Cecilia froze. Rin repeated it to Cecilia who didn''t understand what the other person had just said. "Ichika won''t come." "Huh? That......why? By the way, why is Rin-san......" "Today you will date me." "Wha......WHAAAT? I have been invited here by Ichika..." "Didn''t I just say it? That ticket was prepared by me! Do you understand?" *Pata!* *Pata!* After blinking two times, Cecilia finally, slowly said-------- "......Rin-san." "What." "Let''s first enter and drink something. I don''t understand the situation, and also-" With blue veins on the surface of her face, Cecilia was slightly smiling. "-and also please explain entirely what happened." In front of the Waterworld''s door, there was a naturally formed Shura''s land encircling the two of them, disturbed by something else than the hot weather. "You''re saying that Ichika-san wanted someone to replace him, so he said words like ''Don''t you want to try to go there''?" "Right." "Ha......I had a feeling that something wasn''t right. From the beginning I thought that there was something weird." "Liar. That outfit, didn''t you prepare it wholeheartedly?" "Wh-?! It''s, this......is only an etiquette, yes, only an etiquette." "Ah, I know, I know." While making deaf ears to Cecilia''s words, Rin let fly a paperplane she made with a napkin. And being so soft, it didn''t fly much before it fell to the ground. Right, just like the Rin right now. "Hu......" "Ha......" In Waterworld''s coffee shop, the heavy sighs from the two of them resounded at the same time. "Then." "Then what?" "Should we go home?" "You''re right. I''m not in the mood for swimming now." As the two of them decided to get up, the broadcast resounded inside. "Ehem, next is today''s main event! The steeplechase[4A 8] pair race begins at one o''clock in the evening, and every participant is requested to go to the square at noon~" The two of them, who didn''t have any interest to begin with, rose their ears to the contents in the back. "The winning prize is a two tickets pack, for a six-days trip with all-expenses paid." (That''s it!) (It''s that.) The Okinawa trip as prize. If what happened today was used as a reason, Ichika would be unable to refuse, and so, it''s decided...... "Cecilia." "Rin-san." ""WE OUGHT TO WIN THIS!"" The two of them hit each other''s wrist, and just like that, the strongest pair in history was born. "OK! The first Waterworld pair steeplechase in water starts now!!" As the host onee-san announced with a loud voice,she performed a flying leap. Like that, she was wearing a boldly opened bikini with her vivid, voluminous chest. She may have done this to get the interest and attention from the audience right from the beginning. The public (mostly males) started cheering and clapping their hands, screaming ''Waaaahhhh''. Also, because all the participants were female, the audience was in high spirits A few troublemaking men trying to sneak into the event were told expressionlessly by the reception staff to ''Try to understand'', and they couldn''t help but to retreat. Though it''s a women-oriented society, this is different. As expected, the competitions on water are still non-female. The jury here is made by the owner of the facility, and the Koichiro Island''s sponsor, though it''s more for his personal interest. "Everyone in the audience, please kindly applaud our contestants!" In a storm-like applause sound, the participants waved towards the audience in their sight of view. At that moment, there was a completely indifferent team. --------Rin and Cecilia. These two were both stretching their bodies, warming up for this contest. "He, shu! By the way, Cecilia, your swimsuit is different than the one from before." "Huh, ah. How can I put it, yes, it''s because of emotional matters." "Liar. After all, you were thinking of showing this new swimsuit to Ichika, didn''t you! Aaah, that is why you bought something with that flowery pattern." "No-noisy. Rin-san you too, how come your body is even more slender than when we were at the sea-side school." File:IS v04 061.jpg These two were both stretching their bodies, warming up for this contest. "It was because of that! It''s because I wanted to have a vigorous life that I worked extremely hard." "I know, I know. It''s really difficult to obtain it for Rin-san who is interested in night life." Even though the two of them were comrades, they were using weird ways to encourage each other. Like that, the two of them were still seriously doing their warm-up, since they knew very well the stake of this competition. "The prize is six days travel to the southern paradise of -----------Okinawa. Do your best, everyone." Right, this time the prize is the target. The two of them were having their own delusions, and couldn''t help but laugh stupidly. Suddenly their eyes met. "Ehe." "Aha!" (I must find a way to take it out from Cecilia.) (I would trade anything to Rin-san for it.) Under their smiling mask, they were glaring at each other, preparing a plan and finishing their warm-up. "So I''ll repeat the rules! Everyone, please look at this huge 50m x 50m pool. The first team arriving at the middle and capturing the flag is the winner! Also, as you see, the path is a circle taking the form of the central island. The obstacles set in the path basically all need two people to get beyond them. It needs the two people cooperating together, it is a test for friendship between two people from the same gender." While Rin and Cecilia were listening to the announcer''s explanation, they look down again to the path below. The central island was floating in the air, which makes it troublesome. ......No, it''s only because of the rope pulling it that it was floating, but that isn''t the issue here. (Hm~~It seems that it''s impossible to swim through. Is there a shortcut------) (It seems that it''s impossible to take the shortest path. So it means that you must do it over again if you fall into the water.) So it was like this, it''s really well made. The two of them understood the situation in front of their eyes. However, they thought of the same. ((Of course the majority of the participants are relatively normal people------)) The two of them are both personal IS users, and representative candidates of their respective countries, and their strength is equal to that of an army from the old days, and added that, is the accumulated training they''ve had so that they could skillfully operate an IS. If they participated in a simple competition of pure fighting ability, even normal men could hardly win against them. Even if they were against military units, they would certainly be evenly matched. And the so-called IS are the same, their pilots naturally have some great talent. "Then next! The competition finally starts! Everybody ready, set------" Bang! The gun signal clearly resounds, and the 24 contestants, for a total of 12 pairs of ''fairies'', wearing swimsuits, charged at the same time. "Cecilia!" "I know!" Right after the start of the competition, the two of them dodged the kicks from the pair besides them and took the lead for landing on the island. In this competition, every interference is OK. However, to the representative cadets who have received a formal military training, it''s no use. "Let''s go." "Oooh!!" They swiftly dodged a pair of participants'' attacks, and at the same time the opponent''s foot was in the air and then fell in the water. Thus the participants were completely separated into two categories; the conservative category ''charge forwards'' and the radical ''hurt the others first'' category. However, there was a problem this time. No matter what, this young pair were acting very active right from the beginning, and took all the public''s attention. And because of this, Rin and Cecilia had become everyone''s target. "Aaaahh, it''s really troublesome." "It''s blocking me!" Though the pairs charging at them were constantly ''falling'' into water, they were endlessly charging back. It looked like the radical and the conservative ones came to an understanding, so even though the attacked ones can be resurrected right away, they''ll obstruct them with all their strength. "Wuu...If this continues, we''ll be taken down." Rin, who became anxious of the first pair which already reached the second island, winked towards Cecilia. "Though it''s a bit early, we should use our secret weapon." "Ha......, what happens won''t be my fault." "This is for victory!" "Right, if it''s for victory..." After the two of them finished talking through private channels, Rin and Cecilia faced the enemy again. ""WOOOOAAAAAHHHH"" Changing the back of their hands to fiercely protect themselves from the other pair''s elbow, the two of them ignored them. After they sighed, Cecilia and Rin flashed towards them with a movement that could cut the wind. *Blam!* The obstructing group fell in the water each after another, though they were already used to it. "No matter how many times, we''ll come back again." The two participants emerged from the water, though the thing that should be on their body is gone. "Huhu, you cannot abandon your swimsuit and live on......" "As Mary Theresa said, if you wanna fight naked, then bring it on." ""Aaaaaaahhhh"" Rin and Cecilia, who had quickly snatched the swimsuit upper part, looked briefly at the obstructing group, and threw the piece of cloth in their hands to the opposite side, right into the audience''s hands. As expected-----no, exceeding the expected result, in face of such a turn of events, the male audience members began a ruckus. "It''s good, now the hindrances are gone." "Let''s quickly catch up." On the highest island, there should be someone who pulls the rope, while the other one should pass through to the other side with the rope supporting her. "Well, we must make up for the wasted time together." "Hn, we can''t fall behind any further." Rin flew swiftly to the unstable little island swinging left and right, followed by Cecilia who looked through its timing. Just before, the public was storming and boiling because of the swimsuits, but now, it''s because of these two''s dynamism that the crowd is bursting with cheers. "That''s, that''s impressive for two high schoolers, did they receive some kind of training?" After that, for the second island, the two of them broke away from the obstacles and charged towards it. This time it was one who stopped the water flow while the other one used this opportunity to get through the obstacle, though both of them charged together. "Haha! It''s so relaxing!" "Compared to a minefield, it''s way too easy." And just like this, they continued through the third and the fourth island, and when they finally arrived at the fifth---an issue emerged. "Let''s end this here." Maybe because they thought that if they continue on running seriously, they''ll lose, the leading team turned towards Rin and Cecilia. "Ahaha. How can normal people beat us, the representative cadets." "Wait, in front of us is the Kazaki-Kishimoto team! They seem to want to bring the contest in their fighting expert field." "Huh? Expert......what?" "From what I know, these two are Wrestling and Judo gold-medalists at the Olympics. Though I heard that their relationship is very good, it means that they aren''t in the same discipline but they are in good terms with each other." "Huh...? What? Gold medalist? Does that mean that their body constitution is above average?" The muscled girls pair who greatly match each other let out a roar and charged towards Rin''s and Cecilia''s side. (This isn''t good! We already used all our strength to run, so we''re exhausted now, and if we fight these muscled girls---) (It would be too much no matter what.) Since they were so exhausted that they couldn''t sense that the situation was getting tougher, they couldn''t let themselves stop running. It''s going to be bad. "Sucesss!!!" "Geh!" Rin and Cecilia jumped backwards to distance themselves from them, but since it was a floating island, there wasn''t any route for retreat. "If it''s like this......Cecilia!" "What?" "I have a countermeasure for that! Charge!" "Wha!? Do you want me to be the herald?" "Yes! There''s no time to hesitate." "Aaah I don''t care anymore." Cecilia single-handly faced the charging medalist pair. "Cecilia, turn here." "Wha?" Being called by a loud voice, Cecilia turned her head by reflex, and ended up seeing Rin''s----foot palm. "Huh? Ugh!!" Entirely, perfectly. Her own face has been entirely and perfectly trampled on. "Great!" Stepping on Cecilia as a board, Rin swiftly flies towards the terminal point, taking the flag. "Victory!!" After that, the little island where Rin was seconds ago and Cecilia with the other medalist pair, who lost balance, fell together into the few meters deep water. *Ping!!* The highly splashing water column was especially shining in Rin''s eyes "Thank you, Cecilia, you were indispensable." And at that point, Cecilia''s smiling face seemed to emerge from the sky. ......her expression was the same as if she was looking at her past comrade. "He, he, he......" From beneath the ground a sheer laugh came. Immediately after that a two times greater water column rose up. "I cannot forgive you today! My face, by a foot, ------Rin-san!" Dressed with her swimsuit, Cecilia summoned Blue-Tears and full of anger, charged towards Rin. "Huh, do you really wanna do it? ------Shenlong!" Rin swiftly summoned Shenlong, posing as if to to express that she accepts the challenge. "What? Are these two people students from the IS Academy? I didn''t know that there would be two IS machines in this competition. Huh, but what do the rules state......" The big sister host, crossed by confusion and excitement at the same time, starts to rattle on, her body and her arms waving wildly, and her voluminous chest bouncing out again. "Aaaaaahhhhh!!" "Yyyyyyyyyaaaaaaa!!!!!" *DONG!!!!!!!* The crossing of their blades made fire sparkles. "Tears!!" "It''s too much to be true!" Facing Cecilia''s bullets coming straight at her, Rin used the boosters from her legs to maintain distance. When the enemy came closer, she increased the distance between them, and when she retreated, Rin caught up to her. "Geh!! Is it the anti-sniper brake? It''s as powerful as always." Cecilia couldn''t lock her target up precisely and could only repetitively move her muzzle. However, Rin didn''t let go of this opportunity. "My Impact Cannon is way quicker than you! Take this! and this!" Immediately after three consecutive attacks, Rin closed up the distance. However, it was all within Cecilia''s calculations, and the sword that was about to cut her stopped. "If only I could lock your movements, then I would get the edge." After saying that, she aimed at Rin''s back and shot twice. "At this distance, my Impact Cannon is even quicker!" Both of them let out all their weapons'' powers respectively at a fingertip of each other, and none of them wanted to retreat, then-------------- "Ah." "Huh?" "Uuu......" *Bang.......!* Waterworld ended up crumbling because of the explosion. "In short! Such a thing! No matter what! Please do not do it ever again." ""Yes...."" Rin and Cecilia were being lectured by the big sister host, who was wearing a swimsuit just before, in her office. The two of them had shrunk a little. Even though not getting anyone injured was a miracle, the arena''s pool got half-destroyed, and the skylights had been shattered. "Ah, I really can''t stand it." "Th-that." "What is it?" "Nothing, I don''t know how to say it but the prize........." "Do you think that we can have it?" The big sister''s eyes were full of killing intent. ""Sorry, it''s nothing."" Like this, Rin and Cecilia IS match made a mess at the competition place, and the competition was obviously invalidated. Which means that the winners don''t get the prize. The two of them who bore a tiny hope by asking, were even more miserable after it was formally announced. In front of their eyes was pitch black. "Anyways, it seems that the Academy will send someone here take you back, so behave for the time being." ""Yes..."" Though she said that, it''s already past 5:00, and the landscape is getting painted by the orange color of the sunset, and the cicadas'' noise outside is getting more clear. *Drriiinng*...., the internal telephone rang loudly, and the big sister took it. "Yes, this is the office. ......Aaaah, yes, I got it." The big sister put down the telephone in a *klang*, and waved her hand to drive away Rin and Cecilia. "The one getting you guys has arrived. Get out quickly." "Sorry..." *Badang!* At that time even if the two of them heard the noise of the door closing, they still stood there stupidly staring the floor while walking. "You two look really down, you were just lectured miserably, weren''t you?" ""Huh?"" The two of them lift their heads at the same time. "Yo!" In front of them was standing the one who was supposed to accompany them today, Ichika. "Yamada-sensei was the one supposed to come here, but due to some urgent issues she couldn''t come. And since I just finished the data collecting, I took her place and----Waah!" Before Ichika could finish up his sentence, Rin and Cecilia took a step towards him, got right in front of his face and grabbed his chest. "You......" "It''s all Ichika''s fault! Ichika''s fault!" After catching just a glimpse of those two 100% resentful sights, even Ichika couldn''t help but say something quickly. "Wa-wait a moment. I''m at fault, though I don''t know what did. ----------OK, I''ll invite you to eat something, how about a desert?" "........." Rin and Cecilia took a few seconds thinking before saying it in a little voice. "[email protected]" "......The most expensive limited ice cream ." "Gwaa." Each was worth 2500 yen. This amount was higher than what Ichika thought and made him press his head. "What, are you backing down?" "Do you think you have the right to refuse?" "I know it... Ah......" After Ichika''s decision, the pair of girls immediately reversed the switch, and the depression of just before disappeared beyond the clouds, put on large smiles and rolled their arms around Ichika''s. "Then let''s go." "Ah! Cecilia, why are you pulling his arm! Ichika! I also want to pull yours!" "What is it? By the way-----" ""It''s painful to walk."" Rin and Cecilia''s voices merged together. "Yeah!" "It''s like that." "........." Ichika sighed after the pair said it in simultaneously, and stepped while bearing the inconvenience of walking towards the [email protected]e. "Meh, I''ll let you go this time." "Though there isn''t a next time." "Yes, yes......" Under the sunset there were three people''s slender shadows, and the above was an anecdote which happened one day during the falling heat month of August. Volume 4 - CH 2 "Laura Bodewig, 2nd Lieutenant, currently an IS test pilot." Inside this dark room, the humidity''s really so great it''s unbearable. To clarify, this room is underground. --oh yes, this...is the darkest part in my memories. This is the ''Anti-Interrogation Patience Training'' I hated most in my military training. This training facility was even used as an interrogation facility up until a few years ago...no, it was used as an interrogation facility. The black stain on the floor is likely unrelated to the humidity. Then, it''s the sound of water dripping. The water droplets would drop from the ceiling in beads from time to time, making her feel really irritated. "How does it feel? Fufu, you don''t look too good." Weary and unable to stand up, Laura didn''t bother answering such a question. The woman should be the owner of this damned room, but her face couldn''t be seen clearly. She was standing at a position opposite from where the light was shining in, and her hands were crossed behind her waist. Her coarse voice sounded really clear. Maybe the humidity in this room caused the voice to feel really clear. "How do you feel about not being able to eat for three days? Laura-kun? Hm?" She hated to respond at this point in time because it would really drain her. She''s really that tired now. "Well, this is a classic interrogation. It''s something that was used since a long time ago. In a room where the concept of time ceases, I won''t let you sleep nor eat. I''ll just make you listen to the water drop." *GAK* *GAK*. As the hard soled shoes clattered, the woman took a few steps forward. "Do you mind if I sit down?" Do whatever you want. That''s right. She still muttered even though she had very little strength in her. The woman who sat down on the chair twisted her neck slightly and slowly raised her leg up. Extending out slight from the light was a shocking bare pair of legs. --No uniform? Who-Who''s she... She''s not a normal instructor. No, it''s highly doubtful that she''s even a soldier. She thought the woman was the owner of the room, but it seemed like she was wrong. After considering for a while, she realized that the woman''s tone was different from how the instructors would normally speak, and the volume was slightly louder. (Who...is she? Why is she here?) Unlike how they would wake my wavering thoughts, she became motivated all of a sudden. At this moment, she should consider how to take down the opponent. (Oh yeah, first--) "Flip the chair and then choke her on the neckI wouldn''t do that if I were you." (Wh-Why--) "Why do I know what you''re thinking? That''s because..." The woman''s face peered out from the light. Just the mouth section, as her eyes couldn''t be seen. A beautyshe''s a beauty, right? Her jaw line''s rather refined. The nicely shaped lips say. "... " Unbelievably, that''s something she couldn''t hear. To Laura, who''s well versed in reading lips, she could easily understand even though it was mouthed silently. But for some reason, she couldn''t process those words. Even so (Ahh...so that''s the case.) She understood it completely. If that''s the case, it couldn''t be helped. A certain ''Factor'' gave her this idea with regards to those words. "Alright, then let''s begin our interrogation. Laura-kun, do you have a patriotic heart?" "Of course I do." "Fufu, it sure is easy for you to lieyou don''t have a patriotic heart at all, right?" "There''s no such thing." Oh well, never mind. The woman didn''t care as she pulled out a notebook. "Alright, where are your comrades? The scale? Armament level? And support is?" "I can''t say that." "I see, well, as for this problem." The woman''s lips curled as she smiled. Laura didn''t care about the change in facial expression as she started to wonder how to take down the enemy in front of her. "You have someone you like, right?" Laura stopped thinking. "What?" "The name''s Orimura I" "WHAT? ID-IDIOT! DO-DON''T SAY IT!!" "Ahahaha! You''re blushing. Really, that''s cute." "I''LL KILL YOU, I''LL KILL YOU!! I''LL KILL YOU!!!" Having lost her fatigue and weakness, Laura stood up and leaped at her opponent. And then "Ah, erm...Laura?" "Uu...?" The person whom she was pressing down on with a knife to her neck was her roommate Charlotte. The location''s the 1st year dormitory room in IS Academy, and it seems to be morning as the sparrows outside the window are all chirping away. "Huh, well, I saw you having a nightmare, Laura, so I intended to wake you up." "Is-Is that...so." Now that Charlotte mentioned it, Laura found that she was sweating profusely, and the strands of hair sticking on her skin were making her feel irritated. "...So, how long are we going to maintain this position?" "Ye-Yeah, that''s right...sorry." Laura let go of the dagger that was pressing against Charlotte''s carotid artery and backed away. She couldn''t remember what was in the dream, but it wasn''t about something happy, right? Her flustered heart''s telling her that. "Well, never mind. I don''t mind, really." "Really? Thank you." Even though she didn''t know what to do about the room arrangement at the beginning, her roommate Charlotte''s someone who understands others well, so right now, Laura''s really grateful for this arrangement. After that battle, Charlotte didn''t seem to mind either as she stayed with her as a roommate and friend. (I actually raised my knife at Charlotte...what was I thinking?) Fuu. She sighed as she gets off the bed, and Charlotte gets off as well. "Speaking of which, Laura." "What is it?" "Wellaren''t you intending to putting on some clothes?" Charlotte again mentioned this. The reason why she would say this is because this Laura has the habit of not wearing anything when sleeping. Her reason is "I don''t have clothes to wear when I sleep." "No, maybe that''s the case...but, ahh, you''ll get a cold." The towels that were normally hung around here were prepared for this. As usual, Charlotte draped the towel onto Laura. "Fuu, sorry. Oh yeah, I''m going to take a shower. How about you?" "Mn, I''ll have one too. I have a bit of cold sweat too." "How about we do it together?" "No, that''s not it! I''m talking about showering after you''re done, Laura! Really!" "I was joking." Hearing her say this with a cold tone, Charlotte was stunned for a moment. At this moment, Laura walked into the bathroom, and she heard the sound of the door being locked. (She''s not one who would really joke about. What''s going on?) Did she change emotionally? As her friend, this really bothered Charlotte. (Oh well, better find a way to make her wear some nightwear.) Mnn. Charlotte pondered early in the morning. "Buying something?" "Mn, that''s right." Laura and Charlotte were chatting away in the dorm cafeteria as they ate the breakfast a little earlier than usual. Besides them, there were only a few students who took part in the club morning run, so it wasn''t too crowded. Their breakfasts were macaroni salad, toast and yogurt. But Laura had an additional item. "Ea-Eating steak so early in the morning...can your stomach take it?" "What are you saying? When eating a lot in the morning, the efficiency to work will be greater. There''s scientific proof for this. Strictly speaking, those who sleepin other words, those who eat a lot during dinner are the weird ones. All the excess energy that can''t be digested will become fat. I won''t stop you if you want to grow fat." "Laura, where did you hear this from?" "Ichika (My Bride) said so." "Haa...I guess so. That tone doesn''t sound like Laura at all." A person with an impressionable personality is really unexpected Charlotte thought as she poked the macaroni through with her fork. "Mu, what''s that?" "This...macaroni?" "I know. I''m asking why are you letting it pass through the fork? Why didn''t you just stab it in instead of letting the fork tip pierce through?" The serious expression nearly caused Charlotte to be overwhelmed by Laura''s presence, and she stumbled before she swallowed the macaroni. "Even if you ask me, I...maybe I feel that I have to do this?" "Oh, so you feel that you have to do it..." "How about you, Laura? It''s rather interesting, you know." After saying that, Charlotte mysteriously noticed (U, was I a little too childish...? It''s Laura, maybe she--) "Oh, it is interesting" "Re-Really? That''s great!" "If you think that''s interesting, your mind really has a problem." "..." (No, no no, that''s not true! Yeah! Laura definitely won''t say such things!) "Charlotte." --*BYU!!* "That''s really interesting. Uu...since it''s rare, I''ll try to use all the tips of the fork to pierce through the macaroni." After saying that, Laura immediately started playing with the other macaroni bits. It seems that Laura really found it interesting, and this made Charlotte heave a sigh of relief. "Mu, ku, this is a lot harder than I imagined it to be...over here." The last macaroni just wouldn''t go through, and Laura was in a tight fight. For some reason, Charlotte remembered the cat she used to keep, and looked at Laura. (That cat was really clumsy in the same weird aspects. It kept chasing the ball of thread and even showed a look of disbelief after finding that it wasn''t a ball anymore.) "I SUCCEEDED!" "WAHHH!!!" Laura gently raised the fork that pierced through the macaroni, and Charlotte applauded her. The other girls in the cafeteria just blinked and looked around, wondering what happened. "When are we going shopping?" "Ah, yeah, I planned to go out around 10. What do you think? An hour of shopping, and then we''ll go eat at a nice shop." "I see. Since it''s a rare chance, I should invite my bride along. Yup, I''ll be a good husband." "Ah, ahaha...that''s right..." "Not in the room, and he didn''t answer his phone. Where did he go tois he cheating on us?" "No, huh, it can''t be helped if he''s not around." "I can contact him if I use the IS private channel, right? Let''s do that then." "WAH! NO! DON''T DO THAT, LAURA! I mean, even if it''s part of the IS function, using it like that isn''t good, you know." "Forget about that. It''s more important to find my bride." "...Orimura-sensei will get angry." *Pyu!* Laura stopped. "Tha-That''s right. Private time is necessary at times. Okay, Charlotte, let''s go there on our own." "Okay, let''s go." They return back to their room as they prepare to leave the Academy. Of course, they have to change into casual clotheslogically, that should be the case. "Erm, Laura, what''s with that military uniform?" "Uu, this is a uniform for formal occasions, unfortunately, I don''t have any casual clothes." "..." Even Charlotte was about to hug her head. Speaking of which, she never saw Laura dressed as an ordinary girl even though they''re in the same room. "Laura, just wear the school uniform...your country won''t be happy if you wear that uniform out, right?" "That does make sense. Okay, I''ll change into the uniform." Laura then changed clothes at a speed that was not what a girl would change at, and they spent only 15 minutes changing before they left the room. "Let''s take the bus ride to the station." "Okay." The bus arrived at the station as they reached there, so the two girls boarded the bus first. It was summer vacation and past 10am, so the bus was rather empty. Unlike Laura who was dressed in uniform, Charlotte was wearing casual clothes. It was a white dress with light blue color, and it had the presence of summer as it radiated a cooling and casual feeling. Amongst the buses in this city, this bus was rare. There was no air-conditioning, so the wind blew in through the window, giving a cool sensation. (Speaking of which, I haven''t admired this scene properly. Since it''s rare, let''s just go out more.) The breeze gently passed through the window and grazed Charlotte as she looked out of the window. Her hair was fluttering slightly, glowing blonde under the bright summer sun. Beside her, Laura was seriously looking at the houses in this city. (...That building can be used as a sniping location, and if it becomes a dragged out battle, the mart opposite can become a place to maintain supplies. Also, just in case, I should check the underground sewers and subways map, and I need to check if there are any independent electrical generators nearby.) Laura, with her silver hair glittering under the bright sunlight, along with those sharp eyes of hers, was giving off a rather out of place presence. "Hey, hey, look at both of them." "Uwa, they''re really pretty!~" "Those girls are rather cute. Are they models?" "Really? The silver-haired girl''s wearing...a uniform? I''ve never seen that before." "Idiot, that''s IS Academy''s uniform! It''s custom made!" "Huh!? I heard that only 1 out of millions are chosen to enter IS Academy?" "That''s right. Only the elites get to enter." "Uwa~ so outstanding yet so pretty. Isn''t that too unfair..." "Well, gods are unfair. That''s always the case." The female high school students are staring at Charlotte and Laura as they create a ruckus. In the cramped space of the bus, such intense conversations naturally spread to the two girls'' ears. "..." Charlotte lowered her head in embarrassment, probably because she was never praised like this before. On the other hand, Laura just ignored their ramblings as she continued to ''Check the statuses of wartime street fights''. (IS are the most powerful and incomparable force in the world. However, a war can''t be decided with just one person''s battle ability. In troop fighting in the streets, we have to deploy our defensive line as troops.) If they could level this entire street into wasteland, the IS would be useful. (--While taking down the entire city, if we can consider using large transport aircraft to bombard this place, we need some anti-air weapons that can be mobilized independently. Also, it''s best if we can supply the troops with some anti-air missiles. Javelin and Starstreak missiles can be used to attack vehicles. And most important--) "Laura, Laura." "Hn? What?" "We''re at the station. Alright, stop thinking and get off." "Got it." Both of them get off the bus with some other passengers, and walked into the shopping center in front of the station. Charlotte took out a magazine from her bag, looking at it and the directory to check where they were. "Okay, I got it. If we go in this order, we won''t waste too much time." "Oh." "We''ll first look at clothes, and then we''ll go get lunch. After that, I want to shop for some life accessories and little decorations. Don''t you agree, Laura?" "I don''t understand any of these, so I''ll leave it to you then." Laura was still alien to what girls in their teens would do. Though she''s a teenager herself, she doesn''t understand all these at all, so it couldn''t be helped. --Even so, Laura still felt weird. Laura''s naturally a stubborn girl, but even so, she couldn''t resist Charlotte''s words at all as she easily agreed to what Charlotte would say. Normally speaking, this girl called Laura would forcefully decide on what she wants to do even though she doesn''t understand it. (Unbelievable.) Charlotte has an indescribable charisma. If there''s a need to describe it, maybe it''s similar to a mother Laura didn''t know of. "Are you listening, Laura?" "Hm? Ohh, sorry, I wasn''t listening." "Really~ I''m asking you if you want skirts or pants." "Mn, both of them will" "Don''t say that both of them will do...speaking of which, Laura, you''re really like Ichika in this aspect." Charlotte inadvertedtly sighed, and Laura showed a happy look for some reason. "It''s good that both husband and wife are alike." Thinking that it''s stupid to get angry at Laura with regards to this, Charlotte sighed again and ended this conversation. "Anyway, let''s go to the 7th level. The 5th and 6th level are also for females, so we''ll just go according to order." "Hm? Why must we go from the top? Can''t we go from bottom to top?" "It''s easier to shop if we go from top to bottom. You see, aren''t the shops designed like that as well?" Hearing Charlotte say this, Laura looked at the book she opened. However... "I don''t understand at all." "~Uu, well, I''m telling you that there''s winter clothing sold in the lower levels! It should be a change of seasons soon, but there''s still summer wear at the clearance sales, so let''s go there first" "Hold on, I don''t need winter clothing." "Huh? No need...why?" "It''s summer now." Laura said it so casually, yet Charlotte was completely dumbstruck. "I can just wait until winter to buy winter clothing." "No, well...listen to me. Girls would normally prepare their clothing before the season changes." "I seewell, it would be too late if we prepare our supplies and soldiers once war starts. Is that what you''re trying to say?" "Huh...yeah, I guess you can say that." "So it''s called preparing for rainy days." Though this was purely what a girl would think in a feminine manner, Laura thought this through using her own logic. Since it was weird to deny Laura''s views, Charlotte accepted it. "Anyway, let''s just go in order. If you have things you don''t understand, just ask me." "Okay, it''s good to have Charlotte around. You''re really reliable." They took the elevator to the 7th level. As it still was summer vacation, there were many teenage girls in the mall with the air conditioning turned on at full blast. "It would troublesome if we get lost. How about we hold hands?" "Y-Yeah." In contrast to the carefree Charlotte, Laura felt shy as she nodded her head, but she still agreed even though she felt weird. "Then let''s start from here." "''Third Surface''...that''s a weird name." "This shop seems to be popular. See, there are a lot of girls inside." Now that Charlotte mentioned it, Laura noticed a lot of high school and middle school girls inside. As there''s a closing sale, the shop''s really bustling, so it''s to be expected that the shop would accommodate the customers more. However "..." *PAKII!!* The paper bag the shopkeeper was handing over to the customer dropped. "Blond hair and silver hair...?" Noticing the shopkeeper acting rather abnormal, the other shop attendants turned to look over. And then, everyone looked mesmerized as they say, "They look like dolls..." "Are they filming...?" "...Yuri, I''ll hand the customer over to you..." Seeing both of them, the shopkeeper stumbled and went over. It seemed that she just became mesmerized by the devil, or at least she had heatstroke. "Hol-Hold on, huh? Wha-What about me? Speaking of which, the clothes...are still on the floor..." After seeing Charlotte and Laura, the female customer who was about to complain just shut up. The two beauties seemed to just walk out of a painting. Not to mention their slender fingers that are held together mesmerize all. They''re not holding hands tightly, but they''re still together. This made both of them emit an indescribable feeling. "Ma-May-May I know what kind of clothing are you looking for?" The shopkeeper let out an excited voice, and anyone could tell that she was excited. She didn''t look like a mature woman who was used to wearing summer attire. The interesting attitude of the shopkeeper made Charlotte forget about leaving the shop due to the overwhelming stares. "Huh, I''m looking for clothes for this girl. Do you have any recommendations?" "Yes, this silver-haired girl, right? I''ll look for it now, no problems!" Immediately after saying that, the shopkeeper took the clothes off the fake model that''s obviously used for display only. --Also, even though these are summer clothes, but clothes that would be sold out anyway would be hung on the display at the shop''s doors to attract customers. These clothes are obviously meant to be sold, but since they''re prepared for ''Important Customers'', normally speaking, they wouldn''t be removed for first-time customers. That''s right, normally speaking. "How-How is it? This white summer shirt should match your beautiful silver hair, Miss." "Heh, light and translucent. I can see the clothes underneath. What do you think, Laura?" "I" "Don''t say that you don''t know." "Uuu..." As what she wanted to say was blocked off, Laura pouted, a rare sight at that. That childish expression made the shopkeeper who felt that the silver-haired girl was silent blink a few times in surprise. "White? It''s nothing bad, I''m wearing this color now anyway." "Ah, yes." On hearing this response that''s not feminine at all, the shopkeeper couldn''t help but respond blankly. "Since it''s a rare chance, don''t you want to try it, Laura?" "No, it''s too" "Don''t say that it''s troublesome." As her words were blocked again, Laura remained silent. During this time, Charlotte and the shopkeeper chose a lower-half clothing and a matching shirt. "I''ll have the denim pants. As for the shirt..." "How about a V-neck woolen sweater?" "Ah, that''s nice. Should I choose the same type of color or a contrasting type...hm." Both of them happily chose Laura''s clothing. Realizing that resistance was futile, Laura could only stand slightly far away and look at them. (Really, what''s so interesting about that?) I just need the clothes to fulfill their function. That''s really how Laura would think. "Okay Laura, try this." "I understand." "The changing room''s over here." As the shopkeeper lead her to the changing room, Laura sighed. (This can''t be helped, but since it''s a rare chance to wear casual clothes, I really hope that Ichika can see it.) Thinking about this, Laura took off her uniform. The white silky skin was lit by the lights, making her look like an ice beauty. (...) She again examined her own body. Even though her body with only underwear on it was beautiful, there''s a refined feel to it as she trained herself physically. (I''m not too sure about this, but is my body lacking charm to the opposite gender?) Especially to Ichika. (Uu...) She tried to pose according to the poses she saw in those photo galleries. The images in those photos were really alluring, and the body that was wearing underwear made it really alluring to the opposite gender. "...Baka baka!"[4B 1] Feeling really embarrassed about what she just did, Laura continued to change after saying those words. Looking through the clothes Charlotte and the shopkeeper chose for her, she found that they were all the ''Cool'' type. (If I have to wear it, I should choose the cute one. Then Ichika would praise me--) ... "Laura''s clothing is really cute." "Just the clothing?" "Laura''s still the cutest of all." "Ba-Baka..." "Your underwear''s cute too, right?" "Huh, ah..." "Let me see, Laura." "U-Uu..." ... Even though this was all just her imagination, Laura still blushed as she remained silent. "No, that''s not it! Well...how should I put it? I don''t think it''ll be that successful, but..." However, the probability''s not zero. "How is it, Laura? Have you changed yet?" Behind the door, the familiar voice of Charlotte rang out. Laura quickly put on the uniform and opened the door. "That''s strange. Why are you still in uniform...?" "Charlotte." "Y-Yeah. Well, you didn''t like that,,,?" "No, that''s not it. Even so..." It was rare to see Laura stutter, and Charlotte had a question mark above her head. "Make-Make it a little cuter..." Laura really looked childish as she said that, stunning Charlotte. But she immediately recovered and nodded her head hard. "Mn, mn! It''s better to be cute! I''ll prepare it for you. Just wait!" Laura, who was lacking enthusiasm a while back, just said something really unexpected, making Charlotte agree with an even more enthusiastic tone. "Th-The-Then, what kind of clothing will be better? Color, build, what''s your view?" "We-Well, it''s better to have a suitable amount of skin revealed..." "Mn, I got it!" Charlotte immediately went back to the shopkeeper and looked through the colorful clothes. "I''ll take that strapless dress, and a ring as decoration. And let''s see..." Charlotte looked absolutely delighted as she chose the clothes, seemingly choosing them for herself. "If you want clothes that show a lot of skin, the black one will be a steady bet! It matches your hair, Laura." "I-I''ll be troubled if it''s too glamorous." As Laura was feeling somewhat nervous on seeing Charlotte work so hard, she couldn''t help but warn her, but Charlotte''s response was full of drive. "No problem at all! Just relax and leave it to me!" "I-I understand." Seeing the normally reliable and mature Charlotte become this determined, Laura could only obey her. (But her tastes are better than mine, so there shouldn''t be any problem.) 20 minutes later, as Laura changed and walked out of the changing room, everyone in the shop gasped. "UWA, SHE''S SO PRETTY..." "SHE''S JUST LIKE A FAIRY..." After receiving the stares of everyone in the shop, Laura couldn''t help but be embarrassed. She was wearing a black strapless dress with some frills on it, creating a cute look. Like everyone mentioned, the way Laura was dressed in a slightly-shorter-than-a-mini-skirt dress matches her refined presence like a fairy. File:IS v04 105.jpg She was wearing a black strapless dress with some frills on it, creating a cute look. "You-You even prepared the shoes? I''m shocked." "It''s rare anyway. It''ll be a pity if you don''t wear any mules." Wearing heeled shoes for the first time, Laura lost her balance. While everyone went ''Ah!'', Charlotte picked her up. "So-Sorry." "Don''t worry." Supporting Laura''s hand, Charlotte bowed. The two people who looked like a prince and a princess looked like they fit into a scene in a fairy tale. "Can-Can I take a photo?" "Me-Me too!" "Please shake hands with me!" "Me too me too!" Both of them were surrounded all of a sudden. Everyone, the people in the shop and the people outside looking in at the commotion all squeezed in, and there was a commotion for quite a while. "Hoo, that was tiring." "To think that we would end up spending so much time here." At just past noon, both of them are having lunch at the open-aired caf. Laura ordered the pasta that was of a different flavor everyday, and Charlotte ordered lasagna. Both of them are enjoying their food. "But it doesn''t matter much anyway. We got our clothes anyway." "Since you bought it, might as well change into it." "No, well, about that, actually, it''ll be bad if I stain it." "Oh? Ah, are you going to show it to Ichika the first time you wear it?" "What? No, that''s not it! Th-That Tha-That''s not true at all!" Seeing Laura blushing and all flustered, Charlotte believed that she had it right, but she pretended to be oblivious. "Okay, sorry for saying such weird stuff." "Re-Rea-Really!" "Laura." "Wha-What?" "You''re holding your fork and spoon in the opposite manner." "Uu~!" After Charlotte pointed that out, Laura found out she was holding her cutlery the wrong way, and this really made her blush. The spoon that was about to reach her mouth moved away. "Wha-What are we going to do in the afternoon?" "Shop for some life accessories. I want to check the watches out. I really like Japanese watches." "You want to buy a watch?" "Mn, it''s rare anyway. Don''t you want to buy something, Laura? Something Japanese?" After thinking for a while, Laura simply said, "A Japanese Sword." "...Something more feminine?" "No." "Something more feminine?" "None." Laura answered immediately. Though it was to be expected, after hearing her cold response, Charlotte''s shoulders dropped dejectedly. Suddenly, Charlotte noticed the woman sitting in the next table. "...What should I do? Really..." Her age''s about between 25 to 30, and she''s wearing tight-fitting suit. She seemed to be depressed as the garlic and pepper pasta that was served was all cold now. "Haa..." They could feel that she was really depressed from her sighing. "Hey, Laura." "There''s a limit to being nosy." This time, Laura cut off what Charlotte was about to say. Even though she was shocked by Laura''s response, Charlotte looked rather happy and continued, "So you understand me well." "Just-Just about there...so, what do you want to do?" "Hm, anyway, let''s hear her out first." After saying that, Charlotte got up from her seat and talked to the woman. "Excuse me...what''s wrong?" "Huh--?" On seeing them, *BATAM!* That woman suddenly stood up and grabbed Charlotte''s hands. "You-You two!" "Wha-What''s the matter?" "Do you want to work?" ""HUH?"" "So those two suddenly resigned. I think they eloped instead of resigning though. Haha..." "Ah." "Mn." "But today''s a very important day! The main office will send people over to check on us, so please help. Just for today! I hope that you''ll work today." That woman''s shop was a unique caf. The girls would dress like maids, and the guys would dress as butlers to serve the customersit''s the so-called maid (and butler) caf. "I''m okay with that..." Having changed clothes, Charlotte hid her emotions and asked, "But why am I dressed as a butler...?" "Because you see, it really suits you! You''re more handsome and cool than those guys over there!" "Really..." Even though she was praised, Charlotte sighed, unable to be happy. (I want to wear a maid outfit too...Laura looks so cute wearing it...) Feeling really regretful, Charlotte glanced at the butler attire on her. (Uu~ am I more suited to this image...) Perhaps realizing that Charlotte looked rather downhearted, the shopkeeper who was also in maid outfit grabbed her hand tightly. "There''s no problem. It suits you well!" "Is-Is that so? Ahaha..." Though she looked rather stiff, Charlotte answered back with a smile. (That''s where the problem lies...) With complicated feelings of a girl, she again turns to look at Laura who''s dressed in a maid outfit. The graceful maid outfit had a slender yet strong body in the midst of it, and her straight silver hair encompassed everything, including the mysterious looking eyepatch. (Uu~ I''m so envious! Why must Laura be this cute...) She once again realized Laura''s charm. Even when wearing men''s clothing, Laura would look like a ''Cool Girl'', or at least that''s what Charlotte thought. In contrast, once she puts on men''s clothing, she would be a ''Cute Guy''. Thinking about this, she naturally sighed. "Shopkeeper~ please help out~" The floor manager asked for help. The shopkeeper immediately applied the final touches and walked to the entrance at the back. "We-Well, I have one last question." "Hm?" "What''s the name of this shop?" The shopkeeper smiled and pulled her skirt up, bowing as she lifted her skirt in a cute manner that doesn''t match her mature appearance. "Dear customers, welcome to @Cruise." "Dunois-kun, I''ll leave the red tea and coffee for Table 4 to you." "Okay." Charlotte received the drinks and put them the tray that has the @Cruise logo on it. This simple action had such a high elegance to it. At that moment, the workers who became Charlotte''s coworkers were all amazed at her elegance. It was her first time working, yet she was fearless in her gestures. Graceful, but not annoying. The female customers seemed to be mesmerized by Charlotte''s gesture. "Sorry to keep you waiting. May I know who ordered red tea?" "M-Me." Even though she was older, the woman looked nervous as she answered Charlotte. After passing the red tea and coffee to the female customers, Charlotte asked them if they needed a ''Certain Service'' in the shop. "Do you need sugar and milk? If you do, please allow me to serve both of you." "Pl-Please do so. U-Umm, I''ll have more sugar and milk." "Me-Me too." Actually, these two customers normally wouldn''t add sugar or milk, but they just want to enjoy this beautiful butler service, so they deliberately answered him. Perhaps seeing through their thoughts, Charlotte showed a gentle smile and nodded her head. "I understand. Then, please excuse me." Charlotte''s beautiful slender white fingers held onto the spoon lightly as she silently added sugar and milk and mixed them in the cups. Even the occasional light knocking sound caused the female customers to hold their breaths. "Please enjoy." "Th-Thanks..." One of the customers received the cup from Charlotte''s hands, looking extremely tense as she brings it to her mouth. Then, the other female customer who let Charlotte stir her cup looked extremely tense as she coughed once. "Then, if there''s any need, please call me again, ojou-samas." After saying that, Charlotte bowed beautifully and gave off a huge ''Princely'' presence. The female customers just looked stunned, and a simple nod from her was the limit for them. (Ohh, the service industry''s really tough. Is Laura going to be alright?) Charlotte continued to work as she looked for Laura. And then she saw Laura taking orders from three male customers. "Huh, you''re pretty cute? Mind telling me your name?" "..." "Hey there, tell me, what time are you dismissed from work? Let''s go outs" *DAM!* The table got slammed on (or more like thrown over), letting out a huge clank from the teacups, and the liquid inside spilled down. As the guys got shocked, Laura said with a cold tone, "This is water, drink it." "And one with attitude at that! I want to know you more" As he spoke halfway without even ordering, Laura left their table. Then, she went to the bar and said some words. After that, she put a drink on the tray and walked over. "Drink it." Laura placed the cup on the table in a slightly gentler manner (as the coffee tray would break). Even so, the coffee still spilled out from the cup. "Huh, erm, I don''t think I ordered coffee..." "What? If you''re not a customer, get out." "No-No, that''s not it, I just want to check out the items on the menu..." Perhaps he got a good impression on Laura or got taken aback by Laura''s no-buts mentality, as the guy continued to find suitable words to talk to her. In fact, in this society where women reign supreme, people who dare to talk up girls like this are either brave souls or idiots. These guys are definitely the latter. "Lik-Like I said, even if it''s coffee, there''s mocca or Kilimanjaro coffee or something..." Laura''s eyes weren''t smiling as it seemed that she wanted to interrupt them. She gave a sneer. "What? Can you ordinary blokes taste the difference?" "Huh, that...sorry..." In the end, the guys lost under the absolute zero stare and mockery of Laura as she backed away to let them drink their coffee. "Get out once you people are done. Stop hogging the seats." "Yes..." The German Ice side of Laura still remains. But the hard-to-approach attitude of hers, coupled with her pretty looks seemed to become a charm, as the male customers in the shop were giving a ''I want to be served the same manner''. "That-That girl''s amazing..." "I want to be scolded by her, stared down by her, looked down by her!" Even though quite a few customers were rather excited, the other customers and even the staff members pretended not to notice it as they continued with that work. "We-Well, can I add another order? If possible, I''ll have that blond butler!" "I want coffee! Can the silver-haired maid come over?" "I want the bishounen butler!" "I want the bishoujo maid!" This commotion spread throughout the entire shop, causing an explosive ruckus. Feeling really troubled, Charlotte and Laura didn''t know what to do, but the shopkeeper moved in and directed them to whichever table they needed to go to and controlled the way they were called. As expected of a professional, the shopkeeper was clear on the instructions, and they skillfully finished serving 5 times the usual number of customers. This chaotic situation maintained itself for about 2 hours. As Charlotte and Laura were mentally tired, something happened. "EVERYONE, DON''T MOVE!!!" Three men broke in and shouted loudly. For a while everyone present didn''t know what was going on, but after hearing a gunshot, someone screamed. "KYAAAAHHHH!!!" "SHUT UP! BE QUIET!!" The men were dressed in jackets and jeans. Their heads were masked and they had guns. They also had quite a lot of bank notes in the bags behind them. In one look, anyone could tell that they were robbers, and they had just robbed a bank. The 20th century manga attire stunned everyone, but that was something else altogether. Besides, they were savage criminals with guns, so everyone had to follow their orders. "HELLOTHE ROBBERS INSIDE! YOU''RE ALREADY SURROUNDED! HURRY UP AND SURRENDER! I REPEAT" The police sealed off the place extremely fast, creating a yellow area in front of the station. Looking through the windows, the patrol cars sealed off the roads outside the shop, and they were policemen dressed in bulletproof vests and riot shields in their hands, forming a perimeter. "...For some reason" "...The police are responding in the same manner." "...How old fashioned..." Several customers remembered the old-chronicles of history that wouldn''t be useful to teenagers, forgetting that they were hostages as they muttered. "Wha, what do we do, aniki[4B 2]!? If this keeps up, we''ll all" "Don''t panic! There''s nothing to panic. We have hostages. They can''t force their way in." What looks like the leader of the trio, a relatively well-built man said this, and the other two that wanted to run away naturally regained their confidence. "He-Hehe, that''s right! We have lots of cash to get this." *DUKIN!* As the hard sound of metal could be heard, the men started loading their pump-action shotguns, and then shot at the ceiling to terrify them. "KYAAAHHH!!" As the lights shattered, the (mentally) lost female customers let out an ear piercing scream. In response, the leader fired a pistol to make her shut up. "SHUT UP! WE WON''T KILL YOU IF YOU FOLLOW WHAT WE DO, GOT IT!?" The woman went pale and nodded a few times, biting her lips tight for fear that she could let out her voice. "HEY, THE POLICE OUTSIDE, YOU CAN HEAR ME, RIGHT!? IF YOU WANT ALL THE HOSTAGES TO ESCAPE SAFELY, PREPARE A CAR FOR US HERE! OF COURSE, YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO SEND CARS AFTER US, NOR ARE YOU ALLOWED TO PUT A TRACKING DEVICE ON US!!" After the man shouted that coolly, he added a ''This is payment for being our gofer'' and shot at the cops. Luckily, the bullet only broke the window of a patrol car, but that was enough to scare the surrounding onlookers. "Hehe, these guys are in a mess." "Someone said that ''It''s easier to commit a crime in a peaceful country'', so that''s true after all!" "Yeah." The men gave vicious smiles, but a pair of eyes were observing them. (One of them has a shotgun, another has a submachine gun, and the boss has a pistol. There may be other weapons prepared, but anyway--) Charlotte continued to keep low as she calmly analyzed the situation. Checking the situation in the shop again, she moved her eyes, but suddenly widened them in shock. Other than the criminals, the only one standing in the shop was Laura. Besides, the pretty girl that would dazzle anyone with her silver hair and eyepatch would make anyone want to stop for her. "What''s with you? Didn''t I tell you to be quiet?" Unexpectedly, the boss went over. Laura just glanced at his gun and looked away. "Hey, are you listening? Or do you not know Japanese?" "Forget about it, Aniki. Isn''t this good? We have lots of time, so let''s get this girl to serve us!" "Ah? What are you saying, kid?" "Because you see, she''s really cute!" "I-I agree! I''ve never been to a maid caf before..." The two henchmen snickered, looking rather excited yet shy. The boss frowned, and sat down on the sofa. "Humph, oh well, I''m thirsty anyway. Hey, bring me the menu!" Glancing at the three men, Laura didn''t look back as she walked to the bar. And brings out a jug of water with ice filled to the brim. "...What''s this?" "Water." "No, we want a menu..." "Shut up and drink itif you dare." Laura suddenly spun the tray, and the ice water naturally dances in mid-air. It seems that she wanted to overturn it as she grabbed the iceand flicked it out. "OUCH!! WH-WHA-WHAT ARE YOU" That was an ice bullet from Laura''s finger as the ice bullet immediately knocked out the index finger, separating it from the trigger. The eyelids, eyebrows and throat got struck while he was defenseless. And before the criminal could even roar, Laura launched a knee-strike at another guy''s abdomen. "STOP MESSING AROUND! YOU PUNK!!" Quick to recover from the pain, the boss immediately started firing. The explosion of the bullet could be heard, but it didn''t hit Laura. Laura used everything in the shop, including sofa, tables, plants, vending machines as cover as her slender body darted through them at an unimaginable speed. "An-Aniki! This-This brat" "SHUT UP! SHE''S JUST A PUNK, HURRY UP AND DEAL WITH" "Unfortunately for you, there''s not just one." Closing in behind the boss while he was reloading was a bishounen dressed in butler attirecorrection, it''s the bishoujo Charlotte. Saying this, Charlotte sighed in pity. The reason wasn''t just because she got involved in some needless criminal activity, but also that Laura took action without waitingand that she had to support her. "WHAT!? You" "Ah, good thing I''m in butler attire. Yup, then I can lift my leg without worry." Charlotte said that as she kicked the pistol off the boss'' fingers. Then, she raised her leg, and it landed on the shoulder of the man who was holding the shotgun, making him unable to fight back. With a crisp rattling sound, the man''s arm that was holding the shotgun fell in a limp. Both of them were already used to itbecause, this isn''t some hi-level combat. This was also proof of how many tough battles they''d been through. Once someone becomes a personal IS pilot, any country would have a mock training session for ''All possible scenarios'', and that applies for representative cadets as well. They''re trained to overcome difficulties even when they can''t deploy their ISes. Of course, Laura, who was a soldier, had much better skills, reaction ability and physical ability than Charlotte, who was not from military personnel. But it wasn''t too much of a problem for her to handle this. "Target 2''s taken downLaura, what about you?" "No problems. Target 3''s taken down as well." Both of them confirmed that the two henchmen had lost all consciousness and mobility (they''re knocked out), and nodded at each other. Only the final target was leftthe boss. As expected, the guy who got his finger kicked readied his pistol in his left hand, trying to stand up. "ST-STOP MESSING AROUND!! HOW, HOW CAN I, HOW CAN I LOSE TO TWO BRATS LIKE THAT...!" The moment he was about to squeeze the trigger, Laura went leaping forward like a bullet. Turning around to dodge the first bullet, Charlotte stepped on the special @Cruise tray under her foot. The ''Item'' that was stepped on the edge flew in mid-air, and flew to Laura''s hand that was just there. It was a black killer object with a blunt glow. Laura grabbed the pistol that could kill at will and pointed it at the boss'' forehead. "Too slow. Die." "Huh? Laura, hold" *CLANK!* What hit the boss'' head wasn''t a bullet, but the butt of the pistol. The man fell onto the floor lifelessly like a puppet with its strings cut, lying motionlessly. "All targets secured." "...Haa, I was scared there for a while..." "Because if you said that, amateurs would hesitate and wouldn''t squeeze the trigger. That''s the correct way to deal with this." "No, well, even so." --Laura won''t really shoot it. Charlotte didn''t say it out. The shop went quiet for quite a while. Stunned by this fast roller-coaster-like situation, the ''Civilians'', the customers and workers started trembling as they looked up. "Is-Is it over...?" "We''re save..." "How, how did we..." Though everyone knew that they were safe, they couldn''t understand the situation and could only blink frantically and stare blankly at Laura and Charlotte. And the shopkeeper, who hadn''t fully recovered, was thinking of something completely unrelatedthat was, a report to the main office ''A pretty silver-haired maid and handsome blond male (female) butler took down bank robbers''. Would the company believe her...? "We- WE''RE SAVED!" "THANK GOODNESS! THAN-THANK YOU, MAID-SAN, BUTLER-SAN, THANK YOU!!" Everyone in the shop probably felt some surreal sense now and a commotion spread throughout the shop. Seeing this situation, the police squads determined the current situation and rushed up. "Fuu, the Japanese police are rather outstanding too." "Argh, Laura! We''re representative candidates and personal IS pilots. Got to avoid being the focus of attention!" "You''re right. Got to say sorry to everyone else then." As expected, even with the police squads carrying out traffic control, the media reporters went through the forbidden boundary and rushed in. --But things went for the worst. "I''LL BLOW EVERYTHING UP INSTEAD OF GOING TO JAIL!" The boss whom everyone thought was unconscious lost his mind as he stood up, flipping open the jacket flaps on both side. Plastic explosives could be seen on the inside of his jacket, and it seemed like it could blow up a 40 meter place. Of course, the ignition trigger was in his hands. "Wa--..." "Still so old-fashioned until the end~..." Someone accidentally said this, but there''s even more fear in the shop now. However "Really, you don''t know when to give up." Laura suddenly lifted her right foot as if she was trying to lift her skirt, and the white fabric that was barely seen under the skirt attracted the male gaze. At that moment, she used this time to stamp the foot down. The heel hit the table, which then tumbled, and the pistol on the table flew out. Charlotte rolled out from behind and grabbed that pistol. And then *DA DA DA DA DA!!* "Checkmate!" She quickly fired five X2 bullets, and they landed accurately on the ignition setup, the explosion fuse and the wires. "Wanna continue?" "Your arm will be next." The sounds of two pistols being knocked together made the guy lose his forced viciousness as he trembled and apologized. "So-Sorry, SORRY! I, I WON''T DO IT AGAIN! I PROMISE! PLEASE SPARE ME..." Without listening to the declaration of surrender, Laura and Charlotte left the scene calmly like a black whirlwind. "It''s evening now." 2 hours after the incident happened, both of them finished what they wanted to buy and left the shopping mall in front of the station. It''s only now that they realized that the sky''s orange. "Have you gotten all that you want?" "Yup. Speaking of which, Laura. You wanted to buy your own stuff, but you ended up saying ''I''ll leave it to you then'' or ''Anything that suits you''. You can''t do that as a girl." "Don''t rattle on trivial things. You''ll age really fast." "I-I''M NOT OLD!" In fact, Charlotte even thought of something, so Laura''s words made her jump. What she thought aboutwas Ichika. (Speaking of which, he''s really like an old man at times...) In other words, she may have more or less gotten influenced by him unknowingly. Thinking about this, she can''t just say that Laura''s ''Easily Influenced''. "Ah yes. Let''s go to the park opposite." "The park?" "Mn. The Castle Park. It was formerly a fortress." "Oh, that''s interesting. I heard that Japanese fortresses were hard to break through. Even though they''re just remains of a fortress, there''s value in seeing this." Laura still viewed this from a military perspective, but Charlotte couldn''t say anything with regards to that. Everyone had their own feelings, people had to observe, understand and not force things on each other. "Speaking of which, we really bought a lot of stuff. The shopkeeper secretly gave us money and we ended up buying a lot more than what we expected. That was a great help." "Uu, money? Speaking of which, my account should have about 20 million Euros" "Huh? You have that much money?" "Ahh, well, I was affiliated to the military when I was born anyway. And ever since I became an IS representative candidate, I got more money." (I got a similar funding but I never had so much money...) "But I don''t know how to get the money because I never withdrew money before." "Ahhm, I see...it''s a good thing that you saved up a lot. I''ll teach you how to use the money then." "Mn, I''ll leave it to you then. But that''s because I didn''t need money up till now. The army''s supplies were enough for me, and it''s the same when doing undercover. I won''t take anything other than from the briefing people, or else I''ll reveal myself too easily." "Let''s not mention that then. Anyway, after we go to the park, let''s see if there''s a crepes stall around." "Hm? Crepes stalls? Why?" "Well, during rest time in the shop, someone in the shop told me a charm ''You''ll be really fortunate if you can eat a mixed berry crepes from the crepes stall in this park''." "''Charm''...is it some Japanese occult?" "Umm, it''s good luck." "Oh, a good omen." I see. Laura nodded her head, but Charlotte gave a slightly troubled look. (Uuit''s not wrong to say that, but wouldn''t it be more feminine to call it a charm?) Even so, Laura still followed along, so Charlotte immediately began looking for the shop. But there was no need to look for it, as the shop was right in front of them. The shop stood there, and a lot of high school girls were gathered around it, probably because club activities ended or they just went out. "Let''s hurry up and go there then!" Charlotte grabbed Laura''s hand with both hands and walked towards the mobile crepes shop that was modified from a van. "Sorry, please give me two mixed berry crepes." On hearing Charlotte''s words, the 25-year-old male shopkeeper with a moustache politely lowered his head and said, "AhhI''m sorry. We''re sold out on mixed berry flavor today." "Ah, I see. That''s a pity....do you want another flavor, Laura?" "Hm? I want strawberry and grape then." Laura raised both fingers to indicate that she wanted two and even got ready to pay. "No need for that, Laura. I''ll pay here. You came here with me anyway." "Is that so? Don''t mind it. I''m just trying out how to spend my salary. What''s my score?" The tone was not like a teenage girl, but Charlotte could only give up after hearing Laura say this so earnestly. "100 points." "Fufufu, I knew it." Laura said that happily and received the crepes from the boss. "Which one do you want?" "Mn~ strawberry then." Both of them sit side by side on a bench that''s somewhat far away from the shop. "Mu, mn, this is really nice!" "Yeah. This is the first time I''m eating crepes, and I find it nice too." Charlotte was a little depressed that she didn''t get to buy the legendary mixed berry flavor, but the softness and flavor of the crepe made her voice sound even happier. "Delicious~ we''ll come back again. I''ll get everyone along!" "If that''s the case, I want to get Ichika along." "Tha-That''s cheating! Really!" But after seeing that Laura could be honest with her own feelings, Charlotte felt somewhat envious. (I-If-If I could come along with Ichika as well, I would be really happy too...) Charlotte couldn''t help but remember the dream sequence last weekof course, it wasn''t something that could be said easilyand couldn''t help but blush. It wasn''t directed at anyone, but recalling these ambiguous feelings made Charlotte eat the crepes really quickly. (Uu~ it''s a dream, a dream! That''s not really, a~uu~...forget it, forget it, forget it!) "Charlotte." "Mn? What is it, Laura" Without warning, Laura licked Charlotte''s lips lightly. "WHA-WHAT WERE YOU DODODODODODOODO...!?" "You have sauce on your face." "So-SoSo-SoSoSoSoSowhat, huhhuhhuhHUUUH?" "My hands are full." Saying that Laura, raised the crepes in her left hand and the bags in the right hand for Charlotte to see. "The-Then you could have told me" "But it looked like it was about to fall off." Actually, there wasn''t really any significance. Laura tilted her head, not knowing what Charlotte was being all panicky about. Right now, she looked like a cat who''d do anything it wants as she easily went past the barriers the human heart would have...or that''s the impression Charlotte had. "Ah." Laura licked her shoulder again like a cat combing its own fur. "~!" This sudden action caused Charlotte''s heart to pound like crazy. This wasn''t a question of whether she liked someone of the same gender. If there was such a pretty girl of the same age being this intimate with her, anyone''s heart would pound wildly once or twice. (Uuu~ Laura just didn''t realize her own actions and appearance. That''s why she lacked such awareness..) Though she was thinking about this and grumbling, Charlotte was a pretty girl as well, but humans just couldn''t understand themselves. "Don''t be so angry. I''ll share some of my crepes with you." "I-Itadakimasu." Trying to hide her own embarrassment, Charlotte widened her mouth and took a bite out of Laura''s crepes. "Ah, speaking of which, that crepes shop never sold mixed berry flavor." "Huh?" "The menu never had it. Besides, the kitchen didn''t have a sauce of a similar color." "Is-Is it true? You saw it really clearly." "Of course. What''ll happen if it''s a disguise for a terrorist? If someone ignites a grenade at that distance, our lives will be in danger even if we deploy our ISes quickly." "...So you were observing like that." Was she mindful of the rumor too? Laura''s really a girl! ...but that didn''t seem to be the case as Charlotte lowered her shoulders dejectedly. "But we can still eat a mixed berry flavor." "?" "What flavor''s this crepe?" "What flavor, grape...ah!" Seeing the smile on Laura''s face, Charlotte suddenly had a brainflash. "Ahh! Strawberry and blueberry!" "Correct answer!" Laura took another bite off her crepes. "Umm, Laura! Blueberry and grapes are different!" "But it''s like grapes, right? And if I said ''I want the blueberry flavor'' you''ll find out, Charlotte." On hearing that...Charlotte remembered. When Laura ordered strawberry and grape, the boss even smiled in an interesting manner. "I see...''The mixed berry flavor that would be sold out immediately'', so that''s how the charm goes." Realizing this, Charlotte nodded her head, and felt embarrassed for thinking that Laura ''lacks awareness as a girl''. She thought that she knew everything, but she didn''t know anything at all. Realizing this, Charlotte blushed again, but the reason was different from before. (I-I see. So that''s how it is...it-it''s true that I''ll be really happy if I eat a mixed flavor crepe with my boyfriend...) Charlotte started remembering the things Laura did till here, and the role became that of Ichika''s. She then replayed it again, and it wouldn''t stop playing for the next few days. "Speaking of which, summer''s about to end." "Yeah." Both of them had a common understanding even without saying it out. This year, in summerno, not just summer. This year would be a very important phase for them. Not just in their youth, but also in their lives. That was what they were thinking now. Both of them will never ever forget... The first time they met their first love at the age of 15 "Wha-What, is this...?" "Mn~? , kawaii[4B 3]. It really suits you, Laura!" "Don-Don''t hug me! Uu, I can''t move like this..." "Fuufu-, no~ way. Cats are to stay on the knees obediently." "You-You''re a cat too..." Laura and Charlotte were having a conversation that would make anyone chuckle. After dinner, the two of them had nothing to do, and after rolling on the bed awhile, Charlotte suggested that they should hurry up and wear the pajamas they bought, and so it ended up like this. "Are these...really pajamas?" "Yup, that''s right. It''s nice to sleep in, right?" "How-How would I know without sleeping?" It wasn''t unreasonable for Laura to not be suspicious. Though they were really in pajamas, it was a rare type at that. The bag-shaped clothing covered their bodies, revealing just a face. Also, there were a pair of cat ears on their heads, and there were paw pads on their hands and feet. --In other words, these were kitty pajamas. "It-It''s better to sleep naked. That''s a lot easier." "No~ and it suits you. It''s a waste if you take it off!" Right now, both of them were dressed like that. Laura was in the black kitty pajamas, and Charlotte in the white. And ever since they changed into pajamas, Charlotte had been hugging Laura from behind, letting Laura sit on her own knees. It seemed that she really liked this get-up. File:IS v04 141.jpg Charlotte had been hugging Laura from behind, letting Laura sit on her own knees. "Now Laura, since it''s a rare chance, how about a little nya~n~?" "I-I refuse! Why must I do that?" "Huhbecause it''s cute~. Cuteness takes precedence~" Charlotte smiled with what sounded like laughter, and to Laura, that was a powerful enemy she had never met before. Anyway, she continued to be coerced with things like ''It''s cute so it doesn''t matter'', ''Why can we not wear this'', ''Too bad I have to reject your request'', and with these unreasonable, illogical, baseless things that were 180 degrees different from usual, Laura found herself being hugged by Charlotte on the knees the moment she recovered. "Hurry up, hurry up and try it~ nya~n~?" "Ny-Nya~n~" Though she was shy, Laura the black cat with the eyepatch raised her hand out like that, causing Charlotte to be really happy. Maybe this could rival the data of a certain space battleship main cannon.[4B 4] "Laura''s so cute~. Let''s have a photo! Okay? Okay!" "You-You want to keep a record? I refuse!" "Don''t say that~" *KOK KOK!* "Come in~" Charlotte responded with an intimate tone only the girls dorm would have, and the radiant smile caused Laura to blush. "Hai! Oh, you''re dressed quite differently. Black and white cats." The one who entered the room was Ichika. (EEHHHHHHHHH!!? DID-DID HE SUDDENLY ENTER THIS ROOM? WHY DID IT END UP LIKE THAT? SPEAKING OF WHICH, WHY TODAY!? AHHH, I''M STILL DRESSED IN CAT PAJAMAS! NO-NO, I-I BOUGHT THIS BECAUSE I FELT THAT IT WAS CUTE. I-I WOULD WEAR SOMETHING MORE MATURE NORMALLY, RIGHT!? NO, THAT''S NOT IT!!) Charlotte''s mind was spinning rapidly. Even though she intended to try and explain, what she ended up saying were ambiguous sounds like ''ah, huh, uu...''. "It seemed that you called me today. Sorry that I couldn''t pick up the phone that time, but it was an urgent case related to IS, so I couldn''t call the outside world. I still couldn''t contact you after I returned back in the evening, so I just came along to look." "I-I case. Mn, you''re really attentive as a bride. That''s worth praising." Using the opportunity while Charlotte was panicking, Laura got away from her arms, folded her arms in front of her chest and stood up as she said that, but without the usual intimidating presence. Besides, Laura was dressed in black cat pajamas with cat ears and cat paws. More than intimidating, it made her twice as cute. "It-It seems that I turned my phone to silent and left it in the bag. Ah-Ahaha." Having regained some sense somewhat, Charlotte took out her phone and said that. But she was also dressed in white cat pajamas with cat ears and cat paws. As the scene in front of him was really unbelievable, even Ichika was worrying about where he should focus on. "Fuu." (WAAHHH!! I GOT LAUGHED AT~!! WAHHH!! HE MUST BE THINKING THAT I''M REALLY CHILDISH...UUUUUU~) "Erm, how should I put it. You two look interesting, and very cute." Perhaps seeing that both of them were giggling, Ichika looked happy as he said that. ""Cu-Cute..."" Laura and Charlotte muttered in unison. And then they blushed. They continued to remember and replay what Ichika said as they silently sat on the bed. "Oh yeah, I just went out today, so I got gifts for you." Saying that, Ichika pulled out a cookie bag with a large @Cruise symbol on it. ""!?"" Both of them remembered how they looked when they were working and started dripping cold sweat. (Wer-Were we seen by Ichika? At a time when I wasn''t like a girl at all!) (W-Wa-Was I seen!? When I was in that fluttery dress!?) Ichika''s words became lost to them, as both of them covered their faces because they remembered their work today. They even thought of going crazy. "Also, when I went to that @Cruise shop, there were a bunch of police and media, so I went in thinking that it was something. Then I saw that lively female shopkeeper giving cookies to the customers involved in the incident. She probably thought that I was one of them and gave one bag to me. I wanted to clarify, but she disappeared. It seemed that she was running around, saying that the main office would come over to investigate or something like that. It''s strange, isn''t it?" "Uu, yeah, that-that''s right?" "What-What incident?" Laura''s secretly praying that he may have went to another shop. It was her last hope, but it didn''t happen. "There were bank robbers, I guess. It''s been really messy recently." ""..."" "Then, I heard the reporters saying that some bishoujo maid and bishounen butler dealt with it smoothly. It really felt like something that would happen in movies or serials." "That-That''s right." "Ye-Yeah." "But since they''re so great, I really want to see them..." Both of them jumped on hearing his words. Maybe they thought too much, but they did feel that the cat ears on their pajamas straightened as well. (Uu...but I knew I should have put on that maid outfit...) (But I don''t have the guts to say that it''s us...) Both of them harbored such thoughts, and missed the chance to admit it. "I''ll brew tea. Want some cookies?" Saying that, Ichika walked towards the simple kitchen in the room. "Ah, no need! I''ll prepare it, just sit down, Ichika." "Hm? But your hands can''t do it now, right?" On hearing Ichika''s words, Charlotte and Laura realized that they''re still wearing cat paws. "These are cocoa cookies. And now that we have two kittens, want some hot milk?" "Huh, ah, yeah!" "We-We''ll leave it to you then." Both of them blushed as they were called ''kittens'', and could only blush and nod their heads. "The-Then, Ichika, are these clothes, cute?" Charlotte couldn''t help but ask, and even after asking, she couldn''t help but fiddle with her fingers nervously. "Yeah, I find them cute. One black and one white made it cuter. It really matches you two." "I-I see. Ehehe, it suits me, ha, ufufu." "Since, since you say so...then, it''s not a bad thing to wear this once in a while." Both of them were embarrassed and excited. Soon, Ichika quickly served up the hot milk and cookies. It was a summer night, but they were drinking hot milk. The trio held a secret tea party. An inexplicable tea party with a black cat, a white cat, and a prince. Volume 4 - CH 3 (It hasn''t changed at all......) August, it''s the O-bon festival holiday. During this weekend, I Shinonono Houki have come to a certain shrine. A certain shrinein fact, it''s......the Shinonono shrine, and it was where I lived before I transferred, and also where I was born. (It really hasn''t changed.) The wooden planks in the kendo dojo are the same as in the past. From the information I had received, it was someone who had retired from police who opened that kendo dojo with good intentions. That same person said to the kids ''Kendo starts with a ritual, and ends with a ritual'', and so asked them to keep the equipment and the dojo in a good state, and it was a really good thought. (Now, there are more and more people in the dojo, not like in the past, when there were only me, Chifuyu-nee and Ichika.) Houki looked at the wooden doorplate, and began to immerse herself in her memories. "I will definitely win today!" "Fuun!" "Daaaaahh!" *Bing!* *Bang!* "T-Tomorrow I''ll definitely win!" "Fuun! I don''t know when the day you win will come!" ............ (No, wait, was I such an annoying brat? Also, do I only have memories concerning kendo? Don''t I have some kind of better memories......) Even if she thought about it over and over, she still couldn''t find those kind of memories. (It-It''s impossible, after all my memories can''t all concern kendo, it......is unlikely.) Houki took out her student handbook, and took out a picture inserted in it. In the picture Ichika and Houki were wearing a kendo uniformit was a picture full of memories. In fact beside Houki, there was also Tabane, and on Ichika''s side was Chifuyu, but Houki folded the two sides of the picture, leaving them covered. In fact Rin too had folded her picture into a two-people picture. Ichika''s childhood friends are alike in some weird facets. "Houki-chan, so you''re here!" "Y-Yes?" With her voice suddenly going an octave higher, Houki immediately hid her student handbook behind her, and turned her head. In front of her was a woman in her 40s, near 50, who had a calm temperament conforming to her age, and her face showed a warm smile. "Since I''ve been missing this place, I''ve returned. I''m sorry, aunt Yukiko." "Ara, it''s fine, after all you''ve lived here before, anyone else would like to come back to pay a visit." Her face was showing a sincere smileit was an expression of pure happiness. Houki had never been scolded by her aunt. Even if she did something wrong, her aunt still wouldn''t scold her. "Then, you should know what you did wrong, don''t you? Then it''s fine just like that." Whenever her aunt simply said that, Houki would feel ashamed. After learning how to change her bad points by herself, Houki became someone who didn''t need to be pampered. "By the way, is it really OK? For you to come to prepare for this summer''s festival." "Would, would that give you trouble?" "Of course not, I''m very happy to welcome you! But Houki-chan, you hardly get vacations, don''t you have some boy you want to date?" "Th-That......" Houki suddenly blushed, and Ichika''s silhouette naturally surged in her head. Seeing her reaction, aunt Yukiko seemed to know the answer to that and laughed a bit. "Then, since you''ve already come here, I won''t go easy on you! At 6 o''clock you''ll have to do the Kagura dance,[4C 1] so please go and wash yourself first." "Yes!" The O-Bon festival in the Shinonono shrine, if you classify the strictness, then it''d be Shinto, though it was more for the Earth god''s heritage. That was why, not only in the New Year, but also during the O-Bon festival that the Kagura dance must be performed. [4C 2] That kind of dance is to worship the spirits who return to this world as well as the gods who take them here, and at the same time it''s also the reason why the ''Shinonono school'' evolved into swordsmanship in the past. Though the exact historical records had disappeared because of the wars, and the cause wasn''t clear, but it seemed that there were women who could use swords in this shrine, and moreover, in the end, it was a place of ''ancient lore''. After Houki moved, her relatives also took over the management like this. (It hasn''t changed at all.) Houki, who was in the changing room, started yearning for the place where she lived in the past. After that, she couldn''t help but think of the reason why she left this place. (If it wasn''t that person who invented IS......) Had it not been like that, she would have stayed here. And she would have stayed with Ichika forever. ".................." She was showing a stern expression while undressing, and after her hand felt ''that'' on her left wrist, she stopped. ''That'' was a red ribbon, about a centimeter wide, twisted, and with golden and silver rings in the front, being a perfect pairthat was [Akatsubaki] in its standby mode. (Though, the one who gave me this......) After her little sister asked the first time, her elder sister pleasantly answered her. Whenever she thought that, she could feel pleasure surging from the bottom of her heart, and forget those hateful memories. (I......what the hell am I thinking......) Is it to forgive her? Is it to reject her? (......I don''t know......) I don''t know, I really don''t know. Houki felt that maybe the two were right, and the two were wrong. (......Anyway, I''ll think about her after the bath.) Before the divine dance, to perfectly purify the body, the river water or the well water should be used, but concerning that point, it''s really arbitrarythe people are more like ''So the festival can continue, we can close our eyes on this''. And for this, the Shinonono shrine''s purification, only taking a bath would be fine. Houki entered the bathroom with only the red bracelet on her. When Houki was young, the bathroom had been upgraded so it''s all made of hinoki cypress, and it wouldn''t lose to the hot springs during the seaside school last month. Though she doesn''t know how spacious is the inn''s bath, but at least, four people can extend their legs in the bath. "Huaa......" Immersing herself in the bath she hasn''t used for years, she thought that it was just as comfortable as in the past. The bath''s water was just a bit hotter than normal warm water, and it suited Houki''s taste. When she extended her body in the water, small splashing sounds were made, and she felt very comfortable. (As I thought, a bath is really the best......) The hot water ran over her delicate skin, with feelings of comfort and gentleness running over her body. As she was going to happily accept these sensations, she suddenly thought of the things that happened last month. "............" The time that she spent with Ichika on the seashore, at night. While thinking that their lips had almost met, her fingertips slightly touched her own. (Had it continued like that......) They would have kissedfor sure. "............" And as if she wanted to hide the fact that she was blushing, Houki plunged in the bath, with the water arriving to the level of her lips. After that, since she couldn''t bear the feelings of joy, which couldn''t be expressed into words, surging from the depth of her heart, the sighs she was making, like that, became bubbles in the bath. (Th-That, does it mean, that it''s like this? I-Is it really like this? I-I-Ichika also loves me, so-so-so it means, that both of us are in love with each other......AAAHHHH!) Even her ears and her forehead became completely red, and Houki created many bubbles around her neck. After that, for maybe a minute or two, maybe even ten minutes after that, she was in that state. Suddenly, she surged out of the water because she didn''t have oxygen remaining in her, and stood up. "Aaaaaahhhh!" She was happy and embarrassed, but......she really loves him. These feelings in her heart continuously flowed, and made Houki show an unexplainable angry face. Of course, her cheeks weren''t red due to the hot water, but due to other matters. (N-No! I''ll act as normal, as if nothing happened, today my job is to act as a shrine maiden, I must delete the distractions in my mind.) And again, she got back into the water, and began making bubbles again. "............" After that, it had actually been fifty minutes later that Houki left the bath. "Come, it''s good, now like this, the preparations are finished." Wearing the white shirt and dress that were used for the dance, the Houki with golden ornaments looked way more mature than usual; like that, her body was emitting a mysterious aura, and she was beautiful enough to make people hold their breath. "Can you use the rouge by yourself?" "Yes, I can, I''ve already used it before." "Ah, right, Houki-chan has danced the divine dance since she was young. Hnn~~you were cute at that time too." "For w-what happened before......" "Oh, haha, I''m really sorry, it''s always like that when you are older." To cover her face which had an embarrassed expression, Houki used the fingertip of her little finger to take a bit of rouge on a plate and color her lips. To not use the lipstick nowadays, but instead using the rouge like in the past, is also this shrine''s habit. (......OK.) After checking on her mirror whether she had put the rouge well, Houki was satisfied. She thought that back then, no matter what her mother would do, she stubbornly wanted to do the divine dance. Though it was really embarrassing, but compared to this, she would rather concentrate herself on the image of her that the mirror was reflecting. (Aunt Yukiko''s make-up skills are really good, the one the mirror is reflecting really looks like someone else. It looks almost like) A princess from somewhere. When that word came into her mind, Houki''s cheeks turned red again. (Re-Recently, it seems that I''ve been getting too ahead of myself...) And she knew the reason behind it. "..." Houki coughed slightly for a bit to make her expression look stern again. Seeing Houki like this, aunty took the sacred sword from the altar. "Speaking of which, Houki-chan. You never took this alone. Just the fan, right?" "I-I can handle it now!" And like what Houki said, she immediately pulled the sword out from the sheath. She wielded the sword with her right hand, and the fan with the left hand. This sword and fan combination originated from the move ''One sword one flash''[4C 3], and even till now, it''s one of the signature moves of the Shinonono sword style. Even so, this doesn''t mean that a fan must be used. The weapon in the left hand must ''Receive'', ''Sink'' and ''Manipulate'', while the right hand must ''Cut'', ''Sever'' and ''Penetrate''. In other words, it''s more like a defensive ''nitoryuu'' style. In other styles, it''s also called a ''Grove nitoryuu''.[4C 4] "Swing the fan for me, Houki-chan. Aunty only saw you swing it when you were young." "Ah, okay. I''ll treat it as a little practice then." Houki sheathed the sword back and put it at her belt. The way she did it looked like a samurai sheathing his sword instead of a divine dance. But this would be an accurate description, since she is of the Shinonono line after all. "I''m starting." Houki flipped out the fan that was folded up. The bells on each end of the fan gave a ring, *shiian*...a solemn tone. It''s now practice, but Houki, who''s doing the divine dance, gave an aura that feels like she was on stage, seemingly making everyone around her calm down. She swayed the fan left and right, squatted down halfway before drawing the sacred sword. Then, the blade of the sword followed the fan as it slashed the air. Right now, she looked like a real ''Sword Miko'' that possessed dignity and calmness, and Houki, who got a lot more prettier than when she was young, naturally gave such a presence. "...That''s it for practice." "Well! Well well well! Amazing, Houki-chan! You practiced often after you left here, right?" "Huh, yeeah...sort of...well, I am a miko after all..." Seeing her aunt smile happily like this, Houki looked embarrassed as she said that. But she would definitely not tell Ichika about this. Houki had some bad memories about doing childish things. (I got laughed at by guys before...) At that time, Ichika looked really dashing when he stepped up. Though the first impression he gave was rather poor, after that incident, Houki had a better view of Ichika''s attitude. So she didn''t want Ichika to know. In the past, Ichika was angry because ''So many boys ganged up on a girl'', and not because that ''Houki got humiliated''. If Ichika said to her ''You''re not suited to do feminine things'', it wouldn''t just be a mental trauma. In the worst case scenario, she may end up crying on scene Thinking about this, Houki felt that she must not let Ichika see her perform the divine dance, so she didn''t invite him along. (Besides, that guy''s always like that. He won''t come here even if he remembers that it''s the summer festival today. He''ll definitely feel that it''s troublesome or something and stay around at home.) Thinking about this, Houki realized that she wasn''t interested now. (Ar-Arghhh! Anyway! Ichika won''t come here! So I just need to focus on the dance!) "Yo." "..." File:IS v04 161.jpg Houki immediately blushed, and her face was so red that it wouldn''t lose to the red hakama. "You''ve been working hard." Ichika, he''s here. (WAIWAIWAIWAIWAIT A MINUTE! THAT''S WEIRD! WAY TOO WEIRD! WHY DID ICHIKA APPEAR HERE AFTER I FINISHED THE DIVINE DANCE AND CHANGED INTO THE MIKO OUTFIT TO SEAL THE SHRINE''S CHARMS!?) As her mind was in too much of a mess, Houki tried to replay what she did in the past few minutes again and again in a very dazed manner, and then checked the current situation again. "Speaking of which, you''re amazing. I was shocked to see you like that." (Am I dreaming? Something impossible just happened. Maybe I''m just dreaming.) "And, also...very pretty." "WH--!?" Houki immediately blushed, and her face was so red that it wouldn''t to lose the red hakama. (U-U-UUU!? I-I-I WAS JUST DREAMING! THA-THAT ICHIKA WOULD-WOULDN''T SAY SUCH THINGS TO ME! THAT''S RIGHT, IT MUST BE LIKE THAT! IT''S JUST A DREAM, JUST A DREAM!) "THIS MUST BE A DREAM!" "Wha-What''s wrong?" Shocked by the sudden raising of voice, Ichika asked back in a somewhat weak manner. "THIS MUST BE A DREAM. I''M DEFINITELY DREAMING! HURRY UP AND WAKE UP!" "What''s wrong, Houki-chan? Why are you so loud? What just happened...oh my?" Noticing that something''s amiss, aunt Yukiko came over to look at Houki and Ichika. "Oh my." *PAN!* Seemingly thinking of something, aunt Yukiko clapped once, and there seemed to be a light bulb above the head. "I can settle the things here, Houki-chan. Hurry up and go to the summer festival." "What!? ...uu, as expected of a dream, things that are impossible just continued to happen. If that''s the case..." Houki continued to mutter as she still seemed to be thinking that she''s dreaming. Seeing Houki like this, a light bulb appeared above aunt Yukiko''s head. "Eih!" *PAK!* In contrast to her usual gentleness, aunt Yukiko swung a sharp karate chop. "OUCH!!?" "Houki-chan, hurry up and return back to reality." "Huh..." The brain that was hit caused Houki to recover. Then, aunt Yukiko turned Houki to the right side and pushed her out. "Okay, okay, move faster. Go take a shower to wipe the sweat off. Auntie here will take out the yukata for you during that time." "Th-Tha-That..." "Okay okay, hurry up!" Auntie didn''t want to let Houki have a chance to talk as she pushed her back to the main house. As they left, she even said to Ichika, "You must wait for her. It''s a boyfriend''s job to wait for his girlfriend." "Huh?" Ichika was momentarily stunned, but aunt just blinked at him and brought Houki into the house. He didn''t know what was going on, but since she wanted him to wait, Ichika could only wait. (Th-Tha-That''s impossible!) *SPLASH!* After letting the hot water drip down her head for the third time, Houki repeated what she said. (Ichika came to the summer festival. There''s was a possibility...and-and-and also!) *Splash*, Houki washed herself a 4th time. The wet black hair continued to drip, but she didn''t mind. (Th-Tha-That Ichika-that Ichika actually-that Ichika actually, called-called me ''Pretty''...) Right now, Ichika, who had been beautified four times in Houki''s mind, softly said. "You''re so pretty, Houki..." "Ho-Hold it, Ichika! Did-Didn''t you come here to see the fireworks? Why-Why are you always looking at me..." "That''s because I want an excuse to be along with you." "I-Ichika..." "Houki..." And then, their lips slowly touched each other "KYAAHHHH!!" *SPLASH!* She again drenched another full bucket of water on herself. "Houki-chan? I seemed to hear a scream. Are you alright?" "I-I''m okay! I''m alright!" Houki said such a lie without thinking, but she didn''t look alright at all. "Any-Anyway, you should be done, right? It''s been past 30 minutes." "Huuh!?" Completely forgetting about the time, Houki frantically washed her hair and body to clear off the sweat. After bathing, she immediately used the hairdryer to dry her hair. Aunt made things faster by putting the yukata on Houki without allowing her to refuse, and she could only let her aunt do that. "Mn, okay, Houki-san''s really suited to wear a yukata~ because you have hair comparable to your mom." "Tha-Thanks..." Houki thanked her aunt for putting on the yukata and praising her, but the fact that she was wearing something different from usual made her unable to hide her panic. Actually, Houki hadn''t worn a yukata in many years, but the presence and completeness she gave was comparable to the models in magazines, even displaying her own personal style. (It-It suits...me well...I guess! At-At least I don''t look weird wearing it, right?) Having no confidence in her own looks, Houki said that as she looked at the mirror. The red goldfish that was swimming about leisurely was printed on the white-based yukata with light blue patterns on it, and the silver pearls and gold patterns weren''t too much. They matched each other really well, creating a clear balance and presence of dignity. "Then, bring this along. You can put your purse, handphone and other important stuff inside." Saying that, her aunt passed a little bag to her. When did she prepare that...Thinking about it, Houki decided not to think about it even further. Aunt Yukiko has always been such an intelligent person. She would always prepare things for anything. "Th-Then, aunt Yukiko." "What is it?" "Than-Thank you..." Seeing Houki say this shyly, aunt showed a really mystified look, and then responded with a radiant smile. "No problems. More importantly, here, don''t keep your boyfriend waiting." "No, that''s not it. Well, about that" "Okay okay, hurry up." She got prompted out of the corridor by her aunt and walked down the corridor. On the way, she looked up at the clock hanging on the wall, and found that it was already past 6pm. The outside was already darkened by the orangey-red sky. "The fireworks will start at 8. Find a place where both of you can be alone." "So-So I say...he''s not" "Okay~ be careful on the way~" "Uu..." Even though Houki wanted to say something to her aunt who didn''t want to hear her explanation, she was forced to wear the wooden sandals and had to go out of the house. She didn''t have any room to argue back. Besides, she was most mindful about Ichika who ended up waiting for an hour. (Wha-What should I do? I spent a longer time than expected. Did Ichika go home already? And aunt even got mistaken...ahh, what should I do!?) Houki took care not to mess up the bottom of her skirt as she hurriedly rushed to the bird gate. In the past, when they said that they would meet up, it would be over there. (Where''s Ichika...) Having reached the tori gate, Houki found that it was hard to find Ichika as there was a lot of people gathered there. Besides, almost everyone would go through the tori gate to the shrine, so even if she stood there, she would feel that she was blocking everyone. (So Ichika really went back...) Just when Houki thought of that, someone grabbed her hand. "You''re so slow, Houki. I was getting impatientoh? You''re dressed in a yukata." "I-I-Ichika! Where were you!? I didn''t notice you at all!" The second unexpected meeting made Houki overly nervous as she couldn''t express her words properly. (Ca-Calm down, calm down a bit...ahh!? My hand! He''s holding onto my hand...!?) It was only now that she realized that Ichika was holding onto her hand tightly, and her face immediately reddened. Luckily, the surroundings got a bit dark, so Ichika didn''t notice her blushing. "Ohh~ that''s not bad. This attire suits you." "Re-Really? I-I-I think so too!" I-I got praised!? Did I get praised again? Dragging along Houki who was drowning in the praises and feeling somewhat fearful, Ichika continued to head through the crowd. "Then let''s go walk around. Alsospeaking of which, I haven''t been to the summer festival in two years. Last year, I was preparing for my exams." "..." Houki placed her left hand in front of her chest to try and check & control the beating of her heart as she followed Ichika from behind. Her right hand was still being held. "Cotton candy, yakisoba, grilled corn. This place has everything. As expected of the Shinonono shrine." She didn''t know what Ichika meant by that, but right now, Houki almost couldn''t hear it. Right now, Houki was only worried about whether Ichika could hear her heartbeat or not. "Houki?" "Wha-What?" Ichika thought that Houki couldn''t hear his words because there were so many people in the crowd, so he brought his face closer to Houki. At that moment, Houki remembered the moment when they were at the seaside last month in the middle of the night. They didn''t kiss, so she frantically pulled her distance this time. Right now, Ichika looked completely the same as when she peeked and saw him. "Hey, don''t move around. You''ll knock into others." "Uu, okay, sorry." "Alright, where do you want to go?" "We-Wel-Well..." After avoiding the people, the hand that was released now felt really anxious. However, Houki couldn''t say that she wanted to hold hands, and the fingers that were hidden behind could only move about anxiously. (Bu-But, we''re alone now. It''s different from school. We''re alone. Y-Yeah!) Thinking about this, she immediately felt happy about the current situation, and yet couldn''t get rid of the loneliness of being unable to hold hands. "Speaking of which, Houki, you really couldn''t catch goldfish." "That-That was the past! The past!" "Mn? You''re different now?" "Of course! Don''t think that I''ll always be the same as before!" "Then let''s have a match, shall we? The loser will have to treat." "No problem. Fine by me!" Folding their arms and nodding in agreement, Houki and Ichika went to look for a goldfish scooping stall. After walking for a while, both of them reached their destination and tried out for one scoop "Ah, but Houki, you''re in a yukata. Is it okay?" "I''m used to wearing a yukata already. No need to go easy on me." "Is that so...then, a showdown!" "Fine by me!" Both of them dipped their nets into the water at the same time. "Sorry to make you treat me with yakisoba." Even though Ichika was eating the yakisoba happily, beside him, Houki clenched her fist unhappily. Houki thought that both of them would be tied at 3-all, but one of the goldfish jumped back into the fish tank. Both of them got attracted by the movements of the goldfish, and the net broke at the same time, so the winner was decided then. "That damned goldfish...jumped back into the water while I was serious..." "Just the goldfish?" After a staredown with twice the intensity, Ichika could only shut up. "Oh well, you don''t have to be so angry. Here, the yakisoba''s nice. Have some of it, Houki." After saying that, Ichika passed the chopsticks with noodles on it to her. (Is-Is-Is this the so-called...indirect kiss...) Her heart beating wildly again, Houki was cautious not to let her feelings show on her face as she looked at Ichika''s expression. "Hm?" However, the person himself didn''t seem too different from usual. It probably didn''t mean anything else. Even though she''s unhappy about this, Houki still felt happy about the gentleness Ichika naturally showed. She looked down in a somewhat shy manner, opened her mouth only when Ichika reminded her with a ''Here, ahh'', and ate the noodles on the chopsticks. "Mn, uu, it-it''s better than I thought..." "Didn''t I say so? Besides, you''re hungry, aren''t you? You were even doing the divine dance just now." "Uu, mn, tha-that, that''s right...I guess..." In fact, had Ichika not reminded her, she would have forgotten that she was hungry. But even in such a state, she still nodded her head, because she didn''t want to talk too much and end the natural ''Here, ahh'' Ichika had said. (But it seems that this guy will do that to anyone.) Thinking about this, Houki suddenly felt some pain in her chest. I really wish that he would specially do such a thing for me Houki couldn''t help but think this. This is a 16-year-old girl who fell into the net of love. "My-My mouth feels a little thirsty." "You''re rightyou''re feeling hot because of the crowd, right? Can''t be helped then. Let''s go buy something to drink." "Uu, mn." Though she was blushing because of a completely different reason, Houki still nodded her head. (O-Okay, I''ll just hold his hand naturally like that) Having a serious gaze as though she was about to draw a sword in a showdown, Houki stared at Ichika''s hand. Then, the perfect opportunity arrived. (No-Now-Now''s the time!) "Huh? Ichika...san?" "Oh?" Ichika turned around suddenly due to the call, and Houki''s hand missed. However, as she didn''t want to let others see herself being embarrassed like this, Houki raised her hand that didn''t reach the target and acted like she was tidying her hair. (Ahhh, really! Who did that? Who interrupted us!) "Oh, it''s Ran." (...U, uu? Who''s that?) It''s to be expected that she didn''t know the person, but the fact that a girl she didn''t know yet Ichika knew of suddenly appeared made Houki really mindful. "Such-Such a coincidence..." "Yeah. I thought that I wouldn''t meet anyone familiar here too. What a coincidence. Where''s Dan?" "Who-Who knows? Maybe he''s sleeping at home?" Thinking about this, Ran seemed to be in a similar yukata getup as Houki. She wasn''t in her usual ponytail, instead, she had a complicated hairstyle that was tied and swept behind. "Oh, this is the first time I''m seeing you in a yukata, Ran! Though I only had an impression of you in a dress, the yukata suits you too." "Is-Is-Is that so? Tha-Thank you for the praise..." Trying to hide her blushing face, Ran lowered her head slightly. From this, Houki''s alert radar immediately raised into alert status as she noticed the girl''s affections for Ichika. "AhhPrez is embarrassed. That''s so rare" "I see! So Prez wouldn''t even go out with boys from other schools and girls from our school because of this?" "Do your best, Prez?" A group of girls in yukata standing behind Ran exclaimed. "You-You-You people!" "KYA~ Prez is angry~" "We just touched the fangs~" "That''s so scary~" Seeing the girls with her joking around, Ran took a deep breath and wanted to scold them, but Ichika took the first words. "They''re your friends from school?" "Huh, yeeah, they''re, student council members..." Unknowingly, Ichika went beside Ran, and this distance made her jump, and she even stuttered. The four girls laughed at Ran for being like this and then continued talking to continue her words. "We''re here today to get inspiration for the school autumn festival." "Since it''s a learning festival, we have to come here ourselves!" "But I guess it''s time for us to go back!" "Huh? Why are you deciding" Ran widened her eyes because she heard that for the first time. This is to be expected, because these teenage girls decided to use the legendary eye contact. "Bye Prez!" "We''re going off!" "See you at school!" "Adis!" "Huh? Ah, hey, wait a" With quick footsteps, the four girls moved away really fast as if they weren''t in yukatas and quickly vanished into the crowd. Ran, who reached her hand out at the 4 who quickly left, left it in mid-air, and she was left alone with Ichika beside her and Houki, whose mood just seemed to have gotten worse. "Huh, umm, well, those girls, they just like to joke around." "Ah, I can understand somewhat." "They-They''re not bad girls. They don''t have any ill intentions, you know?" Ran, who was trying to defend herself with overt passion, found that her body was too close to Ichika. "So-Sorry!" Ran immediately backed away from Ichika and turned right. Her face was a lot redder than before. "Ahahem!" Houki deliberately coughed to remind Ichika, probably unable to deal with their world. "Oh, sorry, I forgot to introduce. Umm~ she''s Gotanda Ran. Do you remember the time I talked to you about Dan? Ran''s his little sister." "I''m Gotanda Ran." Ran greeted Houki formally. From her attitude, Houki immediately realized that she was her enemy in love. "And she''s Shinonono Houki, my first childhood friend. I told you of her before, right?" "Nope, you only told me the name." "I see. Oh well, please take care of each other. Hey, Houki." "I''m Shi-Shinonono Houki. Nice to meet you." "Nice to meet you too." Both of them formally greeted each other again, and then maintained a few seconds of silence. During that time, both of them were thinking (I heard that Ichika-san spoke before of some samurai or some bushido...but-but he never said that she was so pretty. And, and also, those breasts are big...it feels sneaky...that''s cheating...) (That damned Ichika! Lying to me that he''s not really familiar with his friend''s sister...she''s interested in you, right? And also...she''s cute in ways different from me...uu, I''m so angry!) Then, both of them looked at him, expecting Ichika to say something. "..." "..." Ichika looked somewhat embarrassed by their serious looks. "Wha-What?" "Nothing." "Nothing." Even though both of them answered so briefly, their sharp looks didn''t soften any bit. File:IS v04 181.jpg Ichika was in the middle, Houki on the left and Ran on the right, as they walked together. "Oh." *PA!* Ichika suddenly clapped. The two people who didn''t manage to get his next sentence sharpened their eyes. "Want to go out together?" It defied all expectations, but it''s an expected answer for a blockhead, and that caused Houki to lower her head dejectedly. On the other hand, Ran was delighted by Ichika''s unexpected answer. "You see, since Ran''s friends went home...ah, Ran, you aren''t going home yet?" "Not-Not that! Okay, please allow me to go out with you!" Ran forcefully grabbed Ichika''s hand, making Ichika look somewhat mystified. Ran realized from his expression that she was really bold, and blushed as she released her hand. "Let''s walk around then." "Okay." "Ahh..." In contrast to the delighted Ran, Houki made a very dejected response unhappily. Ichika was in the middle, Houki on the left and Ran on the right, as they walked together. In the bustling summer festival, most of them are family members being together, friends being together and also lovers holding hands together. (Thi-This is a good chance...! It''s a good chance to get near Ichika-san! And that idiot brother''s not around! But, but my rival''s somewhat strongun! I''ll do my best!) Ran glanced at Ichika''s face as she secretly gave herself a victory pose to motivate herself. (Uu...I really want to get used to Ichika''s blockheadedness, but at this point...as expected, he would praise other girls in yukata other than me...haa, this infuriates me...) Thinking about this, Houki couldn''t help but be even angrier. And her anxiety started to build up, including her own naive thoughts. (Bu-But, well, never mind...I-I just got an indirect...ki...ss...anyway. Fufufu?) Though this may be just some unknown happiness to outsiders, to the person involved, it''s enough that such a little happiness belonged to her. Houki cupped her hands together as it seemed that she wanted to keep those memories. "Speaking of which, Ran, you often came along with Dan, right?" "Huh, yeah, sorta. My dad often said that it would be dangerous for girls to go out on their own, so he didn''t allow me to go out freely." But it''s because of that that I could mingle with Ichika-san. Ran slightly muttered. Only she could hear that voice in her heart. Deep inside her heart, Ran felt that that day was the anniversary of her first crush. The gentle, happy and warm feeling gradually spread through her chest. (I may be able to be a little bolder today...) I must do my best today! With those words, Ran reached out for Ichika''s hand. *DONK* "KYAH!?" "Ah, sorry!" "No, it''s okay. It was my fault for not watching the road." Having knocked into a passer-by, Ran lowered her head and apologized. "Are you okay, Ran?" "Ah..." Ichika naturally pulled Ran, who lost her balance, into his chest. She was in the chest of someone she likes. More delicate than Mozart''s piano theme and more exciting than Vivaldi''s Concerto, this was too sudden for a teenage girl. "Huh, uu, ah...!" Even though her arms were flailing meaninglessly, Ran couldn''t do anything as she could only let her girl instincts run wild. "Hm?" "Ah, ahit''s that!" Ran randomly pointed at the shooting shop...but that was done to prevent her thoughts from being revealed. "Oh? Are you good with that?" "Huh, mmn sort of." Trying to prevent her quickening heartbeat from being discovered, Ran pretended to tidy her yukata and pulled her distance from Ichika. (Ahh, did-did I just embarrass myself? U-Uu...Ichika-san''s body''s really sturdyTHAT''S NOT IT! WE-WE''RE-WE''RE GOING TO PLAY SHOOTING! I MUST DO MY BEST!) "We''re going then...hm? Houki? You''ll get lost if you''re so far away. Here." Saying that, Ichika held Houki and Ran''s hand at the same time as he headed to the shooting stall. Most likely, he didn''t know the feelings of the girls whose hands he was holding. "Hello, welcome." "Uncle, give us a game for three." "Oh? You''re holding flowers on both hands? How envious. Okay, no discount then!" "Huuh? Don''t say that. Give me a discount! At least to the girls." "Gahahahah. I humbly refuse." The boss of the shooting stall gave such a casual smile as he said that. He had a white T-shirt over his tanned body, and the muscles on his arms and shoulders could be seen. Ichika felt that he was nice, and so paid for all three of them. "Thanks...oh, kid, you have some attitude there. Brats nowadays hardly pay for the girls." "Yeah! So give me a discount" "I refuse. A popular guy''s an enemy of all men! Gahahaha!!!" Though the boss looked like a nice guy, there didn''t seem to be any room for bargaining. Ichika, Houki and Ran received a pistol each, loaded the cork bullets, and readied them. "..." Like a sniper, Ran stared seriously at the target. Right now, she was hard to approach, much like a switchblade, and it felt that anyone who got near her would be cut. (...I couldn''t shoot well at all...) Ran regretted that her self-defense mechanism that kicked in immediately a few seconds ago was basically digging her own grave. "Ohyou look serious. Do your best, Ran!" "Yes." Not wanting to be distracted, Ran nodded her head. (AHHH!! NOT GOOD NOT GOOD! I CAN''T DO THIS WELL AT ALL!) But the longer it took, Ichika and even the surrounding customers would expect more for her. (Got to end this now and then say ''Actually, I can''t play this well, so please teach me'', so let''s do this! Yeah, let''s do this then! That''s the way!) That''s right, maybe there will be body contact when he teaches me. Besides, Ichika-san''s grades in IS Academy were brilliant. I saw that on TV. YupYup! As the colors of pink, grape and fruit started to come up, the cork bullet suddenly shot out. "Oh." "Ohh?" "Ohhh!?" *PAKPUNNK!!* "You-You hit that metal plate...! The, the LCD TV~!" "HUH? HUH? HUUUH...?" It seemed that she subconsciously shot the hardest prize. Everyone, from the boss of the shooting shop to the surrounding customers and Ichika went wild. "Amazing, Missy! I thought that nobody would be able to hit thatahh, it''s alright." "Ha-Haa..." "You made the LCD TV as the target! Amazing! And you even hit it! I''m impressed." Ichika really looked impressed as he clapped his hands. The surrounding customers started clapping with him, and there was even more people. "Kahahaha! I made a loss today! Damn it, take it take it~!" "Tha-Thanks..." The packaging wasn''t really small, but it wasn''t something a middle school girl couldn''t take as Ran recevied the prize. "That''s great." "Really..." Seeing Ran lower her head dejectedly, Ichika had a ''?'' above his head. On the other hand, standing on the other side of Ichika, Houki "Uu..." Having missed 5 straight shots, Houki had no bullets left. "Houki''s as bad a shooter as always." "SHU-SHUT UP! I-I CAN HIT IT WITH A BOW AND ARROW!" "No, the prize will break, definitely...really, you need help." Ichika handed his remaining bullets and even the loaded pistol to Houki. "Basically, the way you''re holding the gun is too weird. You must be like this, put your arms straight, look straight, and make sure the bullet''s in the same trajectory" "..." Saying that, Ichika made body contact with Houki. Though Houki looked emotionless, her heart was pounding crazily. (WAHHH! THA-THAT''S TOO BOLD! H-HI-HIS HAND''S TOUCHING MY BODY!? UU~ HE''S BREATHING ONTO MY FACE...MOVE AWAY...) She didn''t want Ichika to move away though. "About that. Hm. How about it, got it?" "Uu, mn." "Try shooting then. Aimed carefully?" "I-I got it!" Sounding somewhat stronger now, Houki let out an ''Ahh'' deep inside as she squeezed the trigger. *PUNNKPok!* "Oh! You hit the doll." That was a head-sized penguin that''s somewhat large and could be used as a cushion. The innocent eyes seemed to be protesting that it got shot. "Oh! You shot good, Missy! Gahahaha, I lost badly today!" "...I wanted the daruma nearby..." "Hm?" "No, nothing." Even though she said that, Houki received the doll. Even though she was aiming for a different prize, she still gave a happy smile. "Mn~that Ran''s so slow." "Ye-Yeah." They continued to walk and play and eat as they went through a lot of stalls. Right now, it was about 8pm, and the fireworks ceremony was about to start. "I don''t think she would get lost...un." Ran wasn''t with them now, and that was to be expected, since the LCD TV was too large. She called Dan over to pickup the TV, so she was waiting outside the shrine area at the road for him. Ran mentioned that it would be too much of a hassle to make them come along, so she made them wait at the drinking point at the shrine for a while. However, it didn''t seem that she would be coming back anytime soon. Just when Ichika was considering if he should look for her, the phone rang. "Ex-Excuse me, is this Ichika-san?" "Oh, what is it, Ran? You lost your way?" "No, that''s not it!" "Hahaha, I was joking." "Mu~" A pouting could be heard from the other side of the phone as Ran let out a ''cute imouto'' feeling. Ichika chuckled. "Actually...erm, I got caught by my brother." "Oh, Dan''s here? Call him to come over too." "No, well...he wanted me to go home with him no matter what." That idiotic brother...Ran added that and sighed deeply. "Sorry, I had to go because of that." "I see. Be careful on the way then." Ichika hung up the phone and walked to Houki who was waiting for him. "Ran went back first." "I-I see." Houki got shocked by her unexpected cry of delight, and felt ashamed of her own attitude. (This-This is really indecent. I...) Thinking about this, Houki felt even more ashamed and lowered her head slightly as she played around with her fingers. "Let''s go then." "Ah..." Ichika grabbed Houki''s hand again and walked to the woods behind the shrine. (Go-Going somewhere that''s empty...don''t tell me.) Of course, it wouldn''t be like that. Besides, there''s a secret viewing spot behind this woods for them to view the fireworks festival. In the woods that had high trees all around, a certain area was open like a window. The spot looked like a picture for the four seasons. In spring, it could be used to see the sunrise. In summer, it could be used to see the fireworks. In autumn, it could be used to view the full moon, and in winter, it could be used to see a snowscape. It was a secret place with the colors of all four seasons. Only Chifuyu, Tabane, Ichika and Houki knew of that place. "Ohthis place hasn''t changed at all." His words didn''t reach Houki''s ears. *Rii*, *Rii*, the sounds of insects could be heard. A light breeze blew into the woods where humans hardly stayed in, removing the heat of summer. Being alone with the person she liked in such a place...Houki couldn''t remain calm after it ended up like this. (It-It''s just-just me and Ichika...and-and also, the-the...atmosphere, it''s rather good...) Seemingly expecting something, Houki glanced at Ichika, but Ichika just looked at the sky in an excited manner. (Is-Isn-Isn''t this a good-good time to confess!?) If anyone asked her who she wanted to confess to, she would probably say ''The answer''s in my own heart'' (Find out my mind). (Uuu...?) Houki continued to stare at Ichika as her face gradually reddened, and let out sweat that didn''t have anything to do with the heat. (Sa-Say-Say it! Just say it! it''s the time to say it...just say it!)[4C 5] Repeating the 5 step verb utilization in her mind, Houki forcefully backed away. Right now, the chibi-Houki[4C 6] in her mind kicked her, and another chibi-Houki kicked the one in front of her, and another chibi-Houki continued to motion...just like that, it continued on. (I, Me? Must I say it? Do I have to say it? Shouldn''t the guy be the one confessing? No, it''s that Ichika. He won''t say it himself. Speaking of which, I don''t know if he likes meno! He likes me! He really likes me! Most likely! I guess...) Realizing that she was repeating the words in her heart, Houki blushed again. The buzz of the crowds was far away from them, and they couldn''t hear anything now. (Now-Now''s the time!) Houki finally decided to confess, and said, "I-Ichika!" "Hm?" "I-I-I li" *DOOOO-------NN!!!* "Ohh! The fireworks started!" "Ik-Ike--..." "Hm? What''s the matter, Houki?" "..." Houki kept the tightly clasped hands behind her body. File:IS v04 195.jpg *DOOOO-------NN!!!* (Uu...I got interrupted by the fireworks...) But it couldn''t be helped even if she regretted it. It was her own fault for not confessing anyway. The most famous of this fireworks would be the 100 shots. Once released, the booming sounds and the colors in the night sky would continue for an hour. (I''ll give up today then...haa...) Thinking about this, she suddenly lost her strength, and the anger she couldn''t vent on naturally disappeared. "OHH~ AMAZING!!" *PA!* *PAPA!* With the flash of the fireworks everytime, the light would show the side of Ichika''s delighted face. Seeing such a naive expression, Houki suddenly found herself laughable. --Right now, just being with him is enough. Thinking about this, Houki looked up at the sky with Ichika. Red, blue, green, yellow, the fireworks in the sky continued to dazzle in the sky as most of the viewers enjoyed it. "So pretty..." "Mn, so pretty." Looking up at the sky, Houki did something that was somewhat daring She linked her own arm with Ichika''s left arm. "Hm? What''s the matter?" "Is it alright?" "Mn, it''s alright." Ichika just turned to the side for a while, and then his eyes turned to the fireworks in the night sky. Houki''s face was somewhat scarlet red under the fireworks. However, it wasn''t because she was shy, but because she was delighted. The summer memories of a 16-year-old passed by under the dazzling colors of the fireworks Volume 4 - CH 4 Seeing that doorplate, her heart started to beat furiously. ''Orimura'' was written on it. Charlotte read it a few times, and took a deep breath. (It''s OK, it''s OK...Ichika said that he''d be at home today, so I won''t cause any trouble.) Charlotte wasn''t in the IS Academy''s hallways now, but on the street. She hesitantly stared at the intercom below the ''Orimura'' doorplate, and the sun''s rays relentlessly sprinkled on her blond hair. (Hu-Hatoday''s sun is really strong.....hey! It''s not the time to think about that right now.) While she was thinking about all sorts of things, her finger was going forth and back in front of the button but couldn''t press it. After hesitating a long time, a voice suddenly resounded. "Huh? Charl? What is it?" "Fueey?" Rather abruptly, a voice came from behind, and Charlotte, embarrassed at a 120%, rapidly turned her head. The one standing behind her carrying shopping bags was Ichika. "Ah, Ah, that! T-Today''s sun is really brightNO!" "?" "T-T-That...." Charlotte, panicking, couldn''t say a single word, and started searching in her brain at full strength, full mobilization of the 256 Charlotte-chan. "Ca..." "Ca?" "I''ve come over to play?" Hehe, after that she filled her face with a smilethough after the words left her mouth, she felt extreme remorse. (U-U-Uwaaaa. I''m so stupid, I''m so stupid!) "Is it? Then come in. Though I can''t give you a huge welcome." "I-Is that so? Then I can come in?" "Of course you can. I obviously can''t make you go back--ah, you are free for a bit, aren''t you?" "Y-Yeah. I am! Of course I am! I''m entirely free." Facing a response that furious, Ichika couldn''t help but to step back. Seeing Ichika''s reaction, Charlotte''s face became immediately red. "It''s, it''s...fine." "Haha. What a weird one~OK, please enter, the door is open." "Hn, Hn." Submissively nodding, Charlotte was thinking inside her head the ''what a weird one~'' Ichika said, and couldn''t help but to think of hiding herself in a hole. Though after this bit of vacillation, she quickly entered, rejoicing on the thought of entering Ichika''s home. (This, this is Ichika''s home....) After thinking this far, Charlotte discovered that it was her first time entering a boy''s house, and the heartbeat indicator shot up in a straight line. "By the way, today''s really hot, please sit for a moment, I''ll go fetch some drinks." "Hn, hn, thank you." While saying this, she sat on the sofa, and started looking everywhere. Ichika''s home looks like some normal homes, being a style where the living room is close to the kitchen. There were medieval goods bought by Chifuyu-nee everywhere. Though the things weren''t new, under Ichika''s care, there wasn''t a single speck of dust on them. (That''s impressive, it seems that when Ichika said he was good at housework, he wasn''t lying.) When she was little, at her elementary school in France, there were also many boys who wanted to become like that. To be honest, Charlotte also really likes people like that. (Ichika will quickly become the househusband......hehe, househusband.) After saying this, for some reason she suddenly thought of her life after marriage. She immediately blushed due to the embarrassment, and showed an indistinct expression. "Here, barley tea." Ah!? "Since it was made this morning, the taste is still a bit light, though I think it should be OK." "Hn, hn, thank you." Being sucked in her fantasy, Charlotte was suddenly called back to reality, and was scared by Ichika''s presence right beside her. She immediately drank the tea to cover her panic. Indeed the barley tea''s taste is a bit light, but to Charlotte, everything is OK, since she''s in a state where she''s too nervous to taste anything. (Now, I am, with I-Ichika, the two of us alone, the two of us alone....) The speed of her heartbeats immediately increased. (I need to talk about something....that, that.....) *Ding-dong* "Oh, it''s probably the delivery service, I''ll go out for a bit." "A-Alright." Ichika stood up and walked from the corridor to the door, as Charlotte took a deep breath. After all, being anxious won''t help in anything, being calm and think of some topic to discuss is the way. (By the way, I don''t know what Ichika likes, I''ll ask him later then.) Going back ten minutes before-- "It''s here, no problem." After checking numerous times with her navigation function included cellphone, Cecilia finally arrived in front of the doorplate. Seeing the two large characters ''Ori-mura'', she quickly checked that she had arrived at her destination. [4D 1] (Hu, hu, hu. Today I received information about where Ichika-san lives from the class'' intelligence network. It also means that if I pay a visit, we''d be alone in our world! Indeed, it would be our own world--) Thinking of what might happen, a layer of red was added on Cecilia''s cheeks. (It-It''s certain, that, that in that atmosphere, the two of us alone.....) For some reason, she started to imagine the scene where she''s alone with Ichika, and what would follow it. Her cheeks became even redder. "Can I? Cecilia, I love you the most." "Ah, that kind of thing......no, I-I am not prepared for this." "Be it the body or the mind, I have taken all precautions." "Aaah......" (Something like that, something like that!) As her cellphone suddenly started to vibrate, Cecilia was taken out of her delusions to reality, in front of the interphone. (I must first adjust my tone......*cough*.) After coughing twice, Cecilia leant her hand towards the button. *Ding-dong*. Ten seconds after the electrical ring resounded, the door in front of her face opened. "I''m coming.....Huh, it''s Cecilia." "He-Hello. Are you doing fine, these days? Ichika-san, I just happened to not have anything important to do, so I wanted to come pay a visit here." Even though it''s still the same tone and the same calm attitude as always, the world inside her is already shaking wildly. (Being casual like this and that different from normal.......that, he looks very cool. Today I''ve put my special perfume on, Hn, just in case!) "Is that right? Then please come in." "What, great! Of course! Ah, that, this is a cake made in a reportedly great bakery." "Oh, oh, thank you~ please come in and take a cup of tea." Cecilia, who was in reality excited to only enter Ichika''s home, changed into the slippers, and entered the living room. "Charl, Cecilia''s here." "Huh?" "Huh?" Without being prepared for it, Charlotte and Cecilia met each other. The two of them started to quickly analyze the current situation. Especially Cecilia, who just placed her boots in the vestibule, seems she would be unable to say anything even if she wanted to, her mouth opening and closing. "We''ll eat the cake together in a moment, Oh, it''s exactly three pieces. Though since it''s too hot today, we''ll cool it before eating it, so please wait a moment." "Huh, oh, OK....." After hearing something like ''please sit'', Cecilia and Charlotte sat near each other. "......" "......" Since there was no way to say anything, the silence continued to extend. There were only some snapping sounds coming out of the kitchen, the sound of tableware being moved. "It''s, it''s really a coincidental meeting, Charlotte-san." "You''re, you''re right. It''s really a coincidence, Cecilia." Ufufu, ahaha, the two of them started to laugh dumbly. ""..............."" After that, the silence continued. (Why, Why would Charlotte be here.....!? Could it be that she wants to take the lead?) (Uuuu, why did you come here, Cecilia.....a world in which two people are alone is difficult to obtain, aaah..if only I had started the operation sooner....) The two different blond-haired young girls sat there admiring the beautiful view, a painter or a photographer who hadn''t seen Ichika''s house would surely regret it. "Sorry for the wait, which piece of cake do you want?" Ichika took the iced red tea along with the cake Cecilia brought as a present, and they were a strawberry cake, a cheese cake and a pear tart. "Since Cecilia was the one who bought it, please choose." While saying that, Ichika took a chair from the kitchen for his own use. ((He clearly could come here and sit on the sofa....)) That''s true. Four people can sit on the sofa, Ichika only needed to sit beside her. However, the guests'' beautiful illusions have been shattered mercilessly by Ichika. "That, which one does Cecilia want?" Ichika was giving out the plates to the two of them, while sharing the iced red tea. The hot water cooled quickly as it entered in contact with the ice, and the ice cubes were rolling, making a light noise. "Y-You are right, then, I''ll choose the tart." "Hn, OK. How about Charlotte?" While putting the tart on a little plate and giving it to Cecilia, Ichika asked Charlotte, and it seemed that he had naturally put himself as the last one. "I-Ichika, please choose first, I''ll choose last." "Don''t say that, that would be poor manners for a host." After sitting for a while, and starting to become a bit sleepy, Charlotte started to attentively choose after being urged by Ichika. "Then, I''ll choose the strawberry one." "Is that right? Take it, here." "Th-Thanks, that, and Cecilia, thank you." "Don''t, please don''t be that polite." Facing Cecilia, who smiled as an answer to her, Charlotte suddenly felt embarrassed for having come empty-handed. (Since, my head was filled by the thoughts of Ichika''s home, I didn''t have time to think of anything else.....) After giving an excuse to herself, Charlotte decided to not blame herself for that. (Aaah, though, would I be viewed as a rude girl.....Uuuu, maybe I already seem as one. Ah!? Is, Is it possible that I look too childish by choosing the strawberry one....it, it''s OK, I guess....) As Charlotte was still tangled by this, Ichika and Cecilia had already started. "What is it? You don''t want it?" "What!? Ah, no, it''s not it, itadakimasu." With a fork, she took a little piece and placed it in her mouth, and the moderate wetness started to immediately flow, feeling the cream in her mouth being spread. Normal sponge cakes only enter the mouth and melt. "Wow, it''s delicious.....this, where did you buy it?" "It''s from the ''Lip Trick'' in the underground shopping center in front of the station, and since I''m lucky today I got to buy it. Usually there are so many people that it''s impossible to buy one." After hearing Cecilia''s words, she felt a little guilty. Cecilia probably wanted to share it alone with Ichika, Charlotte thought. "Hn, this really isn''t bad, there''s no way it could be done at home." "Even though Ichika is good at cooking, this cake isn''t made easily. Lip Trick''s chef has already won a worldwide prize." Ehe, after Cecilia let out those self-boasting words, Ichika''s reaction is ''Oohh''. "Then how about this, how about the three of us share with each other, Charlotte and Cecilia. That way we can have a taste of all three of them." "Wha? That, it......" "The, the three of us....share?" The two of them stopped their hands mid-air, and turned towards Ichika for the meaning of this. Thus Ichika was nodding to show his certitude. "Absolutely." ""............!!"" The expression of the two of them instantly lit, and for a moment, it seemed that the divine light had shone upon them. "Ah, though giving you something has a boy has already eaten wouldn''t be good--" "It won''t! I just happen to need no matter what to taste the cheese cake!" "Indeed, I also want to taste it." After a brief eye-contact the British-French alliance was made, with Charlotte and Cecilia shaking hands inside their heads, with the ''Congratulations!'' flag flowing on the sky. "So, then, Ichika-kun, the cake..." "Yeah, you''re right, I really want to eat it." The two of them look like little birds crying for food who opened their mouths, though there''s a mix of shyness and hesitation in those two young girls'' head, but they still opened their mouths. Then, in order to deal with their racing heartbeats, the two of them clenched their fists together, like princesses waiting for their prince. "Then, Cecilia, Aaa-n. " File:IS v04 211.jpg Then, in order to deal with their racing heartbeats, the two of them \ clenched their fists together, like princesses waiting for their prince. Though, he''s really wooden-headed. Ichika didn''t even sense the subtle change of atmosphere, and took his fork to cut another part and fed it again to Cecilia''s mouth. "Ah, um....." While eating the cake and suppressing her heartbeats, Cecilia couldn''t even perceive the taste. Her heart was beating so fast that she had trouble breathing. "How is it?" "It''s, it''s tasty, it isn''t bad..... Fufu. ?" Not due to the cake''s taste, but due to what happened just before the action, Cecilia couldn''t resist a smile. "It''s, it''s my turn." "Oh, OK, OK, Here, Aaan." "Hn...." While the little piece of cheese cake was rolling on her tongue, Charlotte closed her eyes to feel that wonderful feeling. .......Of course, it was the feeling coming from her own heart. To be fed directly by Ichika, it''s already the second time. Though this time, the feeling is even stronger than before, by the way, it should be because Charlotte''s frame of mind had changed. "It''s, it''s really tasty. I like it." Of course what she likes was certainly something else. "Then I''ll also eat a piece of it." As Ichika began to prepare to take a piece for himself, he was immediately stopped by a sharp sound. "Wait!" "According to etiquette, you cannot not return something in exchange, hn." "Hn, is that so? If you want it then do as you wish." "Yes, yes, it''s pretty obvious." "This cake is really tasty, fufu?" While laughing giddily as they cut their own cakes, Charlotte and Cecilia took their piece of cake near Ichika''s mouth. ""Here, Aaaan"" Facing two different cakes at the same time, Ichika was perplexed. At the end, he ate in the same order as before, eating Cecilia''s first. The pear tart''s sourness and sweetness in his mouth was incredibly delicious, and to add the cool jam put on the outside. The feeling of the food and its taste, it was impossible to determine which was better. And after taking a mouthful of red tea to swallow the remaining cake in his mouth, he ate Charlotte''s. "This cake is really good ?." "Uh, indeed. Next time I''ll go buy it." The two girls were discussing in great delight, and at the same time took some red tea. For some reason, they were hiding their mouths, scared that Ichika would see that girly fa?ade. "By the way, you two really came early, it''s not even ten yet." "Huuh, yeah. Ichika said before that he wakes up very early, so I thought that coming in the morning wouldn''t be a bother." "Hn? Though it''s not like I mind, since it is summer vacation, why don''t you go play somewhere with your friends?" "It''s fine, it''s fine, the others already had something in their schedule, there''s a day where I would be free." "It''s really, really a coincidence. I am also in the same situation, I just happened to be free today ." "Fuun, so it''s like that." In fact, these two had already pushed aside all engagements for today, but would keep it as a secret until the end, since to abandon their friends to go to a boy''s home isn''t something wonderful to say in these two''s minds. (How, how can I say it, that....Usually I''m not the kind of girl who pays more attention to a lover than to a friend.....) (Though I don''t know what Ichika would say, I would probably be looked as a shameless girl.....) Thus, these two simply used ''it''s an unusual and coincidental free day'' as an excuse to dodge the question. "Then, what should we do, there isn''t anything to play with at home, how about going outside?" "No, no need! It''s so hot outside, so let''s stay at home!" "Y-Yeah, that, for some reason I want to see Ichika''s room for a bit.....like this." "My room? It doesn''t bother me if you just look around." From the conversation above, we can see that Charlotte and Cecilia, aside being IS pilots, are also typical maidens. It''s really interesting for them to see the room of the person they like. "Hn, OK, though why are you two so excited about it?" "That''s not the case!" "That''s right!" "I-Is that right?...." Facing a slightly strong opposing tone, Ichika withdrew. "Then, let''s go to my room, ah, it''s on the second floor." The two of them nodded in an imposing manner and started taking large steps, behind Ichika. His room was pretty normal, with a 90 corner. Cecilia saw for the first time a room like this, and felt clearly that it was much smaller than her home. (For some reason, I find it really interesting, and feel that it would be hard to transport a whole tea set.) Charlotte felt nostalgic, remembering that when she moved to her father''s, she felt like this when she started living with his mother. (As I thought I still can''t feel accustomed to luxury, it still feels more comfortable being in a place like this.) "Right, here''s Chifuyu-nee''s room, please be careful not to go in, or you''ll be killed." "Ah, so, it''s like that...." "I, I see. I''m interested in where Chifuyu-sensei lives, however..." Ahahaha, the two of them started laughing stupidly. Ever since what happened with Chifuyu-nee during the water camp, they felt even closer to her. "Even if it''s like that, she''s in fact a good person." Those heavy words, pierced everyone''s heart on the scene and hurt slightly. (Ichika wants to see Chifuyu-sensei as a sister, so he would say this....) (Uuyeah......as I thought, having Orimura-sensei as a rival, it''s far from easy.) Haa, the two of them sighed deeply, and Ichika couldn''t help but turn towards them. "What is it? As I thought, you don''t want to come?" "No! Isn''t it said in the old texts something like "Nothing ventured, nothing gained."?" "Indeed, you may as well eat the poisoned plate?"[4D 2] "???" Receiving this kind of answers, Ichika opened the door with a confused expression on his face. "It isn''t a very big room, so please enter." "So-Sorry for intruding." "Pardon for the intrusion..." While their hearts were beating wildly, Charlotte and Cecilia entered the room. The window in front of them was letting some dazzling rays pass by, and the assailing odor of a boy''s body suddenly smelled good. The two of them forcefully sniffed a bit. "Ah, my room doesn''t have any chairs, so please sit on the bed." ((On the b-bed!?)) While their hearts were beating non-stop, an electric sound was emitted from the front door. *Ding-dong*. "Hn? Who''s there? I''ll go see." While saying this, Ichika went down the stairs. ".................." ".................." Charlotte and Cecilia, who were left in the room, looked around but didn''t move. (This, this is Ichika''s bed....) (As I thought, it''s different than the one from the dorms, hn....) As the two of them were thinking about all sorts of things, the sounds of the stairs came to them. "Cecilia, Charl, come down for a bit." ""Eh?"" After staying for less than ten minutes, Cecilia and Charlotte let out a surprised unhappy voice. "Wh-What is it?" "Please wait a moment." "No, that..." Before he even finished, there was the sound of someone going upstairs. "Ichika, what is it......Ah." The one who pushed the door open was Rin. Rin, who came countless times during elementary school and Junior High, knew Ichika''s house from top to bottom, and she didn''t even hesitate to push Ichika''s room door open. Although when she saw the two of them unexpectedly, her movements instantly froze. "What, what does this mean! You two!" Her blood rose to her head as she started shouting, and that voice had been heard by people on the first floor, and they also shouted towards the second floor. "What is it? Why did you shout in such a loud voice?" "Did you find people in an ambush?" The ones who responded, were Houki and Laura. With things developing to this point, Cecilia and Charlotte could only abandon the idea of ''expanding themselves''. "Still, you guys didn''t give me a heads up beforehand." "You''re fine, since you are free the entire morning anyway." "Is that right?? What is it? You are bothered by the fact that we suddenly came? You want to hide your ero-books?." While eating soba as lunch, Houki and Rin answered him. Since there were so many people, they could only hand-make some wheat food as lunch. "I, I was too busy, after all I have been held up in the cake shop for that long." "So-Sorry. I''ll pay attention next time." Charlotte and Cecilia who were putting the wasabi on the noodles also answered. In fact, everyone basically thought of ''Coming over?'' and then acted, and every girl there understood fully each other on that point. "To say something random, were you happy by the surprise of me coming over?" After drinking the noodle soup, Laura said it like this. (What an admirable self-confidence....) The other four girls thought of the same thing at that time. "Then what should we do in the afternoon? Should everyone stay at home? Though I think going outside would be better." Keke, everyone was thinking of something different while nodding. (I specially came to Ichika''s home for the day he returns.) (What''s good in going outside, stupid!) (Why isn''t there a single bit of smooth progress until now.) (I still haven''t asked what Ichika''s interests are.) (Instructor Orimura will come at night, I''m interested.) As everyone was calculating in their minds, Houki, Rin, Cecilia, Charlotte and Laura finished eating. "I''ll tidy and then pour you some tea, so please wait a moment." "Ah, then I''ll also go." "Hn? Is that okay? Then please, even though you are a guest. Please help me put the table in order." "Uhn?! Understood." As always, Charlotte found once again an opportunity to participate, stood up and started tidying. After that, feeling a crisis coming, Rin and Cecilia also stood up. "I-I''ll help too." "Usually, I wouldn''t do this, but I''ll make an exception and help you." "There''s no need, no matter what, four people is too much, Rin and Cecilia, please rest." "Mu......" "B-But." The two of them swallowed their words even if they wanted to say anything, and to not create an opposite effect, didn''t insist and could only return to sitting on the sofa. The four people sitting on the sofa were Rin, Cecilia, Charlotte and Laura, while Ichika and Houki were sitting on the floor''s cushions. "Can I wash these?" "Sure, and don''t forget the dish detergent, but I feel kind of bad letting you clean up." "Its nothing, it''s nothing, I am good in doing this, or to say......I like it." Though Charlotte still couldn''t say ''I like you'' or something like that, so she could only strike sideways. (Ehehe, it feels as if we were newlyweds......) The other four were looking at the happy Charlotte. (Muu......as I thought, Charlotte is a strong rival.) (Ah-Uu-, I''m completely left behind.) (I should use Charlotte''s method as a reference.) (Fu, that kid, one can''t be too careless around her.) After Charlotte finished helping, it was time to make tea, and fifteen minutes later, everyone gathered next to the table. "As I thought, a cup of tea after lunch is needed. Ha, I feel great." Who would mind drinking hot tea in the middle of summer, though that''s Ichika''s mentality. Cold tea before the meal, and hot tea after. "Then what should we do now, how about playing some sort of game?" "Hm, I thought of that much, so I specially took this with me, here." While saying this, Rin took out a paper bag, and there were social games like Poker, Hanafuda, Monopoly and some different other games.[4D 3] "Ohso Rin likes things like this." "Of course, since I can win." Fufunsaid Rin, though that was because she''s pretty bad at video games. "So let''s play these, do you guys want to play that?" While Ichika was saying this, the others were coming to see the things in the bag. "Aside from Japanese games, there are others." "Ah, what I want to play, is that materials-buying game." "Oh, so that is Japan''s Hanafuda, it doesn''t look too bad. Next time I go back to my country, I''ll buy some and take them back." "I want to play Shogi[4D 4], but it seems that it can only be played with two players." Facing those different games, the girls started to discuss enthusiastically. Seeing that kind of scene, and remembering being just as enthusiastic in the past with Rin, Ichika couldn''t help but think of those days in Junior High. "So everyone, let''s decide what to play." After saying that, Ichika took out a game called Barbarossa.[4D 5] "Hau, I want to play a German game." Raising her Germany flag to her chest and carefully examining it, Laura let out a rare happy expression. "So what should we play, in the end?" "How about playing the quiz game made of clay?" "Hn? How do we play that? Who''s the one who moulds better?" "It''s not like that. It''s actually the opposite, since if you mould too well, it would be too easy to recognize, so it should be a bit indistinct to make it as a quiz." "Hnn? Isn''t it disadvantageous if it''s too ugly? "This depends on the questions. Guess an answer, and confirm it by questioning. The questioning concerning the modeling is the crucial point in the game." After the experienced Rin explained the rules with Ichika, the game began. *Konekonekonekone......* "Finished." "Then, start." Charlotte rolled the dice, and the game begun. "That, one, two, three." "Ah, it''s the gem." "Yes, so it''s my turn to ask. Good, then I''ll question Laura about her clay modeling." "I understand." "Oh yeah, and the answer can only be ''yes'', ''no'' or ''I don''t know'', and the questioning continues until there''s a ''no'' answered." Hearing Rin''s explanation, Houki nodded slightly, and started to examine Laura''s model. That model is a pyramid-shaped imposing object that looked still. Though not only no one knew, except Laura, everyone had on their face a ''what the heck is that'' expression. "Is it something on earth?" "Um." "OK...... Is it bigger than a human?" "Yes." It means that, it isn''t some tool or anything of that sort, but even if it''s bigger than a man, no one can tell what this is. "Is it in a city?" "How can I say it, you can say that it could be, but it''s also OK to say that it is not." This answer gave everyone a headache, and since everyone thought that it could have been the Tokyo Tower, this answer made everyone get mad. "Is it man-made?" "NO!" "OK, my questioning ended, so it''s Houki''s turn to answer, isn''t it?" "U-Um, anyway, even if I''m wrong points won''t be deducted, so I''ll answer." In a formal game you need to write it on a paper and show it to the author, though this time was only a trial, so Rin changed the rules a bit, so everyone could share the information. "Then, what is the answer?" "AN OILFIELD!" *Subishi!*, Houki, who held out the object in question, answered. "Wrong." Houki answered with her head lowered, and including Ichika, every other player showed a ''why would it be an oilfield'' expression of dismay. The game still continued and it had already passed the halfway point. "If there''s still no correct answer, the one who made that thing won''t have any points either." By the way, what Charlotte did had been immediately guessed, so she didn''t get any points. And on the other hand, the advancing team''s model had the Barbarossa characteristic, it was invincible in terms of ''it can be whatever you want''. In the middle of the explanation, the author and the one answering can get points. So incidentally, Houki''s model is a ''well'', and Charlotte answered at the best possible moment. Then, the last battle opposes two strong people, Laura to Cecilia. While Laura''s is that pyramid, Cecilia''s looked like an intriguing cell. File:IS v04 231.jpg While Laura''s is that pyramid, Cecilia''s looked like an intriguing cell. "This, is it food?" "It isn''t." "Is that thing really small?" "No, it''s very, very big." Having their models figured out, Houki and Charlotte violently questioned Laura and Cecilia on their models with deadly intentions, but Laura''s model was impossible to solve. So finally, the game could only end. "Then, Laura, what is that thing?" The one questioning was Ichika, who has been holding back for long. "Huh? Even you do not know? You are really a failure as my bride." "What, anyways...what is the answer?" "A mountain." ............ "What?" "A mountain." "No, no, wait, WAIT! Is there a mountain that acute?" "Jeez......how rude. Mount Everest is like that." "But it only limits to the Mount Everest!" "Except Mount Everest, there are only mountains like this." Full of confidence of her modeling, Laura wouldn''t let go. "Fine, fine, since no one answered right to Laura''s model, so I''ll take points out! Next, what is Cecilia''s?" "Ara. No one got the answer?" If anyone had got it, he/she would have answered! Though they thought of saying this, they didn''t say it loud. Cecilia started making her show-off posture, lifted her right hand, made a circle in the air and said. "It''s my motherland, the UK!" """............""" Everyone fell into silence. By the way, what everyone guessed before were ''rotten potato'', ''unicellular substance'', ''decomposed pizza'', ''seaweed'', ''piece of cloth worn out'', ''injured dog'' and ''wet cat''. "Really, I don''t need everyone to be touched like this, I recommend you to look at the world map once per day." ''Who would know what UK''s form would look like!'', was what everyone wanted to answer, but fell into silence. Seeing Cecilia having even more confidence in her modeling than Laura, so it made everyone have a ''want to throw a tsukkomi at her silliness''. [4D 6] "A-Anyways, everyone should approximately know what the rules are! Then Ichika and I will enter too, so let''s play together!" The six of them gathered in front of the table, and started modeling once again. Although the clay model made before needed to be destroyed, Charlotte''s horse was so great that destroying it would give a feeling of pity. Ichika took it in his own hands looked at it and said. "By the way, Charlotte''s hands are really skillful......don''t you think that at this level, it could be used as an ornament?" "It-It''s nothing. I only added four legs to it." "No, no. Even though it has been guessed wrongly by some others, this doesn''t look like a donkey, neither does it look like a camel! As expected from Charlotte." "Ah, thank you......" The other four girls watched the embarrassed Charlotte from the shadows, and thought unconvincingly ''why is Charlotte the only one to be praised''. Especially Houki, Cecilia and Laura, who were all fully confident about their models, didn''t get praised by Ichika, and thus, were so angry that their cheeks were puffing up. "Rin, since you can''t tell if it''s a dumpling, a meat bun or a shaomai, it''s not allowed." "Ho-How rude, it''s a peach!" "Huh, it''s a peach......doesn''t the shape go too much against common sense?" "How noisy! Don''t you know only how to make Dongpo pork."[4D 7] "Ah......what are you talking about, did you know that I can do three layers properly? Even Dan could see it." "That is because you always eat Dongpo pork every noon!" Facing those two having an animated discussion about their days in Junior High, the other people looked at them with envy; but the past is the past, and it cannot be changed, so after reflecting on that point, it was decided that the thoughts should be on the future. As time passed by, the second round started. "I know, that''s Kamaboko!"[4D 8] "It is not! Please try harder." "What Laura made......is it a human......?" "It''s not, why can''t you guess right? The model is fantastic." "I know it this time, Cecilia, what you''re modeling is a tomato, isn''t it?" "Houki-san, does it look like a tomato?" The atmosphere was really lively, so much that time passed quickly. Though after 4 PM, an unexpected person appeared. "What, I thought that it was too lively, so it was you guys, huh." In front of their eyes was Chifuyu-nee. She was wearing casual clothes, a white shirt and a pair of jeans, and it was showing her personality. The sleeveless black shirt underneath her clothes was covering her voluminous chest. "Welcome back, Chifuyu-nee." "Aaah, I''m home." Ichika immediately stood up, and walked towards Chifuyu-nee, and took the bag on her right shoulder, giving the impression that he''s a butler. "Did you eat at lunch? If you didn''t I''ll cook some rice, what dishes do you want to eat?" "Stupid, what time do you think it is? I''ve already eaten it." "Is that so......ah, what kind of tea do you want to drink? Hot or iced, which one?" "You''re kind of right......I just came from outside, so I want to drink iced" At that point of her sentence, Chifuyu suddenly felt an oppressive aura from the students. It was envy towards Chifuyu on how she gets treated by Ichika. "......No, there''s no need, I''ll go outdoors in a moment, I have some work." "Huh? So it''s like that......but the coffee jelly that was frozen in the morning should be eatable, I guess." "Next time then. So, I''ll go change my clothes." "Ah! The shirt and other clothes are already out. I have taken the autumn clothes in Chifuyu-nee''s bag, so don''t forget them!" "I know it." Oh jeez, this guy seems like a good mother, was what Chifuyu thought, but she didn''t say it. Though the girls felt ''What, they look like a husband and his wife'', but no one said it out loud, and even if they commented on it, they would only deepen their trouble. *Badam!* Following the door sound, Chifuyu left the living room; thinking that they could finally breathe normally, the girls let out a deep breath. "Just as always, you really like to stick to Chifuyu-san." "Huh? Is it? Well, it''s normal, since we''re siblings." "Is it? Probably only you think like that." After seeing Chifuyu''s appearanceor perhaps rather Ichika''s approach towards Chifuyu, Rin''s speech was full of sarcasm. At the same time, Ichika''s other childhood friend, Houki, who since long ago thought that they were really close to each other, always felt some things that couldn''t be said, swirling around in her mind. (......Has Ichika''s sister complex gone worse......) Thinking about the matter a month before, Cecilia''s and Charlotte''s mood got worse. (Does Orimura-sensei only look at him as a younger brother......?) (That, that''s probably not it, huh? Something like a world by themselves, two people having a crush on each other......there should be none of that, should it?) Laura, who thought of what happened before and that she could get over it once again, felt an abnormally jealous feeling different from before. (Muu......that disgraceful Ichika is clearly my wife......but the Instructorno, even if it''s the Instructor, my wife can''t be good to anyone, besides me. It''s really troublesome, but......Muuu......) Everyone''s thoughts fell silent, and the atmosphere in the living room became heavy. "Huh? That? What''s that! What is it?" "......Coffee jelly." "Hn." "Take out the coffee jelly right now! How troublesome, you didn''t take out a snack past 3 O''clock, I''m angry now!" "Why would you be angry, doesn''t Rin technically hate coffee?" "I love coffee jelly!" "Huuh? Didn''t you say before that you didn''t want......" "I just happened to love it! I started loving it these days, so do you have an objection?" "No, I don''t have any......" Ichika felt like a gentleman cornered and wanting to escape from Rin, and Houki took this opportunity to speak out. "Um! That......it happens that, I also like to eat coffee jelly......" "Wha?" "P-Please let me taste it!" Since she was embarrassed of it, Houki let go of Ichika''s arm, and Laura took this opportunity to say. "Taste it......oh yeah, I also need to taste it! You don''t want the instructor to eat something strange, do you?" "Y-Yeah? What is it, Laura?" "I said that I want to help you taste it, take it out." Cecilia and Charlotte also expressed themselves. "R-Right! Please let me taste it......" "Th-Then me too, I''ll......" "H-Hey, Hey, even Charl too......if it''s not good then don''t blame me, OK?" Ichika, who didn''t have a choice, could only stand up, and go to the kitchen so that he could take out the coffee jelly from the fridge. "Since there are exactly six, it''s just enough......though that way Chifuyu-nee''s part would be gone." "Didn''t Chifuyu-nee say that she would eat it next time?" "You''re not wrong......Ye-ah." Facing those girls who were prepared to succeed, Ichika, who was still bothered, wanted to say something, but suddenly the door opened. "So, are you having an argument? As long as you''re in this house, then you need to get along." Chifuyu was wearing a suitand those of the same gender as her felt that she had a devilish figure, and that they couldn''t say anything. And with that calm expression she went to the front door, ready to go outside. "Ichika, today I won''t get back, so you can do whatever you want! However, the girls can''t stay overnight." And with the explanation that ''There aren''t enough beds'', she left the living room. "Is there some important work? Ye-ah......then it can''t be helped." While saying this, Ichika put the coffee jelly on the table, and sat with everyone. "Since Chifuyu-nee likes it with a strong coffee taste, if you guys need some milk, you can serve yourselves; also I didn''t put any sugar in it, so I prepared some syrup." After everyone took all they needed, they started eating slowly. Cecilia and Laura, who were thinking at the beginning of eating the bitter black coffee jelly[4D 9] tended their hands towards the syrup and the milk. "Fu, it''s pretty good." "You''re clearly a guy, and still can do sweets? That''s really surprising." "Is it possible that Ichika knows how to make cakes?" "Hn~I only know how to make some easy sponge cakeit''s only the type of cake where you mix the fruits and milk." "It sounds delicious, when can you try making one?" "When I have the opportunity." "Instructor eats your handmade food every day, I''m envious." "This isn''t something really impressive. Aah, right, until what time will you girls stay? If you stay until the evening, then if I don''t go to buy ingredients right now" After hearing Ichika saying those words, the girls'' eyes started to sparkle. "I''ll cook the rice for the evening! I''ll do this as a special thanks for today''s coffee jelly." "Yeah, I still haven''t showed my skills yet!" "Then, then I''ll also help with it." "I''ll also participate. When I was in the army, I learnt how to cook, so look forward to it!" "By the way, you haven''t eaten my cooking in a while, so you should be yearning for that taste, aren''t you?" No, I''m notthinking of Cecilia''s silliness, Ichika looked at the clock. "Then I''ll go out around 5 o''clock. There''s a store near here, so I''ll go there to buy things." Everyone started to talk with each other. After eating the jelly they continued on chatting......like this, time passed quickly. "Sorry for making you wait." The one who was gasping and arriving at the underground bar between a store and the train stationwas Yamada-sensei, Yamada Maya. That bar''s open hours were from four in the afternoon to eight in the morning, and its name was ''Bar Crescendo''. It was a bar full of adults who came in contact with each other, and also where Chifuyu was often welcomed. "I''m sorry, calling you out in a rush like that." "It''s fine, it''s fine. Anyway, if I stay at my room I''ll only look at the shopping catalog." Maya sat near the counter, and Chifuyu immediately asked the owner for a cup of normal beer with black beer mixed togetherof course it was for Maya. "Does Chifuyu-san also want to try something new?" "Yeah, sorry for bothering you." "I got it." That bar was managed by a sole aged ownerwith his beard and his white hair pulled back, his appearance was attracting many female customers. Though Chifuyu didn''t really like the owner, but she was more attracted by his soothing voice. "Please help yourself." The owner took out Maya''s beer and Chifuyu''s black beer, and then took out slices of cheese for the clients, but placed them while being at a bit of distance from themafter many years of experience, he knew that there''s no way to have a good chat with people who he isn''t familiar with. "Cheers." The sound of two glass cups coming into contact resounded. Maya took little sips, while Chifuyu was joyfully savoring it slowly, the cup tilted a bit. After drinking around half of the content, Maya asked a question. "What is it today? Isn''t it vacation time, so why don''t you go home?" "I was thinking of doing so, but there are girls at home right now." "Girls? Ooohcould they be Ichika''s friends? "Aaah, yes, and also our studentsto phrase it another way, they are all familiar faces." "You mean the six personal machine users? They would all be strong in a war." "Don''t joke with it." While saying that and smiling, Chifuyu ate a slice of cheese. "Wouldn''t Orimura-sensei be bothered by it? If your little brother has a girlfriend." "You''re kinda right......" The beer was just finished, so Chifuyu asked for another cup from the owner. After she finished her fourth in a shot, Chifuyu continued and said, "Last month, did something happen at the sea-side school?" "Huhh, yeah, concerning that I still remember that......many things happened." "Maa, putting aside the Gospel story first......I feel that I said things that I shouldn''t have said at that time." "......What did you say?" Maya asked her with her interest showing. This was the first time that she had seen her so hesitant, so what could be the reason? She was interested to the maximum. "I said to those five girls..." "Yes." "I said ''I won''t let you have Ichika''." "......What?" Maya, who had been surprised, asked back, since it was rare that Chifuyu would be embarrassed and have much to say. It was probably because she was drinking. File:IS v04 245.jpg Maya, who had been surprised, asked back, since it was rare that Chifuyu would be embarrassed and have much to say. "It''s not......like that......no, didn''t I say before that I don''t have special feelings towards that guy, but how can I say it......a little brother should belong to his older sister, right?" "Maybe that is what it feels like this......but I''m an only child." "A-Anyway, it there''s no weird meaning to it. Though......it seems that those girls look at me as a love rival, so I am bothered by it." At the same time Maya''s cup was also empty. As she ordered another, the silence continued. "That......Orimura-sensei, towards Orimura-kunAah, how complicatedtowards Ichika-kun going out with a girl, are you for or against it?" "Of course I would be in favor of it. That guy could learn more about different thingsnot only about managing with people, but also especially towards girls." "Isn''t it good like this?" "I-It''s not." Whaat~......thought Maya in her mind. "It''s not good, maybe should I say that I''m scared to see him seduced by another girl. That guy really doesn''t have an eye for girls." "Haa. So Orimura-sensei is concerned about Ichika-kun" "It''s, it''s not concerned, that guy can decide by himself." Whaat~......Maya though that once again. "Then what do you mean, in the end? Is it ''You can''t go out with a girl that I don''t acknowledge!'' or something like that?" "I feel that there''s a slight difference......Aaah, I don''t know how to say it." Chifuyu tilted her cup, and drank the strong black beer in large gulps. "Owner, another cup." "Yes, just a moment." The owner gave her another cup of beer, and she drank half of it in one shot. "Anyways, that''s the reason why I went out today. Though they are young maidens in their teens, who took their courage to come to our home, I can''t bother them." "Fufu, Orimura-sensei and Ichika-kun are a lot alike." Especially the part where they don''t have a limit to their kindness. "What, which parts are we alike? Maya, you really don''t have an eye for guys." "Maybe so? Fufufu." "Muu......" The young Maya looked like a younger sister making fun of her older sister, and that made Chifuyu laugh and angry at the same time, making her mood complex. She ended up drinking the beer left in one shot. "Then I''ll keep you company until morning." "Fuun, how great would these words sound if you say them to a man." "Yeah, if there''s someone who has more manliness than you, then I''ll do that." Said Maya mischievously while gazing at Chifuyu. "Then the owner would be good! I recommend him." "Chifuyu-san, don''t make fun of an oldie like me." While saying that, the owner brought a drink which wasn''t black beerit was a Salty dog cocktail[4D 10], and the glass was rimmed of salt, and it was as beautiful as snow. "......I haven''t ordered anything." "I thought it was about the time you would like to drink." "Fuun......there are only noisy people around me." Chifuyu, despite wanting to insult someone badly and to protest a bit against the fact that her mood has been looked through, took a light sip. Seeing her behaving like a child throwing a tantrum, Maya and the owner didn''t say anything. "We are also being loved, isn''t that right, owner?" "Yeah." "Then, I, who seems to be a noisy person, will go do other things"after saying this, the owner walked to the kitchen. Still having the expression of a child throwing a tantrum, Chifuyu put all the remaining cheese in her mouth. "Everyone has grown......many things did, and many things happened too." "Fuun, speaking like a person well over her years." "Wh-What? Jeez! How dare you make fun of me, how mean!" "Sorry, sorry." Facing Chifuyu, who was bursting out with laugher, Maya puffed up her cheeks. The ice cubes in the Salty dog cocktail, as if they were watching those two, clattered. The scene switches to the Orimura householdthere, it currently seemed like there were warriors preparing to die on a battlefield, and the battle was becoming even more intense. "Hn......sho! Aaah, jeeze......that potato is hard to cut." Though the movements weren''t dangerous, when Rin peeled the potato, there was even flesh taken off with the peel. Beside Rin was the one who ''should'' know how to make braised beef, Cecilia, who was bluntly putting tomatoes in the cooking pot. "How weird, why isn''t the color the same as the picture shows? There isn''t enough red!" "H-Hey, don''t put that much......Ah! The fire''s too strong!" "Don''t worry, Houki, my food is often meant to be ready at the end." "Food isn''t about fighting or winning......" Houki, who was wearing a hat and an apron, let out a sigh. She was working hard to make her own foodtoday''s dish was curry. "What is Charlotte doing? Grilled chicken?" "It isn''t Laura, it''s fried chicken, I am doing the seasoning now." "Fumu, so it''s like that." While saying that, Laura was beautifully peeling white daikons. Her manipulation of a knife was near professional level, even the experts would hold their breath......since she was using a sword as a knife. "Wah, Laura, I feel that you''re really good! Where did you learn these knife skills." "You just need to watch, I''m only copying the tricks in the television." "Being that great by just copying......" "Maybe because I''ve been using knifes for so long; if you are in a jungle and you can''t deal with wood, you can''t make traps or such." "Th-That''s true......what dish are you making?" "Oden."[4D 11] .................. "Oden." "No, you don''t need to repeat twice......but isn''t that winter food?" "It isn''t said that you can''t eat that in summer." "You aren''t wrong by saying that......ah, Laura, do you have more daikons for me? Ichika said just before that he would like smashed daikons with fried chicken." ".................." "Laura?" *Dang!* Laura suddenly cut the radish in half. "Aaah, sorry, I was too focused just before, so I didn''t hear anything. What did you say?" "Huh, that......if you have more daikons, I would like......" "So it''s like this, I got it." *Dong!* Laura precisely cut five inches of the daikon. "I cut!" *Dong!* *Dong!* *Dong!* The way the eye-patched girl with an apron cuts a daikon, gives people a feeling of surrealism. Looking at the scene of these girls cooking food together, Ichika was worried to death, and frequently looked towards the kitchen. Though he had been asked to go watch TV, he was worried to death about whether they could really make delicious food......by the way, in that situation, the biggest victim would be Ichika''s stomach. (I-It should be OK......I guess......? They should be able to cook edible food......I guess?) "Fun~?Funfu~n?" Rin, who finally finished cutting the vegetables was humming while cooking; though after peeling that much flesh with the skin feels like a waste, and Ichika is very mindful of that. Right, he remembered that a novel author once said this to him on the edge of the sea. "I''ll tell you what''s good with timeit''s that it''ll surely pass." Then another quote: "I''ll tell you what''s bad with timeit''s that it''ll surely come." Right, that time has come...... ".................." Seeing those five girls with their hand-made dishes, the ones which stood out the most were as he thought, Cecilia and Laura''s dishes. "How is it, Ichika-san, maybe it should be said like thisthat is the result of my confidence." That braised beef only looks perfect, and from the very beginning there was a really spicy smell. (Are they Mexican spices? Since you wanted to make it that red, so you added Mexican spices? Cecilia!) Then, Laura''s part......how can I say it...... "That it''s Oden, there''s only meat in it; it looks like a BBQ." Though it''s only carrots, eggs, bamboo rings and konjac[4D 12] connected, it doesn''t look normalit should be something poached, so why would it have a burnt color......why is it brown-colored? (This, isn''t this......the so-called ''Manga-oden''......?) Ichika really didn''t want to think about how it was made. Then, beside it was Rin''s dish. "Then, it seems that my Nikujaga[4D 13] looks the most delicious, isn''t it?" Though the one who made it seemed proud of it, the potatoes were cut into really small pieces, and why are they even smaller than the beef cubes? Was it over-cooked......it doesn''t seem so. (No, at least the taste is fine, Rin''s dish is only a bit like ''that'' in the appearance.) After encouraging himself, Ichika''s eyes turned to the ''safe food'' area. He saw the fried chicken Charlotte made, and also the curry Houki made. At the beginning, he thought that they should eat a bit more, so he asked them to do these dishes, though in fact, he should have only asked those two to cookIchika started to regret his decision. (Aaahm it looks really delicious......Charl cut the fried chicken exactly so it can fit in a mouth, and Houki always knew how to prepare dishes. Yup, I really want to finish these.) Though I''ve said that, the result will probably be miserable or cruel, isn''t it? Since they already cooked that much, I should be happy from the bottom of my heart. Though he was thinking that, there was really no way he could say ''It tastes bad'' to someone who worked that hardand that was Ichika''s weakness. "Then, everyone please eat! I''m not used with just sitting beside these dishes and waiting to eat, and I''m pretty hungry." "You''re right, then let''s eat supper." "Ichika, where are the smaller plates? Please bring them." "Then I''ll go fetch the drinks." "To taste everyone''s dishes like that, I think that it''s pretty embarrassing......though it''s not bad." "At this time you should say that you''re happy, isn''t that right? Laura." Yes, happy, Ichika also feels like that. When he''s preparing dishes for Chifuyu, he also feels really happy, but that happiness and this happiness are differentthis happiness is closer to joy. "So? Let''s start eating!" Facing everyone in front of the table, Ichika took the initiative and said. "Itadakimasu!" Compared to the food''s taste itselfthe feeling of everyone cherishing the warmth of eating everyone''s dishes with each other, was present through that summer''s evening. Volume 4 - Epilogue "Above is the report about how to deal with Orimura Ichika." Three girls were gathered around a table in a small, slightly dark room. Two of them were sitting on chairs, and another person was standing in the center, like subjects to the queen, and a serious tension filled the room. "It should be time to move on......" Said the woman standing in the middle, though even with a small, but really clear voice, the words could still arrive to the other two''s ears. "Honestly, concerning that case, I think the response is too slow." "Since there are people urging from many parties......we can''t wait anymore......" Waiting for the queen''s answer, the subjects'' attention shifted to the table. Facing the fact that this year''s personal machine users reached an abnormal number, the three of them could not help but to develop serious countermeasures to this. "......Hn." The queen who was looking through the window delicately shifted towards them. "I''ve decided, it should be time to act, we need to think for ourselves." "So?" "I''ll find an opportunity to get close to him, and you two will be backups." "U-Understood!" "I got it......" A light smile appeared on the queen''s face. Like a predator who found its prey. Like the queen of an icy mountain. Quietly, without stopping. That was a smile that would charm you right away. "Please become aware of me, Orimura Ichika." With the moon on her back, the woman let out a smile. *Pa!* The sound of a fan getting folded, quietly but assuredly resounded Volume 5 - CH 1 "DEYYAAAHHHH!!!" *KLANG!* The heavy sound of metal echoed out. Ichika and Rin clashed blades as they faced off against each other. It was the 3rd of September, during a practical training lesson at the beginning of the second term that was held between classes 1 and 2. "Ku...!" "I WON''T LET YOU GET AWAY, ICHIKA!" As fellow class representatives, both of them were fighting in this match. Ichika had the upper hand at the beginning, but Rin started to turn it around. The reason was simple and clear. [Byakushiki]''s second phase was using energy too quickly. "You used too much energy on your shield!" "Not over yet!" Ichika swung his blade, but the [Yukihira Niigata] had already lost the glow of the [Reiraku Byakuya] and became an ordinary physical sword. If he pulled his distance, Ichika should be able to fire the particle cannon from the multi-purpose left arm weapon [Setsura], but that part had also lost all energy. "It''s useless! This [Shenlong] is designed to be stable and be efficient in using up the energy[Impact Cannons]!" *BOOM!* After firing several high-pressure shots in quick succession, Ichika and Rin pulled away from each other. It seemed that Rin didn''t intend on letting go of this opportunity as she threw out the attached [Souten Gagetsu]. "Kuu!" Ichika managed to take the powerful hit, but Rin already disappeared from his eyes. Though the IS Hyper Sensors managed to make up for it as it sensed the enemy''s location, it was already too late. "TTTAAAAAAAAA!!!" Rin grabbed Ichika on the foot and threw him forcefully to the ground. As the sunlight was too strong, Ichika immediately narrowed his eyes, and he saw a black figure flying down at him. "I WIN!" "!" Rin remained upside down and continued shooting the [Impact Cannons] at him. After shooting 10 rounds, the bell rang, indicating that the match was over. --Needless to say, Ichika lost. "It''s now two straight wins for me. Heh heh, treat me now." "Ku..." I lost both the first part and the second part of the practical training. After clearing up everything, our usual gang arrived at the student cafeteria. Having been messed around by her, I felt the agony of defeat as I ate lunch. On a side note, I chose the miso mackerel set. The white miso is really tasty, and the mackerel''s chewiness'' really outstanding. Yup, the aunties in the IS Academy Cafeteria did this really well. "Is that nice, Laura?" "Yeah. I never thought that I could eat Schnitzel outside my own country." Laura, who''s good friends with Charl, sliced the German cuisine dish Schnitzel[5A 1] (fried beef steak). "Do you want some?" "Wah? Can I?" "Yup." "I''ll take this then! Ehehe, I always wanted to eat this." Charl ate the Schnitzel Laura sliced for her, looking really delighted. "Mn~! This is so delicious! Every single German meat dish is nice." "Well, you can put it that way. The potato dishes are also worth trying." Laura blushed slightly, probably happy that her own country got praised. On seeing them like this, the other girls seemed like they also wanted to join in the conversation as everyone started to talk about cuisines. "AhGermany produces a lot of nice sweets like the Baumkuchen[5A 2]. China doesn''t have those kinds of desserts, so I''m a bit jealous." "I see. I''ll tell my squad next time to send the Frankfurter Kranz[5A 3] over." Huh, let me try and recall. A Frankfurter Kranz should be a buttercream cake that''s covered in caramel. It''s shaped uniquely like a king''s crown. But the Baumkuchen should be like that as well. Do German dessert chefs insist on a hole in the middle? "Speaking of German dessert, I love that thing, that Berliner Pfannkuchen[5A 4]." Cecilia said that, but Charl asked back in shock, "Huh? The Berliner Pfannkuchen''s that deep-fried bread that has jam inside right? The exterior''s made of vanilla though, so I feel there should be a lot of calories...do you like that kind of thing, Cecilia?" "I-I calculated the calories carefully before, so there''s no problem! That''s right, I prepare to fast for the rest of the day when I eat a Berliner Pfannkuchen..." Do you need to prepare yourself and follow the bushido code of fasting in the first place? If you want to eat dessert, just eat it. I''ll get scolded if I say that, right? "A deep-fried bread with jam inside. Sounds good." As expected of Houki. A primary school girl normally wouldn''t eat too many deep-fried breads with the nutritional lunch, but she would finish hers completely...Houki seems like she''ll get angry if I say that, so I decided to remain silent. "If you like deep-fried bread, Cecilia, how about I make you some sesame balls next time?" "What''s that?" "A Chinese dessert. It''s sweetened bean paste with glutinous flour wrapped around it. The exterior''s coated with a layer of sesame and then deep fried~" "It-It sounds delicious! Ah, but the calories..." "No problem. Just tell me when you want to eat it." "Rin-san...you''re a better person than I thought you were..." "WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU THOUGHT!? SAYING WHAT ''BETTER THAN I THOUGHT YOU WERE''!" Over here, Rin and Cecilia still have quite the good relationship. "I like Japanese desserts. That can be called classy, right?" At one time during summer vacation, everyone went to a green tea cafe, and Laura seemed like she liked the fruit-jelly desserts, it also seemed like she often went there after that. After she told that to her friends in her native country, they were envious. Furthermore, it seems like they also wanted some Yatsuhashi[5A 5] sent over or something. I do feel that her military friends are really direct. "If you eat sugar snacks during spring and jelly during summer, you have to eat sweetened bean paste pastries in the autumn." "Oh, and winter?" "Crackers." As expected of Houki, she really understands a Japanese''s heart. But if we continue to discuss about sweets, I''ll really feel like I want to eat them. (But I have no time to chit-chat about this.) Right now, I should be thinking about IS, the problem with my IS, [Byakushiki]. "Sigh...speaking of which, why did I lose even with the power up..." "I told you your machine used up energy too quickly. Your weapon would already lower your shield energy, so it''ll get worse with two of them."[5A 6] "Mn..." It''ll still be okay if that''s the case, but even the wing-shaped boosters on the back got enlarged, so a lot of energy is spent. Though I need two-thirds of my time to recharge the [Ignition Boost] to increase my speed to 1.5 times, it really is too much to use up that amount of energy... But course, all these won''t use up too much shield energy, but because the particle cannon uses the same energy system, I have to use it well. (Need to quickly switch between close range and long range tactics, also need to get shooting practice, training with the new equipment and...) ARRGGHH! I HAVE LOTS OF THINGS TO DO! Even so, my top priority''s the same as when I was in first phase. It''s about how to conserve my energy. (Energy, energy. Can''t I use a little less energy somewhere? Sigh...) "I-I don''t think that''s a problem! Just partner with me!" Houki folded her arms in front of her chest as she said that. Houki''s personal IS [Akatsubaki]''s unique one-off ability [Kenran Butou] is the complete opposite of [Reiraku Byakuya]. In other words, it increases the amount of energy, and can also transfer energy with a single touch. That''s normally hard to do between ISs. (Speaking of which, Chifuyu-nee did seem to say it before that [Byakushiki] and [Akatsubaki] were a pair. The initial design was for both machines to use each other''s energy.) --Most likely, it also has the significance of controlling each other. [Byakushiki] can destroy energy, and the [Akatsubaki] can increase it. So these two machines are the [keys to stop each other]. (...) "Why are you looking so awkward? You''re my bride, so team up with me." Laura was poking at my right cheek. Recently, Laura''s been a lot gentler, and would even joke around. However, it''s hard to tell because she always looks so cold. "Unfortunately, Ichika''s teaming up with me! I''m his childhood friend, and [Shenlong] can fight in close range or mid-range, so it matches with [Byakushiki] well." "Wha, why are you deciding this on your own...!? Ahem! If that''s the case, this Cecilia Alcott-sama will take part as the representative candidate with a long-range type machine. I can cover the ranges [Byakushiki] has a problem with." "No, I''m first in line if we''re talking about childhood friends. And also, well, how should I put it...[Byakushiki] and [Akatsubaki] look just like a picture when together. It-It matches..." She sounded really vague at the last moment, and I couldn''t hear it clearly. Anyway, with Houki leading the charge, everyone was willing to be my teammate. Why did this happen? "Mn...but there aren''t any group tournaments to take part in recently." "Maybe there will be one out of a sudden." "At that timeI think I''ll go with Charl." "Huh? Me?" Maybe she was shocked that she got named, as Charl''s hand that was holding the fork full of Carbonara[5A 7] suddenly stopped. Then, she put down her fork and spoon, rubbed her hands together, and asked, "Wh-Why-Why''s that so?" "We teamed up before." "Oh, I see..." The eyes that were glittering one second ago suddenly became dark like obsidian, as Charl continued to eat with an empty look. ...Wha-What just happened. "I knew that would happen. Haa..." Charl''s sigh felt like a fuse as the other girls started scolding me. "You''re really too much..." "Really, don''t you know what a girl''s heart is?" "Ichika-san''s blockheadness can''t be forgiven at times." "I''ll treat you to Cafe ja, Charlotte. Don''t feel so downheartened." "Tha-Thanks, Laura...and everyone." Charl seemed to be really touched as her eyes brightened. She smiled at everyone...except for me. "I-I didn''t say that for you." After saying that, Rin folded her arms in front of her chest. However, she blushed, seemingly shy. "Heh...Rin, you''re rather gentle even though you say that." "Hu-Humph!" (Ohh, as expected of Charl, always friendly to everyone regardless of gender. Her friendly personality''s rather good.) "...Why are you looking at me." "No, you''re thinking too much, Houki?" "...Why are you looking at me now?" "You''re thinking too much, Laura." After saying that, both of them gave me a karate chop each. The karate chops have the hidden meaning of ''You must be thinking of something rude''. (The-There''s no such thing, right?) The karate chops landed again. "Uu." ""Humph!"" After finishing my lunch with a lot of commotion, we headed to the arena for afternoon practice. "It''s such a waste to have so much space..." The changing room that became my personal one made me really insecure. After putting on my IS suit, I summoned [Byakushiki]''s control panel to begin my adjustments. (Mn...[Setsura] does take up too much energy. Can''t I control that a bit?) As I continued to think about it, my eyes suddenly went dark. This isn''t a metaphor, it''s real. "?" "Guess who?" Huh? Huh? Huh? Wh-Who''s that? The voice that came from behind me sounded even more mature than my classmates, but the slightly cheeky tone made it feel as if it''s a kid who loves to play pranks. The fingers covering my eyes were somewhat dry and icy cold. The fingers felt really comfortable, and I was in a daze for several seconds. "Okay, time''s up." I turned around to see who''s the one who released her fingers and said that, "...Who are you?" She''s a girl I don''t know. No, looking at the conversation just now, I don''t think that answered the question. "Ufufu." The girl in front of me has a tie that signifies that she''s from the second year. Showing a happy smile as she stared at this puzzled me, she then raised a fan that I had no idea where she got it out from and raised it to her lips. Looking at her again, this second year is really enigmatic. she then raised a fan that I had no idea where she got it out from and raised it to her lips. She looks rather carefree and gives off a rather relaxing presence that I don''t hate. But the smile on her face is of the complete opposite. It looks teasing, and in another sense, I can''t calm down. In other words, I''m worried that ''She would do something to me''. It feels that she''s hard to read, really mysterious...am I praising her too much? "Are you" "Ah." The second year looked behind me, and I turned to look there to see what''s going on "Fooled you?!" My face got smacked with the fan. "..." Huh..." "Bye bye! Got to hurry up, or else you''ll get scolded by Orimura-sensei." "Huh?" Feeling a bad premonition, I turned to look at the clock on the wall. It''s already 3 minutes past the start of lesson time. "UAAAAHHHHHH! OH-OH NOI''M DEEEAAADDDD!!!" I again turned to look at that culprit, only to see that there''s no one there now. "...And that''s your excuse for being late?" The instructor from hell, Orimura Chifuyu didn''t have a look of sympathy on her face at all. "No, well, about that? I''m saying that a girl just walked up to me" "Say the girl''s name out then." "I-I told you that I met her for the first time!" "Oh? So you put ''Chit-chatting with a girl you met for the first time'' as a higher priority and came late for lesson?" "No, that''s not" There was no room for interruption at all. "Dunois, prepare for [Rapid Switch] training, the target will be this idiot. Don''t mind." I MIND THAT!! "..." Having a hint of hope in my heart, I turned to look at Charl. She returned me a radiant smile. (That''s it, Charl! You won''t do such a reckless thing!) "Then, Orimura-sensei, I''ll start the training." "Good." GYAAHHH! CHARL''S SMILE ISN''T OF A MERCIFUL GODDESS BUT A HEARTLESS ANGEL! Her IS floated into the air, and the particles of light gathered in her hands, forming the shape of a gun. "Well, Charlotte...san?" "What is it, Orimura-kun?" GYAAAHH!! I''M SEEING VEINS ON HER FOREHEAD!! WHY-WHY''S THAT? WHY ARE YOU SO ANGRY, CHARL-SAN!!? "Let''s go, [Revive]." "Hol-HOLD IT" *BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM!!* My voice got overpowered by the sounds of bullets...GGYYYYYYAAAAAHHHHHH!!! "That''s what I''m saying! Please send me the live equipment over!" "We can''t grant that request, Cecilia Alcott. Your [Blue Tears] needs to provide us the actual combat data for the BT weapons, not live weapons." "I know, I know that well...ahh, really, you''re too rigid!" After the 6th practical lesson ended, the changing room that was packed full of 2 classes of girls was filled with hot air and chattering. Slightly further away, Cecilia was using one hand as she called the international line through the phone to haggle with the person in charge of her IS who was in her native country, England. "Speaking of which, why do you need live weapons?" "Uu...!" The reason is simple and quick, but she''s reserved about saying it out directly. Because an IS that only has BT weapons won''t be able to beat Ichika-san''s [Byakushiki]. (I''ll lose if I can''t pierce the shield and let it run out of energy.) During the simple practical training that also included breaking, Cecilia was the only one who lost to Ichika. Having lost to [Byakushiki]''s second phase that used energy quickly, Cecilia''s pride was in a mess. (Just me, just me...) As she let out a painful and silent expression, the in-charge on the other side of the phone sighed. "Listen up, Cecilia Alcott. Your mission is to collect the actual combat data of the BT weapons. Not to mention we have problems now since the new equipment was destroyed last month." "Th-That''s..." "No need for excuses. Good bye." *Pak!* The phone that was hung up left behind an empty beeping sound. "AH, THIS IS SO IRRITATING!" Cecilia raised her right hand as she wanted to throw the handphone away in fury. "Ce-Cecilia? What''s wrong?" "...Nothing." Charlotte was the one who called her. Having changed from her IS suit into her uniform, she was wiping the sweat off her hair. (Charlotte-san''s the least affected when [Byakushiki] entered [Second Shift]...) Even though the reason was that all her weapons used live ammunition, Charlotte was still really strong even if they were taken away. (Right now, the ranking order is Laura-san, Charlotte-san, Rin-san, then Houki-san, Ichika-san and me...) She sighed heavily. On seeing the IS data value [BT weapon synchronization rate at 37%], her heart felt really heavy. (Though I heard that I can continue the lasers at will when the synchronization is at its maximum...) Is it true? She couldn''t help but think. (I''ve never been able to use them like this successfully...should be just in theory...) Speaking of which, Cecilia was the only one amongst the national cadets with an ''A'' grade in compatibility with BTs. Because of that, she had the privilege of entering IS Academy and having a personal machine. But since she couldn''t get the data as expected, she didn''t know how long these privileges would last. "Haa..." "Huh, well, Cecilia, let''s just go to the cafe beside the cafeteria. I don''t think you want to remain in a bad mood all this time, right?" "You''re right..." Charlotte was still worried that Cecilia couldn''t break out of her funk, so she continued on, "Oh yeah, let''s get Ichika and everyone along. It''s better that way." "...I''m not going if Ichika-san''s going." Just when Charlotte realized that she spoke the wrong words, it was too late. To Cecilia, who had lots of dignity, even if he was her crush, she still hated to face him as the loser; or at least that''s how she would be now. "Then how about the girls go, Cecilia?" "Uu...you''re right. Since Charlotte-san''s so understanding, please pardon me for joining in." Cecilia''s mood improved as she looked up and walked towards her own locker. Cecilia''s footsteps regained her usual confidence. To her, this suited her best. The next day, the school used the SHR[5A 8] and first half of the first period to hold a school meeting. Of course, it''s about the school anniversary that''s held in the middle of this month. (But with so many girls gathered over here...) It''s noisy, and if they get any louder, it''ll be a ruckus. "And now, we''ll have our Student Council President explain." The person who announced this calmly should be one of the Student Council members, and these words made the laughter subside quickly like the tide. "Good morning, everyone." "!?" The girl with the second year tie stood on the stage. She''s the one who appeared yesterday at the changing room. I was about to shout out, but held back as I looked at her. "Fufu." As our eyes met, she showed a smile. Not good. What''s with me? I feel like my heart''s beating really hard... I tried my best not to let others realize that my heart''s wavering as I continued to listen to the Student Council President. "Okay okay, I had to deal with a lot of things this year, so I couldn''t say hello to everyone. My name''s Sarashiki Tatenashi, and I''m your Student Council President. Nice to meet you." The smiling Student Council President''s charisma was able to charm everyone regardless of gender, as everyone below the stage applauded enthusiastically. "Then, the important event this month is the school anniversary, so I''ll allow for special rules. As for what''s going on," With a refined movement, she pulled out her fan and shook it at her side. As if matching the movement, a hologram screen appeared in mid-air. "I call it the Every Club Fight For Orimura Ichika War!" *PAN!* The fan opened with a crisp sound, and with that, the large screen showed my photo. "Wha..." "WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT...!!!???" It wasn''t a joke. The hall really shook because everyone cried out. While I was still flabbergasted, everyone turned to look at me. "Please remain quiet. Every year, the clubs will set up booths during the school anniversary and hold voting events. Also, the school will provide special funds to the leading clubs. But I do feel that it''ll be too boring if I do that this year" Sempai pointed at me with the fan. "So we''ll forcefully get Orimura Ichika to join the number one club!" Everyone screamed crazily. "UWAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!" "THAT''S GREAT!! PREZ''S THE BEST!!!" "IF THAT''S THE CASE, WE''LL DO OUR BEST...WE''RE GOING FOR IT!!!" Please don''t treat the autumn tournament like that... But, am I really that valuable? I can''t take part in games for girls, and I''m not the manager type. "Speaking of which, I never agreed to this..." Still feeling dazed, I turned to look at the Student Council President. "Aha?." And then she winked back at me. ...No, even if you wink at me like that, it still troubles me... "VERY GOOD VERY GOOD VERY GOOD! MY FIGHTING WILL''S STARTING TO BURN!" "LET''S GATHER AFTER SCHOOL! EVERYONE, GATHER YOUR IDEAS! WE''LL DECIDE ON WHAT TO DO USING VOTES!" "IT''LL BE BEST IF WE GET NUMBER ONE. AT WORST, WE MUST ALSO GET NUMBER ONE!" These girls just can''t be stopped once they''re motivated. And thus, even though I only heard this for the first time and didn''t agree to this, this war over me began. After school, on the same day, our class had a last minute meeting in our classroom. Right now, everyone''s deciding on what booth the class should set up. "Erm..." As the class representative, I have to gather everyone''s views, but (The content includes ''Orimura Ichika''s Cowbot Club'', ''Play Twister with Orimura Ichika'', ''Eating biscuit sticks with Orimura Ichika'' and ''Play King''s Game with Orimura Ichika''...wait, what''s going on?) "I refuse." HUUUUUUUUH!!! The cries echoed throughout like a surround system. "You-You idiots! You would be happy about setting up such a booth!?" "I''ll be happy! I promise!" "That''s right, that''s right! You have the duty to service the girls till they''re happy!" "Orimura Ichika''s shared property!" "The other classes were all chattering about, and our club sempais have been really naggy." "Just treat it as if you''re helping others!" "You must have the Messiah attitude!" What''s with this nonsense? Speaking of which, what am I to do... I looked around for help, but Chifuyu-nee herself wasn''t around anymore. "It seems like it''ll take quite some time, so I''ll head back to the staff room first. Tell me the results later." Uwaa, onee-sama''s really gentle. "Yamada-sensei, we can''t use these weird ideas, right?" "Huh? You, you want my suggestion?" Pull yourself through, Vice-Homeroom Teacher. "Huh, erm...mn, I-I think the eating biscuit sticks together sounds good....?" The vice-homeroom teacher Yamada Maya-sensei blushed as she said this...damn it, she''s a landmine. "Anyway, how about some normal suggestions?" "How about a maid caf?" Laura was the one who came up with the idea...huh? Everyone, including me, was stunned. "It should be popular amongst the customers, right? And we can earn revenue if we sell food and drinks. I remember that outsiders can enter school through an invitational ticket system, so a lot of people would want a place to rest." Though she''s saying that with the same old cold tone, these words really differred from her image a lot, and everyone in class had to spend some time to understand. "Huh, erm...how does everyone feel about this?" Even though it''s by majority, all the girls still looked stunned. "Isn''t this good? We''ll just let Ichika be in charge of being the butler or cooking." Charl said that, probably to speak up for Laura as she attracted all the girls'' attention. "ORIMURA-KUN, AS A BUTLER!!? ME, ME!!" "AND THEN, AND THEN!?" "WHAT ABOUT THE MAID OUTFITS? I''M IN CHARGE OF MAKING THE CLOTHES IN THE DRAMA CLUB, SO I CAN SEW THEM!" The class just went intense out of a sudden. I feel that I''ll be pouring cold water over the girls if I hold back their passion at this point, so I''m hesitating on whether I should stop them. (Oh well, let''s just treat it as a caf with very weird uniforms.) "I have a correspondence if we need to get maid outfits, including the butler outfit. I''ll go ask if I can borrow it." As unexpected as ever, the one who said that was Laura. Huh? Everyone widened their eyes. Laura suddenly felt that things weren''t going right, so she deliberately coughed a few times. "Ahem, I mean Charlotte will be the one asking." Laura''s face turned a little red, perhaps feeling shy due to the overwhelming stares. And then, Charl, who got called, revealed a puzzled look. "Huh, erm, Laura? Are you talking about last month...?" "Yup." "I-I''ll go ask. Don''t be angry if I can''t get them." Facing Charl who was looking anxious as she said that, all the girls in class replied back with confidence and in unison, "We won''t be angry!" And thus, Class 1-1 decided to set up a modified maid caf. A ''Service Caf''. "...Anyway, class 1 decided to set up a caf." In the staff room, I concluded the results of the meeting to Chifuyu-nee beside me. "I really want to say that you chose something really uninteresting, but there should be something else to that, right?" "No, well...it''s something like a, Cosplay Caf. Ya." "Who''s the one who came up with that? Tajima? Or is it Liadi? I guess it''s one of the people who like to create quite the ruckus, right?" "Well..." I''m somewhat hesitant on whether I should tell the truth to Chifuyu-nee who''s giving a wry smile. But never mind, I still decided to say it out. "Laura." "..." Chifuyu-nee widened her eyes. Uu, I really hate this silence. After blinking twice, she started laughing. "Fu...hahaha! Bodewig? That''s really unexpected. But...ku, hahaha! She was the one who came up with the idea of opening a cosplay caf? Her personality really changed so much." "So you''re really surprised...aren''t you?" "Of course I am. I know her past, so this really surprises me. Fu-Fufuu, she said that she wanted to open a cosplay caf...HAHA!" After laughing a while, Chifuyu-nee rubbed away the tears in her eyes that came out due to the laughter. Was that really funny... To the other teachers in the staff room, it seems that it''s a rare scene for Chifuyu-nee to have such a reaction as everyone widened their eyes and stared at her in a mystified manner. "Mn, mnnwell, is that all for the report?" After noticing her surroundings, she cleared her throat and adjusted her tone. "Yes, just this." "Then, you just need to write the equipment and food needed on this request form. Remember to send it back in a week. There''s no problem, right?" (Uu, looks troublesome...) "There''s, no, problem, right?" "Ye-Yes." Chifuyu-nee''s forceful tone made me straighten my back and answer. She''s still very scary when she''s like this. That''s Chifuyu-nee for ya. (But Chifuyu-nee did change a lot as compared to the past.) I don''t really remember but Chifuyu-nee was really scary when she was in middle school. She was like a sharp blade, that others would be hurt if they touched her. Even I would feel scared of her as a family member. (But ever since I went to High school, she became somewhat more sociable. Speaking of which, she often hung out with Tabane-san...) The peerless genius, Shinonono Tabane. Most likely, the only person in this wide world who can stand side by side with her is Chifuyu-nee. --I understand that, and I dare say that. That''s true. "Orimura, there will be all sorts of military personnel and IS related enterprise representatives coming in from different countries. Normally, ordinary people are not allowed to take part, but the school will be giving out an entrance ticket to every student for them to enter. You need to think of who you want to invite." "Ah, okay." The report to Chifuyu-nee ended like that. I bowed and walked out of the staff room. After hearing the sliding door shut behind me, I sighed deeply. "Yo." "..." The moment I walked out of the staff room, there''s a girl waiting for me already. That''s a face I would never forget. She''s the Student Council President, Sarashiki Tatenashi. "...What is it?" "Hm? Why are you so wary of me?" "Do you want me to say the reason..." Whether it''s the fiasco because I was late or the commotion during the school meeting, this sempai''s the culprit behind them all, and yet she''s staring at me happily as if nothing had happened. "Ah, I want to say that I''d forget it if it wasn''t shocking at the beginning." "I won''t forget it." After saying that, I headed to the arena. The sempai near me naturally walked alongside me. "..." Seems like it''ll be difficult to shake her off. I do feel that this person''s giving off a fearsome presence, yet she doesn''t strike me as strongwell, it''s like ''some situation'' guided her here. "Relax, relax, don''t be so unhappy. It won''t be beneficial to you if you shut yourself in since you are young, you know?" "Whose fault do you think that is?" "Mnhow about I switch the conditions around a bit? This person in front of you here will be your IS instructor from today onwards, okay?" "No need. I have a pile of coaches." Houki, Rin, Cecilia, Charl and Laura. My fingers are all used up just counting them. "Uu-n, don''t say that. I''m the Student Council President after all." "Huh?" "Wait, don''t you know? The IS Academy Student Council President is" Just when Sarashiki-sempai intended to continue on, a girl in front of me came running over with dust flying. No, wielding a bamboo sword with one hand and attacking. "GET READY!" "Wha...?" I stood between both of them in reflex, and sempai evaded me fluidly as she pulled out the fan. "Moving without hesitation...not bad." Unbelievably, sempai used the fan to block the bamboo sword and then knocked a karate chop with her left hand. As the girl fell, the glass window shattered. "Wha, what''s going on now?" A barrage of arrows aimed at sempai''s face as they flew by. Looking closely, there''s a girl at the window on the opposite school building dressed in a hakama and pulling a Japanese bow. Wha-What the heck! "Lend me that." She kicked the bamboo sword that''s lying beside the girl and grabbed it as it flew in midair. She then threw it out. The bamboo sword went through the shattered glass window and landed pin-pointedly in the middle of the archer girl''s forehead, beating her beautifully. "WATTTCCCCHHH MMEEEE!!!" *BAM!* A third assassin came rushing out of the tool cabinet on the corridor. She had boxing gloves on her hands. Taking light steps, she swinged over the heavy punches that were full of body weight. "Fufu. How energetic...oh yeah, Orimura Ichika-kun." "Wha-What?" "I think you don''t know about this, so let me tell you. In IS Academy, the Student Council President is the proof of something." Sempai covered her mouth with the half-opened fan and said happily. During this time, she continued to dodge the boxing girl''s ferocious attacks with little movements. That''s really amazing. "The Student Council President is the leader of all the students" She dodged the right straight punch in a circle-like manner. *Tonk*...she kicked herself off the ground and leaped into the air. "And also the strongest." And then, she sent a spear-like spinning kick, sending the boxing girl flying back into the cupboard as if it was a rewind, unable to say anything. "...That''s how it is." She spun around and let the fan that was let loose when she did the spinning kick to fall back into her hand before it landed on the floor, and then held down her floating skirt. "Did you see it?" "No, I didn''t!" "That''s good." Fufu, sempai laughed twice and closed the fan. "...So what''s the situation now?" "Hm? As you can see, this weak me often gets in danger, so I need a knight to protect me." There''s a liar in front of me. "You just told me you were the strongest." "Oh my, you saw through me." She chuckled happily again...it''s not important at all, but this way of laughing is rather elegant and really suits her. What kind of person is she...? "Well, basically, anyone will come and attack the strongest Student Council President. If she wins, that person will become the Student Council President." "Haa...that''s quite chaotic." "Yup, but ever since I became President, almost nobody was able to beat me. So just now, that was." She pulled towards me and dragged my face close inWAAH! THAT''S CLOSE! THAT''S TOO CLOSE!! "You caused that, you know?" "Wh-Why?" The gentle aromatic fragrance soothed my nerves. The fragrance made me lose my sanity, and my heart started to pound wildly. "Hm? Well, since I put you as the prize of this month''s school anniversary, the sports club that won''t be able to get first like the fighting type clubs can only use force. They want me to step down, cancel the rules of the prize and get you at the same time." These are just wild guesses. I should add that, but I feel that her guesses are mostly right. It seems that she has a talent of reading people''s minds. In other words, she seems like she can tell that my heart''s pounding like crazy. That''s really scary. "Then, I would like you to come over to the Student Council office for a visit. Please come along. There''s tea for you to drink." "Huh?" "So I take it as you want to go?" To refuse her...seems like I can''t do that. "I''ll go." "Mn, very good, this onee-san likes to see Orimura Ichika-kun being so honest." "Ju-Just call me Ichika." "Really? Then call me Tatenashi. You can call me Ta-chan." "I don''t really mind either way. Haa..." I raised my hands to surrender. It seems like I can''t disobey this person in front of me. Seeing that I gave up my struggle, sempai looked delighted. Unlike the mature smile she showed just now, she looks really immature, as if a childish prank had just succeeded. "...How long are you going to remain blank over there?" "I''m so sleepy...it''s so, late already..." "Do your work." "Got it..." For some reason I hesitated once I heard such a voice from the other side of the door. "Hm? What''s wrong?" "No, I think I heard that voice somewhere before..." "Ah, that''s right. She should be inside now." After saying that, Tatenashi-sempai opened the door. The heavy door was pushed aside without any noise, and it seems to be a rather good door. "I''m back." "Welcome back, Prez." The one who welcomed her back was a third year girl. This girl with glasses and braided hair looked like a ''resolute yet efficient'' person as she held the files with one hand in a manner that suited her. The girl who was standing behind her surprised me. "Wa...it''s Orimu~" It''s Nohohon-san[5A 9]...wait, that''s strange. Why? "Mn, please sit over there. Tea will be served soon." "O-Okay..." Nohohon-san looks like she''s six times more sleepy than usual. Though her face went up by about 3cm when she noticed me, it immediately sank back onto the table. "We''re now facing the guest. Pull yourself through." "I, can''t, do, it...I''m, sleepy. Can, I...go, back, now...?" "Nope." With her last ounce of hope, Nohohon-san asked the question word by word, but the third year''s merciless answer crushed her completely. "Huh, Nohohon-san? Are you tired?" "Mn. Night...day...collecting...posters..." "U-Um?" "Oh my, you two are calling each other by nicknames. You two sure have a good relationship." Tatenashi-sempai, who became President in only her second-year, let the third year sempai deal with the brewing of the tea as she raised her arms elegantly and sat down on her seat. "Ah- no, well, I don''t know her real name..." "HUUUUUH~?" *PAM!* Nohohon-san stood up, and for the first time, I saw her shout loudly, "How mean~ you kept calling me by a nickname, so I thought that you liked me~..." "No, well...sorry." Just as I bowed down in apology because of this really insolent act, the third year sempai who served the tea here interrupted. "Don''t lie, Honne." "Hehehe. I got seen through. Got it, nee-san~" "Nee-san?" "Yes, my name''s Nohotoke Utsuho. My sister here is called Honne." Nohotoke Honne. This name...it''s basically Nohohon-san if I shorten her name.[5A 10] The girl who was standing behind her surprised me. "Huh? So you sisters joined the Student Council?" "Yup. The Student Council President has to be the strongest, but the other members can join as long as it doesn''t reach the maximum capacity, so I recruited those who grew up with me." Tatenashi-sempai explained to me. Oh, so these three grew up since young? Is it because Nohohon-san just said that ''We served as maids for generations''? "Besides, it''s my duty to serve ojou-sama." Utsuho-sempai poured the tea that was just brewed into the cup. She looked rather refined when she did that, and she gave off the vibe of a secretary or a head maid. "An, don''t call me ojou-sama." "Sorry, I just said it out of habit." Seeing how the conversation went, I think the Sarashiki family should be of some nobility? I can tell that from some of Tatenashi-sempai''s actions. "Orimura-kun, please have some tea." "Tha-Thank you." Utsuho-sempai poured some tea for me as well. Her courteous attitude made me cautious. "Honne, take the cake out from the fridge." "Okay~ I''m very efficient when I''m awake~" Are you serious... Her movements were still as slow as ever, and she looked like she was going to fall from the way she walked, maybe because she was still groggy. But unexpectedly, Nohohon-san didn''t fall as she safely served the cake. "Orimura--, the cakethe cake here''s super super super super super super super~...delicious-" She continued to say that as she ate her own slice of cake...well. "Don''t do that, Honne, the Nohotoke family''s customs will be doubted." "No problem, no problem. It''s delicious. ?" "..." The younger sister continued to focus on licking the buttercream off the base of the cake, but the strict elder sister wouldn''t allow her to do that. *GONCK!* Utsuho-sempai used her fist to slam down on her. "Uee...it hurts..." "Do you still want me to hit you, Honne...if that''s the case, it can''t be helped." "I haven''t said anything yet~ I haven''t said anything at all~" Nohohon-san''s eyes were tearing up. "Okay okay, I know you two siblings have quite the good relationship, but we have a guest in front of us now." "I''m very sorry." "So-Sorry..." The three members of the Student Council turned to me again. "Anyway, let me tell you what''s going on. Ichika-kun, since you haven''t joined a club yet, we received a lot of complaints. It''ll be very serious if the Student Council doesn''t force you to join a club." "So that''s why you set up the school anniversary voting battle...?" That''s really troublesome. I''m already busy with IS training. I don''t even have time to join any club activities. On a side note, having clubs that are formed by girls only is really, well...unreasonable. I can''t join them, and I can''t handle the mental stuff. What happens when it''s a sports club? I don''t even have a male changing room and bathroom. "Thus, as a condition for exchange, from now until the school anniversary ends, I''ll be giving you special training, including IS, of course." "Please allow me to refuse." "Don''t say that. Ah, please have some tea. It''s nice." "...Itadakimasu." The fragrance of the tea reached my nose. I gently took in that soothing aroma and gently sipped the red tea that was at just the right temperature. "This tea''s nice." "Utsuho-chan''s red tea is the best in the world. Next, please try the cake." As sempai recommended me, I tried the strawberry cake that had lots of buttercream on it. Even though there''s a lot of cream, the cake tasted nice but not sickening. It''s really smooth and silky...hold on, when did I become a gourmet reporter? "And then allow me to teach you." "No, I said that there''s no need. Why do you need to teach me?" "Hm? The reason''s simple. Because you''re too weak." As she answered that really smoothly, I didn''t catch her words for a while. But the moment I realized what she said, I felt...really unhappy about that. "I don''t think I''m as weak as what you said." "Nope, you''re weak, very weak, so weak that you''re pitiful. That''s why I said that I''ll train you until you''re at least decent." Of course, I don''t have the patience to remain calm after being told that by her. The moment I realized it, I found myself pointing at Tatenashi-sempai. "Then let''s have a match. I''ll listen to you if I lose." "Mn, okay." That smile on her face showed the words ''You fell into my trap''. ...Uh oh. "Erm...this is?" "Yup, that''s a hakama." "I know that!" Tatenashi-san and I were facing each other on the tatami dojo after school. Right now, we look like martial artists from ancient Japan who had been wearing the white torso guard and the navy blue hakama. There''s only sempai and I in the dojo. The Nohotoke sisters seemed like they had work, but well... then again, Nohohon-san''s actually a Student Council member. "Okay, as for the winning conditions, you win if you can make me fall onto the ground." "Huh?" "But on the other hand, I win if you can''t continue to fight. Will that do?" "Huh, no, wait, hold on..." Isn''t that too disadvantageous to sempai? Just when I wanted to say that, she said first, "I''ll win anyway, so it doesn''t matter." "..." Even though I knew it was a low-level taunt, I couldn''t help but get angry as I got into a defensive stance. When I was learning kendo at Houki''s dojo, I also trained in ancient barehanded martial arts in anticipation that the blade would break. My body already remembered that skill, and I wouldn''t forget it completely even though I''m somewhat estranged to it. "I''m coming over." "Anytime you''re ready." The smile didn''t vanish from Tatenashi-san''s face at all, and the casual expression made her all the more enigmatic. (Anyway, let''s try this.) I firmly slid my foot over and grabbed Tatenashi-san''s arm. However... "!" She immediately countered and grabbed me, and my body got tossed hard onto the tatami mat. For a moment, I lost my breath. I felt tremendous pressure within my lungs, and after choking out some air, Tatenashi-san''s finger seemed to be searching for my carotid artery as she stroke me. "U..." "That''s win number one." After letting me realize that she could kill me in that situation, Tatenashi-san let go of me. (She''s strong...!) I can''t beat Tatenashi-san if I don''t have the attitude of going against Chifuyu-nee. That''s what I thoroughly realized. But if that''s the case, I can''t take action casually. Things just got sticky. "..." "Mn? You''re not coming over? I''m going over then!" *Don*. She suddenly closed in on me quickly. The way she slid on the floor was perfect. No wait, that''s one of the secret ancient techniques ''No Rhythm''[5A 11] Simply put, humans live through ''rhythm''. Besides the heartbeat, there''s the breathing rhythm, so for example, the so-called ''Matching presence'' is a positive show of this. In contrast, a ''non-matching presence'' would be the opposite. An attack that deliberately messes with the rhythm of the opponent is called a ''Striking Rhythm''[5A 12], and one that controls is called the ''Equal Rhythm''[5A 13]. And the move of the highest class causes people to be unable to feel the rhythm. The martial art move that uses the undetectable rhythm is called ''No Rhythm''. "Uh oh" With the sounds of three hits, my elbows, shoulders and abdomen got hit lightly, and while my body stiffened in reflex, sempai landed her palms on my chest. "Kaa, haa...!" The air in my lungs got forced out, shaking my consciousness. And then "Watch your feet." *ZUDON!* My back landed hard on the tatami mat. And as I got thrown- it seemed that she used the ''penetrate''[5A 14] move to touch several of my joints. Even though I tried to get up immediately, the slight numbness made it hard for me to move around easily. "That''ll be two wins for me. Do you want to fight on?" Her clothes completely unruffled, Tatenashi-san gave me a gentle smile. But since I''m a guy, how can I give up so easily! "It''s not over yet. I can still fight...!" But even though I said that, my body was still unable to move. I breathed in deeply, and got myself up as I exhaled. "Mn, hardworking guys are really amazing." "You flatter me..." Deep inside, I commanded my legs that were wobbling, and barely managed to stop myself from wobbling any further. Tatenashi-san faced me again. Even though she''s been giving me the same smile all this time, to me, it''s a terrifying face that''s hidden deep within. It''s like a thick fog in the forest that doesn''t let anyone see what''s inside. Humans aren''t afraid because it''s thick. They''re afraid of the unknown inside that they can''t grasp. This can be applied to this person. The iron wall-like smile made me unable to guess her true thoughts. However, I can''t say that it''s a lying smile. Tatenashi-san''s been smiling all this while, but I''m really at a loss because I don''t know why she''s smiling. (Calm down...calm down...I''m not facing a monster. Since my opponent''s a human who can stand on both legs, there''s a way to beat her.) I took two deep breaths. A candle flame that wouldn''t waver appeared in my head as I calmed myself down and gathered my concentration. "Mn, you''re serious now." "..." Facing my silent response, sempai responded silently as well. At this moment, there''s a really tense feeling between us, as if both sides are about to use their killer moves. (Got to have the determination to take down the opponent in one hit...let''s go!) I utilized the Shinonono ancient martial arts hidden technique ''No Rhythm'' to break sempai''s ''still'' with my ''move''and attacked before my opponent could. "!" Perhaps feeling that my speed now is completely different from behind, Tatenashi-san took half a step back to gain a suitable distance. (I win!) Before sempai''s foot landed, I reached out and grabbed her arm to swing herout? *ZUDONL!* "Kahaa!" This time, I was the one who fell forward as my chest landed directly on the tatami mat. I started coughing, and my consciousness became all blurry. But I used my momentum to suppress this unbearable feeling and grabbed Tatenashi-san''s ankle. "Oh my." "It''s my win now!" I forcefully swung her ankle up and grabbed the body of the opponent that was flying back. "That''s too naive." Normally speaking, I did grab her from under her armpits, and yet sempai used her right hand to support herself on the tatami mat in an unbelievable manner. She then spun around to shake me off before landing a Capoeira kick. "What?" "Your attack''s not too bad." (Martial arts and ancient martial arts and Capoeira[5A 15]? Just who the hell is she?) I finally realized what she meant by the ''strongest''. It isn''t just some bluff or daydream, but a down-to-earth fact. Even so, I can''t lose to her. Right now, I can only hang on. This is the only part I can''t succumb, a man''s determination. "GYYAAAAAHHH!!!" Even though my body got kicked, I landed on my hands and feet before rushing forward. In front of me, sempai already recovered as she smiled. (At this point, I''ll use any means! Anyway, I can''t lose here!) I hastened myself again and swung my fist hard at sempai. In the end "Ahh..." "Kya~" Sempai''s torso guard was completely open, and the cleavage that covered in the bra bounced out. The breasts under the high-quality laced underwear looked quite voluminous, and they definitely won''t lose to Houki''s...no wait, what am I thinking!? "Ichika-kun no ecchi." "What?" Even if I want to find an excuse, this situation''s completely my fault. Wavering inside, I''m full of openings. Sempai didn''t shriek at all as she quickly pushed my hand aside. (Ahh, I''m deeaaaaddd!!) And at the next moment, I fully experienced what''s called an aerial jumbo. How many times did I get hit by sempai? I lost count after the seventeenth hit, and gave up on itactually, I fainted. "Onee-san''s underwear show''s pretty expensive, you know?" Kukuku. In the end, I seemed to hear a happy laugh. "Where did he go? Really...that bride''s a failure." Today, Laura was handling Ichika''s IS training. As the second term started, Ichika suggested that it was really inefficient to have everyone coaching him. Everyone felt that it was true and thus decided to do it in a routine manner. As the special training was to begin today, Laura, who was often lucky at the critical moment, was the first person to coach him...but even though she was lucky, they just played janken. (Speaking of which, that guy''s been spending too little time with me. That''s preposterous.) Moving quickly, Laura gradually slowed down before stopping. (Is he avoiding me...?) Obviously looking somewhat anxious, Laura tried to shake away her cowardly thoughts as she shook her head. (No, there''s no problem! No problem, no problem...I guess.) However, once this idea popped up in her mind, it was hard for a girl''s fragile heart not to be clouded. Right now, Laura''s heart was being taken by some mysterious anxiety. Her impulses made her want to use the IS private communicator to check Ichika''s location, something that was against the rules. (Nobody''s looking...I won''t be spotted...Okay, it''s alright. I just need to activate it for a short while and get the data...) I''m still feeling guilty, right? Laura looked around to check the situation, something rare for her. (Ve-Very good. Now I just need to activate my IS in stealth mode.) "..." She held back her crazily beating heart *DOKI DOKI* and secretly activated the IS. "Hey." *DOKI!!* "Wha-What is it?" Suddenly being called, Laura tried to cover her own actions as she turned around with killing intent. --And the person standing behind her was Chifuyu. "What hideous things are you doing? Pull yourself together." "In-Instructor..." *PAM!* The rare attendance book attack appeared. "Call me Orimura-sensei." "Ye-Yes...Orimura-sensei..." Even Laura couldn''t look up at Chifuyu easily. No, more accurately, she couldn''t beat Chifuyu''s overwhelming presence. "Are you okay? I just saw Orimura in front of the sick bay." "Huh--? Wh-Which sick bay!!?" "Don''t be anxious. How irritating. He''s at the sick bay on the first level of the club building." "The sick bay at the first level of the club building..." Seemingly repeating herself, Laura bowed to Chifuyu and intended to run. ...But Chifuyu stopped her before she moved. "Bodewig, I must remind you first that as a personal IS pilot, it''s against the rules to activate an IS outside the designated areas, and also against international treaty." "I-I understand!" Laura answered as a matter of fact, but her tone sounded really unstable, probably because her guilty conscience was working against her. "The-Then, I''ll be leaving first." "Okay." Walking 5 meters away from Chifuyu, Laura controlled herself, trying not to hasten herself, but once she passed that area, she started running. Seeing her student like that, Chifuyu murmured to herself, "Good grief." *GYA GYA*, *GYA GYA*. The trees that were swaying with the wind let out that sound. I felt the heat that belonged to the beginning of summer as I continued to run to somewhere. (I need to hurry up.) For some reason, I knew that. My running legs were affected by the heat and gradually slowed down. "Ah..." There''s a person in front of a well. That''s a beautiful woman with glamorous black hair tied high, wearing a red and white miko outfit. For some reason, I felt that my heart was about to stop, and naturally stopped. She gradually walked over, yet I couldn''t see her face. I know that she''s beautiful, but I don''t know who that face belongs to. But my heart was fulfilled. Soon after "~?~?~?..." I heard a gentle humming in my ears and gradually regained consciousness. (Uu...?) At that moment, the sharp sunlight caused me to frown. On noticing my reaction, the person who realized that I was awake brought her face to me as she looked like she wanted to block the sunlight. "Are you awake?" "Sem...pai...?" Tatenashi-san''s face is right beside me....speaking of which, Tatenashi isn''t a girl''s name, right? "Hm? That''s a name exclusive to the Sarashikis. I''m the 17th generation of the Sarashikis." "I see..." Still not fully awake, I answered blankly. ...Hm? Hold on, that''s strange. Did I just say something...? "No wait!" Suddenly realizing the problem of the position, I was completely awake. I thought the inexplicably soft and nice-smelling object was a pillow! "Wh-Wha-What are you doing?" "Using my thighs as your pillow." Gua... Tatenashi-san was right. But even so, why must she give me the ''Don''t ask any weird things'' look? Speaking of which, sempai changed already? The thigh pillow that''s separated by the stockings actually feels so comfortable. (DAMN IT! DAMN IT! DAMN IT! DAMN IT! DAMN IT! I''M GETTING A FEELING THAT I''M DEAD IF THIS KEEPS UP!) Just when I wanted to get away from sempai''s thighs, she quickly used her hands to press my shoulders down. "WAH!" Losing my balance, I again fell back to the soft thigh pillow. No, THIS CAN''T DO! "ICHIKA!" Opening the door forcefully and shouting was Laura. After seeing sempai and me like that, she suddenly looked expressionless. ...Ahh, it''s over. My teenage years are so short. I don''t even have strength to see the boat lights. "Eliminating the target." Deploying her IS from the fingertips, Laura activated [AIC] and came slashing overUWAAHH!! "Fufu..." Tatenashi-san smiled and quickly drew her fan and threw it at Laura''s forehead. The part that was nearly deployed completely made Laura want to back away. Not letting go of this opening, sempai immediately rushed in. After grabbing the fan in the air, she opened it and quickly used the paper fan to press onto Laura''s carotid artery. "What...!?" On seeing the precise ability and smooth execution of the methods, Laura and I were unable to hide our intrigue. Though Laura has the [Absolute Defense] barrier, if sempai, who was a lot faster than Laura, really wanted to kill her from the beginning, she would have done so already. Realizing that she lost, Laura gritted her teeth and dispelled the IS. "Mn, it''s good that you can be obedient." After saying that, Tatenashi-san patted Laura''s head twice and then turned to me, "Then, since things are done, let''s go." "Huh? Where...?" "The third arena." It seems like neither Laura nor I can beat this smiling sempai. "That''s strange? Ichika." "I-Ichika-san? I heard that you were training in the fourth arena!" Unexpectedly, Charl and Cecilia are both at the third arena. Maybe they''re here to train? They''re still in their IS suits even though their ISes are removed. On seeing me, Laura and Tatenashi-san, an intriguing look appeared on their faces, "...Who''s that?" I don''t know if she''s mindful of Tatenashi-san, but Cecilia asked that with an unhappy look. ...Why? "Ce-Cecilia, that''s the Student Council President." "Ohh. Now that you mention it, I do remember seeing that face before." Charl''s feeling anxious about Cecilia, who''s rude due to her bad mood, as she tries to round this off, but that kindness was wrecked cleanly. Charl really has it tough... "Mn, don''t be so mean. Ah, I''m now Ichika-kun''s personal trainer, so we will have chances to talk to each other in the future." "Huh? What does that mean?" "Ichika-san!" "Ichika you bastard...!" "WAHH! HOL-HOLD ON! THIS-THIS IS, JUST THE OUTCOME OF OUR BATTLE! UU!" Seeing the three girls close in, I said something that sounded like an excuse. "We promised that the loser will have to listen to the winner, right?" Sempai smiled as she said that...ahh, don''t make things so complicated. "Ichika!" "Ichika-san!" "Ichika!" As expected, everyone wanted to fight with me. It''s really hard to convince them. Speaking of which, why did I come here in the first place...? "Then let''s begin. We''ll follow the people with experience. Charlotte-chan and Cecilia-chan, please use the [Shooter Flow] to spin around in a [Circle Rondo] for him to see." Shoot...what? Also, did she just say London? "Huh? But these are shooting-type fighting maneuvers." "I can do it, but...this is for helping out Ichika-kun, right?'' It seems like both of them realized it, and I''m the only one here who got left aside. "Is that because his [Second Shift] has a long-rangedshooting attack?" Laura said that unhappily. It seems that she''s still wary of sempai. "Mn, you''re rather sharp. But that''s not all." *Tonk tonk*. Tatenashi-san patted her palm with her fan and continued, "In a shooting contest, the most important thing is the control. But if I have to classify a particle cannon that can''t be fired consecutively, it''s more like a sniper rifle. In other words, it has penetrating power that can kill in one hit. But everyone knows that Ichika-kun''s shooting ability isn''t suited for long-ranged combat." Gua, I got hit on my wound while being ignored. "So he would deliberatedly" "Defeat his opponent at close range." "That''s right. You''re really sharp, Laura-chan." Tatenashi-san opened her fan and praised Laura. Looking closely, there''s the pretty words ''wonderful'' (Migoto) on it when-when did she change those words... "...Laura-chan..." Hm? What''s with Laura? She looked stunned. "Hey, what''s with you? Are you alright?" "No, nothing! Don''t look at me!" Laura turned her body and evaded my hand that was ready to be put on her shoulders before locking my hand and turning it backwards---OOWWWWWWOWOWOWOWOW!!! "Okay okay, lovey-dovey couple, Charlotte-chan and Cecilia-chan seem to be ready, so just watch." Tatenashi-san clapped twice to call us. Having been finally released from Laura''s grasp, I rubbed my hurting arm and looked above the arena. "Then, let''s begin." "Ichika-san, please watch this." The [Revive Custom II] and [Blue Tears] spun at each other. But the two units didn''t move close to each other as they moved to the right. Both of them continued to fly around the cannon-hole shaped arena with their backs against the wall. "I''m going over then, Cecilia." "Bring it on." The two gradually accelerating units soon started firing. Both of them continued to spin about as they started evading while accelerating infrequently, returning fire in the meantime as they continued to move around quickly without slowly down. "As expected of Cecilia, your skills are good...oh my." "You too, Charlotte-san. I can''t imagine that to be a second generation frame with that mobility." As they continued to talk, both of them increased their firepower. "This is..." "Mn, Ichika-kun, you understand the great thing about this? They have to move at high speeds and shoot. They need to focus on dodging and shooting at the same time, so it''s hard to do it like them if you can''t be one with your machine." The [PIC] controlling the machine was originally set to automatic, but it''s hard to maintain such delicate motions in that situation. But if I set it to manual, I have to pilot the machine as well. To be honest, that''s really difficult for me. I have to stay calm. Don''t think about anything else and just focus on those two things...not good, my head''s hurting. "Experience is important, but you need to have such high-level of control. Do, you, understand~" *Fuu*. I got blown at the ear...wahh, when did she move behind me? "I-ICHIKA?" "WH-WHA-WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Noticing me, the two shooters raised their volumes. "Ah." And then, both of them gave a ''It''s over'' sound as they got hit by the torrent of gunfire. Perhaps they lost control as the tremendous impact caused them to lose balance and knock into the wall. "Are-Are you alright?" "How could we be..." "Of course not!" Both of them got up and immediately rushed towards me. "We were practising so seriously!" "What were you fooling around with?" "No, no, I wasn''t fooling around..." ""YOU WERE FOOLING AROUND!!!"" "...Yes." Remaining in the arena were me, who''s being closed in, the enraged Charl and Cecilia, the chuckling Tatenashi-san and the sighing Laura. Volume 5 - CH 2 Two days after that incident, I continued to work hard at the fierce training Tatenashi-san gave me. Today, I again came to the third arena after school to practice my control training. "Ichika likes older girls, huh." I remembered Houki glaring at me. Even though I tried to explain that it wasn''t like that, nobody would believe me, whether it was Houki, Rin, Cecilia, Charl or Laura...damn it, that wasn''t the case. "Ichika-kun, you''re slowing down. You need to concentrate." "I-I got it." I concentrated on the controls and aimed at the balloon in the middle of the arena. The [Setsura] particle cannon on my left arm is on standby, and there''s still 20 seconds left before it recharges. Right now, I''m controlling my [PIC] manually, so I have to negate the shot''s recoil on my own. (But this is harder than I thought...) Once I fail to control the recoil, I''ll end up flying back at the wall with my head slamming hard into it. (It''s already hard enough to control this [Shooter Flow]...) I remember what Charl told me and cautiously move the legs that are one with [Byakushiki]. "Did you ice-skate before? You must let your toes slide on the icy surface, and glide out while making them stick to the floor." "I don''t understand..." "You must use centrifugal force to control it, understand?" "I don''t understand, sensei." "Such an inept student." "Sorry..." "Mn, I don''t hate students who need to be taken care of. We-Well, I...do, like, them." "I see. Thank you." "...Ichika, you need to be a little sharper." "Huh? Why are you so unhappy out of a sudden" "Well then, I have data to collect for my new equipment. Got to go." ...Why was Charl suddenly so unhappy? I don''t understand even till now. "Ichika-kun, concentrate~" "Ye-Yes!" "You''re thinking about girls, right? Ichika-kun no ecchi!" "No, that''s not it!" "So you''re thinking of guys? That''s really weird..." "THAT''S NOT RIGHT!" How-How tiring... Anyway, what I could understand during these past days was that Tatenashi-san was really hard to understand. Sempai''s personality is so mature yet so childish at the same time. I really don''t understand her. She''s like a cat that looks like she''s inviting me, and then runs away from me. (Yeah. It''s not that I can''t understand her, but that she doesn''t let me understand her.) Not revealing herself. Not revealing her true self. (That makes her really hard to deal with...) Anyway, I need to focus on the controls. I again imagine myself to be skating on ice as I focus my weight on my toes and use the centrifugal force to adjust my movements. (But since this is a shooting motion, would it be useful to me...?) "Hey, over there. Don''t think too much and concentrate." "So-Sorry." In fact, Tatenashi-san''s guiding me really well. She even managed to easily explain the parts that the good coaches Charl and Laura don''t know, and that really allowed me to understand easily. Speaking of which, I seemed to have read it in a certain book before. The smartest person is the one who can explain in a way anyone can understand. Sempai really feels like that. "Okay, you sped up. Try using [Ignition Boost] then." "Huh?" "[Ignition Boost]. From your circular motion, change it to a straight motion, break through the opponent''s fire at one go and shoot the particle cannon at zero distance." "Hold-Hold on! Asking me to do that..." "Hurry up." "I-I got it." After I got told off by sempai, I focused on the [Ignition Boost]. Mn? AHHH! *BAM!* "It hurts..." As the [Shooter Flow] suddenly ended, I lost control and slammed hard into the wall. "Hey hey. You can''t stop the [Shooter Flow] end when you''re doing [Ignition Boost]." "It-It''s tough." "No can do. You must learn. Everyone other than Houki-chan can do it." Now that she said this, I had nothing to say. "Alright, get up and try again." She explained things much more easily than any instructor, but she''s even more strict than every single one of them. With that, Sarashiki Tatenashi-san''s training continued. "Oh my." "Ah, erm, good afternoon, Nohotoke-sempai." After the end of this special training, I met Nohohon-san''s older sister Nohotoke-sempai as I was walking on the corridor. As I thought about how I should respond, sempai said to me. "Just call me Utsuho. Since there''s two Nohotokes, it''ll be unclear who you''re calling if you use that family name, right." "Ah, okay, I''ll call you Utsuho-san then." "Mn." Sempai nodded her face. Other than the face, she''s different from Nohohon-san in other areas. But she does give an inexplicable feeling. (This person should be similar to Takatsuki-san...) I secretly nodded deep inside as I remembered the most reliable Takatsuki Shizune-san in class. I tried to ask her what I was mindful of recently. "Sorry, but can I ask a question." "If I can answer it, sure?" "Well, how''s Tatenashi-san as a person?" "What do you mean by that?" "Huh-, it''s more like, well, what was she thinking when she trained me?" "Well, since it''s her goodwill, just accept it." "No, uu. You''re right, but how should I put it..." Seeing that I''m speechless, sempai seemed to find that intriguing as she smiled. "Just joking." This person in front of me would actually joke. Now that''s a surprise. "Tatenashi ojou-sama has all sorts of concerns, and I really don''t know everyone of them." "I see..." Even though they''ve known each other for a long time, the situation may be as what she said. Even so, the Nohotoke sisters should know about the other side of Tatenashi-san that me, and every student in IS Academy doesn''t know of. Thinking about that, I really find it intriguing. (Mn, since Tatenashi-san is really helping me now, I should just follow what she says.) After making this conclusion, Utsuho-san lifted her finger and spoke up, "Let me give you a piece of advice first. You''ll be messed around by her no matter how you defend yourself or try to prevent it. Remember to save your energy." "I-I see..." I did feel that, but what she said made me confirm it. Since Utsuho-sempai, who''s older than Tatenashi-san by one year said this, she should be right. "I''ll eat as much as I can then." "Very good. But that''s if you can swallow the food." What''s with these ominous words? I''ll be messed around by Tatenashi-san like that... It suddenly feels cold. "Goodbye then." "Ah, yes, goodbye." After saying goodbye to Utsuho-san, I again headed back to my room. *GACHUNK!* I dragged my tired body and opened my room''s door. "Welcome back. Do you want dinner, a bath, or... do, you, want, me?" "Welcome back. Do you want dinner, a bath, or... do, you, want, me?" --*BAM!* I closed the door and spent a second to analyze the situation. "Erm..." Right now, I''m standing in front of my own room''s door at the first-year''s dorm. I checked that the nametag on the room has the word Orimura...well, I''m not mistaken. I didn''t mistake it. (Was that a dream or illusion? Anyway, Tatenashi-san can''t possibly wear a naked apron[5B 1] and wait for me in real life. Hahaha.) Thinking about this, I opened the door again. "Welcome back. Do you want me? Do you want me? Or do, you, want, me?" "THERE''S NO OPTION I CAN CHOOSE!" "There is, but only one." Standing in my room and waiting for me is Tatenashi-san in the naked apron. WHA-WHAT IS THIS PERSON THINKING!? "I intend to stay here from today onwards." "Wha...?" "Yeah~ I can brag to everyone! Only two girls managed to live in the same room as Ichika-kun before me. I''ll become your third woman then." "No, wait...huh? Isn''t this the first year dorm?" That''s not the main problem. Unfortunately, my mind couldn''t work well as it''s in a mess. "That''s the power of the Student Council President." Gua! Using that trump card all of a sudden! What''s wrong with this person? Or rather, is the Student Council alright? "Ichika-kun''s reaction is so kawaii~"[5B 2] Tatenashi-san stared at me happily as she casually opened her fan. There''s the words ''Everything is strange''no, YOU''RE THE ONE WHO''S STRANGE! "ANY-ANYWAY! PLEASE WEAR SOME CLOTHES, CLOTHES!" I couldn''t look at the weirdly dressed sempai as I looked aside while saying. She seemed to find it really funny as she laughed before turning behindWAAHHH!! "JYAN?! There''s a swimsuit underneath it~" "..." "Fuu, are you disappointed?" "HOW-HOW CAN I BE!" ... I don''t think I would be disappointed. "Oh my. That''s just a little revenge since I couldn''t catch onto the summer wave." Who are you taking revenge on? (Speaking of which, even though she''s wearing a swimsuit, it''s a rather daring bikini...no, NO NO!) I continued to shake my head, looking like I want to shake off the desire that would enslave me the moment I see her. "Aha. You''re blushing, aren''t you?" "Uu..." Tatenashi-san looked like she wanted to show herself in the swimsuit as she stuck her butt out, looking really radiant. I felt embarrassed as she got me, and since I''m really embarrassed about seeing a pretty girl in a swimsuit right in front of me, I do know that I''m blushing for sure. (That''s true, but you didn''t have to explain it like that...) After being pointed at, my face became even redder. I seriously thought through if there''s any way to shake Tatenashi-san out of the room. But after thinking for a few seconds, I saw that she already set up all her stuff, and sank my head heavily. (She didn''t just put full cardboard boxes; she already took out her luggage...) It seems that it''s useless to say anything. "Haaa..." I sighed deeply, feeling so dejected I wonder if my soul was long gone. "..." Houki quickly walked through the corridor of the first year dorm. She was holding onto a bag, and smiling a bit at times. The results of cooking the first time this month were good. Expecting the response Ichika would give once he ate this masterpiece of hers, Houki couldn''t help but naturally move faster. (Because that guy always liked to eat this.) That''s the beancurd-skin sushi[5B 3] that her mom taught her directly. The slightly thick beancurd is soaked and cooked until the flavor enters it, and the rice and other condiments are added to it to achieve perfect balance. After kendo training, Ichika would often eat a lot of this superb combination that had the sensation of the flavorful soy sauce and the aftertaste of the clear vinegar rice. (...But he really changed.) In Houki''s memory, Ichika actions were just like a kid. And now though he had a vestige of his former self left, he gradually gave off a mature man''s presence. Basically, he gradually became the type Houki liked. (U-Um, I should train myself to be more like a woman. I don''t know what kind of woman that guy likes, because there''s no downsides to being a good woman.) Confirming these thoughts in her heart, Houki happily accepted the accelerating heartbeat within her. (Ichika was in a mess during training today, so he would want something to motivate himself, right? Yup, yup!) Even though she didn''t forget that this could be a reason for both of them to be together, she completely forgot that the other girls might be having dinner with Ichika. Houki quickened her already fast pace, and soon arrived in front of Ichika''s door. (Alright. Got to act calm...) Mm um. After clearing her throat, she silently knocked on the door. *KOK* *KOK* "..." (Hm? Why isn''t there a reaction?) Maybe I knocked too softly? Thinking about this, Houki knocked even louder. "Wha-What is it? Who''s that?" "It-It''s me. I brought a reward for you." "ACK! HOUKI!?" (What''s with that ''Ack''? Saying that out of a sudden...!) Houki was a little unhappy. But it would be bad to break this happy time, so Houki controlled her emotions. "Can I go in?" "...So-Sorry, you can''t." This infuriated Houki, and she was prompted by her impulses of anger as she opened the door. The door wouldn''t open, however, as it seemed that Ichika held the door up from inside. "...Ichika." "So-Sorry. How about next time? Okay? I promise, next time..." As Houki felt weird about Ichika''s tense voice, a girl''s voice could be heard from within. "Ichika-kun, what are you doing? Ah, I know. You are afraid that others will find out that you''re having an affair, right?" "--!" It was a voice she had never heard before. Facing Ichika''s attitude, Houki quickly deployed one of [Akatsubaki]''s Japanese swords and sliced the door in half. "UWAAAH!!!" "Ichika, you bastard...!" "WAAAHHH! HOL-HOLD ON! IT''S A MISUNDERSTANDING!" "WHAT MISUNDERSTANDING!? STAND RIGHT THERE!" Facing the angry Houki, Tatenashi calmly called her, "Okay, okay, calm down. I was joking." "..." But the problem was her dress up. Seeing the naked apron from the front, Houki gradually raised her sword. "ICHIKA!!!" "WH-WHY-WHY ME? SPEAKING OF WHICH, DIDN''T SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPEN BEFORE!?" Even though Ichika barely managed to dodge it, the continuous attacks forced him to the wall. "YOU BROUGHT A GIRL BACK TO YOUR ROOM AND DID SUCH AN INDECENT ACT...DON''T YOU KNOW ANY SHAME!?" *Swoosh!* As the sound of wind being cut could be heard, the Japanese sword was swung down. Though Ichika was prepared to die, Tatenashi stepped in between them. "Oh my, how straightforward you are." *KLANG!* With a blunt sound, the blade was stopped. Tatenashi''s right arm was holding onto a huge spear. "!" "Sorry, but onee-san will be rather bothered if you want to let Ichika-kun be a lost soul under the sword." Casual sounding, she didn''t leave any openings in her movement. Tatenashi spun the spear in a circle manner and blocked the Japanese sword, pressing it down under her weapon before swinging it up. "Wha...?" The weapon Houki was so used to wielding flew out of her hands because of the leverage, leaving her dumbfounded. The Japanese sword that was deflected by Tatenashi flew in the air and pierced into the wall hard. "The winner''s decided, I guess?" "Gu...!" Like Laura before her, Houki dispelled her IS to indicate surrender. Whether it was Houki or Ichika she was facing, the brightly smiling Tatenashi gently declared her superiority over them. "I see. Houki-chan''s really well-versed at skills and martial arts. Even your cooking''s amazing!" "No, no, it''s not really that good..." "Don''t be shy...mn, this beancurd-skin sushi''s really nice--. Right, Ichika-kun?" "Ye-Yeah. It''s really nice." And then, after convincing her, Houki accepted the current situation, and Tatenashi-san changed into her uniform before tasting the beancurd-skin sushi with us. In primary school, I often ate the sushi that Houki''s mom used to make at the dojo, and the reward Houki brought over was about the same. I didn''t just reminiscence it, because it''s really nice. "..." "..." But with Houki glaring at me, I really couldn''t eat much. It seems that she couldn''t accept Tatenashi-san''s existence, and her anger on me hasn''t disappeared completely... is-is it my fault? "That''s strange? You two haven''t eaten much. I''ll help myself then." Taking it and biting it, taking it and biting it...Tatenashi-san continued to down the remaining beancurd-skin sushi. "Mn~ thank you for the food." Licking her fingers, she palmed both hands together to thank Houki. Regarding this, she''s mysteriously attentive with the greetings, and Houki and I bowed back as thus. "Okay, since Houki-chan''s here, I''ll explain this simply." "You''re talking...about me?" "That''s right. It''s about [Akatsubaki]." Now that she mentioned it, Houki tightened her face. "I heard that you can''t activate [Akatsubaki]''s [One-Off Ability], right?" "That''s..." Did you say that? Houki protested at me with her eyes, and I immediately shook my head. That''s right. After that incident, Houki''s [Akatsubaki] was never able to activate [Kenran Butou] successfully. Even though she tried to do that during training, the machine didn''t react at all. However, it was indicated in the data registry, so it''s unknown where the problem was. "Basically, the [One-Off Ability] needs to be activated when the pilot''s mental state is in sync with the IS. Do you remember the last time you activated it?" "I-I do. Uu..." "If you recreate that emotion, the IS will respond to you." "I-I see.." For some reason, Houki shyly lowered her head...hn? What''s with you? Why are you looking over? "Let me explain. In contrast to [Byakushiki]''s 1 to 0 removal ability, [Akatsubaki] has a 1 to 100 increase ability, and it seems like it can pass the energy to others. As expected of a machine Professor Shinonono made herself. It''s really outstanding." "So...this ability can also be used on anyone other than Ichika''s [Byakushiki]?" "Well, I can''t really predict that to the details. Why don''t you try it out?" "I-I see." Houki continued to peek at me. Why''s that? (Hm? Is she worried that I would be unhappy...) A brainwave passed me as I placed my hand on Houki''s shoulder, "Don''t mind, Houki. Wouldn''t it be good if others could use it too?" "...You''re right." For some reason, Houki lowered her head. Huh? What, what''s wrong? "Oh yeah. Ichika-kun and Charlotte-chan once tried to transfer energy. I read about records on energy transfer, but I was really shocked when you two were able to do it. Normally speaking, it''s difficult to transfer energy. You can''t do that if your cores aren''t in sync. She was able to do it so well in the midst of a real battle. That was amazing." "Yeeah, Charl''s really outstanding and smart, so she would be able to match the other person''s characteristic no matter who she partners with." "..." *DONK!!* "OW! WHA-WHAT ARE YOU DOING, HOUKI!?" "Humph." For some reason, Houki felt unhappy and kicked my leg... wha-what''s with her? "Fufu, you two have quite the delicate relationship." "Huh?" "...There''s nothing delicate about it. Ichika''s just too dumb." "WHAT''S WITH YOU CALLING ME DUMB! CALLING ME AN IDIOT!? EVEN IF YOU''RE A CHILDHOOD FRIEND, I WON''T FOROWOWOWOWOW!!!" "STOP PINCHING ME, HOUKI!" "You''re too noisy." I got glared hard at by Houki. Uu, she really looks scary. "Okay okay, I know you two have quite the good relationship, so let''s talk about something elseerm, but before that, let''s have some tea." "Ah, please allow me." "Really? Sorry to bother you then." If I continue to stay here, it seems like Houki will be even more ferocious in her attacks, so I escaped to the simple kitchen to avoid the disaster and brewed tea. (For some reason, Houki''s mood swings seem to be very big recently...) Boiling the water, I couldn''t help but remember Houki recently. She would occasionally show herself at the kendo club, and seemed to have gotten along well with them. She also got more friends. She also became good friends with Rin, Charl and the rest. That''s a good sign. But right now, the important IS control isn''t working too well for her. She wouldn''t accept anyone''s help with regards to that, so it''s bothering me. (Oh, the water has boiled.) I put the tea leaves into the clay kettle and waited for them to open. During this time, I heated up the guest teacups. Seeing that both sides were done, I put them all on the tray and returned back to both of them with a slightly nervous look. "So that''s how it is! Well, how should I say it... fufu. That''s really interesting." "Isn''t that right? Fufufu." ...Hm? Huh? Those two seemed to be on rather good terms now. Did they talk about some secrets when I wasn''t around? Girls are often seen to be mysterious people because of that. "Oh, Ichika, you''re late." "That''s right that''s right. I got some autumn manjuu[5B 4]. I''ll get them out." Both of them were smiling happily, as if they were really happy. (...Well, I guess Tatenashi-san can make anyone collapse, whether it''s male or female.) My mind suddenly remembered the saying that''s often used to describe Toyotomi Hideyoshi in the past ''Able to grasp people''s hearts''[5B 5]. And I do feel that it fits the sempai in front of me. (But that''s not a title for a girl...) However, since it suits her, it can''t be helped. If I don''t use this, maybe she''ll be like the ''Cheshire Cat'' or ''the female Tora-san''[5B 6]...no, wait, the last description doesn''t really fit her, right? "Hey, kid, stop looking at the elderly onee-san." *PA!* I got knocked by the autumn manjuu box. "We-Well..." "Hm~? Don''t tell me you''re thinking of saying that you didn''t look?" "...Are-Are you going on a trip?" "Oh, he changed the topic. What do you think, Houki-chan?" "He''s not showing the attitude of a man at all." GUA! How can there be such a continuous barrage that''s forcing me into despair! My HP''s immediately almost zero. "An-Anyway! I got tea ready!" "Fufu. Seems like you got anxious. Well." "Just let him go." "You''re right, Houki-chan''s really magnanimous." Ahaha, ufufu, the two girls continued with their laughter. I guess sitting on a bed of needles should apply to this, right? "As for your question, I didn''t go on a trip. The people I''m familiar with at the research center said that this Japanese product called autumn manjuu''s really delicious, so I bought a lot of them." "Are you talking about the research facility?" "Actually, it''s the development lab, of my beloved machine." "Sempai has a personal IS?" "Of course, the strongest in IS Academy isn''t just for show." On hearing that, Houki and I trembled. The IS that the strongest in school, Tatenashi-san uses should be really amazing. How powerful would the battle prowess be? "Uu, I''ll look at your practice condition first. Don''t look at me like this. I can really teach." "Re-Really?" Houki responded to Tatenashi-san''s words...well, I was forced to make her my tutor anyway. "No problems. It''s my job to take care of my cute kouhais." "Is-Is that so? I''ll leave myself in your care then!" "But I need to train you two separately, you know. I won''t be able to concentrate on training you together." "Uu..." Houki seemed to be a little resistant to that, but finally answered, "I understand." As expected, she managed to realize the difference in ability between her and sempai, and felt that it''s better for sempai to guide her instead of just training alone. "Oh yeah. Well... I realized it from the beginning." After taking a sip of tea, Houki stuttered and asked, "Doesn''t this room have sempai''s personal belongings...?" "Yup, because I''m staying here for the time being." "WHAT?" Shocked, Houki couldn''t help but step up. I decided to remain silent since I''ll trigger a landmine no matter what I say, but...that''s not like a man. Guu... "WH-WHY?" "Un, because I had to be Ichika-kun''s special instructor for a while, so I need to eat and sleep with him to match his characteristics. I also need to observe his usual demeanor." "Observe..." Tatenashi-san, are you treating me like a pet? "If-If that''s the case, I want to stay here too!" Aahh...I knew she would say that... "Mnnope." "Why?" "Because this is a two person room." "Uu...!" That''s an amazingly accurate piece of logic. "Don''t worry, don''t worry. I won''t do anything to Ichika-kun, so relax." "Sin-Since sempai says so..." "But Ichika-kun may do something to me." "!? I-ICHIKA! YOU!" "WA--! HOL-HOLD ON! I DIDN''T SAY ANYTHING YET! TATENASHI-SAN, PLEASE DON''T PROVOKE HOUKI! SHE''LL REALLY PULL OUT A REAL SWORD ONCE SHE''S ANGRY!" "Oh my, I was seen through? Sorry, Houki-chan, this onee-san played a little prank. Aha?" "Ne-Never mind..." Seeing her innocent smile, Houki sat down weakly. Tatenashi-san''s enjoying seeing Houki like this. (This person really knows how to ''grasp people''s hearts''.) Just like that, our controversial stay together began. Controversy Number 1 "Ichika-kun~" "WhaHUH, WAHH!!" Brushing my teeth just before I slept, I got called back to the room by Tatenashi-san. And then, lying casually on the bed, Tatenashi-san was casually shaking her leg. No, that''s not the problem. The problem''s her dressinga wild attire of underwear with just a shirt over it. lying casually on the bed, Tatenashi-san was casually shaking her leg. (ACK! I-I CAN SEE IT!) Tatenashi-san''s firm butt''s really nice, and the light purple underwear over it is a little...well, it''s showing a lot. I hurriedly went back to the bathroom. "Huh? What''s wrong, Ichika-kun?" "AN-AND YOU DARE TO SAY WHAT''S GOING ON!? PLEASE WEAR YOUR CLOTHES!" "I''m wearing them." "PLEASE WEAR SOME PANTS!!" "Huh?" I could hear thomping footsteps from behind the door. Not good! I''m dead! She''s over here! "...I can''t open the door." "Yeah, I''m pressing down on it." "Since I can''t open the door, I''ll break the hinge then." "Huh?" *KLANG!* With a crisp sound, the door fell over. WAHH!! "I''ll jump~" Tatenashi-san''s weight''s pressed down on me. WAHHH!! "I''m not heavy, right? My body figure''s good too, since I often train myself." "IS THAT SOMETHING YOU SHOULD BE SAYING? AND THAT''S HEAVY IN THE CURRENT SITUATION" "Hit out." *PA!* The palm opposite the door landed accurately on the part that''s pressing onto my face. As I lost balance due to this sudden impact, Tatenashi-san used this chance to quickly barge into the bathroom. Right now, I can imagine an event of the floor, me, the door and Tatenashi-san. What is this... "Okay okay. Admit that you lose and do that highly-rated massage on me." "Huh?" "You want to know why I knew about this? Fufufu, because onee-san''s information gathering speed is rather fast." It''s nothing, really, I just heard Cecilia-chan brag about it. Tatenashi-san added these words. (CE-CECILIA! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!) Thanks to her, I''m in this state. To be honest, Tatenashi-san''s figure''s good, and not just good, but really outstanding. I can even tell through the clothes that she has huge breasts, a water-snake like waist and a perfect-curvy butt. (DAMN IT! IT''S TOO DANGEROUS TO MASSAGE TATENASHI-SAN NO MATTER HOW I THINK ABOUT THIS!) To be specific, I''m talking about myself. My sanity and everything else will be in danger, real danger...I have this feeling that it''ll be really bad. "Uu- you''re still resisting? If that''s the case..." Tatenashi-san pushed the door aside and fell onto me. "WHA-WHAT!?" "Guchy guchi gu~" "EYAAHH!! ST-STO-STOP IT...UWAAHH!!" "Okay okay, hurry up and surrender.. Surrender and massage me." "No, NO WAY! DIDN''T I SAY THAT IT''S...!" "You don''t seem to be scared, so I''m going to increase my strength~" "WAAAHHH!!!!!! AH, HAHAHA! ST-STO-STOP IT...AH HAHAHA!" "So are you going to massage me?" "I-I''LL DO IT! I''LL DO IT! I''LL MASSAGE YOU! AH HAHAHA! ST-STOP IT...!" Feeling satisfied with my answer, Tatenashi-san finally let go of me. "Huuthat was a tough one." "What are you saying? Really..." "Then hurry up and massage. This onee-san''s tired from Student Council work." "But!" "Do you want me to bathe myself cleanly?" "...What''s with that answer?" "Mn. Because I feel that I should answer like that. So?" "Please wear more clothes. I won''t allow any leeway." "At the bottom? I''m wearing my panties properly" "Panties don''t count." "You''re so irritating, Ichika-kun~" "I won''t massage you then." "Huh-you''re too much. I''ll wearing something similar to pants then." "Please do." Looking at Tatenashi-san walk out of the bathroom, she suddenly stopped. "These aren''t panties, so you don''t have to be shy." "Those are panties." No matter how you call it, anything that looks like panties are panties. Speaking of which, I still can see it...PLEASE! SERIOUSLY! SPARE ME NOW! I''M ALREADY TRYING MY BEST TO LOOK AWAY. "Will this do?" After saying that, she flipped her shirt, and I saw the leggings that exposed the rounded butt. Of course, the lines of the panties were shown as well. "..." "Ah, you''re looking pervertedly." "I AM NOT!" I''m just troubled...really, I am. "Anyway, I''ll leave the massaging to you." "Okay..." Tatenashi-san laid down on the bed, and I didn''t have any strength to even go against her. "I-I''ll start then." "Mn, I''ll leave it to you then. Make me even more beautiful than I am now." A massage doesn''t change a person''s appearance, right? Speaking of which, to make her even prettier, isn''t the standard too high... (Ahh...I can feel a nice aroma...) Unlike Houki and Charl, the sweet and refreshing aroma filled the entire world. My rapidly beating heart felt like it got wrapped by something soft. "..." Really soft. (Uu, very soft. Speaking of which, it''s just the legs, but it''s already like this...) Even so, that''s not the feeling of fat. I could feel the firm muscles. Well...the touch''s great. Just touching her alone makes me feel comfortable. "Oh, hurry up and massage the butt~ my buttocks are sore from sitting down for too long..." "Uu..." FORGET ABOUT IT! AT THIS POINT, I''LL JUST ENTER A ZEN PHASE! Being mentally prepared about this, I reached my hands towards Tatenashi-san''s buttocks. --Soft. "..." How-How soft, and ample. "Ichika-kun." "Yes." "You''re having a nosebleed." "...Yes." Controversy Number 2 "Then, everyone, please prepare for your mid-term exams." After the 4th period of ordinary subjects (a must study) ended, the classroom was buzzing like usual. As this class is held according to the language, there''s only Japanese in this class. Looking over, I could see black-haired people all over, and it''s really unbelievable. "Orimura-kun, let''s go to the cafeteria." "You should come and eat with us sometimes too~" "Righty right, the personal pilot group''s really sneaky." Having been surrounded by the girls quickly, I thought I would be forced off to the cafeteria by them...but just when I think that this would happen, "Excuse me." Having said those words, Tatenashi-san walked in. She''s holding what looks like a five-layered bento box as she walked here with a smile on her face. "You should have lunch in the classroom once in a while. It''ll be really interesting." After saying that, she put the five-layered bento on my table and neatly prepared the table. During this time, she called the other girls over, and soon, 6 people gathered. (Houki''s here. If there''s anything happening, I''ll get her to save me.) Just when I was secretly thinking about this, Tatenashi-san opened the bento...ooh!? "Uwaa...it''s super luxurious..." Someone murmured. Including me, everyone gasped on seeing this super luxurious bento. Things like Ebi lobsters and scallops are inside. This isn''t at a bento''s level now. "How did you make this?" "Hm? I woke up early." "I''m not asking about that..." Recently, being with Tatenashi-san made me realize that as long as I ask her ''How did you do that?'', she would answer ''Anyone can do it as long as they work hard.'' But Tatenashi-san''s a genius no matter how everyone looks at her, so everyone who she answered would just look lost. (That''s not something you can do by simply imitating...) "Ichika-kun." "Huh?" "Here, ahh-" My mouth that was wide open got food put into it. That''s a capsicum meat set. The flavoring that''s not too heavy and the texture of the meat can be said to be perfect. But that''s not the problem. The girls around me were looking in shock. After the girls stopped breathing for a second, they showed a serious expression and shouted, "EEEEEEEHHHHHH~!?" "ORIMURA-KUN HAS THIS SORT OF RELATIONSHIP WITH THE PREZ...?" "EVERYTHING''S DEAD! GOD''S DEAD! WE''RE DEAD NOW! ARE WE DEAD NOW!!?" "PREZ''S SO SNEAKY! SHE''S SO BEAUTIFUL AND FLAWLESS AND HAS A BOYFRIEND!? THIS CAN''T BE FORGIVEN!!" "ONEE-SAMA!! OUR ONEE-SAMA!!" As for Houki, whose fingers were strong enough to break the chopsticks, she naturally became a problem. "Wha-Wha-WHAT ARE YOU DOING!" "Mn, eating lunch." "I''m not talking about that..." "Is it nice?" "Ah, well, that, yes." "I want a clearer answer." "It-It''s really good..." As I said that while looking somewhat shy, Houki finally lost her patience and stood up. --UWAAH, WHY MUST YOU BRING A SWORD OVER!!? "Houki-chan?'' "What is it?" "Here, ah" The food was put inside Houki''s opened mouth too. I thought that she would be shocked by this sudden change of situation, yet she quickly returned back to her chair and started chewing carefully. I think she feels that it''s rude to eat while standing, sorta. "How about it? Is it nice?" "Ye-Yeah. The...flavor really went in. The stewed potato and meat''s really nice..." "Aha! I got praised. This onee-san''s really happy." Everyone here, not just me, but Houki and the other girls, were moved by her smile. "Does everyone want to try it?" "Ah, ah." "Ye-Yes." "If-if you excuse me." "Un un?. This onee-san''s really popular." Smiling, Tatenashi-san fed the other girls as well. Anyway, as it was really good, and since the Student Council President fed her kouhais personally, everyone here had a hard-to-describe expression as we all had lunch. Controversy Number 3 (Haa...I''m so tired today...) She''s such a carefree person, yet she''s so strict in training after school. And it''s because she wouldn''t scold me that there''s more pressure for me to respond. Training after school ended, and dinner hasn''t arrived yet. I''m using the bathroom in my room. "Huu..." I washed away the shampoo and rubbed off the water on my hair. I then reached for the towel. (Hm? That''s strange? It''s gone...) *GACHUNK!* "Ha~I~ I''m here to wash your back." "WHAT!?" The bathroom door suddenly opened, and Tatenashi-san in a swimsuit came in. Sempai''s wearing the school designated P.E. swimsuit, and the monstrous body almost breaks the fabrics of the deep blue cloth, especially the voluptuous breasts that leaves a deep impression on me...WAIT, I''M NAKED! "Why are you here?" "I''m going to wash your back." "DON''T DO THAT, JUST DON''T DO THAT! AN-AND DON''T LOOK HERE!" "Ara ara, you''re really a shy introverted person. Okay, show everything you have to onee-san." "I DON''T WANT TO! ANYWAY, WHY MUST TWO PEOPLE SQUEEZE INTO SUCH A SMALL BATHROOM?" "Hmto stick closer?" DON''T ANSWER ME BACK LIKE THAT AS IF IT''S A QUESTION! "PL-PLEASE GET OUT!" "Okay okay. Don''t say that." I got a light touch on my back. The soft breasts could be felt from behind the swimsuit, making me really anxious. "NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! PLEASE GET OUT! I''LL REALLY GET ANGRY!" "BubuIchika-kun''s really petty." "THIS ISN''T ABOUT PETTINESS...NOARR!?" Her arms reached over from behind my back skillfully, and the finger seemed to be drawing something on my chest as it climbed up my chest. The slight trembling sent me a signal of danger, and my voice got louder. "TATENASHI-SAN! GET O" "I''ll go once I rub your back." "..." It feels like resistance is futile. "I got it...whatever you want..." "Aha?-Ichika-kun''s really magnanimous~" Who''s the one who forced me to this state... I let my head and shoulders slump heavily and let her rub my back in this cramped bathroom. "Is there any part that''s itchy~?" "None." "Che." This person actually made such a sound. The sponge that was filled with bathing foam (that''s probably Tatenashi-san''s personal item) was rubbed onto my back with suitable force. Letting others rub my back...how long has it been? Maybe since a long time ago. I haven''t experienced this ever since Chifuyu-nee washed my back when I was young. (Uun...) I decided not to think about Chifuyu-nee, because if I do, I''ll remember that we used to bath together, and then my thoughts will head into a place I shouldn''t be thinking. "WahIchika-kun, your body''s rather good. You didn''t just train, did you? Even the muscles that can be used are well-developed." "Tha-Thanks for your compliment." "I heard that you used to practice kendo. How about now?" "Nope. I haven''t been doing it for a long time, and I got crushed badly by Houki when I faced off against her the last time." "Houki-chan, huh? She''s amazing too. I can tell that she''s really hardworking." "I''m the same kind of person too." Tatenashi-san added. "Are you lying?" "Huh, why? This onee-san''s a hardworking person, you know? I''m not talented." "You''re lying again..." "Muu, kids who don''t believe their elders should be punished...like this!" The hand that''s covered with bubbles tickles my abdomen, and it''s stronger and more destructive than ever. "AHAHAHAHA!! STO-STOP IT...HIII!!" "Fufufu, you can''t doubt onee-san''s words. You must believe me, understand?" "I GOT IT, I GOT IT, I GOT IT! SO-SO PLE...ASE STOP...HAHAHA!!!" "Okay, no problems. Onee-san''s going out first. I''m done with your back too." Tatenashi-san casually moved her body away from me. After washing away the bubbles on her, she opened the door. "Ichika-kun." "...What?" "Your butt''s not bad, you know?" Ufufu. Tatenashi-san laughed as she left the room. I can tell without looking that she must be very carefree now. "..." Anyway, to calm myself, I spurted a lot of water from the showerhead. "COLD!!" Of course it is. "Ahh~..." The usual few girls showed wry smiles as they saw me collapse on the table. Right now, it''s dinner time at the dorm, but it seems like I don''t have any appetite left. During these few days, my life''s been completely messed up by Tatenashi-san, and I''m really tired. "It''s been tough on you, Ichika." "Oh...Charl..." "Do you want some tea? If you can''t eat, at least you should drink something." "Oh...thank you..." I looked up, just a sip would do. Everyone''s eating their own dinner, and the dishes seem to be quite good. (But I have no appetite...) I''m not joking. I''ll really die if this life continues. Most likely because of fatigue. "So where''s that woman?" Laura asked that in a really angry manner. She''s been feeling angry ever since she lost that day. One of the reasons she''s so frustrated is that she can''t sneak into my room occasionally now. Well, I''m thankful to Tatenashi-san with regards to that, but...un. (I''m really bothered that Laura''s feeling unhappy...) I pondered with my emptied mind. The tea Charl passed to me was just warm enough, and I calmed down. "Ichika, I''m asking where is that woman." "Hm? She went out saying that she had Student Council work." "Ye-Yeah, there''re a lot documents~" The slow and laid back tone made me turn around. As expected, it''s Nohohon-san. Oh, you, this Student Council secretary. Hurry up and help your Prez. "I say~ I''ll just increase their workload if I stay there~ I came out so as not to disturb them~" "And you dare to say that..." Speaking of which, is it really good for the Student Council to have such members? As for Nohohon-san, she likes ochazuke, and there''s a large piece of salmon fillet on it. Tha-That''s really luxurious... "Hey hey hey? What tea do you take when you eat ochazuke? Coarse tea? Green tea or relaxing red tea? I take Oolong tea~" Sitting down on the empty seat, she suddenly asked me. She mixed the food in the bowl with chopsticks, and it really looked rather corroded. "I think it should be here~" "..Over where?" "I''m adding raw egg in." *Kapak*Woah! She really added it! "Spin spin spin spin~" The stickiness of the rice increased, and it looked even more messed up! Nohohon-san happily smiled. ...On the other hand, I''ve lost all my appetite already. "I''m tucking in! *Gobble* *gobble* *gobble*..." "WAA, STOP MAKING NOISES WHEN YOU EAT!" "Huh--? That''s impossible~ Making sounds when you eat is what a gourmand should do~" "THAT''S FOR SOBA NOODLES!" "I''ll try it then~ *ciu* *ciu* *ciu*..." Hu...it got slightly quieter...no, wait, what were we talking about? "Ahem...Ichika-san?" "Hm? What is it, Cecilia? Why did you become so formal out of a sudden?" "If you find that it''s tough living in that room, it can''t be helped then. I should help others with a bushi''s heart[5B 7]; How about you come over to my room?" ...Ahh, are you talking about the room where the bed took up nearly all the place? "Hold on, Cecilia! Wait! Ichika, come over to my room! I have poker cards." "Trying to bait me with poker cards? I''m not a primary school kid!" "Then how about Kompeito?"[5B 8] "Are you intending to kidnap some kindergarten kids!?" And she lowered the standard for some reason. Rin, I really don''t understand you. "What? Are beans better?" "ARE YOU FEEDING THE PIGEONS!?" ...Oh well, I don''t want to talk anymore. The more I talk, the more tired I''ll get. "I''m going back to my room..." With heavy feelings, I got up from my seat and left the cafeteria for my room. I should sleep a little before Tatenashi-san comes back. Thinking about that, I placed my hand on the door handle. "Welcome back. Do you want dinner, a bath, or do, you, want, me?" Two seconds after I opened the door, I saw sempai. Losing all my strength, I collapsed with my knees first to the floor. Volume 5 - CH 3 The school anniversary''s finally here. As the school anniversary''s not opened to everyone, there won''t be any opening fireworks, but the students'' excitement was enough to fight against enemies, and everyone''s feeling really pumped up. "You''re lying, right? You''ll be greeted by that Orimura-kun if you go to class one?" "And he will be wearing a tuxedo too?" "And you can take photos with him if you win! A two-people photo! A two-people photo! We must go!" And, in front of the ''Service Caf'' of class 1-1, we''ve been working our backs out since early in the morning. Even so, if I have to put it, I''m the only one who''s really busy because I''m too popular and lack a body double. The other people are all enjoying it as per normal. "Welcome?. Please walk here, ojou-sama." Charl in the maid outfit looked really happy as she had been smiling since morning. (Is it because I said that it suits her? Even so, she''s been feeling really happy.) On a side note, the attendants outside (the cosplayers) are me, Charl, Cecilia, and unexpectedly, Houki and Laura. (Even if Laura had to take part since she proposed this, Houki unexpectedly agreed...) That really surprised me. But she would sulk when I told her to invite the customers in, so it didn''t look like she would fit in anyway. She would look especially frustrated when the customers asked me when I would be serving them...is it because she lacks calcium? (But, well...) Seeing the girls in maid outfits running in and out, my heart fluttered for some reason. Dan used to say ''maid outfit, school swimsuit and bloomers! No guy will be unmoved by these three outfit!'' or something like that...un? Leaving that aside, the remaining classmates are divided into two groups. One''s the cooking staff in the kitchen, and the other is the miscellaneous stuff. The miscellaneous stuff group''s busy with the refilling of the food that''s used up, the clearing of the tables, and controlling the crowds who''re queuing up on the corridor, which would be the toughest for them. "Sorry, but I''ve been waiting for two hours." "Please relax, there won''t be any problem. We''ll continue operations until the festival ends." They''re busy dealing with the customers who are complaining about all sorts of things (well, it seems that they''re all complaining about waiting for too long). (Would it really be alright to have a longer queue than in the morning...?) Thinking about this, I used the gap between the attendants to look outside the classroom. "Ah, there''s a signboard for the last in line." "Huh? What kind of games do they have?" "I heard that there''s janken, memory match and dart shooting. It seemed that they designed these choices for the people who aren''t good with certain games." "Huh-can''t we go in yet?" The crowd outside seem to flood the entire first year corridor, and there''s people, people, and more people everywhere. I do think that the maids in our class would be suffering trying to serve so many people. "Ah, it''s Orimura-kun!" (Uh oh, they found me.) As I thought that, several of my classmates who were organizing the crowd rushed to me and pushed me back into the classroom. "AraI told you not to come outside the classroom!" "You''ll make things even more chaotic!" "The fun must only be enjoyed at the end." U-Un? What does the last sentence mean? """Okay, hurry up and head back!!!""" Now that they said that, I couldn''t say anything back, and can only serve the customers now. "Hey, the butler over there, bring me to my seat!" (This voice is) A familiar and slightly crude voice. I turned around, and as expected, it''s Rin. Though it''s Rin, she... "What are you doing...?" Rin, who''s dressed in a cheongsam, was just standing there. Rin, who''s dressed in a cheongsam[5C 1], is just standing there. It seemed that only one piece of cloth is used, and the slits are rather daring. There''s a picture of a dragon on the red cloth, and there''s gold lace and delicate embroidery. Well... "Sh-Sh-Shut up! Our class'' doing a Chinese teahouse!" "I see, so it''s a teahouse?" "I''m supposed to be the waitress, but because your class is just beside us, we don''t have any customers at all!" My second childhood friend is fuming. "Hm? That''s strange? Rin, your hairstyle''s different from usual. What are the bun-bun things on your hair?" "Chignons." "Tha-That''s right. It really suits you." "Uu...we-well, I think it suits me since I''m Chinese..." Why must she be so shy? "An-Anyway! Help me find a seat!" "Ye-Ye Then, ojou-sama, please walk here." "O-Ojou-sama...?"[5C 2] "This is how I should be calling you now." "Fu-Fuun! Anyway, it can''t be helped if you''ve been told to do this...yup, can''t be helped." Why must she repeat the same thing twice? I harbored this simple question as I brought Rin to an empty table. On a side note, the furniture was already past a school anniversary''s level. Cecilia prepared them all herself. The insistence she had on the quality of the tables and chairs was especially shocking. They looked so classy, I had to wonder how much one set was worth. The tea accessories were all intricately chosen, and the classmates in charge of these seemed to be trying their best not to let their hands tremble. "Then, may I know what would your order be, ojou-sama?" "Le-Let me see..." Perhaps the high class of the furniture made her uneasy, as Rin twisted about twice before sitting properly and looking through the menu. On a side note, we can''t let the ojou-samas hold onto the menus on their own, so I or the maids will have to hold it for them to read...I do feel that it''s really scary to start getting used to such things. "What''s this ''Reward a Butler Set Meal''?" ... "Do you want to try our shop''s cakes?" "Hey hey, are you trying to change the topic?" "There''s no such thing, I can assure you that." "...Don''t say that, it''s disgusting." "Why are you calling me disgusting!? I''m working now!" "Then I''ll have a ''Reward a Butler Set Meal''." ... "Ojou-sama, would you like a ''Reward a Maid Set Meal''?" "Ichika, this meal has something to do with you, right?" *GYUU!!!* "You really like to make jokes, ojou-sama." "Sin-Since you called me ojou-sama, obey my words...I want a ''Reward a Butler Set Meal''." I couldn''t resist Rin, who''s staring up and me, for the third time, and can only indicate that I understood unwillingly. Even so, she seemed to be rather embarrassed about it. Is it because of the name of the dish? You''re too naive, Rin, there''re a lot of dishes with even more awkward sounding names like ''Lakeside Nightingale Cry Set Meal'', ''Deep Forest Love Set Meal'' and so on...uu, just thinking about it is making me uneasy. "A ''Reward a Butler Set Meal''? Then please hold on." Bowing politely, I left the ojou-sama, Rin. On a side note, I don''t have to head to the kitchen when I took the order, as the voice will be passed through the brooch-shaped mic when I repeated the order. Well, as for the insistence...as expected of the girls. "Okay, I''ll leave it to you then." Returning to the bar counter, I took the ''Reward a Butler Set Meal''. The contents of the set meal includes iced tea and Pocky. It''s cheap, and it only costs 300 yen. The customers'' smiles are treasures, but even then, I need to hold back the reluctant feeling to serve the customers as I walked back to the table with the cheongsam girl waiting there. "Sorry to keep you waiting, ojou-sama." "Don''t mind." What''s with that answer? She really intends to be like a real ojou-sama, but it really feels weird. "Then, if you excuse me." "Huh?" I sat down in front of Rin, and both of us are now facing each other at the 2 people table. One''s dressed in a tuxedo while the other one''s in a cheongsam...what''s with this scene? "Wh-Why are you sitting down...well, I guess, it-it doesn''t really matter." "Please allow me to explain." "Oh, ohI''ll leave it to you then." ... "WHAAAT!! I GIVE UP I GIVE UP! It''s alright if I talk to Rin as if it''s normal?" "Gu, you''re right...since your tone''s so weird, Ichika, I''ll forgive you." YOUR TONE''S THE ONE THAT''S WEIRD! "So what kind of set meal is this? It seems to be just snacks and drinks." "...You can feed." "What?" "...I''m saying, that you can feed the butler with this set..." Rin blinked, and her face immediately went red. "Wh-Wha-What-What is this set meal...or rather, asking me to fork money out to feed dessert to you..." "Can''t cancel the order...really, that''s why I don''t want it." "But, well...tha-that''s right...since I ordered it...uu." "What''s wrong, Rin? It''s not mandatory, so you don''t need to feed me if you don''t want to. I''ll just leave if that''s the case." "I-I''ll feed! I''ll feed you! Service properly once you take the money! Really!" "I got it, I got it. No need to be so angry." "We-Well, that...say ahh..." "Ahh" The crisp sound of the biscuit breaking could be heard from my mouth. The Pocky and the sundae glass were iced together, and so the chocolate bits won''t melt immediately even after biting it. It feels like I was eating a protective layer, but it soon melted a few seconds later, and the sweetness that spread was great. "I-I fed you, so you need to feed me" "There''s no such service in this shop, ojou-sama." Dressed in a maid outfit, Houki interrupted the stuttering Rin. Well, she really looks scary. "Is-Is that so? I see." "..." "Erm, Houki? It''s okay, isn''t it? Speaking of which, aren''t you taking orders from the third table?" "I got it!" Snorting coldly, Houki turned around. "Why''s she so angry...right?" "I-I don''t know." For some reason, Rin blushed as she ate the pocky. The way she lowered her head like a squirrel''s really cute. "Rin." "Hm?" "You''re rather cute." "Guu!!" Rin spat out the iced tea in her mouth, and then coughed non-stop. "H-Hey, are you alright?" "Wh-Wha-What...What do you mean I''m alright?" "Nothing, it''s just that the way you ate the Pocky''s really cute." "Cu-Cute...?" "Yeah, like a squirrel." "...Like a squirrelYOU-YOU IDIOT!" *BAM!* I got a karate chop on the head. Gua, it really hurts. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" "THAT SHOULD BE MY LINE!" With the sound of the table and chairs colliding, we stood up forcefully. At this moment, a fan appeared between Rin and I before opening, and the words written on it are ''Rasetsu''[5C 3]...erm, this must be... "Okay okay, stop creating a commotion here. The other customers will be frightened, you know?" "What? Se-Sempai? What''s with that out" I''m shocked that she''s wearing a maid outfit. When did she borrow it? That clothing type''s completely the same as our class'' outfit. "Tatenashi." "Heh?" "I told you to call me by my name." "Ta-Tatenashi-sempai." "Good boy." She kept the fan back in her direction, and folded it back with a snap. The refined movement sounded just like some comedic storyteller[5C 4] or a Japanese dance choreographer. "Then I''ll have some tea too." "Aren''t you serving the customers..." "Nope." "Then why are you dressed like that...oh well, forget that I asked." Haa...just when I sighed for the umpteenth time, an extremely noisy girl rushed in. "Hello, this is the News Club interrupting. I''m here to interview the butler Orimura!" It''s the news group ace Mayuzumi Kaoruko-san. We''re rather familiar with each other since she often came here to take photos of me. "Ah, Kaoruko-chan! Yohoo!" "Wa! Ta-chan! That maid outfit suits you too! Ah, since we met, let me take a photo of you and Orimura-kun." After saying that, she started pressing the shutter quickly, and Tatenashi-sempai already raised the ''YAY?'' victory pose...why did this happen? Are the second year sempais full of enthusiastic people? "...I''m going back." "What''s wrong, Rin? Are you going back?" "I still have my own class to attend to." "I see. Oh, yeah, I might go to your side to take a look." "Un, well, I''ll serve you if you''re a guest." "Okay." As I exchanged words with Rin, the photography situation changed as drastically as the clouds in the autumn sky. "It''s not good to not include girls in this." "Didn''t you take a photo of me?" "Ta-chan''s too overbearing, so it can''t work. Ah, since it''s a rare sight, we might as well get the other girls over. How about that?" "Not a bad idea. I''ll take care of the shop at this time." "Okay, let''s do it then! I''m going to take the photos. All the maids, please line up here." (Why is it that everyone''s ignoring my wishes...) Just like that, sempai started taking photos. First up, Cecilia. "Ichika-san, you need to smile." "Lik-Like this?" "You''re still looking stiff. This service won''t do." "Speaking of which, you''re rather happy, Cecilia." "Oh my, am I? Ufufufu." "Hey, hey! Don''t hook up my arm like that!" "What''s the problem? It''s just a small movement." (The girls around us are glaring at me. Maybe it''s my imagination...) Next up, Laura. "But, well. Our height difference''s rather significant." "Mn? Oh, that''s right." "...That can do..." "Huh?" "You-You can...carry me if you want to..." "Huh, that..." "Th-This is for the photo! Do you understand!?" "Cal-Calm down." "I-I''m calm!" (That''s definitely a lie) Third person, Charl. "If-If you don''t mind me asking you, Ichika, how''s my outfit? Does it look weird for me to wear it?" "No problem. It really suits you." "Re-Really? More than the tuxedo?" "A maid outfit suits you better, and the skirt''s really cute too." "C-Cute..." "Yup." "I-I see. So I''m cute...ehehe?" (I do feel that she''s smiling a lot more radiantly than before...) Fourth person, Houki. "..." "What''s wrong? Hurry up and take the photo." "I want to avoid ta-taking a photo in this outfit, but..." "What about it? Aren''t I in a similar outfit?" "It''s not the same! Completely different! Basically, you" "Okay okay, I got it. The shop''s busy, so hurry up and take a shot." "St-Sto-Stop holding onto my hand!" "Sto-Stop moving!" "Sh-Shut up, shut up!" After some turmoil, all the maid and butler pair shots were finally taken. Mayuzumi-san looked delighted as she looked through the preview photos on the digital camera. "Ya~ the girls of class 1 are really sporty. I''m really happy as a photographer." "Kaoruko-chan, I''ll leave it to you at the Student Council." "Of course, leave it to this Mayuzumi Kaoruko!" Mayuzumi-san patted her chest as she said that. Why is it that even though she''s in an Arts Club, her mannerisms are like those of the Sports Club... "Oh yeah, Ichika-kun, I''ll be helping out here for the time being. Why don''t you check out the other stalls in school?" "Huh? Can I?" "Yup, you can. This is Onee-san''s special service." "Th-Thanks, but my classmates will scold me if I disappear..." "No problem! I''ll help you deal with it and cover up." (Hmmit''s true that Tatenashi-san''s really popular, so I guess the customers won''t be unhappy, right?) After thinking through this, I accepted Tatenashi-san''s goodwill. "I''ll leave it to you for the time being then." "Okay, be careful." I took off my butler outfit and arrived on the corridor. It''s still crowded, but with Tatenashi-san''s help, the flow of the crowd felt a lot smoother than before. "Ah, it''s Orimura-kun!" "Huh, where are you going to? Rest?" "Yup, sort of." I answered the girls as I headed to the corridor. "May I bother you for a while?" "What?" Someone suddenly called me on the platform of the stairs. "Sorry, but I''m from this industry." The lady in suit quickly passed me the namecard. "Erm...IS armament development company ''Mitsurugi'' representative, Makigami Ayako...san?" She''s really a beauty, and the flowing long black hair really suits her. She''s been smiling ever since she called me. Well, she does have the ''Professional'' look. "Yes, we''d like to have Orimura-kun use our company''s equipment." (Ahh...that again...) To be honest, there''re a lot of companies who were willing to supply [Byakushiki] with equipment, and I spent more than half the time of my summer vacation facing these people. Basically, as the only guy in the world who can pilot an IS, if my [Byakushiki] is willing to accept some company''s equipment, the commercial effect would be more than what I can imagine. Up till now, the [Kuratokugi-ken] that developed [Byakushiki] hadn''t developed any more equipment after that, so invitations were flying in from all companies all over the world like snowflakes. (Even so, it can''t be helped that [Byakushiki] wasn''t willing.) The expansion range of the secondary armaments is decided on the equalizers in each suit, but it seems that the IS core also has its own favorites and would decide on whether it''s willing to accept the equipment. [Byakushiki] hates any ranged weapons and shields, and it even refuses fighting weapons other than [Yukihira Niigata]. But I used a ranged weapon when I fought against Laura, so as a result, the second phase created the [Setsura] that can shoot, fight and defend... "Aherm, sorry, but I can''t make the decision...anyway, please ask the school for permission." "Don''t say that." Unlike her appearance in a suit, Makigami-san''s manner of interaction was rather intrusive. She grabbed me on the arm and made me unable to leave. "How about this additional armor or thruster? Also, if you decide to use it now, we''ll even add a leg blade!" "No, well, I don''t really need that...besides, there''s someone waiting for me. I''m really sorry, but I have to leave." "Ah!" While Makigami-san''s taking out the product catalogue, I shook her hand off and dashed off. (Ahhthat took up more time than I thought.) Thinking about that, I rushed to the meet-up point. "Fu, fu, fu..." Right in front of the main entrance to IS Academy, a guy''s holding onto a ticket with one hand and smiling. He''s Ichika''s friend, Gotanda Dan. "Finally, finally, finally! The land of the girls, IS Academy...HERE I COOOMMMEEEE!!!" This started 3 days ago. Dan was at Ichika''s friend Mitarashi Kazuma''s house practicing the bass. "Oh yeah, has Ichika gotten a girlfriend yet?" "Ahhhe said that he isn''t interested in girls. Such dreamy words" "He''s still saying those things..." Kazuma''s adjusting the sound box beside Dan, who''s tweaking the bass. These two didn''t join a band. They''re just members of the ''Want to learn how to play musical instruments group'' (private). There are only 2 members. "Oh yeah, Dan, what''s your class doing this year for the school anniversary?" "Our class? The rugby team would probably play the ''Squashed by Muscles'' game." "What in the world is that..." "What about you? Aren''t there any instruments you want to perform?" "Can I even perform at this level?" "Ah--, that''s true~ even though we''ve been training for a year, it doesn''t feel like we''ve gotten any better." "Yup. We haven''t improved at all. It''ll be bad if we can''t think of a way." After ending their conversation in a tone that clearly indicated that they had no intention of dealing with the problem, both of them laughed. "But Ichika really has it good, isn''t it? IS Academy''s famous for having so many beautiful girls, right? I want to study there too." "Yeah. Ichika even said that he''s not interested in girls. How stupid." "He''s a complete moron!" WAHAHAHAHA! After laughing a few times, both of them went silent. They''re now imagining how it would be like to date a bishoujo. ""..."" *Pinpirori~ pirori~?* "Hm? Oh, got a call...oh! It''s from Ichika!" Dan picked up the ringing phone and put it at his ear. "Yo." "Yo, Ichika, how''ve you been? What''s up? Got something on?" "You said that you wanted to come to IS Academy, right?" "I did, I did. What? You got some tickets there?" "Yup." He froze. Two seconds later, Dan reacted as if he was going to jump out. "AR-ARE-ARE YOU SERIOUS!!?" "It''s true. I only have one ticket, so I guess if you''re bored, you might want to come over." "I''LL GO!" He immediately answered. There''s no need for hesitation. "I see. I''ll send it to you through mail. Remember to bring it with you, or else you can''t get in." "Right, I got it!" Dan energetically answered, and his tone immediately became earnest. "Well, Ichika, you''re really a great guy! It''s nice to have a friend like you." "What''s with you? That''s disgusting..." "Anyway, that''s the case! I''ll leave it to you then!" "Okay, I got it, I got it. See you next time." After hanging up the phone, Dan again shouted at the ceiling, "YEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!" And thus, Dan arrived at IS Academy today. It''s been over ten minutes since the arranged time, but he didn''t really mind. (Ahh, I can see lots of girls here...the standard''s really high-really.) Even though Dan''s wearing casual clothes that were just chosen, other than that, he''s just an ordinary teenage guy standing there, and it seems that he''s getting quite some attention, as everyone''s starting to gossip about him. "Is that guy someone''s boyfriend?" "I don''t know. He looks okay." "HuhI find that Orimura-kun''s better." Dan noticed the girls discussing intensely about something, and his heart started to beat wildly. (Wow, everyone''s looking at me...is-is-is-is this the sign of a new development!?) "The guy over there." "Yes?" Suddenly, Dan got shocked after being called, and he straightened his back. Turning around, he saw a bespectacled and meticulous-looking Nohotoke Utsuho standing down there with a file in her hand. "Who invited you? May I check your ticket?" "O-Okay." Dan frantically passed over the ticket that was squashed flat. "The one who gave it was...ara? Orimura-kun?" "The-Then, you know him?" "I don''t think there is any student in this school who doesn''t know him. Okay, let me return this to you." (Th-This girl''s really pretty...no, cute! I''ve got to find some way to know her more...something I can talk about, something...) "We-Well!" "? What is it?" "The-The weather''s great today!" "Yeah." After the conversation ended, Dan felt depressed that he wasn''t interesting enough. Utsuho looked at him weirdly and then left. (U-Uu, I''m so useless...I''m so useless...) If there''s a bass guitar with him, Dan would be performing a sad tune. Feeling like he had half a foot in the coffin, he just waited for Ichika to arrive. "Oh, I see him. HEY, DAN!!" "Oh..." Seeing Dan''s liveless response, I was shocked. "Wh-What''s wrong?" "It''s nothing...I''m really uninteresting..." "I see. So that''s how it is." "WHAT DO YOU MEAN THAT''S HOW IT IS!? YOU BASTARD!!" "Hold on hold on, don''t cause a ruckus. You''ll be chased out." Having been hit hard, Dan finally recovered as he now follows me from behind. "Let''s go over to where Rin is. She''ll be shocked." "Ah, you''re talking about Rin? How''s she?" "Way better than good." "Speaking of which, Ichika." "Hm?" "What''s with that dress-up?" ... "Rin''s class is doing a teahouse." "Hey, don''t change the topic." "My-My stuff''s not important!" "Oh well. I''ll leave it as that then." Fufun, I brought the slightly unmoved and humming Dan into the school. "How about we check out where Rin is?" "Mn? Well, there''s no need to go there. Since it''s a rare chance, I want to walk around." "Okay, I haven''t gone there either. Let''s go." Dan and I walk out side by side. "Ah, it''s Orimura-kun! Yahoo~" "I''ll go to your shop later!" "Huh, taking photos of Orimura-kun in a butler outfit! Success?" No matter where I went, girls were talking to me, and I had to wave my hand and answer back. It''s really tedious. As I continued to repeat these actions, Dan could be heard murmuring from beside me. "You''re really popular..." "No, well, this is like the situation with the Axolotl[5C 5]." "Is that so? Even if that''s the case, I''m really jealous of you. Hey, let''s switch." "I would if we could switch. But try your best, since the IS training''s really tough." "Hahaha! If I can get surrounded by girls, I won''t be afraid even if I''m in the midst of fire and water!" "You might even die in IS practicals." "...You need to treasure your life more." "Don''t say it like you''re telling me to care for the world!" "Nope, I don''t want to die!" "Same here, okay?" "That''s true. Things don''t always go as we want." Both of us sighed in unison with regards to this inexplicable situation, and we swayed our way into the arts classroom. "Art''s an explosion!" ...I have a bad feeling about this. "So the Arts Club will be presenting a bomb defuse game!" "Ah, it''s Orimura-kun!" "And his male friend!" "Now now, here''s the bomb defuse game. Ready, start!" After saying that, a girl with a group leader armband pushed the bomb to me. Arts Club, is this alright? You let such a person become the President. "Erm...first, let''s make some sensor-like thing fail." I check the wiring and slip the pliers between the gap. Then, I cut the wire linking to the impact sensor. "Good. This means that it doesn''t matter even if it''s rewired now. Next, it''s..." "...Ichika." "What?" "You learn about this too?" "Yeah." Speaking of which, I remember that Laura taught me a lot of things the first time I defused a bomb. As expected of the soldier and commander of a Special Ops Squad, it seems that Laura''s specialty is to neutralize dangerous objects. "...I think I would rather study at a normal high school." "? Really?" "Yeah..." I don''t know the reason, but it seems that Dan gave up on studying in IS Academy. Well it doesn''t matter anyway. There''s no need to talk about anything if he can''t even activate an IS. "Ohh! As expected of Orimura-kun, you''re now in the final phase!" The final phasethat''s to ''Completely Neutralize the Bomb''. Basically, it''s the scene in those movies when I have to choose between ''blue or red''. Right now, this game has only two wires left, red or blue. This will be over once I cut one of the wires, but it''ll explode if I mess up. "Dan, which one do you think it is?" "You-You''re asking me?" "Well, it''s a game anyway. Just choose a color you like." "Uu, oh, oh...blue...red..." Hm? Speaking of blue, I remembered Cecilia''s [Blue Tears] If red...Houki''s [Akatsubaki]? "Dan." "Wha-What''s up?" "Which kind do you prefer? Blond or black?" "Blond!" "Okay, got it." Bak! I cut the blue wire. At the next moment, BEEEEEEPPP!! The alarm rang. "Ah, I failed." "Y-Yo-You bastard! Why did you cut the blue wire out of a sudden?" "Well, you said that you prefer blond." "WHAT HAS THAT GOT TO DO WITH BLUE!?" "Well, [Blue Tears]." "THAT''S RIDICULOUS!" I comforted the screaming Dan as I took the consolation prize, a candy. They''re giving candy even at high school... Is this alright? Arts Club, is this really alright? "AhhI''m sweating now. Let''s find a place to drink, Ichika." "Hm? Oh, you''re right. Let''s go to Rin''s class. How about that?" "Oh yeah, you said that their class was doing a tea house. Alright, let''s go take a look." Things got easier after we decided on that. We climbed up the stairs and walked into class 1-2. "Welcome~" "GUHA! Ri-Rin, you, what''s this...what are you doing?" "What? Why''s Dan here!?" "Th-The cheongsam really doesn''t suit you. Anyway, whyGUU!!?" Dan got interrupted forcefully since Rin threw the tray. Uwaa...it went all the way into the face... "G-GO-GO BACK!" "WHAT''S WITH YOU! IT HURTS! Ahhyou''re so different from that cute woman I just met." "What? Who are you talking about?" "Fu fu fu...not telling you." "Ichika, it''s this idiot''s fault." "DON''T CALL ME AN IDIOT!" "You''re one in the first place." "WHY ARE YOU AGREEING WITH HER!!" This trio of middle school diehard friends started squabbling, and the outcome was that we got lectured by the second years who couldn''t take it. Anyway, we found a seat and opened the menu. "So?" "So what?" "How''s it going between you and Rin? Tell me." "What? What are you saying? Anyway, who did you just meet?" "Oh, there''s a cute woman." "A cute woman? Not a cute girl?" "Yup, she seems to be older than us." "Heh" "You don''t know that person?" "Who?" Sometimes, I really don''t understand what this guy''s talking about. "Take this, water!" "Wah! What are you doing, Rin? Just put it down nicely." "That''s right, that''s right." "You''re too noisy, Dan! I''ll punch you away!" "...Don''t move. I saw on TV before. You''re a cadet or something, right? I''ll die." "That''s right, so you have to respect me more." "Hahaha. You''re really funny." "I wasn''t joking. Really..." Just when the three of us were chatting away, my phone rang. "Oh, hello?" "Where are you right now, Ichika? The customers are grumbling, asking where you went. It''s getting busy now, so hurry up and come back." Charl sounded really anxious, something that doesn''t fit her character, and I had to go back. "Sorry, I''ll be going back now. I''ll be in the classroom next door, so I''ll be there soon." "Mn, I''ll leave it to you then." After ending the conversation, I told Dan and Rin that I''m going back. "Work properly, butler." "That''s right." "Shut up." But well, to put it this way, I remembered the times in middle school when the three of us were often playing together. My thoughts ended there, and I went back to class 1. "Ahh, Ichika, it''s good that you''re here. Hurry up and play games at table 3, and also, serve the food here to table 4." Immediately after coming back, I received the tray Charl passed me. "I-I understand. Speaking of which, where''s Tatenashi-san?" "She said that she had things to do at the Student Council, and then ran off somewhere." How, how irresponsible... "Anyway, the shop''s really busy now. Work fast!" "I-I got it!" I moved around busily. "Sorry to keep you waiting, ojou-sama." "Kya! It''s Orimura-kun~!" "A game! Let''s play a game!" "I ordered the reward set meal, so hurry up and sit down, hurry!" I check out the other people, and found that everyone''s rather popular. Most notably, Laura, who normally felt like she''s hard to approach, became very popular after she dressed up as a maid, and she got called around to play games everywhere. (Speaking of which, this is severe overwork to the body...) While working, I felt that it got hotter, so I rolled up the sleeves of the shirt. "Hey, Ichika, don''t change the design of the clothes randomly." Holding a tray, Houki said that to me. Her normal clothes make it hard to imagine that she would wear a maid outfit, and like Charl, her popularity''s second only to Laura. "Houki. It''s alright that I roll up my sleeves, right?" "Nope, we borrowed these clothes, so wear them properly." "Hey, Ichika, don''t change the design of the clothes randomly." "What...Houki, don''t tell me that you like me in this get-up?" "Wha-What are you saying! I-I''m just telling you to work seriously!" "I was joking." "Wha-What...?" "What is it?" "Fu, humph! It''s nothing!" With the skirt flying slightly, Houki walked back to the kitchen...why must she be so angry? (Okay, time to do my best!) After that, I moved through the tables, and after an hour, I finally got out of the situation where I got tugged around. "Good work, Ichika-kun." "Ah, Takatsuki-san, it''s been tough on you too." The reliable person in our classTakatsuki Shizune-san seemed to be busy with a lot of things. "You can rest for a while. We need to tidy up the shop a bit, so it''ll be quite some time." "Can I?" "An hour shouldn''t be a problem. Since there''s a rare chance, why don''t you follow the girls to some stall?" Just when I was about to accept her goodwill, my arm got pulled over...wha-what? "Then, Ichika-san, please come along with me." Turning around, I saw Cecilia. Seeing this, Charl cried out, a rare feat for her, "AHHH! CECILIA''S SO SLY~ I want to go too, Ichika." "Wait, if that''s the case, I''m going too!" Interrupting us quickly was Houki, and her eyes looked a bit scary. "Let''s go, Ichika." Laura already got ready to move. (Uu...it''ll be troublesome if a lot of us move at the same time...ooh, that''s right!) I suddenly had a brainwave. "Everyone can go with me in shifts. 10 minutes per person." "In other words..." "With Ichika..." "Two-Two of us, alone..." "...That''s not a bad idea." Cecilia, Charl, Houki and Laura kept murmuring ''un un'', nodding away as if they''re crushing garlic. I couldn''t hear what they''re muttering about, but it''s good that they can understand my thinking. "Then, who fi" "Rock, paper, scissors!" All four of them decided to choose the order through janken. Wow, that was quick! "Rock![5C 6]" Three people chose paper, while one chose scissors. "Ehehe...?" Charl won the first go, and her happy look showed on her face as she raised the scissors hand that changed into a sign of victory. "The Cooking Club?" "Yup, their main theme this time is traditional cuisine. I think it''s a rare chance, and I want to learn how to make Japanese dishes." "You really can cook, Charl." She treated me to a few bentos, and the light seasoning that brought out the taste of the ingredients was to my liking. If this Charl can make Japanese cuisines like that, I have a duty to try it. "Uu, mn, I''ll cook for you next time." "Okay, thanks." We continued to talk as we entered the cooking classroom the cooking class uses. "Ohh...that''s really..." To put it simply, they''re selling snacks here, but there''s a lot of variety. The food arranged on the tray includes potato and stew meat, kanto cooking, salad, stew, BBQ meat and so on. There''re a lot of dishes, and they all look really delicious, so delicious that I couldn''t help but swallow my saliva. "Ah, don''t tell me that''s potato stewed meat?" "Yup. It''s said to be a dish women need to know." "I see...why is that?" "There seems to be a custom that women who can make the potato stewed meat best will be able to get married, but I really don''t understand why." "Ma-Married...!? I-I see.." Perhaps surprised by my words, Charl was shocked as she continued to stare at the potato stewed meat. Just when I was thinking if she really wanted to eat it, someone who looked like the President of the Cooking Club came to us. "Ooh, it''s Orimura-kun! And the famous Dunois-kun who used to dress in guy''s clothing." "Ah, hello." "He-Hello." "What''s up? Are you two dating? A secret date between the butler and the maid? Even so, this isn''t just ordinary minced meat, but mixed minced meat. I''m kidding, I''m just kidding."[5C 7] Ohh! I feel that I can be good friends with this person! On hearing her say what I was thinking, my heart soared as if I was playing a triple jump. "You''re thinking of something stupid again, aren''t you, Ichika?" Why did I get seen through again? "Okay okay, try it first! I can treat it as a free sample. The condition is that I get to take a photo~ and you must vote for us, okay?" Wa, it suddenly felt like improper bribing. "No, there''s no need. We''ll pay." As expected of Charl, she''s upright. "Then, erm, can you get me a potato stewed meat?" "No problems. Enjoy~" The President of the Cooking Club pulled a potato stewed meat from a large plate that was kept warm at a constant temperature, and handed it over to Charl. I ordered the same thing, and I quickly tried it. "Ohh, this is really..." "It''s nice, Ichika." "Mn, really nice." The seasoning was done just right. It doesn''t feel greasy at all, ''Braised to Perfection''[5C 8], like how I always hear it. Mn, I really want a bowl of rice. "But this dish''s really nice." "This dish was cooked through a pressure cooker. This can not only cut short the cooking time, it will also affect the flavor." Agreeing with me that this dish is nice, Charl pricked her ears and listened to the President of the Cooking Club. "Pressure cooker...is-is there anything else? "Fufufu, the rest is a secret. If you want to know, join our club!" "Cooking Club...Ic-Ichika, would you be happy if my food''s good?" "Hm? Of course I would. It''s important to be able to eat good food." Eating food. Well, it must be a form a salvationI remember someone said that before. "Is-Is that so? I see...ehehe." For some reason, Charl smiled radiantly as she finished off the potato stewed meat. (Anyway, this stewed meat is nice. I better finish it off too.) Just like that, my rest time with Charl ended. "You''re too slow!" Standing on the corridor and waiting for me with her arms folded was the maid with the eyepatch, Laura. "Your sense of time is too weak!" "Okay okay, don''t say that. We''ll use up the rest time like that, you know?" "Tha-That''ll be bad..." "I remember you wanted to go to the Tea Club, right? Okay, let''s go." "Do-Don''t hold my hand!" Laura immediately shook her hand off after saying that, and her face blushed for some reason. "Hm? Oh, sorry." "No, it''s not that. Well...I guess...if-if you want to do that..." "? How about we move fast?" "..." *DOK!* The side of my abdomen took a karate chop...why''s that? "Hello and welcome...ooh! Orimura-kun! Can I take a photo with you?" Why is it that everyone asks for a photo with me everytime they see me? I really don''t understand. Anyway, it''s not like they''ll take anything interesting... "The Tea Club''s opening a Green Tea experience session. Please head to this tearoom." "Ohh, tatami[5C 9]. You really put in a lot of effort." It was the same as with the Cooking Club. Every room had proper facilities. As expected of IS Academy, where so many people wanted to get in. "Then, please sit here." Following Laura''s instructions, I took off my shoes and sat on the tatami. "But it''s really unbelievable. A butler and a maid sitting on tatami and drinking green tea." "Fu-fuun, don''t you feel that the outfit was too girlish?" "Do I? You looked really awkward when Chifuyu-nee laughed at you crazily, I guess?" "Sh-Shut up! The Instructor''s another case altogether!" I recalled Chifuyu-nee saying that she wanted to come over to take a look, and just burst out laughing on seeing Laura in a maid outfit, happily enjoying that scene. At that time, Laura looked like a recruit who got a water gun as armaments and yet got deployed to the frontlines. ...She seemed like she''ll get angry if I say it out, so I decided to remain silent. "We don''t demand that you adhere to the tea tasting customs, so please enjoy." "Ah, yes." The Club President, who''s dressed in a yukata, smiled as she passed the sweets to Laura and me. I took one and ate it. The sweet white bean paste quickly spread on the tongue. "This is really good." "Uu..." Laura didn''t eat the sweet, but looked like she was in a dilemma. "What''s wrong?" "We-Well, how do I eat it?" Laura got a little rabbit that''s made from white bean paste, and the face looks cute. The rabbit seemed to be staring back at Laura, and I don''t know if it''s saying to her ''Please eat me'' or ''Please let me go''. Seeing Laura''s reaction, I guess it''s the former. "Laura." "Wha-What is it?" "You can''t take the green tea if you don''t eat it." "U-Uu...!" After I prompted her, Laura decided to eat the rabbit-shaped sweet in one go. ...Ahh, she doesn''t want to see the half-eaten rabbit, right? "...Muu, Japanese sweets are really good." What happened to that struggle? Laura looked really happy as she continued to eat the sweet. "Here." And then, the President served tea in front of Laura and me. "We accept your tea. Itadakimasu[5C 10]." After bowing, we picked up the tea bowls and put it to our mouths. The unique bitterness of the green tea spread out, washing away the sweetness left in the tea. The throat was cleared immediately, smoother than ever, and after drinking that, Laura and I sighed lightly. "Your tea''s really perfect." Laura and I ended off with the common lines in a tea ceremony, and bowed again. We should be looking at the teabowls, but the Tea Club here isn''t that fussy, as the main point of emphasis is to ''Taste the Green Tea''. "Come back when you have time." The Tea Club President watched Laura and I leave the room. "Not bad." "Mn, not bad. Japanese culture''s really interesting." "Since you find it interesting, why don''t you wear some Japanese clothes, Laura?" "Jap-Japanese clothes? Speaking of which, I''ve never wore them before." I tried to imagine Laura in a wafuku[5C 11]. For some reason, I feel that the flowing silver hair and the wafuku would suit her. "Do-Do you want to try...?" "If I get a chance, I''ll definitely want to try it." "Is-Is that so?" Laura immediately showed a rare radiant smile. After realizing her reaction, she suddenly turned her back on me. "Ah, alright, if I have a chance." "Oh." With such a conversation, my resttime with Laura ended. "Speaking of which, Cecilia, I remember you know how to play the violin?" "Mn, and a little of the piano." "As expected of Cecilia. It would be great if I could learn an instrument too. I only learnt kendo." "I-If that''s the case!" Cecilia tugged at my arm and pointed at the classroom that had the sign Wind Instrument Society Experience Stall. "Wh-Why don''t we go try it out now? How about it? Well, I guess, it''s not like I can''t teach you, you know?" "Huh? Is it still not too late to learn? I don''t even know how to read a score." "For music, having love for it is all that''s important." Must have love? That''s a nice line. "The-Then, let''s go in!" "H-Hey! Don''t pull me that hard!" After opening the door, I saw the President of the Wind Instrument Club lift her head up. She was pressing down on the piston of the instrument to check its condition for lubricating it. "Well..." I felt that it was hard to talk. Just when I thought this, the Club President who just noticed us lifted her head up. "Ohh! Ohh! The sixth guest is finally here! Here, here, please come this way! Huh, isn''t this Orimura-kun? Can I take a photo?" "Ah? Oh well, you may do so." "That''s great!" The phone let out a ringing sound. Facing the smiling Wind Instrument Club President who was smiling and holding onto the camera, Cecilia coughed dryly to interrupt her. "Nnh! Which instruments can we try out here?" "Hm? You can try out all of these here. Personally, I recommend the French horn. It feels great when I blow it. The sound fluctuates." "Fluc-Fluctuates?" "Then, Orimura-kun, let''s get started." Immediately after saying that, the Club President passed me the French horn she was tuning. After receiving it, I found that it was heavier what I thought, and got a bit surprised. "How do I hold this?" "You must put your right finger here, the thumb should be put here, and the left hand should reach for this exit." "Is-Is that so?" It felt weird, hard to carry. Is this gimmick something like this? "Then, try blowing hard into it." As the President prompted me, I blew into it as hard as I could. "FUU--! FUU--!!" ...There''s no sound at all. "Ah, well, your mouth has to touch it and blow." The President pressed her lips inwards and demonstrated it to me. "Li-Like this?" "Yup. And you have to exert a certain amount of strength right into the middle." "I-I''ll try." *Gufuu~* "Ohh! The sound came out!" "Oh? You''re rather talented. Orimura-kun, would you like to join?" "No, I''m not really good with this. How about you, Cecilia? Would you like to join?" "M-Me?" "Don''t you know how to play instruments?" "I only know how to play stringed instruments. I''ve never played wind instruments before." "Really? I find that you''re really suited to play the flute. There''s that grandeur noblewoman vibe from you." "Grandeur noblewoman..." For some reason, Cecilia muttered blankly as she continued to repeat these words. "Oh, try it." After saying that, I passed the French Horn in my hand to her. "Huh? Th-Tha-That''s, is that, well..." "?" "...-direct, indirect kiss..." "Huh? What did you just say?" "No, nothing! Nothing at all!" For some reason, Cecilia started panicking as she waved her hands wildly, and then stared intently at the French horn. She looked extremely serious, and I had to swallow my saliva. "Th-Then, I''m blowing..." "Ah, we must change the mouthpiece. Here, please." "Ahh..." "Hm?" "..." For some reason, Cecilia glared at the President who casually decided to change the mouthpiece. Wha-What''s wrong? Shouldn''t you be thanking her? "Here, please." "No need!" After saying that, Cecilia passed the French horn back to the President. "Really, how stupid...!" And she even got angry for some reason. Just like that, my rest time with the third person ended as well. "And I was actually the last one...ku, that was unexpected." "What are you muttering over there for? Where are we going?" "Uu, mn, yeah...where''s a good place" "Speaking of which, what''s the Kendo Club doing? It''s a rare chance, so let''s take a look." "Wha-What?" "Huh, it''s...ah, is it there?" "Ho-Hold on! If I go to the Kendo Club" "Okay, okay, here we go." "Do-Don''t grab my hand! I''ll go there on my own!" I pulled Houki, who was resisting forcefully for some reason, and headed to the classroom where the kendo stall set up shop. "Welcome." It''s a room with black cloth draping all over. A mysterious person fully covered in armor awaits in the darkness. "Wah!" "Oh my, so it''s Orimura-kun and the phantom member Shinonono-kun." "Is-Is that the Prez...? Wha-What''s with that get up...?" "Mn, at first, it was just a kendo experience stall, right? But nobody would vote, right? So I just decided to cast divinations?" Why must they be in questions...? "But there''s nobody around at all? No customers here? I couldn''t think of anything, so I full on full kendo armor to try it out?" Something''s definitely wrong. "Then, let me tell your fortunes. Ah, sit down, sit down." Houki and I were asked to sit down on the chairs, and we both stared at the Kendo Club President. She was holding some hanafuda[5C 12] in her hand... "Well..." "Hm? What is it?" "Why Hanafufa...? Don''t you use tarot cards or something for divination?" "I prefer hanafuda divinations, you know?" "Well, Prez? I''ve never heard of that before..." "Hm? I just named it, you know?" It-It seems that she''s really a lost cause. "Okay~ here we begin, alright? I''ll take your fortune in love, okay?" Don''t we have a choice? As I repeated these words in my heart, the President said assuredly as she started her divination. "Mn...Orimura-kun''s the ''Rain Four Lights[5C 13] So, do you have any difficulty with girls?" "Well, even if you ask me..." Sort of, that''s about right. "A lot of things happened to you today as well, right? I really pity you, you know?" "Wha..." "Then, I''ll take the love fortune for the phantom member Shinonono-kun, okay?" "Pl-Please?" Why didn''t the Club President lash out at Houki for her low attendance? Unfortunately, the face was covered, so I couldn''t see her expression. "Huuh,,,Shinonono-kun, you got the ''Tsukimi-shu''[5C 14]. So, you''re looking forward to activities, right? Your lucky point is the dojo?" "No, well...I''ll try my best to show up..." "Really? I''m really happy to hear you say that~" Ignoring the last bit of the conversation, it seemed that Houki''s divination was done. "Ah, that''s right. I''ll see your fate through divination, okay?" "Divination of fate?" "Is-Is that so? That''s good!" Houki got worked up suddenly as she popped out. The President calmed Houki down and explained, "Erm, can you two hold each other''s hands together? At each other? Mn mn." Houki and I reached our right hands out and put them at each other. "Then, can you maintain this position for 10 seconds?" "Ah?" "Ca-Can this really tell what''s going to happen?" Houki asked the President in a slightly nervous tone. "Who knows?" "Who knows...?" "Well, you see? You''ll feel irritated if you put your hands together with someone you don''t like for 10 seconds, right? So you don''t hate each other? Okay, divination''s over." Wow, that was really slipshod. "Is-Is that so..." Hm? Why do I feel that Houki''s really happy? Is there something worth being happy about? I don''t understand at all. "Ah, rest time''s over. Houki, let''s go back to the classroom." "Ye-Yeah." ... "Houki?" "Wha-What?" "Can you let go of my hand now?" "Tha-That''s right!" Houki finally realized this after I reminded her, and the hand that was holding tightly onto mine quickly backed away. "Good bye then. Thank you for today." "Yes, is it tough? Ah, Orimura-kun, can I take a photo?" "Ah? Oh well, go ahead." "Yes, thank you!" Another photo got taken. For some reason, it seems I got used to it. "Okay, let''s go back then." "...Compatible, compatible..." "Hey! Hello, Houki?" "Wh-Wha-What?" "Nothing, well, let''s go back to the classroom." "Y-Yeah, that''s true." Houki put forward her right hand and right leg as she walked back to the classroom with arms and legs in sync[5C 15] Class 1-1''s stall is still as busy as ever, and I returned back to the scene where there''s a lot of people squeezing through. (But since everyone''s working hard, I wouldn''t feel so irritated.) To be able to work hard with someone, that''s something I''ll be happy with. (Okay, time to work hard!) "*KLANG KLANG KLANG!* Tatenashi-san appeared!" "..." The person who abandoned her duty appeared! Command ? Escape, escape, escape "But you can''t run away!" "WHAT! Don''t get in my way!" "Well well, don''t say that. Speaking of which, Orimura-kun, since I came to your classroom to help, please help the Student Council with an event." "You''re not saying that as a question?" "Nope, I''m saying a definitive sentence." "What about my opinion..." "Can''t I make any decisions for you? I''m the Student Council President." DON''T IMITATE AIDA MI*SUO''S MANNER OF SPEAKING![5C 16] "...What do I have to help with..." "Ara, not resisting now?" "I know it''s useless to resist." "Oh my. Do you really think you understand what onee-san''s thinking? Long way to go, first-year-kun." She pointed her finger on my nosetip. Now what do I have to do... "Ahaha, it''s really fun to make fun of Ichika-kun." "And, the activity?" "Mn, don''t be angry. It''s a play." "A play...?" Contrary to what I thought, this feels normal. "A play where the audience gets to take part." "What?" A play where the audience gets to take part...well, what''s that? "Anyway, follow onee-san. Yup, I decided." Pointing at me with the fan, Tatenashi-san proudly declared. "Wellsempai. We''ll be troubled if you take Ichika away..." Ohh, Charl! That''s right, keep talking! "Charlotte-chan can come along too." "Huuh?" "Onee-san can let you wear pretty dresses, you know~?" "Dre-Dress..." Do your best, Charl! I know girls look forward to wearing dresses, but do your best for me! "Th-Then, well...just a little." Charl got captured...why did that happen? "Mn~ so honest and cute! Then, Houki-chan, Cecilia-chan and Laura-chan, come over as well." """What?""" The three girls who pricked their ears to eavesdrop answered with a tone of surprise. "I''ll let everyone wear dresses." "If-If that''s the case..." "Oh well, a trip''s..." "Mn, mn, it can''t be helped..." Houki, Cecilia and Laura were captured too. "Erm, if I may ask, what are we acting as?" "Fufufu." *Pak!* Tatenashi-san opened her fan, and there''s the word ''Hakugeki''[5C 17]. "Cinderella!" "Ichika-kun, are you done yet?" "..." "I''m opening the door." "DON''T SAY THAT AFTER YOU OPENED THE DOOR!" "What, aren''t you all dressed up already? Onee-san''s really disappointed." "...What?" Right now, I''m in the fourth arena changing room, where I normally change my IS suit. The costume...well, it''s actually a prince''s outfit... "Here, the crown." "Haa..." "Why, you don''t look too happy. Do you want to act as Cinderella?" "NO!" This person, really...she really likes to create lots of troubles, and I''ve really gotten a migraine over it. "Then it''s time to act." I secretly peeked out. The stage on the fourth arena''s really glamorous. Of course, it''s full of people, and I could hear cheering from inside the changing room. "Then, as for the play later, I haven''t even read anything like a script yet." "No problem. I''ll be the one hosting, so just perform as I say. Ah, please come up with your own lines." Is it really okay...I really have to ask. With an unspeakable anxiety, I moved towards the stage. "Then, let''s begin!" The buzzer sounded, and the lights reined in. "A long long time ago, in a certain land, there was a girl named Cinderella." Very good, that''s a normal beginning. Speaking of which, who''ll be acting as Cinderella? Thinking about this, I headed towards the stage. "No, that''s no longer a name. Having snuck out of many parties, they defeated many enemies no matter how much dust they got. The title most suited for them...is ''Cinderella''[5C 18]!" ...Huh? "Tonight, the bloodthirsty Cinderellas will again take action. The girls will aim for the neighboring country''s military secrets that are hidden in the prince''s crown, and they shall dance on this death arena called the stage!" "WAI, WHAT!?" "GOT YOU!" With a sudden cry, Rin appeared in a silvery white Cinderella dress. "WAH?" "HAND IT OVER!" Rin glared at me, who dodged in reflex, and threw the Chinese flying dagger Y-YO-YOU IDIOT!!! "WHAT WOULD HA-HAPPEN IF I DIED!?" "I''LL KILL YOU IN A WAY THAT YOU WON''T DIE!!" "I DON''T UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT MEANS AT ALL!" No, how can I die here! I flipped the teaset on the table and used the tray to block the flying knife. "KILL!!!" Rin kicked away the tray that had the flying dart on it...WAAH, YOU IDIOT! I''LL BE ABLE TO SEE YOUR PANTIES!! (Ah, she put on some slacks?) NOW''S NOT THE TIME TO RELAX! ...Speaking of which, RIN''S ABOUT TO KICK ME WITH THE HEEL OF THE SHOE! "YOU''RE WEARING GLASS SHOES, RIGHT!?" "NO PROBLEM! IT SHOULD BE HARDENED GLASS!" "YOU IDDIIIOOOTTT!! THAT''S DANGEROUS!!" Just when Rin and I were fighting, I saw a red light moving. (What''s that? Why does it feel like it''s moving towards me--) At the next moment, the object that''s near my face got hit. "WAH!?" (A sniper? That means, Cecilia!) As it seemed that she put the silencer on, I couldn''t hear the gunshot or see the muzzle flash from the triggered rifle. It seems that she''s using some powerful rapid-fire skill as she again snipes at my head. "I-I-I''LL DIE!! I''LL DEFINITELY DIE!!!" I kept my body down to cover myself...whose act is it now!? (Ku...he got away.) As the metallic sound of the bullet shell could be heard, Cecilia''s eyes left the scope. Following the principle of the sniper, to ''Shoot and Move'', she headed off to the next sniping point. (I must win this time!) Only the female actors know the secret prize, and that is ''The girl who gets the crown from Ichika will get the right to stay with him''. Even though everyone was stunned when they first heard that, "The Student Council President has the authority to do that." On hearing Tatenashi''s words, everyone got motivated. (Live in the same room as Ichika-san, live in same room as Ichika-san...) Already thinking about it, Cecilia smiled. (It''s a good thing that I can run to the stage from here, and I can use all other equipment other than IS equipment.) She intended to snipe the crown and grab it to win it like that. (That''s right! Those who win at the times they need to win are the real winners!) The Cinderella dress on Cecilia dressed. Immediately after reaching the second point, she took her rifle out and got ready. (Got you!) *Pew pew!* The gunshots that were muzzled with the silencer rang again. (I should be safe here, right...?) Several seconds later, I, who was hiding behind the background, had to show myself after Cecilia started sniping me. On a side note, as the protagonist, I can only dodge around, so every time I returned to the stage, the crowd audience would applaud me and cheer for me. "Ha-Haha...thank you." I bowed politely to the crowd in appreciation, but Cecilia didn''t let this chance go as she sniped me. I immediately ran away onto the stage that''s ridiculously wide. "Ack, no place to run?" So her sniping was to lure me here as a trap. "Ichika, hurry up and get down!" "?" Armed with a riot shield, Charl suddenly appeared in front of me. Like everyone else, she was dressed in a Cinderella dress. However, why are blonds so suited for this kind of dress? Is it a culture difference? "Ch-Charl, you saved me..." *KLING KLANG!* The sharp sounds of the bullets being blocked could be heard. "That''s enough. Hurry up and run!" "Oh, okay! Thanks!" "Ah, we-well, wait a minute!" "Wha-What is it?" "The-Then, I''ll be happy if you leave the crown behind..." "Uu, un? Well, okay." I won''t be sniped if I don''t have this on my head. Let''s do this then. Thinking about this, I put my hand on the crown, but Tatenashi-san stopped me. "To the prince, the country''s everything. If he loses the important secrets in the crown, the thought of guilt will turn into an electric shock." "WHAT!?" I was stunned, but my hand was already reaching for my head subconsciously and took the crown off. "GYYYYYAAAAHHH!!!" *BAK BAK BAK!!* An unexpected sound resounded, and the electricity flowed through my body. The current passed through my body, and it felt really hot. "Th-Thi-This..." My clothes were burned and tattered, even giving off smoke. "WHAT THE HELL IS THIS!?" "Oh my, what''s going on? Does the ouji-sama[5C 19] worry about his country that much? But we can only look at him. What''s going on?" "YOU DON''T HAVE TO REPEAT THAT TWICE!" Anyway, I couldn''t take a second electric shock, and thus quickly put the crown back on. Speaking of which...things just got really bad. Tatenashi-san really looked excited. What am I supposed to do now? "So-Sorry Charl, but you just saw it." "Huh? Then what? I''ll be really troubled!" "Even if you say that...sorry!" "Ah! I-Ichika!" I scampered away like an escaping rabbit. However, the black-haired and silver-haired Cinderellas appeared in front of me. "Hold it right there, Ichika!" "I''ll take the crown!" Houki''s wielding a Japanese sword, while Laura''s holding a combat knife in each hand...UWAAAHHH!! "DA-DAN-DANGER!!" At the last minute, I dodged their attacks from the side and rolled on the floor. "DON''T GET IN MY WAY. LAURA!" "I SHOULD BE THE ONE SAYING THAT, RIGHT? SEEMS LIKE I HAVE TO ELIMINATE YOU FIRST!" "Interesting...BRING IT ON!" Both of them started fighting for some reason. Now, I have Rin Cecilia and Charl behind me...Hmm? What? There''s an earthquake... "Now, everyone present can take part in this! Everyone, please work hard for the prince''s crown!" "WHAAATT!!?" The real reason for the earthquake was that more than ten Cinderellas came rushing over, and the numbers continued to increase...I feel like I saw this in a movie before...haha... "ORIMURA-KUN, SURRENDER QUIETLY!" "WALK WITH ME TO HAPPINESS! OUJI-SAMA!" "HAND...IT OVVVEEERRR!!!" I continued to think of how to get away from the Cinderellas who were rushing to me as I continued to run through the stage sets. "I FOUND YOU, ICHIKA!" NOT GOOD! IT''S HOUKI! "HAND ME THAT CROWN! IF THAT...that happens..." "So-So what will happen?" "UU! ANYWAY, JUST HAND IT OVER TO ME! I''LL SLICE YOU IF YOU REFUSE!" WHAT KIND OF WORDS ARE THOSE!? THAT''S REALLY SCARY! SOMEBODY SAVE ME! "Please head this way." "Huh?" My foot got grabbed and I rolled and fell below the stage sets. "We''re here." "Wha-What....tha-thanks..." I was led by this person out of the stage set and into the changing room This is the side room I was using, and my uniform''s still here. Speaking of which, as it''s too dark, I don''t know who brought me here. As I looked at her again, I realize that it''s Makagami Ayako-san. She''s still smiling. "Huh, huh? Why''s Makigami-san..." "Yes, I want to use this chance to get [Byakushiki]." "Wh-What?" She''s still smiling, and she hasn''t changed her expression at all. "Alright, hand it over, brat." "Erm...well, you''re kidding, right?" "Why would I joke around with you, brat? You infuriate me." Though the tone''s completely different, she''s still smiling at me. I couldn''t respond to her sudden change in attitude, and my abdomen suddenly got kicked. The hard impact smashed me into the cupboard. "Ah-ahh, you bastard! The face can''t change back. My face." "Hoo, hoo! Wh-Who are you..." "Ahh? Me? I''m a mysterious beauty who disguised as a company worker. Well, are you happy now?" She again stepped on my legs. ...The pain that came clearly told me that ''She''s the enemy''. Why am I still an idiot who loves peace now? "Ku...[Byakushiki]!" As the situation was bad, I summoned my IS. I used up a lot more energy than usual as it was an emergency summoning that splits the clothes up, but there''s no time to mind about the technical details, because she''s an enemy with an unknown identity. "I was waiting for you to summon it." Makigami-san finally lost her smile...hold it. The long narrow eyes of this woman in front of me seemed to be distorted because of the evil presence. She is like a snake every time she stretched her long tongue out. The long narrow eyes of this woman in front of me seemed to be distorted because of the evil presence. "Because it''s finally time for this to come up!" "?" A sharp ''claw'' appeared from behind the woman, ripping the suit in the process. The spider legs like thing had ominous matching colors of yellow and black, each having a blade-like tip. "Take this!" The 8-legged armor deployed the tips of the legs, revealing cannons. "Damn it!" I tried my best to burst the thrusters on my legs at the floor, exerting the maximum output. [Byakushiki] and I used the reaction force of the [PIC] to do an emergency dodge. "Oh, not bad." Before knocking into the ceiling, I activated the [Setsura] of [Byakushiki]. It''ll be faster to attack with the internal weapon [Setsura] than [Yukihira Niigata]. "Who are you?" Flying backwards to dodge, the woman dodged the beam claw, and continued, "Ah? Don''t you know? I''m a member of an evil organization!" "Stop messing" "I''m not messing around, damned brat! I''m a member of the secret organization Phantom Task. You must call me Autumn-sama, understand?" This womanAutumn completely deployed her IS, and her delicate control of her [PIC] dodged my attacks and shot live rounds at me. "Eat this!" Taking the concentrated fire of the 8 cannons, I jumped up and dodged the cannons that were coming in from left and right. At the same time, I wielded the [Yukihira Niigata] in my right hand and swung it down. (Got you!) "You''re too naive!" The opponent''s 8 armored legs grabbed the blade of the [Yukihira Niggata] completely. "Damn it!" The blade was held on tight. No matter how much I tried, I still couldn''t budge. At this moment, a machine gun formed in Autumn''s hand, and she shot at me. "Guu!" A few shots pierced through my armor, and the tremendous impact spread to my body. My body has the protection of [Absolute Defense], but the pain didn''t disappear just like that. (It''ll be bad if this keeps up!) Thinking about this, I put my weapon down for the time being, shot the thrusters on the wings backwards and flipped backwards. Dodging the bullet, I kicked the enemy''s gun, and then grabbed the [Yukihira Niigata] back from the enemy''s armor. "Hahaha! Not bad, kid! You can actually pull some moves in front of this [Arachne]!" "Shut up!" There are a lot of obstacles in the changing room, but I used the delicate skills I learnt from Tatenashi-san to dodge the attacks and close in on the enemy. Learning these skills really helped me a lot. "UWWOOH!!" "Ha! That was close, close, close, close...wow!" I started to lose grasp on Autumn''s movements, and I don''t know how many times I was attacked. It seemed that each armored leg that extend from the back could deploy [PIC], and the [Arachne]''s mobility was more nimble and complicated than any IS I''ve seen. The movement was just like that of a spider. (Uu, I can only predict her movements and use [Ignition Boost]!) I used the surroundings to control my flight, dodged the bullets that were raining down on me, and waited for the chance to attack. (Calm down. Just calm down. I''ll just attack when it''s time.) "Oh yeah. Let me say this as well. We''re the organization that kidnapped you during the second IS Mondo Grosso! This reunion sure is touching, hahaha!" "--!!" Her words really enraged me. --If that''s the case, that''s the case. So... "I''LL PAY YOU BACK FOR THAT TIME!" "Kuku, you''re still just a brat, using a frontal assault like that...huh!" I noticed that she shot some rope-like things from her fingers at me. The energy lump expanded in front of me, forming a huge web. "Ku! This!!" If this is energy, I''ll use [Setsura] to slash it. But even though I intended to, the web extended all over me, and several seconds later, held me down. "Hahaha! That was effortless! That''s what happens when you underestimate a spider''s web!" Showing a cold smile, Autumn approached me, who''s struggling, and took out a 4 legged equipment. "Hm, well, it''s party time!" With the sound of activation, the four-legged thing that was about 40cm wide expanded. "Are you going to say goodbye? KYAHAHAHA!!" "Wha...?" The enemy put the equipment on me. The four legs touched my chest and shrank as it stuck onto my body. "To your IS, of course." "WHAT?" At this moment, energy that felt like electricity ran through my body. "GYAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!" A sharp pain that felt like it was going to rip through my entire body attacked me. While in tremendous pain, the fact that Autumn was mocking me with her smile angered me all the more. Unexpectedly, I could still remain focused even under such pain. That was really unbelievable. "Then, playtime''s over." The electricity vanished, and the lock disappeared. At the same time, I was released from the web. (Now!) I try my best to punch her, but "You missed, brat! You don''t have any IS!" I got hit on the abdomen and got sent flying to the locker. This pain made me realize that [Byakushiki] was gone. "Wh-What''s going on...[Byakushiki]! Hey!" I was only left with the complete IS suit, as [Byakushiki]''s armor and armaments were all gone. "Hehe, your important IS is right here." "Wha-What?" Autumn was holding a crystal in her hand....that''s undoubtedly [Byakushiki]''s core. It was radiating even brighter than an ordinary core, proof that the core had advanced to the [Second Shift]. "The equipment just now was called the [Remover]! It''s a secret weapon that can forcefully remove an IS, you know? You''re really lucky to be able to see it while alive!" She stepped on me twice. Unable to get up due to the continuous pain, I glared at Autumn, and she stepped hard onto my head. "Give it...back..." "Ah? I can''t hear you?" "GIVE IT BACK, YOU BASTARD! STOP MESSING AROUND!" Finally able to move, I leaped into action and attacked her back. "I said that it''s too late!" This time, I got kicked on the side, and my back slammed into the wall, making me unable to breathe for the time being. What''s with her? Does she like to kick? I really want to say that ''This level of legs isn''t much'', I have a lot of beautiful legs around me. (Ha-Haha...I really don''t know, but people would be like this once they go crazy?) I gave myself a self-mocking smile...nothing changed at all, nothing. I''m still as useless as ever. However (HoweverI CAN''T FORGIVE THAT!) I grabbed the leg Autumn kicked me over with, and closed in onto her body. At the same time, I reached out my arm for the core in her right hand. "It''s useless!" The armor that hit my back sent me flying to the wall...damn it, damn it, damn it! "Well brat, you''re useless now. So let me kill you!" Showing a sly smile, Autumn said that to me. "Oh my, I''ll be really troubled. I''m mindful of Ichika-kun you know?" A delighted sound echoed in my ears, and that didn''t match the current atmosphere. Looking over, I saw Tatenashi-san standing at the door, holding the fan in her hand like usual. "Where did you appear from? All the systems here were locked down....well, I guess I''ll just have to kill you!" "Tatenashi-san!" Autumn turned around, and the 8-legged armor attacked Tatenashi-san. "I''m the student leader of this school, so I have to do this." "Ah? What nonsense are you spouting?" At this moment, Autumn''s armor pierced through Tatenashi-san''s body. Volume 5 - CH 4 "Tatenashi-san! TATENASHI-SAN...YOU DID THAT TO HER!?" "..." Even though she got pierced by the armored leg, Tatenashi looked undisturbed. On a closer look, the spot the Arachne stabbed through didn''t even leave a single bit of blood. "What''s with you...? I didn''t feel like I hit you...?" "Ufufu." Tatenashi smiled, and at the next moment, her body collapsed. Splash, the thing that turned into Tatenashi spread out. "You bastard...is that water?" "Good answer. It''s called a water fake." The casual voice rang from behind Autumn. Tatenashi swung her spear at the shocked Autumn, who turned around her head in shock. "Ku...!" "Oh my? Did I cut you too thinly? That IS of yours is really mobile." "What are you?" "My name''s Sarashiki Tatenashi, and my IS is the [Mysterious Lady]. You''ve got to remember that." Tatenashi smiled. The IS on her is one Ichika never saw before. The armor''s narrow and small. However, the parts that didn''t have the armor form a transparent liquid-like thing. It felt just like a water veil. The lady with a unique appearance that''s surrounded in mist had crystal shaped items floating on both left and right sides, and they were really eye-catching. The objects called Aqua Crystals activated the screens of water that covered Tatenashi like a huge windbreaker.[5D 1] The objects called Aqua Crystals activated the screens of water that covered Tatenashi like a huge windbreaker. "Heh! I''ll kill you now!" "Ufufu. That''s really some classic line from a villain, which means I''ll definitely win." After saying that, Tatenashi used the spear to attack. In contrast to Autumn and her [Arachne] IS that managed to attack continuously with 8 legs and 2 hands, Tatenashi just used a spear to block them all. "Damn you! Don''t get cocky, kid!" Drawing two daggers from her waist, Autumn turned all her armored legs on the back into firing mode to fight in long range. "That painless attack of yours isn''t going to break through my water shield." The water veil blocked the live rounds of attacks that rained in like a storm, nullifying them. The bullets immediately lost their speed on entering the water veil, and stopped as they were captured by the water. "Isn''t that just ordinary water?" "Oh my, aren''t you the alert one? This water''s controlled by the nanomachines in the IS. Amazing, isn''t it?" Even though Tatenashi was saying that, she didn''t stop moving her arms. She used the spear to skillfully flick away the two knives in Autumn''s hand, and even used her legs when necessary as she completely nullified the opponent''s attacks. "Who in the world are you!?" "I won''t introduce myself a second time. It''s too troublesome." "SHUT UP!!" Seeing her attacks getting blocked perfectly, Autumn started to feel anxious. Tatenashi completely ignored her reaction as she rushed the enemy''s attack with precision and a cold face. "Oh yeah. Do you know? The Student Council President in this academy is the strongest." "HOW WOULD I KNOW!?" Autumn threw the knife in her left hand and jumped forward to close her distance with Tatenashi. She grasped the moment Tatenashi deflected the knife and kicked the spear up. "Oh my." "TAKE THIS!" Four of Autumn''s 8 armored legs were in shooting mode, and the rest were in close combat mode as a fierce attack was launched. "It''s really tough to handle so many legs." "Hahaha! I''ll see how long you can keep up that wretched mouth of yours!? The strongest? Don''t make me laugh, kid!" As what Tatenashi said, the 8 armored legs gradually held down Tatenashi. Even though she had armor protection, the enemy''s attack started to touch the IS'' main body directly. "Ta-Tatenashi-san!" "Just rest there, Ichika-kun. Leave this to onee-san, so just pray and make a wish for me." "Humph, kid! Weren''t you being so calm just now?" Autumn finally broke through the bronze wall-like defense as she used the armored leg to kick Tatenashi. At the same time, she shot out spider web from both hands to rob Tatenashi of her mobility. "Haa...haa...you''re really hard to handle, kid!" "Yup, seems like I can''t move now." "This is the end...!" *KLANG!* The 8 legs got ready and slowly closed in on Tatenashi. But Tatenashi didn''t look anxious or scared. "Hey, don''t you find this room hot?" "Ah?" "I don''t mean the temperature, but the human touch temperature." "What are you talking about...?" "The discomfort level is decided by humidityhey, don''t you find this room extremely hot? "!" Completely shocked, Autumn saw that the entire room was full of mist, and her body was covered with this thick mist. "Yep, I wanted to see that look on your face. The look when you know you got outwitted." Tatenashi smiled like a Goddess, but this expression should be more like a Deathscythe that clearly indicates the intention to kill. "[Mysterious Lady]...''The Lady in the Mist'', this machine can control water freely. Like I just said, they''re nanomachines that can use the energy of the IS to control water, right?" "Da-Damn it" "Too late." *BAM!* Tatenashi made a gun with her fingers, and the next moment, Autumn''s body got covered in explosions. "Aha. I didn''t just explain my ability to show off or make fun of others, you know? It''s just that I won''t be able to see your shocked look if I don''t explain it." The nanomachines that used the energy of the IS turned the mist into a heat source and blew up the target. This ability is called [Clear Passion]. Although, it might not be highly effective in limited space, this skill can be prepared while doing all other actions, so it''s highly rated for being effective in practical battle. "Gu...It''s not over...no...not yet!" "Nope, it''s overright, Ichika-kun?" Feeling a bad premonition, Autumn turned her head around to see Ichika grabbing his right arm and concentrate. "Come on out, [Byakushiki]. His entire body was covered in light, and then (Tatenashi-san just told me to make a wish, which means that I can still summon [Byakushiki] at this moment.) I never heard of such a nice thing before. But I believed it. ([Byakushiki] will respond to me as long as I call for it, no matter how many timesno matter how many times!) "Come out, [Byakushiki]!" I gathered my concentration on my right arm, and through my tightly shut eyes I somehow saw the light in front. Then...I let the core form, no, summon on my right hand. "[Byakushiki], emergency summon! [Yukihira Niigata], maximum output!" The core formed particles of light that covered me. After feeling the hardness of the core that changed into my weapon, I opened my eyes. (--I can do it!) I synchronize the already materialized [Byakushiki] with my wavelength and attack Autumn. Raising the blade above my head, I could strongly feel the activation of [Reiraku Byakuya]. "What? How-How did you" "Who knows? TAKE THIS!" "Guu!!" Autumn raised the 8 armored legs above her head to block my attack. But I didn''t stop as I sliced down forcefully. "Wha..." From between the armor bits that were sliced off by [Reiraku Byakuya], I could see Autumn moving in a somewhat slow manner...no, that''s not it. It''s not that she was too slow, but I was too fast. "Guu!" I used the thrusters that had the function of [Ignition Boost] to fly at Autumn and kicked her to the wall. Perhaps the force was too strong as this impact caused part of the wall to collapse, and I could see what was behind it. "! Ichika-kun, get her!" "Ye-Yes!" "Da-Damn it...is that it...!?" *Swoosh!* The sound of compressed air could be heard, and Autumn got away from her IS. "What!?" "Ichika-kun!!" Autumn''s IS glowed, and several seconds later, it self-destructed. ...Just when I was about to be caught in it, Tatenashi-san covered me with her body. "Are you alright? Ichika-kun?" Extending her water veil shields to the largest, she protected us. Even though I had the IS'' [Absolute Defense], I would have been impossible to remain unscathed had I been caught in that explosion. "Y-Yeeah, wait...ah! Where''s that woman!?" "She got away. She most likely took the core out before it self-destructed, leaving behind only the armaments and armor to self-destruct. Even so, that was reckless of her. She would have hurt herself had she failed." Saying this in an unexpectedly stern tone, Tatenashi-san felt rather cool. "Is-Is that so? Well...speaking of which, I guess..." "Mn?" "I-I would be really happy if you could move back a bit..." Tatenashi-san hugged me to cover me with her back. In other words, well...her breasts were stuck on my face. Soft and elastic. "Ya. Ichika-kun no ecchi[5D 2]." "No, no, that''s not it! Well, that-that''s because things were urgent..." "Ahhyou''re not man enough if you try to look for an excuse. How are onee-san''s breasts?" "..." "Not talking? You''re too much." "Huh, no, well...it-it''s really soft...I guess..." "Ichika-kun." "Ye-Yes." "You''re really perverted." Having given up on arguing back, I weakly lowered my head. Anyway, a lot of things happened today. Right now, all I want to do is to take a bath. "Oh yeah. What do you think this is?" Saying this, Tatenashi-san played around with ''That Thing'', swirling it around. "...? The crown?" "Yup, that''s right. The one who gets this can stay in the same room as Ichika-kun. It''s really a great item." "What!?...Don-Don''t tell me those girls were working so hard for that?" "Yup." "...What were you thinking...anyway, wouldn''t living with me be quite an uninteresting thing?" "Is that so? Well, anyway, I got it." I have a bad feeling, but well, it''s too late. "I hope we can get along during this time, Ichika-kun?" Powerless, I fell backwards onto the floor. (Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!) Autumn ran through the IS Academy grounds, cursing in her mind. (What simple job! What kind of joke was that-that kid!) Speaking of which, the attack for today''s infiltration was meant to be carried out in the dorm room, but as there was suddenly a roommate, they had to modify the plan drastically. (Speaking of which, I never liked that kid ever since she joined this organization...) She remembered the girl who always looked so haughty, thinking that nobody could match her, and that everyone was inferior to her. The girl herself took part in the creation of the [Remover] and the planning of the infiltration this time. (Speaking of which, what sort of remover was that? Wouldn''t it be meaningless if it can be summoned from such a far distance anyway?) And there was no second chance now. Once it was used, the IS would become resistant to it. (...That''s right!) Autumn then realized that because the IS had created a resistance to being removed, it was able to be summoned from afar. In other words, it was totally predictable, and the girl who raised this plan should have seen the outcome. That''s what Autumn thought. (I''ll kill...kill kill kill! SHE MADE A MOCKERY OUT OF ME!) Gritting her teeth in anger and regret, she found that she finally reached a park that was far away from IS Academy. (Damn it...I''m thirsty. Is there water...) She looked around, and found a water cooler at the park. Anyway, got to deal with this thirst! Autumn quickly walked to it. (I''ll kill that brat! I don''t care what Squall says.) With a tap-turning motion, the water spurted up. She went over to ravage the water like a beast and continued to think of how she should kill that girl who just joined in. (Slowly, slowly kill her...hihi.) Autumn suddenly noticed that there was no water. (What''s wrong? Is it faulty...?) Thinking that, she looked at the tap, but something unbelievable happened. The water spurt up wildly, covering the sky. "What!?" The water that rained down on Autumn like transparent blocks wet her clothes, but she didn''t care about that. (Is this...[AIC]!?) Though she immediately tried to back away, her feet that were about to move were stuck because of [AIC]. Due to the inertia exerted, Autumn fell backwards. "Damn it! Is that the German IS!?" "That''s correct, [Phantom Task]." Laura''s voice echoed silently. The icy pressure surrounded her, maintained over there. "Don''t move. A sniper is aiming at your forehead." "Ku...!" "Spill it out. Everything you know about your organization." As a soldier, Laura already had received information about this secret organization. Through the infiltration and the fact that they used ISes to battle, she understood that it was a really large group. "Your IS was a second generation one from the US. How did you get it? Talk." "Who would!" The IS core technology was never revealed to the outside world. In other words, it could only be taken from somewhere. And because it would be a heavy loss on the national defense side, nobody would reveal that their ISes got stolen. From the way they planned the theft of the IS and the capability to do it, this organization wasn''t to be underestimated. "Alright. I have lots of ways to carry out interrogations, so it looks like I need to spend some time with you." As Laura said that and walked to Autumn, Cecilia said through the private communicator, "Get away! A unit''s approaching!" "Wha...?" Immediately after expanding the sensors, Laura''s right shoulder got shot through. "Guu!" Laura immediately took off the left eyepatch to activate the [Odin''s eye], the hyper sensor device. But it was tough as she had to dodge the next two shots. "Laura, get away!" Using the trajectory of the shots, Cecilia was immediately able to tell where the opponent was shooting from, and aimed at the machine that was quickly approaching. "How did that happen...don''t tell me...?" Appearing in the focus lens that was used to see things far away was a machine Cecilia had seen once before. BT number 2 frame [Silent Zephyrs]. It was a prototype frame that used data from the first frame, Cecilia''s [Blue Tears], and had BIT protective shields. "What are you doing? Cecilia, shoot!" "Kuu...!" Cecilia immediately used her laser rifle to snipe, but as the enemy deployed the BIT shields, there wasn''t any effective damage. She then released her BITs, but they were shot down by the enemy. (Sniping down so accurately at supersonic speeds? And even the shooting was fast!) Cecilia was mystified that the opponent''s ability was better than hers, and the threat caused by the normal BITs of the enemy was far greater than when Cecilia controlled 6 of them at one go, sending her into a tough spot. "If that''s the case!" Cecilia shot the missile BITs below, intending to let the enemy that was flying to defend before attacking, forcing it into a tight corner. Though Cecilia believed this, something unbelievable happened next. "Wha...!?" The curved lines that were drawn out in light took down the missile BITs. (This is...a polarized control shot that can only be done when the BT weapon is moving at high velocity? How can there be such) Cecilia immediately used her laser rifle to snipe. The unbelievable scene that happened in front of Cecilia caused her to remain rooted there. (Amongst all the IS pilots, my suitability with BT should be the highest. So, why!?) "What are you doing? Move aside!" "Wha!?" Laura knocked Cecilia away, taking the BIT laser attacks for Cecilia. After seeing the [Schwarzer Regen] armor dissipate, Cecilia finally recovered, but by then the attacker was already beside Autumn. "I''m here to get you, Autumn." "Don''t...you call me like that!" The attacker that flew over shot a Gatling Laser in a small area at Laura, preventing her from approaching Autumn. At the same time, the attack used a pink laser blade to slice the [AIC] apart, freeing Autumn. "Is that all German enhanced genes have to offer?" That face was covered by a hyper sensor that acted as a cap, and only the lips could be seen. But Laura could clearly see a smirk on her face. "Damn it...how do you know that?" "I have no need to tell you, good bye." The attacker grabbed Autumn and flew back the way she flew in from. The BITs that were holding off Laura and Cecilia immediately self-destructed after the mission. "Laura, call the school! I''ll pursue them!" "Stop it! It''s useless to chase them. And with our abilities, even if we caught up to them, we would lose to them." "..." Cecilia bit her lips in anger and watched the enemy fly off. The mysterious attacker had come in like the wind, and gone off like the wind, not leaving any evidence behind. Laura and Cecilia felt that a storm was about to arrive. "And that''s the deal." "Haa..." At night, in my room. After the festival ended, I heard Tatenashi-san''s explanation. Recently, a mysterious group had started to take action, and they were targeting me. As precaution, she requested to stay with me. "Th...Then, what kind of person is Tatenashi-san?" "Ara, I''m a gentle onee-san." "Enough with that." "Okay. The Sarashikis have been dealing with a lot of underground work. Do you know of the secret forces?" Secret forcesthe kind that would work behind the scenes and never appear in public? "The Sarashikis are a secret force that goes against other secret forces...it''s rather prominent." Tatenashi-san laughed as she opened her fan. The words written on it were ''Often on the Battlefield''...really, I don''t know how to deal with her. "But since the immediate danger''s over, I can relax slightly now." "You want to change rooms now? I''ll be" A saving grace to me. I swallowed these words that I nearly said out. If I said them, I don''t know what kind of reaction I would get. "Lonely here." "Fufufu. I''ll stay here for the time being? Because I got the crown anyway." Gua, there''s still that trick. "After changing rooms, you can look for me if you feel lonely sleeping alone." "No, no need, no need to worry about that." I feel that if I don''t say things clearly, they will just get worse. She''s someone who would strike at such opportunity. "CheI thought that you would be happy." "Yes yes. I''m turning off the lights." "Mn, sleep well then." I turned off the lights and snuck into my bed. Extremely tired, I quickly sank into dreamland. "Good night, Ichika-kun. You''ll be really busy in the future." At the last moment, I heard Tatenashi-san say that. "Everyone, it''s been tough during the school anniversary a few days ago. Now, I''m going to announce the results of the votes." That''s also the announcement of the result of the tussle over me. I seem to hear every student that''s gathered in the sports hall swallow their saliva. "In first place, the audience-interactive play ''Cinderella'' that the Student Council organized!" """...Huh?""" Everyone immediately opened their mouths in shock. Several seconds later, the girls recovered and started booing, "DESPICABLE! CUNNING! CHEAT!" "WHY IS IT THE STUDENT COUNCIL!? ISN''T THAT TOO STRANGE!?" "WE WORKED SO HARD!" Facing the audience''s complaints, Tatenashi-san made an ''Okay Okay'' hand gesture and continued, "The condition to take part in that play was to ''Vote for the Student Council'', but we didn''t force anyone to vote, so we did follow everyone''s will." The-There''s still that condition... I''m actually rather mystified as compared to being stunned. That''s really a well-thought out plan. But Tatenashi-san''s explanation couldn''t stop the complaints. "Okay, calm down. As a Student Council member, Orimura Ichika-kun shall be sent to take part in each social club when it''s suitable. As a guy, he can''t take part in matches, so please let him be the manager or do the layman stuff. If you want him, please write a request to the Student Council." ...What? "We-Well, if that''s the case..." "Re-Really can''t be helped, you. I''ll accept it then." "Our club had no chance of winning anyway. That was lucky." Voices could be heard from all over. And then, each club started getting into a frenzy over me. "OUR SOCCER CLUB FIRST!" "WHAT ARE YOU SAYING!? IT''S OBVIOUSLY LACROSSE FIRST!" "THE COOKING CLUB WANTS TO RAISE A REQUEST!" "HERE! THE TEA CLUB''S HERE!" "It''s okay for the kendo club to be second?" "THE JUDO CLUB! WE HAVE GROUND FIGHTING TECHNIQUES TO LEARN!" --No, wait wait! What about me? My own will! "Then, if there are no special issues, Orimura Ichika-kun shall belong to the Student Council. Please follow my instructions in the future." After Tatenashi-san ended it like that, the students started clapping and whistling loudly. Huh? What? What''s the situation now? I belong to the Student Council? I''ll be sent to take part in activites of other clubs? "Speaking of which, I have to follow Tatenashi-san''s orders!?" I have a bad feeling, a really bad feeling. "Good night, Ichika-kun. You''ll be really busy in the future." I recalled what Tatenashi-san said last night. (Was she talking about this?) I don''t know how serious she was. I just know that it''s useless to go against her. "Congratulations on becoming the Vice President of the Student Council, Orimura Ichika-kun!" "Congrats~" "Congratulations. I look forward to be working with you." Tatenashi-san, Nohohon-san and Utsuho-san said respectively, the pops could be heard from the party poppers. We''re in the Student Council Office. Facing the luxurious table that had its back to the window, it left a deep impression, a sign of the person in authority. Yup. "...Why did it end up like this..." "Ara, isn''t this a great way to settle this? Ichika-kun had to join a club anyway. The Principal said to use the Student Council''s power to force you to join a club." "Even if Orimu joins a club, only a small handful would have given up~" "But the situation would have definitely ended up where the other students would come over and say to you ''Please join our club'', so the Student Council came up with this plan." The three of them followed up each others'' sentences really nicely. Really, as expected of childhood friends, I guess. Realizing that resistance was futile, I weakly lowered my shoulders. "My own will''s being completely ignored..." "Oh my, what are you saying? There are three beauties here. Aren''t you satisfied?" "Yeah~ Orimurathere are beauties with you." "I don''t know about beauties or anything, but working here should give you some experience." Anyway, amongst the trio, Utsuho-san seemed to be the sane one. It can''t be helped then. I can only ask Utsuho-san about the work in the future. "Well...anyway, this means I have to come here everyday after school?" "That''ll be the case for now. Once we send you to a club, you''ll take part in club activities there." "I-I got it." "Anyway...if you don''t mind, I''ve got a question for you." "What?" It''s rare that Utsuho-san''s voice would be so hard to hear. I looked at her in a mystified manner. Wanting to say something out and stopping twice, she finally spoke up, "What''s the name of that friend of yours who came to visit during the school anniversary?" "Huh? Ah, Are you talking about Dan? He''s Gotanda Dan, and he''s studying in a high school in the city." "Is-Is that so...so, he''s the same age as you, Orimura-kun?" "Yeah, that''s right." "...Younger than me by two years..." "Huh?" "Nothing, it''s nothing. Thank you." After saying that, Utsuho-san thanked me politely. Her face seemed to blush subconsciously. Was I mistaken? "Then! To commemorate the gathering of the Student Council members and to celebrate Ichika-kun becoming the Vice-President, I baked a cake today, so everyone, let''s eat." "Wa~I agree~" "I''ll brew tea then." "Mn, please do. Honne-chan, please bring the tea set over." "Okay." It seems like working together is a basic thing to them, as the trio started to get ready in the same manner. What I''m happy with is that the cake that''s lined together looks really good. "Then...cheers!" "Cheers!" "Cheers!" "Ha-Haha...cheers. Haa..." Just like that, I was forced to join the Student Council. "Sorry to disturb you." Tatenashi opened the heavy door and walked into the Principal''s office. It was dark outside the windows, and the night that gathered caused everything to be covered in darkness. "Ahh, Tatenashi-kun, perfect timing." Inviting Tatenashi in was an elderly man with a calm face. On the surface, his wife was the principal, but in fact, all school affairs were controlled by this man. "I need your report." The man put his hand on the stylish table and prompted Tatenashi to speak. His face had wrinkles that matched his head and the white hair. He was rather friendly, and was often called the ''Conscience in the School''. The man who often does the running of the school, Kutsuwagi Juuzou (\ľʮi) is the real man running IS Academy. "First, about Ichika-kun. His training''s going really well." Tatenashi kept her usual playful manner and started reporting in a stern manner. "To be honest, I''m really surprised. Things that I trained him in once, he''s able to learn them after practicing them for a few times. His comprehensive ability is far greater than any girl I''ve met before." "You''re right. That''s because he''s Orimura-sensei''s brother." There seemed to be some hidden meaning behind that, but Tatenashi didn''t ask as she continued her report, "Next, about [Phantom Task]. We confirmed that there are at least two IS. One of the cores was taken out, so they shouldn''t be able to take much action." If the core''s the heart, the armor''s the body. If only the heart was taken out, it meant that it had to lose the body that was fit around it, so it''d take quite some time to assemble the armor around it. It couldn''t run like a battery that could be put back in after taking it out. "It''s been tough on you, Tatenashi-kun." "This is nothing much. My machine can gain practical experience too." "Mn, the Russian type. It''s finally complete. I was worried whether it would be completed in time. It''s the right thing to hand it over to you." "There are several flaws the developers made in the design, but I want to use it as it is now." "Okay, I''ll leave it to you then. Do whatever you want." After reporting about two, three more things, Tatenashi ended her report. "Anyway, that''s all." "I know all about it. Tatenashi-kun''s still really popular." "Ufufu, that''s because I''m the Student Council President." Tatenashi smiled as she said that, and Juuzou showed a warm and friendly smile as well. The conversation between both of them removed the tense atmosphere like mist. "Then, let''s have some tea. Oh yea, I bought some nice snacks. It''ll be great if it fits your tastes." After Juuzou said that, Tatenashi''s eyes glittered. The expression at that moment fit her age. "Will Juusou-san''s snacks be to my liking? I''m looking forward to it?" "Hahaha, I''m not that amazing." "No no no, it''s really good. Oh yes! I brought some tea along with me." "Ohh, is that brewed by Nohotoke-kun?" "As you guessed." "Ohh! The tea she brews is really good. I think we can have a good tea party." Right now, his speech and mannerism were completely different from his age. He didn''t look like a man who was going to be 70. The two people who were seated started a tea party like good friends. Nobody would think that they were the two leaders of IS Academy if they saw them like this. Volume 5 - Epilogue "YOU BASTARD! WHAT WERE YOU DOING!?" In a room of a high rise condominium filled with luxurious furniture, Autumn closed in on the girl. "..." "SAY SOMETHING! YOU DAMN KID!" Autumn pushed the girl into the wall. Even so, her anger didn''t subside, and she then pulled out a knife and pressed it against the girl''s face. "I''m going to scar that face of yours...!" "Stop it, Autumn. You''re too noisy." A girl with a beautiful face walked out from the bathroom, and the light blond hair radiated under the light. "Squall...!" "You''ll get old if you always get angry. Calm down, Autumn." The woman called Squall was dressed in a bathrobe as she sat down on the sofa. Autumn glared at Squall with regret. "You...knew that this would happen?" "Yup." "If that''s the case, why didn''t you tell me! I...I''m-I''m your" "I know, Autumn, I know. You''re my important lover." "Good-Good that you know..." Autumn''s anger up till now got wiped off by the smile on Squall''s face, and she blushed as she looked down. She looked like a girl who just met her first love. Seeing her cute look, Squall again smiled happily. "Come over, Autumn. I''ll wash your hair for you. You''re really tired today, right?" "Ah, ahh..." The girl looked uninterested as she stared at their interaction. (Boring...how boring...) The girl who refused to work with others or interact emotionally with them left the room with an icy cold gaze. "M, please my IS. The [Silent Zephyrs] was just stolen, and it''s necessary to readjust it." "I got it." After the girl called M answered, she closed the door. Alone in the corridor, she held onto the necklace on her chest and closed her eyes. (Just a little more...Just a little more...) I''ve been waiting for this, waiting for this moment to arrive. (Then, my revenge will begin...that''s right, finally) We''ll finally meet. (...Orimura Chifuyu...) With no one knowing it, the girl''s lips curled evilly. Volume 6 - CH 1 North American Continent, American Northwest, Strategic Defense Point No. 16, nicknamed [Erased][6A 1], a place which even people with connections in the military would not know about, was filled with the echo of gunfire. "Intruder Spotted! Urgent backup requested in area 6-D! I repeat, intruder spotted! Urgent backup requested in area 6-D!" The echoes of firing assault rifles, the angry roar of sturdy men, the chorus of army boots: they were all directed at a sole intruder. "....." A lone girl walked along a steel passage. That''s right, the intruder was just a girl. The girl neither laughed nor scoffed at the men; she just looked down at them. "...Deploy." At the sound of her unconcerned voice, rings of light started to gather around her whole body. Those rings of light gathered substance, and in a few seconds the girl''s whole body was covered by clear blue armor. "IS!?" "That bitch, is she a member of the organization that was mentioned in the report!?" The girl whose body was covered by the IS [Silent Zephyrs], M, armed her long rifle using only her right hand. That gun, which could use both BT energy and live ammo, was named [Star Breaker]. Right there, right then, there was no one besides this girl who knew that name. "What''s your plan!? Doing things like this to the U.S. Army, don''t think you''ll get away with it!" That was an angry roar which wasn''t expected to get any particular answer, but M hid her face using the Visor-model Hyper Sensor, and stated her intentions, something nobody expected. "Give me the IS that is sealed in this base - [Silverio Gospel]." "What!?" In a few, short moments, the soldiers collapsed one after another from the deadly bullets shot by M. But the strange thing was, regardless whether it was possible or not, M didn''t kill any of the soldiers. Of course she was using real bullets, but she aimed to just barely avoid a fatal shot. What a hassle.... to not kill. But M, willing or not, had to obey the restriction she was given by her female superior, Squall, when she was granted use of this IS: Nobody gets killed. Obedience - was also not the right circumstance. In her body, a surveillance nano-machine had been inserted, and if she disobeyed her orders, within a few seconds the core of her brain would be fried. This was also a condition that Squall gave, so for now M would obey that order. "Guaa!" "Gyaa!" "Damn! HQ! HQ! Requesting urgent backup! I repeat, requesting urgent back- Gahh!!" Before long, when locking onto her targets started to become difficult, M casually floated into the sky, and started to charge and mow down the enemy using a rough movement. Based on the map that was sent directly to her field of vision, the passage was to turn, go down, then go up. "......" At the exit of the rather tall passage - it was roughly 50 meters to the top - M located a new shadow above the route. From the silhouette, it was a woman. How would it feel breaking, breaking those ribs? At the instant she thought that evil thought, an arrow of light pierced her right shoulder. "Wh....at!?" At the moment she tried to pull out the feather-shaped energy arrow, it exploded spectacularly. "Che!?" Right before hitting the wall from the shock of the explosion, M rotated her body, and fired her thruster the other way. But, the enemy didn''t miss that half-second of stillness. *Byuin!* The next arrow attack was launched and exploded at her feet this time. Even M, who was used to high-altitude high-speed braking mechanisms, couldn''t completely evade this attack. It was an error caused by her self-conceit. "You..." "Natasha Fairs, citizen of the USA, IS test pilot. And also [Silverio Gospel]''s registered pilot." Even while talking, the counter-attack didn''t slow even a bit. Both her hands held something that looked like a wing, and had a clear silver coating. [Silver Bell] no.1 prototype, hand cannon version. Natasha was using only her own strength to shoot the weapon over and over again, which when looked at in terms of output only, surpasses even the latest armament provided with the [Silverio Gospel]. While releasing Energy Shot, her beautiful blond hair scattered from the strength of the recoil, dancing intensely and beautifully. "I won''t give you that child....!" Just like a mother protecting her daughter, her desperate attack continued. But, even with all that, she was just using her own strength after all. She can no longer hit M, who started concentrating her senses fully. "Ku..!" "You''re in my way." Stepping on the wing, she mowed down Natasha with her left hand. *Don!* With a loud thump, Natasha''s body slammed against the wall. "Small fry." Natasha, unable to move from the intense pain on her whole body, was held by M in a headlock. Their heights were different but it made no difference to M, who was floating in the air. Natasha''s arms and legs were hanging and swinging. Her bones were broken in at least two places. She had more than twice that many fractures scattered through her body. Her limbs were powerless and swinging. But- "Heh heh.." The spirit that dwelt in Natasha''s eyes had not weakened even one bit. "Heh heh..." "What''s so funny?" "I can only go this far. But, I''ve achieved my objective." "...?" While M was still unable to understand the meaning of the words, the passage floor started to give a roaring sound and crumbled. "!?" "I''ll take back Natale[6A 2], Phantom Task." From inside the smoke, a tiger-striped IS had just appeared, snatched Natasha away from M''s hand, and then stabbed a throwing knife into [Silent Zephyr]''s chest. Against an enemy that suddenly appeared, even M had to back off a bit. "America''s 3rd Generation unit [Fang Quake]." "Alright, and also US representative Iris Calling. I''ll make sure you pay me back this debt, Natale." While saying that, she threw Natasha, who would have hindered close-quarters combat, to the ground. "Iri..." "What?" "Can''t you see I''m injured?" "I know. ...Just wait, I''ll return the favor instead of you, and hit her twice as hard." "That''s not what I mean..." Iris was looking curiously at the sighing Natasha; it seemed she really didn''t understand what Natasha meant. "I''ll take that unit too, thank you!" While saying that, M attacked, holding the knife backhand. "Hey hey, Have you not watched it in a movie before? When the hero is giving a speech, you''re supposed to stand and wait quietly you...know!" *Gakin!* With the loud sound and flying sparks, Iris broke the knife with her fist. The blade, broken from the handle at the base, spun away quickly and stuck in the ceiling. "...." "Just for the record, I''m strong, you know? Are you ready to be beaten to death? That machine you stole from England, it''s still an experimental unit right? There''s no way you can win using that against me." Although the machine she was using at the moment, [Fang Quake], was also an experimental unit, judging from its abilities, it had the same concept as [ShenLong], which meant that it also stressed the stability and efficiency aspects of the machine. "M, can you hear me?" Squall''s voice was echoing through M''s head from the IS'' private channel. Although M, who was in front of her enemy, didn''t answer, Squall still kept talking, just like the rainstorm she was. "I''ve already monitored the situation. Back off for now. We can''t afford to lose the machine that took a lot of our efforts to finally get." Although M didn''t think she would lose, it could still take a while to finish the fight. If the fight dragged on, other IS reinforcement might come too. "Roger." With that consideration, M silently and coldly answered. "I won''t let you run!" While saying that, Iris used Ignition Boost to approach M. But at the same time, M directed all her thrusters forward, and started a Reverse Ignition Boost. "You''re a clever one, aren''t you!" Although Iris said that admiringly, there''s actually no such margin of advantage. That''s because, while M was doing Reverse Ignition Boost she was intently shooting Iris at high speed. She was sniping during high speed movement using BT energy, and at the same time using maximum speed to retreat along the complex passageway of the underground base without losing her way. "Stop right there!!" Iris, while chasing, also had to evade the energy shots that were constantly targeted at her joints. Because of that, the distance between her and M gradually increased. When there was only around 100m before they reached the end of the underground passage, there was already a distance of about 50 meters between them. (This is bad! If I don''t end it now, she''ll escape!) Iris concentrated her senses in order to invoke Revolver Ignition Boost using the machine 4 base thruster. Although she felt uneasy about the 40% success rate, there was no point if she didn''t use it now. (-Let''s go!) M, who realized what Iris was doing, immediately released her Bit and increased her continuous attack firepower. "Uryaaa!" Iris, who was no longer concerned about receiving some damage, increased her speed. Her armor was damaged, her shield energy was decreasing, but Iris didn''t stop. "Got you!" The distance was shrinking, and she extended her arm. She got her. At the moment she thought that, Iris arm was obstructed by the Shield Bit''s Energy umbrella. Furthermore, it self-destructed with an explosion force even greater than a high-powered bomb. "Whaa!?" Stalling her with the Shield Bit, with the force of the explosion and the sudden stop from supersonic flight, M managed to escape from Iris. When she saw the light of the sun, she disappeared into a far away cloud on the other side, only [Silent Zephyr]''s back side projected in the zoomed view mode. "Aa, Damn it!" She punched herself in vexation. When the fist armed with [Fang Quake] collided with her other palm, the loud thick metallic sound echoed all around. ? "What? Ichika''s birthday is this month?" "Y-yeah..." During dinner at the dorm, the usual members were having a meal while happily chatting, when suddenly Charl spoke up loudly. Was it such a surprising thing? To think even Charl stood up, which was something unusual. "Wh..when is it?" "September 27th. Ca-calm down a little." "O...oh." Having said that, Charl returned to her seat. "It''s on Sunday right?" This time Charl didn''t stand up, but leaned forward. Wh... what''s wrong with Charl today? "It''s on Sunday I think." "I see.... Hm, so it''s like that. Hm." Beside Charl, who was murmuring while nodding at the same time, Cecilia, who had picked beef stew as her dinner menu, put down her bread and joined the conversation. "Ichika-san, you should say these kind of important things sooner." "Oh. Sorry." I don''t really understand what''s going on, but I''ll apologize first. "Anyway, Sunday 27th, right?" Cecilia brought out her pure white leather notebook and double-circled September 27th in it. Is this that much of an important event? "Why didn''t you tell me about this?" Laura, who was sitting diagonally right from Charl''s and my point of view, said this while frowning a little. "Huh? I didn''t think it was that important." "Fuun. But it seems there''s some people here who already knew but stayed silent about it." ""U!"" Glanced by Laura, the childhood friends duo stiffened up. Speaking of the menu, Laura chose seasonal salad pasta, Houki chose the Sanma fish set menu, and Rin chose the Mabo set menu. And for me, I chose the Dashimaki Tamago set menu. The dashi is superb, so this has become one of my favorite meals. "I-it''s not like I hid it from everyone! It''s just that no one asked, that''s all!" "Tha-that''s right! If I had brought up that out of nowhere, it would seem like I can''t read the atmosphere!" While saying that, Houki and Rin were stuffing their mouths with their food. How do I say this, it seems to me like they''re just making excuses. "Anyway! September 27th! Ichika-san, make sure your schedule is empty on that date!" "A-ah. Actually my friends from middle school already planned to celebrate it at my house. Do you all want to come?" "O-of course! What time will it be?" "Ummmm, at around 4 PM I think, since ''that'' is taking place on that day, right?" Having heard me say that, everyone gave a "Now that you mention it" face. IS high speed battle race "Cannonball Fast", which originally was an international tournament, the situation is a little different at the IS Academy - The Academy''s students participate in that special event that''s held by the city. Having said that, to avoid the overwhelming advantage for personal IS users, the race is divided into one for normal students who use practice suit IS, and another one that is restricted to personal IS users. This event, which could become a drill for those from outside the academy, is held at the city''s IS arena. That arena, built at the coastal district, although not extravagant, can hold more than 20,000 people. Once, it was used for an idol concert, but the seats could not be completely filled. Since then, there has been no application to use it for any kind of live concert. ....Well, in the first place, it was supposed to be used as an arena for IS. "Hmm? By the way, starting tomorrow, there will be IS tuning for high speed maneuver, won''t be? What are we supposed to do at that time exactly?" "Fumu. Basically, we''re supposed to install High-speed maneuver equipment for our IS, but [Byakushiki] doesn''t have it right?" Laura informed us while holding a small tomato next to her cheek. "Then in that case, you could do an energy distribution tuning or an adjusting of the output of each thruster." Charl, who''s chewing on a fried white fish, continued Laura''s explanation. "Fuun. If I remember correctly, [Blue Tears] has high-speed maneuver package doesn''t it?" "Yup! The unit piloted by this Cecilia Alcott, Blue Tears, which primary main strength is high-speed maneuvering, will embark with the package [Strike Gunner]." "Fufun", Cecilia proudly pushed her hand at her chest. The other hand at her hip was posed perfectly, just like a model as usual. Lately she had seemed to be feeling down, has her problem already been solved? Lately, Cecilia seemed to be secretly continuing her training alone after school. I haven''t heard about the details, but it seems that the cause is that she let the enemy escape during the School Festival. Laura wouldn''t answer when I asked her about it. It seems Chifuyu-nee passed her no-questions-allowed principle to her. Somehow, it seems yesterday''s matter was even bigger than I had imagined. The group [Ruined Country Weaving Industry] - [Phantom Task] had started operating over 50 years ago. According to rumors scattered in the electronic network, the organization was born during the second big war or something. They''re not affiliated with any country, don''t possess any ideology, nor religious faith, and also have no specific race. Therefore, their objective is unclear. Their reason to exist is uncertain, and their scale is also unknown. Just like a ghost kind of organization, is what Laura told me. The only thing known is that the organization is mainly divided into two parts: the Board of directors who manage the organization and decide the policy, and the Operational Squad which is filled with specialists. And in recent years, their primary target have been ISs. "However, what are they actually?" I heard that the weapon that was used during that incident, [Removal], is a [Weapon That Doesn''t Exist]. In other words, it''s a certain nation''s highly classified information. That mysterious group managed to steal and use that weapon that was being developed [Somewhere]. ...Fu. I guess there''s no use thinking about it. At least for now. Thinking like that, I return my attention back to the topic at hand, Cannonball Fast. "That means Cecilia has more of an advantage then. Please teach me about Ultrasonic maneuvers sometime." "...I''m very sorry. I can''t do that right now. Please ask Laura-san to teach you instead." Although she''s smiling while saying that, I noticed her face frown for an instant. Now is not the time for something other than her own training. - it''s a face that seems to tell that kind of story. "I see. Then Laura, please teach me." "Okay. I will train you, who''s lately been only preoccupied by that woman, personally this time." By the way, the girl that Laura mentioned is IS academy Student Council President, Sarashiki Tatenashi. A few days ago, Tatenashi-san, who finally moved out from my room, continued to give me a hard after-school training, as usual. Thanks to that, my skills have been improving, but according to Laura, it''s still that of [a Rookie whose safety device has been removed]. As expected of Chifuyu-nee''s disciple, even her words are sharp. "Rather, talking about having the advantage, aren''t you the same? [Byakushiki]''s specs, maneuverability wise, is on par with a high-maneuverability type unit." "Well, when you mention that, [Akatsubaki] is also the same, I guess," added Rin. As usual, she was very knowledgeable about IS. She didn''t show that part of her even a bit during the middle school days, but it''s probably from studying extra hard since returning to her home country. Hmm. Rin is amazing, isn''t she. "Anyway, what''s my country doing? In the end, [Shen Long]''s high-speed maneuver package didn''t make it in time. What about Charlotte''s country?" "Since [Revive] is a 2nd Generation unit, it wasn''t developed further in the first place, so thruster expansion will be done to cope with it. Well, it was made for easy expansion to deal with speed related things from the start. It kinda feels like ,''[Raphael]''s name is not just for show,'' I guess." Charl''s beloved unit, Revive''s, official name is [Raphael-Revive][6A 3]. I see, I also agree. "Fuun, what about Laura''s country? Your IS is a 3rd generation unit, right?" "It will use the adjusted high-speed maneuver pack from its sister unit [Schwarzer Zweig]. Since that unit stays in the home country, the development of the equipment is also being continued." Once the topic changed to IS'' technical discussion, everyone''s face becomes serious, as expected. "[Schwarzer Regen]''s sister unit, huh? What kind of weapons is it equipped with?" "Even though you''re my wife, I can''t tell you that. It''s highly classified information." Zweig - means [Branch] in German. Since it''s a pair unit with Laura [Regen][6A 4], it''s probably also an all-range IS, equipped with AIC. "Fuun. So you''re now able to make a nice expression, aren''t you Rookie?" Smile, Laura''s mouth tip raised while gazing at me. "I humbly accept your praise happily, Lt. Commander-dono." I, who understands Laura''s personality enough to joke back and forth with her, replied to her with jestful words. Laura, who was in a bad mood until a while ago from talking about Tatenashi-san, is now cheerfully smiling - although her eyes still emit cool-headedness. The ice from Germany - Laura Bodewig. Her cold eye is piercingly sharp like icicles, but beautifully clear. "We haven''t seriously practiced for a while, have we? Tomorrow after school, starting from 16:00, we will train for real battle preparations at arena no. 2. Got it?" "Roger. I have to warn you, this time it won''t be a one-sided game anymore." "Fufun. Are you sure about that? I''ll also show you my new equipment tomorrow." Saying that, Laura turned her fork around. The pointed end of the fork then thrusted at the macaroni in the salad pasta right at the hollow part. "Let''s expect the training to be meaningful..." Maca- "''To the macaroni''" "Is what you want to say, right?" "You were gonna say that, right?" Rin and Charl read my mind first.... Ugh. "Ha ha ha, that''s impossible." "Ichika, you..." Ooh. Houki is giving me a cold look. No! It wasn''t me! It just surfaced in my mind! It''s not my fault! "Ma-, Let''s leave aside a certain idiot." An idiot, indeed. Sheesh. "Ichika, has the borrowing agreement you have with the Student Council been put in motion?" "Hmm? Last I heard, it seems they''re currently drawing lotteries and making adjustments for that." "Fuuun..." Rin said that like it''s not important, then stuffed her mouth with her Mabo Tofu, which is covered with a lot of Layou on top. "By the way, I heard everybody already had joined a club now?" A few days ago, word of it reached my ears. Since it''s a good chance, let''s confirm it now. "I had already joined the Kendo club in the first place." As a ghost member though, right? Although it seems lately Houki often attends to it. I''m sure it''s because the club captain nudged her during the School Festival. Such a troublesome girl. "What about you, Rin?" "L-lacrosse." "Heeey! Lacrosse, huh? It kinda suits you, doesn''t it!" Especially the stick wielding part. ... although I won''t say it even though my mouth''s split. "I-I guess so. I''m considered a promising rookie newcomer, you know. What a hassle, right?" Indeed. When talking about personal unit IS pilots, their physical capabilities are generally superior compared to normal students. I nodded in agreement when Rin''s figure running along the ground floated into my mind. "Then, what about Charl?" "Huh? Me?" "Yeah. Which club did you decide to enter?" "Ummm, that''s...." "?" Is it something that is hard to say? Charl is playfully fidgeting her fingers. At times, it looked like she was checking my reaction by shooting me upward glances, then returning her line of sight downward. "I-it''s... the Cooking club." "Cooking Club! Oh, the one that we visited when we walked around together during School Festival, wasn''t it?" "Waa, Ichikaa! Shhh! Shhh!" Hmm? Why is Charl giving the "Don''t tell anybody!" gesture? I don''t know why but somehow from the table in the back, I managed to hear the sound of people standing up from their seats. "Huh, Cooking club is it?" "Y-yeah. I want to learn to cook Japanese food." "I see. Once you can make it, please let me have a taste." "Y-yeah! Of course!" Charl is nodding strongly while saying that. Her voice is loud enough to make her really look like a different person from the girl who was making the "your voice is too loud" gesture earlier. "And? What about Cecilia?" "Of course I joined the Tennis club, the sport that was born in England." "Hmm, could it be you''ve played it since you were in England?" "It''s just as you say. Ichika-san, if it''s okay with you, how about we play together next time?" "Hmmm, but I''ve never played tennis before." "T-then...!" Her previous downed spirit seems to have gone somewhere else. Cecilia elegantly put her hands together and continued her words "...How about I personally teach you? S-specially." "Ooh, that sounds good. Then I''ll be in your care when the time comes." "Yeah!" Seeing Cecilia''s smiling face, I feel a little relieved. Truth be told, lately there''s been suspicion that Cecilia had started to close herself off from others, but if she can smile like this, there''s no need to be worried anymore, right? "By the way, I''m in the Tea Ceremony club." Laura, who just said that, seems to have just finished her pasta. "Tea Ceremony club, huh? Laura likes Japanese culture, don''t you? ....Huh? Which reminds me, wasn''t the tea ceremony club''s advisor - " "The Instructor... no, it''s Orimura-sensei." That''s right. I feel like I''ve heard about it before. Chifuyu-nee female student fans were rushing at once to sign up to the club, then got sieved by being forced to do seiza for 2 hours or something. Hmm? Even so, Chifuyu-nee and tea ceremony club looks like a strange combination to me. I always thought she would become the advisor of a sports club instead. "Laura, are you alright when doing seiza?" "Of course. This level of numbness is nothing compared to torture." Well, don''t compare it please. What do they do during torture anyway? "But, I can''t imagine at all Laura''s figure while wearing kimono. Show me sometime please." "W-what? I-I see... okay then, if there''s a chance, that is." For Laura to wear kimono, she would have to tie up her long hair, wouldn''t she? I think that it would somehow fit her nicely. "Having a ribbon would be nice, wouldn''t it.... let''s buy one next time." "Hmm? You would specially buy it?" "Don''t mind it. It''s not like there won''t be any more chances to wear it from now on." "Fuun. Is that so. ...Ooo, if it''s a kimono, it would be nice to wear it during hatsumode, wouldn''t it? Ah, but are you going to go back to your own country during New Year''s Eve?" "N-no. I''ll stay in Japan. ... since you''re also here." She muttered the last part so I couldn''t hear it that well, but it looks like Laura will be in Japan during New Year''s Eve. "Oh, then everyone, let''s all go together. Let''s do it from the New Year''s Eve bell while we''re at it." It seems like it would be more fun if there are more people coming after all. "Oh, but what will everyone do during New Year''s Eve? Will you return to your country after all?" "I will stay." The one who''s speaking is Charl. As expected of Laura''s best friend. "T-then I will also stay." "Well, there''s nothing interesting even if I went back anyway." Cecilia and Rin continued. Then that means only Houki is left - or so I thought, but I unintentionally realized something. "Houki is going to help out at the shrine again, right? You also did that during the summer break, didn''t you? Next time, once you''re finished helping, why don''t the two of us....(?) "Y-You idiot!" *Beshi!* I was hit by Houki. "Ouch! What was that for!!" "Sh-sh-shut up! Don''t say it so lightly!" "[Next time]?" The ones who asked were back are Rin, Cecilia, Charl, Laura - Wait, that''s everyone beside Houki isn''t it? "Ichikaa! Fess up what you did during summer holiday!" "Ichika-san! To do that kind of thing with Houki-san - I''ve misjudged you!" "I-Ichika? What do you mean by ''next time''...?" "To do something sneakily and hide it from me.... Unforgivable." Those four are standing up while making "Gatata" noises. "Waaa! Wait, wait! It''s not like we did anything wrong... Isn''t that right, Houki? Right?" "...Why do you deny it that much..." "Wha?" *Bashin!* My head is struck. Since Houki had also just finished her meal, she stood up while carrying her meal tray and ran away. Hey, wait! Don''t leave me alone in this situation! "Then, since I''ve also finished eating, I''ll return to my roo - Bube!" Rin caught me just as I was about to stand up, and returned me to my seat. It hurts, you know! But faster than me retorting that, the 4 of them start to get near me. "Ichika! What happened during Summer Holiday?!" "I demand an explanation!" "Not fair. Ichika is playing favorites." "It seems your damn body needs to experience my teachings once more." W-wait! Please wait! Wa-Gyaaa!! ? "Fuun... Ichika is an idiot." Houki, who already returned to her room, closed her door and leaned on it. Luckily, her roommate Takazuki Shizune is still out so she can relax without reserve. "Once it''s over let''s again, together..." She recalled Ichika''s words. *Tokun*. Her heart started to throb. His words reminded her about the summer. Just that is enough to make her heart start throbbing. Her heart was throbbing violently, and her face reddened. M-My training is not enough... While suppressing her hot cheeks with her hands, Houki replayed the Shinonono sword style movements in her head. Calm down, calm down. She repeated those words over and over again. She repeats the movements she has learned in her head. She then compares those with the movements she remembers in her memories to ascertain her current mastery level. That''s right. The footwork should be faster, the rush should be deeper... The figure of her father holding a real sword is strong and reassuring. In his flowing movement, a certain sharpness could be felt. As I thought, master is amazing. Her real father, and also her sword teacher, Shinonono Ryuuin, is Houki''s target. She genuinely admires his ability. Thinking about it, her father never got agitated, unlike Ichika. As a man, he should have been able to profoundly set up things, shouldn''t he? Once she started thinking that, suddenly the image in her head of the person doing the training changed from her father to Ichika. The Ichika in her imagination is sturdy, strong, clever, and keen. Furthermore, his conviction is strong, and there''s no maliciousness in him at all. No way! No way! That''s wrong! He''s not that splendid! *Bun* *Bun*, she shakes her head. Her ponytail, which wriggled while she shook her head, somehow looking like the tail of a sprinting horse. "Shinonono-san, I can''t get in unless you move away from the door." "Uwaa!" Called by the voice on the other side of the door, making Houki jump up and move away from the door. "At last, I can get in." "S-Sorry.." "It''s alright, don''t sweat it." Shizune smiles while saying that, then sits on her own bed and starts opening a paperback book. The title of the book is "Everything You Need to Become A Soldier". Incidentally, the whole book is American taste''s Comedy. Contrary to her too-serious personality, Shizune likes this kind of books that are filled with trivial jokes that contains good meaning. The reason seems to be "my feelings become direct when reading these books." "By the way, Shinonono-san.." "W-What is it?" "Another complaint. Personal IS users group is monopolizing Orimura-kun again." "Even if you say that to me...." "Ah, but it will start soon, won''t it? The lending of Orimura-kun to the clubs?" A few days ago, Ichika, who just entered the Student Council Executive Club, will from now on, under the guise of helping every club, be lent to do general routine tasks for them. "Now is the time to operate ISs, even if just a little". Although there''s a lot of that kind of objections, in the end, the Student Council President Sarashiki Tatenashi''s "Now, now, the club with the most favorable attitude will get prioritized in borrowing Ichika" devilish murmur made everyone return to their seats at once. Really, that person is..... Geez... But, Houki is also a member of Kendo club. The thought of Ichika coming during club activities honestly made her very happy. Seeing my gallant figure, Ichika will surely... She shakes off her hand to erase the delusion that surfaces in her mind. That''s not it! That''s not it all, umm.... I mean, that''s.... ''That''s not something that people know anyway,'' is the excuse she gave herself, but suddenly she starts to feel guilty. Uuu.... I''m not like that. I''m definitely not like that. I''m not a woman who would think about superficial things like- "Shinonono-san." "W-What is it!?" "Are you okay? You''re making such a serious face, you know?" "I, I''m okay. No problem at all. " "I see." Giving that short reply, she then returned to read her book. For Houki, she feels that Shizune''s no different than usual attitude on the contrary points out her unnatural attitude, and somehow she feels deeply embarrassed by that. Uuu, it''s Ichika fault... It''s all Ichika''s fault... That was a complete burst of anger, but that day, Houki''s mind kept wandering around that thought, until she finally went to sleep. ? "That was horrible..." Finally released from the hellish interrogation of those four, I scurried back to my room cautiously. "Welcome home. Ah, sorry to intrude." "Tatenashi-san.." *Gaku!* I reflexively hung my head. Sarashiki Tatenashi. IS Academy Student Council President. The woman who holds the title of the strongest among the student body. One class year ahead of me. Her personality could be described as wild, or maybe whimsical. She''s a very cat-like person. Somehow, I have the feeling that she''s gotten used to opening my room''s door lock now. She is currently lying in the bed while reading a fashion magazine. "......" "What''s the matter? Ah, could it be that you''re peeking at my underwear?" "W-Well excuse me! Please don''t flap your feet like that when you''re wearing a skirt! I might see it even though I don''t mean to, you know!" "Fuun. So, did you see it?" "U!" "A question for you. The color of Tatenashi onee-san''s underwear is...?" "Pink." "Aha. Ecchi." Aaagh, this person is really...! No matter what happens, it seems that she wants to tease me. Every time she visits my room it becomes like this. "Now then, I''ve come today because there''s something we need to talk about." "What is it..." "Don''t be so paranoid. It''s a pretty serious topic. It''s about the aforementioned group." Aforementioned group - that can only means one thing: Phantom Task. My mood suddenly tensed up, unlike a moment ago. "It''s still informal information, but it seems that just a short while ago, the United States'' IS maintenance base was raided. Their target was the IS, itself, it seems. Ichika-kun should be careful too, or else your IS might be snatched away as well." "Okay. I won''t be caught by the same trick twice." "Very good. Boys should be like that." "Become a good enough man whom I can fall in love with", Tatenashi added. Again, asking for something with such high degree of difficulty... And anyway, Tatenashi-san''s standards seem to be really high. Her family is a prestigious one too. Now that I think about it, I can''t imagine any man at all who could match Tatenashi-san. What kind of person could suit her I wonder. "Ara, worrying about onee-san? Don''t worry. Onee-san is also just a woman, I''ll put up with the stuff that needs to be tolerated, you know." "Haaa." "I might unexpectedly fall in love with Ichika-kun, you know?" "Ha. ha. ha." Again with that joke. I can only laugh dryly. "Ah, what''s with that reaction. I''m hurt..." "...But, you know, right...?" "People who say that kind of things...I wonder if they need to suffer through tickling hell again?" "Pl-Please stop. That was really painful." And also, as a man, Tatenashi-san''s voluptuous chest and tender thighs that were touching me while tickling were also very dangerous. That''s right, that was really dangerous, for many reasons. "Now then, I wonder if I should satisfy Ichika-san''s bodily needs?" [6A 5] Tatenashi-san is coming towards me while making a tickling gestures with her hands. T-This is bad! I have to run away! *Knock* *knock*. "Ichika? Are you there?" The voice which was suddenly heard along with the knocking sound was Charl''s.... I, I''m saved! "Y-Yeah! The door is unlocked so please come in!" Saved from Tatenashi-san''s tickling hell, I quietly go perform a Guts pose in my heart while thinking that. "U-Um, sorry to intrude." "Welcome." "Huh..." Seeing Tatenashi-san''s smiling figure, Charl stiffens. Her expression disappeared when I was looking at her face, turning into a blank stare, then somehow turning into a very scary, expressionless face.[6A 6] "Ichika, what were you doing...?" "Huh? What... we were just chatting." "Fuun. Then why did you say that it was okay for me to enter?" "Why, you say.... Huh? Charl, could it be that you''re angry?" "Why do you say that? There''s nothing of the sort. I''m not angry at all, you know." Aaah! I can see the angry blood-vessel mark & fire behind her back! Why! Why are you angry Charl! "Then, it''s time for me to go back. Charlotte-chan, please take your time." "Okay." Whaaat!? When the situation becomes complicated, you run away? Are you some kind of raid unit? But, the world is cruel. The main culprit, Tatenashi-san, left the room soon after. "Uuum...." There''s a sudden silence between me and Charl. "First of all, please have a seat. I''ll make some tea while you do." "Un. But, there''s no need to make tea." "I-Is that so." When I sit on my bed while at my loose end, Charl unexpectedly sits next to me instead of in front. "U-Umm..." "What is it?" "No, that''s, it''s nothing." Charl''s voice that can be heard from next to me is very clear and piercing. If words had attacking power, I might have become a honeycomb by now. Well, I will never know though. Anyway, I didn''t do anything wrong, but I shrink from the pressure of this silence. "To sit on a needle carpet [6A 7]" really describe this situation well. "....." Aa Uu "Pu." Suddenly, Charl started to strangely burst out. "Ahaha. Ichika, really, I''m no longer mad. That''s why, please, don''t be afraid like that." "Huh? Wh-.. Wha?" "Because, Ichika is flustered just like a man that has been found cheating by his partner. That was really funny. Fu fu." That laugh is a genuine one, there''s no scope of distrust at all. It seemed like she really is no longer angry. "In the first place, that''s... why were you mad anyway?" "Because Ichika is getting friendly only with Tatenashi-san." "No no, that''s just impossible isn''t it. That person is definitely getting along with everyone too." "...That''s not what I meant though..." Hm? What was that I wonder? I tried to grasp what Charl muttered with a very low voice, but it can''t be helped that I can''t understand what she said. "A-Anyway, about the thing I want to talk to you about." This time Charl, who suddenly began to fidget, started to question me while looking only through the corner of her eyes and playing with her fingers. "T-That''s, you know. I got a bracelet as a present before, didn''t I? That''s why, t-that''s, a-also to return the favor that is, I wonder if maybe I should give you some kind of accessory as a birthday present, is what I was thinking. What do you think?" Charl is saying this while being unusually restless, but she strongly said the last part while vigorously moving her face closer to me. "Ah, the bracelet from last summer, wasn''t it. But...." I roll up my uniform and show my right hand. My personal IS [Byaku-Shiki]''s standby form, a bracelet, is on that hand. "I already have this." "T-Then!" Charl is getting closer again to me with another vigorous move. "H-How about a watch? See? It''s convenient to have one, right?" While saying that, Charl rolls her left sleeve up and shows her gorgeously designed, cute lady''s watch. "Heee, that watch really looks nice, doesn''t it?" "I-Isn''t it!? There''s, there''s also a model of this watch that''s designed for males. Since we''re going to buy it, how about a matching - " "But, I don''t really use a watch usually. Besides there is one in my cellphone anyway." "......" Huh, wha? Charl became sulky while continuing to look at me. Huh? Wha? Why? "Ichika, a watch is a necessity if you want to be a stylish boy, you know." "I-If you say that...." Somehow, I feel like I''m compelled to follow her advice. Why is that, I wonder. "T-That''s why, let''s go to the front of the station this weekend. Besides, I also want to look for some clothes." "I-Is that so. Well, let''s go then." "R-Really!? I-It''s a promise! You absolutely have to come!" Charl then held out her pinky finger after saying that. Since learning about Japanese custom of doing Yubikiri Genman[6A 8], Charl seems to be strangely infatuated with doing this. Since there''s no particular reason for me to refuse her, every time I indulge her request to do it. "Yubikiri Genman, anyone breaking the promise will have to eat a cluster bomb." And every time, the settlement phrase is always extraordinarily scary. Charl, how do I say it... she seems to be the scariest one when angered, doesn''t she. "Yubikitta." "Alright." "Ehehe. I''m looking forward to this weekend." Even though today is still Monday? It''s too early. "Iii, Chiiii, Kaaaa! Are you awake? You''re awake, aren''t you! This weekend, how about we - " I was wondering who the one that suddenly opened the door loudly was, but it turns out to be just Rin. But, seeing me and Charl sitting close to each other, her expression suddenly stiffened. "- What are you doing?" "Well, we''re doing Yubikiri to ..." "I-Ichika!" Charl hurriedly covered my mouth in panic. But, my words didn''t escape Rin''s ears, and her eyes started to shine. "Yubikiri? Then, that means you made a promise for something? What is it? Speak up." "It''s about going shopping on weekend - " "J-Jeez! Stupid Ichika!" Geh, I''m getting scolded. Charl is saying "I don''t know you anymore!" while turning away from me. Why is it? Isn''t it more fun going shopping with more people? "Hahaan? Then, I''m going too. Please take care of me, Charlotte." "Same here...." In contrast to the smiling Rin, Charl is pouting. The thing about Charl disliking Rin - is definitely false, isn''t it? "Then, let the three of us go out this weekend. Nfufu." "Right. What about the meeting place?" "10 o''clock at the monument in front of station." Charl is saying that while still keeping her pouting face. ....... Hey hey, if you keep making faces like that, I''m gonna pinch your cheek. "Charl." "...What is it?" Pinch. Pinch pinch. "....." "....." "Ah...." Rin is opening her arms while shaking her head in disbelief. "Ichika is an idiot!" Charl stood up right after saying that, and left the room immediately. *Batan!* The door being closed made a large noise. "Ichika, you really are..." "....please don''t say it." "...you really are an idiot, aren''t you." I''m really sorry. ? Uwa, Uwaaaa.. Charl is hiding her face while returning to her room at a fast pace. Under her palm, her pink cheek starts to heat up. I-Ichika, to suddenly touch me like that...... Uuu.... If only he had given me some kind of sign before doing that, then I wouldn''t have left the room like that. Truth to be told, she''s still upset, and is in the process of cooling herself off from being genuinely angry before. But, what''s there is a 15-year-old in love. Being touched by the person she liked, the thump of her hopping heart is larger. Aaaa...., Uuuu.... Charlotte started to reservedly touch her cheek where Ichika touched earlier for a while, after making sure sure no one was watching. Her love-stricken heart''s fire already lit, and in the blink of an eye, her face is dyed completely red. Even so, if only Rin had not come, it would have been a date just for the two of us... If only Ichika had refused her request earlier...... For such a complaint to come out is something that cannot be helped on this occasion. Of course, she knew well enough that favoring a certain girl isn''t his personality at all, but even so - even so, she can''t help but to expect it. I wonder if he''ll treat only me specially. To hold such a cute selfishness is a maiden-in-love''s special right. "Haaa." Charlotte, who had reached her room''s door, unintentionally leaked a sigh while opening it. "Chao." "....Charlotte, remove this person from here right away." Uwaaa. Charlotte firmly takes in those words. What''s in the room is the cat-and-mouse pair(or rather, more like Laura one-sided hatred) of Tatenashi-san and Laura. Laura, if she''s a cat, she is in threatened state, with her fur scattered, and her tail firmly standing[6A 9]. She has raised her eyes even more than usual. "If you keep sighing like that, your happiness will run away, you know?" "Huh, O-Okay, I''ll be careful." "Charlotte! Think about the way to drive her out of the room quickly!" "Well, that''s... Laura, even if you say that..." Aaa, the dilemma of being a good-natured person. Charlotte indeed hears the sounds of her happiness running quickly away from her. "Please don''t hate me like that, Laura-chan. Let''s get along, okay?" "Don''t add ''chan'' when you call me! There''s no need to get along with you!" "Ara~? If you say it like that..." "Wh!? C-Could it be, you''re going to do "that" again?" In an instant, Laura''s expression turned into a scared one. While Charlotte was wondering what was "that" actually was, Tatenashi-san started to open her arms and move her finger in a tickling motion. Ah, so Laura hates being tickled. Tickling. That is Tatenashi-san''s secret technique - or rather, her hobby to force other people to laugh. "S-Stop it. You stupid! I''ll retaliate seriously!" "Nfufu. Now then~, how long will you continue that show of courage, I wonder?" "D-Don''t come any closer! I''m serious you know. I''ll really stab you!" Even though Laura drew her tactical knife, her right eye clearly shows unrest and fear. "You can''t make me retreat with just that kind of knife, you know~." "D-Damn it.... if only I had a gun, then the likes of you wouldn''t..." "Fufufu, in a battlefield you would lose your life if you had a beef-stir-fry set menu, you know." That was probably a word twist of "making excuses"[6A 10] wasn''t it . Charlotte absent-mindedly thought of that trivial information. This looks like it''ll be over soon. Ah, I better prepare some hot chocolate. She just recently found out that hot chocolate most effective when calming Laura down. If a thick chocolate drink is brought to her, Laura will sip it like a squirrel while complaining. "It''s showtime." "U-Uwa.. Uwaaaaaaaa." A couple seconds later, it was needless to say that Laura''s anguished tickle-induced laughter is resounding inside the room. ? "Really! Why didn''t you help me back then! Were you going to leave your comrade-in-arms to die? That''s unthinkable in a sane state! It''s not like the squad I was assigned with at all. No matter what kind of hopeless situation we faced, they wouldn''t leave a comrade to die. The reason, that itself is the means to resuscitate the whole squad, it''s a technique. In the first place - " While complaining, Laura is licking the lukewarm chocolate that Charlotte made. "Did you hear what I said!" After gulping her chocolate once, Laura let out an angry roar. But, Charlotte, who is already used to that situation by now, only answered "Un" while putting a comb through Laura''s hair. "Laura, what do you think about the new shampoo?" "H-Hm? Well, I don''t dislike the fragrance." "Is that so. I''m glad then. It''s the first time I bought the Lavender one, so I was really worried that Laura might not like it." "U, umu... But, I, it''s not like I like it, you know. I just don''t dislike it, that''s all." Laura, who was made to laugh for a while by Tatenashi, is talkative as usual. Lately, when Charlotte combed her hair like this, Laura narrowed her eye like a cat in a good mood. Sometimes, it seemed like it feels good enough to fall asleep while still being combed. "Fuaa.." Sure enough, Laura, who started to feel the hypnotic effect, was yawning a little. The nekomimi pajama[6A 11] that she''s also wearing seems to have already become a necessary item for sleeping. "Laura, shall we retire for the night?" "Umu..... let''s do that." After answering with a sluggish tone while nodding, Laura sipped the chocolate again. Seeing that kind of behavior that looked especially like a kitten, Charlotte was spurred by the urge to hug her. "Make sure you brush you teeth." "I know...." Laura, who was already half-way into the dreamworld, empties her glass then walks towards the bathroom. 3 minutes later, she returned and lay down on her bed, then crept into her futon. "I''m going to turn off the light then. Good night, Laura." "Umu..." Before long, the sound of Laura sleeping could be heard. Charlotte let out a sigh of relief at her sleeping roommate. It will be fun even with the three of us, right...? Her feelings are already directed toward the shopping trip on the weekend. Since she already confirmed the glittering bracelet on her left wrist, Charlotte starts her secret ritual. Good night, Ichika... Chuu...She kissed the bracelet. Charlotte, as if she wanted to hide her red face, pulled the futon over the top of her head and went to sleep. Volume 6 - CH 2 "Nfufu..." Seeing Rin, who''s been in high spirits all morning, her roommate Tina muttered "Again?" By the way, what she was holding in her hand was a cup of deluxe, high-calorie ice cream. Charlotte will be there too, but that doesn''t matter. What''s important is that today I''m going shopping with Ichika! In other words, it''s a date isn''t it? A date! Despite the circumstances, she only thought about herself. That is the special privilege of a maiden-in-love. "Okay, I''ve decided!" Rin, who had finally finished deciding which clothes to wear, sternly picked at her choice up and immediately started to change. As for Tina, she was already tired of watching Rin and is now enjoying the morning variety show on the holographic projector display. "Then, I''m going now!" "Okayyy, have a safe trip..." *Batan!* One second after the door closed, the person that appeared before Rin''s eyes struck her speechless. "Good morning, Representative Candidate Huang Lingyin." "G-Good morning..." The woman was somewhere in her mid-twenties. She wore a formal suit, with those long, sharp eyes, covered by a pair of cat-eye glasses. Looking only at her ambiance, she kinda resembled Chifuyu-nee, but the always-irritated-at-something face she makes is the critical difference between the two of them. "I-Is there anything I can help you with....Candidate Supervisor Yang?" An unpleasant premonition, an unpleasant premonition was sending chills up Rin''s back. Why is the supervisor who should still be in China here in Japan right now!? That premonition surely turned into reality. Yang Lei Lei pushed her glasses up with her right hand. "The high-speed maneuver package that is gonna be used for the Cannonball Fast, [Feng]''s preparation is finished. Do the [Set-upImplementation] and [InstallQuantum Conversion] at once, then start the Trial. Start preparing." "Wha!? Well...That''s....Today, there''s something...." Yang''s eyes only became even sharper. "Don''t make me repeat myself." "R-Roger...." Rin dropped her shoulders, took out her cellphone and quickly tapped out a message. "Sorry, an emergency has come up." That was all she wrote - or rather, writing that was all her feelings could handle - and then sent it to Ichika. "...And, will the package this time also use the impact cannon?" "The output level will be decreased and the the scattering method for close range use will also be changed, but basically it will still be used. New technology will be used for the added thruster. Get used to it as soon as possible." "Roger." As expected of a representative candidate, Rin flipped the switch controlling her mood quickly. She confirmed the upgrade package''s specifications on her computer, Then headed toward the personal IS hangar while asking questions here and there. Fuun.... The development team did quite a good job on the completion work didn''t they. Rin eyes were quite sharp as she thought about the IS application method. Those eyes that could be mistaken for a big cat''s eyes were shining brightly. Even so.... Aaah, I''m actually super out of luck aren''t I......? Her plans to go shopping with Ichika had gone down the drain. As a result, Charlotte was going to have Ichika all to herself for a while. Kuu~! Ichika, I''m absolutely gonna get compensation for this from you! The computer terminal that she gripped strongly, began to flash "Alert!" two seconds later. ? My hair isn''t strange, right? Maybe I should check it again. Charlotte, who had come to their meeting place 45 minutes earlier than appointed, checked her hair for the twelfth time while restlessly waiting for Ichika. The hand-mirror that she brought out was a folded Wajimanuri[6B 1] that she intuitively bought a few days ago through an internet mail order. The drawing on it is a full moon and susuki[6B 2] on a hill, a perfect fit for the season. While tinkering with her forelock, and pulling it left and right, she let out a small groan. Somehow I can''t decide..... Actually, there wasn''t any noticeable difference, but today, somehow Charlotte feels very sensitive. After all, she would like the boy that she likes to sees her at 100%. That kind of wish is something that''s very natural. Even so, as expected, did I come too early? Putting away her hand-mirror, Charlotte then checked the watch on her right wrist. Fuu... It seems Ive put too much fighting spirit. Let''s relax a little. Niko![6B 3] Charlotte practiced smiling. But, unfortunately, two men who looked like [Travellers] saw that smile and thought that it was directed at them.[6B 4] "Hey, little girl!" "Are you free today? Are you free now? Let''s go somewhere together~" By the way, because each nation has undertaken the woman-favoring-treatment-system, men''s social position has taken a sudden downturn and is in a bearish state right now. But, as long as someone has fairly good looks = loved by women, commonly referred as Hosts and Idols, they are even more loved than before. Since it became like that, just like this moment, the thought of being loved by an attractive woman is as natural of a thing as peaking, thus, this kind of pick-up came. "I already have an engagement." "Whaaat? It''s fine, isn''t it? Let''s go play together~" "My car is parked over there. Let''s go somewhere far away! I''m going to show you a lot of good places using a French car!" French - hearing that part drew a subtle reaction from Charlotte. "Using a French car, with a bad fuel yield, on Japan''s highways, are you? Heeeh, I see." A 100% Rejection! The two men falter a little at the vicious words that Charlotte, using a max fake smile, spat out. If there''s a possibility that somehow or another, a problem is going to occur, Charlotte can make the two males into beehives in less than a second using her specialty [Rapid Switch]. Aaaa, I want to do it.... Imagining in what way she should shoot the two men, Charlotte massacred them 5 times in her head. One of the men, who could still see "a pulse of life" in Charlotte''s face, put his hand on her shoulder. "Ouchhhhh!?" In an instant, Charlotte jumped right just before she was touched, then twisted that hand hard. It was the so-called CQC (Close Quarters Combat). "Would you mind not touching me? It will be troubling if the cologne you stink off gets on me." "W-W-Whaa...!?" "H-Hey!? Let g-!!" Frivolous Man B, who wanted to help his companion even during the confusion, was knocked over by a punch from his side before he even managed to finish his words. "What are you doing to my companion?" "Ichika!" The gallantly appearing Ichika is saving her from the hand of the devil! ...Well, to say it like that might be a bit of an exaggeration, but it can''t be helped because in Charlotte''s eyes, Ichika''s profile was shining. Wow! He looks like a prince! The fascinated Charl twisted the arm of Frivolous Man A, who she was still holding, even harder. "Ugyaaaa!" The nice sound that resembled something being dislocated and the man''s scream was causing a commotion in front of the station that morning. ? "Forcing yourself onto women is against the rules, you know. Alright, come over here. Good work." Saying that, the middle-age police chief with the oddly cool, deep voice takes Frivolous Man A & B away to the nearby police station. Thus, the morning''s strife is settled. "........" "Um, Ichika?" "Sorry I was late!" *Pang!* I put my hands together strongly until they made a loud noise. Charl, whom the apology is directed at, was looking blankly at him in surprise. "Th-There''s nothing to apologize for, it happened before we were supposed to meet anyway.....and that..., thank you for saving me." "It was just the natural thing to do." Charl is, as usual, being modest or rather being reserved and still seemed to feel extremely thankful for it. To save a friend is just a natural thing to do, but to be thanked like this is quite embarrassing. "..........." "..........." Sure enough, the conversation stopped. Charl, sweating a little after doing that judo-like movement earlier, is fanning her face with her hand. "Anyway, Rin sure is late, isn''t she?" "Ah! That''s right! Rin won''t be coming today. It seems there''s some kind of emergency." "Huh...Whaaaat!?" Charl, who suddenly yelled out, drew the attention of people nearby. Anyhow, it''s Sunday, the weather is nice, and at the monument they''re standing before of the station, there are a lot of other people who meet up here. "That''s why, today it will be just the two of..." "That''s troubling!" "Huh!?" "Th-that kind of thing, even if you say it suddenly...That''s, u-um, things like preparation or whatever, I haven''t done any." "Prep...What?" "A-Anyway! It''s troubling for me!" Huuh. Even if you say that... ? W-Why!? Why is Rin suddenly unable to come!? Why is that!? It''s too sudden!? Unlike Ichika who''s before her eyes looking blankly , Charlotte''s brain is moving at high speed. [Rapid Switch], that two-word name is currently crying. What should I do!? What should I do! Th-that''s, t-, t-, just the two of us suddenly going on a date like this... It should have been a great opportunity for her, as that kind of thought is right for a maiden in love. W-What should I do!? What should I do!? But, if she thought about it calmly, this was actually a chance. Especially since she could use the leverage called "as a return gift for the bracelet from summer" to its full extent, there was no way she could let this chance to escape. Charlotte crossed her hands behind her back once, and then felt the bracelet''s presence. And then she used all the courage she received from it at once to force herself to speak. "T-Then, that''s!" "Y-Yes!" "To-To-To-Today! The two of us will look around!" "Y-Yes!" Going along with Charl''s loud voice, Ichika unconsciously raised his voice. And with the people around them staring, Charlotte walked to the shopping mall inside the station with a blush on her face. Alone with Ichika......Alone with Ichika..... H-Holding hands should be okay, right!? ....or maybe not? Will he think of me as a strange girl? Aah, but, Ichika''s hand is big and warm - That''s not it! That''s not it, that''s not it! She shook her head and regained her composure. Recalling the feeling of Ichika''s hand, which she felt when they held hands a few times before, Charlotte clasped her hand tightly. "It''s not troubling!" "Y-Yeah!?" "It''s not troubling, Ichika! Yeah! No trouble at all!" "I-Is that so. Then I''m glad. Then, where should we start?" "U-u-um, there!" The place the confused Charlotte pointed at without looking was a lingerie store. "Wha? Ah, well...I think that place is too much...." Looking at Ichika''s red face, Charlotte looked at the place her finger pointed at. And then her face also turned red, and she quickly waved her hand. "S-Sorry! That''s the wrong one! That''s not it! That''s not it at all!" "S-Sure." The two blushing faces looked each other, and then both looked down at their feet. Suddenly, Ichika who managed raise his head once again, saw a familiar face at the underwear shop. "Hmm?" "What''s the matter? Ichika?" "Well, that''s... Heey, Raannn!" Just as I thought, it was her, Ichika thought while called out to Ran. But, Ran, who was called suddenly by a loud voice, raised her shoulder in surprise. "Huh!? I-Ichika-san!?" She quickly hid the underwear that she had just picked behind her back, and without knowing what to do, she stiffened for a few seconds. Did he see it!? The place where I usually choose my p-panties....has been seen!? Furthermore, it was the long awaited meeting after not seeing each other lately. As a maiden-in-love, the feeling that if there was a hole right there, she would bury herself, dyed her face completely red. W-What should I do!? For starters, I''ll return this.... Ran stealthily returned the black and white striped panties that she hid on the shelf earlier while keeping it behind her back. The goods, which she found right during the stock change bargain sale, were of high quality and priced at only 1000 yen for 3. It was a very good bargain, but wasn''t something that makes you happy when you are seen with it by the person you like. -te, huh? Ichika-san is bringing a woman.....? And also.... It wasn''t Rin, and it also wasn''t Houki. It was a woman unfamiliar to Ran. Uwaaa....beautiful blond hair..... She looks like a model..... She unconsciously compared it to her own reddish tea-colored hair. The Gotanda sibling''s hair color is not a result of dyeing decolourisation. The tea-colored is hereditary, but to a maiden-in-love, that is a serious situation. Ran was overly conscious of Ichika, and in the past had pondered if she should have dyed her hair completely black. A-A-Anyway, since Ive been called, maybe I should approach them. But, the aura that the girl standing beside Ichika - Charlotte - was releasing made her hesitate a little It''s okay! It''s fine! I''m just using my status as a junior to attack! That''s right that''s right, the small Ran (x5) in her head yelled. That''s right. In the first place, because of that stupid brother of mine, I lost my chance to go to the school festival too. This much is just a natural privilege to me.....probably. After the festival, according to the info that she got from Teens Network (Girl''s Only Information Network), it seems that it was a big event where Ichika was wearing a butler suit to receive the guests. One time for when she found out that Dan had the ticket. Another one for when she saw the butler photo. She had planned to beat Dan twice, but what''s here is the innocent heart of a maiden-in-love. There''s no way just that much would be able to compensate. But, it''s okay! This month is Ichika''s birthday! I plan to properly join the party! Today she went shopping to scope out possible gifts, but buying herself clothes and general goods - especially panties while she''s looking, around is a big failure. She was being forcibly suppressed by the self-conscious feeling of being seen during an embarrassing moment, but from the maiden-heart squad''s splendid activity, the suppressed territory was gradually being released. -Un! It''s okay! She clutched her hand and walked toward Ichika with well-regulated steps. That appearance was the resolute appearance worthy of Private Academy Saint Marianne Girls Middle School Student Council President Gotanda Ran. "Good afternoon, Ichika-san" Niko! The innocent Girl - 100% level - smile was dazzling. "Hey, you''re alone today?" "Ah, yes. Strolling and shopping." "Is that so. -Ah, sorry about the matter from before. You must have wanted to attend the school festival, didn''t you? Since you want to enroll there next year." "T-That''s right. If possible, it would be nice if I''m prioritized next time you''re giving out tickets...." Once that kind of friendly chat started, Charl was perplexed. That there is a girl outside the school being friendly with Ichika...... truth to be told, it isn''t amusing at all. "A, um, Ichika..." "Ah! Sorry! I haven''t introduced her." Saying that, Ichika cut his conversation with Ran with the best timing. Charlotte, who can''t help but feel happy, become high-spirited with a giggle. Waaa, waaaa!? This person is really beautiful when she smiles. Uuu, uuu, don''t lose, me! Go for it, Ran! This girl is a junior, isn''t she. I don''t know what to say, whether Ichika is really indulgent or considerate to a junior. He''s 20% kinder to them. Geez, even though I wanted him to be kind to me too... "This is Charl. My classmate and France''s representative candidate." "Charlotte Dunois. N-Nice to meet you." "Go-Gotanda Ran. Nice to meet you too." In a handshake to decide who will have the aura of a winner, Charlotte had an advantage. Feeling that smooth silk-like touch, Ran''s consciousness blurred for an instant. "Do you remember? During the school festival, you met my friend Dan right? Ran is his little sister." "Is that so." "Yes, it is." "And, it seems that next year she will be accepted at IS Academy. She''s going to be our junior at school." "Y-Yes! That''s right! Please do instruct me." She bowed 90 degrees straight, and then raised her head up, slightly dizzy. "That''s right. I should still be able to hand you that ticket. Ran, did you bring a cellphone?" "Y-Yesh!" -Uwaaaaannn, I failed![6B 5] So embarrassing.... The cellphone that was just taken out was switched into direct connection mode, and then the ticket data got transferred. "This is..." "This month [Cannonball Fast]''s special reserved seat ticket. You want to see it right?" "Ah, yes! Of course!" "But, just like the school festival, each person only gets one invitation card. I''m sorry that I can''t give your friends'' share too." "N-Not at all! It''s okay! All of my friends are the type who are satisfied with just watching the relay broadcast." "Heee, is that so." After seeing the "Sending Complete" screen, Ichika closed his cellphone. A few seconds after that, Ran returned her cellphone into her bag. U, u, if only I''d taken the character sticker off of my cellphone. He must have thought I''m childish... As for Ichika, it just left "Ah, there''s something cute attached"-like impression, but for Ran who wants to be seen as lover material, this is also one small failure. R-R-Recovery..... I have to recover or else.....but, what should I do.... Charlotte-san is very pretty too, what can someone like me.... There''s nothing like that-. Go for it-. Ran, who somehow seemed to hear that kind of voice from somewhere, put forth all of her courage and spoke up in a strained voice. "Ah, um! Is it okay if I join you to look around today?" "Ok." Easily ok-ed. Piling anti-climax on top of exhaustion, Ran lost her stance and was quickly supported by Charlotte. "What''s wrong? Are you okay?" "Ye-Yesh....." Uwaaaa, this person is really great! Just like a young nobleman! She''s pretty, cute, and cool, that''s so unfair! There''s no God, is there?! Stupid~! "Then, let''s go to lots of places." Hearing Ichika''s carefree voice, both Charlotte and Ran nodded their head, and then respectively lined up at his left and right side. ? "One, two! One, two!" "Taaaa-" "Target confirmed! Fire!" IS arena no.3. There, unaffected by the fact that it''s a day-off, those strong students who aim to go even higher spend all of their time doing IS training. "Haa.... ha..." The one in that corner and out of breath was Cecilia. She''s making the BITs do a linked high-speed rolling shot in order to make the laser trajectory bend many times over. But, she hasn''t been successful in doing the [Deviate FireBT Flexible] even once, and with each passing time, the fatigue showing on her face was getting more and more obvious. "......." Once again, she concentrated her senses, and she took a stance with her BR rifle [Starlight mk III]. Cecilia put the image of water in her mind, and then fired above the balloon. (-Bend!) But, Cecilia''s effort was in vain. The laser plunged straight ahead, hit the screen shield and dispersed. "Let''s end it here for today..." Fuu, Cecilia put away her rifle while sighing. The gun barrel in her right hand changed into light particles and disappeared. ".........." Returning to the waiting room, nothing but gloomy things were showing on that face, only irritation and fatigue could be perceived there. "[Blue Tears], standby mode." Shrouded by light, Cecilia''s feet slowly touched the ground because of the IS'' release PIC. For the time being, I''ll take a hot shower and at least change my mood.... While thinking that, she opened the door of the dressing room. There, an unexpected person was standing. "Huh? Cecilia? What are you doing, training?" "Rin-san..... Well, it''s something like that." For some reason, Cecilia answered with an artificial smile towards Rin, whom she often hung around with. It was different from just a display, it could be said that it was an action born from her pride. Whether she knew about thoughtfulness toward someone she considered her equal or not, Rin smoothly let it slide and continued the conversation. "I am going to do deployment training for the new equipment model starting now. Actually, I wanted to use arena no.6. Unfortunately, it was completely booked." "New equipment model, is it the high speed package as expected?" "Fufun, that''s right. Just wait for it, Cecilia. Let''s fight a good match on the appointed day." "Yeah. I''ll hold you to that." Receiving the finger pointing of her rival, Cecilia''s fighting spirit was burning. Rin''s ''throwing a written challenge''-like attitude could have been because she felt Cecilia''s mental fatigue. Rin has always been sharp in noticing the subtleties of other people''s feelings. "Then, see you." "Yeah, see you." Rin waved her hand, and Cecilia returned it, not with an artificial smile, but with a genuine one, and then they passed each other. I won''t lose. Not to anyone in the academy! Cecilia, her feelings renewed, entered the dressing room with quick steps. ? "Is there anything that catches your interest?" "Uuunnnn...." Gazing at the display in the clock shop, I let out a groan. It can''t be helped that I don''t know which one to choose, I don''t understand which one is good and which one isn''t. Even if I want to choose based solely on the design, somehow there''s nothing that could intuitively catch my interest; That was my honest thought. But, since it''s a birthday present from Charl, I want to choose it firmly. "We are also selling these watches here, how about it?" "Ah, no, that one is a little..." "Is that so." The male clerk was also troubled by his inability to grasp my taste. ......Not good, not good. I have to do something. "By the way, Ran, do you have any wristwatch?" "Huh!? Well, that''s...." "Hm?" "I don''t have one..... I, I thought that the watch on my cellphone should be enough or something." "Right." While I nodded in response to Ran''s words, Charl put both her hands on her hips and made a scolding pose. "Jeez, that''s not good you know. You two, especially Ran-chan since you''re a girl, should be more stylish." "O-Okay." Which reminds me, Charl is adding a chan when speaking to the younger Ran. Ran is also adding san when calling Charlotte. It seems the seniority relation has already been created between the two of them. "But, that''s, a wristwatch seems to be something that can''t be bought just using pocket money..." "Ah, is that so. Representative candidate student''s standing in general is something close to a government worker for a country, that''s why we get an allowance." "I-Is that so?" Thats something that is very enviable. "Yes. Ichika is still not a candidate student, right?" "A-, yeah. Somehow the deliberation at the international IS facility has been prolonged." "Fuun. Even so, it sure is taking a long time." "Isn''t it." There has been no further progress even though it''s already September. Just as I thought, being the world''s only IS male pilot is the problem. Probably, [Byakushiki], in the production of which Tabane-san got directly involved, might also be one of the reasons. It''s something like applying pressure so as to not let the latest technology get monopolized by Japan. It''s seriously troubling, isn''t it? "At any rate, if we stay like this, it doesn''t seem like we will decide on a wristwatch anytime soon, would we." Charl returned the topic of the conversation to wristwatches. I really started to feel bad for the troubled clerk. "That''s right isn''t it. Uuuun-..." "T-Then, how about I choose one that I think would suit Ichika the most?" "Ooo, that sounds like a good idea. Since Charl seems to have a very good fashion sense too." "I-Is that so? Thank you. Then, I''ll choose now." "......" Charl''s expression was shining, while in contrast, a little worry was surfacing on Ran''s. Why is that I wonder? Worried about Ran''s gestures, Charl called out to her. "Ran-chan, let''s choose together. This is a rare opportunity too." "Huh, ah, yes!" "No need to worry about the price." "Yes!" "H-Hey hey! I will be the one who''s troubled if it''s too expensive." "Fufu, why is Ichika the one worrying? You''re the recipient, right?" "No, well, it might be like that...but you usually hesitate when wearing an expensive watch right?" "Then, I''ll choose one that a high-school student can afford from a part-time job salary. Is that okay?" "Well, I guess.... Ah, but, I''ll make sure to give a return gift that more or less costs the same on Charl''s birthday too." "Nn. Thank you." "Of course I will give a birthday present for Ran too." "O-Okay! Thank you very much!" After that, Charl and Ran took about 20 minutes to choose my birthday present. They brought a wristwatch to show me. "What do you think about this one?" It was a metal wristwatch that was white-based in color with golden-colored inlays. The golden white radiance is very pretty. "I think it will suit Ichika better than a silver-colored one. See, the gauntlet on your right hand is also white colored, right?" Hearing those words, I rolled my right sleeve. The IS [Byakushiki]''s standby mode is a white bracer on my right wrist which fits very nicely with the wristwatch. "It certainly looks that way. White style on both hands, huh?" "I thought so, it looks great! Really!" "Alright. Thanks for helping to choose it, Ran." "N-Not at all! This kind of thing is just, a, a piece of cake!" Ran was saying that, but unfortunately the watch was pointing at 12 o''clock. It was already the time for lunch. *Guuu!* Her stomach was growling. Ran''s face became completely red. "Haha. Let''s go to a restaurant somewhere." "Y-Yes.... I''m sorry...." Ran was blushing to her ears, which for some reason looked cute, and I ended up patting her head. Charl hurriedly went to ask the clerk to wrap the wristwatch. "Charl, where should we have lunch?" "Uuunn, I wonder where." "What about Ran? Is there anything you want to eat? I''ll treat you." "N-No! I''ll pay my own share at least!" "Don''t say that. Ah, how about the outdoor caf there?" "Ah, isn''t that place quite expensive though?" "That''s why I said I''ll treat you. Ah, or could it be that you have eaten there before?" "O-Only for drinks...." "Alright, then it''s decided. Let''s have lunch there." "O-Okay. Thank you very much." Ran was still looking at her feet while playing with her fingers. She seemed a little uncomfortable and her face was red. Somehow, it seemed like she''s extremely embarrassed about her stomach growling earlier. It almost feels like I''ve done something bad. "Okay then, let''s go." "Alright." Charl, who had just received the merchandise earlier, led us to the outdoor cafe. Ran and I followed her and entered the store. "Heee, this place is really stylish isn''t it. Today weather''s is just right too, so the location is excellent." Charl, whose hair is being brushed gently by the wind, smiled. That figure, which really looked like that of the daughter of a noble, somehow took me aback for a moment. "Welcome." "Ah, what is Today''s Lunch Menu?" "It''s crab-cream spaghetti for today''s main course, along with a pear tart for desert." "Then, we''ll order 3 of those." "Thank you for ordering." After that exchange of words, the waiter left. I suddenly realized, Charl and Ran were fixedly staring at me. "W-What is it?" "No, well, it seems you''re very well trained at this." "No way, this much is just normal. I didn''t eat out that much, so Chifuyu-nee told me to be able to order at least this smoothly." "Fuuun." "A, um, could it be that Ichika-san often comes to this kind of store?" "Nope, I rarely dine outside. Ah, but I do eat at Ran''s house, don''t I?" "Please don''t put a set-meal store like ours in the same boat..." "Why is that? It''s not something to be embarrassed about, right? Gotanda set meal is delicious isn''t it." "That name alone is detestable enough for me...." Well well, a teenage maiden''s line of thought is really hard to understand. I thought it was something to be proud about. "By the way, that''s..." While looking intermittently at Charl, Ran''s mouth was mumbling something. It looked like there''s something that''s hard to say. "Hmm?" "I-Ichika-san and Charlotte-san, are you two seeing each other right now!?" "W...Wha!?" "H-Hey Hey, what are you saying so suddenly?" "B-But, that''s, it seems you two are getting along so well..." "That''s because we were in the same team during the tag match in the past. Right? Charl." "Y-Yeah. More or less..." Could it be that, from the surprise of that sudden remark, Charl''s face became bright red while she nodded. But, today''s Ran seems a little weird. I wonder what''s wrong. "....Thank goodness. Not seeing each other yet..." "Hm?" "It''s nothing!" While doing some small talk, the lunch came unexpectedly quick. The waiter brought 3 plates at once. Ooo, Amazing. "Thank you for waiting." The waiter said that and lined up the 3 plates. On those crab cream spaghetti, a crab claw was placed at the center of the dish. It really excites your appetite. Tomato ketchup was entwined on the scattered pasta, and the smell was mouth watering. It made me want to eat it immediately. "Well then, please enjoy your meal. I''ll bring the desert afterwards." The waiter said that and left our table. We took our utensils, and started to immediately eat our pasta. "Itadakimasu!" "Itadakimasu." "I-Itadakimasu." I, Charl, and Ran, in that order, put our hands together, then started to eat our crab cream spaghetti. "Ooo, tasty." "Yeah. It''s written somewhere that this is raw pasta." "It''s delicious." The free-refill mixed herb tea that is part of the lunch really suits the food too. Since we''re in the middle of eating, the conversation stopped temporarily, as we moved our forks. Even so, this is really delicious. What do they use to get this kind of secret flavor in the sauce I wonder. "Hmm? Ran, there''s something." "Yes?" I took a piece of napkin, and gently wiped Ran''s mouth. "!?"" "There''s sauce all over your mouth." "I-If you had just told me, that''s.....I, I would have wiped it myself!" "I-Is that so. Sorry." "Ah, no, well, um, it''s not that I don''t... T-Thank you very much." Ran''s face reddened and she hung her head. It seems that I don''t have enough delicacies towards a girl.[6B 6] I''ll reflect on it. ? Uwa, uwa, uwawa..... Ran is replaying the scene from a moment ago while holding her pounding heart with a hand gently placed at her chest. My mouth was wiped by Ichika-san..... Even through the cloth, that gentle fingertip''s sensation can still be felt on her mouth - or rather her lips. T-That''s no problem is it? I properly put on my lipstick too.... I-It''s okay isn''t it? Although it''s not like she''s seeking confirmation from anybody in particular, Ran repeated that thought many, many times. She can no longer taste the pasta that she thought was more than delicious enough too. In a half panicked state, Ran mechanically moved her fork. Uuu, I was treated to lunch too. Somehow, Ichika-san suddenly feels very adult-like. Talking about being treated before this, she can only remember canned juice and the shooting game at the game center. Now that you think about it, Ichika-san was really good at games wasn''t he? She remembered about the shooting game where she quickly got a game over when playing it. She replayed how she was gazing on Ichika''s profile under the pretense of watching the game. She remembered that his figure, when he accurately defeated the enemy, was really cool, just like that of a main character from a movie. Even so, to think Charlotte-san is this pretty and cute, on top of that she''s also a country''s representative candidate... Something like that is really unfair.... Ran, who was planning to take the entrance examination for IS Academy next year, starting from this summer had hurriedly investigated IS related things. She knew that about 8 or 9 cases out of ten, nation representative candidates who got into IS Academy, were the users of personal IS. She also knew that they were elite of elites. On the news they also showed that Houki-san recieved a personal IS. Furthermore, they said that her unit was built by Professor Shinonono herself.... -Uuuu. She thought everyone is really unfair. Ran thought like that, but she didn''t seem to realize yet, that her position as the sister of Ichika''s best friend''s is a big advantage on its own. "By the way, Ran." "Y-Yes!?" "About that Cannonball Fast ticket which I gave you earlier, it seems to coincide with my birthday. So that means the birthday party that is planned at my house could end pretty late. Is that okay?" "N-No problem! On that day, that stupid... sorry, I mean my brother will also be there!" "Ah, now that you mention it. He will be there, won''t he." "Y-Yes..." Then, she realized a big problem there. "Ah, will the people from IS Academy also come!?" "W-What''s the matter? Of course they plan to come." "H-How many people will come?" "Ummm, five people I think?" "Five people..." Ran was attacked by something resembling giddiness. Even just Rin, Houki, and Charlotte are already powerful rivals, but to have even more rivals beside those three made her increasingly anxious. This is bad, this is bad -. For a birthday present, hand-made cakes and small things won''t cut it.... Suddenly, her self-confidence vanished. Ran had some pride on her moderate cooking skills, but in the first place, Ichika is also a good cook. And to add to that, looking at the price of the watch that Charlotte bought earlier, she became bashful. But but, I can''t ask for advance pocket-money at this time, and my school prohibits part-time work too, uuuuu Thinking about those things, Ran suddenly remembered about Rin. W-What will Rin-san do I wonder.... If I remember correctly, Rin-san is also a representative candidate. Then, that means she gets military funding, doesn''t she..... Rin and Ran, the two girls who had seen each other as rivals during Ichika''s middle school days. It also could have been because of the competition between Japanese and Chinese style food. Haaa...There are too many rivals.... Ran became a little disheartened. Unintentionally, the hand she was using for eating stopped moving, and it worried Ichika. "What''s wrong? Are you already full?" "N-No, that''s, no problem! Yeah." "Is that so. It''s okay then. But if you''re full already I''ll help finish your food." "T-Thank you very much." Even though she said that, she became shy with the mention of giving the food that already touched her lips. Indirect kiss - thinking that could happen, Ran''s face once again reddened. I wonder, has Ichika-san ever kissed anyone...? Mindful about those things, Ran became increasingly conscious about her mouth being wiped earlier. Casually moving her hand, when she tried to gently touch her lips, she strangely felt hot. How does a kiss feel I wonder... While she absent-mindedly thought that, their meal was finished, and the time for dessert came. "Huh? These complementary ice creams, the three of us got different flavors." "It really is. I wonder why?" "U-Umm let''s see now, mine is strawberry, Ichika-san''s is vanilla, and Charlotte-san''s is chocolate flavored right?" "Looks like it." While looking at the nodding Ichika, a wild idea that crossed Ran''s mind started to develop. T-This, could it be this will become the situation where we feed each other ice cream to taste the different flavors..... While day-dreaming about Ichika doing a "Okay, Aaaan"[6B 7] scene, Ran let out a slightly flustered smile for an instant. Shaking off that thought hastily, Ran gazed at the dessert''s ice cream again. "Since it''s like this, how about we feed each other?" "Huh!?" "Hmm?" "Wha, no, well, just now, what did you..." "No, well, maybe we should feed each other or something..." "!!" I-Is this a dream?....That''s right, if this is a dream then it won''t hurt even if I pinch my leg. *Gyuu~~* "Ouch ouch ouch." "What''s wrong!!" "N-No! Nothing! Nothing at all!" -It''s not a dream! Ran, whose consciousness was called back to reality by the pain, confirmed that the words that Ichika said earlier were real. Aah! It''s looks like a lie! It''s like a dream! To be fed by Ichika-san! "Then, let''s start from my vanilla ice cream. Charl, aaaan." "A-Aaan." Charlotte drank the vanilla ice cream. Her face, dyed red just like Ran''s, confirmed her as Ran''s rival in love. "T-This is tasty." "Is that so. I''m glad then. Then, next is Ran." "Y-Yes." "Aaan." "A-Aaan...." *Pakun*[6B 8] Aaah, what should I do. What should I do!? I''m not even tasting it anymore-. Uuu, but, but....this could be happiness. The dazed Ran didn''t realize that there''s no longer any ice cream on the spoon and kept holding it in her mouth. "Ran." "Hmm?" "Is there still any ice cream left on the spoon?" "!? N-No! That''s, thank you for the meal." Ran hastily separated her mouth from the spoon. Uuu, I did it again Usually, Student Council President Gotanda Ran would never show this kind of unsightly appearance. But right now she is only a girl in love that you can find anywhere, who wants to be in front of the person she likes. ? Uuun, this girl also likes Ichika, doesn''t she. Seeing their conversational exchange, she confirmed her own thought of "It''s just as I had suspected" Ichika really is a natural ladies-man, isn''t he... Haa, she sighed to herself, then scooped her ice cream. Fight, Charl! "I-Ichika, then I''ll give you my ice cream next." "A-Alright." "Okay, aaaahn...." "Ahn" *Pakun* "H-How is it? Is it tasty?" "Nn! This, there''s cocoa powder inside. It''s really tasty." "H-Hee! Is that so." That tongue, as usual, tasted things in detail, and Charl felt depressed inside by that. Jeez, Ichika....you don''t have to taste it in that detail when I feed you, right? Even if it''s a little, I wish he wouldn''t feel the texture of the ice cream.[6B 9] The little Charl inside her head was mad at Ichika. In any case, the upright Charl didn''t forget about Ran. "Then, Ran-chan too please have some. Aaahn." "A-Aahn." *Pakun* H-Huh? "It''s really is delicious isn''t it." Ran was smiling. But, inside Charlotte''s heart wasn''t calm at all. T-T-This is, indirect kiss with Ichika!? Aaah.....Ran-chan is so lucky... Charlotte looked at Ran enviously. Unconsciously, she was struck by the urge to lick the spoon too. N-No no. As expected, that is too unladylike. Charlotte, who restrained herself using her steel-like will, suddenly realized something and it''s like a light bulb in her head lighted up. T-That''s right! Next, is my turn right!? an i-indirect kiss with Ichika.... Charlotte was looking at the spoon in Ran''s hand while her heart throbbed. Her eyes were burning, and her cheeks were dyed pink. "T-Then, Ichika-san! A-Aaahn!" "Ahn" *Pakun* "Nn! This one has the fruit flesh inside! Delicious." Thump, thump, thump.... Charlotte''s heart was beating fast. "T-Then, Charlotte-san too. A-Aahn." "A-Ahn." *Pakun* I-I-I just indirectly kissed Ichika! I really just indirectly kissed Ichika! W-W-What should I do! Suddenly, she no longer knew about the ice cream''s taste. The good texture from the sherbet-shaped strawberry was conveyed, but even that was only vaguely felt. "It''s tasty." "Is that so! I''m glad." Charlotte is gazing at the spoon that left her mouth like she reluctanly had to part with. But, even thinking that to herself is just too unladylike. She lowered her blushing face. E-Even so, Ran-chan really is a good kid, isn''t she. Feeding Ichika first to make the indirect kiss happen. Of course, it might be purely her wanting to let Ichika eat first, but Charl took that act as consideration. T-This is bad. What should I do.... this throbbing won''t stop at all. Her heart seemed to be about to burst from the happiness and delight. After that, just as expected, she can''t feel the taste of her choco ice cream at all. ? "T-Thank you for walking me home." "Yeah. Please say hi to Dan for me." "O-Okay." The time was past 4 o''clock. Under the sky where the sun had almost set, Ichika, Charlotte, and Ran were in front of the Gotanda restaurant. After lunch, the three of them, after visiting all the stores they wanted to, were at the store''s front because of Ichika''s words (Then, let''s accompany Ran until she reaches her house). Ran wanted to invite them in for dinner, but since it was only 4 o''clock, she gave up on that idea. As expected, it''s still too early for dinner. "T-Then, that''s, see you at the birthday party." "Yeah. Please cheer us on during the race too." "Y-Yes! I will certainly do that! G-Good luck in the race!" While saying that, Ran, who couldn''t look at Ichika directly, seemed to be unable to calm down while glancing upwards at her house. Probably, she''s trying to not be seen by her family, so she doesn''t end up being talked about. Please don''t let that stupid brother come out.....! Also, please also don''t let father come out....! While thinking that, she looked at Ichika once again. He really is cool isn''t he..... She remembered the first time they met. That day when she fell in love in 0.1 seconds. - There''s no way love at first sight exists. Are you stupid or something. That day was when she started thinking how unbelievably stupid she was for thinking like that. Simply, people do fall in love. The reason can always be added after, and the impression is always vivid. And also, once it starts, it can no longer be stopped. Unstoppable, an awakening of love. "I-Ichika-san." "Hm?" "Ah.... Erm, that''s..." She entwined the fingertips of her hands behind her back. Fidgeting, fidgeting. Ran was enveloped by a stifling feeling of wanting to say something, but being unable to do so, and ended up saying "Good night!" Uuuu, stupid me! Stupid stupid! She entered her house, and while climbing the stairs with quick steps, she started berating herself in her mind. "Oh? Is that you Ran? So, you''re home already." While going to the second floor, she ran into Dan. And in his hand was a certain high grade cup ice cream that she had preciously saved. "This stupid brother!" Finding an outlet to release her frustration, Ran settled it with a dropkick. ? Alone with I-Ichika on the road home.... Alone.....alone..... Charlotte and Ichika were on their way home, but somehow a strange silence stretched between them. The main reason was Charlotte''s temper, but Ichika being Ichika, was concerned about Charlotte and ended up not talking either. "Today was fun wasn''t it." "Huh!? Ah, yeah! It was fun!" To Charlotte, who wanted to make use of this chance, her head had been filled with impatience and confusion from the moment they arrived at the bus stop in front of the academy. Those little Charlottes inside her brain had been making a fuss in a meeting. Aaa, we''ve arrived in front of the gate. This is bad, this is really bad, the chances of meeting someone are large since we''ve arrived at the school site, isn''t it. N-Need some kind of topic.... topic... "B-By the way Ichika." "Hmm?" "Do you like listening to music?" "Aa, my friend used to lend his music to me during middle school, but I haven''t been buying any new music lately. And you see, we''re also busy with IS related things right?" "I-Is that so. Now that you mention it, speaking of IS!" "Yeah." "The new equipment that they sent from my home country last time is quite nice isn''t it! Like the rapid-fire speed, or the number of bullets loaded." "Hee. Is that so. Charl''s shooting ability is getting even stronger then." "T-That''s right isn''t it! Aha, ahahahahah......" Aaaaah, I''m so stupid stupid stupid! That topic was completely something a girl would not talk about! Think about a better topic to talk about, my brain! If Ichika had not been around, she would have hit her own head. "Ah, it''s Houki." -It''s over. Charlotte hung her head inside her heart. "Heeeyy, Houkiii." Sure enough, Ichika called out to Houki. And then, Houki, also noticing being called so suddenly, went to their side. "Ichika and Charlotte. Did you go somewhere outside the school?" "Aa, we were shopping. Right?" "Y-Yeah." "W, just the two of you!?" "No, Ran was also there. We met her by chance on the way. Right?" "Y-Yeah." Houki frowned toward Charlotte, who had been giving answers as if she was somehow feeling guilty. "W-Well, if wasn''t just the two of you, then it''s okay." Houki cleared her throat, and then crossed her arm. "Even so, since you went shopping, why didn''t you invite me too? Since I also need to buy daily necessities and some other things too." "Alright. I understand. Next time I''ll mail you when I want to go shopping." "U, umu. That''s good then." Houki nodded. Her cheeks got little red. "Now then, since we have returned just before dinner too, how about we have dinner together?" "Y-Yeah!" "N-Now that you mention it. Since you''ve asked about it, I guess I''ll join you." "Then, let''s return to our own rooms first and then gather at the cafeteria entrance. How about in 10 minutes?" "Ah, can I also invite Laura if she''s in our room?" "Alright. The more the merrier right? I''ll invite Rin too." "W-Why do you mention Rin''s name suddenly!?" "Well, actually today Rin had also planned to tag along. She said she had an emergency then, but it should be over by now I think." "....That Rin, how cunning...." "Hmm?" "N-No, nothing at all!" Hastily clearing her throat, Houki tried to change the topic. "Then, see you later." "Yeah!" "Aa!" The vigorously answering Houki and Charlotte nodded in a smile. Volume 6 - CH 3 Monday, after school. I''m on the side of the tennis court in a gloomy mood. The reason for this was that it has been put into motion, the Student Council Executive Orimura Ichika Lending Campaign. "Haaaa..." A bingo tournament was held in which all clubs participated. The one who managed to acquire the no. 1 spot was the tennis club. And the reason for my gloomy mood was the Tournament to Acquire The Right For Orimura Ichika''s Massage that''s being held on the court at both sides. "Haaaa!" "I won''t lose!" "That massage that Cecilia boasted so much about, I will certainly win it!" ...Cecilia, what have you done? Or rather, for that to be the main reason they''re so fired up, is a little troubling. "I''m going!" "....Guh! W-What a heavy ball!" "What an easy return!" "Aah!" Cecilia is showing her unreasonable stubbornness isn''t she.... Well, it''s better than being depressed I guess. Seems that lately, she had been training individually at the arena until closing time. If a massage can take away her fatigue, then I guess it''s a small price to pay. After that, Cecilia smoothly advanced to the finals, where she clinched the win with a splendid straight. As for me, I was distributing towels and sport drinks to the girls in the order that they were eliminated. "Cecilia, good work. You won splendidly, didn''t you?" "Ha, ha, ha.... It''s only.... natural.... Ha....." "Here''s, a towel and also an energy drink." "Uhmmm...ah, Ichika-san? Right now, my arms feel like lead pipes.....ha, ha,.....that is, if you, could you wipe my face for me...." "Alright. Got it." Certainly, being the winner means she had to play more matches, so it''s no wonder she''s become so tired. I did as I''m asked to and proceeded to wipe the sweat off her face. While doing that, the surrounding people screamed out all at once. "Aaaaaaaa!" "Cecilia, what are you doing?!" "You''ve already won the tournament, that''s not fair! Not fair!" A chorus of booing emerged from all the other tennis club members present at once. This is Cecilia we are talking about, so of course she took all the complaints head on and even pridefully flicked her hair back. "It''s not unfair! This is just the privilege of the winner!" With the same pose as usual, she put her hand at her hip while somehow emitting a seemingly dazzling aura.[6C 1] "Gunununu...!" "So mortifying! Losing to that princess-like behavior is so mortifying!" "Orimura-kun! If it''s like this, then you must give that service to everyone else too!" "Wh!?" Why did my name come up at this point!? "That''s right.... How about, wiping everyone''s back while we''re changing?" "Ahh! That sounds good! Really good!" "I''m also drenched with sweat, please do so." """It''s okay isn''t it, Orimura-kun?""" Being surrounded in just an instant, I''m troubled with how to deal with the nearing crowd. "T-There''s no way it will be okay! In the first place, if we''re talking about when you change then....underwear..." I unintentionally imagined about that scene. The girls of the tennis club in their underwear. In the midst of this, I''m walking around wiping their backs. Not good, I can''t do it! I definitely can''t do it! "T-That kind of service is not included!" """Eeeeehhhhh!?!""" A bigger booing than the one Cecilia received occurred. "It''s okay, isn''t it?!" "We''re wearing sports bras[6C 2], so it''s not embarrassing!" To all the girls who still insisted on refusing to back down, I shouted while making an X mark with my arms. "No way! Definitely no!" And then another booing echoed on the after school''s tennis court. ? Aah, to be able to receive that massage again.... what bliss. Cecilia thoroughly soaped her body, and then washed the foam while humming. Once, right after club activities, and now once more in her own room, she showered. The shiatsu[6C 3] hurts a little bit, but the lymphatic massage[6C 4] after that feels unbearably good Remembering the feeling of relaxation by the whole palm, Cecilia narrowed her eyes in a trance. "~~?~~?" She hummed a famous classical song, Vivaldi''s Four Season. Just as expected from someone who performed on the piano[6C 5] and violin[6C 6], even while humming, from the rhythm [6C 7] to the tempo[6C 8], there''s no disorder at all. Cecilia''s voice is also lovely in itself, which makes the sounds echoing in the shower room seem musical. After this, since I''ve wiped my body thoroughly, I''ll use rose perfume. Truth to be told, Cecilia would actually like to soak in a bathtub with rose petals floating in it, but in the end she gave up on the idea. But, she wanted to appeal with all her might to the boy she lost her heart to. W-What about the underwear?... Cecilia hesitated on whether to wear the sexy lingerie she bought when she went back to her home country or not. But, what crossed her mind was her maid and childhood friend Chelsea, and her words: "Ojou-sama[6C 9], I think underwear that''s too gaudy might have the opposite effect." ....... I wonder if that would be the case...... But, Chelsea doesn''t have a boyfriend, does she? Somehow, she felt that the precocious smile that was drawn on her face, brought some kind of confidence, and she became even more troubled. H-How about not wearing any underwear?... It was quite a bold idea, but when she thought about it, she started to think it might not be such a bad one. T-That''s right. It''s only because it will become a hindrance during the massage.... Of course I will wear something for the lower part! While thinking of that, Cecilia got out of the bathroom. At the dressing room, she tried to put only low-rise shorts and a high-class silk shirt on her body. T-This is... as expected, this is too bold isn''t it?... Cecilia, who suddenly felt embarrassed, quickly covered her slightly exposed cleavage. At that moment, the feeling she felt when her hand touched her breast increased her shame even more. "A-As I thought, I mustn''t go without wearing clothes befitting a lady...." After that, Cecilia spent around 30 more minutes choosing her outfit. And then, standing in front of her dearest wish, Ichika''s room, she cleared her throat once and then reservedly knocked on the door. "Alright. Cecilia, I''ve been waiting for you." "Y-Yeah... Sorry for making you wait." In the end, Cecilia decided to wear a safe pajama. That thing that''s made from silk is overflowing with a pretty lustrous impression. I''ve also held back on the underwear too..... It should be okay right? Although, compared to what a high-schooler would usually wear, it was thrice more expensive, but that''s what it means to be born into a higher social class. "Then, let''s start at once." "What!? T-that''s, uhmmm... I would like to drink some tea first, so as to relax, if you are okay with that..." "I-Is that so? Sorry." Ichika offered his bed for Cecilia to sit on, and then headed to the simple kitchen. "I only have a red tea teabag, please bear with it." "Y-Yeah, well, I''ll let you off this time." "Thank you." -*Doki* Even from just a casual exchange, Cecilia''s heart pounded. Now, only for now, to be able to monopolize the person she loved stirred her heart''s beat. L-Lately, Ichika-san''s training has been showing its effect, t-that''s.....he looks.....cool He''s also becoming better at controlling IS, and lately he''s also able to do well on the energy pace distribution. Cecilia gazed at Ichika who has been conspicuously growing with a complicated feeling. I''m happy that Ichika is getting stronger, but my position is.... She''s sad about becoming less dependable lately. When she was asked to help with Ichika''s high-maneuver combat training, she refused because she was depressed at the moment, but she might answer with a "I''ll take that request after all" if she was asked again now. While thinking about that, Ichika brought the red tea. "Here." "T-Thank you. Itadakimasu wa." The tea that''s been made to be a little lukewarm was extremely easy to drink, and the tea fragrance spread out inside the mouth. A hot one would have been hard to drink, so-. That nonchalant consideration made Cecilia''s heart beat even harder. "........." "........." As the two of them were drinking the red tea in silence, 10 minutes had already passed. T-This isn''t good. This is not good at all.....! Ichika-san will think I''m a boring girl who doesn''t have any topic to talk about at all! Truth to be told, it was just because Ichika was also lost in his own thoughts, but Cecilia, who would not permit such a silence to stretch in front of her, started to search for a talking subject with all her might. "By the way Ichika-san, how''s it going at the Student Council?" "Hmm? Yeah. I had been helping with paperwork until yesterday, but as of today, the club rental has started so... Truth to be told, it''s hard." "Don''t you think that just being wanted is enough to get happy?" "Is that so? In the first place, could my presence make the members happy?" "O-Of course! At least, it does for me!" Unintentionally, Cecilia over-reacted and even leaned her body forward. "A-Alright. I got it. Calm down." "O-Okay...." By the time she was calmed by Ichika and returned to the bed, there was no more red tea left inside the cup. "Hmm? So, has Cecilia also finished her tea? Then, let''s start the massage." "O-Okay...!" While feeling embarrassed from saying that last word in a squeaking pitch[6C 10], Cecilia timidly rested face down on the bed. "U-Umm hey, Ichika-san?" "Hmm?" "T-That''s....." -S-Should I say it? But but, what if he thinks I''m strange.....? Aaah, mou, Just say it with spirit, me! "S-Should I undress the lower part too...?" "Wha!?" "N-No, it''s just so it will be easier to massage.....!" "I-It''s alright. It''s alright so please stop it, Cecilia. Please don''t say things like Tatenashi-san would." -Mu. That person said those kind of things? Unforgivable. T-That''s not it, the reason I can''t forgive her is just... that it is very unlady like! "Cecilia." "W-What is it!?" "No, well, please relax a little. Your body is stiffening up, you know." "I... I understand." Taking a deep breath, she released the strength within her body. Calm down, she thought to herself. Realizing her body was about to be touched by Ichika again made her heart ring. "Then, I''ll start from the feet." "Y-Yeah." While her heart throbbed at the moment, Ichika''s hand touched Cecilia''s leg. -*Dokin!* Along with the slowly starting massage, the silk of the pajama between the two skins made a *zara-zara* sound. Cecilia was at her limit, just controlling the beat in her chest. She was at the stage where she couldn''t feel the sensation of the massage at all. A.... But, it feels good.... That massage which uses all parts of the palm, comfortably released all the fatigue stored in her legs. Furthermore, to have the person in your heart doing it, made it even more enjoyable. Cecilia, while being soaked by an unspeakable pleasant feeling, let out a feverish sigh. "Haa.... Ichika-san, you''re really good at this, aren''t you..." "Yeah. Thank you for the compliment." Finished with the calf, Ichika started to touch her thigh. Cecilia''s heart skipped a beat for an instant, and then, as calmly as she could, she spun some dressed-up words[6C 11]. "H-How is it? My body." "Hmm? Aah, just as I had expected, your legs really are long and slender aren''t they? Did Cecilia use to work as a model?" "It''s because I''m a representative candidate student, so I''ve done something like that a few times. Especially lately, since there''s an approach of pushing representative candidate students as idols." "Is that sooo, so it''s just like I thought. Next time, how about showing me one of your pictures." "O-Okay. I''ll bring it next time." While saying it as it didn''t matter, Cecilia started to desperately think about which picture would be a good one to show. There''s one where I was wearing a dress, but maybe I should show him the plain clothes one..... there''s also the one with the s-swimsuit.... Had she known something like this would happen, she would have done something better during the photo-shooting, is what she regretfully was thinking now. During this summer''s photography session in her hometown, she was unmotivated enough to not remember which clothes she wore during the session. ......In other words, a complete failure. Ichika-san too, wanting to see the model picture at this time...... that''s unfair. Cecilia inflated her cheeks a little. But, that sulking face couldn''t hold for even 2 minutes, because of the pleasant feeling of the massage. Aah, this feels good.... From the back of the knee, to carefully loosen the thigh, Cecilia let out a sigh in a trance. And then, having finished with the thigh joint and finally reaching the bottom, Ichika''s hand stopped temporarily. "Aa-...that''s, can I skip to the hip next?" "N-No you can''t. Please, do it thoroughly, that''s......the b-bottom too....." "O-Okay." Ichika nodded as if to steel his resolve, and then he took a deep breath. As expected, even Ichika-san too, I-is a little conscious about it isn''t he......? Of Cecilia being a woman. As one of the opposite sex. B-But as expected, it is embarrassing, isn''t it? To be touched on the b-bottom.... "T-Then, Cecilia. I''ll do it, okay?" "O-Okay. Whenever you''re ready." *Dokin!* The noticeably big leap of her heart hurts. Cecilia silently gulped to clear her mouth of saliva, as if to not let it be seen, and waited for Ichika to touch her bottom. Since I''ve done tightening stretches for 30 minutes each day, it''ll be fine...it''s fine *Thump* *thump* *thump* *thump* -Munyu[6C 12] ".....!?" Ichika''s fingers were eaten by a soft bulge. Although she was being massaged, Cecilia was strongly conscious about Ichika''s hand touching her bottom, her face reddening as if it was being boiled. "I-Is it firm?" "T-That''s, right, it feels a little, firm...... I-Is it because of that? Because Cecilia is playing the piano?" "Y-Yeah. When I play the piano, I concentrate my senses fully, and....when I practice, there''re some occasions in which I sit for a long time too...." "I-Is that so....." "Y-Yes...." Both Cecilia and Ichika were in a "what should I do" condition, and they continued the fumbling conversation. By the way, inside Ichika''s head..... Uwaaa, so soft! This wouldn''t lose, not even to Tatenashi-san''s.....not good, not good! ....Something like that is going on. Wanting to move quickly to the hip, Ichika''s massaging hand moved faster. But, by doing that, the soft elasticity was felt to the utmost of his palm, causing Ichika''s face to redden on top of Cecilia. "T-Then, the hip....." "Y-Yeah." Since it has come to this, she would have liked to be touched a little more, is what Cecilia thought, but for her own shame that had almost reached the limit, she obediently consented to Ichika''s suggestion. J-Just as expected, anything more than this is.... That''s, if we''re not officially dating first...... "Please tell me if it''s unpleasant or painful." "O-Okay." When her backbone was getting shiatsu-ed, there was a little suffocating feeling, but overlapping with that, she was engulfed in a pleasantness as if her body had become lighter. Unlike when he was massaging the bottom, he took the time to do each bone one by one, and that made Cecilia once again let out a pink sigh. Aaah.... It feels good.... It''s as if today''s fatigue is getting blown away 5 minutes, 10 minutes of supreme bliss continued. And then, when Ichika''s hand reached the neck joint, he suddenly called out to her. "Cecilia." "Hya...!?"[6C 13] The voice that reached almost directly into her ears, and the breath from it, slightly brushing against her, made her body jump in surprise. "Your hair sure is pretty, isn''t it. And furthermore, it smells nice too." "U-Umm you know, that''s, because I use a good shampoo so.....Hya!?" Ichika took Cecilia''s hair into his hand and started playing with it. With his fingers touching her nape, Cecilia''s heart got bewildered. I-Ichika-san....? Suddenly, why are - huh!? F-Finally, you''ve become aware of my charm!? Really, you''re so slow - unable to finish that kind of thought, the suddenly fast approach made Cecilia''s heart throb violently enough to hurt. Before she realized what was happening, Ichika had put his body on top of hers, as if to cover her. She could feel everything, even the body temperature. "Cecilia..." "Yes...." "Your body, can I touch it directly?" "B-By all means...." Cecilia timidly replied. Almost as if answering, Ichika''s hand immediately entered through the pajama''s opening. Kyaa!? While being surprised from the recent events, Cecilia remembered something which had imprinted on her a very similar feeling. I-Ichika-san.... Aah, it''s just like a dream.... "It''s not a dream." Aaah, it''s real isn''t it! ......? That exchange just now, doesn''t it seem weird? "It''s not weird at all." Look, again! Even though I didn''t let out my voice. Cecilia, who had remembered the out of place feeling, sprang out of bed. And then, what was there was - "Ojou-sama, even though I had instructed you to hold back on the underwear so much." "Ch-Chelsea!?" The person who''s supposed to be in England, her personal maid and childhood friend Chelsea. "T-T-This is..." "Yes, it''s a dream." *Bang!* The sound of an exploding balloon echoed. Inside the world that suddenly turned completely white in an instant, only Chelsea''s smile could be vividly seen. ? "Uel.... That was a cruel....., such a cruel punchline!" Cecilia sprang out of bed. She was on top of a bed in a completely dark room. The clock''s needle was pointing at 2 A.M. "T-This place is...?" Bewildered by the differences from her usual bed''s comfort, Cecilia''s eyes wandered from left to right. Consequently, she discovered a person sleeping in the bed right beside her. "I-Ichika-san...?" That means, the part until the massage was real, but the problem is - . W-Which parts were a dream....? Something like that. Winning the Tennis club tournament, receiving the massage as a reward, and then falling asleep midway through the massage from the excessive pleasantness, and right now she is currently in Ichika''s room. "...Fu." Feeling somewhat mentally fatigued, Cecilia sank her body back into the bed. Beside her, Ichika, who was oblivious to Cecilia''s current circumstances, breathed silently while sleeping. Really....what a terrible failure..... While thinking that aloud, Cecilia let out a laugh as if she had enjoyed it in some way. Then, with a somewhat affectionate look on her face, she fixed her gaze on Ichika. Someday....I''ll make you fall to my charms. She made a gun with her fingers, and then fixed her sight on her target. "Bang." Cecilia said with a mischievous smile. ? "Whaaaat!?" Morning, screaming voices were echoing inside the school cafeteria. .......H-Hey, shhhh! Shhhh! "C-Charl! Rin! Lower your voices!" "B-B-But!" "Ichikaa! Explain yourself!" With eyes wet with tears and eyebrows raised, Charl and Rin drew closer to me again. ""Why did Cecilia come out from your room wearing pajamas!?"" Somehow, I feel like an absurd misunderstanding had been born. "Even if you ask why, it''s just like what it looks like." Cecilia smoothly slid her hair to the side in a haughty manner. Cecilia! Why are you pouring oil on the fire!?" Disregarding the nervous me, Cecilia smoothly continued her words. "A girl and a boy spent a night together. In other words, it was that kind of thing." "N-Nooo!" "Ichikaaa!" "Gyaa! Wait wait! Yesterday, I gave Cecilia a massage! She was staying in my room only because she fell asleep midway!" I carefully conveyed the truth word by word. Having done that, Charl and Rin let out a sigh as if they had been relieved, and then returned to their seats. "So it''s only that..." "Well, I thought it was something like that in the first place anyway." Saying that, the two of them then returned to eating their meal. By the way, for the menu, Charl picked cream stew, while Rin chose Gome Yakisoba[6C 14]. "...Even though there was no need to tell the truth too. Stupid Ichika-san...." "Hmm? What is it, Cecilia?" I missed hearing what Cecilia, who ate a BLT Bagel, seemed to have said in a small voice. When I tried to verify it, she turned her face the other way sulkily. "Nothing." ? Why are you in a bad mood so suddenly? I really don''t understand. ....But, I''m glad Houki and Laura weren''t here. Had this talk been heard by the two of them, I wonder what they would''ve said. ".........." ".........." U? Huh? Somehow I feel an intense glare (x2) directed at me. Timidly turning my face around, what I saw were the figures of Laura & Houki, folding their arm and standing like Niou "Ichika...you bastard, so you broke the dorm rule didn''t you." "R-Rule?" "Special rule number 1! There must be no girl staying in a boy''s room!" "C-Calm down, Laura!" "Eei, shut up! If you plan to be like that, fine then! I''m staying at your room today!" "Whaa!?" "Wait, why has it gotten like this. If it gets like this, well.... then I''ll apply for candidacy too." "It''s only to keep the balance!" is what Houki added. Why has it become like this.... "Huuh! That''s not fair! Then me too!" "Ichika! Prioritize me! I''m your childhood friend right!" Gya! Charl and Rin are joining too. Why, what happened!? "What are you making such an stupid fuss about this early morning!" *Bishi!* I seemed to hear a voice that could freeze the air. Tapping her fingers on top of her folded arms is my real sister, who fits extremely well with the jet-black suit, Orimura Chifuyu-sensei. "These stupid kids!" *Supapan!* Chifuyu-nee hit the head of us five. Incidentally, she especially used her fist for me. ....Wa, it really hurts. "Alcott." "Y-Yes!?" "Don''t forget to submit the reflection essay." "O-Okay..." "And Orimura" "Y-Yes?" "I''ll let you have the disciplinary room for three days. Be happy." "T-Thank you very much....." Wh, isn''t that too harsh? This really is my sister! "Now! How long are you going to eat slowly like that! Quickly, eat your breakfast and go to the classroom! That''s all!" *Pan!* *Pan!* With Chifuyu''s clapping sign, the girls in the cafeteria that had been preparing to flee started to move in haste. I also started to slurp my miso soup from the grilled salmon set meal. It seems like the saltiness has slightly thickened. Is this what they call the taste of tears I wonder. It could be that, from having that stupid thought found out, I got hit once again. ? "Okay, everyone. Today we''re going to have a lesson concerning high-speed maneuvering." The assistant homeroom teacher, Yamada Maya-sensei''s voice echoed at arena no.6. "I said last week that this arena no. 6 is connected to the central tower so we can do a self-study on high-speed maneuvering, didn''t I? Well then, let''s have the personal-IS users perform first!" After saying that, Yamada-sensei flashily directed her hand at me and Cecilia. "First, equipping the high-speed maneuver package [Strike Gunner] is Alcott-san!" The 4 firing bits that are usually equipped on the side binder, and also the missile bits connected to the hip part, so as to simultaneously use the propulsion power from these bits, totaling 6 units, seemed to be the package''s special feature. It achieved the high-speed & high-mobilization, by sealing every cannon mouth from each bit, and connecting them to the hip parts. At a glance, the bits looked like a blue skirt. "And then, using normal equipment, but managed to create a virtual high-speed maneuver equipment by adjusting the thruster maximum output, Orimura-kun! Let''s have these two perform one lap for us!" Good luck! Those kind of cheering was heard all around us. Cecilia and I lightly raised our hands to answer the cheering, and then returned to concentrating our senses on our ISs. Umm let''s see, what should I do with this auxiliary visor for high-speed maneuver? [Ichika-san, is there anything you don''t understand?] Immediately, in the private channel, Cecilia gave a timely help. "Right on time. This visor, I have to change the mode to use it, right? How do I do that?" [Ah, you have to change the mode to high-speed. And also, do a synchronized surveillance set-up on each thruster.] [Got it. Like this right?] Changing the mode using Eye Touch (Look Designation), for an instant, a light membrane spread out and covered my whole vision field. After that, the scenery that I''ve been seeing until now became more clearly projected into my eyes. [You can get dizzy if you''re not used to it. Be careful.] "Yeah, Thank you." [N-No. It''s nothing... A-After all, I''m Cecilia Alcott.] While listening to Cecilia''s words, who seemed to have gotten embarrassed, I also pointed my unit towards the sky. "Then, ......3, 2, 1, Go!" Along with Yamada-sensei''s flag signal, Cecilia and I soared to the sky at once, and then increased our speed to break past the speed of sound. The flowing scenery should have only been seen for an instant, but thanks to the auxiliary visor, everything can be seen clearly. E-Even so, this really is amazing....! Even now, I still get surprised by the speed of the IS, but this speed already matches the speed of a regular Ignition Boost (Instant Acceleration). [See you later?] Only glancing at me, who''s still perplexed at the speed, without even turning her head, Cecilia moved ahead. And then she immediately ascended, moving along the outer circumference of the central tower where the academy''s monument resided. As expected of someone who is used to this. Yosh, me too. To compensate for the difference from the usual circumstances, I control the suit with even more prudence than usual. We''re currently on ultrasonic state, so if we hit something, it won''t end with just some pain. There''s also the possibility that the tower itself will be destroyed from the shock wave. In any case, while being careful with the speed and the suit''s inclination, I chased after Cecilia. "Alright! I caught you." [Hmm? I thought you were captivated by my charming hip.] "S-Stupid." [Just joking. Ufufu?] Exchanging that kind of conversation with Cecilia, who was in a good mood for some unknown reason, we turned back from the top of the tower. And just like that, we returned to the arena''s surface side by side. "Okay. Good work! You two were really excellent." Yamada-sensei praised me and Cecilia with a happy face. I wonder if having your student doing an excellent job can make you very happy, because Yamada-sensei was jumping up and down from it which made her voluptuous bust bounce along with her. Uuu, just as usual, she''s really a person who makes it hard to find a place to direct your gaze at. "Hey, Ichika, hey!" "W-What is it, Laura?" "You also, that''s....well..... Do you like a bigger chest better?" "Wh!? No, you''re wrong! I-It''s not like I''ve done something to feel guilty about you know!?" "Fu, fun! Is that so. .....It''s good then, if it''s like that....." "Y-Yeah?" "N-Nothing! -Eeei, don''t look this way!" I was mowed down by the hand of Laura in her deployed IS form. Having done that, the mentioned AIC(Inertia Blocking Barrier) was put into work, and my neck got locked in a weird angle. Y-You were the one who talked to me first, weren''t you! During this time, Chifuyu-nee clapped her hands and everyone turned their attention to her. "Listen here. We have an exception this year so the first years will participate, but more than just doing it, I hope for each individual here to leave some results too. The experience you''ll get in this Cannonball Fast will surely live on. Well then, the training IS users, go and start choosing your suit, and immediately board your assigned unit. Do it fast. Start!" This regular yearly event, Cannonball Fast, was originally an event for the second years who had already arrived at the preparation chapter of the curriculum. But this year, since there are unexpected circumstances, such as the large number of personal IS users, students starting from first year will also be participating. The training unit group seemed to use the usual prize in order to make the whole class completely get into the rivalry battle. "Alriight, let''s win this~" "I have to show my good points to onee-sama here!" "Win and get a free dessert coupon! I have to get serious here!" Could it be that from being swamped by all these spirited girls, all of the teachers were also coaching earnestly. Especially Yamada-sensei, who had really gotten her spirit into it. Today she used the usual IS suit which is a little revealing in the chest area. The person herself probably opened it only because the chest compartment doesn''t fit her. It''s too stimulating for a 15 year old. -while thinking that kind of absurd thing, the girl in question, Yamada-sensei herself approached me. "Orimura-kun, the performance back then was really magnificent. Especially for someone who uses that visor for the first time, to be able to pilot the unit like that was really amazing." "T-Thank you very much!" Since my IS is in the deployed form at the moment, my line of sight is higher than usual. If I wanted to look at her face, her chest would inevitably be seen too, so I let my gaze roam around while scratching my hot cheek with my finger. "Orimura-kun? Ah...." Up until now, it seems that unless she is warned, Yamada-sensei can''t see anything else around her when she''s excited about something. Yamada-sensei, who has just realized about my gaze, folded her arms as if to hide her chest, and also turned her body to the side. "U-Umm, maybe It would be better to buy a new IS suit?" "Really?" "B-But, Orimura-kun can''t concentrate during the lesson..." "Ha, haa...." "B-But, in that case it would have to be a specially ordered one, wouldn''t it.... I had just semi-ordered the one I use now to be made too, so, it seems like a waste to change it so soon..." Yamada-sensei was murmuring as if she''s swallowing her own words. That embarrassed face is strangely charming. While she was troubled by what she should do, Chifuyu-nee turned up. "Orimura." "Y-Yes." *Dosu!* My neck was chopped. It really hurts. "To look at your teacher like that is impudent, you know." "T-That''s not..." "If your unit doesn''t use any additional thrusters, discuss with Shinonono-san there about tuning the energy distribution. Got it?" "O-Okay..." A consideration from my kind older sister. .....I''m moved to tears. I moved to Houki''s place just like I was told. Since my IS is deployed at the moment, I don''t have to walk using my feet. It''s really comfortable. "Heeyy, Houki." "......" Talking about Houki, could it be that because the energy distribution is quite hard, she''s been staring at the holographic projection screen? I raised the volume of my voice, and called her once again. "Heey, Houki. Heey" "!? W-What!?" "Well, I''m also in the no additional equipment group, so Orimura-sensei told me to exchange opinions with you." "I-Is that so! Then, Ichika, sorry for rushing you so suddenly, but look at [Akatsubaki]''s energy distribution!" Houki, whose face brightened up because she felt that she has been saved with my arrival, moved to my side and showed me the display. It seems like when the [Fold-Out Armor] is turned on, the energy is not enough. "[Byakushiki] has the big thruster for speed, but [Akatsubaki]''s all-roundness sure is amazing isn''t it. Since it can achieve high-speed maneuver by just releasing the fold-out armor in the back and leg parts." "But, it''s meaningless if there not enough energy to use it. Really, that person''s creations are always like this..." Whenever the topic of the conversation becomes Tabane-san, Houki always frowns. At such times, I can''t help thinking about how sisters should be nice to each other. "What about [Kenran Butou]?" "T-That one....I still can''t use it." "Is that so. This is just from an amateur perspective, but I feel like somehow, [Akatsubaki] was created with the basis of using [Kenran Butou] as the energy supply." Houki''s IS, [Akatsubaki]''s one off ability, [Kenran Butou], has the ability to refill and multiply energy. Thereby, matching it with the situation when releasing the high-energy consuming fold-out armor to supply it - or something like that I guess. [Akatsubaki]''s fold-out armor seems to use [multiple energy]. Like the BT weapon, it''s capability when diverted to offensive and defensive, and even mobility role is first class. But, if they''re not steadly supplied by using [Kenran Butou], the unit would immediately run out of energy. ....How do I say this, it seems very similar to [Byakushiki]. "Then, how about deactivating the leg part and only activating the back part? For balance control, use the unit''s common thruster." "Well, I also thought about it, but the fold-out armor''s output will become too weak. I also thought about completely deactivating the fold-out armor altogether but -" "You won''t be able to win the race right?" "That''s right.... Ununu." It''s the hate-to-lose Houki we''re talking about, since she''s already participating, it''s just normal for her to seek victory, isn''t it? And neither do I like losing, just like her. That''s why I completely understand her feelings right now. "Ichika, how do you plan to adjust your unit for the race?" "Me? I plan to seal [Yukihira Niigata] and redirect the energy completely to the thrusters." "Completely? What will you do if you get attacked?" "Avoid it." "What about when you want to initiate an attack?" "I''ll ram them." It was the final conclusion after a long consideration, but Houki bursted out laughing from my answer. "Hahaha. You''re just like an inoshishi-musha[6C 15] aren''t you." "Gu.... Even though I''ve thought about this earnestly." "Fufu. It''s very like you so it''s okay isn''t it. .....I''m going to think longer about this alone. Thanks for the help, Ichika." "Yeah, you''re welcome. I won''t lose to you on the match day." "It''s the same for me." "Then, see you later." "Aa." Parting with Houki, this time I headed into the thruster-expansion group where Charlotte and Laura reside. By the way, once sorted, it becomes like this. High-speed maneuver group : Cecilia, Rin. Adjusting the unit''s output group : Houki, me. Thruster-expansion group : Charlotte, Laura. Now that I think about it, that Rin, she seems brimming with confidence. [That package is made better than I had expected. Just wait for it, I''ll beat you completely at the race!] I remembered Rin''s figure when she folded her arms and arrogantly announced that. As I thought, the package is nice. I wish I could get it, even if only once. But after all, my dear unit, [Byakushiki], seems to have quite the spoiled personality. Even its former development place, Kuramoto research institute, has already given up on developing any expansion equipment for it. It''s a lost cause already. If I really want to get an equipment expansion, it seems there''s no way other than asking Tabane-san for it. .....But, I wonder where that person is right now? After the incident with the Gospel during the summer, Tabane-san whereabouts are still unkown. As usual, it made quite a commotion in the world though. Haah... "Ah, Ichika?" Charl, who discovered my presence, waved her hand. While raising my hand lightly in response, I arrived at the two close friends, Laura and Charlotte''s group and returned my IS into standby mode. "How are you two doing?" "We''ve just finished installing the thruster-expansions. We''re going to start adjusting it now, right?" "Aa, that''s right." Indeed, now that they mention it, both of them are still wearing their IS suit while only deploying the head part of their IS. Charl''s headband-like gear, and Laura''s rabbit-ear like head parts, both of those look like some kind of cosplay[6C 16] gear and they somehow look a little cute wearing those.[6C 17] It seems like because it''s in the middle of reading the installed data, both of their headgears wiggled once in a while. That makes them looks even more like animals, somehow making my heart feel ticklish. "Could you show me a little too?" "Yeah, of course. I''ll do a lap with Laura. I''ll forward the images to you. It''s on channel 304." "Ooh, thanks. Just as expected, to be able to see the point of view of a first-rate pilot is really nice isn''t it. This really is an useful function." That function called [Direct View], is the sharing of the field of vision information - in other words, I can see the world that Charl see through my IS. It''s like a television, or rather a live image stream. "I''ll show you the view from my point of view too. It''s on channel 305." "Ooo, thank you. But, Laura''s field-of-vision-movement-level is too high so it''s hard just to follow." "You idiot. Devote yourself in learning to keep up." "I know. Please let me learn from you, Laura-sensei." "Fu, fun. Who is a Sensei[6C 18]?" Even while saying that, Laura''s cheek was dyed red as if she wasn''t that unhappy with that title. It seems she was just shy about it. Now then, connect to the channel and.. "Ichika, are you prepared?" "Aa, perfectly. .....huh, to be able to see your own face on live broadcast sure feels strange isn''t it." "Huh!? No, well, it''s not like I keep looking at Ichika''s face all the ti...." "Hmm?" "I-It''s nothing." Gazing strangely at Charl, who was waving her hand repeatedly, Laura deployed her IS, [Schwarzer Regen], first and started to float. "I''ll go first." "Ah, wait for me! Lauraaa!" Although late by one step, Charl also deployed her IS, [Raphael Revive Custom II]. Both of them safely controlled their units to run through the arena no.6 course, and then ascended to the central tower''s outer circumference. I see.... So that''s how you accelerate. Charl and Laura, I grasped their piloting method while looking at each of their terminal screens. They have different methods of acceleration, but the similarity in their brake timing becomes a very good reference for me. "Ichika, how is it?" Laura and Charl returned a few moments later. "Yeah, welcome back. As expected, you''re good aren''t you? Both Charl and Laura?" "Just this much is basic stuff. I didn''t do anything special." "Just as expected of the representative candidate students. I''ve learned a lot." "Yup. You should dedicate yourself to learning." After briefly visiting each personal IS users (Rin is in class 2 so she''s not here), I started to tune my unit again. "Orimura-kun, how was it?" "Ah, Yamada-sensei. Well, Just as expected, everyone''s really amazing aren''t they?" "Orimura-kun should do his best too. Cannonball Fast is a battle race where you can obstruct the other participant, that''s why dogfighting[6C 19] is also important for winning the race." "It will be hard since I have only one long range weapon....but I''ll do my best." "That''s right! Since we''re here, how about having a mock battle with me? Of course, under the Cannonball Fast condition of high-speed maneuver battle." "Huh, is it okay?" Yamada-sensei''s unexpected suggestion surprised me instead. To be able to train under real battle conditions would be extremely helpful. "Yes! My suit is already adjusted for high-speed maneuver battle too, so I can start right away." "Then, please take care of me." "Okay?" Yamada-sensei, whose face held a huge smile, deployed her IS [Raphael Revive]. This unit, unlike Charl''s customed unit, is closer to the default. The pair of physical shields is the signature of this unit. "By the way, the shield will be used as side thruster for this. For expansion thrusters, there are 3 of them in the back side." While saying that, Yamada-sensei unveiled her IS. In addition to a shield placement on the side, the three large thruster on the back seemed to appeal for their existence. "Uwah, that''s quite rugged isn''t it. Laura''s and Charlotte''s weren''t that big." "These expansion thrusters were originally meant for atmospheric breakaway before being converted into this. That''s why, as a trade-off for using rocket fuel, it has become this big." "Wha!? Wouldn''t rocket fuel cause an explosion?" "As far as I know, the security measure for that is perfect, so it''s okay. Look, if I set it up like this, the absolute-defense barrier''s range gets wider." "I see..." Now that I have been at the academy for around 5 months, I''ve managed to remember general IS-related information. That being said, it''s all thanks to Yamada-sensei''s after school supplementary lessons. "Then, let''s begin. Are you done getting ready, Orimura-kun?" "Ah, yes" I called [Byakushiki] and deployed it. After that, both of us lined up at the start line. "Then, let''s start! .....3, 2, 1, Go-!" "!" My field of vision suddenly felt constricted. And then suddenly released at once, my field of vision became vividly clear. This unique feeling of the field of vision for high-speed maneuver, I somehow got used to it after experiencing it for the second time today. [Orimura-kun, you really are a fast learner, aren''t you? Well then, I''m going to ascend okay?] "Yes." I replied to Yamada-sensei through a private channel, and followed after her. Let''s try the accelerating technique that Charl showed earlier. Just before entering the curving track, I decelerated, and then accelerated right away to get past it. Alright! It worked well! While preserving the balance using the thruster''s output, I tried Laura''s burst-accelerating style. After spontaneously decelerating, I raised my speed at once to slip past the solid curve, and I lined up next to Yamada-sensei just after that. Alright, I managed to catch-uppp!? Suddenly, Yamada-sensei pointed her hand to her back and fired a machine gun. - Damn it! I forgot that this is a combat race! "Orimura-kun, you''re quite good but you still have a long way to go." "Kuh!" At the end position of the side roll that I did to avoid the machine gun fire, I receive a timed grenade attack. "!!" *Bang!* The grenade exploded right in front of me. Getting caught on the explosion, I was thrown out of course. Hitting the floor because of gravity, even if IS has an automatic response against attack function, my whole body still hurts. Raising my body, I saw Yamada-sensei descending. "Good work, Orimura-kun." "Thank you." Just as expected of Japan''s ex-representative candidate student. I''m no match for her skillful IS-control. I wonder if she''s the same person as the one who destroyed herself during the entrance examination... I once again thought, had she not experienced some stage panic, I might have been completely beaten during the test. "Can you stand?" "Ah, yes. Somehow." I used the thruster to raise my body up, and then slowly lowered my feet to the ground. "Well then, sensei will go see the other students'' condition." "Ah, okay. Thank you very much." "Not at all." Yamada-sensei bowed with a smile, and then she went to the practice suit group''s side, who has been struggling hard. Maybe I should re-check the adjustment one more time. After that, I spent one hour of the self-study period to re-adjust my IS. ? "Haaa-..... Today was really tiring." Since today is finally the day before the tournament, I end up receiving Laura''s extra hard training until the usage time for the arena just barely ended. [Listen! The important thing in a high speed maneuver battle is a composed judgment. And also, a swift action based on that judgment is required. Do you get it?] [Evade, counter-attack, defend. The judgment to decide those in an instant right? I thought I''ve gotten much better at those though.] [No, you''re still too soft. In the first place, your energy shield usage is too inefficient. If you didn''t use it when evading, you might not need to decelerate.] [I see.] [Then, let''s practice on it right away.] [A-Alright!] It ended up continuing for two hours.... Dragging my body to return to my room, I showered right away. Along with my sweat that''s washed and swept by the hot water, my fatigued senses became clear right away. "Fuu..." Coming out from the shower and wearing some clothes, I jumped towards my bed, and landed on my back. Even so, although I thought I already was more or less accustomed to it, just as expected, high-speed maneuver battle is really different from normal isn''t it... *Kon* *Kon* "Hmm? Yesss." Being called with a knock, I headed to the door. Opening the door, Laura was standing there. "Huh? What''s wrong?" "No..., well..., I was thinking if you want to have dinner together..." Laura unusually stumbled upon her words. The attitude too, she seemed to be unable to calm down and kept fidgeting. "Hmm? Huh? You look quite cute." "!!" "I haven''t seen that clothes before. Why is it?" Laura''s clothes is a long one piece dress. That slender silhouette matched really well with her slender body and its black color contrasted with her silver hair to make her look pretty. That string belt nonchalantly wrapping her hip looks like some kind of stitched ornament and it drew my eyes. "T-This is! C-Charlotte bought this for me yesterday!" "I seee. It looks nice doesn''t it. You look like a lady from somewhere when you wear that." "L-Lady...!?" "Now then, shall we go for dinner?" "....Lady....lady..." "Laura" "!? I-It''s nothing! Dinner isn''t it! L-Let''s go then!" Those limbs of her started moving awkwardly and her right hand and right leg moved forward at the same time. "W-What''s wrong? Are you okay?" "E-eei! Shut up shut up!" Smack, my back was chopped by Laura. .....Why? "It''s your fault.....because everything is your fault!" "Uwa! Wait, stop it! .....Aaah geez!" I took Laura''s hand that had been doing a chopping dance, and swept her feet out from under her using the basics of Aikido. "!!" Laura''s petite body casually floated. Using that chance, I slid my body along the floor and embraced Laura. "Wha, wha...!" "Calm down. Really." "U, umu..." Laura who looks just like she''s being princess cradled, stopped rampaging and slowly nodded in my arms. Managing to stop the chop dance for the present, I brought Laura to the dining hall in that position. "Kyaaa!? What is it, what is it? Why the princess cradle!?"[6C 20] "Bodewig-san''s so lucky...." "Me too! I want that too next!" "Aaah! Somehow, the fact that it suits them so much feels mortifying!" ...Damn it. Right after we entered the dining hall, we were found by all the girls present there. Actually, the fact that we didn''t meet with anyone until we arrived here is really strange. No, there''s not time to think about that right now. I have to do something about these girls. "......" "Laura, I''m going to put you down okay?" "Aaa, yeah...." I put Laura, who answered in a disappointed tone for some reason, on the floor. Anyway, she sure is light, isn''t she. Girls'' bodies are really light, aren''t they. """Orimura-kun!""" "Ah, I don''t give this kind of service." "Why!?" "It''s not fair to do it only for Laura!" "That''s right, that''s right!" I somehow managed to pacify all the girls complaining with a "boo" and made them return to their seats. Such conversation took close to 5 minutes. "Haa, it''s always noisy every time...." "......" Laura folded her arm, as if embracing those 2 hands that I touched earlier, while her cheeks were dyed pink. "Hey, Laura, what are you going to eat? I think I''m going to eat the mugitoro gohan set meal." "......." "Heeeyy, Laura. Lauraaaa." "W-What is it!?" "I''ve been asking, what''re you going to eat." "I-Is that so! Then, fruits salad and choco pu..." "Choco?" "N-No! It''s nothing! I didn''t mean that!" "Ah, you mean the choco pudding? That one''s tasty, isn''t it." "......" "Even so, it''s unexpected isn''t it. I''ve always thought Laura doesn''t eat those kind of things." "B-Because I was given one by Charlotte before and it turned out tasty..." "Is that so. Then, let''s not hold back today and eat it shall we?" "U, umu..." Just like that, me and Laura took our dinner and arrived at the table. By the way, the mugitoro gohan set meal is a set meal with fried pork giblets and grated yam put on a boiled barley and rice. If you ask me what''s tasty about it, it''s the special wasabi gravy put on the fried pork giblets that makes it first-class in tastiness. The burning spiciness from the sauce being poured by the mugitoro gohan is a secret happiness of mine. "Even so, Laura, are you sure you have enough for dinner with just that?" "You''re the one who said that it''s more healthy not to eat much for dinner, weren''t you...." "Ah, that one huh? But, if you''re not on a diet, it''s not like you have to force yourself right? Laura is so light too..." "L-Light you said!?" "Waaah, wait! Don''t get mad! It''s okay isn''t it, being light!" "That''s....true, but..... Jeez...." As if still not fully content, Laura returned her hand to the fruits salad. That figure of eating salad while wearing a one piece dress is just like a CM or a scene from a movie. I... I might be a little enchanted by it... "? What was that?" "N-No, nothing at all." "Is that so." Me and Laura returned to eating our meal. With that, suddenly, our conversation stopped, but this is usual. "........." "........." Both me and Laura don''t dislike a lack of conversation such as this. On the contrary, this way there''s a clear distinction between calm times like these, and the noisy school''s life, and I feel relaxed because of it. "Ichika." "Hmm?" Unusually, Laura called out. I stopped my hand that I used to eat and raised my face. "Finally, it''s tomorrow isn''t it." "Cannonball Fast, isn''t it? I have to do my best." "I''m gonna say this now, I''m not going to lose, you know." "Yeah. Right back at you." With just that few words, Laura and me started eating again. Being my first high-speed maneuver official match, the feeling of nervousness and anticipation about the unknown, swelled out from my chest. ? Cannonball Fast match day. The grounds are saturated with people, and the sky is filled with fireworks that let out thunderous claps. "Oooh, the weather sure is clear isn''t it." While looking up at the autumn''s clear sky, I obstructed the sun rays using my hand. Today''s program is, first, the second year''s race, after that, it will be the first years with personal IS race, followed by the first years training unit race. And then, it will be an exhibition race from the third years. "Ichika, you are already here. Get ready, quickly." "Alright, Houki. Well, I''ve been thinking, a lot of people has come to watch, don''t you think?" "Aa, seems like it''s because of the aforementioned IS industry related personnel and government related personnel coming. Many of the spectators are just guards for said people." Even leaving those aside, to have this many attendants assembled, has once again taught me about the fact that IS has a lot of attention on it. Even so, in front of this large number of adults, somehow I have to get a result that''s not embarrassing. Now that you mention it, where was Ran seated again? Ummm.... While remembering the seat''s number, I turned my eyes to that direction. Looking for Ran using the IS'' zoom function, suddenly my ears were being pulled. "Ouchouchouch!?" "Come quickly! Really....it''s not like you''re a child or something." "L-Look here! The one treating me like a child is y... ouchouchouch!" "The teachers are going to get mad at me if you don''t come!" "I understand! I understand so let me go!" "Really." Uwaaah, it hurts. I thought my ears were going to be torn off. However, well, it''s also true that there''s no point dawdling here, so I also returned to the pit. I hope Ran doesn''t get lost. ....Well, there''s no way that is going to happen, I guess ? "Ummm....F45...F45...." Ran was walking while looking downward, checking her seat number on the map at her hand. *Don!* "Kya!?" "Huh?" Because she was walking while looking for her seat, sure enough, she bumped into someone. Ran hurriedly regained her composure and bowed her head. "I... I''m sorry." "No, it''s okay. Don''t worry about it." The other party is an older woman with fluttering, beautiful blond hair, who releases her overflowing adult''s charm. Uwaaah...what a beautiful woman.... She should be around the later half of her twenties, I think. Her body, which is covered with a gorgeous red suit, is the figure of a woman at her peak. Her eyes were covered by sharp model sunglasses. Such voluptuous breasts, slender waist, and tight hip would attract people''s eyes regardless of their gender. Ran compared her own figure to that person''s, and she shrank, thinking about her inferior body. "Are you hurt?" "N-No. I''m sorry." "Is that so, I''m glad. Then, please be careful." "Y-Yes." The blond woman slightly waved her hand, and Ran slipped past her through the side. Just before they passed each other, the gold earrings on her ears slowly shined. J-Just as expected from an IS-related event. People from all over the world have come to this event, haven''t they? Ran unintentionally looked down to her chest. I''m still in my growing period so it should be okay....right?. Ran, who had finally found her seat around 10 minutes after that, sat there and excitedly waited for the start of the race. To think that I''ll be able to see Ichika-san''s figure in an IS, live! Furthermore, today, there''s also the birthday party after this event. Ran forgot about her usual Student Council President self, who puts on a cool and calm front, and her heart bounced around just like a child waiting for a circus show to start. ? Waaa.....! A grand cheering sound could be heard even in the pit. The 2nd year race is taking place now. It seems like a dead heat battle, with the participants overtaking each other, a big free-for-all where the winner can''t be decided up until the end. "Huh? Is this 2nd year''s Sara Welkin, England''s representative candidate student?" "That''s right. She doesn''t have a personal IS, but she''s an excellent pilot." I also learned some piloting skill from her, added Cecilia. She already deployed [Blue Tears]''s high-speed maneuver package, [Strike Gunner]. She''s really motivated isn''t she. I won''t lose either. Just like her, I also deployed my IS and started getting ready for the race. Beside me and Cecilia, the other participants, Houki, Rin, Laura, and Charl were already waiting in the pit. "Even so, Rin''s package is really bulky isn''t it." "Fufun. Nice isn''t it. The maximum speed of this package won''t lose even to Cecilia''s." That high-speed maneuver package [Feng], besides the thruster that looks like 4 expansion thrusters stacked together, there''s also the additional chest armor that extends forward. ....Could it be, is she going to ram into others using that.... The [Impact Cannons] are facing the sides, I think they''re configured for interference fire. It really is up to Cannonball Fast''s specification isn''t it. In that regards, Rin might have the most advantage between us. Cecilia''s package is originally designed for breaking away from a raid, and the other members'' IS have a makeshift high-speed maneuver specification. Rin, the only one whose IS is completely tuned for the Cannonball Fast specifications, is one step ahead of us. "Fuun. I''ll teach you that a battle is not solely decided by the weapon that is used." The one saying that cool line is Houki. In the end, it seems that she''ll be dealing with the energy insufficiency by manually controlling the fold-out armor. "A battle is all about the flow. The one who takes control of the flow will win." Laura, who equipped 3 additional thrusters on the back joined in the conversation. Even if it''s not personalized equipment, she seems to also have some confidence in the race since the new thruster model is pretty good efficiency-wise. "Everyone, let''s go all out on the fight" The one summing it up by saying that was Charl. Just like Laura, she also equipped 3 additional thrusters, 2 on her left and right shoulder and 1 on her back. The custom wing thrusters that have been fitted onto Charl''s unit, which was already custom made in the first place, have transformed into a shape that further increases the output thrust. "Everyone, are you ready? Please move to the starting line." Yamada-sensei''s voice, which has become a little leisurely, resounded. Each one of us nodded, and started to move to the starting line by following the guidance marker. [Byakushiki]''s condition is also good today, so I have to do my best. [Now, the first year personal IS user''s race will begin!] The loud announcement echoed. We all reached our starting position, and began to ignite our thrusters. *Hyuuuuuiiii......* Pulling down the hyper sensor visor used for high-speed maneuver, I focused all my senses. Over the center of the full-house audience, the signal lamp lighted up. 3.....2.....1.....Go! "......!" The scenery was distorted for an instant due to the sudden acceleration. Soon after, the vision field caught up to the speed due to the support of the hyper sensor, but no matter what, I still got bewildered for an instant during the start of the acceleration. Cecilia rushed out first didn''t she...! In the blink of an eye, the first corner was passed, and Cecilia managed to gain the lead. "Ichika, I''m going first!!" Rin, who said that, suddenly began a fight. "H-Hey!" "I got you, Cecilia!" The [Impact Cannon] that was facing sideways was directed forward and continuously shot. Cecilia rolled to evade those shots. With that movement, Rin used an explosive acceleration to overtake her. "Kuh! Not bad!" "Hehen! Too slow!" "-how naive." "!?" Matching her timing with Rin''s acceleration, Laura who followed her right behind came forward. It seems she used the slipstream with her IS to wait for a chance. "Damn it!" "Too slow!" Although she tried to direct her [Impact Cannon] hastily, Laura''s large caliber revolver cannon was fired a bit faster. It wasn''t a direct hit, but in a high-speed maneuver state, being shot at got Rin strayed quite far from the course line. Furthermore, Laura''s diversionary fire reached me as well and separated us even further. "Kuh! Just as expected, Laura is really strong!" I also accelerated to catch up to her, but the difference got bigger at every corner. "Ichika, I''m going first." "Heyy, even Charl too?" "It''s because timing is the most important thing in Cannonball Fast. Well then." Charl, who further increased her output power, closely pressed Laura. Just when I was going to focus my senses to follow after them closely, a red laser jumped in. "This is - Houki!" "I''m sorry, but could you let me through!" "As if I''ll let you do that easily!" [Akatsubaki]''s katana, which can be used for both short and long range, released lasers while Houki closed in on me. I deployed [Setsura]''s beam claw and began to shoot it. "Not bad!" "As if I''ll let you shoot me down that easily!" Cecilia and Rin added their attacks to us, who were dog-fighting in close range. *Don!* The [Impact Cannon]''s bullet and [Blue Tears]'' cannon rounds hit the shock absorbing wall and exploded. "The race is not over!" "The real race has just started!" The climax of the battle race. When it entered the second lap, an incident occurred. Suddenly, an IS that came flying from the sky shot at Laura and Charl, who were on the lead. "!?" "That''s....[Silent Zephyrs]!!" Without even directing his gaze at Laura and Charl who went off course, the sudden aggressor''s lips curved upwards to reveal a smirk. Volume 6 - CH 4 "Kyaaa!"[6D 1] Someone''s scream could be heard. Because of the sudden turn of events, the tournament''s organizer was left not knowing how to react, and panic spread through the audience. "Calm down! Everyone, calm down and go to the shelter!" The staff''s voice reverberated, but no one listened to the transmission. "Kya...!" Ran was bumped by someone''s arm and knocked off balance. About to fall, her body was caught by a gentle hand. "Are you okay?" "Y-Yes...." The hand''s owner was Tatenashi. Today, Ran''s heart throbbed to an older beauty twice. Uwaa, so cool.... "Geez, this is really troubling. For now, until the chaos subsides, it''s better to stay away from the pathway. Come here." Having her arms naturally pulled, Ran followed Tatenashi. Ran was led to a staff room beyond a door that could only be opened by authorized people. "Well then, onee-chan has a little something to do so please stay here for the time being." "Umm..." "If someone comes, please explain to them that the student council president told you to stay here." "S-Student council president..." She''s a student council president herself, but clearly unlike that lady, who can make a clear distinction on what''s important in front of her, Ran was very nervous and unable to calm down. "See ya." That throwing finger pose she made looked so cool. Ran was dumbfounded for a while after Tatenashi left and was unable to move. ....Wha!? She remembered the moment where the offender trespassed into the race and began firing its cannon toward Ichika. He should be okay, right?....Ichika-san.... Along with the hands that grabbed each other tightly, just like a prayer, a wish was made. ? "Are you okay! Laura, Charl!"" I immediately moved to the side of those two, who had crashed into the wall, and deployed Setsura''s energy shield. In the next instant, attacks from the BT rifle were raining down. "Kuh...!!" "Ichika-san! Leave that IS to me!" "Cecilia!? Hey!" "BT unit 2 [Silent Zephyrs]....! This time surely!" Not heeding to my call, Cecilia headed towards the assaulter - Silent Zephyrs - alone. But, unlike a normal operation, Cecilia was equipped with the high-speed maneuver package, and so, her Bits'' shooting ability had been sealed. A reduction in the firepower of that large BT rifle that also seemed to be intended, was also something that couldn''t be avoided. "Ichika! I''ll depend on you for defense!" Rin hastily aided Cecilia, who had just left towards the Silent Zephyrs. Cecilia''s beam shot, and Rin''s shock wave cannon aimed and fired at once towards the enemy. "You''re not getting away!" "Gooooo!" But, Silent Zephyrs didn''t even evade the attacks, and a defiant smile surfaced on the pilot''s face. Right when the attacks made contact, Pang, an umbrella shaped beam surfaced. "Wh...!?" "Kuh! Just as expected, a shield bit.... Rin-san! Let''s do a multi-directional attack!" "Don''t boss me around! Geez, I''ll do it anyway!" Cecilia and Rin''s simultaneous attack started. As if to match that, Silent Zephyrs soared. "That''s the unit that was plundered from England...." "Laura! Are you good enough to move?" "No, I''m still unable to enter the battlefield directly. At least I''ll give some fire support with my cannon." After saying that, Laura raised her body, faced Silent Zephyrs and began the bombardment. But, as if she was being mocked because of the overwhelming difference in the specs of the machines, she was unable to catch the Silent Zephyrs'' figure. "Ku!" While taking on both Cecilia and Rin, the fluttering Silent Zephyrs flew through the sky, as if it was dancing. "Ichika! Leave this here to me! Go with Houki to Cecilia''s location!" "Charl! What''s your damage level?!" "The thrusters completely died off. I can still fly using the PIC, but against that unit I won''t be able to catch up." Saying those words, Charl disconnected the additional thrusters in her unit. Those crumpled and crushed things won''t be able to fly through the sky anymore, will they? "I''m going to defend Laura while she does the support bombardment, so go, Ichika!" "Got it!" Leaving Laura''s defense to Charl, I flew towards Silent Zephyrs. On the way, I met up with Houki, and together brought the battle a close quarter combat with a linked attack. "Uoooo!" "......" Silent Zephyrs accepted the challenge with the bayonet that''s attached to the tip of its rifle. I attacked continuously using Yukihira Ni-gata in my right hand and Setsura Claw Normal Blade mode in my left hand, but just like before, the shield bit blocked my attack with miraculous timing and, I couldn''t make any decisive hit. "What''s your target! [Phantom Task]!" ".....What a joke." "Wha!?" Parrying Yukihira Ni-gata, a kick came down on me. "Gu!" "Ichika!" Thanks to Houki''s charge I barely managed to escape from the rifle''s point-blank attack. But, Silent Zephyrs - who had just done that - used the Flexible BT attack. The beam flexibly bent in its path and locked on to me. "Uoooo!!" Changing Setsura to Shield Mode, I somehow blocked that attack. But, I crashed into the wall on my back because of that. "Gaha!" Seeing me wide open, Silent Zephyrs didn''t let the chance go. "Die..." *Bakan!* The splited from its center rifle was aimed at me at max power. The electrical discharge shaped energy that overflowed from that rifle was released in my direction - ? "Fufu, as expected of M. To hold her ground while facing that many personal IS users." While looking at the assaulter, at M''s battle, beyond her sunglasses, the woman narrowed her eyes as if she was enjoying it. Looking at her clearly, it''s the lady that bumped into Ran earlier. "Even so, it''s actually not that great isn''t it. I wish they could work harder though." Behind her, a voice called out for this lady that just sighed. "Ara, for someone who forcibly participated in the event, isn''t that remark a little too much?" The lady didn''t turn around. She already knew whose voice called for her. - Sarashiki Tatenashi, while being IS academy student council president, she''s a genius who has already attained the right of freely choosing her nationality while still being a student. She''s currently Russia''s representative. Not a representative candidate, but a representative. "IS [Gustoi Touman Moskwa (Moscow''s Deep Mist)] isn''t it? Your unit''s name?" "That''s its old name. It''s called [Mysterious Lady] now." "I see." The woman turned back. In an instant, a glistening knife was thrown. "A woman without manners isn''t attractive, you know." Tatenashi, who deployed her IS in an instant, repelled it using the whip sword [Rusty Nail]. And then just like that, she used that sword which bends just like a whip to aim at the woman. "You too, aren''t you quite rude to someone you''ve just met for the first time?" While taking off her sunglasses, the woman deployed the arm part of her own IS and blocked the whip sword''s attack with it. "[Phantom Task], what''s your target I wonder?" "Ara, there''s no way I''m gonna tell you ain''t I? Since we finally managed to make a good situation too." "Then I''m going to hear it even if I have to force it from your mouth." "I wonder if you''re up to the task? Sarashiki Tatenashi-san?" "I already said I will, [Squall (Heavy Rain)]." Letting go of the whip sword, she called out her spear at the same time. That thing which has a 4-barrel gatling gun inside of it, made some kind of formation and fired at once. *Dododododo-!!*[6D 2] "....." Tatenashi managed to accurately grasp her opponent, but there was no leeway in her face. Squall''s figure was encompassed by a yellow cocoon, and not even one bullet managed to reach her. "How about we stop this?" "...." "Your unit won''t be able to break through mine. You also know this right?" "If you can''t win, if you can''t defeat the enemy, then you shouldn''t fight. That might be a wise choice - but!" Tatenashi changed the water veil into a blade, and shifted to an offensive move at once. "I am Sarashiki Tatenashi, IS academy''s student council president, and that''s why I will at least conduct myself in a way that befits that title...!" Swiftly evading the blow of the high-speed assault caused by the lance that was clad in a water drill, Squall once again threw her knife. "Such a thing!" The blade of water cut the knife to pieces. But, in that instant a big explosion occurred originating from it. "!?" A thick black smoke enveloped her. Of course, for an IS, this level of sight impediment was the same as nothing, but in Tatenashi''s hyper sensor, she could see the figure of Squall escaping. "Kuh.... With this, it''s the 2nd time in a row I let the enemy escape, isn''t it." In a direct confrontation, Tatenashi was quite capable. But, if the enemy focuses on fleeing, there''s a chance she would be unable to stop the enemy from escaping. Also, because she is a human, it is impossible everything could go perfectly. Haa.... Lately, I haven''t shown anything good, have I. I have no right to make fun of Ichika-kun, right. Unlike her usual easygoing attitude, a truly mortified Tatenashi stood there. ? "Kyaa!?" "Rin!?" Rin, who received Silent Zephyr rifle''s maximum power attack, was fiercely blown away. "M-Moron! Why are you covering for me....Hey! Rin!" "You''re so noisy....It''s because you''re so stupid.... Geho geho[6D 3]!" "Rin!!" Rin, who took the blow in my place, faced me to punch me, and then lost consciousness. I think it was probably because the Absolute Defense Field ability of the IS, that makes the pilot lose their consciousness when it receives a critical damage, activated. I also experienced it once during the summer, and it was quite tough. "Damn it!!" I raised my body, but at that point, Setsura''s energy had already been depleted. And then once again, this time in a shield-less condition, Silent Zephyrs'' attack was directed at me. "I won''t let you!" Right before firing, this time it''s Cecilia who comes in the space between me and Silent Zephyrs. Furthermore, it was not to become a shield, instead she made use of the high-maneuver package high output to do a body ram attack. "Cecilia!" "Ichika-san, use this chance to go to Houki-san for a resupply! I''ll take over this place until then!" Cecilia soared as if to pin down Silent Zephyrs, and just like that she pushed into the arena''s shield barrier. Firing her thruster to rush at the shield as if to crash the enemy to it for many times, the barrier finally broke during the fourth charge. "Damn you...." "This BT unit-01 [Blue Tears]''s power, I''ll show it to you to your heart''s content!" From the crevice of the broken barrier, 2 blue units flew out. Accelerating together at once, they flew to the town area. "Kuh! Cecilia, wait for me!" I took Houki''s hand, which was flying this way, and requested a resupply as soon as she could. "Please, Houki! Initiate [Kenran Butou]!" "T-That''s... not something that can be used conveniently like that...." "Please somehow do something about it! Cecilia alone won''t be able to restrain that machine!" I shook Houki from my impatience. But, it seemed that my desperation was conveyed to her, and Houki nodded with strength. "I-I got it. I''ll give it a try." Houki touched my shoulder. I naturally knelt, and lowered my head. "Alright! Please do!" ".....The same feeling as that time. I - " Houki closed her eyelids to fully concentrate her senses. "I - want to fight together with Ichika. I want to be Ichika''s strength...." Bunnn.... "Answer me, Akatsubaki! Haaaaa!!" At that moment, from the shoulder that was touched by Houki, a warm torrent could be felt. "T-This is.... It works, Ichika! I managed to initiate [Kenran Butou]!" "Aa! Thanks, Houki!" "I-It''s nothing.... I''m satisfied if I can be of help to you." "Then, I leave this place to you. Please resupply Rin''s energy too." "Leave it to me. You should go after Cecilia right away." "Aa!" After replying, I turned my thruster output to the max. "I''m coming now, Cecilia!" ? Kuh! Just as expected, she''s strong...!! While keeping her pace with her enemy, Cecilia directed the high-output BT long rifle [Blue Pierce] towards Silent Zephyrs. But, as if carefully aiming for that attack timing, the distance between them opened again due to the obstruction from the barrage and shield bit. "......" M disinterestedly repeated her attacks toward Cecilia over and over again while keeping her silence. Accuracy, overwhelming barrage speed, and to top it all, Flexible (Deviation Shoot), were making Cecilia suffer. I will get hit sooner or later if it stays this way. Now that things have come to this....! Cecilia summoned the closed range blade [Interceptor] into her tightly clenching hand, and charged at Silent Zephyrs at once. "I got you!" "Fun...." M, as if to say she''ll play the game, summoned a knife to her left hand and started a close range battle with Cecilia. *Kin!* When the two blades hit each other, a sharp sound and sparks flew. "Ku..!" A close ranged battle in a supersonic condition harshly consumed a person''s mental power. But, Cecilia, as if to say that she won''t lose even in obstinacy, refused to back down. *Kin*, *Gin!* *Ga....Gin!*[6D 4] While the one handed close quarter battle continued, M dared to decrease her speed. And then, the chasing Cecilia came almost crashing into the high-speed road''s multi-level crossing point which suddenly entered her field vision. "You!!" Cecilia who got out from the dangerous situation using Alley Roll (High speed rotating maneuver) was enraged at M who laughed as if to make fun of her. She intends to play around with me!? Cecilia swung downward her blade once again. But, with a flash, that blade was repelled and flew away. "!?" "...You''re already dead." It was a cold voice that made you tremble. And then, a merciless barrage poured down on Cecilia''s whole body. "Aa!" The shield energy was gone at once, and the rifle that was in her left hand was destroyed. Just when she thought she would get wounded from crashing to the ground, Cecilia barely managed to do an emergency pull-out just before she reached the ground. "It''s over." From the rifle tip that was installed with a bayonet, a blue light was released. "Not...yet. I still have my trump card!" Shouting, Cecilia hit the trigger inside her heart. High-speed maneuver package [Strike Gunner]. Out of all the techniques to redirect all of the propulsion power of the bit, it was technique that was said to be a forbidden maneuver, a technique that must never be used - "Haaaaaaaa!? Blue Tears Full Burst!" Simultaneous shots from all of the closed cannon mouth. A simultaneous discharge of four cannons that blew away the parts. This was something that could be said to be the worst situation, dismantling a unit in mid-air. But, for Cecilia who couldn''t use Flexible (Deviation Shoot), this was the highest level of attack that could be said to have the timing of a finishing blow. "This is your trump card? Don''t make me laugh!" M raised her voice. And then, together with a laughing voice, she evaded all of Cecilia''s shots with high speed rolls. "Wha!?" "Die." *Zaku!* The bayonet pierced Cecilia''s two arms. "Aaaaah!" A scream escaped due to the extreme pain. Hearing that voice, M''s lips evilly contorted. "-Please, Blue Tears - " Cecilia directed both her pierced right and left hands, that were no longer able to grasp anything, toward M. Inside her heart, a blue drop of water fell. That drop of water that fell on the water''s surface made a wide ripple. Aah, is that so. Blue Tears is, in a word - ".....?" M was unable to figure out Cecilia''s plan. And, a smile slowly surfaced on Cecilia''s face. "Bang." She made a pistol shape with her hand. There was nothing fired from that fingertip. But, the next instant, M was pierced by 4 beams from behind her. "!?" A technique that could only be used with a highly skilled manipulation of BT energy, Flexible (Deviation Shoot). Cecilia finally managed to make that technique her own in the last moment, but her unit that lost its propulsion power in supersonic condition was unable to maintain its appearance and started to break down. So this is as far as I can go isn''t it..... But, I managed to return a blow. Cecilia accepted her defeat with a sportsman''s-like attitude. But, at the moment she gave up, a voice reached her. "Sorry to make you wait!" Byakushiki, rushing in at full blast, cut Silent Zephyrs'' rifle, and used its hand to take back Cecilia. ? "Cecilia! Get a hold of yourself!" "Ara[6D 5], Ichika-san.... Fufu, you''re late." "Sorry about that!" "Can''t be helped. I''ll forgive you with a....date...." "!? Hey, Cecilia! Cecilia!" Cecilia''s vital signs were sent from the hyper sensor toward the shouting me. It seems she just lost consciousness. Pushing yourself too hard, geez... I found a building''s roof where it seemed I could get down, and landed there. It seems the IS stopped the bleeding in the wounds on her arms..... But, it could be bad if it''s not tended to quickly. At IS academy, there''s a facility that''s on the same level as a university''s hospital. For the time being, let''s bring her back to the academy. "....!" I, who was about to stand up and fly away, got startled and stopped my movement. Silent Zephyrs was coldly looking down at us with its back facing the sun. There''s an icy presence accompanying that gaze, like the pressure you feel when there''s a knife pointed in point blank range at your neck. "You bastard....." I scowled at the enemy that hurt Cecilia. The enemy''s face can''t be seen because of the visor, but the enmity I gave out should have reached the enemy. But, what should I do? Can I fight against that IS while protecting Cecilia? But, whether it''s impossible or not, if it''s to protect a friend then I have to do it. I strengthened my resolve, and tightly grasped Yukihira Ni-gata. " - Squall huh, what is it? ........ I got it, I''ll go back." "Wha...?" "...Fun..." Silent Zephyrs glanced at me once, and then turned her back and flew away. "That person, what''s the matter with her...?" Even after Silent Zephyrs left, bound by that unpleasant pressure, I was unable to move for a while. ? "One, two" "Ichika, happy birthday!" With Charl''s voice as the signal, the sound of party crackers reverberated. "Ye-Yes. Thank you." The time is 5 o''clock in the afternoon, the place: Orimura family residence..... it''s fine up to this point. "What''s with this number of people....." Let''s sort out the party members. The usual faces. Houki, Cecilia, Rin, Charl and Laura. And then Ran. There are also my male friends Gotanda Dan and Mitarai Kazuma. Furthermore, there''s the student council members Tatenashi-san, Nohohon-san, and Utsuho-san. On top of that, for unknown reasons, even the ace of newspaper club, Mayuzumi Kaoruko-san, was here. The living room, which wasn''t that big in the first place, almost burst. Haa[6D 6]. I''m concerned about how they can make that much of a noise after that kind of incident. No, it''s the opposite isn''t it. Maybe it''s because it''s after that kind of incident that they want to make some noise. In the end, Phantom Task''s objective is unclear too this time even after the temporary settlement was reached. Seeing the academy''s authorized people''s, including both Chifuyu-nee and Yamada-sensei''s, hurried movements, it seems this is a really big problem isn''t it. It''s because we used IS in the town district after all....." I was also investigated. In the end, I wasn''t released until past 4 o''clock in the afternoon. "U-U-Umm, Ichika-san! I, I baked a cake for you!" "Oo, Ran. How was today? Did you have fun? Well, even if I said that, it got messy midway though." "Y-Yes! Umm, it was great! Ah, please have some of the cake!" "Thank you." I took the plate that Ran held out, and ate the cake on top of the plate. It was a cream and chocolate cake from cocoa based sponge cake. The smooth texture and big volume of cream made a good amount of sweetness unfold inside your mouth when you took a bite out of it. "This tastes really good. Did you make this by yourself?" "Y-Yes!" "You are really good at cooking aren''t you. Hm, you''re going to be a good wife." "W-Wife...!?" "Ichika, here, Ramen." "Owa!? Rin, that''s so sudden." "It''s better while it''s still hot. After all, the noodle is handmade by me. Fufun." Rin boasted while sticking out her chest. Indeed, the noodle floating on the golden soup looks delicious. Could it be that this chashu is hand made too? How elaborate. "Mu, Rin-san..." "Hmm? Ah, I was wondering who it was, so it''s Ran isn''t it? Did your body grow a little bit taller?" "I, I don''t want to be told about that by you!" Rin and Ran, the situation became stormy in an instant. I wonder why these two can''t get along with each other? It''s been like this since our junior high school days. Once, I wanted to ask about the reason, but somehow I got the feeling it will bring unnecessary trouble instead. "T-Then, Itadakimasu." *Slurp* *slurp* I vigorously ate the ramen. The soup that''s nicely coordinated with the noodles tasted very seafood-based-dashi-shiru[6D 7] like. It''s very refreshing and the aftertaste is great. The noodles are also chewy enough, it bounced when you cut it inside the mouth. While chewing on it, the soup and noodles'' refined taste spreads out inside your mouth, it somehow feels relieving. "Hm. This tastes really great. Rin, did your cooking skill improve again?" "Well, more or less! Although I''m a representative candidate student, I also trained to be a b-bride." "Is that so. I see." "...What''s with your lack of response...." "Wha?" "It''s nothing!" I wonder why, Rin is mad at me. For the time being, I put the porcelain bowl down and headed to the kitchen. "Cecilia." "Y-Yes?" The person standing there with the bandaged right hand was Cecilia. Her wound wasn''t a light one, but it seems it will return to normal in a week due to receiving activated regenerative treatment. She was advised to stay in the hospital for today, but she strongly opposed the idea thus she''s attending the birthday party like this. "Your wound, is there no problem? You should rest if it''s painful." "No! This much is not enough to be considered an injury! R-Rather than that, Ichika-san!" "Hmm?" "Happy birthday. And then, please take this." "What''s this box?" "I-It''s a present. Please open it." "Alright." I smoothly removed the packaging paper from it, and then opened the lid. "Ooh? It''s a tea set." "*Gohon*! This is English imperial family''s purveyor, [Einsley]''s high class tea set. Also, I also put inside leaves for first-grade tea that I love to drink inside." "Oo...it looks amazing. Thank you. I''ll treasure it." "N-Not at all. This much is nothing. R-Rather than that, how about next time we - " "Ichika-kun, did you eat well?" "T-Tatenashi-san!? P-Please stop hugging me from behind!" "*Fufun*, it''s fine isn''t it. It''s not like you''ll lose anything." "I will! Such as my pure heart for instance!" "Ara, then it''s just perfect isn''t it. Please console this heart-broken onee-san." "Heart-broken....?" Even while all this happened, Tatenashi-san''s voluptuous chest bulge was pressing on my back. "Wait a minute! Sarashiki-kaichou![6D 8]" Cecilia''s raising her voice. She tried to remove Tatenashi-san from me, but Tatenashi-san''s body was closely glued to me and she wouldn''t move away. "G-Get away from him please!" "An, call me Tatenashi" "That kind of thing doesn''t matter! Please get away from Ichika-san right aw...ouch!" "S-Stupid. Cecilia, your right hand is injured so take it easy. Are you okay?" "I, I''m okay....n-no! I''m not okay. Ichika-san!" "Which one is it...." "*Gohon*! Because my right hand is injured, please feed me the cake." "Y-yes, no problem...." First of all, I took a piece of the cut cake, and then fed Cecilia. "Here, aaahhnnn...." "A, a...." "Aaah!? Cecilia, what are you doing!? Even though this is Ichika''s birthday!" Damn it! Charl found us. Cecilia, who ate the cake with a big bite, closed her eyes and let out a sigh in bliss. "Fuuu... It''s a privilege." "I-Ichika! That''s not fair! Rather, Tatenashi-san what are you doing too! Ah, really!" The restless Charl spoke this and that. ...Somehow, she really understands other people''s problems doesn''t she. "Arara. Well then Cecilia-chan, shall we go that way?" "Yeah. I''m satisfied now so I don''t mind. Ha....?" The two-girls group who seemed satisfied for some reason headed to the living room. I, who was left in the kitchen alone with Charl, pulled out the watch that Charl bought for me when I remembered something. "Thank you for this. I''m going to use this from now on." "Y-Yeah! Please take care of it!" That golden white wristwatch, aside from the usual wristwatch functionality, you can also see current temperature, humidity, weather, and even the latest news too. For the battery used in the wristwatch, of course there''s the latest air battery, solar battery, and there''s even a heat power generator too. This watch sure is amazing. "Next time tell me Charl''s birthday too. I definitely gonna return this favor during that time." "Y-Yeah. I''m looking forward to it." "Even so, today sure is troublesome isn''t it. Who was it, that person." "...why do you change the topic to something like this only when talking with me...." "Huh?" "N-Nothing!" Charl waved her hands. After that she cleared her throat once, and then she gave her opinion. "I heard it was an international terrorist, but if they possess IS then the situation has become grave hasn''t it. It''s because even if it''s only one, depending on the circumstances, it might mean that they possess a military power equal to a country." Of course, every unit has its limit due to the quantum transformation capacity, so it''s still safe as long as they haven''t removed that lock, she added. "Is that so...." "Even the academy side is on alert right now, so it should be safe for now I guess?" "It''ll be nice if that''s the case...." I remembered about that assaulter again. Even if it''s covered behind visors, those eyes looks like it held deep hatred toward me. "........" "Here now, don''t look that grim." "Huh? D-Did I make that kind of grim face?" "Yeah. If you worry about things too much, happiness will run away from you you know. Here, smile, smile." "A-Alright." Charl touched her mouth with her own hand, push the tip of her lips as if to make a smile. That extraordinary smile made my heart bounce a little. "Ah, ummm, Laura said that she wants you to come to the garden later." "Hmm? Then, I guess I''ll go now." "Yeah. See you later, Ichika." Bidding farewell to Charl, I passed through the living room and went outside. "Y-You''re late!" "Uh, sorry." "A, aah, no, you''re not.... it''s actually just me who''s selfishly waiting for you. I retract my previous remark." "Huh? Is that so." To retract her previous remark, it''s rare for Laura to do that. Her awkwardness in adapting and being honest are her selling points though. "I-I-Ichika!" "Wha? -Uwaah!?" Suddenly a knife targeted my neck. I jumped back at once, but when I looked at it closely, the knife actually stopped just right in front of me. I-I thought I was going to be killed.... "I-I''ll give you this knife!" "...What?" "It''s a birthday present! This is the one that I usually use in real battle! Its cutting ability is excellent, and it also has a high endurance. Take it!" "A-Alright!" Taking the knife from Laura''s hand, she also handed me the sheath associated with that knife. That knife, with a blade of length exceeding 20 centimeters, is clearly one that''s used for military use. The black metal exterior released a silent overbearing presence. Needless to say, it''s a [tool for killing]. "Ah." "W-what is it!?" "The grip, it looks cool doesn''t it" "I-Is that so. The holster is quite good too you know. Look!" "Thank you." When the belt on the sheath is put on, it becomes a holster. The sheath was to be positioned horizontally under the armpit, in order to make it easy for the knife to be drawn with just the slightest movement. "....As a fellow warrior, you understand the meaning behind handing my weapon to you, don''t you...." "Huh? What did you say?" "N-nothing! I''m done! I''ll be going now!" "Ah, hey, I said hey!" "W-what is it!?" "Thanks, Laura." "!!" I wonder if it''s because my words were unexpected, or just because she was purely feeling shy, Laura became bright red up to her ears before she went away with a "F-Fuhn!" snuffle. What''s wrong with her, that Laura. "So this is where you''ve been, Ichika." "Aa, Houki? How was it? Did you eat enough?" "It''s your birthday isn''t it. Or what? Do I usually look like I''m eating all the time?: "N-no, that''s not what I meant..." "Fu fu, it''s a joke." I was taken aback by Houki who let a small laugh escape from her. Somehow, it looks like her mood is remarkably good isn''t it. "Ichika, I''ll give you this for your birthday present." Saying that, she handed me a bag. From that not so big bag, I can somehow see a wrapping paper in it. "Houki, this is?" "Open it." Following her words, I took the present from the bag, and removed the wrapping paper. Inside of the wrapping paper was... "Ooh? It''s a kimono." "I-I found a good cloth at my home. I had that sewn into this kimono." "Ooh, I''ll try it next time. Thanks, Houki." "U, umu. I also put the obi inside right?" "Ah, is it this one? It looks expensive." "Don''t worry about the price. That''s.... I-It''s a pair set with mine..." "Hmm?" "Y-you don''t have to hear it!" Houki suddenly became flustered. What''s wrong with her? "Let''s wear it in the dorm next time." "U, umu. Please announce it to me when you plan to wear it beforehand o-okay!?" "Okay, okay. Even so, a kimono isn''t it? I''ve always wanted one." It got a calming pattern too. If it''s like this it seems I can use it as a casual wear in my room. You also always borrow a yukata when you go to an onsen too. That kind of clothing is really relaxing isn''t it. "Rather, somehow this present makes the one I gave you look really worthless doesn''t it." "N-Not at all. I really like this one too so it doesn''t matter." Saying that, Houki played with the ribbon in her ponytail. That white ribbon is the one that I gave as a present on her birthday on 7th July. "........." "You''ve been using it all the time since that day haven''t you? I somehow feel happy about it." "I-It''s not like I use the same one every day you know!?" "I know. Around two times a week right?" "Uu.... You really pay a lot of attention to it didn''t you." "Because it''s Houki after all." "I-Is that so.... So it''s because it is me isn''t it...." Could it be that she''s happy being paid attention to, Houki''s blushing at her cheek and fidgeting with her fingers. As someone who knows her usual demeanor, when she shows this kind of meek demeanor somehow my heart would mysteriously throb. "I-I-Ichika, next time, that''s...." "Hmm? Hey, that''s Dan and Utsuho-san isn''t it? I wonder what they''re doing. I can''t hear what they''re talking about from here." "H-Hey. Eavesdropping is not good you know." "It''s fine, it''s fine, just a little." I pulled Houki''s arm and went closer to the living room where the two of them resided. "S-So we meet again huh? Ahaha...." "T-That''s right..." "....." "....." ""Umm, hey"" After the silence, the two of them opened their mouth at the same time. They respectively realized about this, and then averted their gaze from each other. "P-Please go ahead..." "N-No, you go first..." ""......."" And then, the silence continued once again. Both of their faces became bright red. "What are they doing?" "Beats me. Usually people would ask for a contact address first aren''t they?" "Aa, something like an email address." "Hey, this is enough isn''t it. Let''s go back while we still haven''t been found out." "Okay." I, who left that place in a hurry, suddenly realized that I''ve been holding Houki''s hand all this while. "Ah, sorry." "N-No, that''s....I-It''s not like, that''s, it doesn''t bother me at all....." "Is that so. Then, let''s go back to everyone shall we?" "Y-Yeah!" Houki and me returned to the sofa at the living room together. In there''s the board game that Rin played with everyone spread out. Just like this, these fun moments passed in the blink of an eye. Volume 6 - Epilogue "Ooh, what a relief. It hasn''t run out yet." The vending machine closest to my house. I bought around 10 cans of drinks there to replenish the stock that had run out at home. In the beginning, Charl said "We can''t have the birthday boy to do something like that!", but today I didn''t do anything at all, so doing this was my own wish. "Ummm, canned coffee for Tatenashi-san, ocha for Houki, Rin''s is oolong tea and Charl''s is orange juice, Laura''s is sports drink, Cecilia''s is red tea, and then...." I picked up the drinks that I took from the vending machine''s receive slot and carried them using both of my arms. "Is this all? Well then, let''s head back..." But, from the place that I walked out from, on the spot that the vending machine''s light barely reached, a person''s silhouette could be seen. "What the...?" Even if that person wanted to buy some drinks, the place he''s standing at was too far away from the vending machine. On the other hand, it''s definitely not someone I know too. Thinking like that, when I took two steps forward, the silhouette also came forward a step. "......." The silhouette was a girl. Furthermore, it was a face that I recognized. No, it''s not something that can be said by "a face that I recognized". "Chi-Chifuyu-nee...?" A girl around 15- to 16 years old. But, that face abnormally resembled Chifuyu-nee. "No." The girl opened her mouth. A faint smile surfaced on that face, and that expression doesn''t resemble Chifuyu-nee even a little bit. "I am you, Orimura Ichika." "Wh-what...?" "Sorry to trouble you earlier..."[6E 1] "!? You, could you be [Silent Zephyr]''s - " "That''s right." The girl took a step toward me. "And my name is - " "Orimura Madoka." Orimura....Madoka? I have never heard that name before, but why does she have the same surname as me?.... No, rather than that. Why does she resemble Chifuyu-nee that much!? "In order for me to be myself....I''ll take your life." The thing that she held out all of a sudden was a handgun that released a dull light. Bang! A dry gunshot sound reverberated - . Volume 7 - CH 1 *PAM!!* "Wha...!?" Shooting at me? This is Japan!! "Ku!" The bullet flew directly at me. For some reason, the bullet looked slow yet clear. "Che." The attacker in front of meOrimura Madoka clicked her tongue. The next, moment, the bullet that flew at me stopped there. The bullet stopped in mid-air. This is (Laura''s [AIC]!?) "Get down, Ichika!" Immediately after following what she said, the knife flew over my head. *Clunk* *clunk*, the fruit juice can that dropped from my hand bounced on the floor. "So you''re here to stop me..." Madoka accurately blocked the knife that was aimed at her right eye with her hand. "What!?" Madoka grabbed the knife in her hand. "Right back at you." And threw it back at Laura. However, to Laura, who released the seal of her left eye, [Odin''s Eye][7A 1], that could increase the motion and visual sense several times, it was easy to stop that knife with [AIC]. Though the golden left eye immediately looked for Madoka after blocking that knife, the attacker who deployed her IS gradually disappeared into the night. "Fuu..." "STOP RIGHT THERE!" Avoiding the [AIC]''s stopping ability, Madoka flew off. Just like that, the attacker who suddenly appeared, disappeared completely into the night. "Ku..." "Are you alright, Laura?" "Who do you think I am? What about you?" "Ahh, thanks for your help, Laura. Thank you." "No need for the thanks." Laura said that as she sheathed her knife and put on the eyepatch. I patted away the dirt on me and picked up the canned drink that I dropped on the floor. "Ah." "Hm? What is it?" "As expected, Laura''s left eye''s really beautiful. It was glowing like a diamond." "Wha-What?" "It was tough being attacked, but seeing something good may have reduced that to zeroUWAHH!!?" "Wh-Wha-What reduced to zero, you idiot?" Laura closed in and stepped hard on my foot. "IT HURTS!?" "Fu-Fuun! Hurry up and go back!" "H-Hey, wait up. At least help me take the drinks." "Who''d care about you!?" Without stopping, Laura hurriedly walked away. "Speaking of which, how were you able to catch up to where I was attacked?" "Th-That''s...!" "Hm?" "...I-I could possibly say that, that I tailed two people together or something like that..." "Huh? What''s wrong, Laura?" "Nothing! Huh, umm, you-you!" "Uwah, what''s wrong!? AH, STOP STEPPING ON MY FOOT! HEY, IDIOT!" "WHO-WHO''S THE IDIOT!?" Blushing immediately, Laura stepped forward and gave me a vicious punch. ""You were attacked?"" On Monday, at the dinner table, Houki and Rin exclaimed. "Ahh, it was last night." I told them everything, except for the name Orimura Madoka. On a side note, the reason why I didn''t tell them what happened last night immediately was because I didn''t want to ruin the happy mood of the birthday celebration. "The pilot of the [Silent Zephyrs]...what was she aiming for? Did you think about it, Ichika?" "I don''t, know." As for Charl''s question, I answered simply to hide the vague tone. Better ask Chifuyu-nee. (But) Family affairs...no, about our parents, it''s a taboo between Chifuyu-nee and me. Even though I tried to look into it, I couldn''t go deeper...no, I didn''t want to do it. "Speaking of which, Ichika-san. Can you feed me the fried egg?" "Mn, okay. Got it." I helped feed Cecilia, whose right arm got injured a few days ago. It was really pitiful that she couldn''t use her hands properly. "Ahh, an..." *PAK*. Cecilia used her hand to cover her mouth as she continued to chew. She was blushing somewhat, probably because she was embarrassed by everyone looking at her. (Ah, letting others feed her at this age should be really awkward for her.) "...What, Cecilia. Actually preparing a dish that needs chopsticks..." "...You could have just eaten pasta with one hand..." Cecilia looked away from Rin and Houki who were staring at her and coughed dryly. On a side note, the meal consisted of salt-baked salmon, egg rolls, sesame spinach salad, potato stew and a steaming bowl of egg custard[7A 2]. "Ichika, she could use a spoon to eat the egg custard, right? Cecilia?" Charl smiled, and for some reason, the smile on her face had a lot of pressure. "TH-This is...I-I can''t eat properly if I use my left hand!" "Really? Then let me feed you." "La-Laura-san!? Wait...at least after it cools down first...AAAAAAHHHH!!!" The spoon that was full of steaming hot egg custard was forced down onto Cecilia''s throat. Hey hey, stop bullying the injured folks! "Ara ara, you people look really happy~." "Ah, Yamada-sensei. And..." Chifuyu-nee. No, Orimura-sensei''s with her as well. Both of them were holding the same dinner trays. "Don''t be too noisy, idiot!" "I-I''m the one who got hurt..." "Alcott, I should be suspending you with regards to the battle inside town yesterday, but I''ll let it slide this time. Don''t be mistaken." "Ye-Yes..." On a side note, I was lectured badly today in the chase after the [Silent Zephyrs]. The 2-hour lecture made my body feel like choking. "Just a quick question. Do you people eat together like this?" "Ah, yes. That''s how it is normally." "Really?" "Oh? Orimura-sensei, are you mindful of it~?" "Yamada-sensei, we''ll have a close combat fight as exercise after dinner." "I-I was joking! A-Aha-Ahahahaha~..." Yamada-sensei, you seem to have gotten into a tight spot after teasing Chifuyu-nee like that. You should learn your lesson... "Don''t be too noisy...then again, saying this to girls in their teens is going to fall on deaf ears. Oh well, control yourself." After saying that, Chifuyu-nee brought Yamada-sensei to the table inside. Since everyone was still around, I couldn''t ask about Madoka. Better ask when I have the chance next time. Just like that, dinner soon ended. "...Speaking of which, why is everyone following me?" While returning back to my dorm room, I asked everyone who was following me in a group. "We-Well...it''s not that we are worried about you!" Rin was the first one who answered. "Ah-, well, you see, it''s just that we want to come to Ichika''s room once in a while to talk." Then Charl added. "Uu, yup! That''s right, Ichika. It''s important to communicate with everyone here." Houki nodded her head too. Didn''t we talk a lot during dinner? Well, it''s not that I don''t like this development. "Then, Ichika-san? If possible, I hope that you can change my bandages." "Ohh, okay." After saying that, Cecilia''s face brightened. I guess it''s a man''s happiness to make her so happy. "Hey, Ichika, you''re spoiling her too much already. What kind of representative candidate is she if she can''t treat her own wounds by herself?" Laura rebuked sharply, "It seems that in this country, they apply saliva on the wounds to heal them. Perfect timing, try it." "No Laura, applying saliva doesn''t mean that..."[7A 3] This situation...the saying doesn''t suit it, right? "Is that so? Just to inform you, my saliva has slight healing nanomachines." Huh, is that true? It seems amazing, but it doesn''t seem like something I should delve into. (Laura''s a test tube baby born from the German military research lab.) She was created as an existence that was to fightwell, even though it''s easy to deny this out of righteousness, doing that would mean denying Laura''s existence. (And Laura herself isn''t too bothered about it, plus it''s not something outsiders can talk much about...) And ever since she came to Japanafter meeting these people, Laura''s life may not just be about fighting anymore, or at least that''s what I think. "Hey, are you listening? Really, you fail as a bride." "Yes-Yes, I''m sorry." Every time I am called a bride, I secretly recall that kiss. Better not say it out. Every time I remember that, my face gets rather hot. "Hm? What''s wrong?" "No, it''s nothing." Casually bringing her face over to me, Laura pulled away. I finally reached my room and opened the door. "How about chairs? Do I need to borrow them?" "No need. We''ll just sit on the bed. Okay, everyone?" Charl asked the other girls. Yup, such a nice person. "Oh well, I''ll just sit on the bed." "Yeah, and the quality of this dorm''s beds are good." "As for me, I''m a little unhappy that it''s not my bedwell, this can do though." "I don''t mind." Rin, Houki, Cecilia and Laura, all answered in turn as they walked into the room. "Ah, what drinks should I buy?" "It''s okay. No need to spend so much effort, Charl. And if there''s a need to buy, I" "Really! What''ll happen if you get attacked after you said that!" "Ah, no..." Charl increased the intensity of her voice. I was shocked and could only apologize sincerely. Charl suddenly recovered and frantically backed away. "So-Sorry." "No, no, it''s alright." "Well...as expected, since Ichika''s a guy, you hate to be protected by girls, right...?" "No, no, that''s not the case, you know? We-Well, it''s too much to be told off like I''m not a guy." "Is-Is that so? That''s great..." "O-Oh..." "..." "..." Both of us lowered our heads, and silence occurred between us. Well, it felt like my heart raced...yet it didn''t feel like it... """"Jii....""""[7A 4] "Owahh!?" Ever since I opened the door, Rin, Houki, Cecilia, Laura...anyway, everyone other than Charl was glaring coldly at me. "C-Charlotte again..." "Ichika, you bastard...!" "That-That''s despicable! Charlotte-san!" "Humph!" Ah, Laura got angry again. She won''t be able to calm down once she''s angry... "Ahwell, Laura...san?" "WHY LAURA!?" "MINDFUL ABOUT LAURA? YOU BASTARD!" "I-I-ICHIKA-SAN!" WaI got trouble for myself again. I could feel that I saw my future kneeling on the floor and begging for forgiveness. "Hoo." Two hours later, I finally got away from the girls and rolled onto the bed. "Let''s take a shower." I thought as I stood up. At that moment, the room door opened. "Chia chian~! Tatenashi onee-san~ appears~" "Please go back." I immediately closed the door. Immediately after that, I heard the sound of water flowing outside the door. "--WAHHH!!!" The water blade sliced the door in half. Tatenashi-san was holding onto the whip sword [Rusty Nail], currently in its sword mode. "Ara ara, you can''t ignore this onee-san." Sigh, do whatever you want. I couldn''t help but lower my head dejectedly. "Can I enter the room?" "Please." The [Rusty Nail] in Tatenashi-san''s hand disappeared, and what replaced it was the fan she often holds. The words written on it are the words ''Disastrous situation''[7A 5]. Don''t tell mewait, there''s no need to doubt it. She planned this visit right from the beginning, right? "Then, what do you want. If possible, I want to take a shower now." "Hm? Then just bathe as you talk. Because I, didn''t bring my swimsuit today." "DAAAAAAAAAAA!! HOW DID SUCH A DEVELOPMENT OCCUR! RIGHT NOW, URGENTLY, JUST TALK!" "Ahaha, you became so desperate. Oh my, you''re really cute." "Yeah yeah." Feeling completely fatigued all over, I poured tea for Tatenashi-san. "Mn~ nice Gyokuro tea[7A 6]. But you need to work against the tea professor in the Student Council office." WeI thought I''m supposed to be the Vice-President of the Student Council. "Tatenashi Csan." "What?" "I''m going to chase you out, you know?" "No~" Haa. I sighed at the end. It seems like I will be toyed by her in the future. Goodbye, my sigh. "Then, what is it about today?" "Ichika-kun, weren''t you attacked? Do you need security personnel in your house?" "No...No need to spend so much effort." She has an IS. I don''t want to think about it, but the worst case scenario for an ordinary person would likely be death. "I guessed you would say that." "Really?" Seems like it. "Also, I''d like to request one thing." "?" Tatenashi-san asked in a rare ambiguous tone. "I...leave her to you!" *Pa!* She suddenly put her hands together and prayed to me. "Huh? Huh?" "I''ll leave my imouto[7A 7] to you!"[7A 8] "WHAT!?" This sudden development stunned me. "Haa. You''re talking about...your own little sister? A first year." "Yeah, her name''s Sarashiki Kanzashi. Ah, this is her photo." After saying that, she showed me a handphone photo. The girl in the photo seems to be a little shady. (Is this Tatenashi-san''s imouto? But she feels a little) "Just some words beforehand...I hope that you don''t reveal that I said this..." Tatenashi-san explained this first. It''s hard to imagine that she would usually say this. "My sister, she''s...a little passive, or rather..." She seemed to be choosing her words. "Someone gloomy." Uwathat''s straight to the point alright. "Is-Is that so?" "But she really has talent. She''s a Personal IS pilot, but" "But?" "She hasn''t gotten her unit yet." "Ah?" Then she shouldn''t be called a Personal IS pilot... "Which means that, even though she''s a Representative Cadet of Japan, her personal unit wasn''t complete, so she didn''t get one." "Oh." "Don''t look like it doesn''t involve you, Ichika-kun. You were the one who caused that, you know?" "Huh!?" Why did my name pop out suddenly. "Kanzashi-chan''s IS developer was from Kuramochi Machinery Development, which means..." "It''s the same place as where [Byakushiki] was born...right?" "Yes. And because all the manpower was sent to develop [Byakushiki], it''s still incomplete now." "I see..." "So! That''s why it''s all Ichika-kun''s fault!" "So-Sorry..." "Is that so? So Class 4''s personal IS pilot would always take a break every time when there was a need for a Personal IS. She''s a cadet without a personal IS; that''s something humiliating." "Then, what''s this about leaving your imouto to me?" "It''s like this. As the [Cannonball Fast] incident happened yesterday, we will be having a mixed-year tag-team tournament next time to improve the ability of all Personal IS pilots." "Haa, is that so?" "Please! Please tag with Kanzashi-chan!" Tatenashi-san put the fan beside me and begged me again. "Ho-Hold on, Tatenashi-san. You don''t have to beg me so formally." "Huh, I see...so, that means, you can?" She asked gently. She looked really small, and most likely, it''s created by the huge contrast from what she would normally do. (That''s quite a bother...) Inexplicably, once someone that''s so carefree like me gets requested so earnestly like this, I''ll end up trying to fulfill her wish to my utmost ability. "Uu, if possible...please don''t mention my name." "Huh? Why?" "That kid...it seems that she has an inferiority complex towards me...I guess..." Tatenashi-san said that with an ambiguous tone. Seeing her like this, I can tell that the sisters don''t really get along well. "You''re not good with your imouto...or something like that?" "Uu..." Seeing Tatenashi-san lower her head dejected like this, I started to believe that my thoughts weren''t wrong. These sisters aren''t getting along. The elder sister trying to improve herself, and a resistant imouto...thinking about this, I can only think of another two people. (Houki and Tabane-san are like that too...) Tabane-san already prepared the personal unit for Houki, yet Houki still remained stubborn. Ever since then, Tabane-san never showed up. Most likely, it''s like that now as well. (Really, that Houki...) Oh well, since those two are the same, I can''t refuse her. "Then I''ll try to act as natural as possible and interact with her." "Mn, please. Also, that kid''s somewhat hard to get along, so be careful with your words." "Ah." Anyway, I better process Sarashiki Kanzashi of Class 1-4 into my mind. "Please do so, okay? But, please don''t force yourself..." "This isn''t like you, Tatenashi-san. Wouldn''t you say something like ''I''ll rub your back'' as a reward?" "Is-Is that so? Ahaha...we, well, for this kind of things, if you wish..." Yup, that''s not like Tatenashi-san at all. "I''ll massage your shoulders for you." "Uu, mn? Huh? Ichika-kun?" "Don''t mind." "O-Okay..." I went behind Tatenashi-san, kneeled on the bed and started massaging her. "Ahh--, your shoulders are so stiff--. You''ve been working till late recently?" "Uu, yeah, about there. Ahh, owowow..." "The area around your neck is really stiff. At this point, I recommend stretching and a bath in warm water. It''s best if you take a longer time to bath." "I-I got it. Nn..." "How about I share some of your workload?" "No-No need. Don''t get cocky. Don''t you have to be loaned out to other clubs?" "Ah, speaking of which, that''s true." "Re-Really. That can''t do. Onee-san hates kids who give up on their work." "I got it I got it." Tatenashi-san finally went back to normal. I continued to massage her for about 30 minutes before releasing her. "Mm~! I''m a lot more relaxed now. Thank you." "No problem. Leave your sister to me then." "Mn. Please." As a gesture from the elder sister, Tatenashi-san bowed before leaving. "Anyway, let''s" What appeared in front of me was the door that was sliced in half. "Request for another room..." In a room that wasn''t lit, Madoka was changing the bandages on her right hand alone. Using the robotic nano-machines multiple times, her wound healed, and the syringe that was used was thrown around the room. "I''m coming in, M." Entering the room without knocking on the door was the cadre[7A 9] of [Phantom Task], Squall. Her lush blond hair flowed smoothly as she entered the room. "Can you please explain the reason why you took action on your own yesterday? Orimura Madoka-san." "..." Squall maintained her smile. In contrast, Madoka just glanced at her and continued to wrap her own bandages. "Even if that was an eventful encounter for you, we were really troubled by you. If you continue to take action on your own like that." "...I got it." "Your mission is to steal IS from all over the world. If you often use IS for things other than that" *BOOM!* An explosion rang out, and the table and the medical kit on it were sent flying. The next moment, Madoka''s neck got choked as she was slammed against the wall. "Fufufu. Your reaction''s quick as always." Squall used partial deployment of the IS to float in mid-air, and 4 floating cannons of the [Silent Zephyrs] appeared behind Madoka, and looked like they were ready to fire out anytime. "..." Madoka was released by her and landed back on the bed. Squall removed her IS and landed on the bed too. The bed took the brunt of both their weights and let out a cracking sound. "Hey, M. Whether you''re Orimura Madoka or not, I don''t really care, but please maintain your identity as M while being a member of [Phantom Task]." "...I intend to do so until I settle the score." "Settle the score...with Orimura Ichika?" "Humph...he''s not a threat at all. I can kill him whenever I want to." "So that means, with Orimura Chifuyu...right?'' After Squall said that, the lips on Madoka''s expressionless face curled up as she looked really happy. However, that was an evil smile. "Orimura Chifuyu, is it? She doesn''t have an IS, so I don''t think she''s much of a threat." After the sentence ended, Squall blocked Madoka''s karate chop and jumped back to avoid the kick. Looking closely, Madoka, who was still smiling, now looked angry. "Don''t you ever humiliate her...Someone like you will never be a match for nee-san..."[7A 10] "Okay okay, I got it. So M, don''t throw the knife. You''ll damage the wallpaper." "Humph..." Madoka seemed to be embarrassed by the useless taunting and returned the knife back into its sheath. "I''ll go sleep for a while. Ah, M? There''s still some time until the next mission, so please control yourself a bit." "Got it." "I like honest kids. Bye then, M." Like how she came in, Squall finished what she wanted to do and returned back to her room. The door shut, and the room was covered in silence and darkness. At that moment, Madoka took the knife out and slid it across her face. "..." The skin got cut, and fresh red blood oozed out. Madoka got overwhelmed with unspeakable happiness through this act of harming the face that looked like Chifuyu. The delighted expression''s reflected on the side of the knife. "Yahoo--, Orimura-kun, Shinonono-kun." During the rest period after the second period, the second year student Mayazumi Kaoruko-sempai appeared in Class 1-1. "Huh, is there something?" "Nothing much--, just a little request." "A request, for Ichika and me?" "Mn, yes. Listen, my older sister''s working at a publication company. Can both of you accept an exclusive interview? Ah, speaking of which, it''s this magazine." After saying that, Mayazumi-sempai showed me a fashion magazine for teens. "Let me see. Ermisn''t this magazine unrelated to IS?" "Mn? Huh? Is this the first time you''re doing this work?" "Haa." Houki and I didn''t understand it as we could only nod our heads vaguely. "As for this, Personal IS pilots are either Representatives or Cadets, so they end up in the entertainment industry as well. I guess they can be said to be recognized idols of the countries, so they normally end up being models. Ah, there seem to be some who''ll become actors based on the country." "Is that so? Houki." "Don-Don''t ask me! I don''t know!" Both of us are the same. We''re in our teens, yet we don''t understand anything about the entertainment industry. (Ah, speaking of which, Cecilia seemed to have said that she once acted as a model in England before.) And she even showed me a photo. The photo showed Cecilia in a nice fitting dress. (Uu, I''m a guy, so I should be wearing a tuxedo...) I don''t feel like doing it. Just when I was thinking about that, Rin came to our class. "What, Ichika. Never been a model before? Can''t be helped then. Let me show you my photos." "No-No need." "Why?" *PAN!* Ow, my head got hit. "Because, well, you must be faking it." "Wha-What are you talking about!? I''ll show you! Watch this! Now!" Rin took out her phone, slid out the photos and showed them to me forcefully. Hey, stop pulling my neck! "Ohh..." "Uuu..." Looking at the photos together, Houki and I showed a similar reaction. To add on to that, the screen of the phone showed Rin in a casual fitting dress. "Heh...not bad." "Fufu. Isn''t that right? Oh yeah, this was taken last summer" *Ding dong*. The bell that indicated the end of break time rang. "Ichika-kun. You''re loaned out to the kendo club, right? I''ll come over after school. Bye" Just like how she came here, Mayazumi-sempai went away quickly. I thought that Rin would return back to Class 2, but she seemed to be really interested in showing off her photos. "And also, this one is" *GONK!* A fist was slammed on Rin''s head. "OW!" Rin frowned as she turned around, and as expected, standing there was Chifuyu-nee. "Go back to Class 2." "I-I got it..." Rin left dejectedly. Same as usual. Speaking of which, Rin doesn''t come over to Class 1 often because of this. Maybe she can do so after school tomorrow. "Then, we''ll be explaining the effective methods of evading in close ranged combat and pulling the distance." Just like that, lessons continued as per usual. "Please use this towel." "Kya--, it''s the real Orimura-kun!" "Over here! I want the towel too!" "Hey hey, can you give me a massage?" "I don''t give such services." "Che. Orimura-kun''s so mean" In the kendo dojo after school, I quickly gave a few kendo members towels after they finished their training. Like what Mayuzumi-sempai said, today''s the ''Orimura Ichika club loan-out day''. "And for you, Houki." "Ah, yes. Thanks." Houki took off her facemask, undid the towel and buried her face in it. "..." "Wha-What''s wrong? Why are you looking at me?" "No, it''s just that I find that Houki''s rather stylish in the hakama."[7A 11] "Fu-Fuun..." Houki suddenly looked away. Is she shy? "Ya, Orimura-kun? It''s been a while, isn''t it?" "Ah, yes. We met for the first time since the school festival, kendo-club President." "Ufufu? Doesn''t everyone look really happy? So, was winning the bingo game worthy?" But why does this person say everything in questions? Just when I was thinking about that, she suddenly slipped through the gaps between the members and quickly disappeared into thin air. (Yup, she''s a mystery alright.) "Hey, Houki." "Yeah? What is it?" "As for what Mayuzumi-sempai said during the break, what do you intend to do?" "I refuse. It doesn''t match my personality to show up like this." "As expected." That''s a classic Houki''s reply. Just when I was nodding away, that Mayuzumi-sempai appeared in front of us. "Yahoo--, sorry to keep you waiting~ So, have you thought of the interview?" "Ah, about that, Houki, she" Seems like she will refuse this. Just when I was about to continue, Mayuzumi-san interrupted me. "Jyan! This super luxurious first-class hotel dinner coupon will be your reward. Of course, it''s for two." After saying that, Mayuzumi-sempai passed Houki and me the brochure of the hotel. Is that so. Sure, it looks luxurious. But since Houki''s going to refuse it, it can''t be helped. "I accept." Huh? "Huh, really? I thought you hated this kind of stuff, Shinonono-san." "No, I should experience this once in a while." Huh? Huh? "Really? It''s settled then. Orimura-kun''s alright too, right? Then, the interview will be two days later, on Sunday. Please get there before 2pm." "Well, please wait...." "Bye then~" Just like that, Mayuzumi-san left carefreely. After the door of the kendo dojo closed, I stared at Houki. "Houki." "What?" "What happened to your ideals?" "My-My thoughts vary according to the times! What''s there to grumble about!?" The bamboo blade hit my face hard. "Haa...never mind, it doesn''t matter as long as you''re fine with it." "Is-Is that so? Speaking of which...this dinner voucher at this hotel, you-you''ll be coming along too, right!?" Houki continued to stutter, looking like it was hard for her to say it. "Yeah. Of course. I''d be angry if I didn''t get the voucher after agreeing to be interviewed." "Is-Is that so? I see. Uu. So that''s it!" Houki''s face suddenly brightened as she held tightly onto the promotional brochure. Wa, what''ll happen if she crushes it? I can''t tell the address like that. "What, what? Shinonono-san''s going on a date with Ichika-kun?" "So cool! I want to go too!" "Ah, this hotel''s famous on the international scene. Heeh~" All the kendo club members who were looking at us from afar crowded around us all of a sudden. "Th-This, that...it''s not, a da-dat-date...it''s not a date at all!" """Heeh~""" Seeing Houki trying to defend herself so badly, the girls gave smiles with deep meanings behind them. (What, that Houki? Isn''t she getting along well with everyone in the kendo club?) I sighed at myself for worrying too much and slightly heaved a sigh of relief. Speaking of Houki, she didn''t really get along well with others in the past, so I always had to worry about her. (Speaking of which, it''s Sunday again?) And with Tatenashi-san''s request, it seems that I''ll have a really busy weekend. (Time to go.) The 4th period ended, and the classroom became really busy at noon break. "Let''s go to the canteen, Ichika." Charl smiled at me as usual as she asked me out. I''m really grateful for that, but I can only put my hands together and refuse. "Sorry Charl. I''ve got something to do." "Is-Is that so? Then, what should I do..." "De-chan, come along with us~" Unexpectedly, the one who came in was Nohohon-san[7A 12] and the rest. Nohohon-san''s still the same as quite, wearing overly long sleeves as she casually flailed her arms. "De-De-chan?" "Let''s goEhehe~" Nohohon-san grabbed Charl''s arms in a really slow manner. Charl herself didn''t avoid that, and anyone can tell from this that she''s really a kind person. "Then, let''s go!" Several girls were waiting in front of the classroom with Tanimoto-san leading. Nohohon-san met up with them and dragged the hesitant Charl''s arm to the canteen. (Then, to Class 4.) According to the information Tatenashi-san provided, Kanzashi-san''s habit seemed to be eating bread in the classroom. (Since I bought bread as well, hopefully, I can talk with her well.) As a side note, regarding the mixed-year tag-team match, there was an explanation during SHR[7A 13] this morning. If I don''t leave in a hurry, there will be other personal IS pilots requesting me to pair up with them, so I have to make haste. "I''ve been waiting for you for a long time, Ichika!" *DON*. I met Rin just when I arrived at the corridor. "You''ll pair up with me!" "Sorry Rin, I already have my partner." "Ah? Pair?Don''t tell me it''s Charlotte!?" Huh? Why would she mention Charl''s name now?" "...Kuu~ she took the initiative just because she paired with him before. How can I take that..." "Hm? What did you say?" "No-Nothing! Then? Who''s that partner? I''ll make her switch with me. Hurry up and say it!" Uwa. What''s with this logic? She''s really scary. "Erm--, she''s..." "Who?" "Sorry." 36 stratagems. If all else fails, retreat. I dashed off to escape.[7A 14] "Ahhey! Wait! Ichika!" I ran down the stairs to the first level and made a huge detour before arriving at the second level. "Fuu, finally at Class 4." "Ahh!? It''s Orimura-kun!" "Huh, no way! Why is he here!?" "Is-Is there any reason for you to come to Class 4?" An onslaught of people came here...well, I really hate this. "Excuse me, is Sarashiki-san around?" ""Huh...?"" The girls'' voices overlapped one other. "Sarashiki-san...?" "''That''?" The wall of girls split apart like a sea being split to form a road. Through a straight line, I could see her sitting at the last seat at the back of the room, near the window. She continued to hit the keyboard while looking at the screen in mid-air, leaving the bread she got from the bun shop. "..." (Huh? I heard from Tatenashi-san that she was quite passive, but she''s unexpectedly active...that''s weird.) Just when I was thinking about this, a girl said softly. "Excuse me....is it that you want Sarashiki-san to be your partner after hearing the SHR explanation this morning with regards to the personal pilot tag team tournament...or something like that?" "Hm? Ah, something like that." I nodded my head, and the commotion spread around the crowd in waves. "I see...but that girl doesn''t have a Personal IS?" "And she''s been taking leaves for all activities up till now." "And the girl who has a Personal IS is her elder sister" I didn''t wish for them to continue, so I put my hands together and said really loudly. "Sorry! I came here looking for that girl." After saying that, I slipped through the crowd and headed towards Kanzashi-san''s seat. "Excuse me, can I borrow a chair?" I borrowed a chair from a girl nearby, and sat down without getting permission. "..." *Katakatakatakatakata*. The rapid typing on the keyboard could be heard. It''s not the holographic type, but the old mechanical type. "Excuse me" I again looked at the girl in front of me. Her hair''s short, and in contrast to Tatenashi-san, hers is curled inwards. The eyes that are staring hard at the screen are longer and thinner than normal, and looked a bit empty as well. The rectangular glasses that she was wearing looked like they were trying to prevent others from approaching her. "Nice to meet you. I''m Orimura Ichika." "..." Her fingers suddenly stopped. "...I know." Ohh, that''s good. I finally got a reaction from her. Just when I was thinking about this, Kanzashi-san stood up. "?" Shaking her right shoulder slightly and putting it down, she sat down and continued to hit at the keyboard. "Well..." "...I, have the ...right to punch you...but, that would be a hassle...so never mind." Uu, she''s still mindful about the Personal IS? It''s true that Kanzashi-san''s IS was incomplete as they were busy building my [Byakushiki], but that couldn''t be helped. "...Anything you want with me?" "Oh, yeah. Could you be my partner in this tag tournament?" "No..." Uwa. That was an immediate rejection. But I won''t give up! "Please don''t say that. Please." "...I don''t want to. And you-you don''t...have to worry about looking for other groups..." "Ahh, it''s not that..." Uu, I really can''t think of a good reason. And I can''t say that ''Tatenashi-san requested me to ask you''... "Well, actually, everyone decided" "FOUND YOU, ICHIKA!" ACK! GUAN YU!?[7A 15] ...No, that''s Rin. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN CLASS 4!? AT LEAST COME TO CLASS 2!!" "Gue..." The collar of my uniform got grabbed, and I found breathing hard. HEY, STOP IT, IDIOT! WHAT''LL HAPPEN IF YOU OVER-STRETCH THE UNIFORM!? "STOP SPOUTING NONSENSE AND COME OVER!" "Th-Then, bye then, Sarashiki-san. See you next time." "..." Kanzashi-san didn''t really answer me as she just took a bite off the bun. --Just like that, I was forcefully deported to Class 2. "Here." "What''s going on...is this, green pepper sliced meat?" "Ye-Yeah. Well, it''s like this. I want to prove that I can do dishes other than sweet and sour pork." "I see~ but since I have yakisoba[7A 16] bread today" Before I finished, my yakisoba was suddenly taken away. Ahh, my yakisoba! "You have to eat my green pepper meat. Got it!?" "Even though you say that, you just ate some of it. You really won''t mind!?" "...Indirect kiss..." "Huh?" "No-Nothing!? Stop yapping and eat it!" "I got it, I got it! Really, it can''t be helped..." Though I''m feeling sorry for the loss of the yakisoba, I focused on eating the green pepper meat. "Ohh? It''s good. It''s really good, Rin!" "Fu-Fufu! Of course!" It''s flavorful but not greasy as it lures me to continue dumping the green pepper meat into my mouth. "Ah, also, your yakisoba bread''s really nice..." "? I bought that from the store." "The-The standards of this Academy''s shops are really high! Any problem!?" No, I don''t really mind. "Oh, oh yeah, Ichika. You''ll pair up with me for the tag team tournament, right?" "No, because I''ve already paired up...sorry." "Wh-Why-Why!? Who! Who is it!? I''ll make her switch with me. Say it!" "Uwa! Don''t say it like just now." "FESS UP!!" "I SAID NO!!" "Ngugugu..." I don''t know what Rin will say if I continue to stay here. Better finish up and go back to Class 1 first. "I-Ichika!" "No." "I haven''t said anything yet!" "A battle or something like that, right? I refuse." "Uu! How-How did you know..." "Bye Rin. The bento[7A 17] was nice. Thank you." "Huhah, u-uu..." I left Rin, who looked shocked for some reason, and went back to Class 1. "I''ve been waiting for you for a long time, Ichika. You''ll pair up with me, right?" ...I got caught by Laura, who was standing crosslegged. "Ah--, no...about that..." "This is the application form. Hurry up and sign." "So-Sorry Laura...but I''ve already gotten my partner..." "What...?" Seeing Laura about to say ''Who''s that person, hurry and spill it out'', I could only beg earnestly. "I''m really sorry! But she was already chosen." "..." Laura''s eyes narrowed. Uu, that''s really scary. "...Say that again..." "We-Well, Laura? Wait, let''s talk it through, alright?" "TOO SLOW!" Laura used partial deployment of her IS to summon a plasma saber and hacked at me. WAAAHH! "Stop it, idiot. I only need the smell of burnt meat from a roast meat shop." My savior Chifuyu-nee appeared from behind, and she quickly grabbed Laura''s wrist before throwing her out of the window. "Instructor! This is a problem between husband and wife!" Laura gently landed on the windowsill and dropped back onto the floor with that flowing long hair trailing her. Amazing. She''s just like a cat. "What husband and wife, idiot? I don''t need an uncouth sister-in-law." "!!" Those direct words seemed to be a really heavy hit to her, as Laura collapsed onto the floor. H-Huh? Heyare you alright? "I''ve been rejected by the instructor. I''ve been rejected by the instructor..." Not good. She seemed to be repeating the same words like she''s raving. And her eyes are really empty. "Hey, Orimura, send Bodewig back to her seat. We''re about to begin lessons." "I-I got it. Hey, Laura, hurry up and get up." "...It''s over for me..." Wahh, that''s one huge trauma. Can''t be helped. I carried Laura up and brought her back to her seat. "AHH!! ORIMURA-KUN''S CARRYING BODEWIG-SAN IN A PRINCESS CRADLE!!"[7A 18] "I-ICHIKA-SAN!? WHAT''S GOING ON...I HOPE YOU CAN GIVE AN EXPLANATION!" "ICHIKA, YOU BASTARD...." "UWAH! LAURA''S REALLY SNEAKY!" With Tanimoto-san leading, Cecilia, Houki and even Charl got up to surround me. "Hurry up and get back to your seats, idiots." *PAM!!* The sounds of the attendance book, which I''m really grateful for, resounded throughout the classroom. "Too slow, Ichika! I''m already here!" At the third arena after school, Ichika and Houki were doing special training today. If it was as usual, both of them should be even. But having gotten grasp on the activation of [Kenran Butou], Houki had almost unlimited energy as she used it to carry out continuous [Ignitions Boost]s and force Ichika into a tight spot. "Ku!" Flying in a Cross Grid pattern to change directions, he fired [Setsura]''s particle cannon, but it was negated by the energy attack of [Akatsubaki]''s saber, [Karaware]. "HAAAAAA!!!" Houki used [Ignition Boost] and deployed her [Fold-Out Armor] at the same time, using the thrusters'' energy to accelerate and attack Ichika. "Guu!" Due to this overpowering attack, [Byakushiki]''s shield energy got hit hard. Houki used the automatic controls of the [Fold-Out Armor] to change directions in high speeds before shooting the energy beams of the [Amatsuki], bathing [Byakushiki] in a storm of lasers. "It''s over, Ichika!" "Not yet!" Both of them went into the high speeds of [Ignition Boost]. After that, the clash of blades created sparks that scattered throughout the sky above the third arena. ... ...... ......... "Fuu..." Houki wiped away her sweat, changed into her uniform and let her hair fly. "~?" Feeling really happy, Houki started humming, a rare feat at that as she tied the knot of her ponytail. (I beat Ichika today. So he should have definitely change his view of me. Fufufu.) Not only that, there was something that made Houki even happier. (Ichika said that he decided on his partner in the tag-team tournament...) Tying her ribbon forcefully, the glamorous black hair swayed about beautifully. (It must be me! Really, that Ichika! Wha-What...since it came to that, can''t he just pair up with me?) *PATAN!* Houki energetically closed the locker door, and found Cecilia walking over from the other side. "Fufufun? fufu, ufufu." She was feeling rather good too, as Cecilia opened her locker to change clothes. (Really, that Ichika-san, saying that his partner''s already decided. He''s referring...to me!) Lost in her own delusion that''s only positive for herself, it''s unknown whether it''s a privilege for a girl in love or the energy that''s contained in teenage girls. It''s really a mystery. (Ahh, finally...finally with Ichika-san...ahhh!) Originally dressed in the IS suit, Cecilia changed into her uniform, tied the ribbon in front of her chest, and finally noticed Houki''s presence. "Oh my, Shinonono-san." "Cecilia? You''re in a good mood." Sparks were expected to fly between these two, but Houki and Cecilia smiled at each other. "Today''s really a good day." "Ahh, yes. It is." (Fufu, Houki-san''s so pitiful...that she doesn''t know that I''m paired with Ichika-san.) (Humph, that Cecilia. I wonder what expression she will show if she realizes that I''m paired with Ichika.) Both of them continued to believe in their advantages and looked down on each other. "See you later, Cecilia." "Okay, Houki-san. I wish you well." Both of them kept their smiles as they went by each other. After that, as they completely left each other, they smiled confidently. (I win!) (Victory is mine!) Two hours passed after that. After dinner, the tragedy occurred... "Sorry! I''m really sorry, you two!" After dinner, Houki and Cecilia came over to my room, and I bowed and apologized to them. ""...Ah?"" Both of them let out cries of disbelief...uu, that''s troublesome. "Well, how should I put it? My partner''s already decided." "So-So that means, that means me" "So-So, choose me" "?" I was stunned for a while. I really don''t understand what they''re trying to say. "Well, that''s how it is. Sorry!" "Un-Unforgivable..." "Do you think I''ll forgive you!?" Houki summoned her sword [Karaware], and Cecilia summoned her sniper rifle [Starlight MKIII]. "WAAHHH!!? HOLD ON HOLD ON!!" "THERE''S NO POINT IN SAYING ANYTHING MORE! JUST STAY THERE!" "IF YOU''RE NOT PAIRING WITH ME, YOU''LL JUST...!" *Mesu*... (Mesu?) *BAM!* """!?""" The door was sent flying over at an amazing speed, hitting Houki and Cecilia directly. "Hey, idiots. It''s partial deployment, but you''re still using your IS. As punishment, run 10 laps around the 1st arena with your IS on. Of course, you''re not allowed to use [PIC] nor thrusters. Understood?" "O-Orimura-sensei..." Speaking of which, Chifuyu-nee''s the dorm head of the first years, so she should be patrolling around. But even so (How much force is needed to kick that door down...) What a tragedy. My door got broken again. "Go!" ""Un-Understood!"" Houki and Cecilia suddenly straightened their backs and answered before glaring at each other and running out of the dorm...running 10 rounds with IS equipment on? That must be really tough. How pitiful. "Hey, Orimura." "Ye-Yes?" "You''re always the source of commotion. Time to choose a partner, idiot." "Ah, yes..." "...I''ll come back to get the room door repair form later." Chifuyu-nee just left these words before leaving...no, you''re the one who destroyed the door! *KLUNK* *KLUNK* *KLUNK*. "Haa! Haa! Haa!" *KINK* *KINK* *KINK* "Fuu! Fuu! Fuu!" The night sky covered the first arena, and the red and blue machines let out heavy metallic sounds as they ran around the track. "Haa, Cecilia! Thi-This is all your fault! "Fuu, fuu! What! Houki-san, stop mistaking things! Fuu, fuu!" *KLUNK* *KLUNK* *KLUNK* "I-I''ll settle this one day...!" "That-That''s my line...!" Both of them glared at each other as they slowed down. Either way, the IS'' too heavy. "Gu, gu, gu, 6 rounds, left..." "I-I won''t lose...definitely...!" Trying to vent the anger that they couldn''t vent on Ichika, Houki and Cecilia continued to glare at each other as they continued to run in the middle of the night. Volume 7 - CH 2 "..." The location was the IS preparation room in IS Academy. A facility near the arenas, and originally meant to house the ''Maintanence Branch'' that was to be started amongst the second years. At the moment, Tatenashi''s imouto, Kanzashi was in there. "...the responses from all the parts are so slow. Why..." Kanzashi continued to hit the mechanical keyboard as she focused on the holographic screen. --Using her own ability to materialize the incomplete machine. This was what Tatenashi did when she used [Mysterious Lady]. Since my sister can do it, I can do it too. Such thoughts never entered Kanzashi''s mind. But if she couldn''t do such a thing, she would feel that she wouldn''t be able to catch up to her sister''s shadow at all. This inferiority complex was engraved deeply in her. "Core compatibility hasn''t increased at all...am I not suitable to...?" Using the generic nature of the [Revive] as reference, this multi-ranged IS was called [Uchigane Nishiki][7B 1]. "...Fuu." Unable to think of an answer, Kanzashi sighed, turned off the screen and kept her keyboard. (Better go back and watch anime...) Watching anime was an interest of Kanzashi that nobody else knew. She watched them all, whether new or old. The genre was about Hero Battles, where the hero takes down the evil organization. Personally, Kanzashi liked these types of anime that were simple and easy to understand. When she was young, the picture book she liked was of course ''Momotarou''. As a side note, Tatenashi liked ''Urashima Tarou''. (What should I watch today...) Just when Kanzashi was thinking of this and got ready to leave the preparation room. "Yo." The automatic door opened, and standing outside was Ichika. He was holding onto canned drinks. "Red tea and grape juice. Which one do you prefer?" "..." Kanzashi ignored him and left the preparation room. Ichika hurriedly followed her. "Hey." "..." "I''m talking to you." "..." "Kanzashi-san." She suddenly stopped in her tracks. "Don''t call me by my name..." "Uu--, then, Sarashiki-san." "Don''t call me by my family name." "Then" "Don''t...bother me." Kanzashi said and walked off. Half a step away, Ichika followed her closely. "Anyway, take the juice. I don''t need two cans." "..." "Which one?" "...Then, the grape..." "Understood." After saying that, Ichika handed the can over. Kanzashi reached her hand out to take it, and both their hands touched for a moment. "...!" Kanzashi felt like she got electrocuted as her body suddenly backed away. Her arm shrank back. Seeing this, Ichika looked somewhat suspicious. Perhaps unhappy with this look, Kanzashi seemed to feel unhappy as she snatched the juice away. "Don''t walk so fast." "..." Kanzashi just took the juice and walked away quickly. "Erm...that girl over there!" "..." "Wait wait wait! I''m talking about you!" "...Wha-What do you mean?" "You told me not to call you by your name." "...I would rather have you call me by my name than call me like this..." "Really. Then, Kanzashi." Stare. "...san." "Fuu." Kanzashi sighed and increased her speed. "Hey hey, Kanzashi-san, pair up with me." "No..." "Don''t say that." "...Anyway, why do you want to pair up with me...?" "Huh? That''s because..." Tatenashi told him not to say her name, so Ichika didn''t know how to answer. 2 seconds later, lights flashed in Ichika''s mind. "Because I want to see Kanzashi-san''s IS!" "!" *PA!* A sharp slapping sound can be heard. "...Huh?" "..." After that, Kanzashi ran away without looking back. "Uu..." I went back to my own room, and rubbed the cheek that had just been slapped by Kanzashi. "Why was she so angry..." I started to think. ... ...... ......... "Ah, yes. That person''s personal unit''s still can''t be used in actual battle." I clapped my hands together. Speaking of which, Tatenashi-san seemed to have mentioned the same thing. (...Hmm) I took the IS Academy terminology reference book from my bookshelf. "Erm, what did the book say." IS Academy started a class for the second years, the ''Maintenance Branch'' that specialized in the development, research and assembly of IS. During the ranking tournaments of the Academy... the students, especially the second years and older, will get this Maintenance Branch to team up with themas described in the book. (Hm? If that''s the case, couldn''t Kanzashi get the Maintenance Branch to help her out?) *GON* *GON* "Here. Who''s there?" "It''s me." The demon who split the room''s door in half appeared. "Ichika-kun. You were thinking of something rude just now, right?" "Hahaha. That''s not true, Tatenashi-san." "Nn-. Oh well, I brought cream puffs over. Wanna have some?" "Ah, okay. Please come in." I led Tatenashi-san into my room. The thick reference book''s still laid out on the table, and Tatenashi-san looked over. "Ah, Ichika-kun. Were you thinking of getting the maintenance branch to help out?" "Ah, no, not me. I''m thinking of leaving Kanzashi-san''s personal IS over to them." "Uu, that might be a little difficult." Tatenashi-san said as she got up from the bed. "What''s that?" "Kanzashi-chan, it seems like she wants to assemble her own unit herself." "Huh?" "She must be bothered that I did that before. There was no need to be mindful of that in the first place." "Tatenashi-san...you assembled that machine on your own?" "Huh? Sorta. I guess. I could do it since it was already 70% complete." Wow... She''s not really Tabane-san number two, but this person''s really outstandingly talented. "But Kaoruko-chan gave me lots of suggestions. And Utsuho-chan was also present." "Huh? Those two are of the maintenance branch?" "Yup. The head of the third years and the elite of the second year." Is-Is that so... Let''s not talk about Utsuho-san. I thought Mayuzumi-sempai was just a member of the newspaper club. "Ichika-kun, you should let the maintenance branch check your IS. I saw the mock battle of the [Byakushiki]. The output of the thrusters don''t match the gas reaction rate." "Is-Is that so..." Seeing Tatenashi-san take out the cream puff, I hurriedly moved off to prepare the red tea. "Then how is it? About Kanzashi-chan." "Uu, I got hit." "Huh?" For some reason, Tatenashi-san looked shocked. While we''re talking, the tea was ready. "That kid probably wouldn''t waste her strength on such a meaningless act..." "Ah?" "Did you touch her butt?" "NO WAY!!" "The breasts?" "I SAY! WHY ARE YOU THINKING IN A SEXUAL HARASSING MANNER!?" "Really, it can''t be helped. If you say so, onee-san will let you touch hers." "WAHH! WHY ARE YOU UNDRESSING! I-I''M-I''M GOING TO GET ANGRY!!" "Ufufu, just kidding?." Re-Really...it''s tiring... "Here, have some. It''s just a tea bag though." "It''ll be the world''s most pleasurable taste if Ichika-kun gives me this." "Saying such things again..." "Yup, yup." Really, this person''s a lost cause. "Speaking of which, that Kanzashi-chan...Ichika-kun, you''re not interested in her?" "Ah? You want me to go back after I got scolded?" "Girls aren''t good at refusing others, you know." That''s definitely a lie. Using the simulated responses of the girls around me, if I''m to look for them after being scolded by them, such things will happen. If it''s Houki. "What. You want to be chopped up?" Gya If it''s Rin. "What do you mean? I''m going to kick you to death. Move aside! Really!" Gya If it''s Cecilia. "So you''re the savage in your country...disappear right now." Gya If it''s Laura." "Do you know? Human brains can still run for a while after their heads are chopped off." Gya With Charl. "..." Gya Hey, it won''t work at all! "You''re lying, Tatenashi-san." "Is that so?" Ahh, her attitude changed again. "Anyway, you must work well with Kanzashi-chan. Also, you must assist her in the development of her IS." "Is that an order...?" "You like to be ordered around, right?" "WHY DID IT END UP LIKE THAT!" "Yaa~ don''t be angry. I''m just joking." ... "Mn, good tea. Thanks for your hospitality. I''ll be going then." Saying this (though there''s a lot of clich words), Tatenashi-san walked out of the room. "Anyway, let''s have some cream puffs..." Ahh...nimble nimble. "GU!!?" "Ahaha!! You got tricked! The cream was switched to mustard!" I see Tatenashi-san''s face smiling through the gap. There''s a devil. The devil''s here! "TATENASHI-SAAANNNNN!!!" "KYA~" She closed the door and escaped. I locked the door up, muttering five times in my heart not to open the door a second time. "..." Inside her own room, Kanzashi covered her head with her blanket to avoid being disturbed by her roommate as she continued to watch the TV. The small holographic screen appeared in the air, perfectly showing how the hero today beat the evil organization. Though she was watching this with an emotionless look, she was actually agitated. Yes. She had always been like this. (I beat him up...) She managed to control herself the first time. But for some reason, she got agitated the second time she met him and hit him. (Why did I do that...) It''s true that it was Ichika''s fault that her IS was incomplete. But he didn''t have any ill intent. (Am...I acting spoiled...?) Seeing others take the initiative, Kanzashi would always feel that she was spoilt. Born in the Sarashiki family, she realized the difference in ability between her and her older sister as she grew up. Their relatives often expected things from both of them as such, making her feel dejected. However, she never cried about this to anyone, and her heart had started to seal off. It was supposed to be like this, or at least that was how it should have been. (Orimura...Ichika...) That guy''s presence remained in her. She remembered that kind smile. "..." A mysterious feeling swelled up in her heart, and Kanzashi''s face was colored like a cherry. The hero anime on the TV screen finally ended too. "Hey!" I moved forward with large strides to catch up with that person. But on seeing that, that person increased her speed as she moved forward, almost looking like she was about to run. "Wait up, Houki!" "SHUT UP! DON''T CALL ME BY MY NAME! I WANT TO WORK ALONE!" "Why... today''s interview''s supposed to be taken together. Of course it''s better if we go together. And you may get lost anyway." "Do-Don-Don''t treat me like an idiot! How can I possibly get lost!" By the way it''s Sunday. We''re on our way to the magazine editorial branch where Mayuzumi-sempai''s older sister works. Of course, Houki and I are in casual clothes, and also... "Houki." "Wha-What!?" "That outfit''s not bad. When did you buy it?" "Ah, mn...well, it was...not long ago, when I went out with a friend..." The black mini-skirt went with the white blouse, and there was a light autumn jacket over her. The bright color of dandelion looked really elegant. "The decoration on the chest...well, it''s not bad." "Is-Is that so? I-It''s true. I was really mindful of that." "Ah, even though I normally imagine Houki in the kendo attire, you''re really quite feminine now." "Fu-Fuu. I-I''m not. Don''t think that I''ll be happy after your praised me." Houki said that as she folded her arms and looked away. Whaatand I finally praised you too. "Ah, ahh..." Both of us took large steps as we walked on. "..." "Hm? What''s wrong, Houki? Why are you looking here?" "No-Nothing!" "Is that so?" We continued walking with large strides. "...You-Your clothing''s, rath-rather cool looking too..." "Hm? What did you say?" "No-Nothing! Nothing at all! Yup! Hahaha!" "?" Houki''s so weird. "But it''s a little chilly today. Want to get something from the convenience store over there?" "Y-Yeah? No, wait, hold on...mmmm." "?" "If-If-If you''re cold, can-can''t we just hold hands?" She sounded somewhat forceful, but Houki lowered her head and reached her hand out. "Ah, that''s good. Let''s do it then." "Ah!" I grabbed Houki''s hand and headed down the subway ticket gantry. "Uu..." Houki continued to remain silent until we reached the editorial branch. ... ...... ......... "Hello. I''m the deputy chief editor of [Infinite Stripes], Mayuzumi Nagisako. Glad to meet ya." "He-Hello, I''m Orimura Ichika." "I''m Shinonono Houki." The room that was prepared for the interview was rather spacious, the three sofas that were as red as sliced tomatoes were arranged in a triangle. "Well, we''ll start with the interview, and then the photo shoot." After saying that, she easily flipped the pen-shaped IC recorder. Nagisako-san was dressed in a two-toned checkered suit, and the slender legs that extend out from her tight-fitting skirt were really beautiful. "Then, I''m going to start with the questions. Ichika-kun, what are your thoughts of entering a girls school?" "That''s the first thing you ask...?" "Can''t be helped. People are wondering about that. According to the readers'' feedback, there''s a lot of people asking this." "Well...I''m bothered that there are very few toilets to be used." "GU! Aha, ahahaha! My sister told me before. Looks like it''s true! The harem king who''s not interested in the opposite gender!" Ha-Harem king... "Alright. Are there any permits to enter this kingdom?" "ARE YOU DAN!?"[7B 2] "Then, it''s about Shinonono-san''s onee-san" "..." Houki stood up. Same as ever, anything about Tabane-san''s a taboo subject to her. "...I won''t give you the dinner voucher, you know?" "Uu!" Houki again sat back on the sofa. "Such a good kid. Ufufu, I like kids who''re really honest...well, how do you feel about getting your personal unit from your older sister? Do you intend to be a representative cadet of a certain country? Do you hate Japan?" "I''m grateful to be able to get [Akatsubaki]...right now, I have no intention of being a representative cadet even though I''ve received many invitations. As for Japan, well, I was born here, and grew up here, so I don''t really hate it." Houki continued to answer every single one of Nagisako-san''s questions fully. As expected of her. She does everything seriously. "Okay, okay, Ichika-kun and Shinonono-san, who''s stronger?" "Of course it''s me!" "Is that so?" "Huh, well..." Houki''s chances of winning in a mock battle are slightly higher. "Ahh, that''s bad. How can you be a hero if you can''t even beat a girl?" Nagisako-san smiled but didn''t say anything. Feeling bothered, I looked away. "Well, I don''t need to be a hero...I''m just a fighter." "Oh, that''s an excellent line. This sentence can make it into a movie." She pointed her finger in a lens-shape as she continued to look at me and smile. Nagisako-san''s really energetic like Kaoruko-san. "Then, Orimura-taichou[7B 3]. Please tell everyone your feelings on the battlefield." "We-Well..." I secretly glanced at Houki. If possible, I really don''t want to say something embarrassing, but it can''t be helped. "I''ll protect my friends!" "YES! Nice going, man!" It''s unknown since when did I become a captain. "Speaking of which, Orimura-kun belongs to the student council, right? Tatenashi-chan, she''s really cool[7B 4], isn''t she?" Cute...I haven''t heard that saying often recently. "Of course not. She''s making me suffer. I already have IS special training, and she still sends me to work with the other clubs." "Ah, Kaoruko''s complaining that you didn''t go to the news club." "Well, hm, that...I get snitched everytime." "Ahh, it can''t be helped then. Kaoruko was never born with luck. She drew handkerchiefs 20 times in a lucky draw and nearly didn''t cry out." Just like that, our random conversation ended, and now we''re moving to the photo shoot. "We''re going to the photography room underground. There''s a changing room there, so just change your clothes there. We''ll take photos once you''re done with the make-up. "Ah? We need to change clothes too?" "Yup. My head will roll if you don''t wear the sponsors'' clothing." Saying that, she used her head to imitate the action of her head being sliced off. Ahh...adults really have it tough... "Then, let''s go!" Entering a different changing room from Ichika, Houki couldn''t see the clothes that was to be changed into as she folded both hands in front of her. "Ahh..." She sighed and blushed as red as a cherry. (''I''ll protect Houki!'' Huh? That guy, really!) Secretly chuckling and knocking on the wall wildly, the white wall bent in slightly after 4 heavy hits. Considering everything to be beneficial to her and missing the point, it seems that the teenage express went berserk and couldn''t stop. "That''s right...that''s right...! Ufufu, ufufufufu!" Holding this model clothing, Houki suddenly realized that the design of the clothing was really daring. "Uu...thi-this..." The blouse exposed a lot of the cleavage, and that''s topped off with a cute miniskirt and a short-sleeved leather coat. (Do-Do-Do I have to wear this!? Me-Me!? Of all people!?) The clothing that Houki would never choose no matter what was right in front of her, and she was all petrified now. (No, but, uu...thi-this may be a good chance...) I want to show Ichika that I can go well with such clothing. Such thoughts lingered in Houki. Two minutes later, she decided. "Okay! I''m going to wear it!" Houki clenched her fists and fiercely undid the buttons of her blouse. ... ...... ......... (I-Isn''t Ichika done? If that''s the case, this delicate fleeting feeling makes me unable to calm down.) Sitting on the chair in the photography room, Houki felt somewhat anxious as she twisted about. As a side note, her make-up was done by a professional cosmetician, and the light make-up created a dazzling beauty. The male assistants and cameramen that were in the room were staring at Houki, and felt really hot. (I-If Ichika praises me, we''ll be eating outside. I-I''ll invite him. And I...I''ll...) Repeating these words in her mind like a spell, she heard the footsteps coming out from the dressing room. "Sorry for being late. Ichika-kun, please enter." Her heart started to beat. (I-Ichika''s here...Ichika''s here...) Houki couldn''t remain calm any longer as she started to tug at her hair meaninglessly. "Uu, isn''t this weird?" --Ichika''s voice! Houki''s heart pounded even crazily. "Of course not! It really suits you. Even for a teenager, it''s stylish to wear a suit." (Su-Suit!?) At her own limit now, Houki decided to turn to where Ichika was. "Ahh..." Standing there was Ichika in a casual suit. In Houki''s eyes, through the lens of a girl in love, the image shown was, so, so cool! It just looked great to her. "I-Ichika..." "O-Ohh. Sorry to keep you waiting, Houki." "Uu, uu..." She couldn''t say anything as she got nervous. Houki continued to play with her fingers, and finally formed her sentence and muttered. "It-It really suits you...well, I say. It''s not weird." "O-Ohh. Thank you Houki. Well...that''s rather cute." "Cu-Cute!?" With her heart pounding like crazy, Houki''s face was blushing with a fever. She closed her eyes to restrain this heat. (I-Ichika praised me...Ichika praised me...) Patting her hand on her face, she felt the heat. Houki lowered her head and turned her back on Ichika to prevent him from seeing her looking so abnormal. "Okay. We''ll begin the photo shoot. Time''s short, so let''s finish this at one go!" Nagisako-san clapped her hands. The workers answered ''Yes'', and they finally started the photo shoot. (That really shocked me...) During the photo shoot at the booth, Houki and I started making these kind of poses. I tried my best not to look at Houki as I continued to pose for the photos. (Unexpectedly, Houki changed a lot...the make-up''s really great.) When I saw her for the first time, I thought I mistook her for someone else due to that dazzle. Not to mention the daring outfit that showed the cleavage and those revealing thighs made me panic. (Houki wouldn''t wear those kinds of outfits no matter what...) Is that accidental, or is it a gap in expectations...anyway, it caused my heart to pound. How cute, I thought honestly. (What''s going on? There''s an adult feeling not like usual. This is...) I really can''t find a suitable expression to describe her. Anyway, my heart is racing. Better not exchange looks with Houki. "Ichika-kun, please move closer to Shinonono-san. A little closer." Nagisako-san suddenly said that. I hesitated, but I still moved towards Houki, who was sitting on the same sofa. "Er, erm, can this do?" "Ahh, no no. Closer, closer!" "Huh!? No, but, if I get closer..." I secretly glanced at Houki. I originally thought that she would be angry at me, but unexpectedly, she rolled her eyes up at me and gave me a gentle expression to invite me in. (Uu!?) Since when did the Houki I know become so cute? I knew that already, but that''s not fair. I tried my best to calm the throbbing in my heart as I sat beside Houki. "Ah~..." Houki''s arm got touched slightly, and she let out an unbelievably cute sound. *DOKI!* My heart started to throb again. "Mn~, sitting together like this still doesn''t look good. Orimura-kun, hold Shinonono-san around the waist. "...Wha?" "Holdherbythewaist. Hurry!" "O-Okay!" Nagisako-san suddenly spoke sternly, which surprised me, and I had to answer. What should I do? (Well, a hand around the back of the waist. This hand, that...) Somewhat panicking, I moved towards Houki to make it easier for me to grab her by the waist. The moment I touched her body, wow...the sweet vanilla perfume spread out. "!!" I can feel my heart beating wildly, and in the midst of that, I used my trembling hand to grab Houki''s waist. "Ah..." Houki let out a little whimper. The light dash of pink gloss on her lips looked like they were about to suck me in, and the breath that came from her mouth felt so bewitching. (Calm-Calm down, calm down...) This sentence echoed in my mind, and I inadvertently swallowed my saliva. "Mn, it''s not bad, but I want it to have more impact." Moving her face away from the camera, Nagisako-san folded her arms in front of her chest and looked up. "Okay. Let''s have Shinonono-san hug Ichika-kun''s head with both hands. Wouldn''t that carry a lot of impact? Mn, okay. That''s good!" *PACHN!* The sound echoed throughout the room. "Alright, let''s do it!" Nagisako-san smiled. (Wait, isn''t that too...) Thinking about this, I turned to Houki. Our eyes met in a distance less than 10cm away. "Ahh..." We saw each other, Houki and me. For some reason, it felt like time stopped at that moment, and both Houki and I didn''t move. (Houki''s eyes are beautiful...) The eyes that never changed since we were young were brimming with strength, but it''s different now. I don''t know how to express this in words, but Houki had a hidden side that I didn''t know of. And no matter what, it intoxicated me. "..." *Kashan!* The flash of light caused Houki and I to recover. "Mnn~, that''s a nice photo. Looks like there''s no need to put the hands away." "Th-This..." "..." Houki and I got embarrassed at that moment and quickly separated like a spring. "..." "..." I don''t know whether she understood our silence there, but Nagisako-san gave us a ''Really, you guys'' smile, and earnestly gave us a thumbs up to tell us, good job. "That''s all! Good work! Next, you two can change clothes. Oh yeah, we''ll give you these clothes, so just take them back!" "I-I see..." "Okay." Houki and I answered ambiguously as we headed off in opposite directions. "Then, I''ll send you the data of the dinner voucher through phone. Please remember to tell me your e-mail address before you leave. That''s all. It''s been a tough day." It''s not just Kaoruko-san herself, even Nagisako-san''s footsteps were so light. She had already started to transfer the data in the camera, and was using the Mobile Client to check. "Th-Then, Houki." "Wha-What''s the matter?" "Le-Let''s go change." "Ah, yeah." Houki and I continued to maintain this delicate distance between us as we had this stiff conversation. We headed off to our changing rooms. "..." "..." Of course, we remained silent on the way. Anyway, let''s fan off that heat on my face. (He-He praised me...Ichika praised me...he said that I was cute...) Taking off her clothes in the changing room, Houki stared at herself who was only wearing her underwear and holding onto her own clothes. Clenching her fists tightly, the white blouse that was covering the huge cleavage seemed to be pondering. (And...not only that...) The sensation she experienced when both of them exchanged looks floated up in Houki''s head, dying her face red completely. (Looking at each other at such a close distance...) At that time, she was so nervous her heart was about to rip open, and now it was giving off a delighted sensation. The distance where they could feel each others'' warmth and breathing like lovers looking at each other and hugging made Houki''s heart race. (I-If, we''re alone...) The image of her kissing with Ichika unfolded in her mind. "Nn..." She closed her eyes and let her fingertips move across her lips. It was a feeling that took the breath away from people, but it also gave her a sense of guilt that she shouldn''t have done that. (--Okay.) She opened her eyes that were showing determination. (I''ll treat him to dinner on our way back. Are there any good restaurants nearby...) Thinking about it, she searched through her memory. (Oh yeah! My roommate Shizune borrowed a book that mentioned that name. Let''s go there then. I remember it should be near the subway when we''re about to go back.) Remembering that the restaurant had the huge tagline ''Top 10 amongst the most popular restaurants for couples'', Houki''s face started to heat up again. (I can definitely do it today...calm down, invite him. Mn.) Repeating these words over and over again, Houki finally recovered and continued changing. She was smiling brightly, either because of embarrassment or happiness. ... ...... ........ On the way back, Houki and Ichika were walking together side by side. Both of them were carrying the clothes they wore for the photo shoot today in the bags. "We-Well, that was a refreshing experience." Perhaps somewhat aware that Houki''s of the opposite gender, Ichika stuttered. "Is-Is that so? That can be a kind of life experience." Just like that, both of them continued with their unnecessary conversation as they headed down the stairs leading to the subway. (Okay...I''m going to say it, I''m going to say it now...!) Patting her hand hard on her chest, Houki decided to say it out. "I-Ichika, well, how about we have dinner...well, erm, together..." "Hm? Okay. But the cafeteria''s still open now." "No, it''s not like that! Not in the cafeteria...well...out, outside, together..." "Ah, outside? I see." Ichika let out a ''mn'' sound and started to ponder. Houki stared at Ichika, and felt that the waiting time was really long. "Alright then. It''s rare to go out anyway. Let''s go then." "! I-I see...o-okay." Houki''s face suddenly dazzled, and she looked happy and yet embarrassed. "Then, where will we go eat? How about the family restaurant in front of the station?" "No-No! I know of a good place. Let''s go there then." "Oh, I understand." Making a "Do your best" gesture in her heart, Houki started to get excited because she believed that she had won. But... "Ah, we''re full today." This sort of thing does happen at dinner time on Sundays, and the restaurant that magazine advertised, ''Coniferous Forest''[7B 5], is fully packed with customers. And this place was basically filled with couples which made Houki even more sad. "What now? It says here that we have to wait for two hours...how about we head back to the cafeteria?" "No-No need! We''ll just eat outside! O-Outside!" (Bu-But what do we do? Amongst the other restaurants I know of, the rest include family restaurants, the eateries on the street at the shopping mall in front of the station and the ramen houses...) But these restaurants wouldn''t fit the mood she wanted. Anyway, feeling really determined, Houki started to look through the information on the magazine. (The 2nd rank stop''s opposite the station...the 3rd one is too far away from here...erm, the 4th...) Houki, who was troubled, had her hand raised by Ichika. "Ah, I know of a good shop. Let''s go." (WA-WAAA!? MY-MY-MY HAND...I-ICHIKA, HE''S HOLDING ONTO IT...!?) *DOKI!!* Her heart pounded intensively. It felt like her heart was about to pop out. "From now on, we have to walk quite a bit. Any problem with that?" "Ah, ah...whatever you say..." Anyway, as she was concentrating on Ichika''s hand, Houki could only answer blankly. "..." Having her hand held by Ichika, Houki''s heart fluttered as she followed him from half a step behind. This continued for more than 20 minutes, and they finally reached that shop. "It''s here." "U-Un?" Looking forward to a romantic eatery, Houki was stunned by the one in front of her. "Gotanda''s Eatery...?" "Yup. I mentioned it before, right? It''s my friend''s house." "I-I see..." Houki''s shoulders dropped dejectedly, but thinking about it carefully, this is Ichika we are talking about. It''s possible for him to fulfill her expectations. Haa...after sighing for a while, she entered the shop with Ichika. "Oh, Dan." "Huh!? Isn''t that Ichika!?" Half of the seats in the shop were taken. It was likely that Dan had to help out in his own shop, as he''s serving food with an apron on. "Hn? You brought a girl with you today?...Do-Don''t tell me it''s your girlfriend!?" "Why do you look so happy?" "No-Nothing...well, that''s your girlfriend, right!?" "Nope. Didn''t I tell you in middle school. She''s my childhood friend, the first one. Didn''t you notice her at my birthday party?" "Idiot. Do you know how much effort I spent asking for Utsuho-san''s address..." "What about Utsuho-san?" "Ahem. Nothing at all. Oh yeah, ah, that. Shinono-san?" Un, un, as Dan tried his best to remember her name while putting his folded arms in front of his chest, Houki finally answered. "Shinonono Houki." "Fuu, yes, I''m Gotanda Dan. Nice to meet you." "Ah, ahh." Houki suddenly remembered about Gotanda Ran, and started to feel wary. (That Ichika. Maybe he came here to look for that kid...) Thinking about this, Houki was led to her seat. "Then, call me when you are decided on what to eat." After that, Dan returned to the counter. Houki read through the menu, and at the same time, initiated a conversation with Ichika. "Do-Do you have any special recommendations?" "Hm? Each one of them is good. If I have to choose one, it''s the fish-based set meal...ah, the curry here''s nice too." "I-I see. Fuu..." Though she said that, she couldn''t help but continue to be mindful that ''Ran may come over''. "Ahwell...ahem! I-Ichika?" "Hm?" Looking at the same menu, Ichika answered. "We-Wel-Well..." Say it! Just say it! I need to try my best! ...Well, though she tried to encourage herself in her heart, she still couldn''t pull the trigger. (Buck up, Shinonono Houki! What happened to that usual confidence?) --O-Okay! I''m going to say it, say it! Say it out! "SPE-SPEAKING OF WHICH, ICHIKA!" "? What''s wrong? Why so loud out of a sudden?" "No-Nothing...sorry." It seems that she was too forceful as the surrounding customers were all shocked. Ichika continued to look at Houki, who was backing away in guilt, and said, "Speaking of which, since the time you started going back to the kendo club, your figure''s really good, Houki. Well, your posture''s really straight, and the curve of the back is really elegant." "Is-Is that so? Than-Thank you..." Backing away, Houki continued to drink the water down in large gulps. --Again, again, go me, go. "I-Ichika." "Hm?" "Ah...that..." Looking up, their faces met again, and Houki started to panic again. --SAY IT! "It-It''s just that. Right now, I''m practicing how to cook, so if you don''t mind, I''d like to let you try it the next time..." --ARRRGGHHH!! WHAT AM I SAYING! "Oh, is that so? Houki''s cooking''s great. I''ll try it to my heart''s content next time." "O-Okay! O...yeah...yeah!" Seeing Ichika smile so happily, Houki nodded her head as her ponytail swayed. She looked really happy too. "Then, I''ll order the Grilled Fish and fries set. What about you, Houki?" Completely forgetting to order, Houki frantically turned to look at the menu. "Mn, this Fried Wildfire Roasted Vegetable set looks good too. It''s a specialty of theirs too...and the hotplate menu..." "I see. Then, that''ll be all." Forgetting everything about Ran, Houki enjoyed the time she had alone with Ichika. "Hey, Dan--, can you take our order now?" "Coming." "I want a grilled fish with fries set meal, and Houki wants the Wildfire Roasted Vegetables." "Okay, got it. Please hold on for a moment." After jotting down the order, Dan moved off into the kitchen. --In the meantime, the owner of the Gotanda Eatery, Dan''s grandfather, Gen saw Ichika over there. "Hn? Ichika''s over there!" "Ah, that''s right. You old devil." "Oh. Wait, wait, is that his girlfriend? GAHAHA!" "No, I guess that''s not the case." "HEY!! RAN!! HEEY!!!" Gen shouted out loudly at the main house. A while later, a ''what-?'' could be heard from the second level. "COME DOWN TO THE SHOP! IT''S URGENT!" "WHY?" "JUST COME DOWN!" Ran''s grandfather Gen shouted back at the roof loudly. Two minutes later, Ran moved from the main house to the entrance of the eatery. On a side note, she was attracting a lot of attention with her looks even though she was in casual clothes. "What''s the matter, grandpa? I''m still doing my assignmentsu, huuh!? Ichika-san!?" "Yo." "GAHAHAHA!!" Gotanda Gen, who was laughing away heartily, suddenly stopped moving his hands that were cooking. Ran compared her dress with Ichika and Houki, who were sitting opposite him, and rushed out of the entrance. "WAAAAHHH!!" "What? Hey, Dan. What''s wrong with Ran!?" "...Gramps, Ran''s going to be mad at you later..." "Ah? Why must she be angry with me?" "Dad, it''s time to continue working." Saying that as she walked out was Dan''s mother, Ren, the self-proclaimed lady boss of the Gotanda Eatery. "Ara ara?[7B 6] Ichika-kun, is the girl with you your girlfriend?" "I said she''s not already." "Is that so? That''s good." Ren showed a smile, and Ichika smiled wryly, not knowing what to do. Ten minutes after that "We-Welcome, Ichika-san..." Ran finally walked out. She was wearing something that looked like an apron. Also, as the real poster girl appeared, all the men in the shop rioted. "Huh? What''s up, Ran. You got changed?" "Y-Yes, well..." "Are you going to go out now? It''s quite late already." "Wh-What''s wrong with that!? Well, it''s just my mood!" Secretly glancing at Houki, Ran''s confidence started to shrink further (I still can''t beat her...) Most likely, it''s because of the breasts. (Uu...) Ignoring Ran''s delicate feelings as a girl, someone loudly called out Ran''s name. "HEY, RAN! THE FOOD''S DONE. HURRY UP AND SERVE UP." "I-I GOT IT! DON''T BE SO LOUD, GRANDPA!" Taking up the food at the counter, Ran turned around to look. "Humph!" "What...? Hey, Dan. You, what did you do to make her angry?" "I DIDN''T !" "YOU DON''T HAVE TO SHOUT BACK AT ME LIKE THAT!" "AHH! WHY MUST IT BE ME! IT''S YOUR FAULT, GRANDPA! YOUR FAULT!" Grandfather and grandson continued to bicker, and beside them, Ren waved her hand lightly to encourage her. "So-Sorry to keep you waiting, I-Ichika-san." "Oh, thanks." She put Ichika''s set meal down, and returned back to the counter to get Houki''s. "So-Sorry to keep you waiting...erm, it''s been a long time." "Mn, it''s been a long time. Thanks." Just like that, Ichika and Houki put down their dishes. ...Beside them, Ran continued to look at them, not moving at all. (Wh-Why are both of them alone together...are-are they on a da-date?...uu, what should I do...) Seeing Ran standing there blankly, Ichika opened his mouth and said. "Ran? What''s with you?" "Wha, ah!? I didn''t do anything!?" "No, well...we can''t really eat with you staring at us like that." "Ah, ye-yes! I see! Aha-Ahaha, pardon me for my rudeness." Ran slipped back into the kitchen. Ichika continued to stare at Ran strangely as he and Houki split the one-use chopsticks. "Then, itadakimasu." "Itadakimasu." Both of them put their palms together, and after that, reached their chopsticks out. "It''s salmon today. Yup, it''s good." On the other side, Houki let out a ''oo'' sound as she continued to chew on the Wildfire Roasted Vegetables. "This...it''s really good. I can taste the soy sauce in the vegetables." "Yeah. That''s really good." "Do-Do you want to try some?" "Is that good? Then I''ll quickly" Saying that, Ichika reached his chopsticks out at Houki''s plate. Ahem. Houki stopped him. "I-I''ll feed you..." "Ah? Huh?" "I-I SAID THAT I''LL FEED YOU!" ''"O-Oh..." Held back by the sudden raise in volume, Ichika hesitated. Anyway, he nodded his head first. Houki used her chopsticks to pick the meat and vegetables, and then used the left hand to bring it to Ichika''s mouth. "Here, ah~..." "Ah~..." "AAAHHHHH!!!" Just when Ichika was about to eat it, a voice louder than Houki''s echoed throughout the Gotanda''s Eatery. ...It was Ran''s voice. "I''m telling you. Ichika got that girl already, so just giveAH!" *BAM!* Putting his hand on Ran''s shoulder, Dan tried to advise her, only to be stepped on the foot by Ran fiercely, and cringing in pain. "Ah, ah. My faulta-an." "UUUU!!!" Ran suddenly cried out. At that moment, the other customers seemed to be discussing about something, and there was quite the ruckus. "What''s with this?" "Is it because of that young man?" "Making Ran-chan cry!? UNFORGIVABLE!" "THAT''S RIGHT!" The male customers started to talk loudly, and Gen silenced them with a ''BE QUIET!''. Meanwhile, Houki was troubled due to the stares everyone was giving her. Now she can''t do the ''Here, ah'' thing again. (WHY-WHY MUST IT ALWAYS BE LIKE THIS EVERY SINGLE TIME! EVERY, SINGLE TIME!) *Gugugu*...the chopsticks that were being held tight sounded like they were about to break. "Houki." "What!?" "Ah~" She ate it. Houki ate the fried prawn Ichika picked up for her in reflex. "Well, the fried stuff''s good too. Most likely, the way to cook it is really skillful." "I-I see...that''s true..." Eating the fried prawn in large bites, Houki quickly swallowed the food and answered. At that moment, Ran was standing behind the counter, glaring angrily at Ichika in tears, but Ichika didn''t notice this stare as it was unfortunately too far away. (I-Ichika fed me something...Ichika fed me something...) Her heart pounding wildly, Houki''s unable to control it as her face went completely red. "The-Then, try some of the fried meat and vegetables." Ignoring the chopsticks that were about to break, Houki picked it up and slowly picked up a portion of the Wildfire Roasted Vegetables. Ah~...he ate it. "Mn. Ngh ngh..." "..." Houki continued to stare at Ichika who was eating the Wildfire Roasted Vegetables. It wasn''t something she cooked, but it couldn''t be helped that she had this reaction. "It''s good!" "Ye-Yeah!" Houki''s face suddenly bloomed like fresh floweres. Both of them then continued to eat their own dishes, and Ran finally decided to move to the table. "Eeeeeeeerrrrmmmm, doooooo yoooouuu neeed water..." "Mn, thank you." Ran took the glass cup with her trembling hand and poured water from the pot. But the shocking image was still etched in her mind, unable to be shaken off, and she inadvertently splattered water all over the place. "Wa!? Wha-What''s wrong, Ran!? Are you alright?" "Eeeeeehhhhh, iiiiiiiitttt''s nothing, aha-ahahahaha..." Her hand trembled even more as she poured water out for Houki, and large teardrops appeared in her eyes. "Hey, Ran?" "No-Nothing...nothing at all..." Though Ran said that as she continued to wipe her tears and force the smile, her tears just continued to well up. "Wha-What''s wrong!?" "U...UEEEEEEEEEHHH!!!" Ichika got completely stunned, as he watched Ran dash out of the eatery. "Wha-What''s going on. Suddenly...sorry Houki. I''ve got to go out for a while." Anyway, I''ve got to follow her. Ichika thought as he stood up. At that moment, several strong men stood up and blocked his exit. "Murakami Shinzaburou, 42 years old, construction worker!" "Yamamoto Juukura, 39 years old, civil engineer!" "Yoshioka Shuichi, 47 years old, driver!" "Terada Katsumi, 34 years old, Serviceman!" "Chris Marcus, 29 years old, self-employed!" The five men band suddenly announced their names and created a pose together. It seemed that the special effects of flames could be seen behind them. "WE''RE THE RAN-CHAN FANCLUB ALLIANCE!" "I-I see..." "SO GO AND DIE!" The five of them rushed up, but they were stopped by Gen''s powerful arm. "Huh, Gen-san..." "Yo, Ichika...chase after her." At that moment, Gen''s veins started to pop out on his face. Since his cute granddaughter was made to cry, it couldn''t be helped that he was raging. "Ha-Haha...hahaha..." Though the action hadn''t ended, it was better to announce the weather report first. As the grandfather''s rage was completely burning, there would be a bloody maelstrom in the nearby area. People who were intending to go out, please make sure not to get involved. "Fugu...uuu..." At a swing in a nearby park, Ran was alone, and dejected. Her face was still full of tears up till now, and her eyes were all red now. (Uu...Ichika-san''s, he''s going out with Houki-san...) *Creak*...*creak*...the swing swayed about lifelessly, just like how Ran was feeling right now. "Haa..." Sighing, she took out the ticket from her purse. It was an invitational ticket for the school festival of the traditional ojou-sama school[7B 7], Saint Marianne School, where Ran studied. (I wanted to give this to Ichika-san...) It''s now a reality that can''t happen anymore. Thinking about this, Ran wanted to use both hands to rip this ticket forcefully. "Heey! Ran~!" "Huh...? I-Ichika-san...?" Seeing Ichika run over here while panting, Ran hurriedly released both hands and tried to hide the ticket she was about to rip behind her. "Haa, haa, haa...so you were here..." "I-Ichika-san, why..." "Haa...haa...either way, I was worried since you ran off just like that." Adjusting his erratic breathing, Ichika looked up. His face looked like he got beaten badly, and it''s all swollen. "I-Ichika-san!? Your face, what happened!?" "Ah!? It''s nothing, well...I just fell. Hahaha." Ran immediately realized that he was lying, and naturally thought that her grandfather did it. "So-Sorry! It was all my fault..." "Hm? Why?" "Be...Because..." He left Houki behind, and got beaten by grandpa. Even so, Ichika still ran out to look for Ran, and Ran was really touched by Ichika''s gestures. The sadness disappeared like it was a lie. At the same time, emotions welled up in her. (I-Ichika-san''s really kind...) *DOKI DOKI!* The heartbeat sounded loudly in her heart. Ran could feel this agitated sensation of pain in her as she held both hands tightly together. (May-Maybe I can say it out now...) Deciding this, Ran forcefully sucked in her lips and lifted her head up. "We-Well, Ichika-san!" "Yeah." "Th-This! If you don''t mind, please read it!" Saying that, she handed over the Saint Marianne School anniversary ticket. "Hm? Ah, Ran''s school is having its school anniversary?" "Ye-Yes." Ichika checked the date of the event. Huh? He thinks. (This day. I think it''s the same date as the dinner voucher I got from Mayuzumi-san...) Ichika pondered. (But it doesn''t matter. The school festival will end before nightime.) Thinking that, he decided to accept the invitation. "Thank you. I''m keeping this then. I''ll definitely come over." "Ye-Yes! Aaaa, errrmm, that day, I''ll, ah, lead the way! I''ll guide you through. Can you give me a call once you reach the school?" "Hm? Aren''t you the Student Council President, Ran? Won''t you be busy that day?" "No no! It''s alright! No problem! Everyone in the Student Council''s outstanding!" It''s alright for me not to show myself! Ran said that as she stood upright. "Really. I''ll call you then." "O-Okay!" Seeing the radiant smile on her face, Ichika relaxed. He didn''t know the reason, but he was mindful that she was crying because of him. On the other hand, as for Ran, her face that was full of tears was now showing delight. (It''s great, it''s great, it''s great! This is the school festival date I always dreamt of! It''s really great!) A ticket per person. It''s every girl''s wish in Saint Marianne school to invite their boyfriends, and Ran''s maiden heart fluttered. Of course, there will be a strict inspection by her female friends, but Ran was confident about it, thinking ''There won''t be any problems if it''s Ichika-san!''. Besides, since he''s ''The only guy in the entire world who can use IS'', the Japanese government relaxed the restrictions, and he''s often seen on magazines or TV adverts. A while back, Ran was talking to her friends that she went out with Ichika. She chuckled when she remembered how everyone was so envious of her, and started laughing. (Ehehe, I''m going to hold hands with him and walk around the school...ehe, eheh...?) "Then, let''s go back." "O-Okay." Bringing the smiling Ran along, Ichika headed towards the Gotanda Eatery. That night, Ran couldn''t sleep at all due to overexcitement. Volume 7 - CH 3 It had been past a week since Ichika started looking for Kanzashi. "Hey, pair up with me." "Absolutely, not..." As it happened everyday, news that Ichika was chasing Kanzashi non-stop soon spread. "Hey hey, did you hear that?" "I heard that Orimura-kun''s trying to get closer to Sarashiki-san of Class 4." "Huuh? That''s a lie, right!? Why, why!?" "I''m not really sure, but it seemed that Orimura-kun chose Sarashiki-san as his partner in the personal IS tag match." "Huh, what about the rest?" "Well, about that, how should I put it..." CCecilia Alcott''s situation: "Ichika-san...I''ll make you regret for not pairing up with me. Fu, ufufu, fufufufu." The [Starlight MKIII] and the four BITs fired out at the same time. As they were in [Polarized Shooting] trajectory, Cecilia shot down all the moving targets. "Tremble to your heart''s content under the Requiem that''s played by me, Cecilia Alcott, and [Blue Tears]." CHuang Lingyin''s situation: "I want my right shoulder part to be replaced with a spread [Impact Cannon], send me the package data of the piercing [Impact Cannon] on the left side. Also, [Souten Gagetsu]''s to be changed into a spear. Change the [Impact Cannons] on the wrists to a high voltage chain! To be done in three daysha? Can''t do it? DO IT EVEN IF YOU CAN''T! GET TO WORK!" After sending a one-sided message to the person in charge of manufacturing her armaments in her own country, Rin fired the [Ryuuhou] at maximum output. The ground exploded majestically, leaving a large crater in the arena. "Watch this, Ichika...I won''t forgive you even if you beg me for forgiveness!" "Kukuku." Clenching her fist tightly, Rin''s eyes were burning with battle intent. CCharlotte Dunois'' situation: "Zzsthaa" Looking down from 200m above the central tower, there were 57 targets on the perimeter. They were all auto-fire mock-battle types. "Let''s go, [Revive]!" *Swoosh!* Charlotte quickly swooped down. She was holding onto two large and long .59 caliber heavy machine guns [Desert Fox]es, one in each hand. "..." Not decelerating but accelerating, Charlottle swung the heavy machine guns and shot down her targets. *CLUNK!* Once she used up her bullets, Charlotte threw her guns away and summoned a pair of Assault Blades. Charlotte continued to maintain her maximum speed as she flew down to the ground in a straight line. She continued to slice up all the targets in her path as she quickly approached the ground. CHAAAAA!! Just when she was about to crash hard into the ground, Charlotte did a 180 degree turn, using the thrusters on her feet to support her body. With that, she crossed her arms and threw the two blades in her hands, hitting the last target nicely. "I''m a strong opponent here, Ichika." Charlotte smiled. That angelic smile however was giving off an absolute zero-like freezing air. CLaura Bodewig''s situation: *Creak*...*creak*...Laura was sitting on the bed of the changing room as she sharpened her knife. Then, she raised the knife to check it. The thing that was sharpened until it was glittering like a mirror was a sharp weapon that could cut off flesh on the slightest contact. "...Ha." Seeing her face reflected on the blade, a smile appeared on Laura''s face. (Instructor rejected me, and I couldn''t pair up with Ichika. What was I doing...) If it has come to this... Black flames lit up in Laura''s body. (I''ll show you. I''ll let real terror strike your body, Ichika!) *KLANG!* The knife that was thrown out went into Ichika''s photo that was in her locker. "I''ll win! After I win, I''ll make you completely mine, Ichika!" Laura stood up and clenched her fist. There was no sign of hesitation in her eyes. (That''s right. Get ready, Ichika!) Laura''s eyes gazed sternly at the photo in the locker. CAh. Looking closely, the knife pierced viciously into Ichika''s forehead on the photo. "AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!" It was the only photo she had. However, Laura completely forgot that she bought the negatives as she turned completely pale. She gingerly raised the photo that had a hole opened in it with both hands. (I-I-I finally got this. It was the only photo in the world...) She paid 200,000 yen to get the priority to choose at the photo auction Mayuzumi Kaoruko organized. And she even bought the photo of the Ichika she liked, together with the negatives. CThat''s not too bad. But it was too late even if she thought of that. She had burned the negatives because she was afraid that others would duplicate it. In other words, this was really the only existing photo of Ichika in the world, the one that Laura liked the most. And this one photo now had a hole ripped through it viciously by the knife. "D-Duct tape...if I use duct tape, maybe..." Though Laura frantically rummaged through her locker, she only had military rations, prepared IS suits, knives, knives, knives and more knives. "Huh..." Forcefully poking out her face from the locker, Laura screamed loudly. "MEDIC!! MEEEDDDDDIIIICCCC!!!!" Her eyes were completely teary, and it most likely wasn''t just a feeling. ...Either way, Ichika had been treated cruelly like an enemy by the girls with the personal ISes. And as for the last important character, Shinonono Houki "Houki-chan get!" "WAAH!? Wh-Wha-What''s going on, Sarashikisan!?" After school, she was caught by Tatenashi while doing Iaido[7C 1] training in the kendo dojo. "Ah hun, call me Tatenashi." "Ta-Tatenashi-san. Is something the matter? I''m doing self-training." "Ha, Iaido with real swords? You''re going for real." "Yeah, sort of. I''m a descendant of a family that went through the Sengoku Era[7C 2] after all." "Really? Okay, I understand. Houki-chan, pair up with me!" "What!?" "Please! I-It''s unbearable that no one wants to pair up with me." "I see, alright..." Tatenashi put her palms together and begged. Seeing Tatenashi like that, Houki was so troubled that she couldn''t look back at her coldly. "Okay?" "Well, this, if that''s the case, I don''t really mind..." "Really? That''s great. Houki-chan''s so kind." Tatenashi''s face went from troubled to delighted as she gave a radiant smile. (Uu...! I-I got fooled, huh...?) Just when Houki was wondering about that, Tatenashi grabbed Houki''s hand and walked out. "Come on, let''s go. Let''s do it!" "Whe-Where are we going?" "The checkup room. I want to see Houki-chan''s biometrics." "Whaa..." "Oh my. Isn''t this important? IS have an auto-adjust mechanism, but it''s not good to do these adjustments without the latest figures." "I-I see." Understanding Tatenashi''s smooth explanation, Houki found herself in front of the checkup room. "Open sesame!" As she said that, Tatenashi touched the switch on the door. *Phoosh*. The sound of compressed air being released could be heard, and the door opened diagonally. "Then, I''ll operate this. Houki-chan, please stand on the scanning area." "Okay." Summoning the control panel, Tatenashi began to prepare the data scan. During this time, Houki wiped her sweat off with the towel on her neck. "Okay, I''m ready. How are you feeling, Houki-chan?" "I''m okay here." "O-kay, let''s begin." *Beep*, *beep*. The keyboard was tapped, and the scanner floated up from below Houki''s feet, shooting out an intensive green light on her body. "Hm, this is..." "Is there a problem?" "Houki-chan''s breasts are really big. Maybe I lose by a notch." "WH-WHERE ARE YOU LOOKING AT!?" "Ahaha. Sorry, sorry." "Do it seriously! Really..." After that, Tatenashi never said anything strange to tease Houki. About 2 minutes later, the checkup was complete. "Then, I''ll send the data to [Akatsubaki]. There will be a certain level of auto-adjustments, but you have to do the rest yourself...oh yeah. I''ll explain those things to you before the tournament starts, okay?" "Mn, okay. I don''t have a reason to refuse." "Fufu, Houki-chan, you''re cute when you''re being honest, you know?" "Pl-Please stop teasing me! The-Then, I''ll say goodbye for today." "Mn. Good job." After leaving the checkup room, Houki had an inexplicable feeling. (Why is it...that I don''t hate her for saying that...) Normally speaking...if it were someone else, she would resist that person no matter what. But for some reason, she accepted Tatenashi''s words. This inexplicable feeling wasn''t something she was unhappy about. Engulfed in this emotion, Houki walked to the bathroom in a good mood. "..." Tatenashi was still in the checkup room. Opening several display screens to compare the data, her expression became extremely serious. (What''s going on...) On the left side, Houki''s personal biometrics from when she entered the Academy were displayed. Her physical ability was top-notch like now, but the most important ''IS compatibility'' was rated at C "..." Tatenashi then turned to the display screen on the right side. It''s the latest biometrics she just got, and over there, the ''IS compatibility'' was rated with the letter S (The biggest factor in the compatibility was that the pilot had to be born with it. Of course, the compatibility would naturally increase through training and synchronizing with the IS...) But improving from C to S in such a short time was completely unheard of. Of course, there was no such record in any open library. (The only ones who have the IS compatibility S are people like ''Brunhild'' who won the Mondo Grosso, and the Valkyrias who won the group stages...) In terms of compatibility, Houki was equal to the five strongest pilots in the world. This sort of thing shouldn''t be possible at alllogically, it should be like that. (If that''s the case, the key is...) Related to that peerless genius, Shinonono Tabane. It should be correct if I think of it like that. "..." Tatenashi again gazed at the screen seriously. A sharp glint could be seen from the eyes that belonged to the Sarashikis. "Let''s go to the cafeteria, Kanzashi-san." "..." After hearing from a certain information network that buns were sold out at the shop today, I ran into Class 4 when 4th period ended and grabbed Kanzashi''s hand. "It''ll be my treat." "No, no..." Uu. Kanzashi curled up like a timid rabbit. But there''s no way back now. Either way, the deadline''s 5pm today. (Okay...) I pulled Kanzashi away a littleor rather, forcefully. "KYAAH!" I lifted Kanzashi up and carried her, Anyway, it''s the Princess Cradle. "Kanzashi-san, you''re so light." "Shu-Shut up...let-let me down..." "Then, hang on tight." "!?" I ignored Kanzashi''s protests and ran to the cafeteria. On the way, I passed by a few girls who screamed in shock, but I ignored them. I went down to the first level, out of the corridor, and opened the door of the cafeteria that was formed by three areas. "WE''RE HERE!" *BAM!* The door was opened loudly, and I was really loud. Because of these reasons, there were a lot of ''What just happened?'' looks directed at me. "Let go..., ..." *PAK!* *PAK!* *PAK!* My head got hit many times. Using this chance, Kanzashi started to get violent as she kicked me in the chin. "Wa, idiot. Hey, stop fooling around!" "Uu...! Uuu...!" "I can see your panties." "!?" Perhaps realizing her actions after I pointed this fact out, Kanzashi, who had been struggling up till now, gradually reduced her movements, and soon became obedient. "...-forgivable...unforgivable...unforgivable..." Kanzashi didn''t look at me, but bit her lips tightly as she muttered. I put Kanzashi down while she was still like this, and to prevent her from running away, I pulled her hand and queued up at the counter. "Today''s set meal of the day is Tartar Fried Chicken. What do you want, Kanzashi?" "..." "Okay. Kanzashi will have a large pork chop curry rice." "...Meat, I don''t like it..." Ohh, I finally got a response. Maybe this can do. "The-Then how about the Seafood Rice Bowl?" "U...Udon..." "Hm?" Kanzashi continued to squirm, and she looked at me for a moment, murmuring. "Just udon will do..." "Got it. Want some eggs?" "..." *Shake*...Kanzashi shook her head. "But, I want...Kakiage..."[7C 3] "Oh, Kakiage. Okay. It''s good. Here." "Uu, mn...it''s nice..." "Okay, I''ll buy the tickets and get the meals. Go get some seats." "Ah...the tables, inside there...they''re...empty..." "Oh, that''s true...heh, Kanzashi-san''s eyesight''s really good." "It-It''s nothing...it''s just normal..." Just when I saw a skill that I didn''t expect, our orders came out from the counter. "Hn? If you have such good eyesight, why do you need glasses?" "This, is a portable display." "Heeh, I see." "A holographic display''s...really expensive." "Is that so? Then, let''s go to that table." "..." Mn mn. After nodding her head, Kanzashi followed me from behind. On a side note, the cafeteria here''s really big, so there''s quite some distance to the seats inside. Because of that, most of them are empty. But since they''re the seats where one can see the seas outside, they will be crowded if it''s a bright sunny day that makes people happy. (Today''s weather''s good too. Lucky!) At the empty table, I sat opposite Kanzashi. "Itadakimasu." "I...Itadakimasu..." On a side note, in the end, I ordered a Tartar Fried Chicken. The delicious Tartar sauce is irresistibly good. I smiled as I took a large bite out of it. "..." As for Kanzashi, she dipped the Kakiage on the udon down into the soup with chopsticks. Most likely, the bubbles that would come out from them would be what she was aiming for. I did feel that Kanzashi was like an excited kid as she continued to look at it innocently. "Oh, you''re the deep-fried sponge kakiage type. Watch out. Laura''s of the crispy type. There''ll be war once she sees it." "...No...this, it is a full body bath..." Oh, a new sect altogether. That was really disrespectful. Anyway, Kanzashi and I continued with our lunch. "Even so, the Tartar Fried Chicken today that''s fresh out of the fire''s really great. Want some, Kanzashi?" "Huh...?" Kanzashi raised her head in shock, and I used my chopsticks to pick the Tartar chicken and brought it to her mouth. "..." She looked at it blankly, and then saw my face. Kanzashi then lowered her head. Maybe it was just my imagination, but her ears seemed to be blushing. "If-If that''s...so..." "Hm?" "Do you...conquer[7C 4] girls like that...?" "Huh?" Throw down[7C 5]? I did carry girls up, but I do let them land properly. I don''t think I threw them down once. "I don''t understand. Oh well. Try it,...ah, but you hate meat, right?" "Erm...it''s alright, if it''s chicken..." "Is that so? Great. Then...ahh." "Ahh...n..." Feeling somewhat timid, Kanzashi bit onto the Tartar chicken. One entire piece of chicken was too big for Kanzashi''s mouth, and so there was about half of it left on the chopsticks. "..." Seeing Kanzashi chew on, I finished off the remaining piece of chicken. "Well, it''s really good." "!?!?" It was like she was suddenly shocked when she was about to swallow, Kanzashi patted her throat a few times and hurriedly drank a gulp of water from her cup. "Haa...haa...haa..." "Wha-What''s wrong? Are you alright?" "Ah!" Kanzashi''s breathing wasn''t in sync yet, but she glared at me sharply. It felt like she was protesting at me or something. "Well, Kanzashi-san." "..." "Can you share some of that delicious looking Kakiage with me?" On seeing the part that was bitten and tasted, I thought she would give me some of it. "No-No way!!" She forcefully refused me, even lifting her bowl up and moving away from me. "Ah, sorry. I didn''t know you liked it that much." "I-I...won''t give this to you..." It''s just Kakiage. No need to be so serious. "...!!" Kanzashi seemed to detect something, as she suddenly dropped chilli peppers into my rice. "GYAAHHHH!!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" "..." She turned 90 degrees to the side from where I was seeing her, seemingly saying ''Who cares about you''. *Chiu* *chiu* *chiu* *chiu* *chiu* *chiu*... she continued to slurp the udon silently. "Wha-What do I do now. This..." Seeing the red-dashed rice, I swallowed my saliva. Is this the famous Calvary hill[7C 6]?... No no no, this isn''t the time for jokes. "It''s not that I can''t eat it. It''s not that I can''t eat it..." If that''s the case, I have to eat it. "It''s not that I can''t eat it! It''s not that I can''t eat it!" *GANK!* I picked up the bowl and scooped up the rice into my mouth with the chopsticks. My gung-ho, or rather, brave act now raised applause from around mehowever. "HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!" I could feel my tongue expanding crazily. My tongue felt like it got ripped off instead of burnt. Water, miso soup. Tartar sauce, I can''t even taste anything now. "Ka-Kan-Kanzashi-san...that''s too..." Tilting her head slightly as she watched me suffer and stutter, Kanzashi said quietly from those thin and even lips. "Serves you right." Such cruel words, and an even crueller voice. But at that moment, even if it was for just a moment, Kanzashi smiled. "...And so, the most important aspects in battle are ''weight'', ''speed'' and ''mobility''. These three aspects take up a large ratio..." Fifth period, Class 1-4. Kanzashi listened quietly to the lesson material at the last row. Actually, it was more like she was leaving it to deaf ears, but that wasn''t a problem since the information was in her mind already. Even if she was asked to answer now, she could read it out as if she was reciting it. --However, that wasn''t the main problem. The main problem was what happened between her and Ichika in the cafeteria during lunch break. "..." Rewinding time back. The scene was when Ichika fed Kanzashi ''Here, ahh'', and ate the rest himself. (Tha-That''s not just it...in-in-indirect...kiss...he, even did that...) And from Ichika''s reaction, it didn''t look like he hated it. If he were lying, Kanzashi''s instincts would have told her that. However, Ichika just looked happy in front of her. "..." Feeling that she was blushing, Kanzashi hurriedly buried her face into her textbook. (An-And then...after that...my food...he-he even wanted to eat it...) *Gushuu~*...like heat smoking out, Kanzashi''s heart got dominated with shame. (Uu...uuuu...?) She couldn''t understand. She couldn''t understand. She couldn''t understand. She couldn''t understand him. She couldn''t understand his intentions --And also, she couldn''t understand anything about her own heart. (Wh-What...do I want to do. Ah...? What...will happen to me...?) Beginning to lose control of herself since she was unable to calm down, Kanzashi began to feel restless as she shook her petite body. (That thing...on the first time...I don''t understand...at all...) Again, she suddenly remembered Ichika''s smiling face. (A...u...) Kanzashi held back in order not to let that strange sound out as she was pinching her thigh viciously. ?If you don''t understand, shouldn''t you try it?? (Huh...?) She heard Ichika''s voice, and soon lifted her head. She shook her head lightly and looked around. ?Pair up with me, Kanzashi-san.? (No, no...) ?Why?? (Be-Because...I don''t...I don''t understand...I...I, hate things that I don''t understand...) ?But if this keeps up, you won''t understand anything in the end, right?? (Even though...it''s like that...) ?There''s nothing to be afraid of. Just leave it to me.? (Ahh...uu...) They were like the lines that appear in the usual hero anime. But these felt better than anything else. "Hey, pair up with me, Kanzashi." "O-Okay!" Kanzashi grabbed Ichika''s hand that was stretched out in front of her. Abnormally excited, Kanzashi stood up forcefully the moment she grabbed the hand. (...H-uh?) She suddenly realized it. The orange sunset shone in from the window outside. The classroom was empty, and the Ichika in her imagination continued to hold onto her hand without disappearing. (What? ...What?...Whaat?) Just when Kanzashi was confused, the Ichika in her imagination jumped up. "I DID IIITTTTTT!!! You said that you wanted to pair up, right? Right!? That''s great! Let''s run to the staff room and apply for the tag-match team! Okay, *DON!*" Kanzashi''s hand was held tightly by Ichika, who rushed out of the room. That powerful force that dragged her made Kanzashi realize that this is reality, and she felt her face blush because of the shameful feeling. (I-In other words...I started spacing out from the 5th period...then until the 6th period...it''s over. Orimura-kun''s here...he invited me...I mixed up reality with my imagination...) --This is bad! Still thinking about this, her body reached the front of the staff room. "Let''s go in then." "Wa-Wai" Wait. Before she could say that, Ichika''s hand dragged her into the staff room. As she was mindful of how her hand was held, Kanzashi signed without understanding what was going on. "Okay! Let''s work hard at the preparation room from today onwards!" "We-Well..." "We need to wear our IS when adjusting, and so we need our IS suits. I''ll get changed then. See you at the preparation room!" "Well, that..." *Ta*, *ta* ,*ta*. Kanzashi''s words couldn''t catch up to Ichika''s back who was running. ...But Ichika suddenly turned his head behind while running. "Ah! Which preparation room?" "The-The...second one!" "Got it. See you later then!" Seeing Ichika run off, Kanzashi realized that she had stretched her right hand out when she recovered. --What did I do that for? Thinking about this, she started to feel shy and hurriedly retracted her hand. "..." She again recalled what happened a few minutes ago. She couldn''t say ''Wait'' when they entered the staff room. --But was that really because she couldn''t say it? --Most likely, she was looking forward to this and ''Didn''t say it'', right? "..." *Gugugugugug*. She shook her head left and right. But whether it''s her mouth or her heart, she just couldn''t say ''You''re wrong''. The sunset shone into the corridor. In the orange world, Kanzashi felt for the first time since birth, the sweet pain that gushed out from her chest. "Alright. Let''s see Kanzashi-san''s machine!" In the second prep room, Kanzashi and I were together. It''s an elimination tag-team tournament for pilots with personal IS, but because of the high standard of this tournament, there were many students other than us who were tuning their machines too. "I said, please send me the mobility data you got yesterday." "I want to lighten my armaments. Can I make it if I do so now?" "Wait! The Hyper Sensors base values are off! Who was the last one who tweaked it!?" There was quite a ruckus. Since they''re working together happily, there will be groups screeching all over the place, but everyone was tuning their IS seriously. "Heh, that''s the first time I''m seeing the upperclassmen with Personal ISes." "Over there is...the 2nd year, Forte Sapphire-san...with her IS [Cold Blood]...opposite her is the 3rd year, Daryl Cayce-san and her [Hellhound V2.5]..." I''m somewhat shocked by Kanzashi''s smooth explanation. She spoke so fluently, not stuttering and stopping like usual. "And...behind is..." "Ya...Cecilia..." Standing over there was the representative cadet of England, Cecilia, piloting her IS [Blue Tears]. "Yes. I want to increase the output efficiency by tweaking the mobility." "We can do that...but it''ll be difficult to control the IS, you know? Of course, it won''t be as safe." "No problem. I won''t lose in my next battle." "Oh well. Let''s try it. If the consequences are too severe, we''ll just change it back to normal." "You''re right." Cecilia continued to discuss with the 2nd and 3rd year girls who were most likely in the conditioning class. Suddenly, she turned to look at me. Perhaps she noticed me. "Humph!" Her face darkened as she forcefully turned her face away. After I refused to participate in the tag match with her, Cecilia would treat me as an enemy no matter what. (Well, I do feel sorry about that...) But there''s no need to be that angry. On a side note. Rin would kick me hard every time we met. Laura would completely ignore me, and Charl would start to say, ''What''s wrong, Orimura-kun?''. "..." You don''t have to be that angry, right...even I will feel hurt. "...It''s about time. We have to start..." "Oh-Oh yeah, that''s right. Do your best." After checking that I nodded my head, Kanzashi stretched her right hand out. There was a crystal ring on the middle finger of that hand. "Appear...[Uchigane Nishiki]..." Kanzashi''s body was covered with light, and floated up as the armor was donned on her. "Hehe..." It''s the next generation of [Uchigane], and though I heard that it''s a prototype, it looked completely different. The skirt armor was modified into a one-winged type. Compared to the defensive [Uchigane], [Uchigane Nishiki] focuses on mobility. The armor on the wrist became a beautiful line, and it became a construct that could utilize its mobility in combat. The parts on the shoulders aren''t shields, but hold a large winged-shaped thruster and 2 little boosters on both front and back sides of it. That figure resembled [Byakushiki]. Looking at it, the [Nishiki] didn''t have any similarities with the [Uchigane], but the Hyper Sensors on the head were of similar design. "Speaking of which, huh? Don''t tell me the machine''s complete." I asked, and Kanzashi, who kneeled down to remove the IS, shook her IS slightly. "The armaments...aren''t done. And...I haven''t gotten operational data...it''s impossible for it to battle like this..." "I see. Lemme ask, the armaments are?" "Hi-performance guided missiles that use a complicated lock-on system...and, the particle cannon''s not..." "Particle cannon? You can use the [Byakushiki]''s data." Though it''s differently designed from the particle cannon on my [Byakushiki], she should be able to use the sample data of output control and structural dynamics. Thinking about this, I summoned the [Byakushiki]''s console and began to search for it hurriedly. "Then, this is the [Yukihira Nigata]''s..." "..." "Oh, got it." "!" I lifted my head, and found myself exchanging looks with Kanzashi. At that moment, Kanzashi looked aside. "Hey hey. You can''t read the data like this, right? Look." I forcefully grabbed her hand and brought her in front of the holographic screen. "How is it? You can use it as reference, right?" "..." "Hm?" "You, you''re too close...a-a little further..." "Ah, sorry." Immediately, the hand separated. "..." Kanzashi rubbed the wrist that I had touched and again focused on the screen. "..." Kanzashi''s eyes were serious as she looked intensely at the screen, using her fingers to check the relevant data. "This...output''s too great...it uses too much energy..." "Ah, that''s true. I did suspect this before..." "It''s better to adjust it...you''ll waste too much like that..." "Oh. Then, since you''re reading [Byakushiki]''s data, can I ask if if there''s anything I don''t understand?" "I''m...okay with that..." "Mn. Thank you." "..." Quickly returning to inspect her own machine, Kanzashi still remained stone-faced as ever, but it seemed like she was looking more lively. "Then..." "Orimu~, Kan-chan~" *Patapatapatapata*. Footsteps could be heard coming here...there''s only one person who would call us that. "Honne..." It''s Nohohon-san, also known as Nohotoke Honne. She''s a secretary of the Student Council, a maid at the Sarashikis and my classmate. Her characteristics are her lazy expressions and the slow movements. (Hm? If her family served the Sarashikis for generations, she and Kanzashi should be childhood friends too.) "Ehehe. I''m here to help~" Honne swayed her drooping sleeves slowly and gently. She just so happened to hit a 2nd year who was passing by, and who glared at her in return . However, this being Nohohon-san, she was still as carefree as ever. "Kan-chan, I''m here to adjust your machine~ehehe!" "St-Stop it...don''t...ah, ah..." It seems that Kanzashi''s not used to dealing with this childhood friend who''s of the same age. "Honne...you were called over, by onee-san...right?" "Huh~? NopeI''m Kan-chan''s personal maid. It''s my job to help!" "..." "I''m Nohotoke Honne who watches your life from Monday to Thursday!" For some reason, it felt like a catchphrase from a certain advertisement. "What about...Friday, Saturday and Sunday?" "Huh, I want to rest on weekends!" "3 days...you really rest too much..." That''s completely right. Please work properly, maid of a prominent family. "Then, where should we start? Should we upgrade the system? Or the weapon support system?" "Weapon support system. It won''t do if it''s not me...I want to set up the mobile control...Honne, you..." "Adjust the shield barrier, right? Got it!" "Li-Listen...help me, check the armor..." "Ehehe, I understand." Having lost all resistance to Nohohon-san, Kanzashi sighed and lowered her shoulders. "Wha-What...are you looking at..." "Ah, no, it''s nothing." "I hate...guys who sta-stare at me like that..." "Oh, ah, sorry." After that, the three of us were so busy adjusting the machine that we lost track of time. Half of the time, I did the adjustments based on the reference books, but due to the brilliance of the occasional suggestions Kanzashi made, I managed to increase the energy efficiency by 15% today. Amazing. "But really. It''s a lot of work to adjust the machine...oh my." I just need to operate the controls if it''s just a system tuning, but the delicate task of tweaking the power output or the structural dynamics means that we had to open up the armor of the machine and work on the parts directly. We were using mechanical arms, but it''s really tough to open the armor like that. "Orimu, you relied on Professor Tabane''s machine''s functions. IS itself should be delicately adjusted personally!" Woah! The day when Nohohon-san gave me an accurate suggestion actually came. "The IS''...self-improvement and optimization is really impressive...but, you can''t...rely on it." "I-I understand." "Speak...speaking of which...that..." Kanzashi started to squirm all of a sudden...what''s wrong?" "Erm...that..." "?" She wrapped her fingers around and played around with them. Her eyes wavered, and she looked like she couldn''t calm down at all as she looked around, obviously looking suspicious. "Do you want to go to the bathroom?" "Ah...!" Lifting her head up, Kanzashi immediately blushed. --*GANK!* "OWW!!" "Ojyou-sama~[7C 7], I beat up the rude fellow~" I say, Nohohon-san! Is-Isn''t that a screwdriver!? It hurts when you mess around like that! "Orimu~, I feel that you''re so inconsiderate!" "Gu..." "Even if she really wanted to go to the bathroom~, it''s courtesy for her not to say it!" Guaahhh! Nohohon-san''s so harsh when lecturing me about basic knowledge! "It''s said that with an elder sister around, the younger brother will be unfamiliar with the opposite gender. My friends used to say that in the past, but I guess Orimu''s abnormal. That''s a bad habit~" "That-That''s not true!" ...I guess. "Ho-Honne...that''s, enough..." "Yes, ojou-sama!" "What ojou-sama...don''t call me that..." "Mn! Kan-chan!?" "I don''t like that either..." The conversation that occurred between them calmed down after that, and Kanzashi again looked over at me. "Th-Then...the flight test...I hope, you can accompany me..." "What. That''s it? No problem." "Tha-Thank...you." Kanzashi cautiously bowed at me. To me, it felt that it wasn''t something that''s to be requested like that, so I felt somewhat awkward. "The-Then, do you want to use this arena?" "It''s flight testing...number 6..." Speaking of Arena 6, it''s the arena that was used a few days ago for [Cannonball Fast], the Super-speed flight training arena. Unlike the other arenas, the space''s completely open, and there''s no restriction to fly around as long as we keep moving around the central tower of the Academy. "Alright, let''s go!" "A-Alright..." "Take care~ I''ll go to the control room and use the data scanner to assist you!" Nohohon-san waved her droopy sleeves softly, and again knocked into another girl, who glared at her slightly for a while. "Thruster efficiency...check..." Having opened all the controls of her [Uchigane Nishiki] at Arena 6''s conditioning point, all the values entered her eyes. Due to Honne''s help, there was quite some development in the building of the machine. Most likely, she would follow her sister Utsuho to join the conditioning class in second year. That''s the level of ability Honne had. (And...) Ichika''s [Byakushiki] values had a lot of use. As it was the machine that was developed from the same development center, the data compatibility was much more than expected. "..." But maybe, more than that, perhaps Ichika''s own existence was important. (Wha-What...am I thinking...I...) Kanzashi forcefully rubbed her reddish face into her hands. Just when she was doing this, a message came from Ichika through the private channel. "How is it? Can we move off now?" "Y...Yes..." "Then, I''ll fly off first. We''ll meet at the highest point of the tower." "I-I understand." Kanzashi bent down and fixed her feet into the gravity catapult. The holographic display showed the word Ready, and it instantly became Go!. Kanzashi accelerated and flew to the sky in Arena 6. (Structural Dynamics...no problem...next, Hyper Sensors...connect, activate...) *Pi* *Pi* *Pi*, the Hyper Sensors soon caught [Byakushiki]. Zooming in on Ichika''s face, Kanzashi''s heart couldn''t help but beat faster. (Ca-Calm down...concentrate...concentrate...) Noting the output levels of the thrusters on her back, Kanzashi let the machine accelerate. (Maintaining thrusters in this position...no problem...acceleration...shield barrier to be tested activated...) She summoned the control option and tried to turn. It was an action that shouldn''t have had any problem, but on activating the shield barrier, the machine started to stutter and stopped. "...?" Just when she felt that it was weird, numerous displays showed up, confirming the current parameters. (Shield barrier created interference when deployed...so...[PIC] was interfered with...) It seemed as though there was a problem with the installation of the shield on the wrist, and Kanzashi temporarily cancelled the deployment as she summoned a keyboard on both sides to input data one by one before letting the machine fly. (Adjusting point of deployment...from [PIC] interference range...Gravitational Deflection Angle...6m in front of machine...undergoing adjustments...then...balancing boosters...4 minus and ignition...) At the central tower of IS Academy which was in a curved shape, the machine outside it used the thruster output to fly up quickly. At that time, Kanzashi piloted the machine with both hands on the keyboards and caught up with Ichika, completing the course in the process. "Yo!" Ichika casually raised his hand. And Kanzashi, who didn''t know how to respond, nodded her head slightly first. "How is it? That machine." "It''s alright..." "Really? That''s great." Smiling away heartily, Ichika just looked so dashing, and Kanzashi hurriedly looked away. "The-Then...let''s go back..." Feeling that it may end up with something really abnormal if it was just both of them, Kanzashi quickly flew down without waiting for Ichika to answer. "Heh. It''s really fast. It''s about as fast as Cecilia''s [Blue Tears], right?" "I-I guess...according to the figures..." Kanzashi frantically answered. Her machine quickly flew down at breakneck speed as if it was running away from Ichika. (...Hhuh?) Following Kanzashi from behind, Ichika suddenly noticed something abnormal. Sparks appeared from time to time on the boosters on the legs of the [Uchigane Nishiki] Kanzashi was piloting...*PA*...*PAPA*... (It''s really weird.) Thinking about that, just when he was about to open a communication channel, the booster on the right leg of the [Uchigane Nishiki] exploded. "!?" Due to the sudden explosion and the imbalance due to the unexpected loss of one of the boosters, Kanzashi and the machine flew diagonally in a straight line towards the outer wall of the central tower. "KANZASHI-SAN!" ([PIC] was ineffective...!? Wh-Why) Many ''Errors'' appeared on the screen, and [Uchigane Nishiki], which had lost control of the system, quickly closed in on the outer wall of the tower. "Ch!!" Kanzashi closed her eyes in reflex. At that moment, a powerful voice flew in like it was tied in. "KANZASHIIIIIIII!!!" Using [Ignition Boost] to increase the output of the thrusters to the maximum, Ichika forced his way between Kanzashi and the wall. (Ah...) Ichika hugged Kanzashi''s body, and his back slammed into the wall. "Guu...!" A pilot with an IS on has protection, but the impact couldn''t be removed completely as Ichika grimaced with pain. "O...Orimura...kun..." "He-Hehe...are you alright...? To be honest, I''m feeling a lot of pain now..." Saying that as he gave an awkward smile, Ichika looked like a hero to Kanzashi. The stupid words that were said to calm the situation down sounded really cool to Kanzashi''s ears. "A-Ah...erm...erm..." "Are you alright, Kanzashi?" "Huh...? Y-Yeah..." "Really? That''s good." With the pain still coursing through him, Ichika closed an eye and pulled himself from the wall. The outer wall of the tower had a huge dent on it due to the impact, and a part of it cracked. "..." Continuing to grasp Ichika''s hand like that, Kanzashi felt her heart beat so crazily it ached. It was the first time she stuck so close to a guy''s body, but she didn''t hate it. It must be because he''s Ichika, Kanzashi thought as she matured late. ?Hey, hold it, those students over there! What happened!? I''m seeing an indication that the tower was damaged!?? "AH, yes. Well, it''s an IS training accident. I''m Orimura Ichika from Class 1-1." "Sarashiki...Kanzashi, from Class...1- 1-4." ?AN ACCIDENT!? YOU AREN''T HURT, ARE YOU!? ARE YOU ALRIGHT!?? WA WA. Continuing with the questions was the math teacher Edwards Franchee. On a side note, she was born in Canada, 25 years old, and looking for a boyfriend. Her hobby was gardening. "Anyway, it''s good that you aren''t hurt. Since you need to return to the Maintenance Branch, please wait for us down there." ?O-Okay. Then, please be careful on the way down.? After cutting the communication signal, Ichika carried Kanzashi and slowly descended. "It''ll be dangerous if there''s another system error. Let''s just go down like this." "A...Alright..." Gently...nodding lightly, Kanzashi went silent. Right now, her face was dyed as red as the sunset. "Ahh...as expected, just as expected, I had to hand in a report..." Having returned to the maintenance branch, we explained everything to the teacher, and after undergoing a checkup to see if we were alright, a report of more than 10 pages was passed to us. "Haa...these are really tough. Man..." "..." Kanzashi looked like she was rather apologetic as she looked at me. "Hm, what''s wrong?" "Ah, er...m..., it was...all my fault...so-sorry..." "Well, you don''t have to mind. It can''t be helped if it was a machine malfunction." "Uu..." As I said that, Kanzashi gripped her hands tightly and lowered her head. (Ah. She was really affected by it. Well, the machine she fine-tuned had a mishap.) It''s great that she was not hurt. And having understood her personal limits, Kanzashi should have grown up a lot from now on. "I say." "What...is it...?" "Better to get the people from the conditioning class to help." "..." "There''s only one week to the tag match. Safety''s the most important thing" "U...uu...I''ll do that..." "Huh?" For a moment, I didn''t know what to do when I saw Kanzashi nod her head lightly. I thought she would definitely, wordlessly refuse or say something like ''No...''. "We-Well...since Nohohon-san''s okay, I''ll get Mayuzumi-sempai along as well." "So-Someone you know...is it?" "Ah, sort of. You see, we met often because of news club stuff, so it naturally ended up like that." "I-Is...that so..." ? Is it just me, or Kanzashi didn''t look too happy just now... "..." "..." Huh? The moment we recovered, we found ourselves with nothing to say. Edwards-sensei, who had been making a fuss up till now, isn''t here now, so it''s just Kanzashi and me in the large maintenance branch. "Ah, that..." I do feel that there''s nothing to say. "Ah-Ahh-Ahh..." Forcefully...Kanzashi gripped her hands and ran in front of me. "Thank you...very much." "...What for?" "We-Well...thank you...just now, because of you..." Kanzashi immediately backed away from me and turned aside. Perhaps she''s feeling shy about saying it out loud. She clasped her hands together in front of her chest and softly played with her fingers. "What, that? Well, isn''t that to be expected?" "..." *Jiii*. She continued to stare at me...what''s with that? "...So, cool..." "Huh?" "No-Noth-Nothing..." "? Really?" Looking outside, the sky became pitch black under the screen of night. It''s been about 10 minutes after we dispelled our ISes, and our bodies should be cold now. "Let''s go back. We''ll catch a cold if we continue to stay here." "O-Okay..." She nodded her head, but for some reason, Kanzashi didn''t move. "..." "What''s wrong, Kanzashi-san?" "Do-Don''t..." "Huh?" She''s probably shy. Looking closely, Kanzashi''s face is all red now. "Do...Don''t say...san...just, call me Kanzashi..." After saying those words softly, Kanzashi scampered away as if she was escaping. Seeing her disappear behind the door, I scratched my head. (Call her Kanzashi, is it? Our emotional distance should have shortened, right?) (I-I said it...) Having returned to her own 1st year dorm, Kanzashi showered in hot water, as *DOKI* *DOKI* her heart beat. For the Sarashikis'' daughter, allowing another to use one''s given name had a significant meaning. "..." Kanzashi touched her lips and tried to say the words. ''I''-''chi''-''ka''... "..." *DOKI* *DOKI*. Blushing furiously, Kanzashi felt that her heart was a fragile item as she gently touched her chest. It wasn''t too big, but the treasure of love that was hidden in it was really soft. "Honne...really has it good..." They''re both in their first years, yet they had a difference of 2 cup sizes. Her sister Utsuho was the same. She had well-ripened fruits. And her older sister "Ah!" Upon thinking till here, her head suddenly cooled down. Kanzashi, who was drowning in the heat of love, became a captive by her own realistic sense of inferiority, and her body jerked slightly. (Tatenashi...nee-san...) The existence she looked up to yet couldn''t catch up to...Sarashiki Tatenashi. She was a gentle sister, an outstanding, strong person and a lovely womanshe was completely flawless. (I...can''t catch up to that person at all...) It was unknown when she started to think like that. --She ended up unable to catch up to that back. --She couldn''t look at that expression directly. --She started to feel painful about bearing the same family name. "..." *Gya* *gya*. The warm shower of rain fell. Lowering her head, Kanzashi looked like she was crying, but that facelooked up. "Calm down...nee-san, nee-san...I-I..." --I, Kanzashi, won''t be crushed as long as I have Ichika. She finally found a hero, someone who had a bright smile. "Orimura, Ichika..." She tried to call that name again, and she was happy yet trembling anxiously. The inexplicable drive rose up within her. CouragePerhaps that''s what people call it. "Thank you very much!" After the special training ended, Houki and the kendo members bowed and thanked each other. "Hey~. You don''t have to say it so stiffly." Floating down from above was Houki''s coach and tag match partner, Tatenashi. She looked carefree as usual as she waved her hand lightly. "No, it''s unacceptable for a swordsman[7C 8] to lack formalities." "Swordsman?" Seeing the stern looking Houki, Tatenashi couldn''t help but give a wry smile. "Oh yeah. How about we have dinner today? At the cafeteria in the second year dorm. I''ll lead the way." "Huh? No, I" "Okay. It''s decided. Let''s go, let''s go." "Wait-Wait a minute! I" "Okay okay let''s go!" "Ha..." Unable to endure Tatenashi''s angelic expression, Houki couldn''t help but sigh deeply. It was the same when she complied to pair up with her. Why was Houki unable to resist Tatenashi at all? At first, she thought that this sempai wasn''t willing to listen to others, but even after thinking about that and getting manipulated, there were a lot of inexplicable things. (For-Forget about it. It''s not like I hate it.) Now being led by the hand that was holding hers, they walked to the changing room in the arena. It wasn''t something she hated. "..." She remembered her own sister who used to hold her hand like this. Shinonono Tabane To Houki, Tabane was an existence she couldn''t surpass no matter how hard she tried. When she was young, Tabane was someone she relied on, and someone she was proud of. But unknowingly, she felt that the difference between her and her sister had started to show. --That person, she''s of a completely different breed from me. The inherent talent difference was too great. But even so, somewhere in her heart, the aspect where she viewed her sister Tabane as someone she vaguely admired only lasted until ''That Incident''. (--) "Houki-chan." "Ah, what is it!?" "What''s wrong? We reached the changing room." "Huh, I see, yeah. Okay." "Are you thinking about something? You look really scary." "Do-Do I?" "I do. Girls are prettier when they smile!" Tatenashi went behind Houki and moved both hands under her armpits. "Koochi koochi koochi!" "GUHAA! HA-HAHAHA! STO-STOP IT...AHAHAHAHA!!" Just like that, they spent two minutes in laughter, and Houki was out of breath when the tickling attack ended. "Haa... haa... haa..." "Mn--, Houki-chan and Laura-chan''s reactions are so cute...speaking of which." "Wha-What is it?" Finally regaining her breath, Houki opened the locker and answered, "Houki-chan, regarding your elder sisterProfessor Tabane, do you keep her away?" "..." It wasn''t that she hated it. Recently, she finally started to realize it. But she would remember that incident when they met. She wanted to seal her memories, her lack of control over her emotions, and (The hurt I inflicted on her...) All those were her own fault. Not Tabane''s fault, but her own fault. She couldn''t control herself, drowned in power, and caused ''That Incident'' to happen. She no longer wanted to remember that, and now she wanted to run away from everything related to Tabane. In fact, she wanted to reject the entrance to IS Academy, but she finally entered because the government somewhat forced her. Of course, that was because she was Tabane''s imouto. "It''s not that I hate her." "Really. That''s good. A family should get along well together." Though I really can''t say that about others Tatenashi murmured, although it wasn''t heard by Houki. "Let''s take a shower together." "Huh? No, I''ll just use my own room" "Okay okay. That guy''s gonna hate the sweaty smell." That guy. Houki knew who Tatenashi was referring to, and her face immediately blushed. "It''s so late already, and there shouldn''t be anyone in the shower room. We got the whole room, you know?" "Pl-Please don''t drag me along! I''ll just walk on my own." Though Houki protested, Tatenashi just answered with a smile and even pulled Houki by the arm. ... ...... ......... "Ah~ it feels so good." In the shower of hot water, Tatenashi let out a refreshing sigh. The showerheads in the shower room were separated, and both of them entered neighboring cubicles. Even though they were separated, the leg and head area were completely open for everyone to see, so there would normally be girls chatting away happily. The spacers were all translucent glass sheets, and though they could block the exposure of the chest to the thigh, the human figure would be shown as a silhouette. Houki didn''t like this shower room as her bust size would be checked on by the other girls. "..." "Are you the bathing type, Houki-chan?" Tatenashi suddenly asked Houki, who remained silent up till now. "Well, as for what you said just now." "Hm? About Houki-chan''s onee-san?" Nn. Houki nodded her head. "I don''t really hate her. I''m really grateful about the Personal IS." "I see." "But I still can''t understand." "Can''t understand what?" "What was my sister thinking..." "Hmm." *Kyushh*. Tatenashi turned off the shower and leaned on the spacer. The space between the body and the spacer couldn''t take the ample breasts, and they were squashed. "You''re scared because you don''t understand?" "..." Getting a silent affirmation, Tatenashi continued, "If that''s the case, I''m the same." "Huh?" "So I''m sure your onee-san''s the same as well." Unable to understand. Unable to understand, and being afraid as a result. However, one has to understand that courage was needed. The courage that surpasses the fear of hurting oneself, that surpasses the fear of hurting others. "It''s alright." "In-In what case?" "There''s no need to worry. I''m sure your onee-san would treat you as someone important." "..." "So, there''s no need to be scared." Explaining this gently, Tatenashi maintained a silent smile on her face until the end. The next day, in the second preparation room after school. "Ah, Mayuzumi-sempai! Thank you for your appearance today!" "Let me say first that my appearance fee''s really high, you know~? An exclusive, ahem, date for once." "Huuh?" "A date with Orimura-kun. Fufuthat''s something to be proud of." "Pl-Please spare me." If we want to complete Kanzashi''s personal IS, we definitely need the 2nd year ace of the conditioning class, Mayuzumi Kaoruko-sempai to help us. "Okay~ Okay~ Okay~. I want to go on a date with Orimu~" And there''s Nohohon-san, Nohotoke Honne. She''s a first year, but amongst the members of the conditioning course, her ability''s top notch. "Fuu, hm, then, do I need to call in Kyouko and Fee to help?" As she said that, Mayuzumi-san pulled her handphone out to gather her team. And the bait was "Mn, two photos of Orimura-kun. Anyway, it''s not like you can''t have a date in school, right?" Me again? But I''ll be willing to toil on if I can get a flock of fish to bite on. "REALLY!?" A voice came over from the other side to confirm. Most likely, it''s that ''Kyouko'' or whoever. "Tha-That''s still acceptable." "OKAY! OKAAAYY!! DEAL! DEAL DEAL! ZUU-SAN! BRING YOUR BEST CAMERA ALONG!!" Since when did Mayuzumi-san...become Zuu-san? "Okay okay. How about Fee?" "Heh. I think I want that famous massage." "There''s no problem right? Orimura-kun?" "Haa, well, never mind. I''ve done quite a few massages recently when I was sent to the clubs." "Okay! It''s decided! Hurry up and gather at the second prep room! Last one here will have to treat juice!" After saying that, Mayuzumi-san hung the phone up. However, there''s only me, Kanzashi, Mayuzumi-san and Nohohon-san here, so it''s just a showdown between Kyouko-san and Fee-san. "Then, let''s get to work!" Mayuzumi-san smiled. 30 minutes later, I felt the strictness of the conditioning course that would drive me crazy. "Orimura-kun, hand over the cables over there! All of them!" "Then get the super-large wrench and the hi-frequency cutter." "Fu. There aren''t enough holographic displays. Get a few LCDs here. 8 will be enough. Borrow a mini-TV here too." "O-Okay." Anyway, I went around working busily. In order to complete Kanzashi''s personal machine [Uchigane Nisihiki], all the second year members of the conditioning class were present and fighting. The hardware included the thrusters, boosters, armor, armaments, internal firearms and so on. Alsothe core needed to use data to create the respective parts and the final model of the machine. Kanzashi continued to assemble the IS in order to operate it immediately after finishing work. However, there''re a lot of problems with the software. It''s based on the [Uchigane], but there''s the adjusting and checking of things that include the construct of the [Multi-Lockon-System], the booster''s [Unit Control System] optimization and efficiency maximization, the machine''s [Energy Bypass Operating System] simulation, and the [Shield Barrier] system. Helping to support the development, the pilot, Kanzashi, had been operating on both software and hardware with the support of Nohohon-san, She''s working on things far more than what an ordinary person can do, like operating the machine, gathering data and controlling the feedback. What''s most amazing however is the way she''s controlling those machines. She''s not just using voice control, eye control or body gestures, but also using both hands and both feet to control 2 keyboards each, 8 holographic keyboards altogether. I know that she can put her hand between the keyboards above and below. As the keyboard below''s being typed on, the keyboard above can be controlled by the hitting motion. The problem is that the toes are doing the same thing, though she''s using [PIC] to let the IS float in mid-air, that''s practically god-like. As a side note, the keyboard''s not flat, but a fully customized model where each key''s shaped in a sphere. (Customized for herself, like how Tabane-san does it?) Something like ''It''s too slow to move the fingers if it''s just the ordinary method''. What kind of construct is that? (But even so.) The way Kanzashi''s floating in the air, with both hands and feet surrounded by light was like a wizard in a fantasy game. "--How pretty." "?" "What are you saying?" Kanzashi tilted her head. "No-Nothing much." I subconsciously muttered. Thinking about it, it''s really embarrassing, so I coughed a few times to hide it. "Hey, Orimura-kun, don''t get lazy! The laser-arm there." "Get me the data-scanner! Godspeed!" "Erm, and also, please take down the ultrasonic sensor." Now, it''s a rush down to the equipment store. Anyway, I sweated and toiled as I brought the equipment over. "Orimura-kun, help me tidy my hair." "Orimura, juice! I want some!" "Ah, please get some snacks." Huh? Is it just me? Why is it that even unnecessary chores are added into it? "Ah, I ran out of shampoo. Help me buy. I want vanilla." "Orimura, please return this book to the library." "Mn, help me check out the set meal of the day for dinner." "Huuh! That has nothing to do with work, right? Neither does this nor that!" "Ah, you found out?" "Che. Pretty smart, aren''t you." "Fufu, that was a joke." How, how tiring. It''s not just physical fatigue due to the carrying; Even the mental fatigue swarmed onto me. "Haa..." I sighed from the bottom of my heart. It felt like even my soul was about to float away. "Heheh." Seeing me like this, Kanzashi chuckled. It''s just a little smile, but it glittered brighter than any diamond. "Okay okay, we got the basic parts assembled together. Sarashiki-san, do you feel something weird about the machine''s movements?" "It-It''s alright..." On the day before the tag match, they finally ended our final run of work at 9pm. On hearing Kanzashi''s answer, Kaoruko nodded her head. Yup yup. "How about the weapons control system? Finally, is the [Multi Lockon System] completed?" "Ye-Yes. The normal [Lockon System] can...be used..." Kyouko, who planned on working as an arms developer in the future, seemed to be concerned about that. Right now, the [Uchigane Nishiki] has hi-performance guided missiles amongst its armaments, 6 missile pods altogether, 8 mini missiles in a defensive type weapon system. It''s a weapon that can fire 48 of them at one go, but as the important ''48 independent operational'' [Multi Lockon System] wasn''t completed, the supposedly high accuracy and high firepower type didn''t appear. However, the fact that they managed to complete the machine to such an extent in less than a week, was due to Kaoruko, Kyouko, Fee and Honne. And also "..." Kanzashi secretly glanced at Ichika. Currently, he was clearing up the mechanical tools that were used, and like usual, he was the one who ended up doing all the physical stuff. (Orimura...kun...) On looking at him, her eyes started to be passionated. "Hm?" *Fuu*, Kaoruko detected the gaze from Kanzashi''s eyes, and her eyes began to glitter. "Then! That''ll be all. We''ll be making a move first then." "Hm? What are you saying, Kaoruko? We''ll be scolded if we don''t send the machinery and equipment back." "Ahh. Okay okay. Can''t Orimura-kun just do it?" "Me? Well, it''s not like I really mind..." "Oh my. How kind of you. Nn" "Yay~ Then, Orimu~, we''ll leave it to you then~" "Yay~" Fee and Honne cheered, *pechi* *pechi*, as they repeated this somewhat unknown highCtouch.[7C 9] "Th-That!" Kanzashi was stuttering, but she decided to thank everyone who worked so hard to help her, so she said really loudly. "THAN-THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I-I DEFINITELY COULD''T HAVE DONE THIS ON MY OWN. REALLY, THANK YOU, THANK YOU VERY MUCH!" She earnestly lowered her head. Seeing Kanzashi like that, the five of them showed a kind smile. "Ahaha. Don''t really mind. Aren''t we all friends in school." "Ah, well. It''s meaningful to meet a Japanese made IS after so long." "Nn nnplease treat me to dessert next time." "I want cake~" After being surrounding by cheery voices, Kanzashi felt tears well up in her eyes. Up till now, she was so obstinate But even so, the world was still filled with the light of kindness. "Then, we''re going back." """Ohh""" "Orimura-kun, we''ll leave the rest to you." "Yes." "Sarashiki-san, do your best." Kaoruko whispered to Kanzashi''s ear just when she was spacing out, and even gave a small knowing look. On hearing that, Kanzashi immediately blushed and looked down. "..." Sweat immediately appeared. (Wha-What''s with that...telling me to do my best...) While keeping her head down, she still glanced at Ichika secretly. He was panting heavily as he put his life on the line to carry the heavy equipment. (Wha-What do I do...? No...no matter what, I want to help him...) "Well." Deactivating her IS and opening the armor, Kanzashi landed on the floor. "Er...Erm..." "Hm? Ah, it''s okay, Kanzashi. Just fine-tune [Uchigane Nishiki]." "Bu...But..." "Okay okay. Well, if you''re done, hurry up and go back. Isn''t the usage time for the bath today very short?" "Wa...WAIT A MINUTE!" The unexpectedly loud response caused Ichika to back away slightly fearfully. "O-Oh." "..." Kanzashi being Kanzashi, she immediately felt shy about speaking out loud, and turned back to the tuning on the [Uchigane Nishiki]. *KACHANK* *KACHANK*. The maintenance sounds echoed through the preparation room. In the spacious preparation room, only Ichika and Kanzashi were present. (Wha-What do I do...what do I do...) Kanzashi wondered as she continued to fine-tune the [Uchigane Nishiki]. The machine was without a pilot, and thus in standby mode now. Of course, she didn''t forget to let the core optimize itself. "..." She glanced slightly at Ichika. Though they were all heavy machinery and equipment, he was moving them fluidly. It seemed that he didn''t realize that he and Kanzashi were alone. (He-He''s really used to...handling girls...) Even though she didn''t join the inner circle of girls, she did hear the rumors. Rumors like the guy named Orimura Ichika having a good relationship with all the Personal IS pilots in 1st year. "As expected...I''m still..." As a Personal IS pilot, the girl still turned her face back to recall. All of them were all girls with overwhelming charm. Kanzashi felt really depressed, and there was an ache in her chest. "..." She started to feel dejected. If she canumm, was more loveable than now. If she could be even cuter now "Kanzashi." "HYA...!?" Just when she lowered her head and got lost in her trail of thoughts, Ichika suddenly patted her on the shoulder. As it was too sudden, Kanzashi got shocked and straightened her back. "Wh-Wha...what''s wrong...?" "I''m done here. What about you?" "Huh...we-well...?" There were a lot of materials and equipment, yet he really cleared them all. Most likely, time flew as Kanzashi was thinking to herself. "Then, let''s go back." "A...Alright..." Kanzashi couldn''t calm down as she stroked [Uchigane Nishiki] that was in standby phase, the ring on the middle finger of her right hand. She walked with Ichika side by side out of the entrance of the preparation room. "..." The tremendous beating in her chest was now painful, as if it was giving a loud cry. "Then, let''s get changed. I''ll go to Room B at the 3rd Arena. What about you, Kanzashi?" "Well, that...Number 2-, A..." "Is that so? I''ll walk with you for a while then." "Al...right..." Kanzashi and Ichika walked together side by side. They could see the sky outside through the window, and it was completely dark now "But we finally completed it." "Yeah...thanks to everyone..." And naturally, the conversation ended as both of them continued to walk silently. Kanzashi was so nervous she didn''t know what to do, but Ichika just thought that Kanzashi preferred to remain silent. "And, we''re here." "Y-Yes..." Ichika raised his head, waved, and walked away. Kanzashi stared at that figure''s back for a while, and only when she lost sight of Ichika did she run into the changing room as if she was escaping. (I''m...weird...) They weren''t so close that she could talk to Ichika naturally. She thought that she could say something at the beginning. (I...I, do...) --Like him. Isn''t that the case? Thinking about this, her heart pounded again. (No, I can''t...think about that, no way...) Finally reaching her locker somehow, Kanzashi silently leaned and placed her hand on her chest. "Fuu..." After a shower, I rubbed my head and sprawled on the bed. "We finally completed it." The development of [Uchigane Nishiki], which we despaired over in the beginning, finally became reality with the help of Mayuzumi-sempai and the rest. Of course, this did involve a certain ''third-party'' power *KOK* *KOK*. "Ah, I''m in." On hearing the knocking on the door, I stood up. *Gachunk*. The door opened, and the ''third party''s standing there. "Hello ?" "Tatenashi-san." For some reason, my feelings sank, and I couldn''t help but look around the corridor. ...Luckily, it looks like nobody saw us. "Can I come in?" "Huh, yes, well..." "Then, excuse me." Like usual, Tatenashi-san entered the room with graceful steps before walking to the bed and leaping onto it. ...Haa. Why does she feel like a kid? "Ichika k-un." "Yes-Yes." "Massage~" She even flailed her legs about. ...Hey. You there, your panties...I can see them... "Haa..." But since this person''s that Sarashiki Tatenashi, it''s pointless for me to resist. Even worse, I think I''ll be messed around with even worse if I dared to resist. (Like for example, ordering me to massage when I''m bathing. Well...) Besides, that''s something that can''t be joked about. I put my hands on Tatenashi-san''s body unwillingly (definitely unwillingly!) "Speaking of which, who are you paired up with tomorrow?" *Guu*...*gu*...I continued to feel her for the stiff parts as I asked what was on my mind. "Hn? Isn''t the team list released already?" "No, I didn''t have the chance to look at it since I was in the prep room. Huh? Why''re your legs so stiff? Did you run a marathon?" "Hey, first year. I did a lot of valuable speeches during the school gathering. Weren''t you listening?" "Hahaha, that can''t possibly be happening now, right?" "Ichika-kun, you can''t say lies that can''t even fool yourself, you know?" "Guu..." "Yare yare.[7C 10] Also, my partner''s Houki-chan." "Is that so, Houki...HUH!? HOUKI!?" The unexpected name shocked me. Since it''s Houki, so I thought she would say something like ''One person''s enough!''. Tatenashi-san...she''s at it again. (Hn...?) Ahh, yeah. Tatenashi-san''s using her own way. To look for the existing link in an imouto with her elder sister. Perhaps she found a silhouette of her own imouto inside. However, as expected, Tatenashi-san still couldn''t ignore Houki''s situation. "Ichika-kun, you really have quite the good relationship with your sister." "Wha-What? Why so sudden?" "Because Orimura-sensei''s always really strict with you." "Is-Is that a display of a good relationship?" "Ah, so you don''t know. You don''t understand at all because you''re important, special, she had to be even stricter with you." And you mustn''t die. "..." Tatenashi-san casually said those words. I didn''t understand it immediately, but I was stunned. Fightdeathme? My memory got awakened again. That person who looked exactly like Chifuyu-nee, Orimura Madoka. Her hand held onto a tool that was born to kill, giving me an undefined killing intent. "..." Unknowingly, my right shoulder started to tremble. I tried my best not to let Tatenashi-san notice as I grabbed my right arm with my left hand to calm it down and lecture it, earnestly praying that I was just thinking of it. "Well, a war''s going to start again." Out of a sudden, Tatenashi-san revealed her normal expression as she flailed her two legs again. And the fear that held me scattered like the wind. "Ichika-kun, massage my butt." "So-SO I SAY! CAN''T YOU JUST LEAVE THIS TO UTSUHO-SAN OR NOHOHON-SAN!?" It''s not just ample, but the figure of Tatenashi-san''s hip is really refined. Just from thinking about that soft touch that was in my hands, blood felt like it was going to gush up to my nose and spurt out. "Nope. Ichika-kun''s skill is the best." "Ahhthat..." I got praised, and I do feel a little happy. "Calm down, calm down, clear your mind of useless thoughts ?." "Ufufu." Laughing away is Tatenashi-san as she looks as delighted as ever. "..." I swallowed my saliva...to a guy, this trial is unavoidable. "Do it now!" ...No no no. There''s no need to do this. I told myself off. "Ichika-kun." "Ah, yes." "Should I take off my panties?" "DAAAAAAAAA!!? WWHHY-WWWHHHY!!!!?" "You looked like you wanted to see it, you know ??" Tatenashi-san continued to chuckle as she leaped onto me and started to rub my face. "..." Kanzashi was using the kitchen in her dorm. The gas stove was giving off piping hot air, and Kanzashi, who was sitting on a chair in front of it, looked on impatiently. (Orimura-kun...will-will he eat it...) She was making green-tea-flavored cupcakes. One of the many specialty dishes of Kanzashi. "..." Looking at the clock on the wall to check the time, it was now past 10pm. Maybe Ichika would be sleeping. Thinking about this, Kanzashi''s heart sank again as she stared at the stove expectantly, thinking that it would have been better to bake it earlier. *CHING!* "Ah...!" It''s done! Kanzashi''s expression immediately brightened. She carefully placed her mittens on both hands and took out the cupcakes from the oven. The sweet smell of baked sugar and the aroma of green tea scattered out. (Uu, yup...well done...) Hoho. The cupcakes that were giving off hot air so yummy that it could be eaten. Kanzashi gently put each cupcake into the prepared bag one by one, and then used a string to tie the opening. (The-Then...I''ll give it to Orimura-kun to eat...) --So happy. And because she was too happy, Kanzashi''s heart felt like it was going to explode. "Be-Before it cools down." Holding the three cupcakes with both hands, Kanzashi ran out of the kitchen. "Ehehe..." Taking three, two steps on the corridor, Kanzashi couldn''t help but smile. --Really happy. Giving something to the person she liked. While she was somewhat shy about it, she also felt a little proud. (I want to see him.) I want to see him. I want to see him. I want to see him. Kanzashi continued to run on the corridor and hastened her pace. She turned around the next corner, and soon, she was about to reach Ichika''s room. "Suu...haa..." She stopped at the corner to adjust her breathing. (I''ll go slowly from here.) She didn''t want to be seen panicking. Thinking about this, she turned the corner. *Kacha*. "Huh?" Ichika''s door was open, and Kanzashi hid instinctively. "Mn~ I''m really happy." "U!" She definitely didn''t mistake that. It was her sister, Tatenashi''s voice. (Wh-Why in this room.) Hiding at the wall, she peeped in from there. "Damn it, that''s enough. Spare me the agony." "Huhisn''t that pretty good?" Tatenashi said that as she tugged at Ichika''s arm. Seeing them like this, Kanzashi''s breathing stopped for a moment. "Both of them seem to have quite the good relationship." *CREE*, *CREE*. Her heart ached as if a knife had pierced into it. Kanzashi then subconsciously held onto the cupcakes tightly. "Then, how is it? Kanzashi-chan''s machine. How is it?" --Huh? "Hmm? What, basically." --What''s, going on? She couldn''t help but prick her ears and eavesdrop on their conversation, and her heart rang like a siren. She shouldn''t listen. She mustn''t listen to it at all. "How was my machine''s data?" --!? Subconsciously shocked, Kanzashi immediately stuffed her mouth and leaned her back on the wall. (The test data Orimura-kun gave me.) She thought that it was [Byakushiki]''s, but it was actually (Nee-san''s machine''s?) *Krak* *krak*, her world started to collapse. Nobody had any ill intent, howeverKanzashi had her own pride. ([Uchigane Nishiki]''s assembly...I finally managed to complete it with my own power...finally...finally!) Perhaps she thought that she caught up to her sister, or that''s what she had thought. "Ah...a..." It was an illusion. All that was an illusion. The gentle Ichika. The completion of [Uchigane Nishiki]. --All of it. All that was completed by her own sister. "Hii...!" Thinking about this, Kanzashi''s heart couldn''t help but imagine about her sister. The perfect appearance, outstanding brain, athletic ability that far surpasses an ordinary person, the charisma that locks the hearts of many in. "Ah...ah...ahh..." It''s scary. It''s scary It''s scary It''s scary. It''s scary It''s scary It''s scary It''s scary It''s scary It''s scary It''s scary It''s scary It''s scary It''s scary It''s scary It''s scary It''s scary It''s scary It''s scary It''s scary It''s scary It''s scary It''s scary It''s scary It''s scary It''s scary It''s scary It''s scary It''s scary It''s scary It''s scary. "No, don''t..." "Kanzashi." The voice of the illusion rang beside her. Even when she covered her ears and closed her eyes, she couldn''t get rid of that sound. "You don''t have to do anything. I''ll deal with everything." It''s so sweet, so sweet, yet the words sounded like posion. It started to spread in Kanzashi''s heart, and soon flowed out. --The despair, darkness. "No...no..." "So, you" Can continue to remain powerless. "!" Her heart and body felt like they couldn''t take it. Kanzashi ran out. She ran, ran, and ran, until she reached her room in a daze. "H...Haa...Ha...Haa..." Her shoulders couldn''t stop trembling, and her face was covered with trails of tears that looked like they were drawn on it as they drip onto the floor. "Uu..." She forcefully rubbed her eyes to wipe her tears away. But the tears swelled up again, and Kanzashi couldn''t take it as she escaped into her bed. (I...I just-just...I just...) "Just continue to remain powerless." The cruel voice of her imagination pierced through her chest. And then, the dam burst as tears flowed out. "Uu-uu...uehhh..." Choking and crying, her heart was wavering. "Uwaaaaaaaaa...uwaaaaaaaaaaa..." Feeling that she really wanted to die, Kanzashi just continued to cry alone. Volume 7 - CH 4 (Is it morning...already?) Rubbing her swollen eyes, Kanzashi slowly got out of her bed. She couldn''t feel even worse now. However, today''s the day of the Personal IS pilot tag match tournament. Right now, it''s impossible to even think of resting. (I have to go...) She staggered and walked to the basin area, and washed her face with cold water. Calming herself down, Kanzashi put her glasses on. "..." She had to work hard today no matter what. She continued to think that way. Even though she still couldn''t accept it psychologically, she could only think that way. (The tournament schedule. They will show the match-ups...at that time...) But if they progressed smoothly, they would have to face off against Tatenashi, even if they didn''t know when. --*Cree*. Her chest hurt. "..." Ichika and Tatenashi, who looked really happy. She understood that they didn''t mean to agitate her, but she still felt really hurt. (I can''t beat that person, I can''t.) She bit her lower lip tightly. Tears still swelled in her eyes. --If only there was a hero around. Like in a manga, where the hero would appear majestically, a flawless hero. A powerful, strong, kind, unwavering and upright partner who would follow his own justice until the end. "U..." Kanzashi saw the hero in her dream interchange with Ichika, and couldn''t help but shake her head. (Either way, I have to go.) Feeling so inferior that she wanted to disappear, Kanzashi left the room. "Then, we''ll invite the Student Council President, Sarashiki Tatenashi, to deliver the opening address." After Utsuho-san said that, she took a step back from the microphone on the podium. On a side note, Nohohon-san and me, members of the Student Council, were lined up behind Utsuho-san. "Fuaah...sleepy sleepy..." "Shh. Nohohon-san, the head of the teaching staff is looking here." "Okay..." I wouldn''t detect it if I don''t look closely, but Nohohon-san nodded her head slightly. However, I don''t know if it caused the opposite effect as she swayed around like a daruma[7D 1]. ...Ahh, the teacher''s looking over. That head of teaching staff has inverted triangular eyes, hair tied to the back, dressed in an angular shirt. has thick red lipstick on and has the title ''oni-baba''[7D 2]. However, she should be cuter than a real demon...On a side note, the demon I''m talking about is Chifuyu-nee. "Everyone, we''re having the Personal Pilot Tag match tournament. I hope that everyone can learn something from the match. Please enjoy the show!" The clear tone, the precise pronunciation, they all felt like some beautiful music. Like usual, Tatenashi-san gave an overwhelming presence. There''s no other reason for why she''s so popular. "Well, not only that." *PAN!* The fan opened, and the words on it read ''Bakuto''[7D 3]. "To let every student enjoy this, the Student Council members specially came up with the plan. It''s called Prediction of the Winning PairMeal Vouchers Fight!"[7D 4] WAAAAAAHHH!! The students who were lined up properly broke into ruckus. "Hey, isn''t that gambling?" "Please relax, Vice-President Orimura." "Huh?" "I finished the negotiations." Tatenashi-san gave me a smile, and nobody in the teachers camp looked like they disagreed...Chifuyu-nee however looked like she had a headache. "And this isn''t gambling. It''s just simple assistance. Just using one''s own vouchers only. It''s just guessing who will win." "Is-Isn''t this gambling already!?" An-And I never heard of such a plan before. Just when I wanted to say that, Nohohon-san tugged gently at the bottom of my shirt. "Orimu, you hardly come to the Student Council~. We decided through voting." "Ku... Recently, I was stuck in the preparation room the whole time...!" What''s going on? Suddenly creating a gambling cult... But this is the charisma of IS Academy''s Student Council President, Sarashiki Tatenashi. She really grasped the hearts of the students, and my heart couldn''t help but be dyed marine blue.[7D 5] "Then, I''ll announce the matchups!" After saying that, the large holographic screen appeared behind Tatenashi-san. Shown right at the top is "Geh!?" The first battle, Orimura Ichika and Sarashiki Kanzashi VS Shinonono Houki and Sarashiki Tatenashi (Another inevitable meeting in the first round? This looks tough.) Remembering the time when I faced off against Laura, I sighed deeply. (But is Kanzashi okay? Suddenly having to fight Tatenashi-san out of a sudden) I couldn''t see her in the crowd of girls whose hands were raised. (We have to remain on standby in the same pit. I''ll discuss it with her later.) (Gosh! I''m going against Ichika!) Once the matchup schedule was released, Houki felt really happy. (Fufufu, I''ll show him my ability!) To be honest, Houki improved a lot through Tatenashi''s training. (It won''t be like the last time! [Akatsubaki] has evolved a lot since last time. This time, this time...!) I must win! Houki raised her tightly clenched fist to her head. (Tha-That''s right. I must win...I must win this...and, and then, at tomorrow''s hotel dinner, I-I-I will con-confess, and-and then, we-we''ll-we''ll go out together...we''ll be dating! This time!) Focusing on that more than anything in a certain sense, Houki used her wish as fuel to support her burning passion. "Ah, Orimura-kun." *Tatata*. Running over here is Mayuzumi Kaoruko-san. "What''s the matter? I''m going to the 4th Arena to change into the IS suit. I''ve got to hurry." I have to make a detour to reach the 4th Arena, and it''s really far. A mid-distance running before the match starts? The one who assigned the rooms is either an oni or an akuma.[7D 6] "Well, well, what are the odds?" "Huh." The paper in front of me indicated that there were overwhelming odds for the Houki and Tatenashi-san pair. Well, Tatenashi-san''s the only ''National Representative'', so she''s on a completely different level from those who are only Cadets. "And then I-I''m the last one." "Well, Sarashiki-san''s data''s still a complete unknown." Next, the second best odds are a second year and third year pairs, then Charl and Laura, and Cecilia and Rin. "So there''s only 10 people, 5 pairs of personal IS pilots." "Yup. Amongst them, there''re 7 in the first years. This year''s abnormal, really abnormal. There''s only one third year, and amongst the second year, including Ta-chan, there are only two people. Also, the first years seem like they all have the latest 3rd Generation frames." "Sure sounds impressive." "Why do you sound so unconcerned? It''s all because of you, you!" She pointed her finger at me. Is-Is that so. "Furthermore, Shinonono-san''s [Akatsubaki] is a 4th generation." "Seems that way." "Heh! That sounds more like it!" You were the one who said that. I couldn''t say it out though, so I remained silent because of the pressure. "Anyway, please make a comment before the match! I''ll be really busy if I don''t compile everyone''s lines. Here, pose!" Then, *kacha!* She pressed the shutter. She''s as energetic as always. "Photo OK! Now for the comment." "Huh, erm...then I''ll do my best." "Aim for the win! Something like that!" "No, that''s..." "Hmm. Ah, that''s right." Mayuzumi-sempai put her hand under her chin to look like she''s thinking of something. Perhaps she did think of something? "''You''ll be my harem slave if you lose to me''...how about that?" "What, that''s!" "Nope, that''s because nee-san said something like that." Ahhh, how did that interview get edited until like that! Speaking of which, what did she mean by harem slave? "Ahaha. It''s really fun to tease Ichika-kun a bit. Just like what Ta-chan said." "Please don''t do that. Please." "Well, don''t say that" Just when Mayuzumi-sempai said that as she waved her hands. --*BOOM!* "!?" An earthquake suddenly struck, and the ground shook wildly. "Kya..." "Danger!" Shaking continuously, Mayuzumi-sempai couldn''t maintain her balance. Seeing sempai about to slam into the wall, I subconsciously reached my hand out to brace her. "Are you alright?" "Y-Yeah. Anyway...what''s going on?" *PAAMM!!* With a crisp sound. All the lights on the corridor became red. Then, the holographic screens in the air showed Emergency Situation Alert as a broadcast was aired. "ALL STUDENTS ARE TO EVACUATE UNDERGROUND! I REPEAT, ALL STUDENTSKYAAAAHHH!?" The teacher who was making the emergency broadcast got interrupted suddenly. And then, another powerful attack shook the school, shaking it left and right. "WHA-WHAT JUST HAPPENED...!?" "ORIMURA-SENSEI!" Maya ran down the corridor, and finally found Chifuyu. "Yamada-sensei, what''s the situation? What happened?" "IT''S AN AT-ATTACK! PLE-PLEASE LOOK AT THIS!" Panting really hard, Maya pulled out the portable terminal, and the screen clearly showed the ''enemy'' image the arena camera took. "This is...!?" "Ye-Yes! The same unmanned drones like beforeno, it looks like they''re more developed!" "Numbers!?" "5 of them! Appearing from all the arena pits at high speed! They''re attacking students with Personal ISes!" On hearing Maya''s words, Chifuyu''s changed her expression. "Damn it...this is too early...''that thing'' still can''t be used..." "Huh?" Maya was a little surprised by Chifuyu''s little muttering. However, it seemed that she muttered that subconsciously. Chifuyu again shut her mouth, her hasty mannerism wasn''t like her at all. "O-Orimura-sensei! What do we do!?" Maya earnestly looked up at Chifuyu. Chifuyu was the one in charge of IS Academy''s Unexpected Event Response Command, and the reason was because she was crowned the world''s strongest Brunhild. "How''s each section doing?" "Like last time, they''re in the highest level lockdown." "Got it. The teachers should put priority on evacuating the students. Also, gate system lockdown is to be removed. Teaching staff are to get ready to attack. Level 3 armaments, 2-man cells as defensive lines." "Un-Understood." Maya straightened her back as she answered, and then ran to the hangar to get her machine. Seeing that figure leave, Chifuyu suddenly punched the wall viciously. "That was really daring...but, you underestimated us." Chifuyu''s eyes looked like they were burning as she muttered softly but clearly. "KOOOYAAAAAHHHH!!!!" *KLANG!* The [Souten Gatetsu] launched an attack and continued on with another as Rin slammed the attackerthe black IS away. Rin was really excited over repaying the debt. In contrast, the opponent just responded with a presence an unmanned machine would have. "" The black IS was called [Golem III]. It was far stronger than the one that appeared before, and the shield expanded greater. In contrast to the metallic giant-like [Golem I], [Golem III] looked more like an iron girl. It looked just like a black model. The pitch black armor was neatly arranged, outlining the female armor. The head had complex eye lens on it, and to obtain a wider range of view, the visor-shaped eyeline was changed to become a ram''s horn Hyper Sensor as it charged in. And the parts that changed the most were definitely the arms. The area under the right elbow became a huge blade, and possessed strong combat capaibility. In contrast, the left arm used the same design as [Golem I]. It was a huge arm, but the modifications on the hand had 4 high intensity infrared lasers, and the cannons opened up in black holes like the caves of hell. "You recovered and forgot all about your scars, right?" The [Impact Cannons] on the shoulders [Dragon''s Roar] opened. In the battle at the narrow pit, she used the maximum force to blow the [Golem III] upor that was what was supposed to happen. "" However, ball-shaped things formed around the machine, raising a powerful energy shield to defend against the [Impact Cannons]. "What the heck, you! You''re more of a defensive type compared to before!?" "Rin-san, get down!" On hearing that voice, Rin hurriedly dived. Cecilia flew quickly above her, spun to stop in mid-air, and fired the [Starlight MKIII] a few times. "Damn it! This shield''s really hard!... However!" The BITs that floated nearby fired at the same time, and all the beams shot off in the wrong direction. "I definitely won ?" *Swoosh*. Cecilia flicked her finger in mid-air. At that moment, the beams created a huge refraction, firing at the blind spots of the ummanned machine. This was the BT weapons'' attribute, Psycho Sympathy [Flexible] [7D 7]. "" Sensing that there was no time to deploy the Shield Unit, the [Golem III]''s body danced in mid-air. "What!?" Because it was an unmanned unit, the body could do all sorts of complicated movements. And then, using precise thruster control, it dodged all the attacks. "Ar-Are you kidding me!? Such defensive ability and mobility!? And" The [Golem III] stretched its left arm towards Rin and Cecilia. The cannons were loaded, and beams started firing. "Such tremendous firepower..." *DOOONNN!!!* An explosion once again shook the pit. "What''s with this thing!?" The [Golem III] that destroyed the ceiling accelerated and leaped at Laura. The huge arm wrapped around Laura''s head, and then exerted force onto its fingers. The sensors on the head let out a sharp shrill, and the irritating alarm came. Still not understanding the situation, Laura quickly made a decision to get away from the bind, so she activated her left plasma saber. (I''ll slice the arm together with it!) Thinking about that, Laura quickly swung at it, but she got unexpectedly blocked by the right arm of the [Golem III]. "What!?" --Not good! Just when she was thinking that, her partner''s reliable voice was heard. "Laura!" It was Charlotte. The .69 caliber Pile Bunker [Grey Scale] opened from the shield on the left arm. "Damn it!" *DOONKK!!!!* After a huge explosion, the [Golem III]''s left arm separated from Laura. But just when that arm separated, Laura saw a burning laser about to shoot out from the palm cannon. "CHARLOTTE!" "GET DOWN!" Charlotte, who slid in between the [Golem III] and Laura, immediately used her specialty [Rapid Switch] to summon three heavy physical shields. "Kuu..." Even if it was the [Revive]''s sturdy physical shields, three heavy ones in fact, it couldn''t defend against the attack completely. The few infrared lasers that went through grazed Charlotte''s right arm. "Cha-Charlotte!" "I-I''m alright...I just got a bit of shield energy eaten off." "Unforgivable. YOU BASTAARRRDD!!!" Laura adamantly took off her left eyepatch, and just when the [Golem III], assisted by the support sensor to increase the firing speed, was about to fire the golden light, Laura used [AIC] at maximum power to attack the [Golem III]. "BLOW TO BITS!!!" The large caliber of Gatling fire created a waltz of explosions and booms. "UOOOOOHHH!!!" "Laura, no! Get down!" Charlotte''s shout seemed distant, and just when this voice reached, Laura was shocked by the [Golem III] that closed in immediately. "[Ignition Boost]? And this efficiency" The blade stabbed into Laura. "LLAAAAUUUUURRRAAAAA!!!" "Ahh...what do we do?" Saying this in a completely unenthusiastic tone was the 3rd year Daryl Cayce. Though she deployed her IS [Hellhound Ver 2.5], she was completely unarmed. "Please, sempai!" Saying that and making a victory pose was the 2nd year, Forte Sapphire. She intended to let her partner handle the unmanned pilot. Though she summoned her IS [Cold Blood], she was just using the [PIC] to float and flip in the air instead of fighting. "Damn you, Forte. Is that an attitude you should have to your sempai?" "What are you saying? You should be treating your kouhai gently." On a side note, just when both of them were bickering, the [Golem III] fired the high intensity laser over. "Oh my. That seems hot. Hey, go check it out." "No way. Sempai, please dye your skin brown." Evade, defend, deflect, spin, sink, stop. Both of them seemed to be giving a little attitude, but in fact, they were making a bronze wall like defense. This pair''s combination was called [Aegis]. Combining the specialties of both pilots into one to block all attacks. "Ah, oh my." "Hiii." Couldn''t hit, couldn''t hit, couldn''t hit. There wouldn''t be any damage even when they were hit. "But Forte." "What is it, Daryl-sempai?" "It''ll continue if we don''t attack." "You''re right." Facing the sudden slash in from the blade, both of them easily dodged aside. Those eyes gradually narrowed. "Then, let''s..." "...Give it a counterattack." *PANK!* The flying kicks, that looked like twin axes swinging in, landed on the [Golem III]''s body. "Ah-Ahh...Ah..." Facing the sudden attacker, Kanzashi couldn''t even deploy her IS, let alone come up with some plan. Unable to grit her teeth as she let out a cry, she backed away in fear. (Wha...What...What, is this...?) Fear, overwhelming fear disrupted all of Kanzashi''s thoughts. "Hii...!?" The legs that were backing away stopped as they got blocked by the wall. Kanzashi trembled as she looked at the wall behind her before slowly looking back in front again. "" The pitch black unmanned machine [Golem III] was closing in step by step, seeing the IS on Kanzashi''s right hand that was in standby phase. (Some...one. Somebody, save me...!) She forcefully closed her eyes, praying hard as if she was trying to grasp for a miracle. If a hero was here, he would definitely save her. That perfect hero who would come with the wind and rip the darkness apart would definitely appear. "" But reality couldn''t be like dreams and anime. One step, and another, the [Golem III] closed in on Kanzashi. "...ri-mu...ra...ku..." The left arm of the [Golem III] slowly stretched over. Just when its fingertips were about to touch Kanzashi, Kanzashi screamed out "ORIMURA-KKKUUUNNNN!!!" *BEEPP* She thought she saw a crack appear in the wall behind her, and the next moment, it got ripped apart. "KANZASHIIII!!!!" "!!Orimura-kun...Orimura-kun, you''re here..." Rushing through the smoke and appearing in front of her was Ichika, undoubtedly a hero. The hero Kanzashi always wanted. (Orimura-kun...) "UOOOOOOHHHHH!!!" Ichika destroyed the wall and entered the pit, reaching his left hand out at the [Golem III] and letting the particle cannon gather energy to fire. "Ch!!" But the [Golem III] also used the left hand to fire high intensity infrared lasers, and the two energies collided in mid-air, causing a huge explosion. "Kanzashi, activate your IS, quick! Or else you''re going to get caught in the explosion!" "Ye-Yes!" Kanzashi''s body''s covered in light, and [Uchigane Nishiki] was deployed. Simultaneously, Ichika continued to fight with the [Golem III]. "This guy''s hits are really heavy." Although he was swinging his [Yukihira Nigata] in his right hand and [Setsura] modified into a blade in his left hand, the [Golem III] blocked them all with its gigantic left hand. "Ku...looks like I can''t do this alone...Kanzashi!" "Wha-What?" "Are you alright?" "Y-Yeah." Kanzashi immediately and hurriedly checked her systems. The energy levels were rising in her, and each of the parameters was showing OK. (I-I...) --Want to fight together! The moment she prayed for that, the energy levels rose tremendously in the [Uchigane Nishiki] as if it was responding to Kanzashi''s wishes. "Let''s go, [Uchigane Nishiki]!" *Giii!!* Ichika''s blade was deflected away, and he pulled his distance. Kanzashi flew into the gap like a tagout as she rushed to the [Golem III]. The rapid-fire particle cannons on her back, [Shunrai][7D 8] deployed under her armpits as they were aimed at the incoming enemy. "I won''t miss if it''s this close!" At such a close distance, the particle cannons fired out. "!?" But Kanzashi''s attack got blocked completely by the changeable shield units of the [Golem III] that were floating around. "Get back, Kanzashi!" "Wha-What do we do?" As Ichika supported her with fire, Kanzashi obeyed and pulled her distance from the [Golem III]. "In such a narrow space, [Uchigane Nishiki] can''t use its attribute." "Bu-But, the protective barrier of the arena was activated." "Oh yeah. The protective barrier of the arena was sliced apart by [Reiraku Byakuya]. We can go out to fight from that gap." "I-I understand." "Then, keep attacking at close range." Ichika maintained his position so that he could activate [Reiraku Byakuya] as he wielded [Yukihira Nigata] at a low position. At the same time, Kanzashi summoned her close ranged equipmentthe ultra-vibration halberd [Trance][7D 9] and held it tightly with both hands. "Let''s go." "Y-Yeah!" [Byakushiki] and [Uchigane Nishiki] both machines activated the large thrusters on the shoulder wings as Ichika and Kanzashi flew forward. "HAAAAAAAHHH!!!" *GLANG!!* Houki used the swords in both hands as she swung them each, but they got blocked by the [Golem III]''s right arm. The deflection caused its body to slant slightly, but it immediately used [PIC] to support itself and regain position. However, Tatenashi didn''t let such an opening slip. "Got you." The unique aqua nanomachines caused the water to move at high frequencies, and the water spun around her to form a lance-shaped weapon [Heavy Rain][7D 10] as she aimed at the body of the [Golem III]''s body, concentrating on a single point to thrust in. But just millimeters from when it was about to be pierced through, that lance got held by the huge left hand. "Houki-chan! Use the [Fold-Out Armor] on your back! Push me!" "Go-Got it!" The water lance''s spinning ability got maximized. As a loud rubbing sound could be heard, the [Golem III]''s arm got worn away little by little. "Ku! How hard is the armor it uses!" "Tatenashi-san! I''m going!" "Okay!" With Houki''s [Akatsubaki] pushing hard, Tatenashi and the [Golem III] approached the gate of the arena. "" The three ISes continued to accelerate. Even though Tatenashi''s [Mysterious Lady] and Houki''s [Akatsubaki] were alerting them that they were too close to the gate of the arena, both of them completely ignored it. "Take this!" Tatenashi increased the force on the lance, activating the other armament on the [Heavy Rain], as a 4-barrel Gatling gun fired. The [Golem III] was about to use the malleable shield to defend as a single unit, but it was pressed onto the gate of the arena by the front impact. "Ku!" The impact that came from the front and the powerful thrust behind pancaked Tatenashi, who grimaced with pain. "Tatenashi-san!" "I''m alright! Right now, we need to destroy that unmanned armor!" "Bu-But...!" "Okay okay, get to work." On hearing Tatenashi grunt, Houki was surprised for a while, then increased the output of the [Fold-Out Armor] on her back. "Gu-uu..." A huge pressure could be felt from behind. But even so, Tatenashi didn''t stop her attack. The water lance and the Gatling gun mounted on it did damage the [Golem III], as sparks continued to fly. "Tatenashi-san!" "Fu-Fufu...not over yet. Onee-san''s just getting started." Tatenashi supported the lance she was wielding with both hands with her left hand only, and reached with her right hand above. "Take this, the biggest firepower of [Mysterious Lady]...!" Water gathered around Tatenashi''s palm. All the water on the [Mysterious Lady] was gathered, forming something. "Th-This is...?" "By gathering all the aqua nanomachines that were normally defending on the surface of the armor at a single point to attack, I can release a deathblow. It''s called" [Lance of Mistilteinn][7D 11] This armament used every nanomachine''s ultra-vibration to destroy. No matter how strong the armor was, it was as feeble as paper before it. And the nanomachines that enter the enemy''s armor could use energy transfer to trigger a large explosion. The total energy would be equivalent to 4 mini gas bombs. It really was the final deathblow. Perhaps feeling the flow of energy, the [Golem III] hacked its large blade at Tatenashi. However, Tatenashi had no defense or resistance as she was setting up the [Lance of Mistilteinn], and was thus wide open to attacks. "Ku...AAHHH!!" Tatetanshi''s IS armor got wrecked as the weapon broke through the Absolute Barrier and sliced the skin. Blood flowed as Tatenashi continued to take the one-sided beatdown. But that smile didn''t disappear. "Houki-chan." "Ah, yes!" "Set all of your [Fold-Out Armor] to defense, or else you''re going to get caught in this." "Okay...Ta-Tatenashi-san?" "Fufu, this onee-san''s an immortal." Tatenashi smiled radiantly at Houki. Joking around like usual, carefreely, Tatenashi''s smile would definitely not disappear. "Here I go...!" "No-NOOO! DO YOU WANT TO DIE, TATENASHI-SAANN!!?" Tatenashi didn''t answer. Instead, she just smiled. --The [Lance of Mistilteinn] was activated. *DOGAAAAAANNNNKKKKK!!!!* "Wha-What just happened!?" Having managed to escape from the 3rd Arena, Kanzashi and I were attracted by the sudden explosion on the gate opposite. "Is that, Houki and the rest...?" We opened the IS private communication channel, but nobody responded. It seems like the unmanned machines were giving off interfering electronic signals since just now. "Orimura-, kun...!" "Uwah!" After being tugged by Kanzashi, I spun in the air. The next moment, a high-intensity laser shot over. "Ku! How stubborn!" "I''ll take him...!" "Kanzashi!? Don''t force yourself!" "Orimura-kun, check the situation at the gate... on the other side..." "Go-Got it!" Kanzashi began fighting with the unmanned machine, and I headed towards the gate that''s giving off lots of smoke. (Houki! Tatenashi-san! You must be safe!) As I approached the gate, my Hyper Sensors detected an IS. "Are you alright?" --But what appeared from the smokescreen was the left arm of an unmanned machine. "Guah!?" My left leg got grabbed by an unmanned suit. Though I immediately used my thrusters to try and escape, the unmanned suit grabbed my leg tightly and used an exaggerated strength to slam me hard onto the wall. "GAAAH!" Pain went through mehold on. [Absolute Defense] can''t be broken through so easily. (Don''t tell me, this guy!?) I immediately opened the IS Status Panel. [Confirming that enemy IS'' arm is releasing an unknown energy. Shield deployment got interrupted] (Like that!? This IS'' an anti-IS?) No matter what, the IS armor is made of an incomparable metal. However, it''s not hard to...kill the pilot''s body. "Damn, you...!" I use the thruster on my right leg to forcefully stand up before hacking at it with [Yukihira Nigata]. But my attack got blocked by the right arm''s blade. "!!" The unmanned machine spun me around and threw me to the inside wall of the arena. "GYAAAHHH!!!" That indescribable impact that spread from behind me suffocated me, and the pain went through my entire body. With a moan, I choked out blood. (No, not good! It''ll be over if I lose consciousness! Got to get ready) I gritted my teeth so hard I felt like they were going to be crushed. Then I quickly deployed the wing thrusters to get away from the rubble. "Ahh" The infrared laser attacked me from in front of my eyes. (No, I can''t...beat it alone...!) The halberd slash, the particle cannon shots, Kanzashi used these two things to engage in a fierce battle with the [Golem III]. However, no matter whether it was the technical ability or the response, the enemy machine was always better as it started to gain advantage. (Ku!) Due to the strong interference, she still couldn''t use the private channel. Thus, she didn''t know how the situation was with Ichika, who had gone to the gate to check. "" The [Golem III] high intensity infrared lasers poured down like rain. Kanzashi quickly exerted the boosters on her legs to the maximum and evaded the attack. "!?" While backing away from the rubble in front of her, the aquamarine-colored armor that she knew entered her eyesight. She couldn''t be mistaken. It was the [Mysterious Lady] Kanzashi''s sister, Sarashiki Tatenashi piloted. "U...! ...!" Seized by unrest, Kanzashi switched the Hyper Sensor into super sensitive mode. (Where...? Where is it...?) The irritating feeling couldn''t be shaken away, and cold sweat broke out inexplicably as her heart pounded like crazy. "!!" Tatenashi was there. Her armor was badly wrecked, and there was almost none of it left. Tatenashi was lying there motionlessly, perhaps due to the grave injuries. (N...o... Lie...That''s a lie...) She wanted to scream, but she couldn''t let her voice out. She wanted to shout that name out, but her mouth couldn''t move. --The world around her immediately distorted. It''s disgusting. It''s disgusting. It''s disgusting It''s disgusting It''s disgusting It''s disgusting It''s disgusting It''s disgusting It''s disgusting It''s disgusting It''s disgusting It''s disgusting It''s disgusting It''s disgusting It''s disgusting It''s disgusting It''s disgusting It''s disgusting It''s disgusting It''s disgusting It''s disgusting It''s disgusting It''s disgusting It''s disgusting Struck by nausea, Kanzashi turned to look at [Golem III]. "" The unmanned machine that was unable to speak had a visor, a bodyline that was refined like a girl, a large left arm that didn''t match it and a slender right arm that looked refined. All this. --IT''S DESPICABLE! "...I''ll...destroy you..." Kanzashi murmured blankly, but this voice had unrivaled determinationno, killing intent in it. "UWAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!" Deploying her wing thrusters, Kanzashi exerted the maximum output and used [Ignition Boost]. Firing one shot after another, Kanzashi raised both hands over her head and hacked the halberd at the [Golem III]. --*GLINGGG!!!* A sharp metallic sound echoed out, and the halberd that was sliced by the blade spun in the air. But even so "AAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!" Kanzashi was so agitated that she couldn''t calm down. She quickly readied both particle cannons and shot wildly at close range. *DONK!* *DONK!* *DONK!* The [Golem III] continued to back away under the impact of the cannons, and Kanzashi pressed on as she closed in and continued firing. "Un...forgive-able..." *Fire*. *Fire, fire, fire*. *Fire, fire, fire, fire, fire*. She continued to fire without letting the malleable shield units interfere. The sturdy [Golem III] armor finally broke and revealed the core. (If I break this...!) --*KACHANK!* Just when Kanzashi saw a ray of success, a mechanical sound brought reality crashing down on Kanzashi cruelly. She ran out of particle cannon energy. "Ah-Ahh..." She prayed as she squeezed the trigger, but the particle cannon couldn''t be shot. *Click* *click*. Only that merciless sound was left for Kanzashi. "U!?" Lifting her head up, the [Golem III] was right in front of her. Trembling and unable to move, Kanzashi got swept aside horizontally by the blade. "Au!" Kanzashi, who was beaten to the ground, remained in that position as she summoned her console. (A-Anything I can use, weapons...what...what...) *Gaching* *gaching*. Her teeth let out an unharmonious tune in fear. While unable to calm her trembling body down, she still checked on the machine''s situation. (8 rapid-fire guided missiles [Mountain Storm][7D 12]... But...this...) Most likely, with such powerful interference, a normal lock-on system couldn''t chase it effectively. No matter how potent the explosives were, they were pointless if they didn''t hit. (But...if Orimura-kun can hold off the enemy...maybe...) Just when such a thought appeared. *DONG!* A huge explosion could be heard. "Huh...?" Ichika was thrown beside her. There were lots of scratches all over his armor, and it didn''t look like he could hang on for long. The other [Golem III] that rushed over went beside Ichika and grabbed his head. "St...op, it..." Kanzashi tried to shout as tears dripped down her face. (It''s, impossible...As expected, it''s impossible...after all...Someone, like me...) Kanzashi hated herself for being unable to take revenge for Tatenashi and only able to hit the ground weakly. But she didn''t even have the guts to stand up. It''s scary. It''s scary. She wouldn''t even lift her head up. (Orimura-kun...I''m sorry...) I''m sorry for pairing up with you. I''m sorry for being unable to save you. I''m sorry for being completely useless. I''m sorrythat I was even born. "Uu...uuuu..." Kanzashi felt really lousy, and now, she just prayed to hurry up and disappear. And then, thinking about it unknowingly, she finally realized. --There''s no such thing as a hero in this world. Thinking about this, there was only despair in her future. "" The [Golem III] was closing in slowly. It raised its blade, and swung it down. This movement looked really slow for some reason, and Kanzashi just looked at it, forgetting to even close her eyes. (Ahh...) I''ll most likely die now. Thinking that, everything else became meaningless. A meaningless life, a boring time. Everything and anything would vanish in the next few seconds. "..." She didn''t feel relieved. Neither did she feel fear. She just felt completely empty. *ZOOM*... "Huh?" The blade didn''t land on Kanzashi, and the figure that appeared in front of her hugged her as if it wanted to protect her. Tightly, it hugged her tightly. "Onee...chan...?" The figure hugging her tightly was Tatenashi. She used the last ounce of her strength to fly over and protect her imouto with her body. And blood spilled out as she took a slash on her back. "Onee..." She called out softly, and Tatenashi''s body fell. "ONEE-CHAN! ONEE-CHAN!!" Kanzashi hugged Tatenashi, who collapsed onto the floor, and shook her body. The warm blood covered Kanzashi''s hands. "No...don''t...onee-chaaan..." "Aha...how many years, has it been, since you last called me that...?" "Onee..." Tatenashi smiled. She looked really happy, as if the only thing that made her relax was that her little sister was okay. "Why...must you...do that?" "To save my sister. Do I need a reason...?" "But! But...it-it''s useless..." "Useless...of course not." "It''s useless! There''s no such thing as a hero in this world!" "Is that so...?" Smiling no matter when, Tatenashi was always so gentle. "But...but...!" Kanzashi still couldn''t hold her tears back. Seeing her little sister like this, Tatenashi gave a ''Really, you...'' look as she gently stroked Kanzashi''s head. "...It''s not, useless..." "Huh...?" It sounded soft, but she could hear it clearly. It was Ichika''s voice. "A flawless...hero, it doesn''t exist..." Ichika''s head continued to be grabbed by the [Golem III], and his arms and legs swayed lifelessly. However, that voice became even more forceful. "A flawless hero like that...would never cry, and would never smile..." *Gugugugugu*. Ichika exerted strength into his body and tried to stand up. Right now, he was embittered, tattered, awkward-looking, and pathetic. Howeverthis figure looked even more dazzling than anything else. "Therefore. I!" *BEEP!* The finger on the left hand [Setsura] released an energy claw. Then, he slashed the arm of the [Golem III] that was binding him. "I''m a human. I can cry, I can laugh, and I do fail. HoweverI won''t give up! I won''t run away from a battle. THAT''S WHAT A HUMAN IS!" The [Golem III] that was counterattacked suddenly pulled its distance. "HOUKKKKKIIII!!!!!" "LEAVE IT TO MEEE!!" [Akatsubaki], which finally recovered from the close-ranged explosion, appeared and broke through like the wind.. "Tatenashi-san''s attack should have worn the shields out." Using [Fold-Out Armor]''s thrusters to close the distance, Houki kept her body low. "" *JYAGINK!!* A sharp metallic breaking sound could be heard. [Golem III] was sliced in half right down the middle, and it exploded. "Are you alright, Ichika?" "Watch your back, Houki!" "What!?" Another [Golem III] that still had some energy left in it rushed at Houki. "GAAH!" Houki was slammed to the ground, and she hurriedly got up, changed directions, and left that position with her booster. But the accurate hits came at Houki. "Damn it. If this keeps up, Houki will...!" Ichika opened his wing thrusters as he tried to fly. But he was stopped by Kanzashi''s voice. "Wa-Wait...!" "Kanzashi...?" "Wait...don''t go. You...your IS, it''s...at its limit..." "No way. I need to go save Houki." "Wh-Why...? Are, aren''t you...afraid of...death...?" Seeing Kanzashi look so troubled, Ichika curled his lips up. "Of course I''m scared." "If that''s the case...why...?" "Well, I''m more afraid to run than to fight." "Huh...?" "If I run, I feel that I won''t ever be myself again." It''s a declaration full of decisiveness. To Kansashi, whether it was the emboldened words or the faith that matched it, they didn''t exist anymore. "Then, I''m going." Summoning [Yukihira Nigata], Ichika increased the output of the wing thrusters to the maximum and flew off. "Why..." Staring blankly at Ichika''s back as he left, tears welled up in Kanzashi''s eyes. --It''s alright if I can be that strong. --It''s alright if I have the courage to fight. --Me, me, me. --Alright, alright, alright. "I..." The tears landed on Tatenashi''s face. "I''m really a coward..." She kept thinking of reasons not to fight, yet she didn''t take a step out. Weak, ugly, cowardly, and unreasonable. "I...really can''t, do this...onee-chan..." Crying could be heard. She felt so unhappy that she wanted to go crazy, yet she couldn''t move. "You''re not useless." "Huh...?" Kanzashi felt that she heard Tatenashi''s voice, and thus hurriedly looked at her chest. However, Tatenashi, who lost consciousness, didn''t move at all. "What''s so bad about it? Weak, ugly, cowardly, and unreasonable. Who made us humans anyway?" That''s right. It was Tatenashi''s voice. Is that the illusion that normally happened? But this voice that touched her heart was filled with warmth. "Therefore, Kanzashi-chan. Just be weak, just smile. Accept all these. Once you accept that, you can stand up, because..." "I-I''m human...?" "That''s right. And alsoyou''re the little sister I''m so proud of." Gently. It felt that she was gently smiling back. "..." Kanzashi put Tatenashi softly onto the floor, not moving away as she stood up on both legs. "I''m going...onee-chan." Her tears, they weren''t flowing anymore. "Are you alright, Houki!?" I continued to hack at the unmanned machine, and slid my body in to protect Houki. "Ichika!? Yo-You idiot! Who''d rush in like that at such a state!?" It''s true that [Byakushiki]''s completely battered. And with the [Absolute Defense] being disrupted by that unmanned machine. The pain on the flesh pricked at me. "So can I leave it like this?" "Wha-What?" "Houki, I''ll protect you." "U...!!" That''s right. I''ll protect. Houki, Tatenashi-san, Kanzashi. "WHAT KIND OF GUY AM I IF I CAN''T PROTECT MY FRIENDS!!" *GALINK!!* I forcefully pressed my blade down and used the momentum to spin and slash at the unmanned machine itself. (--Too shallow!) This slash didn''t cause fatal damage to the enemy. In my haste, I overdid it. "Ichika! Danger!!" Houki used her body to knock me away, and then she got bathed by the attack of the infrared lasers. "AAAHHHHH!!" "HOUKI!" "Fu-Fu...this level, I can still..." Perhaps intending to deal a fatal blow to Houki, the unmanned machine raised its blade. "HOW CAN I LET YOU GET AWAY WITH THAAATT!!!" I rushed into the unmanned machine''s range and blocked the blade from below. "Guuu...!!" It was a heavy hit. And not just a simple slash, it also means that my IS energy''s wearing out. (Will...it end here? In this place, without knowing anything!?) I gritted my teeth hard. *Mishi* *mishi*. This creaking sound was either from [Byakshiki]''s armor or from my own bones. Gradually, I couldn''t tell. But, even so, I still...! "I won''t, admit defeat...GAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!" I forced my blade back. However, the next moment, the left arm of the unmanned machine stabbed over. "Damn" I was ready to take damage. --At that moment, a sudden explosion saved me. A figure flew by the unmanned machine, and it knocked the black frame off and pulled me away. "Wha-What''s going on?" "ICHIKA, GET AWAY FROM THERE!" It''s a voice I''ve heard before. But I''m somewhat shocked that it sounded clearer than ever, especially for such an appropriate occasion. "Kanzashi..." Soit seems that she can stand up, and come to help. Thinking that, I couldn''t help but be happy. I was happy, so happy, that I started smiling. "Do-Don''t smile! HURRY UP!" "Got it!" I carried Houki and got away. Then, [Uchigane Nishiki]''s guided missiles hit the unmanned machine continuously. "" It used its energy shield to block it, but the unmanned machine''s movements stopped completely. Houki and I used this opening to get to Kanzashi. "So it seems that that''s still not enough...to beat it." "Then what?" "How about [Reiraku Byakuya]...?" "No can do. I don''t even have enough energy left." Really, the situation''s so critical that it''s laughable. But even so, neither Kanzashi nor I looked like we wanted to give up at all. "We can recover the energy through my [Kenran Butou]..." "Can you do it? [Akatsubaki] took quite a lot of damage." "...I''m okay. But, I need some time." "If that''s the case...I''ll, buy some time...during this time." Kanzashi automatically requested to fight. Buy time. It sounds really simple, but this means that, until I recover, she would have to be a meat shield. "No way. It''s too dangerous." "No time to hesitate...besides, there''s, no other way..." That''s right. What Kanzashi said was true. Right now, we''re relying on [Uchigane Nishiki]''s guided missiles to hold down the opponent, but this isn''t a long-term plan. (If that''s the case, I''ll) Believe. Kanzashi. Houki. Myself. My friends. Just pure belief. "Tatenashi-san, I''ll take revenge for you." "Hey...don''t just, kill me off like that..." Severely injured, Tatenashi-san tried to get up. Her swaying body looked like it would collapse anytime, and I hurriedly supported it. "This..." "[Mysterious Lady]''s Aqua Crystal...?" "It''s a charm..." I grabbed onto the thing that was given to me tightly. "I understand...it''s like a memento." "...Ichika-kun. Once I''m all healed up, I''ll definitely, definitely, beat you up violently." Tatenashi-san said that with the blood drained off her face But her face was still smiling. It''s weak, but it''s an immovable smile. "If that''s the case, well." "Let''s try it." "...Yes." I, Houki, and Kanzashi all nodded our heads firmly. Tatenashi-san gave a thumbs up, and said, "Do your best, first years." Having gotten the Student Council President''s support, we immediately went into action. (If I use the [Multi Lockon System], I can create...an opening to attack...for Ichika...) However, [Uchigane Nishiki] which Kanzashi pilots doesn''t have an automatic tracking function process on it. (If that''s the case!!) Kanzashi closed her eyes and gathered her concentration. She then opened her eyes suddenly, and the armor on the arms and legs scattered into light particles and disappeared. The 20 digits of hers that were released seemed to be confirming their existence as they move about. "I can do it...[Uchigane Nishiki], manual guided system...activate, 48 shots salvo." Floating with the power of the [PIC], Kanzashi opened her arms wide like a Saint bearing the cross. Holographic keyboards appeared at her digits, one above and one below at all the limbs. The 5 digits of her hands and feet were assigned 2 ball-shaped keyboards each, 8 keyboards altogether, and she started entering all the information manually. "Atmospheric conditions...mobility of each missile, time lag...interference between the explosions. Should be able to create an offensive power large enough..." Several windows opened up in front of Kanzashi. In other words, she was guiding each of the 48 hi-capability missiles manually. "Suu...haaa..." She inhaled some air, and exhaled it. She cleared her thoughts, gathered her concentration to the maximum, and then "Can you run away from this [Mountain Storm]...?" The 6 missile covers on the wing thrusters on her shoulders slid open. In the meantime, the 6 groups of 8 consecutive shots were formed by particles, and all 48 shots were ready to be fired. "Give me your strength, [Uchigane Nishiki]!" *DON DON DON DON DON DON DON DON DON DON DON DON DON DON DON DON DON!* With booming sounds, the missiles flew out at the same time. "Direct link, check...! Manual lock, start...!" The missiles rushed at the [Golem III]. This time, it flew in differently, using complex 3-dimensional movements to close in at a fast rate. "" The [Golem III] deployed the malleable shield, and intended to shoot down the missiles with its left arm. However, the guided missiles that were supported manually dodged and accelerated like the [Golem III] as they changed directions and accelerated, thoroughly crushing the middle of the malleable shield units. Having lost its defensive ability, the [Golem III] hurriedly used its thrusters to back away. However, it didn''t get a chance to rest, as the next wave of missiles came roaring like wolves. The legs, arms, shoulders, waist, head, abdomen. It got swallowed by the storm of explosions caused by the missiles. "" But even in this situation, the [Golem III] still wanted to change the situation and gathered all its energy on the left arm. It wanted to shoot the infrared lasers at Kanzashi, who was defenseless as she controlled the missiles. "I WON''T LET YOU!!" Appearing in front of Kanzashi was Houki. She raised her arms forward, deployed her [Fold-Out Armor], and created a powerful energy shield, blocking all the infrared lasers. At the same time, the [Golem III] changed the infrared lasers to high-efficiency rapid-fire as it tried to break through Houki''s shield. "Ku! [Akatsubaki]! Show it to me, your strength!" As if responding to Houki, the shoulder unit on [Akatsubaki] slid open. That shape looked like a huge crossbow with an arrow on it. "What, is this...?" The panel that suddenly popped out showed this message. ?Experience level gained to a certain value. Construction of new equipment is complete. Variable output Blaster Rifle [Thousand Pierces][7D 13]. It''s an outstanding piercing armament with the largest firing range? "Alright! Enough with the ridiculous explanation!" Shutting the window, Houki kept her shields open and bent down. --This is a weapon that could vary its output. It''s unlikely to hit without using all the [PIC]. Without knowing why, Houki understood it all, and summoned the scope on her right-eye. "I''ll take your left arm." *BEEEEEEPPPP!!!* Using her [Fold-Out Armor] like usual, the crimson red energy bullet was shot out under huge compression. The attack came from the shoulders on both sides, and it rushed forward with shockingly scorching heat that burned the land, and the [Golem III]''s left arm was blown away. "" But since it was an unmanned machine, it wouldn''t feel pain. The [Golem III] barely tried to support the body that lost balance, and used [Ignition Boost] to rush at Houki. "...I''ll leave it to you." "Okay!" Flying above Houki''s head, Ichika used [Ignition Boost] to enter the battle. Wielding [Yukihira Nigata] in his right hand, he let out the extremely powerful energy of [Reiraku Byakuya]. "UOOOOOOHHH!!!" The [Golem III] used the blade on it''s right side to slash to the left. And Ichika used both hands to raise the blade above his head, exerting all his strength into it. *KLANG*... "" The [Golem III]''s blade got destroyed by Ichika''s [Yukihira Nigata]. "It''s over now!" Using a horizontal slash, he ripped the [Golem III]''s hard armor to reveal the core in it. Ichika used all his strength in his left hand to smash the block-shaped object that was glowing golden, and the [Golem III] was knocked aside. "" The core of the IS was made of ''A Rare Metal''. Though it was supported with a power assist, it wasn''t something that could be destroyed with one hit. However "It''s a charm." Between the core and the parts was an object that was flashing. It''s actual name was [Aqua Crystal], and it had the functions of the [Aqua Nanomachines]. It was the IS [Mysterious Lady]''s armament. And naturally, the pilot is "Fuu..." Sarashiki Tatenashi. Though all blurry due to the severe loss of blood, that hand of hers raised up to the sky, and the movements of the fingers looked like they were holding a switch. "Kachink." Tatenashi pressed the finger. The next moment, [Golem III] was absorbed by the explosion within, and vanished without a trace. . "Yeah..." Using her last ounce of strength, Tatenashi gave a thumbs up. Seeing her like this, Ichika, Houki and Kanzashi all looked like it couldn''t be helped, gave thumbs upand started smiling. "Un..." Her consciousness still blurry, Tatenashi slowly blinked twice. The white ceiling''s dyed orange. "O-Onee-chan..." Tatenashi turned to the voice who called her. Kanzashi was probably waiting for Tatenashi to recover, and stood up from the chair "Are you, awake...?" "Yes... This is...?" Tatenashi still wasn''t fully awake, and she asked Kanzashi in a somewhat dazed tone. "The school''s, medical office..." "Not the infirmary...owowoww." Her mind still blank, Tatenashi tried to stand up, but the moment she was about to do that, she was stopped by her pain and a panicking Kanzashi. "You still can''t move, yet...it''s not fatal...but, your wounds aren''t light..." "Okay..." After that, Tatenashi and Kanzashi continued to remain silent for a while. --It had been a long time since the sisters had had such a conversation. Both of them were thinking that. The older sister who was always mindful of her younger sister''s thoughts. And the younger sister who feared the older sister. However, those things felt like lies, and both of them naturally became silent. (It''s really thanks to Ichika...) Tatenashi remembered about asking Ichika to pair up with Kanzashi. Thinking about it, it was really strange. (Why did I ask him in the first place...) At that time, she didn''t really realize something, but she just believed it. That it''d be okay to leave it to him. (Did I...) Gradually, Tatenashi started to blush. (Want to flirt around with him...) Suddenly realizing that she started to blush, Tatenashi hurriedly turned to the window to avoid letting her younger sister detect it. "Onee-chan..." "Wha-What is it?" "What happened...? Your face, it''s red...?" Not good. It seemed her agitation was about to show. "Most likely due to the sunset..." "Really...?" Silence took place after that. After about ten minutes, Kanzashi hesitated, and finally decided to say. "We, erm, y''know...onee-chan..." "Mn?" "I''m sorry...for all this time..." "Don''t worry about that." "Bu-But..." She labeled others randomly, created a wall on her own, and kept running. Facing herself like this, Kanzashi couldn''t help but be so ashamed that she couldn''t forgive herself. "I''m...one useless imouto..." "That''s not true." Tatenashi endured her pain and got up, hugging Kanzashi, who was about to cry out. "You''re my precious imouto. A very strong one, my younger sister" Kanzashi''s head continued to be patted, and unable to take it any further, she teared up. "Onee-chan...onee-chan..." "Nn." In the medical office with only two people, the sisters finally broke their frozen bond, and their souls finally interacted. Only the sunset remained, watching over both of them silently. "Hmm..." Why did it end up like this? "My turn. Yosh, 2 Fives." "I''ll put 2 Sevens then." "Nuah! I wanted to put Seven!" "Then, I''ll pass." "My turn? Then, I''ll put two Aces." Right now, Houki, Cecilia, Rin, Charl and Laura are playing Daihinmin[7D 14] in my room. ''As punishment for not pairing up with us, you must listen to one request from us''just like that, the five of them requested this at the same time. And my response was that I couldn''t do that for 5 people, and so the winner will take it! Just like that, the victor would be decided by Daihinmin. "I say, can''t you settle this another day? A lot of things happened today. You must be really tired already, right? And you''re all injuredWAU!" A pillow got thrown over, and the one who threw that was Rin. It seemed that she threw that with her injured right hand as she let out a strange moan and squatted down. What''s she pulling now? "This little thing isn''t much of an injury at all!" "That''s right! I hope you don''t underestimate the Representative Cadets." "Mn. Besides, there are things girls can''t back away from." "There''s no one in our squad who''ll waste time saying such nonsense about being treated as casualties with just this damage." "Speaking of which! If you think that you are fine, be gentler to me! Get me juice! And snacks!" Ahh, Rin revived. But everyone''s energetic, and I''m the one who was really injured. "I-Ichika, if you''re bored, please rub my shoulders..." "Huh? Ahh, okay. I''m fine with it." I answered Rin by nodding my head, and then went behind her back. "Are your shoulders okay? Huh, uwah! Your cards are weak." "Sh-Shut up! I''m starting a Grand Reversal. Just shut up and rub my shoulders!" "Yes yes." I really can''t deal with her. Thinking that as I was about to rub her shoulders, Charl''s cry pierced into my ear. "AAAAAAAAAHHHH!!! ICHIKA, YOU CAN''T! THE WINNER''S NOT DECIDED YET! YOU''RE REALLY SNEAKY, RIN!" "THAT''S RIGHT! CHARLOTTE''S RIGHT! THIS IS FOR THE WINNER..." "HUUH, SHUT UP! DON''T GET BETWEEN ME AND ICHIKA!" "Stop joking around. Is your throat itching to be pierced through?" In this ruckus, the 5 of them gradually had less cards. Now, it''s finally Charl''s turn. "Then...this!" She showed 4 Eights...which means, that...! "A REVOLUTION! NOIT''S THE FRENCH REVOLUTION!" """ICCCHHHHIIKKKKAAAAA!!!!!!!!!""" Everyone got really angry. Huh? The intense poker card battle lasted late into midnight. "..." IS Academy, Underground Special Area In this place, of which only a handful amongst the teachers were aware of, Maya was analyzing the unmanned machines that were taken. "How about you take a rest?" "Ahh... Orimura-sensei." Chifuyu walked into the room and threw a can of drink at Maya. Tasting the Royal Milktea that was passed to her, Maya showed the investigation results on the screen. "Please look. As expected, they''re the upgraded versions of the unmanned machine that appeared before. I''m certain of it." "And the cores?" "According to the records before, they''re still unregistered." "...How many did you retrieve?" "Two of them. The other cores were completely wrecked in battle...what do we do?" After pondering for a while, Chifuyu answered simply. "We''ll report to the government that all the cores were destroyed." "Bu-But, that''ll mean" "Think about it. The IS cores are things any country would desire. If we hand them over, there''ll be a lot of unnecessary conflicts." Chifuyu sounded confident, but according to what she said, it''d mean that the Academy would be exposed to danger. "..." Seeing Maya remain silent, Chifuyu continued to remain optimistic. "Hey hey. Who do you think I am? I was called the world''s strongest before." "Yes..." "One Academy or two, I''ll protect them." Chifuyu curled her lips up slightly. "With my life on the line." "...Fua, ngh...In the end, they couldn''t settle the score. We were forced to stop since we disturbed others. Well, I don''t really mind." It''d been an entire night since the unmanned machines attacked, and I went to the sink in my room. "Owowowow..." My joints and bones hurt after just a little movement. After that battle, I was treated, and found that I had 17 bruises, a scratched right shoulder, and two broken ribs. (My body still hurts, but it''s not so bad that I have to stay in the hospital. I need to go out today too.) First, a trip to Ran''s Saint Marianne''s Academy for the School Festival, and then the dinner with Houki at the hotel. Well, I need to check the transfer time. *KOK* *KOK*. "Hm?" On hearing the knock on the door, I answered as I left the basin. "Who''s that?" "Yees, it''s me!" It''s Yamada-sensei. She does feel really happy today. Is it because the breakfast was nice today? They would switch menus everyday. The egg with natto set meal today was really good. Though Cecilia was staring at it with a look of complete disbelief when she saw that...it was really good. "Orimura-kun!" "Yes." "You''re going to be investigated!" "...What?" Erm, did I just hear that someone will be investigating me? "The investigation will begin in 20 minutes. Please come over to the Student Counselling Room." "Huh, well...I need to go out now." "Huh? No way. We can''t write a report if we don''t understand the cause of this event. All personal IS pilots who were involved in the battle have to turn up, you know?" "Then...how long will it take?" "Yes! It''s about 2 hours." What? Two...hours? "On a side note, what''ll happen if I refuse?" "Erm, you''ll be kept under detention." "By who?" "The Government''s IS branch." Uwa "After that, you may end up having Orimura-sensei''s personal counselling, you know?" Personal counselling. Well...it''s called counselling, but it''s basically just training the students physically until they''re completely worn out. On a side note, those students who went out of the school on their own seemed to be saying that ''It''s like hell on Earth'' when they came back. I don''t want it. Definitely no way will I want it. "Then, Orimura-kun, please don''t be late." "Ah...yes..." Having finished settling her stuff, Yamada-sensei took small steps and went away, *tatata*. What do I do now... (Anyway, better send a mail to Ran first.) Will she be angry? I guess. Got to apologize to her first. "Haa..." After sighing, *KOK* *KOK*, another knocking on the door could be heard. "Yamada-sensei?" "E-Erm...!" On opening the door, I found Kanzashi standing in front of me there. "Hm? What''s the matter?" "We-Well..." "Ahh, do you have to come along with me for the investigations?" "Y-Yes..." It''s really unbelievable to see Kanzashi calm down like this and think. Just when I thought of this, she suddenly glared at me. I think she said that she hated to be looked at by guys like that? "I''ll put on my clothes. Please hold on." "A-Alright...I''ll wait..." Kanzashi nodded her head hard. She really looked completely different from when we first met. Of course, it''s for the better. "Sorry to keep you waiting. Then, let''s go." "Nn..." I got out from the room and walked with Kanzashi side by side. On a side note, it''s now 9am. "But it was really bad yesterday. Kanzashi, is your body okay?" "I''m okay...I-Ichi-Ichika...how about you?" It felt like she was a little awkward with calling my name. I don''t think my name was something that hard to pronounce. "I''m fine. No problem." Let''s leave it as that. In fact, I can still walk. "How''s Tatenashi-san?" As she was sent to the Medical Office, Kanzashi followed her, so she should know. "O-Onee-chan''s...she-she needs to be monitored in the Medical Office for a while..." In other words, she needs to be hospitalized, right? Well, I need to bring some visit gifts. What should I get? "What does Tatenashi-san like?" "Huh? Erm...Shogi[7D 15], I guess..." "How refined." However, she can''t play Shogi alone. It''ll cause disturbances in the patient''s room. Better not get that. While thinking about all this, Kanzashi raised her volume slightly. "Are-Are you worried, about onee-chan''s situation?" "Hn? No, I''m just wondering about what kind of gift I should buy for her" "A, gift...?" "Yup. It''s a lonely life in a hospital, isn''t it?" "Ah...I see..." Kanzashi looked like she heaved a sigh of relief. (What''s wrong? This Kanzashi.) "A kendama."[7D 16] "Huh?" "It''s better to give her a kendama. Onee-chan always liked to play with that." Really? Well that was totally unexpected. "And...hmm, how about I give her a knitting set?" "Onee-chan, she''s bad with..knitting." "Huh!? That person has things she can''t do...?" Now that''s really completely unexpected. I really can''t imagine seeing Tatenashi-san failing at blocks. "Didn''t you say it before... there are no flawless heroes, not in this world..." "Well, I did say that." Humans. We are incomplete, useless, weak, fleeting...that''s why, we need to be stronger. Become stronger, until we can smile. Become stronger, until we can make anyone smile. "I''ll...bring books over..." "I see. Then I''ll bring a kendama alongno, wait. This is a good chance. I''ll bring a knitting set over to train her." Actually, I just want to see Tatenashi-san flustered. "Ichika..." "Hn?" "You''re so evil..." "Isn''t this good? It''ll be a little payback. She always messes around with me, you know." "Fufu..." Perhaps imagining how Tatenashi-san would tease me, Kanzashi gave an intriguing smile. Walking with Kanzashi side by side, I smiled too. Passing through the corridor that''s somewhat empty due to the holidays, an inexplicable sense of solemnness seized me. "Er-m...hey." "?" "Th-Thi-This is..." Saying that, Kanzashi took out the carrier bag she''d been holding ever since she had been to my room. "What''s wrong?" "Lo-Look...inside..." "Oh." After she said that, I peeked into the carrier bag. There were a lot of anime DVDs inside, magical girls anime, robot anime, teenage love anime, andhero anime. "Oh, there''re things I''ve seen before." "Wh-Which ones?" "Mn, thisyou''re too close!" Kanzashi peered over to look, perhaps to hurry up and know the titles I watched. At that moment, my face got stuck close to Kanzashi, and I hurriedly backed away. "!! So-Sorry..." "Ah, no...that''s not something worth apologizing for." Recently, Kanzashi''s face felt like it had a gentle presence as compared to the first time we met. To be honest, it''s cuter now. "We-Well...if possible, I hope you...can look at it." "Oh. I see a lot of interesting anime. I''ll be taking them then." While rummaging through the bag to arrange the items that were out of place, I asked something I was curious about. "You like?" "Huh..." A somewhat shocked voice could be heard. I couldn''t see Kanzashi''s face as I was arranging the stuff inside the bag. "Y-Yes...I like..." "Is that so" "..." "Okay, that''s all for the arranging. Besides, I did mess it up." "..." "Kanzashi? What''s wrong?" Kanzashi blushed as she looked down. She was pinching her skirt hard. "Erm, that..." "Yes?" Suu...haa...Kanzashi took a deep breath, and then lifted her head up. "I...I LOVE (YOU)...!!!"[7D 17] She suddenly shouted. That voice echoed throughout the corridor. The girls who heard that all went ''What What What'' as they came out of their rooms. "Then, I''ll be heading off...!" With the people of the same gender looking at her, Kanzashi ran away. "Er...m...?" I got left behind. Anyway, let''s go to the counselling room with the bag. (I-I said it out...!) Running down the corridor at full sprint, Kanzashi''s ears got completely red. --Ichika, who changed me. --Ichika, who helped me. --Ichika, who made me stronger. I like that Ichika. --I fell for him. "..." Either way, she really didn''t understand much about crushes. Her head was spinning inside like a Shepherd Dog. (I-I-I''m not weird, right...? I didn''t do anything weird, right...?) She searched through her memory. "Ah..." The second time they met, she gave Ichika a vicious slap. Looking at it now, that would have been a really fatal failure, on the same level as death. (Ah-Ahh, I have to...apologize.) Though she thought that, Ichika would definitely think ''Huh? You don''t have to worry about that''. But this is this, and that is that. To Kanzashi, she couldn''t let it go if she didn''t apologize. (Bu-But, if I go back now...I''ll definitely, be unable to say anything...) Since this was the first time she confessed in her life, when she meets him again, she couldn''t do it easily even if it wasn''t much. (An-And...) She never said that she wanted to go out with him. She just said what she thought, so of course she wouldn''t get a response. Either way, he''s that infamous ''Blockhead amongst Blockheads'' Orimura Ichika. (Bu-But, I did say...properly, that I liked him...) *KAAAA!* Kanzashi''s face got even redder as she continued to run down the corridor. "Huuh!?" Why did she feel that the atmosphere felt weird? She recalled the confession. "You like?" "Y-Yes...I like..." "Is that so" ...Huh? Kanzashi stopped in her tracks. She thought through it carefully again. They talked about anime. Do you like it? Yes, I do. Is that so ...Huh, huh, huh? That-That means... "Did he just ask me, whether, I like...anime, or something...?"[7D 18] There was no assumption. That was what he basically asked. "U~!!!!!!" Feeling like she wanted to find a hole to hide in, Kanzashi again ran forward. "Haa..." It was a switched-off setting now. In the Middle School Student Council Office Section of Saint Marianne Academy. Ran was dressed in the basic black uniform, and it was the 17th time she sighed today. Though she was sitting in the Chairman''s position, she sprawled her body on the table. "What''s wrong, Kaichou?"[7D 19] "Why are you so lifeless? Today''s the School Anniversary, you know?" Some of Ran''s classmates and friends from the Student Council surrounded her worriedly. Ran spoke weakly as if her soul was coming out. "The one I invited..." "OOH! Who who who? Who did you get? What''s his name!?" "It''s not that..." "Thenwhat happened to the guy you invited?" "He''s late..." Haa. She sighed again. "Huh, what''s wrong with that? Just wait." "It''s not that he''s not coming, right?" "That''s true..." "How long will he be late?" "Two hours." This means that they couldn''t go on the shopping trip in the morning. "Isn''t it okay to go in the afternoon? There''s still 3 hours left before the School Festival closes." "Isn''t that too short? A little longer, even till night. Maybe we can raise a campfire." "Nope, that''s impossible. The Festival Rules are part of the School Rules, they''re really strict." "Yeah..." Haa...she sighed again. It couldn''t be helped, but Ran didn''t give up as she opened her phone''s mailbox again. "Sorry. I''ll be late due to school circumstances. Most likely, I''ll be there at around 12." (Uu, I thought we could go out in the morning...) But if he arrived around 12, it would suit her, wouldn''t it? They''d be seen if they were to eat lunch with everyone on the rooftop. (In that case, ehehe...there''ll be rumors of him being my boyfriend. Just like that...) Yay~ Just when Ran was lost in her thoughts, the phone again let out a *Bzzt* sound. "Mail...? Ah!" It''s from Ichika-san! Ran forcefully swallowed her words before she said that out. Ran never told anyone that she''d invited someone, no matter how close that person was. It''s a secret amongst secrets. (Wha-What''s wrong? Will he be here earlier than expected?) Her heart beating even faster, Ran pressed the phone, and the phone showed the content of the mail. ?Sorry, the investigation will last into the afternoon. About 2 hours later.? ... "Huh?" Unable to understand the situation, Ran instantly stopped thinking. (What''s this investigation...? And, he''s going to be even later...) And most glaringly were the words ''Two Hours''. If the estimated time''s changed from 12 to 2, there''s only 1 hour to go out. And if there''s one hour left, it means they''ll be starting to pack up. Ran stared at the phone blankly, tears welling up in her eyes. (Ichika-san, you...Ichika-san, you...) *GANK!* She lifted her head up. "IDDDDDIIIIIIIIOOOOOTTTTTT!!!" "Haa...Haa...Haa..." I ran full sprint from the station, and finally got to the entrance of Saint Marianne School. It''s now 2pm sharp. I hurriedly pulled my phone out and called Ran. *Duruuu*...*duruuu*... (Huuh? She isn''t picking up?) That''s strange. Though I wanted to hang up and see if I mistook it for the wrong person, the screen clearly showed the name ''Gotanda Ran''. "..." --Ah. Just when I stepped through the entrance, I saw Ran sitting at the bench at the entrance below the [Maiden''s Statue] in a lonely manner. "Hey, Ran~, Heeey!!" "..." On hearing my voice, she lifted her head up. --Humph. "What?" Ran turned around and walked away quickly. "Hey, hey! Ran! What''s with you!?" Just when I wanted to chase after her, a female in nun habit came to stop me. "Did you bring an invitational ticket along?" "Ah, I did. Erm..." I searched through my pockets. I ran all the way here from IS Academy, so the stuff in my pockets were all crumpled. The nun looked at the invitational ticket and stared at me suspiciously. She continued to look at me for 2 minutes with an expression like she was watching a suspect''s expression. "Then, welcome." After getting the ticket back from the nun, I ran off to chase after Ran. "Don''t run in the school!" "So-Sorry!" The nun scolded me angrily. Can''t be helped then. I could only walk briskly to chase after her. "This is hard..." However, I could only see female students of Saint Marianne Academy dressed in black blazers in the School Festival, and lost Ran completely. (And there''s a strange look from just now...) Looking around, I found many groups of threes, fours looking at me from afar. (Ahh, am I treated as some sort of mystical beast here...) Haa. I sighed. Now what do I do? "Hey hey. Isn''t that guy pretty good looking?" "Yeah yeah! Just one guy?" "But I think we''ve seen him before, right?" "Ah! That person! Look! It''s Orimura Ichika! Didn''t he appear on TV before?" "Huh!? WhyWhy!?" "He took someone''s invitational ticket in, right? But there''s only one." "Let''s-Let''s go and talk to him..." "Ah! He''s walking over here!" The noisy girls were raising a commotion. I felt somewhat nervous and approached the nearest group of girls. "Well, if you excuse me?" """YES! ANYTHING WILL DO!""" Their voices overlapped. Wha-What''s going on? What''s with you people? "Well, you''re all from the same middle school, so do you know Gotanda Ran? She should be the Student Council President or something." "Ye-Yes! We do!" "Do you know where she is now? She didn''t pick up my call." "Wh-Who! Who knows?" Well, normally speaking, that should be the typical response. Can''t be helped then. I''ll check out where the Student Council office is and look over there. "Well, if possible, can you follow us and sightsee the School Festival?" "Huh?" *Jiii* (What''s wrong? Why do I feel that someone''s glaring at me?) It''s not some girl''s curious stare, but I do feel a powerful stare with intent aimed at the back of my head. (Don''t tell me...) Suddenly, I formulated a plan and said loudly so that the person who was staring could hear me. "YEAH! THE PERSON WHO INVITED ME DIDN''T SHOW UP! I''LL GO OUT WITH YOU PEOPLE THEN!" "RE-REALLY!?" The expressions of the trio of girls in front of me glowed radiantly...uu, I feel guilty. "Ahhh~" *DADADADA*a girl came running overit''s Ran. "I-ICHIKA-SAN! WHY DID YOU KEEP ME WAITING! THEN, LET''S GO! THERE''S NOT MUCH TIME LEFT!" Ran forcefully tugged at me and pulled me away from the group of girls. As expected, the one who was glaring at me was Ran. For some reason, it seems that she was looking at me from the shadows. I palmed my hands together to apologize to the girls. "..." Ran pulled my arm and walked away fast. After I entered the school campus, she never stopped to break the silence. "Ran. HeyHeeyy..." "..." "Are you still angry about me being late? I''m sorry." "It''s nothing. It''s not about that..." I thought that she finally decided to speak up after much difficulty, but she pouted her face and started muttering. On a side note, the programs and performances of IS Academy and Saint Marianne Academy, which are both all-girls schools, feel similar. (But this school feels somewhat more historic compared to IS Academy with its brand new facilities.) The windows are as tall as the church, and the sunlight shone in brightly. The floor and walls are all a simple cream-color, giving off a stern feeling. "Wa, Gotanda-san got a boyfriend!" "So goodI''m so envious" "That super-strict Gotanda-san!" The conversations of the girls I passed by entered my ears...haa, girls really like to talk about such things. "Ah, there''s takoyaki[7D 20]. Do you want some, Ran? My treat." "...Crepes." "Huh?" "Crepes are better." "Ohh, is that so? We''ll go to the crepes shop then." Maybe it''s just me, but with everyone looking at us like that, Ran seemed to feel better. "Speaking of which, Ran, it''s about time to let your hand go." "No, no!" "Huh? Why?" "Because...I-Ichika-san, you never looked like you wanted to reflect on being late!" "No, that can''t be helped" "Yo-You''re not a guy if you don''t reflect on it!" Uu, that''s really cruel. "This-This is to make Ichika-san reflect on this." As she said that, she let my hand go, and then held my wrist again. Hm? Why must I reflect on this? That''s weird. "The-Then. Let''s go." Suddenly becoming really stiff, Ran''s knees felt like Tin plate soldiers that couldn''t bend their knees as she kicked her steps. "..." "Ran?" "Ye-Yes!?" "Why do I feel that you''re forcing it?" "That''s not true!" Really? That''s suspicious. "Hmmthen, let''s check out the crepes shop." "O-Okay!" I don''t know when Ran''s mood improved completely as she smiled radiantly like the sun. One hour before the School Festival ended, I got dragged around on the wrist by Ran. "I''m really sorry, but our restaurant can''t allow you to enter like this." "...Huh?" I''m at the restaurant on the highest level of the [Teresa] Hotel, and the slightly old waiter''s blocking me outside. "Huh, no, but...how do I get in?" "Yes, please put on a suit or a tuxedo." "No, I don''t really have that..." That''s...not good, not good at all. Couldn''t I enter with just a ticket? You should have explained it to me properly...Mayuzumi sisters... "Dear customer, you can get one from the shops on level 3. How about you check it out?" "Erm, if I may ask, how much is the cheapest suit?" "Yes...about 100,000 yen." Guaaa! That wasn''t a fee a high school student could take. Speaking of which, what happened to Houki? Seems like she couldn''t go in too if she wasn''t in a dress... "What''s wrong?" A clear voice could be heard from behind me. Just when I was about to ask what was going on, there was a woman in a dress behind me. "This is...Miss Meusel." The waiter bowed to her respectfully. On a side note, this woman has flowing long hair, is extremely tall, huge breasts, a slender waist and a beautiful hip curve. She''s really a beauty. She''s dressed beautifully in a purple dress, giving off an adult charm all over. "Is there a problem?" "No, this customer''s attire doesn''t match the dress code, so he''s not allowed to enter." "Can''t he go in? That''s pitiful." "Even if you request it, Miss Meusel, I''m really sorry..." "Fuu, can''t be helped then." This womanMeusel-san scratched her chin and turned to me. "Shall we go?" "Huh? Where...are we going?" "The suit shop. I''ll get one for you." "Huh...Huuh!? Ho-How-How can I do that?" "I can. It''s my interest to give young boys gifts." What kind of interest is that? Just when I thought about that, she suddenly grabbed my wrist. "Hey, Mister, where''s the suit shop?" "Level 3." "Thank you." Huh? Huh? Huh? "Er-Erm" "Fufu?" Before I could say anything, she moved off first to stop my movements. This sudden development is like a sudden downpour. ... ...... ......... "Ohh, it really suits you." "Tha-Thank you..." The extremely expensive suits were all lined up in the shop. I''m feeling nervous since it''s my first time wearing a tuxedo. (But, well, isn''t this way too expensive...?) I wanted to peek at the price tag, but Meusel-san spotted me. However, it feels like there''re 5 zeros on the price tag. "Er-Erm I still can''t accept this." "Are you still worried? What a cute kid." "No, even though you gave this to me earnestly, there''s no reason to help me out that much..." "Ara, do I need a reason to help others?" I got pressurized by the bewitching smile of Meusel-san, and became completely speechless. "Huh, eeermm..." --Not good. My heart''s racing for some reason. *DOKI* *DOKI* "Yes. If I really have to say the reason, it''s to satisfy myself, I guess?" "Satisfy...?" "That''s right, satisfaction. Satisfied that a penniless kid would take me. I can feel superior and honorable, right?" Meusel-san blinked at me. It seemed that I never thought of this before. It''s just, basically, to help me when I''m in trouble, right? Whether it''s grace or bust, this woman in front of me has them big. I''m somewhat moved. (Is this the so-called ''beautiful woman''[7D 21]?) Just when I thought about this, my heart pounded faster again. "Ah, look. Your tie''s all crooked." After she said that, I wanted to adjust it myself, but Meusel-san was faster than me and reached out to straighten my tie. "Tha-Thanks..." "Yes. That''ll be perfect. Then, next is" "Miss Meusel. The package you ordered has arrived." "Ah, perfect timing." Speaking of which, I suddenly remembered that she called someone when she entered the changing room. And now, a florist with an apron walked into the shop. As for why I knew he''s a florist, it''s because he''s holding a bouquet of roses. "Thank you. The bill will be charged to the same place." "Yes. We look forward to your next order." The shop attendant of the flower shop bowed respectfully and went back. Meusel-san took a whiff off the bouquet of flowers, and nodded her head. "Nice roses. Then, here you go." "Huh?" She handed me the bouquet of flowers. There are about 20 roses, and I felt that it was somewhat heavy. "Your partner for dinner, you kept her waiting, right? You can''t be called a gentleman if you don''t bring a few over." "Is-Is that so..." "Then, go to the restaurant. Don''t keep the girl waiting. Girls can spend time on this world at twice the speed of guys." "The-Then, I''ll pay for the bouquet and the suit. Please tell me how to contact you." I still can''t accept that I didn''t need to pay for this, and so I asked this for the fifth time. But I saw Meusel-san maintain her smile, waving her hand and telling me ''No need, hurry up and go''. (Uuu, what do I do now...) Just when I was troubled, I glanced at the watchWAIT, IT''S ALMOST PAST AN HOUR ALREADY!?" "Than-Thank you very much! I''ll go off first, so thank you very much!" "I''ll take your thanks then." "Finally, just your name, or full name. Can you tell me?" Meusel-san smiled and told me her name. "Squall. Squall Meusel." Squall-san, is it? I''ll definitely not forget about that. "Thank you very much! And goodbye!" "Yes. Goodbye, Orimura Ichika-kun." I hurried to the restaurant, taking care not to let my suit crumple. --Huh? "Did-Did she just say my name...?" Just when I was thinking about this, the elevator arrived. Ah! Got to get to Houki fast! "..." At the most inner table of the restaurant, sitting at that place and looking down at the night scenery was a restless Houki. The reason she was anxious is the clothing she''s wearing now. "Our shop requires females to wear dresses." Having been told to do that, Houki could only borrow a dress from the shop. As expected of female superiority in today''s society. Men would be told to go buy it, and women can borrow the dresses inside the shop. (It-It''s not too weird, right?) Houki was wearing a white dress, and the luxury showed more of the refined lady''s image. The last time she wore a dress was while doing the Cinderella fight during the school festival. During that time, she was so focused on the right to live with Ichika that she didn''t realize that the light and fluffy thing called a dress wouldn''t calm her heart down. (As expected, the kimono''s still the best.) That high performance costume''s Number 1 in the world, at least for me. Just when Houki was thinking about this, a voice came from behind, calling her. "Sorry for being late, Houki." "You''re too slow, Ichika! What were you" She wouldn''t feel good if she didn''t rant off. Just when Houki was about to stand up, turn around and throw a tantrumthe world suddenly stopped. "Yo." Dressed in a tuxedo, Ichika was standing there. He was dressed completely in black, and the suave coolness around him was undoubted. (So-So handsome.) Houki wanted to complain, but those thoughts were gone like the wind. Staring blankly at Ichika, Houki was handed a bouquet. "Please accept this." "Are these...roses...? And they''re all red..." She received the bouquet of flowers for the first time in her life (and the red ones the girls always dreamed of). At this moment, Houki seemed to see a huge dream as all sorts of confusing thoughts rushed into her head. (Ichika was late, I was angry, unable to calm down. Ichika finally came and suddenly gave me roses.) She was completely lost. Blank, Houki just stood there. The waiter in the gentleman''s attire came to talk to her, and she sat down. "Then, welcome, and enjoy the special dinner of this restaurant." The duo who were greeted respectfully greeted back half a moment later. "Then, please allow us to serve the meal according to the menu. Since both of you are underaged, we can''t provide alcohol or the likes, but we can provide mineral water for both of you." Ichika and Houki were really tense, and they nodded their heads in agreement without knowing what was going on. The explanation then continued for a while, and both of them were finally released from the waiter. They couldn''t help but sigh. " ''Saying that we came to the right place'', that''s just inappropriate." "That''s right. This isn''t a restaurant we should be at." Looking around at the other tables, it seemed that they were all adults. And they were more like adults of the upper class of society instead of being just normal adults. (Speaking of which.) Houki put the bouquet of flowers on the table, and turned to look at Ichika, who was dressed in the tuxedo. Ichika now looks more mature than usual. Basicallythat''s right, it''s great. (Why? Why is this guy so suited to wear men''s clothing...) It was the same with the butler outfit during the school anniversary. Anyway, he''s just very suited to formal clothing. (Do-Do I look bad?) She lowered her head to look at her dress. As expected, anything other than the kimono couldn''t calm her down. It didn''t look like it suited her that well. "..." She was somewhat depressed. "Houki." Lowering her head subconsciously, Houki anxiously lifted her head up as Ichika called her. "This dress" "!" *BKU!* She curled up. What if he says that it''s weird? What if he says that it doesn''t suit me? Thinking about this, her heart felt like it was going to leap out. "Not bad. It suits you well." "Ah..." --*DOKI!* Her heart pounded hard. "Is-Is that so? That''s good." She acted like it was nothing and coughed. But the heartbeat that was left in her chest felt like it was going to burst out, and Houki could feel her face turning red. (The dim lights help me a lot.) After this, dish after dish was served, and yet she didn''t feel the taste. Actually, it was unbelievable that the food could even go through the throat, as Houki''s heart had been beating wildly because of Ichika in front of her. "But this is really a top-class restaurant. Each dish''s so delicious." "Is-Is that so?" --Huuh? Who''d know how they taste like? It''s all because of you, Ichika! Thinking about this, Houki stared at Ichika. "Hn?" "Su...!" What''s wrong? Facing Ichika''s smiling face, Houki''s ears got red. Ichika''s so handsome, so cool, I can''t even look at him straight now. (Now''s the only chance! I''ll confess!) Overcome by the impulse of wanting to pass her feelings, she couldn''t bring her courage out. Anxious, Houki tried to encourage herself as she picked the glass cup on the table and drank the contents. "I-Ichika!" "What is it?" "I-I" A sudden surge of excitement and pressure caused blood to rush up to Houki''s head. Her heart felt like a damaged engine going overload. It was impossible to stop it. (Say it! Say it!) She clenched her fists until the fingers dug into her palms, and she didn''t care even though it was hurting her. "I, well, I" Like! Just when Houki was about to say it, she suddenly went limp. "...Huuh?" The world spun around her. What''s happening? What''s going on?just like that, Houki''s consciousness went out like a TV with the plug pulled out. "Hey, Heey, Houki?" Seeing Houki suddenly collapse on the chair, Ichika anxiously asked. But he couldn''t do anything opposite the table, so he stood up and moved to Houki. "Houki, what''s wrong? Hey." "Funya...Ihikaa..." "Wah! What''s wrong? Why do you reek of alcohol!?" "Heh...what''s going on..." Her speech slurred, Houki swayed and leaped at Ichika. "I''ll teach you. I''ll teach you!" "Uwa! Idiot, stop it! Hey, stop hitting!" "Nyahahahaha..." Seeing this somewhat strange scene, the waiter hurriedly came over. "Dear customer, what happened?" "No, I''m not too sure. She became like this after drinking water." "Water? Excuse me?" The waiter took the empty cup and sniffed inside. "Who-WHO SERVED WINE TO THIS CUSTOMER!" "Wine?" "Syake"[7D 22] "It-It was me!" "YOU AGAIN! HOW MANY TIMES DID I TELL YOU NOT TO MESS THE ORDER!?" The young man lowered his head and bowed as he faced the lecturing waiter. Houki was completely drunk, and Ichika just sighed. It''s like a dream. I''m waiting for a certain someone in the wide flower field. A precious someone. No, I knew who I was waiting fora prince. "" Someone called my name. And I answered. "Come up." The Prince lifted my arm and guided me onto the horse. I was carried by the Prince in front of his chest, and my chest felt like it was playing a tune. "Shall we go?" To where? I didn''t ask. Anywhere. To the ends of the world. Anywhere will do as long as I''m with you. "..." I held onto the Prince tightly. The warm, existent heartbeat was pure, undiluted happiness. "Houki." Gyaahh, the wind blew. "Fufufufuufu..." GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!! "GUEEEEH! HOUKI, STOP IT! MY NECK''S ABOUT TO BREAK!...GUUEE!!" Carrying the completely drunk Houki, I walked all the way back to IS Academy. I''ll return the dress next time. I told the restaurant staff, and came out. However, it''s still a heavy journey. (Besides, I''m in a tuxedo. And Houki''s in a dress...) It can''t be helped if someone asks us which party did we come back from. And Houki continued to smile as she slept, and the surrounding eyes would look at us. "Haa...a lot of things sure happened today. I''m so tired..." But never mind. It''s not like I felt any worse. (Houki looks beautiful in a dress.) Considering that she''s leaning on my back and sleeping, Houki let out stable breathing. My childhood friend, who gave a completely refreshing charm after changing clothes, really looks cute to my somewhat biased eyes. "...Ichika..." "Hm? Are you awake?" "Uu." Nope. She''s still drunk. Speaking of which, maybe she''s all dizzy now. "Anyonya."[7D 23] "I don''t understand what you''re trying to say." "Funi." "Do you want some water?" "...Syuki."[7D 24] Hn? What do I need to take note of?[7D 25] "Houki." "...Suu..." Ahh, she fell asleep again. Really, you. ... ...... ......... "Then, Takatsuki-san. I''ll leave her to you." Finally making my way to the first year dorm of IS Academy, I brought Houki to her room and left her with her roommate. Most likely, there''ll be gossip of me carrying Houki back. I tried my best to avoid a few people, but some girls caught me. Thinking about this, as I walked out, I met Chifuyu-nee. "What''s the matter, Orimura? Why are you dressed like this?" "Erm, I went to watch a musical." *PAK!* My brain got smashed by the karate chop. "Oww!" "Who are you trying to fool?" How does she know? (Huh, more than that. Isn''t there something I need to ask?) Luckily, there''s no one else on the corridor. I walked to Chifuyu-nee and asked sternly. "Chifuyu-nee." "Call me Orimura-sensei." "Erm...it''s about family..." It''s hard to say it out. Having been abandoned by our parents, we siblings have always treated family matters as taboo. But even so, I had to ask. "Well, is there anyone else...in the family...other than us...?" "..." Chifuyu-nee''s expression changed. I got overwhelmed by the suffocating tension. "Like, an imouto, or something..." "Nope." "No? But..." --Someone who looked just like Chifuyu-nee existed. "You are my only family." "Bu" Seeing that I intended to inquire until the end, Chifuyu-nee walked away with large strides. That back figure of hers indicated that this is the end of the conversation. "..." I''m unable to understand at all, and I remained rooted to the spot even after Chifuyu-nee escaped my vision. Volume 7 - Epilogue Inside the room that was swallowed in darkness, only the light from the monitor could be seen. The things that were shown by the light were numerous machines with unknown functions. This scene looked just like some Middle Age witch''s ritual. "Fumu...the system''s efficiency finally improved." The owner of the room continued to mutter to herself as she looked at the display screen. The face that roughly appeared in this room belonged to Shinonono Tabane. "Even so, [Golem III]''s complete destruction was really unexpected." Humming along as she said that, she continued to play with the IS core. That''s right. An IS core that hadn''t been introducedin other words, the new cores were all created by Tabane. That was because no one other than her could create them. "Well, ISes need humans to pilot them to trigger their maximum abilities. It can''t be helped that an unmanned suit''s ability is inferior." Unmanned IS technology. This belongs to Tabaneonly Tabane has this technology. It''d be a bad thing if this technology was revealed to the world. Nobody knew how much this action could be limited. "But you got stronger, Houki-chan. Just like that time." Confirming that she received the data of the battle between Houki and [Golem III], Tabane smiled happily. In order to attain Houki''s personal data and update the battle capabilities of [Akatsubaki], she sent an unmanned suit to attack. Tabane caused so much damage just to get Houki''s personal data. "But that''s really unexpected." Tabane thought that Chifuyu would launch as she sent in so many ummanned suits. The first generation Japanese IS [Kurazakura] that earned Chifuyu the first title of [Brunhilde]; Tabane didn''t know where it went, but she felt that Chifuyu still had it. "Mn..." Tabane tilted her head and placed her hand at her chin. Those eyes were looking at the sea of thoughts. "Ahh, don''t tell me" Tabane didn''t think that this was something big at the beginning, but on thinking about this carefully, it made sense. "Is it, is it? Is it there? Fufu." Like a kid that just thought of a new prank, the naive face had ill intent in it. Just when Tabane was making a ruckus like this, someone walked into the room. She was short and skinny, and 12 years old, or that was the impression she gave. The one thing people were really mindful of was the flowing silver hair and the braiding of the long hair down to waist level. As for why the hair was braided, it was because Tabane had braided it. To the girl, Tabane was more important than anything in the world. Her savior or rescuer, these things couldn''t describe her fully. She swore eternal allegiance to Tabane the day she met Tabane. "Tabane-sama." "Yaa yaa, Ku-chan. What''s wrong?" "The bread''s burnt." More than half of it was burnt, but Tabane''s eyes were glowing. "Mnamazing" "You''re lying. It''s definitely not nice." To be honest, the girl didn''t want to serve Tabane such lousy food. But she followed Tabane''s words that ''Girls must be able to make a dish'', and continued to make, but just ended up making carbon and gluey stuff. Even so, Tabane didn''t look irritated, but continued to eat on and on. And when Tabane said that it was really good, it made the girl feel even more guilty than happy. "..." "Hey, Ku-chan." The girl that was called lifted her head. Her eyes were always shut ever since she entered the house. But by using the girl''s unique characteristics, it didn''t matter whether she could see or not. "Well, this is a presumptuous request, you know?" "What is it?" "Muthat''s too serious, too serious. Ku-chan, just call Tabane-san mama, okay?" She had only one sister. So when Tabane adopted the girl, she decided to treat her as her daughter. "Then, what is it that you want to tell me?" "Mn, I want you to deliver something for me." "Yes, the location?" Watching the girl who asked, Tabane answered with a smile, "IS Academy, in the Special Area underground" Volume 8 - CH 1 "So?" "..." After school, at the open air area of the canteen, Kanzashi was facing the fuming Rin. Without any explanation, she had been brought here and then was treated like this. As the "shy" personality of hers was being clearly exposed, she trembled while cringing. (Why... am I experiencing a situation like this...) By the way, Rin was not the only one present. Houki, Cecilia, Charlotte and Laura, these familiar faces, were also around. If a certain person were to join them, all of the first-year personal-IS pilots would be gathered here. Seven people in total, which also meant seven IS machines. A number that only a handful of militaristic countries can barely compare themselves to. "Err, Rin, could you calm down? You are scaring Kanzashi-san." Charlotte stood up and expressed her gentle nature to comfort everybody. "Stop it, Charlotte. I''m already holding back the desire of resorting to torture and truth serum right now." Crossing her arms and standing up, the angry Laura shot down Charlotte''s words. Even so, she was acting a lot gentler than how she would usually act, which was by using her bayonet. "Don''t say that, Laura. Here, Kanzashi-san, have some orange juice. You must be thirsty, right?" "..." Kanzashi looked up at Charlotte timidly. Seeing this, Charlotte revealed a kind smile. (Well... This person doesn''t seem to be bad...) She thought, as she began drinking the orange juice. On her second mouthful, Charlotte, maintaining her gentle smile, asked: "Keep going. So what exactly is going on?" Smile~ "...?" Not understanding the question, Kanzashi returned a clumsy smile while tilting her head. At the same time, Cecilia and Houki stood up, outraged. "I-I-I am saying! W-Wi-With Ichika that! " "I-I-In a relationship?!" "!?" To be suddenly asked such a question, Kanzashi blinked in surprise and then gasped. After a while, her face turned red. "M-Me and Ichika... are not like that..." "Ichika?" Rin repeated in surprise. (What''s wrong with this person, suddenly calling him by his first name. Doesn''t it seem too intimate? ... Wait, come to think of it, am I not the same? ... Well, it''s not such a big deal... Yeah.) Boiling a second prior, then returning back to calm the next second. Then, as the five people, boiling again, stared at Kanzashi, the latter could not help but continue to shrink. "Thi-This... is... aah... though I do not bear such thoughts... in short, it is like this..." The usually soft-voiced Kanzashi, under the pressure of the five people in front of her, had her voice become even softer. Her last few words could not be heard. But seeing her lowering face, which became red, while fiddling with her fingers, everyone confirmed something. "Aah, another rival, huh?" "..." Kanzashi, like a frightened little animal, curled up. The five, now aware that Kanzashi was not actually in a relationship with Ichika and seeing her in such a pitiful state, frantically tried to change the topic. "Ah, um. Sarashiki... -san?" "Kanzashi... Please just call me Kanzashi..." Houki asked in a state of panic while Kanzashi replied in the same state as well. "Th-Then, just call us by our names as well. It''s fine, right?" "Ah, uun..." Facing the outspoken Rin, Kanzashi replied in a slightly louder tone. "Bu-But, thinking back, to suddenly bring you here was a little bit rude." "I''m just, just a little shocked..." Faced with an unnatural smile from Cecilia, Kanzashi, also feeling sorry for making them worry, responded with an awkward smile. "Ah, um, do you want another cup of juice?" "No, no need..." As Charlotte handed over the menu, Kanzashi gently waved her hand to decline. "Sa-Say. Since we are all first-years, why don''t we all have some combat training together?" "Ah, um. Thank you..." Holding her arms, Laura sat back down. Her strong yet gentle voice made Kanzashi nod twice. "Ahh..." By coincidence, all six of them let out a sigh of relief. All six individuals thus carried a slightly shocked expression, releasing it only after a brief moment. "This is kinda strange, isn''t it?" Charlotte said this at the perfect timing, reaching her hand out to Kanzashi. "From today onwards, I''ll be in your care." "Ye-Yes... I''ll be in your care..." Seeing those two shake hands, the rest nodded in agreement. Thus, a problem that weighed the heart was solved and a new competitor and companion was born. "Huu... huu..." Ichika, even as the morning sun started shining into his room, was still silently sleeping. In his room, a trespasser with her presence perfectly hidden was also present. "..." This person was none other than Laura Bodewig. Even though this was not the first time she committed the crime of trespassing, this definitely was the first time she challenged to enter in her black cat-eared pajamas. Due to this challenge, she was also in high spirits. (Calm down, calm down... Act just like the usual, just like in training...!) Repeating these words in her heart, Laura slowly entered into the sleeping Ichika''s blanket. "Biii. Intruder. Intruder." Suddenly, an electronic voice sounded. "Wha? What? This is?!" *Bang! * Expanding like a balloon, the blanket pushed Laura down. "Uh, uuuu..." Even though she tried to push it away, the expanding force was just too great and thus made pushing it away impossible. Moreover, with both her hands pressed down by it, she had no way of drawing out her knife. "Why, why you..." To be able to set such a trap, among the people Laura knew, there was only one person who could do it. "Ah hahaha, you fell for it Laura-chan!" Laughter came from the shower room. "Sa-Sarashiki Tatenashi..." "That''s right! I am Sarashiki Tatenashi! IS Academy student council president and also the strongest" Ichika''s groans of pain overwhelmed Tatenashi''s voice at this point, "I''m saying, if you don''t do something soon, I think I''m going to die..." ""Ah."" *Bang! * This sound rang throughout the whole first year dormitory. "Ah, that was horrible..." Still rubbing my hurting head, I changed into my gym clothes in the locker room. There was a physical check-up scheduled later. "..." Here, a problem arose. That is, why was I chosen as an assistant for the check-up? WHY-AM-I the assistant for all things the physical check-up!! "Huhuhu." Aah, a certain demonic student council president suddenly came into mind. (Because, if you think about it, physical would definitely mean a certain three sizes, right? How could you even allow such a thing, IS Academy!) Thinking this, I sat alone in a certain classroom waiting. At this time, "Ah, I''m so sorry Orimura-kun. I was sorting out the documents and lost track of time." "Eh!? Yamada-sensei!?" As she said this, Yamada-sensei entered the classroom. "Ah! So Yamada-sensei is in charge of measurements right!? Thank goodness, at least this academy still has some conscience left." "Yes. I will work hard recording!" "... Eh?" "Yup! I''m only responsible for recording! " Wh-Wh-Wh...? "JUST WHAT IN THE WORLD IS THIS ACADEMY THINKIIIIIIIIING!?" My plea seemed all so useless just as a group of girls entered the classroom noisily. "Ah, Orimura-kun!" "Oh, so it''s really Orimura-kun who is taking measurements?" "Eeeeeeh, so it''s like this!? I might have eaten a little too much last night!" "YAHOO, Orimura~. Hehe~, Tatenashi-chan''s big surprise is a total success~" I''ve never felt a greater urge to blow that person sky high than now. "Okay, everyone please be quiet~. We''re now going to take measurements for the IS suits, so please do not wear any unnecessary clothing ok~? " Yamada-sensei happily announced to everyone. But to me, this was no different to a death sentence. "Gym clothes must be taken off, please be in your undergarments only, ok~?" Yes, I''m dead. I''m so dead. "Ah, everyone will enter that cubicle one at a time. Follow the order of undress, measure and redress. All will be done in there. Thus there will be no worries of being seen in underwear by anyone~." "Yamada-sensei, won''t you be able to see them!?" Orimura Ichika shouted in rage, renewing his determination to get away from this atrocious situation. After all, Orimura Ichika is a person who can never understand a woman''s heart. A guy through and through. And also a guy who has spent almost all of his days playing around with other boys only. Making him all the more sensitive to the bodies of women even when compared to the average guy. ?Run! Ichika?[1], Dazai-sensei, you are the best. It would be my great honour to meet you at heaven. "You see, I''ll just be behind this curtain. All Orimura needs to do is say out the measurements." "ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?" I was no longer in a state of rage or indignation, but had begun to slightly lose it. "What''s all the commotion about..." "This voice is, Chifuyu-neeAh!" "It''s Orimura-sensei!" My neck endured the great feeling of a hand chop. Ah, what a great feeling. About at a 32 degree angle. "You brat, are you still not happy even after getting this kind of job?" "No, there is obviously something wrong here! I was set up!" "Really... Are those the words a guy should say?" "Ugh...!" "Why can''t you just sayI''ll do it and show you! or the like?" OK, Chifuyu-nee! "Fine! I''ll really do it and show youuuuuu!" The beast in my heart awakened! "Is that so? Then good luck! " "Eh? Eh? Huh?" "Didn''t you just say you will do it?" "Ah..." Being stared down by that gaze, no words escaped my mouth. Can I no longer escape this fate of being under the scythe of the reaper? "Don''t looked so despaired. Come on, why don''t you use this to cover your eyes." "Ooh." To be given such an amazing thing! As expected of Chifuyu-nee! "I''ll leave first then." Watching Chifuyu-nee as she left, I saluted to her. Thank you Chifuyu-nee! No, thank you Orimura-sensei! (Now then, let''s use it to cover my eyes...) Eh? "Isn''t? Isn''t this half-transparentttttt!?" I could hear Chifuyu-nee''s laughter clearly in the corridor. W-What''s with all these people! "Index number 1, Aikawa Kiyoka, it''s my turn!" "Wa-Wait-Wait a sec!" "Eeh~, so slow." Walking into the measuring area, Aikawa Kiyoka-san was clearly only wearing her undergarments: bra and panties. (That-That''s right! It will be fine if I just do it with my eyes closed! Use the mind''s eye! The inner third eye!) I closed my eyes tightly and picked up the measuring tape. "Th-Then, here we go." "Ok~." Squish. "Huh?" "Hyah!? O-Orimura-kun, what are you doing all of a sudden!?" "Eh, ah. No, this is" Squish squish. A soft full feeling slowly spread throughout my hand. "..." Squish squish squish. "I-I said, don''t... aah~!" Ah, I''m dead meat. "Ichika!!!! Why youuu!!!!!" Said Houki. "Ichika-san, what are you doing!?" Said Cecilia. "Ichika you pervert! Unbelievable!" Said Char. "Ichika, get ready to die." Said Laura. Here they come! What''s the action!? 4. Escape! "I''m getting out of hereeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!" *Ichika dead sound effect* "Ooh, for Ichika to have died in such a pitiful way." You-You are!? "Dai*** Osamu." Eeh!? "Just kidding." Ah, it''s like this. "But, to be thrown into such a state of panic just because you see a little girl in her undies is truly humiliating. You are a real failure as aman." Ah. You definitely aren''t Dai***-sensei after all "Ichika... Ichika, please wake up..." Who''s calling me... "C''mon, get up! Wake up, Ichika!!" "Ha!?" *Thwack!* Just as I was about to get up, I received a straight punch to the face. "W-What are you doing, Rin!?" "Don''t ask me! You''re the only one who needs their body measurements done! Just how much longer do you plan on sleeping?" Rin exposed with a suddenly angry expression. Say, isn''t this the nurse''s office? "I said, hurry and take of your clothes! I-I''ll personally help take your measurements!" "Ah... Ok." Not knowing if it''s due to the fact I was still in a daze after just waking up, I followed Rin''s instructions and began taking off my clothes. "I-Idiot! There''s no need to take off the bottom!" "Ah, right." Well, of course. "Really, just what are you doing, you... hurry and raise your hands!" "''Kay..." Before me, Rin was dressed in IS Academy gym clothes: a.k. a bloomers. The soft yet elegant curves of her body were clearly evident, reminiscent of a cat, and gave off the feeling of a healthy beauty. Moderately tight thighs, showing off a sense liveliness, quite a real feast for the eyes. "Let''s see, what a broad chest... Hey, Ichika!" "Eh?" "Y-Your face is all red and your nose is bleeding! Wait and let me check your temperature!" "Sure..." What the, I feel weird. My body... is not... Moving as... I want it to... *Collapse* "Hey, what happened! Hey, Ichika! Wake up!" "Like I said, just leave watchout to me!" "Why should Houki be the one!" "Rin-san, you have no right to say that! Did you not had your turn back at the nurse''s office? Please pass this chance to others!" "Can everyone keep it down a little...!" "No, I will never pass my bride to anyone!" ... ugh. "Ugh..." I forced a little sound. "Oh, Ichika! Have you come to?" "Hey, are you ok?!" "Ichika-san! Are you really alright?!" "Are, are you okay, Ichika?" "Should I help replenish liquids first or nutrients?" Chattering... "So noisy..." I said, sliding off the bed. "Really, you guys! Don''t disturb me as I take care of Ichika! Please get out!" "What?! Houki, you should be the one getting out!" "Both of you quiet down!" "I say, let''s first help lift Ichika back onto the bed!" "Looking after an injured bride is a husband''s job! Leave it to me!" The dispute continued to intensify. In my hazy consciousness, I heard the sound of the door opening. zhi da da da. "You guys" Pa. "Really" Pa, pa. "Enough is enough!" Pa, pa. "Get out. Kanzashi-chan, please lift Ichika''s legs for me." Ah... it''s Tatenashi-san and Kanzashi... "..." It seems everybody''s head was hit by that folding fan of hers, seeing how they all had some look of dissatisfaction and remained silent. "Since it already came to this, please stop trying to do anything silly to make it worse, okay?" """Ok...""" "Since you understand, please leave immediately." The five, with their enthusiasm deflated, left the room one after another. My memory became a little vague after this, but it seems that Tatenashi-san and Kanzashi continued to look after me after returning me onto the bed. Tatenashi helped me replenish my liquids and fed me food while Kanzashi placed a wet towel on my forehead. "This..." Trying to say something, I struggled to sit up. "Don''t force yourself up. Get some rest." "Yes... That, it''s about those guys..." "Hmm?" "How should I say this... please don''t scold them too severely... even though they don''t get along at times, they''re still good people..." At this very point, I wanted to make sure that there was no misunderstandings. "... Haa." With a face that said "I just can''t believe you," Tatenashi-san sighed. "Is what he said, you five in the hallway." Creaking sounds could be heard as the door shook slightly. "Nee-san... why not let them in..." "You''re right. They should have fully reflected on their actions by now." Just as Tatenashi-san said this, the five entered the room. "That is, I''m sorry Ichika..." "It, it''s my bad." "Sorry, Ichika-san." "I''m wrong..." "Apologies." Everyone lowered their head to show that they were truly sorry. "It''s fine." I replied with a weak smile. "Really, this is how you attract us." "Fu, fu." Tatenashi-san showed a smile more beautiful than usual. A few days later, a joint IS training class was held for all of the first-year students. In the arena, every single first-year was present, lined in a straight line with Chifuyu-nee standing in front with arms crossed as usual. "Orimura, Shinonono, Alcott, Huang, Dunois, Bodewig, Sarashiki! Step forward!" As soon as class started, Chifuyu-nee called out all the personal IS users. "During the incident a few days ago, all of your IS units sustained serious damage. So due to repairs, you''re all not allowed to use your IS." ""Yes!"" This was something that everyone understood even without saying. As if to prove this point, everyone replied without hesitation. "Then, it''s about time... Yamada-sensei." "Yes! Everyone, please look this way!" Saying this, Yamada-sensei, standing in front of a cargo container placed behind Chifuyu, waved her hands in a "look here!" manner. From the moment everyone gathered in the arena, they were curious of what was inside the container. Now that its contents were finally coming to light, a commotion naturally erupted. After all, grabbing any chance to talk was a distinct trait of all maidens. "What could be inside?" "Could it be a new IS model?!" "Eh? If it was, then it wouldn''t be in a cargo container, but an IS stand right?" "What? What is it? How strange?! How very strange!" ... these last words carried no meaning. Said just for the sake of saying. "Quiet! ... Really, can''t you guys just keep your mouths shut? Yamada-sensei, please open it!" "Yes! Then, open sesame!" Not understanding Yamada-sensei''s words, everyone stood stunned. Seeing this reaction, a tear formed on Yamada-sensei''s eyes as she pressed the remote controller. "Uuu, this generation gap sure is painful..." Powered by a motor in the container, the heavy metal door began to open with a buzzing sound. "This, this is..." Ichika let out a surprised voice. "... What is this?" Bang! Chifuyu''s attendance book attacked, causing 30 damage to Ichika. Rubbing his head, Ichika looked at the container once again. What was inside was something that resembles metal armor. "Instructor, this is" "Call me Orimura-sensei." It seems Laura has seen this armor before. Being called by the name back when she was training the German army accidentally, Chifuyu shot a stare towards Laura. Being shot by such a harsh expression from her beloved Chifuyu, Laura immediately shut her mouth. "This is the offensive armored exoskeleton developed by the United Nations, ''EOS''." "EOS...?" Extended Operation Seeker. Known as EOS, it is mainly designed for disaster relief and peace keeping operations. However, branching out the suit''s usage is under consideration "Then, Orimura-sensei, what are we supposed to do with it...?" Houki asked conservatively. Right after, she received this simple answer. "Operate it." "Eh!?" All seven Ichika and the girls replied in unison. "Don''t make me repeat myself. These are the orders of the academy''s higher ups; they want a report on these things'' practical operation data. Since you guys can''t use your personal machines anyway, why not help me with this report?" "O, oh..." Finally receiving an answer they could understand, the seven nodded their heads. Maya then walked forward and clapped her hands together as she began to give orders to the rest. "Ok. Everyone please form groups for the mock battle~. And bring out the training machines from the hangar~." Wanting to witness the EOS''s capability, the girls let out an "eh" sound of unwillingness. However, they sprung to work as soon as they received Chifuyu''s stare. To the seven personal IS users who were still pondering about the armor, Chifuyu used the attendance book to knock their heads to hasten them. "Hurry up, you idiots. We don''t have all day, or could it be that you guys can''t pilot these on such short notice?" "That, that can''t be, Orimura-sensei. As representative cadets, how could we possibly not know how to pilot such weaponry?" Cecilia confidently asserted. "Oh really. Try it then." Seeing Chifuyu smile secretly, everyone began to feel a certain sense of extreme terror, but they all went to their allocated machines and worked into them. When manipulating the armor, it gave a sensation no different from lifting heavy metals. Lacking being able to move freely, their brows naturally furrowed. "Uuu, this is...!" "Thi, this..." "He, heavy." "Ah, this must be a joke right..." "How, how difficult to move..." Ichika, Houki, Cecilia, Rin and Charlotte ran into trouble operating EOS. Simply because they were just too heavy. Well, of course it felt that way. An EOS had more weight compared to an IS. Not to mention, IS''s are equipped with the PIC''s (Passive Inertia Control) anti-gravity system, and all IS parts also have auxiliary drives and auxiliary power to minimize loading. Therefore, one could operate it without worrying about it''s weight. In contrast, the EOS, in one sentence, is a big block of metal. Even if auxiliary drives were to be fitted, the difference was still as clear as day. In addition, the auxiliary power generator couldn''t remain on for long periods of time with the EOS. Furthermore, compared to the IS, which is equipped with the Direct Motion System so the suit could move faster than the pilot''s body could, the movement of the armor, which did not have this system, seemed to lag behind the manipulation of the operator. To top it off, the main weight problem is largely due to the huge box at the back of the armor. Called the next generation PPB (Portable Plasma Battery), just the weight of one plasma cell inside is already 30 kilograms. Even so, the EOS only have an operation cycle of 10 minutes. In this situation, everyone grew to understand how superior IS was. "..." However, compared to the others, the only remark Laura had for the EOS was an "ok". "Then let''s begin testing the EOS in a mock war situation. By the way, the only protection is the armor, so no one is allowed to aim directly at unarmored parts. Even though we''re using paint bullets, getting hit will really sting." Chifuyu clapped her hands to order everyone to get ready. At a moment''s notice, a loud "Start!" resounded. Upon this signal, Laura used the roller blades on the machine to close in on Ichika who was still fighting with the controls of the armor. "What!?" "Humph. Too late!" Laura turned to avoid a weak counter punch and drove right in front of Ichika. She then lowered her waist and attacked his legs with a sweep. "Ah!" As Ichika fell, Laura took out the semi-automatic assault rifle equipped on the EOS, fired a burst of 3 bullets and retreated. The next target was Cecilia. "It''s over!" "I will not be defeated so easily!" Using the assault rifle which was set on full-auto, it was impossible for Cecilia to aim properly. "Damn! What enormous recoil...!" Typically, any IS-related shooting reaction force would be automatically offset by the machine''s body, the PIC''s reaction controls and the automatic balancing systems of the IS. However, the EOS did not have such convenient systems. Thus, all actions and their resulting forces had to be controlled directly with the body. "Ah, really! Even though it''s just a normal live ammunition gun, operating it is enough to throw up!" Even though she was hesitant at the start, Cecilia was still a national IS Representative Cadet. And thus, she had also experienced combat training in the military which allowed her to get used to the recoil after a while. But, Laura was far superior. Before Cecilia could get used to the gun, she closed the gap between them. "Aren''t you fast! However, at this distance, I will not miss!" "Naive." Different from the turn against Ichika, it was a straight rush this time. Using the physical shield on her left hand to block the bullets, she dashed towards Cecilia using gathered momentum. "!?" "Hump..." Still in her usual graceful posture, Cecilia''s shoulder armor was rammed by Laura''s straight rush. "Ah!?" Losing balance, Cecilia fell to the ground. Due to the weight of the EOS, it was very difficult to get back up. Of course, there was a support arm at the back to help one get back up, however, it was already too late. Before she could get up, Cecilia was caught in a rain of bullets from Laura. "Two down!" "Hu hu, an opening!" From Laura''s side, Rin rushed in for the assault. "Take this!" A straight punch suddenly came into range, however, with a slight tilt of her body, Laura avoided the attack. "Eeehhh." Unable to stop from her initial acceleration, Rin tripped and, "Bang" the unavoidable sound of Laura''s gun resounded. "Now all that''s left is..." Laura turned her gaze forward, towards Houki and Charlotte who were standing side by side. "Who shall I start with?!" "I, I don''t mind going second..." "Me, me too..." Charlotte and Houki stood head to head, mutually asking the other to go first. "Charlotte, why, why don''t you go first?" "No, no need. Houki can go first." "Don''t say that." "You are being too kind." "..." "..." "Then I shall go first!" "No, let me go first!" ""You go ahead. No, you go ahead. No, you go ahead."" Aah, such touching friendship. But, the person to attack first was Laura. "Eh?" By the time Houki and Charlotte had realized this, it was too late. A low but sharp sound resounded as the roller blades brought Laura closer. "Eat, eat this!" "I''m sorry Laura!" The two formed a temporary team and decided on a shoot-out after seeing the way Rin fell. Let''s first not talk about Charlotte. Houki, being unable to control the recoil of the gun, fell butt first onto the ground. "You''re mine!" To be expected, a rain of bullets came right after. "Ouch! Stop, stop it idiot! Ouch! It hurts it hurts it hurts!" But, Laura mercilessly fired the remaining bullets in the gun at Houki. Subsequently, she threw the empty assault rifle at Charlotte. "Eeh!" "Pardon me!" Laura closed in in an instant, using both her hands to hold down Charlotte who instinctively took a defensive stance. "Ah, ha ha...!" "Oh. You guarded against it?" "Eh, uum..." "Then let''s try it again." Dong! She mercilessly pushed down the second time. "Aah!?" Just like Cecilia, Charlotte fell, back first. But, as expected of Charlotte, she braced herself just before hitting the ground. "Ok, that''s enough!" Chifuyu''s voice announced the end of the mock battle. "As expected of Bodewig." "No, all of this was taught by the instructor when she was in the German army" Bang! An attack from the attendance book burst forth. "It''s Orimura-sensei." "Ye, yes..." As Laura rubbed her head, the rest took off the EOS and gathered around. "Laura, have you used the EOS before?" "I have not, but I have used something similar in the German army. It was mainly during the practical experiments with IS equipment." Facing Ichika''s question, Laura answered fluently. At this point, Charlotte joined in on the conversation. "Eh, so that''s why you''re so amazing." "No, this level can''t be considered ''amazing'' yet." "If this is not amazing, then what is? Really." Having felt utter defeat, Rin could only carry a sad expression. "I say, you guy, ah... ha, ptz~." Laura suddenly seemed to be holding back an urge to laugh. Not understanding the reason, Ichika and the rest looked at each other. No matter what, whether it was their attire or faces, there were paintball ink traces everywhere. "How, how evil of you Laura... You shot my face on purpose right?" "I say, you can only blame yourself for getting hit... Ha ha ha~." Seeing Laura''s rare laughing face, Houki and the rest were at a loss. Shown all over her face was an expression of an ordinary girl playing around with her friends. "But really, this EOS thing, is there really any practical application for it?" "I am also very concerned about this point." Cecilia and Houki used their eyes to inquire Chifuyu. "Well, in the wake of the limited number of IS available, this thing will show its worth in the fields of rescue activities and the likes." Not to mention, even with 1000 EOS, it still cannot defeat 1 IS. About this point, it is better not to mention it. It''s tentative basis is also on the conclusion of ''never come into combat against an IS''. (Really. To have these sent to the IS Academy, they sure are taking some risks.) Furthermore, it''s hard to understand the purpose of the principal in accepting such things. But, let''s not think too much for now. before ''that moment'' arrives, Chifuyu can''t consider too much on this issue. But of course, some preparations still had to be made. "..." Because of such thoughts, she continued to reason in silence. Noticing the look of "we are waiting for further orders" from the members who had taken off the EOS, "Ah. Then everyone, move the equipment to the second hangar. Use the equipment used to bring them here to bring them back. That''s all." Chifuyu clapped her hands together and everyone began working as ordered. Even though the container was returned by Maya using an IS, the movement of the equipment still had to be done by hand. Rin let out a clear sound of dissatisfaction. With this, today''s practical lesson ended. "Ah, now that I think about it," In the changing room filled with girls after the joint practice, in the shower compartment, Rin started this conversation. "In that incident, didn''t other personal IS machines receive serious damage as well?" "There was something like this... ah, Rin! Please don''t take my shampoo without permission!" "Eh, is there a problem? So the great Cecilia is actually very stingy." "I am not! I just want you to tell me first!" "Ah~, expensive shampoo really is the best~." "Are, are you even listening to me!?" Putting this problem aside first, the topic Rin brought up seems to have caught the attention of all the personal IS users present. "Indeed. I heard that the second and third year personal IS users had to return to their country of origin for emergency repairs." "U, un... It seems to be the case... however, it seems onee-san used the school''s resources to fix hers..." Kanzashi replied to Laura''s words. "Tatenashi-san''s machine belongs to Russia right?" "I''ve heard her say that because of international technical cooperation, it also incorporated technology from other countries." Charlotte and Houki added respectively. Kanzashi added, "Japan''s technology, and... There were Italian researchers as well..." "Italy? Could it be (Tempesta II)...?" As expected of someone who was in the European next generation IS development race, to hear information about a competitor, Cecilia asked in a hurry. Kanzashi frantically nodded her head and answered. "Un. The model was based after (Tempesta)... Just the machine, though." The pilot of that model was Chifuyu''s finals opponent in both the first and second Mondo Grosso. That (Tempesta). She was also one of the rare few machines with a One-Off Ability, renounced world Number 2 and like Chifuyu''s machine at that time, it was a pure offensive-type, using raw power to overwhelm its opponents. Because she had such strengths, she dared to openly announce that the strongest was still undecided between her and Chifuyu. However, she also seems to have declined being the winner of the second Mondo Grosso. Thus, when mentioning the "Strongest in the world", it is widely believed to be Chifuyu. "Aah, but aren''t those liquid nano machines something like the VT System?" Charlotte''s careless reasoning or should it be said natural direction of thought, caused Cecilia to shiver. It seems she had reached the same conclusion in her heart. "Because, to use emotions to control the flow of energy and that, aren''t they the same thing?" "Is, is it like this..." "That said, aren''t they the closest to perfecting it now?" crack. It seems that Rin had stepped on a landmine in Cecilia''s heart, or should it be said ripped through it. "... Rin-san." "Ah, what is it?" "I''m never lending you my shampoo again." "Eh?" "Bath soap, hair conditioner, face cream, hand cream, towel, lotion, perfume, money. I am never lending anything to you ever again!" ''Eeeehhh? Why? Hey, why? Uuu, I will be really troubled by this..." "..." "Don''t ignore me!" As expected, such an opinion on the topic of this importance to Cecilia could not be ignored or forgiven. Rin now faced the full fury of Cecilia. But, as expected of British royalty, once they made a decision, it would be very hard to change it. Ignoring Rin who was making a racket, Laura washed off the shampoo and put on her eye patch. "Now that you mention it, I have received the troop''s orders. I might have to return to Germany sometime soon." "Oh, is that so? Then be sure to bring back some souvenirs for them." "Un, yes. My platoon mates asked me to buy many things." "What is it that they want?" Rarely seen, Houki was interested in Laura''s topic. For her home country to leave such a strong impression on others was something to be happy about. "Mocha and Yatsuhashi [2], Imagawayaki[3] and Kompeito[4]. Then there''s Taiyaki and Dorayaki, Yokan[5], An-pan, Steamed Bun, Rice cake, Rice cracker, Warabimochi[6], Dango, Maltose candy..." Watching Laura recount the requests with her fingers, Charlotte and Houki became stiff. "Why, why do I get the feeling that the requests are all strange...?" "Even though they are of the Special Forces, it seems they are all still girls at heart..." "Aah, I almost forgot the thing Clarissa asked for!" "What, what is it?" "Shachihoko[7]." "What...?" Houki and Charlotte were stunned. However, Laura repeated seriously. "Shachihoko. What, you don''t know? It is something that is like the protecting spirit of ancient japan. If one has this thing, he will have something akin to a impregnable defense. It also seems to play an important part on the strong defense of olden time Japanese castles." (Could this mean it was just a talisman to ward off disasters...?) (Laura''s vice commander seems to be totally wrong when it comes to this topic...) "Then, where is it sold?" "No no, that thing is not for sale." "Is that so? Then it is fine if I snatch it right?" "How did it end up like this!?" "I once saw such an example in a manga." "Laura, you can''t copy that manga!" Even though Charlotte didn''t know what manga it was, it was more important to correct the misunderstanding first. Thus, in the remaining time in the showers, Houki and Charlotte used all their effort to convince Laura. Laura, on the other hand, just nodded her head as she muttered "So it is like this." "Cecilia! People have already apologized, but why are you still like this!" "Just when, where, and who apologized to me!?" Looking at Rin and Cecilia, who were still fighting even while changing, Houki, Charlotte, Laura and Kanzashi put on their undergarments. Because of the variety of colors shown at this point, it gives off a bright and refreshing feel only present in 10 odd year old girls. To put it simply, it would be''beyond what words could describe''. "This is..." Let''s not talk about the IS Academy, but this research center is very far from the town center. I have to take a tram for an hour and then a bus ride for another hour, which led me to this deep forest in the middle of nowhere. "It should be right here......?" I carefully compared the map and the research center''s signboard. "Kuromochi Research Center ....... Hmm. Spot on." That''s right- today I am here at Byakushiki''s research center. Today is a working day and I should be in school but for some reason, I got special permission to go out. (Byakushiki''s overall maintenance? What exactly has to be done?) I was thinking of going near to the entrance but the entrance was blocked by some white wall. There''s no door handle, doorbell or even a surveillance camera. "How am I going to get in......" gropegropegrope! "Wha!?" I nearly fell down due to the fact that my butt was just groped by someone. I manage to recover my balance and at my rear, there''s a girl wearing swimming goggles (or black sunglasses models). "What, what, what.......!?" "Fufufufu. Underage boys'' small butts are awesome." She grins and her grinning smile is almost like the crescent moon. When she grins, she revealed her unusually long canine teeth as if they''re Dracula''s. "What are you trying to do!?" "What am I trying to do? Can''t you see what I''m doing?" She''s wearing a school swimsuit with a deep blue IS shirt. On her bosom, there is [Kagaribi] nametag. What makes me even more surprised is that she is all wet from top to bottom. Not just plain wet, her right hand is holding a harpoon and her left hand is holding five or six freshwater fish. The water just kept on dripping on the floor and her damp hair curled and warped up like wakame. (....... No matter how you look at her, she is a weirdo or should you say a pervert.....) I want to maintain some distance from her. But this pervert....... she quickly closes the distance between us. "Fumu." "Um, um..." "Fumu, fumu, fumu." "............" While I am slowly immersed in an extremely weird atmosphere, the door behind me suddenly opens. "Director! What are you are doing out here!" This man in his 30''s comes running by and when he sees me, he gives out an [ah] exclamation. "You, you are Orimura-kun!? Orimura Ichika-kun!" "Yes, yes." "Really! Please forgive us. Last time, we said that the director will be the one to receive you, but this person here is just another ordinary pervert." Woah to even speak like that so bluntly! "Shut up, gramps." While she said that, she waved her spear and then throwing it aside...... What the!? This, this person is really dangerous! "Come, come here, bishonen. Why don''t you come into my room and we can have some ''fun'' time together!" "What are you referring to with this ''fun'' thing?" I have to admit that those boobs really captivate me. "Baba-nuki" "It''s too boring with just two people!" "You''re right. Ok, let''s play some ero games then." "............." The male staff and I could only look at her with accusing eyes. "Iya..... even two persons entering a narrow bathroom is out of the question. Aa Japanese laws are too boring!" This strange woman used her hands to rest her head and pursed her mouth. There''s a short moment where I didn''t know how to deal with this embarrassing situation, the male staff then whispered to me: "Please forgive us. Well, let''s go inside. I will serve you juice for you to drink later." After he apologized to me, he led me into the building. Inside the building, everything was pure white. The floor, walls and ceiling were all white. Even the lamps were white fluorescent lamps. (I wonder if it''s because this place is Byakushiki''s development chamber..... This is strange.) Bechiya, bechiya, bechiya. I can hear the wet barefoot steps from my back, almost like a mild horror movie of some sort. "AH! Director! Please dry yourself up before entering!" "Humhahahahah, don''t mind it." "In the end, there''s still some mopping to do!" "You''re right. Alright, I will wait here until it dries up." "But this will take time to dry up!" "Uhahahahaha!" It seems that this person is a pain in the neck. "Um, well, um....... see you later. "Ui, ui, see you later" I carelessly waved at the director before slowly walking along the corridor. Nfufu. That is really Orimuras younger brother. After Ichika left, the female director is alone, smiling to herself in the corridor. When she smiles, she shows her unusually long canine teeth, which mostly give the goose bumps feeling. Director! Please dry yourself up with the towel! OK, ok, I am sorry. After putting her harpoon and fish up in exchange for a towel, she fiercely rubs her body dry. You better let me have some good data, Orimura Ichika-kun. While rubbing her face, this [director] has a profound smile, hidden under her towel. (Un) I waited for 30 minutes after being told to stay in this room. Just when I was feeling really bored, I thought about doing some push-ups, and got up from the sofa. At this moment, the woman from before entered. Sorry for being late! Did I keep you waiting? Ah, yes. ? She angrily puffed her cheeks while still wearing the swimming sunglasses from before. It seemed my answer wasnt satisfactory. Seriously, when a female asks you did I keep you waiting, the correct answer should be I just arrived! Ha, okay You must learn these aesthetics, or you wont be popular with the girls. Is-is that so But if it really ends up that way, Ill happily take you in. There wont be any problems at all. Its really a problematic statement, but I better ignore it for now. Then, lets begin! The woman draped the white coat over her IS suit. On a side note, shes wearing furry kitty paws slippers on her feet. Then, she slowly takes off her sunglasses, and finally reveals her eyes. Nice to meet you. My names Kagaribi Hikaruno, the second research facility director of Kuramochi Technology Research Institute, and Im your sisters classmate in the same year. Her long and narrow eyes have a smiling intent in it, resembling a cat. The crescent moon like smile showed the long canines within again. Onee-sanas in Chifuyu-nee!? Yeah. Pochin! The rubber strap of the sunglasses was stretched and loosened, sticking itself onto the head and letting out a sound. The pair of swimming sunglasses now looks like a helmet. (No, instead of this!) Well, as same-year classmates, you mean the high school days, right? Yes. Then, youre friends with Tabane-san No, no no no. Hikaruno-san immediately reacts to my words, and shakes her head. The term of friends refers to the equal relationship between each other. They can be considered friends to each other in their cases. Shinonono Tabane is a friend to Orimura Chifuyu, and Orimura Chifuyu to Shinonono Tabane. This is a one and only kind of thing. Hikaruno-san says this as she wags her finger. I cant match up to those two at all. Thats why we cant be considered friends, but classmates, just classmates. Anyway, its best not to talk about this for the time being; Hikaruno-san finishes this topic by saying this, opened the holographic display, and called out an IS maintenance suit. Six mechanic arms silently reach for me. Then, please activate your Byakushiki. Well now start to repair the damages, optimize the system, and collect data. Ah, yes. I gather my concentration and call out Byakushiki. My bodys surrounded by light, and a pure white armor covers me. Speaking of which, sorry about the summer. I couldnt come to IS Academy because of something. Oh my, this really wont do. We got a big problem! ? Ah, the current trend certainly is cruel. I dont really understand, but this is plausible. Haa. Hikaruno-san lets out a long sigh, and then turns her stare to the display. Hmm, it certainly took a lot of damage. In that case, itll be faster to have you take off Byakushiki and let our technicians repair it. Then, how long will it take? Hm? Itll be done tomorrow or so. Isnt it easy if we spend an all-nighter on this? All-nighterI dont think thats easy. Then, lets get in! Everyone from Kuramochi Technology! The sliding door moved aside and let out a hissing sound of air; men and women rushed through the door with frantic footsteps. Their ages vary, but they seemed to be all Japanese. Then, go fish for something. You can get a lot in the river nearby. She said that and handed a fishing rod over to me. Of course, there was no reel, just a hook and line draping down. Please use whatever bait you can find. Oh, then, erm, Im leaving. Have a nice trip~ With Hikaruno-san waving her hand to bid me farewell, I left the research room. Fishing, huh Its been a while since I last went fishing. I often went there in my primary school. The first time was with Chifuyu-nee, then Houki, and finally Rin. (I was busy with a lot of things in secondary school, and couldnt go for a trip.) I recall as I walk down the hill path, and soon, I hear the sound of water pattering in the river. Oh The river sparkled under the sunlight, and there stood a large rock in a wide part of the river. (Itll be comfy sitting down there and fishing.) I thought as I cant help but start to look for bait, and start flipping over the rocks at the riverbank to look for bugs. Earthworms can do too, but I prefer bugs. I always feel that the latters easier to get the fish to bite. (Ah, speaking of which, I think Rin hates looking for bugs.) Now what do we use for bait? Hm? This. GYAH!!? What? Youre noisy. That-thats not a bu-bug-bug! Oh? Un-unbelievableJapanese are really a little weird somewhere Dont people from China deep fry centipedes? THATS ONLY A SMALL GROUP! WHOLL EAT SUCH THINGS!? Really? Yeah! Eh? But dont the Chinese eat anything with legs other than chairs? WHAT!? Ah, sorry. Can tables be eaten too? I got hit, and by the fist too. The Chinese are really scary. (But she often comes fishing even though she hates bugs. Hm, I miss those times.) I recalled those things while looking for bait. Soon after, I managed to collect quite a lot. Alright, then lets get started. I started to climb up the rock beside me, went past several more, and got onto the largest one. I thread the hook through the bait, and throw it to the water. After this, I just need to wait patiently. (Haaso peaceful.) Fishing is good. I let myself merge into the silence of the hill alone, away from the buzz. In this peaceful time, my souls comforted by the sounds of wind and water, and I enjoy the blank in my thoughts. This is fishing to me. Its important to catch fish, and to be honest, I did think of it this way when I was in primary school, but my attitude to fishing changed recently. (Speaking of which, yeaheven though I cant say it, I definitely mustnt) IS Academy certainly is noisy Its fine, no one heard what I said just now. Heh? You cant get used to the chattering of teenage girls? WHAT THE!? A-ah-arre!? Hikaruno-san!? Why are you here!? Well, I dont have anything to do for the time being as my specialty is IS software. Ha. Hikaruno-san jumped up onto the rock like a bunny, and arrived beside me. On a side note, I would look away whenever I see those ginormous breasts bounce midway while were facing each other. Ah, give me some bait. Pl-please have some. Just bugs though. Its fine, bugs are the best bait, but its best if you prepare some grass or fruits if you want to give them to a girl. Hikaruno-san said as she received the bug bait from me, and poked the hook through it. (Is that so? If I had done so right from the beginning, I wouldnt have received the beating from Rin. So thats how it is.) On a side note, Hikaruno-sans holding a bamboo rod just like me, and the lengths are similar. We sit side by side as we let the angling lines drop. Speaking of which, Orimura Ichika-kun, how much do you know about IS software? Eh? Well, I heard that the settings vary based on the core unlimited circuit will gather and evolve on its own, and that they also have congenital tendencies and preferences beforehand. Yes yes, thats certainly a unique answer. Let me say too that this unlimited circuit is a special privilege used when connected to the core network. If its used in an ordinary network, you can hack the computer easily. I see. Then, here comes the question. What is the core network? Wellit was originally a computer world meant to connect all the ISes through an interstellar communication protocol when ISes are planned to move in space. Hm, thats about it nya. Havent you learned quite a lot? Well, itll be better if youre a little more aware of other things. Why On a side note, this core network can allow for exchanges of messages or data backup, you know? Eh? Oh my, you dont know? For example, your Byakushiki inherits data of Orimura Chifuyu personal Kurezakura one-off ability, and the unique functions of the first Infinite Stratos, the White Knight. Hikaruno-san glances at me, showing that bewitching smile again. But the smile I can see now is a little different from before. Right, it felt like a wild beast licking its lips in front of its prey. Oh, Orimura Ichika-kun, your fishing rod got a bite. Ah! I hurriedly pull up a rod. A fat liver fish jumped out from the water, and it might be the largest one for the day. Beautiful. Th-thanks. Ive been waiting for a while, but the achievement of catching a fish still cant increase my appetite. After that, I put the fish I reeled into the basket, put another bait on my hook, and throw it back into the water surface. But I do like to readjust those picky ISes. Adjust? Yeah, like convincing those ISes that hate shooting weapons, train them with those weapons for example. This is adjusting. Its like training a horse. Hikaruno-san quipped and pulled her line. Ahgot away. A big fish? No, most likely just a small fry. Hikaruno-san sighs as she puts on the bait again. Leaving aside the size of the escaped fish, her bust measurements are comparable to Yamada-senseis level. Gulp (Haa!? This isnt good!) I hurriedly looked away. Fufufu. I could hear Hikaruno-sans cheerful giggle from beside me. Haa, I feel lethargic for some reason. Rin cups her hands behind her head against the corridor wall and drinks a packet juice dangling in the air, supported by a straw, looking nonchalant. Fufu, is it because Ichika isnt around? Charlotte, whos walking beside her, said this, and Rin nearly dropped her juice packet in shock. Wh-what!? Tha-thats not it! Humph! Its fine for that kind of guy to not be around! Yes sure. On a side note, they were paired up together because they had a common subject before this, and they were on the way back after compiling their lesson data. It truly was Rins style to buy juice immediately after class. But its really troublesome not to be able to use IS now. Its in personal lock mode for the time being; it wont be stolen, and its useless even if its stolen. Rin said this as she looked at the Shenlong on her wrist. Its original form was that of a ring bracelet, but in a personal lock mode, it would stick on the arm while being less than 1mm thick, and would look like some trendy sticker on first glance. The problem is that this mode is going to be slow when the user needs to use it for emergency protection. Well, it cant be helped. Its like disassembling a gun. Hm, well, we went through quite some training too, so its not like well be dealt with easily. Also, we can still summon them when we need to, just that itll take some time. Yeah, but because of this, all personalized IS users have to move in more than twos. The only one on her own in the academy is the second year Tatenashi-san, right? Yeah, and also Ichika. I think hes probably fine. Really, hurry up and come back. Rin inadvertently muttered, Ah, and covered her mouth again. But Charlotte heard her clearly, and giggled as she looked back. I-it-its not that! Im just, well, that guy never went through military training, so! Right right, youre worried, arent you? N-no Rin stammered harder, and the lights on the corridor suddenly went out. The corridors, classrooms, and electronic bulletins were all switched off at that moment. Of course, it was not pitch dark as it was daytimethe moment Rin thought of this. The defense shutter!? Eh!? Why is it sliding down!? The defense wall slid down diagonally, protecting the glass windows. Amidst the buzz full of screams of shock, all the walls were sealed up, and the interior of the building was so dark the fingers could not be seen. 2 seconds. Hey, Charlotte. Hm, I know. Theres no switch to the emergency power, and the response lights arent lit. Theres a catch. They activate their IS low energy mode and summon the display window to their eyes. They also switch their sights to night vision mode, activate their sonars, heat sensors, motion sensors, sonar to sight radar. This is Laura. Are you alright, Charlotte? Rin-san, where are you now? Both Charlotte and Rin received the messages on the IS private channels from Laura and Cecilia respectively. Just when they were about to answer, they were interrupted by an intercept channel. All personalized suit users are to gather at the underground command room. Im sending a map over. If there are walls getting in your way, feel free to destroy them. It was Chifuyus calm yet forceful voice. These words clearly indicated that something was going to happen in this IS Academy again. Volume 8 - CH 2 Then, let me explain the situation. They were in the operations room in the IS Academy underground special zone. Normally, this was not a place any student would know of, but at this point, all the personal unit pilots in the Academy were gathered. Houki, Cecilia, Rin, Charlotte, Laura, Kanzashi and Tatenashi were lined up, with Chifuyu and Yamada standing in front of them. This operation room seemed to run on a completely independent power supply, and the display clearly showed all information. However, it was not a hologram, but an old-styled display. But to think that theres such an area Yeah, it surprises me a little Rin and Cecilia looked around the room and whispered amongst themselves, only to be warned by Chifuyu immediately. Be quiet, Huang, Alcott! Were in the middle of a briefing! Ye-yes! So-sorry! After Chifuyu growled at them, Rin and Cecilia stopped their whispering. Then, Maya enlarged the shown data and started to explain to all that were present. Right now, all the systems in IS Academy are shut down. This is an electronic attack from some unknown sourcein other words, we can conclude that were attacked by a hacker. Mayas voice sounded more rigid than usual. It seemed that it was a rather urgent situation to have students enter this special zone. Theres still no student hurt up till now, and theres no endangering of lives even as the defensive walls are in the way. Not all of the defensive walls went down, so it seems only a portion of them were activated. So you can go to the toilet, you know? She said, but nobody laughed. Er-erm, do you have any questions about the current situation? Yes. Laura raised her hand. Like usual, an active soldier would be very active when something came up. I heard that IS Academy runs on an independent system. Is it really possible to be hacked into under such situations? A-about that Maya seemed to be really troubled, and she turned aside. Chifuyu seemed to understand what she meant, and spoke up, saying, This isnt the issue. The issue is whos attacking us now. And whats the enemys objective? Theres no need for so much work if we knew. Thats true. Laura said, and finished her question. Nobody else raised their hands, and Maya turned to explain the content of the operation. Then, Shinonono-san, Alcott-san, Huang-san, Dunois-san, Bodewig-san, please head to the access room and carry out a computer dive through the IS core network. Sarashiki Kanzashi-san, please act as backup. Maya declared eloquently, but there was a silent response from the personal IS users. Eh? What is it, everyone? Besides Tatenashi, all of them looked confounded as they stood in front of Maya. Computer dive!? Yes. You do know theres such a possibility in theory, right? The IS pilots can dive into the computer world as a virtual visualization through the bypass protecting the neural systemthis method however is not just theoretical. In fact, were restricted by the additional clauses of the Alaska treaty, but because we have fulfilled 4 case criteria for this situation, were allowed to use it. Th-that isnt what Im trying to ask! Rin swung her fists as she flailed them around. Yes! As for computer dive, are we, well Cecilia said in a troubled manner, and Charlotte continued off from her words, Were going to use the IS coherence function and nanomachine signals to upload a personal consciousness and enter the computer world like this This itself doesnt possess any risks, but theres probably no benefit. No matter what kind of computer it is, recalibrating the software, hardware or both will be faster than diving into the IS computer world itself. After Lauras explanation, Kanzashi adds on, And alsothe pilots defenseless when diving into the computer worlditll be troubling if something happens In the end, Houki expressed her view in place of everyone. Also, its still too dangerous to gather all the personal pilot users at the same place. Upon hearing all these suggestions, Chifuyu concluded decisively. No, this operation requires us to repel the hackers through a computer dive, and I wont listen to any disagreements. If anyones not willing, they can back out. All of them were overwhelmed by her pressure. No, thats not it. Its not that Im unwilling Just, a little surprised Ca-can you do it, Laura? Ah, yes, thats right. Ill try my best I-Ill do it. Just let me succeed in this mission. Upon hearing all their agreement, Chifuyu clapped her hands. Right, then head to the access room to carry out the computer dive! Begin the operation! Houki and company accepted this command and left the operations room. The ones left behind were Chifuyu, Maya and Tatenashi. We have another mission for you. Please tell me. Tatenashi was showing no signs of her usual folly attitude as she silently nodded. I guess another force will attack the Academy while the systems down. An enemyis it? There would certainly be another country using this chaos to invade, and Chifuyu had already seen through this. Right, they cant battle now. Sorry for asking you again. Leave it to me. Youll be in a tough defensive battle. Dont worry. Even if its like this, Im still the student council president. She said and showed a fearless smile, but Chifuyus expression did not change at all. But your IS took quite some damage during that incident a few days ago. Its probably not completely recovered yet. Yes, but Im Sarashiki Tatenashi. In this situation, I know how to fight. As the leader amongst the students, she would not take even a step back. Chifuyu saw the strong determination deep inside her eyes, and sighed. She then looked straight at Tatenashi and said, Ill leave it to you then. Tatenashi bowed and excused herself as she walked out of the operations room. Chifuyu and Maya witnessed her leave, and spoke with heavy hearts. What exactly are we doingwere making the students were supposed to protect fight Orimura-sensei She did not say it cant be helped. This was something she could not say. No matter what reason it was, the act of making studentschildren stand on the battlefield was unforgivable. Whether it was to Chifuyu or Maya, there were limits they could not back away from. Alright, nows not the time to stand around foolishly. We still have our own jobs. Yes! Chifuyu and Maya proceeded to prepare for something. With a click, the belts on the boots tightened. Chifuyu was dressed in a black ninja-like body suit, and she lifted her head. She was looking at the 6 blades called katanas, refined from the sharp physical sabers used by IS, and they were leaning on the wall in a sheathed state. She inserted them into the holster on her thighs, and became an abnormally shaped samurai. Its been a while since I tied my hair like this. She said as she bundled her hair tightly. Chifuyu, with her hair tied into a ponytail, wielded an IS blade with two hands. Lets go. Click. The door opened. Chifuyu walked into the darkness, and only the emergency lights under her feet showed her profile. The reflected face of Chifuyu shown on the blade ostensibly showed a smile. Alright, now then. Tatenashi pulled outside from the destroyed defense wall, and landed on the floor gently. The students have all evacuated. In that case, its fine, I guess. Pak. She opened the fan, and there were the words welcome guests written on it. She was not welcoming them with a smile, but with a metal fist. Intruder alert, intruder alert. Tatenashis cellphone started to beep loudly. She took the phone up, and looked at the screen. There was a camera independent of the schools systemin other words, it was a shot of the enemy she took on her own. These were 6 hairy creatures with wilted leaves-like objects stuck onto them, and it was impossible to distinguish the gender. On first glance, one might think they were forest camouflage clothing, but they were actually completely different. I remember that thing is the newest optical hologram that takes a snapshot of the surroundings and shows it to the surface. The things that looked like wilted leaves were actually unique moveable membranes; normally, they would take the appearance of leaves, but once the camouflage activates, they would cover the wearer piece by piece, and display the surrounding scenery on it, creating a camouflage effect. (Speaking of which, we have special ops with such newest equipment enter the Academy soon after the system died, huh? It certainly feels weird.) But they were probably a different group from the ones who deactivated the system. If they were, it would be most efficient for them to barge in right at the moment when the system went down. (Well, this proves that were being watched all the time. How unappealing.) This is IS Academy, an all-girls school with girls in bloom, and theres a 24 hour surveillance on this place? The adults really lack the romantic moodTatenashi thought. Oh my? This was a long straight corridor, nothing could be seen, and there were no sounds of footsteps, but there was something. Well, I didnt think Ill reach it so soon. I guess Im a woman whos beloved by fate and causality. Pushhhh, pussshhh. Unique metallic bullets flew at Tatenashi with a short burst of sounds. But those bullets stopped right in front of her. !? Fufu, just kidding. This is Active Inertia Canceller. In fact, she had already scattered the aqua nanomachines of her IS, the Mysterious Lady into the air. While IS shooting weapons were a different case, she could still easily block ordinary soldier shots. She bared a smile at the faltering expressions of the enemies she could not see. Also, the nanomachines were the ones who searched out these invisible enemies. Even if they had no voices or visible appearance, she could easily find them with the sensing particles as they were still touching the air. Also Poof. Tatenashi clicked her thumb. In an instant, a large explosion engulfed the corridor. This is one of the Mysterious Lady specialty, the Clear Passion. How does it feel? In any case, indoor battles were what the Mysterious Lady was best at. In ordinary situations, she could control the nanomachines fluidly, whether it was the density, or the currents. Though the enemy was a special force with the latest equipment, they were ordinary people, and they were certainly no match for an IS that was not even completely activated. It feels like Im bullying the weak here. HaaTatenashi let out a sighhowever, Ufufu, I really love doing such things. The demonic woman grinned away. Normally, the side of justice would be on Tatenashis side, especially as the enemy invaded into a girls school with most of its students unarmed. Alright, its coming. Heres my special move, Tatenashi Five! Once she said that, her silhouette split into 5. There were 5 Sarashiki Tatenashis in uniform, wielding lances as they stood in a row. Well, this is the Mysterious Ladys ability. In other words, some of the 5 were illusions created through nanomachine lens, while the rest were water figures created by the aqua nanomachines. The problem would be to look for the real one. And as for the water figures BAM! They were physical bodies with explosive functions. Since they were created by water, bullets were ineffective against them. Le-leader! If this keeps up UWAAHHH!!! The trained soldiers, highly trained men, were beaten one after another. The 6 people who showed up on the lens before this met up, but were still no threat to Tatenashi at all. Fa-fall back! FALL BACK!" She was merely 16 years old, and her machine and physical state were not good. But she still created this devastation single-handedly. It was a painful reminder of how the existence called IS destroyed all understanding. Ufufufu? Tatenashi chuckled in the midst of the flames, showing the image of a complete villain. A woman heard the explosion that rang far above her, and moved forward in this pitch-black passage. The one invading this IS Academy underground special zone was the leader of the American Special Ops unit, Unnamed. She was wearing the stealth energy test model of the IS Fang Quake. There were slight variances in the details of the designs as compared to Iris high-speed assault spec combat unit. First, there was a difference in the paint job. Unlike the very easy identifiable tiger stripes of Iris unit, it was completely painted in navy blue, used by the SEALS team; it had no decorations at all, and did not have any pictures or squad emblem. This was to be expected. The Unnamed squad comprised of members that had no nationality, race, religion or even name, truly unnamed. There were no records or files indicating they belonged to the American army. Such a squad couldnt possibly have an emblem. This woman too was also without name, and the squad simply called her leader for convenience. She once had a name, a name she long forgotten from the cruel training. At this point, she was nobody, just a nameless leader of a nameless squad. That was the womans entirety. The leader proceeded on. Her target was the unregistered core that was taken by IS Academy a few days ago. If she could do that, anyone could simply add the number of IS. But completely unmanned units. To America, that had a bigger bearing than the number of IS. Right, a certain plan could be completed if it was obtained. (I heard that once the plan is complete, the worlds map can be redrawn, but) She did not know the contents of the plan, and had no interest in it. As the leader, she was solely focused on the mission. ? She used the hovers of the Fang Quake to stop her advance. Her sensors clearly picked up a persons presence in front of her, on this pitch black corridor. Its coming. !? Suddenly, a gust blew by with this short line. BAM! A spark came with a huge boom, and a shadow leapt behind the leader. And the next moment, all the lights on the corridor were lit. Worlds StrongestBrunhilde The leader inadvertently muttered. A woman stood on the lit corridor confidently . It was Chifuyu, dressed completely in black, and there were 3 sheathed katanas on the side of her thighs6 in total. She was also wielding swords on both hands, and it seemed that those were the two swords that were swung at the Fang Quake armor. (Is she serious?) This was the first thing the leader thought of. She used the IS sensor to check many times, and found that Chifuyu was only equipped with a body suit. This body suit resembled a diving suit, and it covered her body; she was wearing sturdy boots that were enhanced, combat gloves on her hands, and only her face was exposed. But even so (Shes wearing a suit thats suited for going against ordinary weaponswhat does she exactly plan to do?) Of course, there should be some bulletproof or bladeproof functions, but even so, she was no different from being stark naked in front of the IS overwhelming firepower. What is it? Bring it on. Youre standing in front of the first generation Brunhilde, the first woman to attain the title of strongest, so just focus entirely on fighting me, ordinary soldier. Chiufyu showed a smirk, and her face showed the relaxed mood of an overwhelmingly powerful person. This is? Houki, Cecilia, Rin, Charlotte, Laura, Kanzashi followed the instructions, and finally arrived at the access room. The room was completely white, and every corner was sparkling. Inside the room were six bed chairs, 3 on the left, and 3 on the right, pure white like the room, and looked just like a salon. Everyone, sit on the chairs and relaxIm going to that desk as backup. With Kanzashi prompting them, the rest laid down on the bench seats on both sides. B-but, whats with this room? Its no different from a movie world. Yeah, this is the first time Im seeing such facilities. What about you, Rin-san? HmI suppose China doesnt have facilities like this. Speaking of which, whats with this underground special zone? It seems weird to me no matter how I think about it. It certainly does feel a little abnormal. The operation room just now had a really durable structure. Eh, what is it, Charlotte? You used the IS to scan? Yes, just a little. Keep this a secret, please? Charlotte placed her index finger in front of her lips. Germany doesnt have such facilities either. What exactly is this Academy? Is it really an ordinary High School? Upon hearing the words Laura said, everyone went silent. That was the possibility they could vaguely realize. There are really too many secrets regarding IS Academy. Even if nobody said it clearly, that was certainly the thought of everyone present. Now, we have to work on rebooting the system Kanzashi declared while pretending to be calm, and the rest nodded in agreement as they linked the IS with the port of the bed chair. Then, to connect all your IS with the core networkplease switch to software priority mode She immediately activated her IS, Uchigane Nishiki, called out her console, and placed the keyword in front of her in a fluid manner. Ah. Suddenly, Charlotte let out a call, I just thought of it. I read about a book about people diving into a game world[1]. Is it that kind of feeling? Upon seeing Charlotte being excited for no apparent reason, the other members were all stunned. Kanzashi coughed dryly, and answered, Therell be a virtual reality world formed insideIll act as backup here from now on, so please get ready to reactivate the system corenavigate begin. Understood. Rin answered energetically. And then, all of them laid down on the bed chairs and gathered their consciousness. Launching! Kanzashi connected systemand at that moment, the 5 girls consciousness were ostensibly absorbed by some mysterious falling suction feeling. This is Cecilia was the first one to speak up. A grassland could be seen around them, and the early summer sunlight shone as a comfy cool breeze blew past. Zaaain the midst of this scenery as the flowers and grass sang, Rin suddenly yelled, KYAH! Wha-what is this!? She said as she grabbed at her own clothing. It was a blue dress with a white apron, just like Alices dress-up in Alice in Wonderland. The rest were shocked by Rins voice, and they looked at their own and each others clothing. Th-this is Everyones Dressed in the same way too? Just as they were surprised, a window suddenly appeared in the sky. This is Kanzashihows your situation? We-wellit feels like we entered some fairy tale world or so Upon hearing Charlottes answer, Kanzashi pondered slightly for a while, and answered, This is They could hear the sound of the keyboard being tapped at. I understand. Right now, this computer world is being hackedin this case, everyonehas to playyour given role. Role!? Rin spoke up for the rest as she exclaimed loudly, Eh, what does that mean? Do we have to be Alice? I dont knowthis space is too unstableso. Erm, speaking of Alice Charlotte glanced aside at Laura. What is it? No, Im just thinking that youre a bunny after all. Humph. Dont lump me together with a weak existence like bunny. Im a proud black hare Ahh! Suddenly, Cecilia creaked. Seriously, lets hurry. Tatetatetate A white rabbit dressed in a gentlemans suit was looking at his watch as he walked straight at them with his legs straightened. I-it appeared! Catch him! Upon hearing Kanzashis voice, all of them nodded in unison. Hold it! Ahh, seriously, this dress makes it troublesome to run around! Rin, at such a moment, you must raise up both sides and run like this Hm, Im going then. Not good, hes headed for the forest! Cecilia pointed, and that white bunny vanished into the forest without looking back. The 5 of them entered the lush forest to pursue after him. They passed through the path with leaves covering them from above, and the area in front of them suddenly brightened as they arrived at an open place where the sky could be seen. Eh, what is this? There were 5 doors in the forest. Are we to go in? Maybe Tatenashi nodded unconfidently. On a closer look, one would notice that there was some static noise on the window image. In front of usI guess the signal will be cutso you have to head to the system core on your own Understood. The 5 of them nodded at each other, and each of them opened a door and entered separately. Nn Rin confirmed that the sharp glaring light in front of her eyes had subsided, and opened them slowly. She had a vague feeling after passing through the door, and was surrounded by the light just like that. What exactly, is this She turned her head and looked around. Huh? Rin had a question mark floating over her head. This is, maybe This was a place she saw before somewhere, and she had experienced the atmosphere here before. That was the classroom she and Ichika were in during Middle School. The orange light shone in through the window, and she could hear the sounds from the baseball club afar. Why, the Middle School? She spaced out for a while, and then realized her clothes had changed. This is, the sailor uniform I wore in Middle School That was a black-like deep blue sailor uniform. She felt that this uniform was too plain, and did not like it back when she was in school, but at this point, she felt nostalgic. Anyway, she started to walk around the classroom. Real. It felt completely real. The temperature, humidity, and even the subtle atmosphere was replicated flawlessly. But it was not reality. She tried summoning her IS, but she could not find her standby-mode bracelet for some reason. I guess this is a trap. Having understood this, she had to leave immediately. Rin walked towards the classroom door. KARAK Eh? Someone on the other side of the door opened it a second faster. Yo, Rin. I-I-Ichika? Standing over there was Ichika, dressed in his uniform. GINK! It was the umpteenth hit as Chifuyu landed another blade strike on the Fang Quake armor. But there was nary a scratch. And there were 4 chipped blades. Hm She threw the wrecked blades onto the floor, and drew new katanas again from her thigh sheaths. A clear unsheathing sound could be heard on this battlefield filled with killing intent. Please stop here. The leader spoke up, probably feeling annoyed by this. Her voice remained as calm as before, but there was a sense of impatience in her tone. Hm? What do you mean? Chifuyu showed this intent as she taunted, I say, you American Special Ops really have nothing to do than to come all the way to a school in this Far East Island country. You want the unmanned units wreckageand not just that, I suppose? But unfortunately, the Byakushiki was moved somewhere else. Chifuyu curled her lips and gave a smirk. The leader gritted her teeth slightly. Since you know thatwhy? Humph, flesh and blood cant possibly be a match against an IS, is it? Swoosh, swoosh, she swung the katanas on both sides and got into position. Thats if I were an ordinary person. At that moment, Chifuyu leapt forward and quickly swung at the Fang Quake, but this time, the leader finally caught Chifuyus blade with her right hand. Its useless! I should be the one deciding if its useless or not. Chifuyu let go of her katanas, and wrapped her arms onto the enemys body like a snake. Her movements were as fluid as flowing water, and she lifted the leader up. She was holding a wire in her hand. Gak!? The leader could not help but squeal as she was choked by the neck. You relied too much on the Absolute Defense System, so your judgments dulled. The next moment, the wire was about to be burned through by the Absolute Defenses energy shield, but Chifuyu had already positioned herself, and spun around to kick at the leader. The heavy IS armor, together with the weight of a person, was flying to the wall, but Chifuyus face remained as calm as ever. On the other hand, the leader felt troubled. (Such terrifying physical attributes, but) So what? (Either way, this level of attack wont cause any damage to the IS.) Its because she understood this that she felt inexplicable. (Whats the meaning of these actions? This person) Chifuyu however did not give her the chance to think this, and her katanas came attacking. What is it? Show more of your abilities, American. Youre really annoying, Japanese. The sparks of battle scattered again. Then, lets collect the data from Byakushiki. Once you activate it, step on this scanner. Right. I nodded my head, and followed Hikaruno-sans instructions. The light ring completely covers the IS from top to bottom, and collects all sorts of data from it. Show me the hardware too. Open cable gate number 4. Ah, yes. After having gone through adjustments with Kanzashi and the rest, I did learn a little of such things. I followed the instructions and opened the terminal. Okay, okay, lets try it! Kachk, she inserted the cable. BUZZ! !! Hm, what is it? No, it feelslike there was an electric surge flowing through me. Hm? Thats weird. Hold on and let me check for a while. Just when I was wondering what was going on, a voice suddenly rang in my mind. Eh? Hm? Hikaruno-san and I were startled. Erm, was the private channel open? No, its not? The settings in limited mode. Thats weird It certainly feels like it was the private channelI think. Lets not talk about this. Im going to adjust the output rate and increase the thrusters by 5%. Right. Anyway, lets focus on collecting the data. I thought as I brought my consciousness back. ! GAGINK! With a heavy sound, Chifuyus last katana broke. Its over. The leader was agile in her movements. She swung a fast left punch into Chifuyus abdomen. At that moment, BAM! A breaking sound rang, and Chifuyu was sent flying. That was The leader had suspicions over this feedback, and looked at her left hand. She could see the scar of a firearm burned through it. (Not good) She finally realized. She pulled her distance from Chifuyu; the enemy had avoided damage through her reactive armor, and she had blades around her. And then, Chifuyu clearly declared. Shatter. This verb triggered the metals, and at the next moment, all the blades let out huge explosions. !!! The walls, floor, ceiling were all engulfed by the explosions, a scene of thorough massacre. Chifuyu ran on the corridor before the flames caught up to her. Dont you run awayah! The leader was trying her best to remain calm, but she couldnt help but show her anxious emotions for being unable to catch Chifuyu. She lit her thrusters and immediately flew out. She wanted to deliver a crushing blow to the escaping Chifuyu from behindbut the latter seemed to have eyes on her back as she easily did a somersault to dodge the fist. Humph. GAK. She kicked at the face of the leader, and used the recoil to turn on the corridor. (According to the sonar sensors, that room is a dead end. I caught you!) The leader thought as she accelerated the boost to the maximum. Heh! She kicked down the door. But the moment she entered, BAM! The lights were switched on. Its your turn, Maya. Understood! Chifuyu pulled the stealth mantle off, and appearing under it was the Rafale Revive equipped with 4 large Gatling guns. (Ku, the Quad Phalanx!) This turret could not move at all due to its weight and recoil control needed, but had the most powerful attack as it stood there. By the time she realized this bad situation, it was too late. BARARARARARARARARARA!! The rain of cannons poured down on her. Glak glak glak, the bullets sounded like a slot wheel giving away money due to jackpot. Chifuyu merely glanced aside at this scene and drank the coffee on the table. Yes, your coffees really the best here, Yamada-sensei. Actually, thats instant coffee. A minute later, the thoroughly battered leader was suppressed by Maya and Chifuyu. Chifuyu merely finished that coffee that had a slight bloody taste on it. Right, thats all then. Tatenashi tied up the men of the Special Ops team with the unique fiber rope, and heaved a sigh. (Theyre undoubtedly Americans, and I guess they came from the unmanned model number 371) But inexplicably, the Academys system went down. If this were to keep up for too long, she would have to shatter all the shutters of the classrooms to let the outside air flow in. (Hm, having the student council president do this herself is a little too) But well, hesitation was not going to solve things. Lets go. She reverted her IS back to standby mode so as to save energy. She took a step forward. And at that moment, a silencer bullet passed through her abdomen. Eh? Blood oozed out. And just like that, Tatenashi tumbled forward without warning. I finally got the chance (Shoot, I was too careless!) The men who were tied up undid their binds. Most likely, they cut off the binds with their hidden plasma cutters, and their limbs were free. How do we deal with her? Shes a pilot registered as Russias representative. Shes a Japanese, and once she obtained her IS, used her gained autonomy to change nationalities. Thats very promiscuous. Then? Stop the bleeding, carry out emergency measures, dull the pilots senses using morphine, and bring her back with the IS. Understood. Upon hearing the leaders instructions, the men quickly got into action. They hurriedly stuffed something into her mouth to stop herself from committing suicide. Nn, ugh! Dont resist. Youll bleed more. Her abdomen was hurting, and it felt as if her bones and flesh were being dug out. Tatenashis neck was injected with morphine, and her consciousness gradually faded. (Ichikakun) She unconsciously called out this name. And she lost consciousness immediately. Volume 8 - CH 3 Ichika? The sound of the baseball club activities could be heard from afar in this classroom as the sunset shone in, and Ichika and I were the only ones in here. What is it, Rin? Eh, what is it I want to say? Well I get the feeling Im forgetting something here. But I just cant recall for some reason. Anyway, its rare for the two of us to be together. Ah, yes The location is the classroom at sunset, Rin dressed in a sailor uniform, and Ichika in school uniform. (Even with tw-two of us alone like this, as expectedits really nerve-wrecking) Just like they were in a relationship. In a relationship? Right. With who? My most beloved Ichika! (Ye-yeah, thats right. Why did I forget such an obvious thing?) I laugh awkwardly and sit at my place. My hearts beating wildly My hearts beating (I-I thinkmy hearts starting to hurt after all.) Rin. Wh-what is it? Even my voices a little off-pitcheduu, I really embarrassed myself. Can I sit beside you? Ah, yes. I subconsciously nod twice. Ichika smiles as he sits beside me. Theres silence. But my heart doesnt feel that way inside. (U, uwa, uwaa, what do I doou-our bodies are sticking together.) I could feel Ichikas body warmth reach me as our bodies stick to each other. Right now, Im so tense that I can hear my own heartbeat if I listen carefully. Rin. Wh-what? Ichika whispers at my ears. He let out a gentle breath that grazed my ear, causing my heart to beat wildly again. Do you want me to go to your house today? Eh I recall the conversation we had 3 days ago. My parents are going overseas tomorrow, so I have to cook for myself. Its really troublesome. Oh~ It wasnt really a meaningful conversation, but as I think of it now (Am-am I not inviting him now) Thats definitely the case. Ichika must have certainly thought this way. (~~~~~~~~~) My face was fully red to my ears, and I couldnt look at Ichika in the face. Is it alright, Rin? Y-yes I nod my head. World Purge, complete. I feel theres such a sound ringing in my head. But nows not the time for this. (Ho-how do I change my underwear once I get home) My mind was full of such thoughts. In the research room, Ichika, who had his IS in open mode, was sitting at the chair as the data collection was roughly completed. Its almost over. Heres the coffee. Ah, thanks. Ichika drank the coffee she got from Hikaruno, and took a gulp at it. It was bitter, and his tongue tasted the bitterness of adults. Ichika. Ah He clearly heard it. Once he firmly believed so, Ichika put down the coffee and boarded Byakushiki. O-oi oi, Orimura-kun!? Sorry, Im heading back to school now! Hu-huh? Wait, your sister will be troubled if you do that Im breaking through from the front! NUWAH! Just as Ichika had declared so, he activated the particle cannon and blew up the wall in front of him. Im off then. He flew through the hole, and immediately used the Ignition Boost to accelerate away. Soon after, his silhouette shrank, and he could not be seen. How reckless Ack, ack, Hikaruno muttered in the midst of the research room as dust scattered. But hes still young after all. She sighed as she shook her head. But she then showed a bewitching smile. I got the information I needed anyway, so its all fine, Orimura Ichika-kun. She grinned and casted a side glance to the sky. Now I can begin the next generation mass-production plan It took me less than 30 minutes to reach IS Academy through the use of consecutive Ignition Boosts. (Someones calling, calling for me!) Me. In that case, I have no choice but to go, Because Im Orimura Ichika. !? The Byakushiki sensor seem to pick up something. Thats! The men dressed in black assault suits are carrying Tatenashi-san down the school corridors. Those guys I carry out Ignition Boost, and focus on a single spot. LET GOOOOOO!!! While attacking them, I send the men flying and protect Tatenashi-san. And then, I fire the particle cannon at the floor to obstruct their sight. AAAHHHH!!! A kick. This kick alone sent the 6 men flying to the wall. Tatenashi-san, Tatenashi-san!? I desperately call her name. Her body response indicates that shes not dead, but Tatenashi-san still hasnt opened her eyes. TATENASHI! I call her name with her vigor, and she finally opens her eyes. NnIchi-kakun? Shes probably injected with some drug as she still looks a little sleepy, just like a sleeping beauty. Are you alright? Ill send you to the infirmary. Nogoundergroundhere. Orimura-sensei isalso there I receive the coordinates and accelerate to the destination. Tatenashi-san, youre bleedingwere you hit!? Im fine Shes still laughing away, but her face isnt showing her usual foolishness. (Damm! What exactly happened here!?) I use the particle cannons to shoot down all the shutters getting in my way, and head off to where Chifuyu-nee is. Over here!? I operate the panel and open the door. Chifuyu-nee and Yamada-sensei are inside with an unfamiliar female whos tied up. Huheh? What exactly Ill explain later! Orimura, go save Shinonono and the rest! Eh!? Ill send you the coordinates now. Hurry! Ye-yes! I hand Tatenashi-san to Yamada-sensei, and head down with the maximum output, just as I did before. (Seriously, what is going on!?) I remove my IS at the target room, and enter. Houki and the rest are sleeping in this pure white room, and a flustered Kanzashi is there. AhIchika-kun. Kanzashi? Tell me the details. erm It might be a little difficult for Kanzashi, whos not adept at talking, to explain everything in such a short time. Just when I was thinking about this, I receive a mail. To Orimura-kun, Right now, this IS Academy is attacked and neutralized by an anonymous person. Shinonono-san and the rest entered the computer world, hoping to regain control, but were attacked by someone, and we lost contact with them. If this keeps up, they may never wake up again. Thus, we need you to enter the computer world through the IS core network just like them and save everyone. Please. From Sarashiki Kanzashi. Alright, I understand. These are really hard to understandI understand! In other words, I have to dive into the computer world!? Kanzashis holding onto a taser. What is she planning to do? Oi, Kanza BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZT[1] SHIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!? I suddenly felt a powerful electric jolt run through my body. It hurts. It feels hot. Im numb. My consciousness faded away. Wh-what are you doing!? I supported myself up. Eh? When was I lying down? Whats with the grassland I see in front of me? Please head to the forest, everyone should be in a door inside. Kanzashis voice rang in my head. Roger that! I nod my head hard and start running. Wah! In the midst of the turbulent rain, Ichika and I use our bags as we keep running. Anyway, lets get to the bus stop first. We do walk to school instead of riding the bus, but we still went to the station to hide from the rain. This rain sure is heavy when it pours. Yeahahh seriously, Im completely drenched. I squeeze the water off my hair, and suddenly feel something placed on my head. Use the towel. Ah, yes, thanks. What about you, Ichika? Im fine. Ichika said this as he rubbed me on my head gently. Ehehe, I really love Ichikas gentleness. Hey, Rin. Hm? What is it? Let me wipe your body. Ichika finished what he said, and rolls up my uniform before starting to wipe me. wait, you idiot! THUNK! A punch of justice. It hurts. Pervert. Tahahaha Recently, Ichika will touch me as long as Im not noticing. I-I know that hes thirsty for mebut as expected, I prefer my first time to be a little more romantic. Seriously ButI dont hate it. (My body feels like its floating a little whenever Ichika touches me.) I will feel very happy. I feel good. I want this to continue. These are my true thoughts. (To-todays, good, I guess?) I ask myself. Tokun. My heart throb loudly. This is my reply. Ah, thats good. The skys clear now. Nn, thats right. Alright, then, how about coming to my house!? Oh, lend me your shower. Thud! My hairs wet. Ah, yes! Aha, ahahaha! I still cant endure the throbbing in my heart, and let out a weird laugh. Lets go. Ichika naturally holds my hand. After a little hesitation, I grab it back and nod. Un. And then, both of us stroll down this asphalt road that was giving off a little smell due to the rain. The destination is my house, the Chinese restaurant Lingyin. I do feel a little embarrassed that my parents loved me like this. Theyre on vacation today, so the sign curtains not placed. Ichika and I entered the shop and head into the main house. We then stopped at, that living room. Ahuuerm Our hands are still holding each others. My other open hand is opening and closing. Wh-what do we do? H-how about a shower first? Lets do it then. Ichika nods. I imagine Ichika showing, and immediately blush. (I-I better check my underwear now.) My hearts beating like crazy. Rin. Eh!? Wha-what is it!? How about we shower together? Ptch, my face is completely red to the ears. Pervert! I charge out at full speed, and escape from Ichika. Just like this, I head upstairs and escape into my room on the second level. Haa, haa, haa The sudden sprint just now caused my breathing to be erratic. How about we shower together? ~~~~~~~~ Anyway, I slam my pillow onto the bed first. An-anyway. Better change my underwear. I didnt think of what happened before, and open my underwear drawer. (Wh-which one do I take? Which, that, thi-this, will this excite, him?) I deliberately chose my underwear for today. This is my decisive underwear, but to be honest, these may not suit me at all. (But I just cant remain still like this) I roll up my skirt and look at my reflection. Right now, mine are green and white stripes. (This wont do) I have no confidence in my own body. (No! Ichikas a pervert anyway, so its fine! Right! Its fine!) Since Ive decided, I have to change. I put my fingers on both sides of my panties, and slid it down. Just when I let it down to my knees, the door opened. !?!?!? Rin, Im done with the shower. Wha-wha-wha-what My butts shown outside, and my panties are lowered to my knees, with Ichika standing right behind me. KYAAAAHHHHH!! *Punch* *slap* *slam* IDIOT IDIOT IDIOT IDIOT IDIOT IDIOT IDIOT IDIOT!!! PERVERT PERVERT PERVERT PERVERT!!! INDECENT INDECENT INDECENT INDECENT!!! I DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO ANYMORE! I continued to beat Ichika up until my hands were hurting. Rin Ehah. Ichika grab my fist, and he holds my other arm down. He turns me over and let my back face him. And then, he hugs me from behind. Thump, thump, THUMP!! My heartbeats getting louder to a point where its so annoying. Its going to break. My heart, My body too, Rin. Ichika whispers at my eyes. My body shuddered once, and I timidly asked. Wha-what is it? THUMP, THUMP, THUMP! I want you. THUMP!! Ah, ah, ah Rin Chuu, I was kissed from behind. Er, erm, I-II-Ichika-saathe-theres somethinghardpressing on me here..? ChuuIchika started sucking at the place he licked. It was me. He muttered with a sweet voice. I felt my head boiling. Rinto the bed. Ye-yes Ichika, who had been cradling me from behind, now carries me with a princess carry, and I land onto the land simply like a newly-born cat. Im taking it off. He said as he started licking on my neck. Nyaa My waist cant move away at all, And my body feels like its going crazy with the heat. My mind is also going blurry, thinking about nothing other than Ichika. Rinyour body is pretty. Nn! ! Ichika suddenly starts licking at my collarbone. I feel completely hot like an iron, and all the parts Ichika stroked me on were hot, so hot it was unbearable. Ichi, kaa Im taking it off. I nod, even a little, but I really did nod. After taking off my sailor uniform, Ichika keeps staring at my barren breasts under my bra. N-no I want to cover my breasts in an embarrassed manner. But Ichika uses his gentle hand to stop me. Youre cute, Rin. Nn, fuu Ichika starts to lick between my barren breasts. This feeling feels rather hot, rather sweet, and rather lewd. (AuImreally a lewd girl) Because I still want this to continue. Because I want him to be more intense with me. Im going to take off the bra. Ye-yes Ichika prods at me with his fingers, and I lift my body slightly in an obedient manner Pchin. The sound of my bra hook being removed sounded exceptionally loud in this roomit felt that way. My underwear slid off, but Ichika didnt remove it directly as he reach his hand further below. His icy cold fingers reach into my skirt thats hot and humid inside. Here too Wa-wait I wont wait. Shuushone side of my panties is dragged down. Ah, ahh I shouldnt. I cant do this. But its not that I shouldnt. And theres no problem. Ichika I let out a voice like a fawning cat, and close my eyes. At that moment. YOU BASTARD! WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO RIN!? Suddenly, the room doors opened. The one entering Eh, eh, Ichika? Ichikas wearing a white school uniform I never seen before. Never seen before? No, thats the IS Academy uniform. (Eh, but isnt Ichika in front of me? This should be the ideal world that belongs to me) Detecting anomaly in World Purge, foreign object intruded. Beginning elimination. It-it hurts! It hurts hurts hurts! My head hurts, both inside and outside! I feel like Im being cut! Im dying! Im dying of pain! Amidst this intense pain, the Ichika dressed in the school uniform and pressing on me was sent flying by Ichika in the IS Academy uniform. And then, the school uniform Ichikas eyes turned from white to black, and then from black to gold. Executing mission, eliminating the obstacle. Its a mechanical voice, and though it is Ichikas voice, I just feel that it doesnt sound like it. (Wha-what is this!? What exactly is this!? What exactly is going on!?) Save me, Ichika! I cried as I yelled. And then, A pair of strong arms embraced me. Its fine, Im here, RinIll protect you. Ahh. Ahh. Ahh (Ichika) This is Ichika, the real Ichika. I know. Not by my head. Not by my body. Not by my heart. But I know by my soul. In this case I grit my teeth to endure the pain. Disappear, you fake! I open my IS Shenlong fully and fire my shock cannons at their highest output. The fake Ichika scatters like bricks, and at the same time, the entire rooms destroyed. Rin, lets go! Right! We ran off to the door. And then, were surrounded by light This is? A forestI think. After we came out, the door disappeared into many light particles. I saw such doors standing in the middle of the forest, and feel a little surreal. Ah. ? No, Rinyou look Eh? I turn my head away awkwardly, and Rin looks at herself ? with a doubtful look. KYAAAAHHHH!? Ahh, just the reaction I expected. Speaking of Rin now, shes in a half-naked state after being stripped by the fake me. I-II-Ichika! Wait! Its not my doing! Not me! Thats not me, so dont kick me or use your shock cannons to attack me me up. Eh? Dress me up! Huh!? Ah, ahh, didnt you strip me of my clothes? It wasnt me!! B-bu-but, after Suddenly, Rins letting out tears. Like thatlike thatuee Ahh, no, that Rin started crying. This unexpected response cause me to be at a loss. (But, well) I just cant leave her like this. Rin. Uuuuwha-what is it? Come here, Ill help you put it on. Eh, ahye-yes After that, Rin stopped crying due to her shock. She approach me tentatively, and first reaches her hand over to give me her bra. H-how awkward. Sp-speaking of which, this uniform, certainly brings back past memories! Tha-thats right! It-its really nostalgic! Aha, ahaha! Our pretense eases off the tension in the atmosphere. I just cant remain calm no matter what, but I still hold onto the bra. (I-I better not look at her body here as much as I can) And finally, I barely manage to help Rin put on her bra. After I button up her sailor uniform, the problematic skirt was next. Ri-Rinsan? I think you better do the bottom your A teary-eyed Rin looks at me . Ahh seriously, I dont care now! Im putting on your panties now. Brrr. Rin shudders slightly. I kneel down on one leg, trying my best not to look at her panties as I reach my hand into the skirt. (Erm, as long as I hold the sides) Fuu. Wahh!? Wh-wha-what-what are you doing!? Shut up! I cant look when Im doing this, and theres no other way here! Fu, Hm! Then you just need to look a little, right? Just a little! Rin said this as she lifted her skirt a littleand suddenly stopped. I-Im letting you see because its you, Ichika. O, oh THUMP THUMP THUMP Rin tentatively roll her skirt up with trembling hands. Her half-removed panties are dangling diagonally, but this really feels surreal. Ye-yes. Ho-hold it, dont be so quiet How can I talk while doing this!? I force myself to say this, and Rins face immediately turns red. Both of us are silent. Im already used to washing Chifuyu-nees underwear, but this is the first time Im touching a girlsI mean Rins underwear, and helping her put it on. I can clearly feel my heart beating intensely. (Its just Rin, Its just Rin, its just Rin.) Rinsmy IS Academy friend, and my second childhood friend But is that all? I heard a certain voiceI think. It was the voice of a girl I had never heard before. It came clearly from the rear left side of my head. Rin. Hya, yes? I-Im done. O-okay Rin and I inadvertently look away, and our backs are facing each other. Whats with this silence? Erm !? Kanzashis standing in a corner of the lush forest, and we have no idea how long she has been there. Ka-Kanzashi A-at-at least speak up if youre there! Butthe atmosphere wasnt right for me to appear, so Uu Kanzashi walked out from the forest. AnywayIll take Rin-sanaway from here. Continuing the missionwill be difficult I-I can still continue! Notheres a high chancewell be attacked by some IS. So its best for us to head back first Rin hears Kanzashis calm explanation, and nods begrudgingly. I understand ThenIchika will look for the rest Oh. Ah, Kanzashi, hold on for a moment. ? You have a leaf on your hair. You see? I take down the leaf I just noticed. Isnt it a pity to have such beautiful hair ruined by that leaf? Ah Kanzashi lowers her head and fidgets about. Whats with her? Ahh! I really feel like using my shock cannons here!! Rin suddenly exclaimed loudly. Whats with you, Rin. Nothing, at, all!? I dont understand why, but she seems infuriated. I think shes angry from deep within her heart here. Th-then, Ill make my move! Ah, hey, wait up, Ichika! I can only run away now. Youll get it from me when you come back, Ichika!! I didnt head for the door, but run into the forest for the time being to escape from Rin. Fuu My names Cecilia Alcott, the young CEO of the largest company in England, the Alcott Company. I finish my work today in an office room filled with first-class furniture, and I press a special platinum bell. DING DANG A delightful yet piercing sound echo throughout the room. Three seconds after that, the door opens. Did you call for me, CEO? The one entering the room is a black haired man dressed in a butler suit well suited to him. Hes my personal butler who had been with me for a long timeOrimura Ichika-san. I really want to show my inner excitement on my face, but I still try to show an enraged look. My work today has ended. Please pardon me, My Lady. Ichika-san bows to me politely. But this isnt what I want. Really, when both of us are alonedo you understand? Haha, sorry, Cecilia. My childhood friend Ichika-san will pull such pranks from time to time. But his mischievous charm is something I like. (Thats right, the Orimura family has been servants to the Alcott family for generations, and ever since the past, weve been together) Together? Together, as inerm World Purge, Initiate. (Right! Im talking about Ichika-san!) We have a master-servant relationship, but hell soon be my marriage partner. So when both of us are together, theres always a moment when we feel like being intimate with each other. (Though there are moments when I end up feel embarrassed.) But it feels good. It feels like both of us are separated from this world, and it feels comforting. If this is a dream, I hope never to wake up. I will continue to remain in slumber. Forever, forever World Purge, complete. ? What is it, Cecilia? Ichika, did you say anything just now? No, nothing. Oh, never mind then. Its a special Thursday Night today. Well have a secret affair later, and I cant control the exhilaration inside me. (I forced myself not to eat cake yesterday, so its fine.) While thinking about this, I suppress the anxiety inside me and head to the bathroom together with Ichika. I walk down the stairs lit by the glamorous chandelier leading to the bathroom. My hearts throbbing like crazy. Ill come back 5 minutes later. Okay then. What aroma do we use today? Fufu, just use whatever you want. I wink elegantly and close the door. Inside this changing room thats filled with first-class suits, I take off my coat in a relaxed manner. Of course, Ichika-sans the one in charge of keeping it. (Then.) I remove my earrings and hairband, reverting to how I was when I was born. Then, I walk into the bathroom; the tub was completely full, ostensibly about to overflow, and welcomed me with hot steam. (Todays the special day every weekright?) Thump thump thump. I turn the knob of the shower, let the hot water rain on me, and the throbbing in my chest rises. Cecilia, Im coming in. THUMP! Ichikas voice came through the door. However, I switch off the shower without haste, and answer calmly. Ye-yes, you can come in, you know? The sound of the door being opened rang. I can hear Ichika walking in barefooted, and my face is completely red. (Th-thats right. Todays the day Ichika baths me) Of course, I made him cover his eyes. Ichika-san pours the aroma oil into the bathtub, and finally arrives behind me. I kept you waiting, Cecilia. Eh, yes Im so shy that Im unable to look behind. (If-if Ichika-sans not covering his eyes) This thought will probably cause my head to boil, and I secretly glance behind. (H-his eyesare covered.) Im relaxed, but a little disappointed too. Like usual, Ichika-sans dressed in shirt and trousers as he stands behind me. Ill wash you then, Cecilia. Pl-please go ahead. My somewhat excited answer cause me to be embarrassed, and the body washer covered with bubbles touch my back. (Ahh) His gentle hands start wiping at my back, and I feel my mood improve. Ichika-san will often wash from the back; then, his hands will move past my neck, and head down. (Hes washing the back nowit feels good.) I take pride in the refined curves of my hips. I kept enduring the urge to eat cakes so that I can maintain this figure. (And now for the decisive moment) And then, Ichika-sans hands touch my butt. Hes not washing me with the washer, but using his hands to scrub me with soap. My face was all red as I enjoyed this blissful moment. (Im so embarrassedbut it feels so good) I inadvertently let out a little sigh, and Ichika-sans muttering came at my ears. Cecilia, has your buttocks grown bigger? EH!? Th-that cant possibly be true, right? THUMP THUMP. But you see, the growth here is really lewd. Tsutsuhis fingertips are stroking my buttocks. Hyuun!? Your underwear sizes need to change. We-well, I didnt grow fat, at all I knowyou lewd Cecilia. He licked my ear gently. This unexpected action cause me to fall limp on the chair. I-Ichika-san Cecilia, Im going to wash the front now. Hold on for a moment, I nodded as I said this. Kanzashi, I cant seem to open the doors. Im wrestling against the remaining 4 doors standing in the midst of the forests. For some reason, no matter how I try to push them, kick them, punch them, they wont open. I think the doors are locked after what happened to Rin-san just now. Kanzashis voice sounds clearer than before, Heh, and I continue to think as I listen to her. If there are two Ichikas in those worlds, it will most likely be very dangerous. Then, how do I get in? Change clothes Eh? You can enter if you change your outfit. I was stunned, and Kanzashi sent her message over with a disgruntled look. Im being serious here. O-oh. Understood. I believe you then. Un. Then, what do I do now? Ill send you a data of your change of clothes, Ichika. Please hold on for a moment. The sound of the keyboard being tapped at can be heard over the communicator. And then, my bodys suddenly surrounded by light particles. Uooh!? Data installcomplete. Wait, whats this? Im dressed in complete black, and I have a gas mask over my face. I have an automatic pistol slinging off the shoulder. This is the mission dress for the English Special Forces SAS. Englandah, Cecilia, huh? Why does it seem like a movie here? So cool What did you say? Ack, acknothing. Anyway, I cheer myself up and place my hand on the blue door. Kachk, the door opened. Im going. Be careful. Theres a chance of a fake Ichika attacking. Its fine. I have a weapon now. The sound of the pistol being cocked rings, and I pat on the magazine pouch. Have you fired a real gun before? A man only needs to shoot once in a showdown. So that means no. Fuu, I heard Kanzashi sigh, and proceed in through the door. Youve grown here too. Nn! My cleavages raised from behind, and this causes me to let out a moan. At first, hes fondling from below. And after then, Ichika-san moves his hands around to touch them, seemingly wanting to feel all of it. He finally starts using his fingertips to play with my nipples GASHANNK! What are meyou doing!? A man dressed in Special Ops clothing breaks in through the glass window, and shoots Ichika-san. Ichika-san!! Eradicating anomaly in World Purgeforeign objecteliminate... Ichika-san was shot through the head, and his head was dangling as his mouth mutter such ambiguous words. Golong. His eyes turned to golden and black. Ichikasan? Something doesnt seem right, but what? Get away from Cecilia! Ichika-sans slammed hard by the butt of the pistol, and is shot again. (I-I-Ichika-san!?) Black sticky liquid flows out from his wounds, and his body melts into a pile of gooey stuff. He then finally disappeared completely into light. Ah, ah, ah Are you alright, Cecilia? Ill go save youwah!? I open my Blue Tears and swing the close-ranged blade Interceptor at the intruder. My Ichika-san! My! My! O-Oi, wait! Stop, you idiot! Idiot!? You dare say this to this Englands National Cadet Representative, Cecilia Alcott Eh? (ImCecilia Alcott. Englands Cadet Representative?) My minds in a complete mess. World Purge, forcefully interfered. ZUKING! It hurts! My head hurts, and it feels like its going to be cut up. I-I-IImIm! Cecilia! The intruder removes his gas mask. That faces Ichika-sans. The awesome expression, the firm voice. Thats right, hes the man who prevented me from falling into my dreams Shoot down this fake world! Right, this is my Ichika-san! Taking care of it! I fire a shot off my Starlight Mk III at the ceiling. The fake world disappears into smoke just like that. That was really too much! Cecilia, now dressed in uniform, has her arms folded as she looks angry. She has been playing with her hair curls since just now, shook them away angrily, and folds her arms again. What is it? Its not like anything happened. Nothing happened? You say nothing happened!? I, that fake did to my body Cecilia, who looks ready to attack anyone now, suddenly stops. I-Ichika, san? Erm, did youenter the bathroom? Wahey! I had been trying my best to avoid this question since just now, and she finally noticed it. D-di-did yousee me naked? Not at all! Absolutely not! Whore you foolingBlue Tears! Cecilia suddenly opens her IS; her face is completely red to the ears as she points at me and exclaims, Come out, bits! You kidding me!? Oi! But this cant be some sort of joke. The 4 bits start attacking me as they let out beam shots. UWAAAHHHH!! ILL DIE! ILL DIED! ILL REALLY DIE HERE! It-its your fault for humiliating me! IT WASNT ME! IT WASNT ME! That goes for both Ichikas! WHAT ARE YOU SAYING!? The beam burned my butt off. Ce-Cecilia! I dont want to listen to you! Pretty! Eh! Cecilia stops what she was doing, and the bits too stop. Well, to put ityour bodys pretty, Cecilia Its really embarrassing to say this. But this definitely isnt something Im saying against my will, and besides, if I dont say something now, Ill really be killed. Cecilia removes her IS and fumbles around. If its you alone, Ichika-sanyou can look Th-thats quite the honor. But you say Im the most beautiful in the world No, I didnt say it to that extent Seriously, Ichika-san! DON! Cecilia pushes me away with both hands, tatata, and runs out of the forest. Ha, haha But she really is pretty. Just like a model. Cecilia has always been like that, but now thats no doubt about it. (I dont think ordinary models are that pretty) Upon thinking about it, my face turns red. Do you have any slight change in how you view her? I thought I heard someone mutter something, but it then disappeared with a breeze. Ichika. Kanzashis message reaches me, But for some reason, she doesnt seem happy at all. What next, Kanzashi? Ill send you your clothing, choose whatever you want. Puu. The lines cute off. Wha-whats going on? Im a little dizzy as I dont know whats going on at all. And then, a large case full of clothing appears above my head and drops down on me. WHAA!? I dodge it at the last moment, and cant help but gulp. D-did, did I do anything? I have no idea of it though. Either way, there are still 3 of them left, Charl, Laura and Houki. Right. Lets do it! I open the clothing case. Im Charlotte Dunois. Studying in IS Academy World Purge, complete. And Im a maid of the wealthy Orimura Family. But this situation will end a week later, and the reason is Charlotte. Hyah! My butt was touched, causing me to squeal. I nearly let drop the cleaning tool in my hands, and hurriedly embrace it in both hands. M-master!? Youre teasing me again Whats bad about a little teasing? Besides, its about time you stop calling me master. Bu-but. The previous family owner who hired me over from the Church I grew up in died last year, and this year, my master Ichika inherited the role of family head. Once Ichika took over as head, he immediately declared that hell take the maid Charlotte as his wife. Ichika and I will have our wedding a week later, and well tie the knot there. I-Im still a maidanyway. Hm? Then your masters orders are to be followed at all costs. Ye-yes, of course. I see. Upon saying this, my master Ichika suddenly flips my skirt. Kyaaahhh!? Kyaaahhh! Charlotte, youre wearing lewd underwear today again. It-its because you ordered me to, Master Im wearing a sexy translucent lingerie that has laces on the side. The reason why Im wearing this is not only to obey Masters ordersbut to show Ichika that Im ready to be invited to spend the night with him. Charlotte, your face is red. S-seriously, Master! I still have my job to do, please excuse me! I say and hope to get away from here, but Ichika embraces me from behind. I wont let you run away. N-noI still have, work My butts being patted at. Its your job to accompany me too, you know? NnI-I got it My face is completely red, and I nod gently. And then, Ichika suddenly carries me up in a bridal carry. I caught a cute maid? Itll be bad if people see us here Its fine. Everyone has agreed to our relationship, Charlotte. This isnt what Im talking about. Though I say this, this fact he said cause my heart to delight, and her tense face to relax. Alright, lets go to my room. Chuu, a kiss on the face. This is the first time Im being obedient like a kitty ever since I was born. (How do I resist this) Because I never thought about going against him. I want to offer my body and heart to him. To my most beloved Ichika. To my most beloved master. Were here, Charlotte. Y-yes Im brought to Ichikas bedroom, and Im placed gently on a large bed with a canopy over it. (T-this means, werefinally going to that point!?) THUMP THUMP THUMP. My hearts fluttering, and it started to hurt. Charlotte Ichika stares at me closely, and looks like hes going to bury me under, and I close my eyes. Kuu. I have a present to give to you today. A finger prods at my biting lips, and I realize its not a kiss. (Ahth-thats not it) I feel a little relieved, but also disappointed. Just when I feel bounded down by these complicated emotions, a white dress gently falls onto me. Ah, this is! Yes, for the wedding. This is the pure white wedding dress every girl look forward to. And now, its on me. Can you try wearing it, Charlotte? Ye-yes. I nod energetically and get off the bed with Ichika. Wellmaster. What is it, Charlotte? Youre standing there, so its You cant change? Ye-yes. I nod my head in response while holding onto the dressahh, Im so embarrassed. Can I see it? Eh? Can I see you changing clothes, Charlotte? Heh I want to see. B-but, thats Please. Ichika then gives me a teasing wink. (Ah, really, how can I refuse when you show such an expression) But I just say okay, and I give a silent response. Can I? Charlotte? S-sure. Thanks. And then, Ichika kisses me on the head as a reward. This alone causes me to feel blissful. (Im so weak) I show a shy smile and put the wedding dress onto the bed for the time being. And then, I stand upright while facing Ichika. Th-then, Im takchanging my clothes. I nearly say out taking my clothes off, and hurriedly change my words. To put it, this is too direct. I gulp and start to undo my apron. I feel my heart breaking apart just from this simple action, just from feeling Ichikas stare. (I-its alright, its alrighthe has seen me in my underwear several times already) But this is the first time Im stripping for him. Upon thinking this, my hands become hesitant. I-Ill do my best! I have to do this every night when we become husband and wife! Eh? Charlotte, every nightI can? I-I said it out? Yeah. Uuu!! Boofthere seems to be some sound, and my faces immediately beet red. (Th-thats right! What am I saying! At least I can rest for Sunday and rechargeno!) I shake my head like a dog drying itself, but these pink thoughts still linger in my mind. Charlotte, your hands are stopping. U-un In this case, I might as well clear my mind and let it be free from all random thoughts. I calm myself down and undo the buttons easily. Dont be so hasty. I-Ill be embarrassed if I do it slowly Ichika continues to smile as he looks at my face. Ahh, seriously, seriously there! I harden my heart and remove the one piece-type maid uniform before dropping it onto the floor. I cant withstand the embarrassment from having Ichika stare at me nonchalantly, and instinctively use my hands to cover my bra and panties. I-Ichika, your eyeballs are falling out there. It cant be helped. Youre so alluring after all. Ah, seriously I cant say I hate it when he says that. Or rather, I feel a sense of pride, instead of embarrassment, rise in me after hearing my most beloved say such things. D-do you want to keep watching, Ichika I do. An immediate answer. But my face is all flustered looking now. I-I guess theres no other choice thenIchika no ecchi. I slowly move my hand away, and show myself in my lingerie of lace and see-through material. What I have on are just the maid logo, my headdress, garter belts, white knee socks, bra and panties. (Its so embarrassingbut I can show it to Ichika) Just when I was thinking about this, a suspicious person kicked the door down. What in the world are you doing!? The persons voice vanish, and he start hitting Ichika. As for this persons getup, to put ithe dressed with a weird mask, a mantle, boots, a watch, just like a Gentlemen Thief. What are you doing!? I-I should be asking you this! I-Ichika! I grab the sword on the wall to help Ichika break me. Stay away from Master! Wah! BINK! The gentleman thief manages to dodge my unrestrained slash right at the last moment. C-calm down, Charl! Dont call me so casually! Eh? Thanks for saving me, Charlotte. Huh? (I, Im called Charlottebutonly a certain person will call me Charl.) World Purge, forcefully interfered. ZUKING! Uu! A tremenouds pain attacks. I-I like The one who calls me Charl! And the Ichika whos willing to call me this points the sword at the fake Ichika. Then, the fake Ichikas eyes undergo a biological change in color. Eradicating anomaly in World Purge eradicating anomaly in World Purge eradicating anomaly in World Purge... Byun! The fake Ichikas head lands on the floor. And Im the one who cut it down. Its a fake, but seeing my head get cut off like that is a little The real Ichika mutters. I look at the fake again, and theres no sign of blood oozing out as it slowly dissolves into light and vanishes. Lets get out of here, Charl! Eh! Ichika suddenly carries me. Im covered in the mantle, and I can hear the sound of glass being broken from afar. (I can feelIchikas heartbeat) Im surrounded by a warm presence of love as I leave this fake world. Fuu Having returned back to the forest, I first put Charl down. Kyaahhh!! WhatGUAH! D-Dont look! Ichika no ecchi! Charl covers my eyes with her hands; for some reason, shes not wearing the IS Academy uniform, but the sexy lingerie she was wearing in that world just now. Wh-wh-why? Cecilia changed into her uniform just now. Didnt I tell you not to look! Im poked in my eyes. GYAAAHHH!! Ahh!? So-sorry! But, that, you told me to wear this, Ichika, and you told me to take it off Th-thats whyits the fake Are you trying to escape with this excuse?" What do you mean by escapethats the truth. No, thats why, well, Charl. Anyway, I let her put on the mantle, and then check her expression as I think of a way to appease her. Y-your cute face will be wasted if you get so angry. Argh, I failed. Charl puffs her cheeks and turns her back at me. A date. Y-yes? I respond to this teeny-weeny voice, and Charl then turns around while covering herself with the mantle. I want a date! Ill forgive you if you promise me that well have a date at a theme park! O-okay. If its a theme park, lets go with everyone I want to go alone! She stares at me without looking away, tears still in her eyes. (Uuhow can I refuse when youre giving me such an expression) I reluctantly give up on resisting, and nod. Ill promise youbut Ill need to get a deposit first. Eh, you really agree? Really? Didnt you ask for it, Charl? Eh? Ah, yes, thats how it is Charls expressions glowing as she puts her hands on her reddened cheeks. I succeeded. Right, I asked for it, ehehe. She seems to be in a better mood, so I can relax for now. Lets leave this world first then. Ill send you out. Theres noneed Kanzashi appears from the forest just like before. Illsend her out O-okay. Her voice seems to have some fury in it, and I find it a little difficult to argue back. Anyway, Charlottesuniform downloadcomplete. Charls immediately surrounded by light, and she changes back to her usual IS Academy Uniform outfit. Ill be going out then, Ichika. Dont forget the promise. Charls being abnormally energetic, and she walks to the outside of the forest with light steps. Kanzashi whispers to me something before she heads off after Charl, Biased... Wh-what!? No, thats not it. Im not But Kanzashi has already looked away. Im left alone, and scratch my head while not knowing whats going on. Its great that you can see her smiling face again. Am I hallucinating? I think I hear something, and yet it doesnt feel that way. Anyway, Two more doors. Laura and Houki, huh? A thought pops up in my mind, telling me there are two more troublesomeno, two people in huge trouble. Anyway, I can only go on! I motivate myself and rummage through the clothes case. My names Laura Bodewig. The commander of the German Special Forces Black Hares, and currently World Purge, complete. And now, Im a groom loving my wife who I married two months ago. I used the salary given by the army to buy a house as our love nest. It does feel a little too large for 2 people, but considering the future, this isnt inappropriate Hm I lay the newspaper out on the living room table, waiting for breakfast. The situation in the Middle East is changing. Will it affect my Germany Laura, didnt I tell you not to read the newspaper when youre eating? Y-yes. Sorry. My wife said this as he serves the hot cocoa with lots of milk in it. (Such a capable bride) Im nodding away in my heart. On a side note, the wifes called Orimura Ichika. Laura, the omelet rices done. I receive the omelet rice thats soft on the inside, filled with love, and look at Ichika again. Hes dressed in an apron, and is the bride Im proud of. Oh yes, Ichika, actually, I Ahem. I cough, and change the topic. I have a special vacation today, so, well We can spend the entire day alone? U-um. Im a little embarrassed, while Ichikas face immediately lit up. In that case, lets hurry and use these. Th-those are! Those are the 5 satisfy any wish coupons we obtained from each other on our wedding anniversary. I look at my familiar handwriting, and a stronger sense of embarrassment rises in him. (He must be thinking of whatever wish he wants, that damned Ichika) I cosplayed as a Gothic Lolita the last time. What does he want me to do this time? A nurse? Laura, be my healing angel A-a maid, maybe? Call me Master Or maybe a bunny girl? Youre a cute bunny-chan, my Laura Laura? Laura? Eh? What is it? Youre nosebleeding. Ichika mentions this and wipes my face with his handkerchief. I can do it myself! Yes! Yes yes. Just say yes once. Lets not talk about that, Laura. Say ahh. Gulp. (Waah, Ichikas omelet rice melts in my mouth~ ?) Eh, nows not the time to indulge in such happiness! Ichika! Yes. Wh-what kind of wish did you make? I stand up without further thought, and Ichika smiles as he points out my fault. Okay okay, just calm down. Being anxious is a flaw a commander mustnt have, right? U-umthats right. I sit down again, take a bite of toast, filled my mouth with salad, and take a gulp of cocoa. A naked apron then. Bfftt!! Ack, ack ack!...Wh-what!? My wish is for you to try being in a naked apron, Laura. Y-yo-you idiot! Wholl do such a thing!? I poke my head over the table and close in on Ichika. Only to be attacked by with a kiss on the forehead. Chuu. Ahh Please, Laura? Uum .. I-Is this alright? My voice is devoid of force, and I hesitantly walk out of the living room. I have only an eyepatch and an apron on me, and Im so embarrassed here. I pull the cloth in front of me, hoping to cover even a little bit of cloth, but Ichika gives an uncompromising stare at my body lovingly. Uu Youre very cute, Laura. What, shut up shut up! Ichika says with a very gentle voice, seemingly wanting to raise my embarrassment. Then, since its rare to see you wear an apron, how about you cook? Wh-what!? Your cuteness will increase this way, Laura. Ugh! I cant resist when Ichika describes me as cute. I hate myself for my stupidity and small staturebut I love it. (Ima weak woman.) Once I recognize this dissatisfaction in my mind, it becomes delight again. If you dare do anything funnyI wont forgive you. What weird thing? Anyway! Those, wellpervertedhump! Dont make me say it! Bump! I hit Ichika in the abdomen, and walk to the kitchen. It hurtsLaura. What is it? Your butts cute? My bare area was being fondled at. My minds boiling, and I swing a punch back hard at Ichika.. But Ichika gently stops my fist, and then hugs me from behind nonchalantly. Youre so cute, Lura. T-this! Stop it, you idiotahh! He touch the apron covering my breasts. Once I show a response from the sensitive part, Ichika whispers an intoxicatingly sweet and lewd line at my ears. Lets play on like this today. Wh-what? Lets play kissy kissy. Chuu! A kiss is engraved on my shoulder. (I-I-I-I) My minds all dizzy now. Ahh, but, but, (Maybe its not so badto go with the flow like this) Just when I was lost in my thoughts of paradise, a growl suddenly rang. Goodness me, why in the world is everyone having such dreams!? Theres a suspicious person dressed in full silver armor opening the door and entering. Who are you!? I grab the chopper from where I am and throw it at the armored man. DANG! The chopper lands right at the chest with a loud soundbut its shallow. A-ar-are you trying to kill me!? Of course. Those who get in the way of Ichika and my relationship shall all die! I rush out from Ichikas embrace and charge in low at the armored man. Hah! ! I land a sharp fatal kick at the gap of the armor. And I felt the opponents bones let out a creak. Gurk! The armored man kneel down on his knees. I forcefully pull out the chopper from his chest, and quickly placed it at his neck. Its over. Die. Do your best, Laura. I suddenly hear Ichika cheering me from behind, and my heart flutters. O-of course. Its decided You bastardmaking Laura fight in your stead. The armored man stands up with quite the momentum. I hurriedly draw back the chopper and slash at the armored man, but the slash feels shallow. Move aside, Laura. Do your best, Laura. There are two Ichika voices, coming from both front and back. (I-I-I) The armored man pushes aside me as Im feeling lost, and draws the sword at his waist. GOOOO! Do your best, Laura. ZAK! Ichikas stabbed through the chest by the chest. His heart should be pierced through completely, but hes not letting out a single drop of blood. And also, hes repeating the same line over and over again like a broken recorder. Do your best, Laura. He just continues, and continues. Do your best, Laura. Do your best, Laura. He just keeps on repeating this line over and over again. Do your best, Laura. Do your best, Laura. Do your best, Laura. Do your best, Laura. Do your best, Laura. Do your best, Laura. Do your best, Laura. Do your best, Laura. Do your best, Laura. Do your best, Laura. Do your best, Laura. Do your best, Laura. Do your best, Laura. Do your best, Laura. Do your best, Laura. Do your best, Laura. Do your best, Laura. Do your best, Laura. Do your best, Laura. Do your best, Laura. Do your best, Laura. Do your best, Laura. Do your best, Laura. The do your best soon becomes fight. (I-I-Im born, to fight) Wh-what kind of joke is THIIIISSSS!! The armored man slams Ichika into the wall, and raised the sword used to stab him. Even as his brain was split in two, he continues on, Do yourbestLaura, fightonkillkill A-ah, ah Uwahh! N-no. Nono! Im not a fighting ma Laura! The armored man takes off his armor. He removes his helmet, and a familiar face appears in front of me Its alright, Laura. Youre yourself, and irreplaceable. You dont have to fight against your will. AhhIchika Im surrounded by that warm embrace, and lose my consciousness. Alright Once we return to the forest, I let the sleeping Laura in my clutches land on the field so that she can continue sleeping. I suppose the fact that shes sleeping soundly is proof that shes having a good nap, and I cant find anything wrong with her. Just like a sleeping beauty. I touch her nose. She really looks cute like this. I too sit beside Laura at her waist, and look at the sky without minding her at all. But why is it that all their dreams includes me? Let me answer this. A head popped out from the lush forest, and I didnt need to think to know its Kanzashi. Do-dont scare me like that Yes She nods and reverts back to her usual passive mode as she walks out from the forest. You have a lot of leaves on youguess theres no choice. I pick the leaves one by one off Kanzashi, and her face is red for some reason. Do you know how the enemys attacking us? Yes, I guess the enemys...connects directly to its attack targets in a neural waythis method turns the attackeds inner wishes and desires to become reality, blocks off stimulation from the outside way, and cause some sort of psychological effectthe intention is to Upon hearing Kanzashi say this, Laura immediately sat up to cut her off. Wh-what are you saying, you?Y-yo-youre saying this is my wish!? K-kn-kno-know your place! Lauras embarrassed in an interesting manner, and I start to tidy up her silky hair thats messed by the wind. Good morning, sleeping beauty. S-sl-sleep-sleeping beauty!? I-i-Ichika, you! Lauras about to leap and snare my neck, but Kanzashi puts her hands on Lauras head to stop her. Your faceis really red. WHA!? In other words We were right Th-thats not it! Definitely not! Ab-about getting married happiy! About however a nice family! About having 3 children! I-I have to fulfill my responsibilities as a soldier since Im often on the battlefield Laura. Stop. I pat her on the head gently. How about you go back to rest? Y-yes I stroke Lauras silky hair, and the feeling on my fingers really soothes me. Just when I was enjoying myself here, Kanzashi suddenly coughed dryly. Ackack! I feel that its a little pitiful, but I draw my hand away from Lauras head. Then, Illbe going back. Oh, be careful. I-Ichika, I have something to say to you once you return. Hm? An-anyway, forget about everything today! This is an order! Yes! I give Laura a salute, and bid farewell to her. Then, I look at the last door. I wonder what kind of dream does that swordsman nadeshiko[2] have? Right, better not go then. I can feel a strong killing intent. Im joking, just joking. Ahahaha. I rummaged through the clothes case, and found a nice set of clothing I can use. Lets go then. I open the last door. My names Shinonono Houki. Im Ichikas childhood friend, and also his senior at the dojo. Right now, Im in IS Academy World Purge complete. Right now, Im living together with Ichika at the Shinonono shrine. Im the miko of this shrine, and also teach the kids kendo in the dojo here. 9989991000! I finished my strokes, and wipe away the sweat on my forehead. Youve worked hard for morning training, Houki. Ichika said this as he appears, and hands me a towel. Hes dressed in hakama, and this black piece of clothing really suits him. Are you starting now? No, I finished my strokes one hour ago. Im going for a run now. Is that sothen, the two of us can go together Nn? No, its nothing! Nothing at all! Is that so? Lets have breakfast then. Its your favorite carrot miso soup today. U, um. I was led into the main house by Ichika, whos showing a smiling look on his face. (Its weird) In this computer world thats filled with both light and darkness, the enemy attacking IS Academy is silently thinking about something. (The world purge effects on Shinonono Houki is a little weakwhy is it?) But its not completely ineffective. She has finished isolating her from the real world. () But it just seems rather out of place. The girl thought of the uneasy feeling, and reached her destination. In this world, the dimensions were vague, void of any roads; after walking for a while, she finally saw the core of this worldan ice sculpture of a world. (This iswhat Tabane-sama said) She whispered as she looks at that huge ice book. (The core of Orimura Chifuyus personal unit, the Kurazakura Then, lets have a battle. Come. Come. IShinonono Houkiand Ichika are dressed in kendo gear, and we stand up nimbly. Our bamboo swords are pointed at each other, and we wait for each other to take action. A quiet yet tense atmosphere occupies this place. Basically, in kendo, the one who strikes first is at the disadvantage. Its a basic in kendo to wait for the opponent to move. However, there is a unique trait in kendo, in that the side that takes action first can continue the flow of the battle. In this silent stareoff, we grasp each others breathing, footwork, and rhythm. These can allow us to determine when the opponent will take action, and retaliating is easier. However (The breathing isnt erratic at allyouve gotten strong, Ichikain this case!) I put the bamboo sword at my hands, and bring my body to charge forward. I then suppress the Ichikas momentum backwards, take a step back, and dodge the counter. Hah! In an instant moment, we strike. Ichika and I pass by each other. I lost. I declared. I was hit by Ichika right in the front the moment I was about to beat him. His reaction was fast and without doubt. Thank you very much! After greeting each other, we keep the bamboo swords. Then, we head outside the dojo, sit down in seize positions, and face outside. Fuu. I lost, but I do feel relieved. Just when I was looking at Ichika in a satisfied manner, our stares met. It has been 3 months since the day when Ichika came to live in the Shinonono Shrine so that he can attend High School. He quickly got back his sense of kendo that had dulled, and now hes able to challenge me in a duel. Houki, Ill change my clothes now, and then Ill sweep the shrine grounds. Ahh, I get it. Ill take a quick bath to wash off the sweat on my body then. For an instant, I had a thought what if hes going to peep at me, but as far as I know, Ichikas not that kind of guy. He has the outstanding traits of a Japanese man. (Hm, if-if possible, I can have Ichika enter the Shinonono Shrine as a son-in-law, and then well spend our free lives raising children, and then we can have a steady retirement.) Huh? Ahem, ahem. I can talk about such things later. I just need to have Ichika with me. As long as I can continue to look at Ichika from as close as possible Detecting anomaly in World Purge, foreign object intruded. Beginning elimination.n Hm? After clearing up the kendo gear, I stood up, and saw a man dressed in white hakama at the entrance of the dojo. I cant see his face as its hidden. However, why is an unrelated person standing there dressed in complete gear? The dojos closed for today. AhermIm here to challenge the dojo! What? I heard that Ino, Orimura Ichikas here. Please allow me to challenge him! Oh? He certainly have the guts to challenge my Ichika, but Theres no need to compete to see who the winner is. Youll know about it once the contests over, Houki. Hm? Why does he know my name? An-anyway, I hope to have a match against Orimura Ichika! Oh, since youre so insistent, Ill call him then. I say this with a proud look, and then head into the shrine to call Ichika. Ichikathat just now, was dangerous Um-my mistake. I didnt think through it. Sorry. Kanzashi reminds me through the communicator. I nearly revealed my identity due to carelessness, so I apologized earnestly. Be careful. I guess, Houkis Ichikais the strongest ? Why is that? You blockhead. Gak. She cut the line. At the same time, the fake Ichika appeared in the dojo. Let me say this here. Ichika here is like me as a senior, and has equal ability as I do. Hes not someone whos going to lose to a person like you planning to take the dojo down. (Seriously, youre really praising me to high heavens) Isnt it, Ichika? Houki gives the fake a smile, and I do feel a little enraged by the expression that fake mes showing. Isnt that right, Houki? (This bastards skins thicker than a castle wall) The fake gives a smiling face in response, and Houkis stare is fixtated on that smiling face. (Whats with Houkis guy? She never showed me such a smile before.) I just feel annoyed for some reason, and suppress the rage that rises in me as I ready the bamboo sword. The fake too gets into position as he faces me, and looks rather happy because of Houkis support. (I better get rid of this guy soon) SPAAAKKK! Eh? My mind takes a hit thats about to break me as the sound of a bamboo sword hit echoed. Match! Houkis voice clearly indicates my defeat more than anything else. (Wh-what kind of joke is this, oithis guyhes super strong here!?) Thats notat Houkis level. Hes clearly stronger than her. To be honest, that might even be at Chifuyu-nees level . Hes fast, and theres no unnecessary movement. His muscles are flowing as smoothly as flowing water, and he has the insight to read into his opponents actions. All of these aspects are clearly top class. Nice going, Ichika! Houki says this with a smile on her face. Of course, Houki. The fake answers sleazily. I feel a sense of unhappy filling my heart for some reason, to a point where I have difficulty breathing. Another round! I instinctively call out. Humph, the outcome will be the same regardless. She gives me a cold look with these words. I resist the urge to argue back and raise my bamboo sword again. Ill be your opponent then. Youre kind, Ichika. *Pops veins* Thats expected of a man. Fufu. *Pops veins* *Pops veins* HURRY UP AND START! I roar out, unable to look at this incompatible pair anymore. As for why Im this unhappy, even I dont know. But I really hate having such a situation continue on. Begin! Houkis voice acts as a declaration, and I quickly swing a strike at the opponents wrist. The opponent didnt back off, but pushes me back. Because of the opposing pressure, I lose my balance, and he hits my face in a fluid action. Match! Houki clearly declares the outcome with a proud voice. But I Not, not yet! I again stood up and faced the fake. (Whats with this guy?) The challenger has already taken 27 straight losses from Ichika, but has shown no signs of giving up. However, his breathing is completely erratic, and his concentration has clearly weakened. (Trying to beat Ichika in this state is) Clearly impossble. But there seems to be something Im concerned with. Right, what? (That unwillingness to lose, that look of him continued to challenge even after defeat) Who exactly is it? It seems similar to someone else. Whowho Oh, waah!? !? Lost in deep thought, I didnt notice the proceedings of the match. The man swatted away by Ichika tumbles and charges at me. Mnnn. Ah I got into defensive position, but that guys hands were groping my breasts. Ah, no, this, that! Y-yo-you s He has always been like this. Thats unforgivable, Ichika! Eh? Wait, youreIchika? Then, the one there is Eh!? Ah, that This mans stammering at this pointno, this guys Ichika! Hes undoubtedly Ichika! Remove the helm! Wahh, dont do it! I said stop, Houki! He called out my name! Of course, this guys! Youre Ichika, right!? Youre always doing such indecent things Houki, Im Ichika. Shut up! Disappear! The fake Ichika disappears with a forceful call, and the surrounding scenery changes from the dojo to the forest in the computer world. E-erm, Houkiare you, hurt anywhere? Ichikas standing there while dressed in a butler outfit. Wh-what do you mean by Im alright!? Ichika, yougr-gro-groped my, breasts I immediately recovered, and was trembling all over in anger. Take your punishment! I open part of my IS, and summon Karaware. WA-WAIT WAIT WAIT! THATS MORE DANGEROUS THAN A KATANAOWAHH!? DONT YOU RUN AWAY, YOU LECHER!? I chase after Ichika, whos running away for some reason. Why is it that I feel happy in times like this? More than those sweet dreams Then, were fooled by the ability of that World Purge? And it was just a delaying tacticit really infuriates me. Houki, who returned to the real world, finally accepted what was going on after hearing Kanzashis explanation. Butwhy is it that Houkis about to break free so easilyits a mystery. Upon hearing Kanzashi say this, Cecilia, Rin, Charlotte and Laura shuddered. Because, everyone elseuhm! The quartets hands quickly cover Kanzashis mouth. Re-really, Kanzashi-san! Ye-yeah, because wereright? Y-yes! Thats right! G-goodness! Kanzashi looks at the quartet that were anxious out of a sudden in a perplexed manner. And then, she looks at Ichika, who hasnt returned from the computer world. (Lets just hope nothing bad happens) Finally made it. I pass through the forest, and find a pure white beach and an endless azure blue sea. (Is this the system core?) I feel that Ive seen this somewhere before, but also the feeling that this is the first time Im here. Its a sense of nostalgia here, but also a sense of unfamiliarity, something really inexplicable. Thats? A girl is standing on the beach alone there. It was a girl with long silver hair. (Huh? I feel like I met her somewhere beforeand yet not) Anyway, I approached her first, and felt that I did have an impression on that silver hair. Laurais it? I call out to her, and she slowly turns around. Her eyes are shut. Nice to meet you for the first time. My names Chloe Chronicle, and Ill make my departure here. After saying that, the the girls profile slowly disappears in the shadow. O-oi, wait! But my call is met only with an empty echo, and the girl leaves just like this. What do I do now, this I cant connect my communicator. Unable to do anything, I walk along the beach, and I find a woman standing at the coast. Ah That beautiful lady with black hair is my Speaking of which, that Ichika hasnt woken up yet. Rin sighs as she looks down at Ichika, whos lying on the bed. Maybe he got caught in the same trap as us? Cecilia said, but Kanzashi stammered, I guess notthe system, has already been restored Then why hasnt he woken up yet? Charlotte says with doubt, and Laura then lets slip a line with a serious look. A kiss then. It was a very determined voice. HAAAAHHH!? Everyone other than Laura exclaimed in shockand even Kanzashi cried out in a slightly loud manner. A kiss!? What exactly are you thinking? Hm? You dont know, foolish people? Hasnt it always been a kiss that makes a sleeping beauty wake up since olden daysthats what my First Officer says. Hurry up and fire that First Officer of yours In contrast to Rins lethargic retort, Cecilia poked her body forward, wanting to try, Please hold on! I do think that its not right to deny this possibility when we havent tested it! Huh!? Cecilia, what nonsense are you In that case, I, Cecilia Alcott of the famous nobility with a long history, will be the perfect choice to wake up the prince Ichika-kun. Cecilia insisted as she panted. Eh!? Th-thats too sneaky!! In that case, even I have the right to be chosen, right? Charlotte reaches her hand, not wanting to lose. Ah-ahem! Well, thats, just like CPR anyway, just like CPR Houki raises her hand quietly, her stare turning to Ichika from time to time. In that case, me too! Hai hai hai! Rin too raises her hand angrily. Oi, you people! Dont steal the idea I raised! Its my idea! Laura protests unhappily, and Kanzashi uses this opening to sneak her way towards Ichika. Hold it. Kanzashi was grabbed before she could react, on the right arm by Houki, and her left arm by Laura. What are you doing? Are you trying to get a headstart? No, I-I definitely dont have that thought its just that based on the current situation I wonder if I should take a forceful method to break this current deadlock but my views shouldnt be added in and this is something I considered out of morality and responsibility in other words STOPPPP!!! Thats too long! Its long and is a one huge line of arguments! Dont beat around the bush and go around like Cecilias locks hair. Its annoying! Right right! Eh, Rin-san? What did you just say? Just when the yapping was going on, Charlotte, who was left aside, suddenly had an idea. Huh? Isnt this a good chance now!? Pikon! The light bulb on her head lit up. DO YOU THINK ILL LET YOU!!? Dont you dare! Just when Rin exclaimed this and let out a flying kick, Charlotte duck aside to evade. And so, the door opened at where the flying kick was directed. Oi, brats, what are you fussing overhoo? Pak, Rins flying kick landed right at Chifuyus abdomenof course, theres no damage. Rin, I knew youll do this one of these daysyes. Ah-ah-ah Everyone look at Rin, whos trembling in fear, and see her off with pale smiling faces. After that, the girls say, To protect their privacies, all visuals and voices have been edited. At that moment, we really knew that we wont be seeing Rin-sans smiling face again. I thought I saw the devils version of the Hyakuretsuki[3] Maybe this is the fate for her. This is deserved punishment for defying the instructorbut its certainly pitiful. Shes, a very reliable frienda warm-hearted motheran outstanding teacherand, what else should I carveon the tombstone? Huang Lingyins death confirmed. Volume 8 - CH 4 WAAHH!? I wipe the dripping sweat off my body and got up. I-I dreamt that Rin died Eh, huh? Where is this? The infirmaryno, the treatment room, is it? This is a place with equipment at the same level as that of an elite hospital, and I guess its a corner of IS Academy. (Hm~, I get the feeling that Ive been coming here recently.) I remember I used this bed during the attack on the Academy recently. You woke up? Eh, huh? Somebodys on the bed next to me. I opened the curtain without hesitation, and saw Tatenashi-san, putting on her shirt without wearing a bra. Boing, the busts are still as nicely curved as before WAAAAHHH!? IM SORRY! IM SORRY! I hurriedly pull the curtain back, but its too late. The lance of the IS Mysterious Lady immediately stabs over. I, chi, ka, kun~? This onee-san wont allow for anything like this, you know Im sorry, Im sorry! Tell me to do whatever you want me to do, so please forgive me! The lance immediately stops. Youll do anything? Geh, Im dead. Y-yes, anything that can actually happen in reality I affirm tentatively. At this point, the tip of the lance is already pointed 1cm away from my neck. Th-then I hear the sound of a gulpeh? P-pleasedo perverted things to me too Eh? I-I heard it from Kanzashi-chan! You did all sorts of lewd things in the computer world at your own whims, right? I dont allow it! The student council doesnt allow it! The student council president doesnt allow it! N-no, erm, thats the trap set by the hacker. Yo-you still want to argue? Youre trying to argue back? Are you trying to argue back? Wh-why is Tatenashi-san being so angry? Speaking of which, I think theres a huge misunderstanding created here Erm, Tatenashi-san, please calm down Or else my necks going to be stabbed through by the lance. How do you expect me to calm down!? It hurts! The lance reaches over and pokes at my skin. Uwah! An-anyway, please keep the lance! Ah, sorry Her voice soon calms down, and her lance disappears into light particles. What follows is silence on both sides. I secretly glance over at the other side through the hole in the curtain, and Tatenashi-san too look over at the same. !! Both of us then look away at the same timeughwhat is this. Er-erm, Ichika-kun Wha-what is it? Can I, go over to your side? What? What do you mean? An-anyway, look over at the other side! Ye-yes! I follow what she said, and turn away to lie down with my back facing Tatenashi-sans bed. Erm, Tatenashi-san? Wh-what is it? Why are you on the patient bed? Im injured. Yeahwahey, this isnt what I want to ask! No, why must you get onto my bed!? Its fine as long as our backs are facing each other, right? Eh? Ah, haa, well, yes. Ah, I actually gave my consent. Good. Whats she trying to do, seriously Th-thanks. Heh? Wellthanks for coming over to help me. Ah, that, well, isnt that to be expected? I-I was really happy. I-I understand. Tatenashi-sans voice suddenly becomes forceful at the end, and I inadvertently straighten myself. Then, theres silence on both sides. I dont know how long this will continue, and Tatenashi-sans body warmth from behind me cause my heart to flutter. Well, Ichika-kundo you remember that Im called Tatenashi because thats the name of the Sarashiki family head? Hm, yeah, I do. I suddenly recalled her doing so. Ill tell you nowmy real name. A little breath rings at my ear gently. I feel that warmth that causes my heart to race, and Tatenashi-san whispers to me with a soft yet clear voice. SarashikiKatana. After saying this, Tatenashi-san quickly returns to her bed. (Her real name, huh?) I cant understand the reason why Tatenashi-san wants to tell me this, but once I feel that I can understand her slightly, my heart feels a little happy. At a caf located at a coastal park not too far away from IS Academy, a girl was sitting alone at a table. The girls name was Chloe, the pilot of the IS Kurokagi[1], someone who swore loyalty to Tabane. (Mission completegot to leave this place.) She put down the coffee she did not even take a sip from, and had already cooled; just when she was about to turn away and leave. Let me have a seat too. Guh! The girl, who had a creed to remain calm, was shocked inside. Even with her eyes close, she could tell whose voice it was from her internal data. OrimuraChifuyu Well, take a seat. This is your coffee. Are you fine with black coffee? I cant escape. With this instinctive understanding, Chloe sat on the chair with trepidation. She received the coffee while enduring her trembling hand. Well, let me conclude thistell Tabane not to do anything unnecessary. No choice but to kill her. The moment she thought of that. Give it up, dont think about it. Your fighting ability alone wont be able to kill me, even if you use an IS. ! Chloe opened her tightly closed eyes. Her eyes were of strange colors; her left eye was black, and her right eye was golden. An IS developed together with a biological body? Has that Tabane developed it to this extent? Fuu. Chifuyu sighed and put down her coffee cup. At that moment, Chifuyu was locked in a pure white world where the dimensions were unknown. HmI see. Interfering with the opponents mind in the computer world, and using air in reality to cause illusions? Quite impressive. Chifuyu mutters, uses her hand to parry away the knife pointed at her neck, and then uses the momentum to pick up the spoon on the table to stab at the pure white space. Wanna have a go? It was Chloes complete defeat. Chloe undid her ability without hesitation. Thats the correct choice. See you then. Chifuyu finished her coffee, and got up from her seat. Speaking of which, is it alright for you not to meet your little sister? Thatsnot my little sistershes an incomplete methe completed form of Laura Bodewig. And so, she added on, Im Chloe Chronicle. She muttered out the most precious name she got from Tabane. Upon hearing that, Chifuyu seemed to be somewhat satisfied, is that so, and walked out of the shop. Chloe, whos left behind, takes a sip of coffee that has no warmth in it left. Its bitter. Then, Chloe too head out of the shop. Not realizing that someone was tailing her. Then, I guess there are no problems now Squall finishes her make up in the hotel room, and sprays the perfume as a finishing touch. Shes still dressed in a luxurious and gorgeous dress that was worth several hundred thousand yen, and had a necklace with all sorts of diamonds and precious stones of all sizes, earrings, rings, bracelets, impeccable all over. The one beside her with nothing to do was M. Shes fooling around with the locket hanging in front of her chest, looking into space. What is it, M? Are you still unhappy about having to go eat together? I have no reason to go. You have. Dont I need a bodyguard? Dont kid around. MOrimura Madoka, who knew about Squall and the other IS capabilities very well, can only feel sarcasm in these words. Then, lets move out. Fuun Smile a little. Were meeting that Shinonono Tabane today. In the end, Madoka could only follow Squall out of reluctance, or unwilling obedience. Un, un, this meats delicious. Ah, wine please~ The one indulging in her food without restraint was the rare genius in the world, the amazing scientist who created the IS, Shinonono Tabane. As for how they managed to invite this Tabane, whos being searched for all over the world, to this underground restaurantonly Squall knew. Are you satisfied? Professor Tabane? Hm? Well, everythings fine except for the sleeping drug in the soup~ Even as her plan was revealed, Squall showed no change in expression. What was more surprising however was that Tabane finished off the bowl of soup with sleeping drug in it, but showed no signs of being affected. (Well, this is to be expected. Its that Shinonono Tabane after all) Squall had her elbows on the table, giving a smiling look on her face. Then, Professor Tabane, can you please consider about what we discussed? What is it? About creating new IS for us Phantom task. With the cores, of course. Ahaha, nope~. Thats very troublesome. Tabane had no intention of hinting that she could still create new IS cores. Please help no matter want. I refuseahI want cake, hamburger, curry and Chinese cold dishes. Tabane continued to munch on the pork ribs and stared at the menu indecently as she continued to place orders. Fuuyou wont agree no matter how we ask? Un. Then, how about this? Squall clicked her finger. Chloe, who was restrained, appeared just like a movie scene, with Autumn pointing a knife at her neck. If thats the case, how about some steak from this little fawn? go. Yes. Let go. Tabane smiles, and at the next moment, she throws all the knives and forks at Squall. !? Tabane then stepped on Squall, who immediately defended herself, leapt, stepped off the ceiling, and charged right into Autumns clutches. She snapped Autumns hand as the latter was about to hurriedly swing the blade down, and immediately stabbed the knife into Autumns right lung directly. Wha Then, she sent palm strikes at the left shoulder, left torso, and left flank, breaking Chloe away from Autumn. Autumn was sent flying back with a kick, and slammed into the wine cellar with a loud crash. Kuu-chan, are you alright nya? Y-yesTabane-sama. Tabane untied Chloe barehandedly, and smiled to the latter gently. Let me tell you. Im always called a genius here and there by everyone, but thats not just in terms of thinking and brain ability, you know! Ufufu, she embraced Chloe from behind as she explained. My physical body is over-speced to the cellular level. This was Squalls complete miscalculation. She originally thought that even if the hostage was not of any use, she could use her IS Golden Dawn to suppress Tabane in the worst case scenario. Butthis devastation resulted. If Tabane were to get serious, Squall didnt know if she could win even if she activated her IS. No, she wasnt certain if she had an opportunity to activate her IS. Only Chi-chan, I suppose, can fight me on physical terms. Tabane continued with her back facing Squall, and the latter gritted her teeth unhappily. But at this moment, a sudden change happened. Dont move. Madoka, who had been on standby outside, probably heard the commotion here, and charged into the restaurant with her IS Silent Zephyrs activated. (Nice going, M, perfect timing.) Now the chances are at 50-50it was na?ve of Squall to think so. Hmm, thats an interesting unit you have. Tabane instantly closes the distance between them, and actually stands on the rifle barrel nonchalantly. !? The moment Madoka thought about shaking her off, the rifle was disassembled into pieces by Tabanes 10 fingers. Then, the armor, helmet and everything else was disassembled, vanishing into light particles like Sakura petals fluttering in the air. After the armor on the head was disassembled, Tabane stopped her fingers. Nn? Nnnn? Tabane continued to stare at Madokas face without moving. Madoka did not dare to move at all. It felt as if her physical body would be disassembled too if she made a single move. Aha. ? Ahahaha! Whats your name? Tabanes troubled by this sudden laugh. Aha, ahaha, how about I make guess? Fu, fufu. Tabanes laughing away with her hands on her belly, ostensibly finding it funny. OrimuraMadoka, right? !? Squall and Madoka showed shocked expressions at the same time. Bingo! Hehe, in that case. Un~, after making a thinking look, Tabane turned to Squall and said, Hey, if its this kids personal machine, I can make a new one for you? Eh Madoka however was the one who let out a shocked voice. Thats why, eheheh! Come over to my side, nn. Hey, hey, can I take this kid away? I-Ill be troubled here Squall could only show a bitter expression. Besides, Madoka was her only trump card at this point. If she were to be taken away, there would be huge hurdles in the please. Why? Youre so petty. Well, it doesnt matter. Hey, hey, Madocchi, what kind of personalized machine do you wish for? Long distanced? Close distanced? Special armed? Armor focused? Or mobility focused? Tabane showed an urge to create as her eyes were dazzling like a child holding a crayon. Well, its fine to leave this topic aside for now! Right, lets eat together. Kuu-chan and Madocchi, yours wont grow bigger if you dont eat a lot~ Tabane raised her ample breasts as she laughed away as the only one enjoying herself; everyone else present could only look at her flabbergasted. Ah. It has been a few days since the hacker incident, and I unfortunately end up meeting the 5 people I had been trying my best to avoid recentlyHouki, Rin, Cecilia, Charl and Laura. Right now, were in our first year cafeteria. Looks like Im ambushed here. Ah, ahh~, I left something in my room I then make a U-turn. Wait. Please wait. Please hold on. Hold on. Youre not stopping? Ugh, Im caught. What is it? Youve been avoiding us recently, right? Ack. Thats right, Ichika-san! Thats rude to ladies, you know. No, even though you say so Humph! You must have done something shameful. What! I say, Im the one who should be saying this! Huh!? Thats not gentlemanly at all, Ichika-san! What are you saying, you? Explain further, Ichika! Thats right! To the people curling their lips unhappily at me, I clearly say, You people! What kind of delusions do you have about me!? Im embarrassed to see you people! Eh Erm, thats A-are you talking about, what happened before Th-the computer world We-weve told you to forget about it! All of them show awkward expressions. I then proceed to quip, DO YOU THINK I CAN FORGET ABOUT SUCH THINGS!!!! I carelessly yell out, but the other students immediately find out. EhWhat what? The representative cadets had something with Orimura-kun again? Orimu, youre doing it again. Murmuring occurs, and soon, people start to gather. And the worst thing is that the 2nd year Mayuzumi-senpai is here for some reason. Damn it, this is going onto the Academys newspaper headlines again. Leader, I just heard the terms delusion and embarrassed! Oh, good good! What other news do you know? Recently, Orimu has been on very good terms with Kanzashi-chan. Because of that line from Nohohon-san, swoosh, everyone proceeds to look at Kanzashi. Eh? Tok, Kanzashis so frightened that she drops the broccoli shes eating onto the table. Ohh, its a good habit to eat yellow and green vegetables. And also, Laura-chan said to forget about something! Mumumu, theres no doubt about whats going on. My pens burning, burning! Th-this has seriously gotten out of hand. I thought Orimura-kun would be the uke; maybe hes the seme? Kyaah!! The carnivorous Orimura-kun is so moe~ I always thought hes the tempting uke! Maybe hes an animalno, hes a beast! Thats a forbidden beast mode! Someone shouted. Seriously, what the OI, whats with this stupid commotion? Pita. Time seems to stand still as everyone freezes in place. Th-this chilling ice-like voice belongs to no one other than Chifuyu-nee. Ah, well, Chifuyu-nee, this Call me Orimura-sensei. GONKthank you for your teaching today. Hurry up and disperse! Seriously And so, the noisy night ended just like thisor so I thought. In the middle of the night, on the corridor of the student dormitory Ah. Ahh. Two profile met in front of the door with the name Orimura on it. One was a twin-tailed flat-chested girl with a lively impression. The other was a model-like girl with curly hair and a regal presence. Ceci Rin-san. Both of them nearly let out voices, and hurriedly covered each others mouths. And then, they start whispering softly to each other. What are you doing here? What about you, Rin-san? Whyre you dressed in such thin clothing I-isnt it obvious that Ill wear something thinner while sleeping? What about you, Cecilia? Its lewd. Wh-what? This is my usual nightgown when I sleep. Then hurry up and go back to sleep. Whyre you here? Thats my line, Rin-san. You should hurry back to the room GAK! Ah? Upon hearing something break, Rin and Cecilia charge in through the room. Fu, fufuI caught IChika. Wa-wait Laura. This isnt good Ahh. Ahh. The teams of Cecilia/Rin and Laura/Charlotte stared at each other. Charlotte, take Ichika and retreat. Y-yeswait, huh? Charlotte suddenly saw the face of the person Laura rolled up. Muumumm~ Its Yamada-sensei, the vice homeroom teacher, Yamada Maya. Whats going on? What are you doing? Yamada-sensei, wh-why? Im sleeping in this room tonight on Orimura-senseis request! Gek! Rin immediately showed clear disdain on her face. Th-then, Ill make my leave Cecilias trying to sneak away. Lets go back and sleep for today then. Lauras trying to escape from the window. Th-thats right. Charlotte too tried to escape at this moment. So then! BAKK!! Maya used her IS to catch the quartet that were exchanging looks and trying to escape. I have to give you a lecture tonight! Wahwahgyahgyahsomeone heard this commotion at the corner of the corridor. Th-thank goodness I didnt go Houki said this. Yeah And Kanzashi. After that, the quartet caught by Yamada-sensei had a sleepless night Volume 8 - Epilogue "..." The IS Academy Underground Special Zone-- Chifuyu''s there, staring at a ''statue'', chained to several cables. This ''statue'' was the final fate of the IS that once brought Chifuyu to the title of the strongest in the world...the ''Kurazakura''. Because of a personal battle with a certain IS, the knight had all its systems frozen while protecting Chifuyu, and showed no signs of awakening. "I know what''s the program that Tabane sent me. Most likely...it''s the program to forcefully unfreeze you, ''Kurazakura''." Chifuyu touched the ''Kurazakura'' with her fingers. It felt a little chilly, like a frosted rock. But she could feel the ''will'' burning deep within it. "When you wake up, it''ll definitely be the decisive battle..." She mutters, her profile looking so forlorn, yet full of confidence. "...What do you intend to do with me?" The one saying this was the ''leader'', who was standing at the door. "Hm, please go back to the American Army then." "..." The leader, who had guessed that Chifuyu had some plans, was shocked by this. "If I leave you tied up here, it''ll cause an international problem, even for IS Academy, no?" That''s why you can leave. Chifuyu said. However, the leader was unable to accept this for some reason, and continued asking while surprised by this herself. "I have a value as a hostage. If the negotiation conditions call for it--" "Hm, this certainly is rare." Upon seeing Chifuyu say this without any sense of pretense, the leader ''fell''. She felt that her heart, which she should have already abandoned, was shot through. "...Ah, ahh." "Hm?" "Private channel, XXX0891-DA." For some reason, the leader could not look at Chifuyu directly as she told the latter softly yet clearly. "You can contact me with this number..." "Is that so? I''ll remember that." Chifuyu said and patted at the leader''s head. Poof, the leader''s face went red, and left the room while ostensibly escaping from this place. "...Good grief, she didn''t even say goodbye, huh?" Fuu, Chifuyu sighs in a somewhat satisfied manner. She put her hands on her hips, and then used her hands to stretched her back. "I still can''t lose to you here, Tabane."