Chapter IV: Dressy White

Long before, when Ichika was in second grade, he’d been practicing kendo for a year, originally enrolling alongside Chifuyu, and had developed some level of experience. Jeez. She’s just too tough. No matter how he tried, he couldn’t defeat the dojo master’s daughter, a girl his own age.

At practice that morning, a squabble had turned into sparring, and she’d sent him down with a single slash to the side. Dammit... I never win... I wish I could win for once... Ichika’s disappointment was visible in his sullen expression as he cleaned the classroom. The glare of the afternoon sun filled the room. His other classmates had ditched to go play, but he didn’t care. Someone had to clean, and it may as well have been him.

“Hey, tomboy! What happened to your bokken?”

“It’s a shinai...”

“Either way, a tomboy like you needs a weapon.”

“.........”

“You talk funny, too.”

The girl didn’t answer. Three boys had surrounded one girl and were teasing her. Yet she refused to yield a single step, and glared at them with clear eyes. The girl’s name was Houki.

“Look at the tomboy!”

“Knock it off, guys. If you don’t have anything to do, either go home or help clean, okay?”

Frustrated by their pointless mocking, Ichika snapped at the boys.

“Oh, you’re on her side, Orimura?”

“I bet she’s his girlfriend.”

The childish teasing had always been harsh, and always would be. Even though they were the same age, Ichika had no time for it.

“Get out of the way, I’m trying to sweep. Go bother someone else.”

“Huh? What kind of dummy actually likes cleaning?”

Suddenly, Houki grabbed one of the boys by his shirt. She may have only been in second grade, but she still trained every day. If it had turned into a real fight, she would have been more than a match for the three of them. Still, apart from that, she responded with only words, “What’s dumb about taking things seriously? It’s better than what you’re doing, at least.”

“What’re you so mad about? Lemme go!”

The two boys who weren’t grabbed broke out in nasty grins.

“I knew it! They really are a couple! They’ve been kissy-kissy all day!”

Ugh, that again. Calling people a couple is their favorite insult. I’m sick of this. Ever since Ichika had started to go to Houki’s dojo, the other boys wouldn’t shut up with that. Not that it really mattered to him. With no parents, he didn’t really even know what it meant.

“Totally. Maybe he’s why the tomboy started wearing a ribbon! Hahaha— Gwah!”

Ichika’s anger finally broke through to the surface, and he punched the boy clean across the nose. Ignoring the others, he yanked the boy back upright.

“What’s so funny? What are you laughing at? There’s nothing wrong with her wearing a ribbon! She looks great in it! Well?! What’s your problem, jerk?!”

“I’m telling the teacher!”

“Go ahead and do it! I’ll get you all before you can!”

Eventually, a teacher noticed the commotion and stopped the fight. Ichika, who’d learned martial arts from Chifuyu in addition to practicing kendo, was able to take on all three without a scratch. But this just made it worse for him. Snotty children usually had self-centered parents, and behind the three brats were three adults threatening to go to the police, or even sue. Ichika didn’t care, but he did care that Chifuyu ended up having to go apologize to each of them.

If I cause trouble, Chifuyu will be stuck dealing with it. Ichika learned his lesson about dealing with the brats using peaceful methods.

“You’re an idiot.”

“Me? What about you?”

Several days later, while Ichika was washing his face after after-school practice, Houki struck up a conversation.

“Weren’t you thinking about what would happen after you did that?”

“Huh? Oh, then? Nope, not at all. They needed a punching.”

Even though Chifuyu had scolded him harshly, it didn’t change his mind. That was one thing young Ichika was firm on.

“They were ganging up on you. I hate that. You don’t gang up on people, that’s not right.”

“.........”

“So I don’t mind. Plus, that ribbon really did look good on you. You should keep wearing it.”

“Hmph. I don’t need to be told how to dress.”

Houki crossed her arms and turned away, and Ichika muttered ‘oh well’ while he went back to washing his face. The coolness of the fresh water from the well wiping away his sweat was one of his favorite things.

“I’m heading home now. See you later, Shinonono.”

“Ho— Houki...”

“Huh?”

“My name is Houki. Remember it. My dad’s Shinonono. My mom’s Shinonono. My sister’s Shinonono. It’s too confusing. Call me Houki, okay?”

“Sure. I guess it’s the same for me, too. You can call me Ichika.”

“Wh-What?!”

“It’s my name. There are two Orimuras, but I’m the only Ichika!”

“O-Okay...”

“Okay, Houki!”

“Yeah, sure, fine! I-I-Ichika! Are you happy now?”

“Perfect. If you need me for something, just say that, don’t point at me.”

“Hmph!”

He watched Houki try to take the last word and storm off, thinking about how silly she was. It was June. The time for summer was near.

◆

In a room at the resort, the clock on the wall pointed to just before four. Ichika had been out cold in bed for more than three hours. Houki had been waiting by his side the whole time. Her hair, drooping low without its usual ribbon, was a reflection of her emotions.

It’s my fault... Memories of Ichika smiling welled up within her, uninvited. But now, that smile was gone from his face. All he could do was lie there lifelessly. The scorching heat from the explosions had pierced his IS’ shields, then its armor, and now he was wrapped in bandages. If I had taken things more seriously, this wouldn’t have happened to him! She clutched her skirt until her fingers turned white from the pressure, as if she was admonishing herself. The more she thought, the harder her grip tightened.

“The mission was a failure. If the situation changes, you’ll be called for. Until then, remain on alert.”

That was the debriefing waiting for Houki after she was pulled from the sea and returned to the resort. After ordering that Ichika be given first aid, Chifuyu returned to the briefing room. The lack of a scolding made Houki even more miserable. Why... Why do I always... As soon as she grasped power, she let it go to her head. The desire was too strong. There was always a moment when bloodthirst took over. What have I been training for? For Houki, fencing had always been not just an exercise, but a discipline—it was a limiter. A way to control her own bloodthirstiness.

She knew it was a dangerous line, though. Like thin ice on a stream, the slightest pressure would cause it to break. I... I’m done with— Just as Houki was about to make a crucial decision, the door suddenly slammed open. The bang shocked her, but she couldn’t even gather up the energy to turn and see who entered.

“Knew you’d be here.”

The girl who barged in walked up next to Houki, slouched in her chair. The voice was... Ling’s.

“.........”

“Listen.”

Houki didn’t respond. She couldn’t respond.

“You think Ichika’s like this because of you, don’t you?”

The IS’ defensive systems held Ichika in an induced coma. It had burned almost all its energy to save his life, placing him directly on life support. So until it regained energy, he wouldn’t awaken.

“.........”

“Is that why you’re slouched over like that? Gimme a break!” Ling’s rage boiled over, and she yanked Houki to her feet by her collar. “You have responsibilities! Why aren’t you out there fighting?!”

“I... I can’t... I can’t pilot an IS anymore...”

“YOU—”

Smack! The slap on the cheek, along with the removal of support, sent Houki sprawling to the floor. Again, Ling pulled Houki up.

“You spoiled little brat! You have your own IS! We can’t afford to have you moping around like this! Or are you just—” For a moment, Ling’s eyes met Houki’s. They burned with determination like they might burn with rage. “Are you just too much of a coward to fight when you need to?”

Her words sparked the same determination welling up in Houki’s eyes.

“What...” The soft mumble only lasted a word before it turned into an angered shout. “WHAT DO YOU EXPECT ME TO DO?! We don’t even know where the enemy is! If there’s a fight, I’ll fight it, but—”

Rin let out a quiet sigh as she watched Houki’s determination return.

“That’s a lot more like you. Ugh... I hated having to do that.”

“What?!”

“We know where it is. Laura will—” As she spoke, the door opened again. Standing there was Laura, in a jet-black uniform.

“We’ve found it. Thirty klicks away, over the open ocean. It’s in stealth mode, but it doesn’t appear to have optical cloaking. A satellite was able to pick it out.”

As Laura stepped into the room, holding a digital reader in one hand, Ling was visibly impressed.

“So this is what German special forces are capable of. Not bad.”

“Hmph. And what about you? Are you ready?”

“Of course. Shenlong’s assault package is installed and ready. What about Charlotte and Cecilia?”

“They...”

Laura turned toward the door, and seconds later, it opened.

“Finished a moment ago.”

“All systems online. We’re ready to go.”

The squad of pilots with personal IS had gathered, and turned their collective gaze onto Houki.

“So what are you going to do?”

“I-I’m...” Houki’s hands clutched tight. Not with regret, but with determination. “I’m going to fight, and I’m going to win! This time, I won’t lose!”

“It’s decided, then.” Rin crossed her arms, and cracked a fearless smile.

“Very well! Let’s head to the briefing room. This time we’ll take it down!”

“Yeah!”

◇

Whoosh, fshoosh.

Where am I? Led along by the sound of the sea, I walked alone on an unfamiliar beach. With every step I took, sand crunched under my feet. I could feel its heat on my soles. The air was redolent with the smell of saltwater. The breeze was cool, and the sun was warm. Is this summer? Is it summer now? I didn’t know where I was, or when it was. Just that, for some reason, I was walking along a beach barefoot in my uniform. I carried my shoes in my hand.

“Hmm~ Hmm-hmmmm~♪”

There was a singing voice. A beautiful and vibrant one. My curiosity piqued, I walked toward it.

Tip, tap.

Tip, tap, tip.

With every step, the sand ground beneath my feet.

“La-la~ Lalala~♪”

In front of me was a girl. She sang and danced at the water’s edge, only her toes dampened slightly by the waves. As she did, her pale white hair swayed. Not a dull white, but a dazzling shine. Her skirt, the same color, swayed and billowed in the sea breeze as she danced.

Hmm... For some reason, rather than thinking to call out to her, I simply rested my hips on a driftwood log. It must have washed up long ago, as its bark was stripped and its wood was bleached. As I sat on my warped white sofa, I watched the girl blankly. The rushing of the waves echoed in my ears. Soothed by the gentle breeze, I simply watched, languidly.

◆

“.........”

200 meters above sea level. Silverio Gospel hung silently, curled into a fetal position. As it hugged its knees, its wings curled around it as if it was shielding itself.

[—?]

Reflexively, it raised its face. An instant later, a supersonic bullet struck its head and exploded.

“Direct hit. Commencing bombardment!”

Five kilometers away, the IS Schwarzer Regen and Laura floated, firing more shots before the Gospel could begin its counterattack. Unlike its normal loadout, it now mounted an .80-caliber ‘Blitz’ railgun on each shoulder. Four added shields, each guarding its front and sides, completed its adaption to bombardment and sniping. This was the Schwarzer Regen’s ‘Panzer Kanonier’ package.

Enemy closing... 4,000... 3,000... Ugh! It’s faster than I expected! In the blink of an eye, Silverio Gospel had closed range to 1,000 meters. Even as Laura had continued firing, the energy bullets from its wings had intercepted over half of Laura’s shots.

“Tch!”

A focus on dampening recoil was hard to couple with mobility. Meanwhile, the mobility-focused ‘Gospel’ had closed to within 300 meters, and then extended its right hand toward Laura. There was no time to escape. Still though, Laura’s mouth twisted into a grin.

“Cecilia!”

Fire crashed into the extended arms as an IS dove from above. The pure-blue IS Blue Tears made a full-force assault from stealth mode. Its six bits, unlike its standard loadout, were folded into a skirt around its waist. While this blocked their barrels, it made them usable as thrusters.

The BT laser rifle ‘Stardust Shooter’ which it cradled in its arms, a full two meters in length, made up for the firepower lost by repurposing the bits. Cecilia, equipped with the high mobility assault package ‘Strike Gunner,’ wore ‘Brilliant Clearance,’ a visor-style ultra-high-performance hypersensor designed to enhance her senses for battle at over 500 kilometers per hour, over her face. Sensing the information it fed her, she suddenly flipped around and aimed for the Gospel itself.

[Target B confirmed. Proceeding to eliminate.]

“Too slow!” As the Gospel evaded Cecilia’s fire, another IS attacked it directly from the rear. It was Charlotte, who’d been riding on Cecilia’s back in stealth mode. Blasts from her akimbo shotguns smashed into the Gospel’s back, sending it sprawling. But only a moment later, it began to counterattack the three IS with its Silver Bell. “Sorry, but you’re not punching through my ‘Garden Curtain’ that easily!”

The Revive’s defensive package boasted combined energy and physical shields, off which the Gospel’s fire rolled like rain. Even though it looked like a normal Revive, pairs of both types of shield covered its front like a curtain. Even while defending, Charlotte used her Rabbit Switch to equip an assault cannon and squeeze off shots when there was an opening. Meanwhile, Cecilia darted around the Gospel firing, while Laura kept up the bombardment from afar. The Gospel quickly began to show damage from the three-pronged assault.

[Change in mission priority— Prioritizing withdrawal from combat zone.]

Firing shots in all directions, it readied a breakthrough charge.

“Can’t let you do that!”

The waves rose up, and then the surface of the sea exploded. The crimson Akatsubaki rocketed forth, with Shenlong perched on its back.

“We’ll take you down before you can escape!”

Akatsubaki dove toward the Gospel. Rin, who had leapt from its back, shifted her FAST pack ‘Bengshan’ into combat mode. The impact cannon emplacements on her shoulders opened, revealing two barrels in each. All four burst forth in flame.

[—!]

Houki dove away from close combat as a hail of fire swept from behind her. Rather than the usual invisible bullets, each was wrapped in a red flame. The torrent of bullets was enough to even blot out the Gospel’s fire. Such was the power of the enhanced impact cannon—no, the thermokinetic dispersion impact cannon.

“Did that get it?”

“Not yet!”

Even as it took a direct blast from the dispersion impact cannon, the Gospel continued.

[Silver Bell maximum power... Activated.] Spreading its arms as if to embrace the whole world, it threw its wings outward as well. In an instant, the battlefield was bathed in an unearthly glow, as waves of fire spread in all directions.

“Tch!”

“Houki! Get behind me!”

After her failure on the earlier sortie, Houki’s Akatsubaki was in ‘limited mode.’ To prevent draining its energy by overuse of the variable-sweep armor, it was configured to not function automatically even in defensive mode. Of course, the only reason this was done was because Charlotte could handle defense. Each member of the squad was contributing what they were best at, to take advantage of their varied roles.

“This still isn’t exactly a walk in the park, though,” said Charlotte. Even with a defensive package equipped, she wouldn’t be able to hold out forever against the Gospel’s relentless fire. One of her physical shields had already been completely destroyed. “Laura! Cecilia! Your turn!”

“Why, you don’t even need to ask!”

“Leave it to us!”

As Charlotte fell back, Laura and Cecilia swooped in from the sides, firing. Cecilia used her speed to make a series of precise shots at its openings, while Laura kept up the blistering rate of fire her artillery package allowed.

“Once they pin you down, you’re mine!”

Meanwhile, Ling rose up from below. After a slash with the Souten Gagetsu, she let loose a close-range deluge of fire from the dispersion impact cannon. Her target was the Silver Bell multithruster attached to the Gospel’s head.

“Got you!” Even as energy bullets raked over her, Ling kept carving away. Her own impact cannon fire was inflicting just as much critical damage on its own, and soon, she managed to slice off one of the Gospel’s wings. “Ha— How... How about— Ugh!”

Even with only one wing, the Gospel sprang back upright and spun around, kicking at Ling’s left arm. Accelerated by its leg thrusters, the kick crushed through Ling’s armor and sent her spiraling down toward the sea.

“Ling— Damn you!”

Houki hefted a katana in each hand and made a diving slash at the Gospel. Taking advantage of its lost balance from its sudden acceleration, she plunged toward its exposed right shoulder. Got it! At the same moment as she thought she’d grasped victory, though, unbelievably, the Gospel turned and caught each blade in one palm.

“What?!” Even as the blades’ energy melted through its armor, the Gospel again spread its arms wide. Houki, still gripping them, felt her arms pulled apart too as her front was exposed. And then the remaining wing trained its barrels on her.

“Houki! Drop your weapons and get out of there!”

But Houki couldn’t loosen her grip. If I give up here, what have I been fighting for? As the energy bullets charged, a glowing light shined from the wing, and then it erupted in fire. What do I have strength for? Just before the bullets struck, Akatsubaki quickly spun away. Its toetips, as if responding to her will, sprung blades of pure energy.

“There!”

As if delivering an axe kick, the blades raked across the Gospel. The Gospel, finally bereft of its wings, fell toward the sea.

“Haa... Haa...”

“Are you okay?!”

Houki calmed her ragged breathing as she heard a rare sign of concern from Laura.

“I... I’m fine. What about the Gos—”

Just as someone answered ‘we won,’ a sphere of light burst forth from the sea.

“......?!”

A round cavity in the surface formed around it, as if the flow of time had stopped. Inside, the Silverio Gospel, racked with blue lightning, floated as if embracing itself.

“What?! What on earth is happening?”

“Oh no! This is its second shift!” The second Laura shouted it out, the Gospel turned its face toward her, as if responding. The mechanical visor covering its pilot’s face hid her expression, but it was obviously malevolent, as each IS’ warning buzzers sounded off in a cacophony. However—it was too late.

[GRAAAAAAAAAGH!] With a shout like the roar of a beast, the Gospel rocketed toward Laura.

“What?!”

Its speed was too fast to evade, and it grabbed Laura by the legs. Like a butterfly emerging from its chrysalis, two wings of raw energy began to sprout slowly, but steadily, from its cut off head.

“Let go of Laura!”

Charlotte quickly switched over to a blade and thrust in. But, effortlessly, with its free hand, the Gospel pushed the blade aside.

“Get away! Run away! It’s going to—”

Laura’s sentence was cut off as the blinding beauty of the wing wrapped around her. A moment later, its hail of energy fired from point-blank range, and she fell, crumpled, down to the sea.

“LAURA! Dammit!”

Throwing away her blade, Charlotte swapped to a shotgun. Placing the mouth of its barrel to the Gospel’s forehead, she pulled the trigger. BANG! But the sound that ran was not of the shotgun firing. Suddenly cracks began to form across Gospel. On its chest, its torso, and its back, it was as if it was an eggshell hatching. Through the cracks small wings of light emitted from within. Their fire blew Charlotte’s shotgun away before pelting her.

“What’s going on?! This is just too much, even for a military—”

Cecilia set her eyes on the Gospel, preparing for another attack. With ‘Ignition Boost,’ thrusters on each of the Gospel’s arms and legs roared.

“Ugh!”

A long-range gun was a liability in a close-in fight. Even as Cecilia swung its barrel to bear, the Gospel kicked it away. And in the next blink of the eye, its wings erupted again. Cecilia sunk into the ocean, unable to even mount a counterattack.

“I won’t let you do that to my friends!” Houki suddenly accelerated in. Using her variable-sweep armor, she acrobatically evaded each counter, boosting at each turn to slash without regaining her footing. “HIIIIRAH!”

A dance of dodges and pressed attacks unfolded in midair. As Akatsubaki sped up, slowly but surely, it put the Gospel on the back foot. I can do this! I just need to keep going! Houki put her all into a sudden checked swing to the head. But— Fshhirrr.

“What?! I’m out of ener— GAH!”

Seizing the opportunity, the Gospel caught Houki by the neck. Slowly, its wings wrapped around her.

I’m sorry, Ichika...

◇

Waves crashed. I listened to them as I watched her. Somehow her singing, her dancing, reminded me so, so much of home.

Huh...? I noticed that her song had quieted. As her steps stilled too, the girl stared up at the sky. Wondering why, I stood up from my log and walked to her side. As the waves crashed and washed over the beach, their cooling water moistened my feet as I stepped to the water’s edge.

“What’s wrong?”

Even though I called out to her, the girl kept still, motionless, staring at the sky. When I looked up too, she finally spoke, “They’re calling. It’s time to get going.”

“Eh?”

I looked back to my side, and she wasn’t there. What the... Casting my eyes from side to side, I saw not a sign of human life. Nor could I hear her song. There was nothing more than the sound of the waves.

“Hmm...”

With nothing else to do, I turned to return to the makeshift sofa. And then, from behind me came a voice, “Do you desire strength?”

“Eh?” I spun around, and amidst the waves stood a woman—the water lapping up to her knees. Her body was encased in sparkling white armor, like that of a knight. A great sword was planted in the ground before her, and upon it she rested both hands. Armor covered her eyes, and I could see only the bottom half of her face.

“Do you desire strength? And why?”

“Strength? Well... That’s a tough question.”

The endless flow of the waves continued, it was the only thing that stood between us.

“I... I have an answer, though. To protect my friends—my comrades.”

“Your comrades?”

“My comrades... How should I say it... There are things in this world worth fighting for, right? Not just for the sake of fighting. For goals.”

Even though I didn’t even have my own thoughts about it sorted out, I was able to give her a clear answer. As I listened to myself speak, I was sometimes surprised at what I really thought.

“And sometimes, when you pursue those goals, what happens doesn’t make sense. There’s a lot of pointless violence. And when that happens, I want to protect my comrades. The people I fight alongside.”

“I see...” The woman quietly nodded.

“Then you need to get going.”

“Eh?”

Another voice came from behind me. I turned to see the girl in the skirt again. She gave a friendly smile, and gazed at me calmly.

“Ready?” As she grasped my hand, she broke out into a grin. Suddenly blushing, I nodded ‘yes.’ Immediately after, my surroundings changed.

“W-What’s going on?”

The sky—the whole world—began to glow brightly. As the white light enveloped me, the beach around me blurred. As if a dream was ending, it occurred to me. Now that I think of it... That woman looked familiar. That white knight.

◆

“Guh... Ghrgh...”

A gasp of pain escaped Houki’s throat through the choke hold. The Gospel’s hand gripped tighter around her neck, and a Silver Bell of pure energy wrapped around the Akatsubaki. Is this it? I can’t believe it would end like this... The wing’s glow grew more intense. As she counted down to it firing, a single thought floated through her mind.

—I want to be with him—

—I want to be with Ichika—

—Right now, I want to be with him—

—Ah, to be by his side—

“Ichi... ka...”

Unconsciously, his name passed her lips.

“Ichika...”

As the glow intensified, she made her final peace.

Fshooom!

[—?!]

Suddenly, the Gospel’s grasp on her loosened. Confused, Houki opened her eyes, only to see a particle cannon burst blast it away. What just happened? The voice she’d longed for rang like a bell through her confusion.

“I won’t let you lay a hand on any of my comrades!”

Just before Houki’s eyes, a white IS glimmered with light.

“A-Ahh...” Tears welled up in her eyes. Hovering in her clouded vision was Byakushiki’s second shift, Setsura—and Ichika.

◇

“Ichika! Ichika, is that you? How? You were so badly burnt—”

I made my way to Houki’s side as she struggled to control her voice.

“Yeah. Sorry I took so long.”

“I... I’m so happy...”

“Were you crying?”

“I most certainly was not!”

I gently patted Houki’s head as she dabbed tears from the corners of her eyes.

“Don’t worry. It’s okay now.”

“I wasn’t worried...”

Trying to show she was still in control. That was definitely Houki. As I patted her head, I noticed she wasn’t wearing a ponytail.

“Good timing. Here, have this.”

“Eh...?”

I passed what I was carrying to Houki.

“A... ribbon?”

“Happy birthday.”

“Ah...”

It was July 7th. Today was Houki’s birthday. I hadn’t been sure what to get her, so I’d asked Charl to help me pick something out.

“Go ahead. Put it on.”

“Y-Yeah.”

“All right, here I go. This isn’t over yet.” As I spoke, I dashed toward the incoming Silverio Gospel. “Time for a rematch!”

I brandished the Yukihira Nigata in my right hand, and slashed. As it grazed over the IS, I followed up with the new weapon in my left hand—Setsura. It appeared when Byakushiki changed to second shift, and could seemingly adapt to any tactical condition. It seemed to share the same name as the second shift, too. This time, I envisioned an energy claw springing from my fingertips.

“You can’t dodge this!”

A claw more than a meter long sliced through the IS’ armor. Even though it was dissipated by its shield, it was a clean hit.

[Updating data on enemy IS. Engaging with attack level A.] Silverio Gospel spread its energy wings, and the wings growing from its body snapped taut. After evading, it returned strafing fire.

“How many times do you think you’re getting away with that?!”

Rather than dodging, I raised my left hand before myself and switched the Setsura to shield mode. It would absorb the bullets. With a ringing noise, the Setsura changed form. A barrier of light spread out, and the rain of fire from Silverio Gospel had vanished. It was an energy canceler, like the Reiraku Byakuya, but as a shield. It may have had a high cost in energy, but being able to completely cancel the enemy’s attacks gave me the advantage. I’d looked over the datasheets earlier, and they only had energy weapons.

“RAAAGH!”

Byakushiki Setsura’s four gigantic wing thrusters roared to life, as I activated Double Ignition. Even the nimble Gospel couldn’t evade, and I closed in fast.

[Change of tactical situation. Using maximum attack power.]

As Silverio Gospel’s artificial voice announced its next tactic, its extended wings folded in to wrap around its body. They formed into a sphere, and encased itself in a cocoon of energy. Oh no. I have a bad feeling about this. And I was right.

The wings spun around, opening again, and filled the air around it with a storm of bullets. An attack which would hit Rin and the others, who were still recovering. Ugh! Can I protect them?! I dove in front of them to take the blow, only to be kicked away.

“What are you doing?! We may be wounded, but we’re still National Cadets! Don’t worry about us! Take down the enemy!”

“Rin... Okay!”

I had to believe in them. There was no other choice. No matter what, I had to just believe. With Yukihira in my right hand and Setsura in my left, I brought forth the shining blade of Reiraku Byakuya from each, and charged back toward my enemy.

◆

Ichika! He came! Her heart fluttered. Her passion leapt forth. And seeing him fight, she wished, more than anything. I want to fight alongside him. I want to protect him! Wished with all her heart. As if to answer her prayer, sparks of gold blended with the red light of her variable-sweep armor.

“Is this—”

As the stream of data from her hypersensor entered her mind, she could sense energy suddenly flow back into Akatsubaki.

[KENRAN BUTOU ACTIVATED. DAZZLING DANCE. ENERGY BYPASS TO VARIABLE-SHIFT ARMOR: COMPLETE.]

An indicator reading ‘One-Off Ability’ floated before her eyes. I can still fight? Then— Tightening the ribbon she’d received from Ichika, Houki looked at the Gospel and steeled her will. Here we go! Akatsubaki! A crimson streak trailed golden stardust as it sliced across the evening sky, backlit by the setting sun.

◇

“I’ve got you now!” The glowing blades of Reiraku Byakuya cleaved through the Silverio Gospel’s energy wing. Landing a follow-up strike, though, was near-impossible, and my second slash went wide. As I followed through, its lost wing regrew, and coiled for another impossibly-fierce barrage. “Ugh!”

[REMAINING ENERGY: 20%. ESTIMATED OPERATIONAL TIME REMAINING: 3 MINUTES.]

Shit! I’m not going to be able to— I had no clue how much energy a military IS without a limiter had available. Meanwhile, my own was operating at its limits. A sense of unease began to eat at me.

“Ichika!”

“Houki?! But, you took so much damage—”

“Don’t worry about me! Take this!” Houki’s—Akatsubaki’s—hand stretched forth and rested on Byakushiki. At the same moment, a feeling halfway between an electric shock and a burning sensation spread over me, and my vision wavered.

“W-What’s going on? My energy... Is refilling?! Houki, what did you just—”

“Don’t worry about that right now! Just go for it, Ichika!”

“Yeah!”

Focusing again, I raised Yukihira Nigata to its maximum power. A massive blade of pure energy sprung forth from my grasped hands.

“HIIRAAAAAARGH!”

Silverio Gospel ducked to the side to evade my sideways slash, and as it reentered my sight I saw its wing of light begin to curl around me. This is our chance!

“Houki!”

“Got it!” Houki’s twin blades cut a double slash through the wing as it thrust forward. “You’re not getting away!”

The variable-sweep armor on her legs opened up as it drove a fierce kick to the Gospel’s body. As it staggered under the unexpected assault, I slashed back upward, cutting through the remaining wing. Finally, with a thrust forward, I sheered the smaller wings from its body.

No turning back now! Bathed in a hail of fire, I thrust Reiraku Byakuya’s blade into the IS’ chest with a roar. As I felt the energy blade make contact, I pushed my thrusters to their limit. Even as I cut through Silverio Gospel, its hand reached toward me. Only as its fingers began to wrap around my neck did the silver IS finally shut down. I panted for breath as the pilot, now armorless and clad only in an IS suit, fell toward the sea.

“Oh no—”

“Jeez, you’re so sloppy.”

Rin had finally recovered from her damage, and scooped her out of the air just before she splashed down. It looked like Charl and Laura were fine too, even if they weren’t exactly unscathed.

“It’s over.”

“Yeah... Finally.”

Side by side with Houki, I gazed up at the sky. The sky, which was so blue earlier, was fading to the warm, dusky vermilion of twilight.

◇

“Mission successful... Is what I’d like to say, but your insubordination is a major problem. When we get back to the academy, be ready for a formal written apology and some special corrective training.”

“Understood...”

A chilly welcome for the returning warriors. The thrill of victory had faded like mist before Chifuyu’s cold reproach. Now, we knelt in the banquet hall. The wait had already been thirty minutes. Cecilia’s face had faded from a bright red to a sickly wan hue, as if signaling oncoming danger.

“Er, Ms. Orimura. Isn’t this enough by now? They’re injured...”

“Hmph.”

Chifuyu’s anger was matched by Ms. Yamada’s concern. She’d been busy assembling first aid kits and rehydration packs.

“Take a quick rest, and then we’ll need to get you checked out. This will be a full-body exam, so undress first. Ah— Wait! Boys and girls will be examined separately! Understood, Orimura?”

Well, of course. That was practically a given. Anyway, the moment she said ‘undress,’ the girls all subconsciously covered up. It stung. Did they think I was the kind of guy to start leering?

“First off, though, make sure you rehydrate. If you don’t pay attention to that kind of thing in the summertime, it can catch up with you fast.”

A quick agreement, and we passed the sports drinks around. They were lukewarm, of course. It wouldn’t have been healthy to just chug something cold.

“Oww... Wow, I think I have a cut in my mouth.”

A metallic taste filled my mouth, which I thought to be blood. I may have bitten myself without noticing during the fight. It looked like I’d be skipping the wasabi in my soy sauce at dinner tonight. That would be hell on earth.

“.........”

“Is there something else, Ms. Orimura?

She had been glaring in our direction for a while, and I was unsettled enough to speak up. Ugh, no, that was probably just going to make her angrier.

“Honestly, that was good work out there... I’m glad you all made it back safely.”

“Eh? Uh...”

A hint of embarrassment flitted over her face before she turned around and it disappeared from our sight. Having seen her worry about us, I silently thanked her. If I had spoken it aloud, I’m sure she would have been displeased.

“.........”

“.........”

“.........”

“.........”

“.........”

Huh? Why were all the girls looking—no, glaring at me?

“Er, Orimura? It’s time for everyone’s checkup, so, um—”

“GET OUT OF HERE!”

Five angry shouts chased me into the hallway. Leaning against the sliding door which slammed shut, I let out a deep sigh.

“Phew...”

For now, the battle was over. I had plenty to think about, and plenty to go over, but for now... I protected my comrades. I did it. Me and Byakushiki.

◇

“So, what happened up there? C’mon, tell me!”

“I can’t. It’s classified.”

Across from me, Charl was happily munching on her dinner as several of the first year students interrogated her. I supposed they had gone after her as she seemed the easiest to strike up a conversation with, but that was a poor decision. Charl was easily the one among us with the strongest sense of responsibility.

“Jeez. You’re like talking to a brick wall.”

“Well, I could tell you, but then I’d have to... You know. Are you sure you want that?”

“Well... That doesn’t sound that great...”

“Okay, then this conversation is over. I’m not telling you anything else.”

The first years grumbled audibly at her statement. She really handled that well. Fending off our classmates was no effort at all. Sometimes, I feel like Charl’s the real big sister in this story.

“Hm? Is something up?”

Charl noticed my gaze and asked why. I didn’t really have a reason, but I felt like it would seem weird to just say “oh, nothing,” so...

“Charlotte, your yukata’s coming open on top.” The girl beside her whispered something in her ear. I had a really bad feeling about this. And lately I’d been right on the money regarding bad feelings about girls.

“Wha—”

As expected, Charl blushed a bright red and nervously clutched a hand to the placket of her yukata. And, hmm? What was that look of absolute defiance?

“Ichika, you pervert...”

“What?!”

Why the sudden wrongful prosecution? Why? Well? Huh?

“I was kidding... You’re fine.”

“......!”

Again, the girl next to her whispered something. As soon as she heard it, Charl’s ears flushed bright red as she stood up. What was going on?!

“.........”

“Wow, this sashimi sure is good. Ahahahah.”

Charl’s defiant glare shifted from me to the girl next to her, who continued eating as if she didn’t notice.

“You have a really dirty mind, Charlotte.”

“What? No way! I just...”

This time Charl was on the receiving end of the teasing. Yeah, I had no clue where this conversation was going.

“Ichika? Uh, sorry about that...”

“Huh? Oh, it’s fine.”

I wasn’t sure, so I gave an honest answer. Well done. Charl sat back down with a thump, and after a quick grin, reached over and pinched the girl’s side. Weird, she seems angry for some reason. Whatever. I had bigger things to worry about, like who was next to me.

“.........”

Chew, chew, chew, chew... Houki, her hair back up in a ponytail, had kept her chopsticks moving the whole meal. I almost felt like she didn’t want to talk to me, and that’s why she just kept eating. Was I overthinking it?

“Ah... Houki?”

Suddenly the chewing came to a stop.

“Um, are you okay? You’re not hurt or anything, right?”

Gulp. Houki breathed out quickly, nodded, then continued on chewing. Well, then.

“Hey, Houki.”

She shuddered in surprise. After a pause she set her chopsticks down and turned toward me. The motion was so awkward that anyone else would probably have been able to tell that something was up, too.

“W-What?”

“Oh, something about you just seemed a bit off.”

“Off? Are you sure?”

Ugh, I really tripped over myself there. Why was she being so polite? No, really, it was weird. Houki has been way too quiet since the end of that fight. I couldn’t even say ‘quiet as a mouse,’ since at least they’d squeak in surprise. I’d been beginning to learn lately from how people reacted to me that girls really didn’t like it when you pointed out that they were doing something weird. It didn’t really make sense... But it was definitely happening, so I kept my mouth shut.

“Um. Honestly, never mind.”

“Uh... Ahh. Sure.”

It really felt like I put that the wrong way. I could see Houki’s shoulders slump as she returned to eating, albeit at a much slower pace. I’m sorry, Houki...

“.........”

“.........”

Houki and I finished our meals without really saying anything more. Honestly, even though it was probably extremely tasty, I barely even remember it.

◇

Whooosh, crash.

“Phew...”

I gave myself a few taps on the head as I got out of the water. Shaking my head from side to side to clear the water from my ears, I then sat down on a nearby rock.

After a short rest, I’d left the resort for a nighttime swim. A full moon left the world around me bright, even late into the night. The calm sound of the ocean filled my ears as I gazed up at it. You know, I feel like I had a dream this afternoon... I wonder what it was about? I felt like I remembered it clearly when I woke up, but now I couldn’t even pin down what it was about. That may just be how dreams were, but it felt like it was something very important, and forgetting left me feeling troubled.

“I-Ichika?”

Hearing my name suddenly called out, I turned around. Standing in the moonlight was Houki in a swimsuit.

“Houki? Now that I think of it, I didn’t see you yesterday—”

“Don’t stare like that... It’s making me nervous...”

“Sorry.”

I quickly turned back around. Even though I only saw her swimsuit for a few seconds, it was burned into my mind. It was white. A white bikini, which was rare for Houki—or at least the kind of thing I would never have imagined her wearing. There were black lines around the hems, and the cut left little to the imagination—it was, maybe... Sexy? Yeah, sexy. Wow, this is awkward. I tried to figure out a way to take my mind off it, but I didn’t have much luck. Even though there was a space of around a meter between us, I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

“.........”

“.........”

“Errrr... You know...”

“Yeah...”

Forcing myself to ignore my pounding heart at all costs, I hunted for something to make small talk about. But what came out of my mouth next was anything but.

“That swimsuit looks great on you... I think it’s fine.”

“Ah—”

I could tell that Houki was shying away. As I stole a peek at her face, I saw it glow red.

“Oh, this? I, uh... I got ahead of myself when I went shopping... I made myself put it on, but it’s just so embarrassing...”

It seemed like that was why I didn’t see her during the free time on the first day. Anyway, apparently she found it embarrassing to look at me while we talked, so I turned so we could be facing apart. The moon, hanging between us, lit us like day.

“Hey, Houki...”

“W-What... is it?”

“Why are you being so formal today? You can just talk like normal, it’s fine.”

“Mm...”

I’d wanted to ask her that since dinner. She sat silent for a moment, then answered slowly in spurts, as if she had a hard time putting it in words.

“You... You said... You preferred modest women...”

Ugh, so I did. Was that what she was worried about?

“Well, um. I think you’re fine just the way you are. You don’t have to change yourself for me, okay?”

“O-Okay...” It was a bit stiff, but after she cleared her throat again, Houki’s reluctance faded. “Like this?”

“Yeah. That’s the Houki I know. By the way, how’s your hair? Did it get burnt?”

“Y-Yeah, a little. Not badly, though. The ribbon took most of it. And... I mean, I have a new ribbon now, so...”

“Sure. Happy birthday, again.”

“Well... Th... Thanks...”

She finished so quietly that I couldn’t actually hear it, but I could tell what she meant. And, yeah—Houki looked best with a ponytail.

“Er... Um.

How about you? Are you okay? You seemed hurt pretty badly.”

“Me? Oh, I got better.”

“What?”

“Uhh, when I woke up, I was already in my IS, fully-healed.”

“Are you kidding?! That’s impossible!” Houki grabbed me by the shoulder and pulled me into the moonlight. “Your burns... They’re gone... Are you really all better?”

“Yeah. I’m fine. You know what it probably was? The IS’ life support system.”

“That just keeps you alive. I’ve never heard of it healing wounds.”

Tentatively, Houki ran her hands over my back, to feel with her own fingertips that it was unscarred. I heard her murmur “I can’t believe it” to herself, and couldn’t understand why.

“I’m all better now, so no big deal, right?”

“It is a big deal! I... I got you hurt like that, and still...”

“Would you rather I wasn’t better?”

“NO!” She only realized how loudly she spoke after it was out of her mouth. “No, no, it’s not like that at all... I just... I just don’t know how to deal with you being okay with it...”

She sounded almost disappointed, and I didn’t know quite how to react. It seemed like she felt guilty for getting me hurt, and didn’t want to be forgiven just because I was fine now. Sometimes she was really hard to deal with. But if that was how she felt, then I had no choice... I was going to have to punish Houki.

“All right, I’ll punish you for it, then.”

“R-Right...”

Turning back to Houki, I looked closely at her face. Her eyes were squeezed tight, in preparation. This girl, sometimes... I flicked her forehead with a finger.

“Mm?!”

“That’s enough. You’ve learned your lesson about getting overconfident and going off on your own, right?”

“What?!” Houki blinked twice in bewilderment before closing in on me, her face bright red. “Are you just making fun of me?! All that, and you think it’s paid back by flicking my forehead?!”

“Calm down. Don’t get so excited.”

“Silence! I am a warrior! Expecting me to remain silent as my pride is sullied is—”

“Er... Could you back up a little? Something’s rubbing on me...”

My personal orbit had been invaded by two massive cannons.

“......!!”

Houki, suddenly realizing how close she was, ducked back away from me. After gaining a bit of distance, she wrapped her arms around her breasts and gave me a glare of pure defiance. Oops.

“I can’t believe you! Someone’s trying to hold a serious conversation with you, and all you can think about—”

Well, it was true. Sorry. I’m sorry I was born a man.

“S-So... So maybe you do notice them...”

“Huh?”

“Okay, fine then!”

She grabbed my hand and stuffed it... straight into her cleavage. Umm... Houki?

“So? Do you think of me as a woman or not?”

Houki’s voice had suddenly lost its insistence, and was almost entreating. Her embarrassed blush had extended up to her ears.

“Yeah...” There was nothing forcing me to say that, but I let it slip anyway. Surrounded by the sound of the waves, with my childhood friend in front of me in a sexy bikini, under the light of a full moon, it just felt right. And plus—how should I put it... I thought Houki was cute.

“Really... I see...”

Houki took her time chewing over the words before really digesting them. I could feel the heat of her body next to me. We were so close, I was worried she could hear the sound of my own heart pounding.

“.........”

Even the sound of it hammering in my chest was almost enough to break the spell. Suddenly, our gazes met. Ah... I was mesmerized. Her face, lit by the moon, was beautiful. This is bad. Really bad... I think? Even as I thought to myself, the sound of my heart filled—

“C-Cecilia?! What are you doing here?”

“I could say the same, Ling! I don’t even want to imagine what’s going to happen to you for sneaking out of the resort.”

“Okay, Ichika’s—”

“Laura? Rin and Cecilia? Why are you all here?!”

A different pang in my chest. Those voices were unmistakable. It was Rin, Cecilia, Laura, and Charl. From how loud their voices were, they couldn’t be far away. If we stayed where we were, they’d find us. Us. Alone. Together. I think I knew what was waiting for me when that happened.

“Houki, let’s go over there.”

“Eh? Wha—”

I grabbed her hand and pulled her away from the nearby voices, towards an outcropping. There, we climbed up onto a rock. Phew... Let’s just hide out here for a while. If we head back when they leave, it should be fine.

“I-Ichika... This is so sudden... Bringing me somewhere where we can be alone. I...”

“Huh?”

As Houki whispered to me, I turned my face toward her.

“Mm...”

Eh?! W-W-What are you doing, Houki?! Why are your eyes closed? Why are you looking up at me with your lips curled like that?!

“.........”

Her face was truly beautiful as she waited. Oh no. How could I get myself out of this? Dammit... I don’t know if I can resist... Houki shivered as I placed my hand on her shoulder. Then, as she leaned forward, our faces pulled together, and—

Bonk.

Huh? What was that? Leaning in again, I—

Bonk.

Dammit, what does my forehead keep hitting?! Curious, I opened my eyes. I shouldn’t have. Waiting to say ‘hi’ was a floating object with fins. Its tip was punctuated by a rectangular slit.

“Blue... Tears...”

The bit’s barrel poked at my forehead. Whiiiiiiiing.

“Whoa!”

Fshoom! A BT laser scorched my hair as I ducked out of the way.

“Oh my.”

“Now we kill him.”

“Ichika, what were you doing?”

“Ahahaha, hahahahahahaha!”

As I finished my pivot, I was met with four piercing glares. In order, they were Laura, Rin, Charl, and Cecilia.

“Houki! Let’s get out of here!”

“Eh? What? Eek!”

Even though she shrieked as I suddenly picked her up, I didn’t have time to care. It was time to respec to Hare Stance. We sped off, with the four others in hot pursuit. Oh, right. This happened a month ago too, didn’t it? As I indulged myself with reminiscence, the sounds of gunfire drew closer. Stop it, I’ll die! I’ll really die!

◆

“So including Kenran Butou, Akatsubaki operated at a total of forty-two percent of its capacity. Ah well, I guess that’s all I could expect.”

As she looked at the data on a floating display, an innocent grin washed across the woman’s face. Like a child. Like an angel. Like usual, even under the moonlight. Shinonono Tabane always had just a hint of boredom about her.

“Hmm, hmm-hmm.”

As she hummed to herself, she pulled up another display. On it was footage of Byakushiki’s second shift in combat. She sat on the guardrail on an outcropping, swinging her feet back and forth as she watched. Three hundred meters below her, the sea spread out to the horizon. No matter how risky her perch, her expression remained unchanged.

“Wow. The Byakushiki’s incredible. Even healing its pilot? It’s almost like—”

“Like the White Knight, isn’t it. Core #001. The first to see combat. The one you poured your blood, sweat, and tears into.” Chifuyu silently stepped out of the woods. Still wearing her black suit, she carried all the quiet gravity of the midnight shadows she walked through.

“Hey, Chichan!”

“Hey.”

They didn’t turn toward each other. Facing apart, Tabane continued swaying, while Chifuyu leaned against a tree. Even though they couldn’t see each other’s faces, they knew what was written on them. Such was the bond between them.

“There’s one problem, though, Chichan. Where did the White Knight go?”

“You’ll find your answer if you read ‘Byakushiki’ as ‘White Form.’”

“Bingo. I knew you’d be familiar enough with the White Knight to tell.”

The White Knight had been dismantled except for its core, and its analysis had been a major driver in the production of first-generation IS. As for the core, after a certain laboratory was raided, it disappeared from history until eventually coming to reside in an IS called Byakushiki.

“And then, you know... Just as a guess, let’s assume that there was some communication over the core network between your first IS, the White Knight, and your second, the Kurezakura. If that happened, it wouldn’t be surprising at all if they ended up with the same one-off ability, would it?”

“.........”

Chifuyu didn’t answer. Tabane, though, paid no heed to her silence.

“Still, something’s a bit funny. That core was completely wiped before the White Knight was dismantled. I did it myself, so I know it got done properly.”

“Sometimes not everything has to make sense.”

Neither of them really knew. Not Chifuyu, not Tabane. But that didn’t stop Tabane.

“Actually... I think I’ll make a guess, too.”

“Really, Chichan? That’s unusual.”

“What if a certain genius happened to make sure a young boy went to the wrong entrance exam. And meanwhile, she had an IS there set up to operate automatically. If that happened, wouldn’t he be piloting an IS even though men couldn’t?”

“Hmm. I don’t think I have the attention span for that.”

“I suppose. You never did spend that much time on any given project.”

“You’re right. I get bored way too easily,” Tabane giggled.

“So, genius... How plausible does that sound?”

“I dunno. Honestly, I have no idea how to make the Byakushiki do anything. And Icky had nothing to do with IS previously, either.”

“Hmph... Whatever. Next idea.”

“You have a lot of those tonight.”

“And doesn’t that make you happy.”

“Sure does,” Tabane replied, as she continued to listen to Chifuyu.

“What if a certain genius wanted her dear little sister to have a moment in the sun. So she developed a personal IS, and arranged for another to go out of control.”

Tabane didn’t answer. Chifuyu continued.

“And then, just as the rampaging IS arrived, so too would that new high-powered IS appear on the scene. Just so her little sister could make a stunning debut.”

“That’s a funny thing to contemplate. It must be one incredible genius.”

“She really is. One time, she even hacked the strategic commands of twelve different countries to create an historic international incident.”

Again, Tabane didn’t answer. Chifuyu, too, soon fell silent.

“So, Chichan. Do you like how the world is now?”

“It could be worse.”

“I guess.”

The sea winds howled.

“——————”

Her whisper lost in the wind, Tabane vanished. Suddenly. Like a flash.

“.........” Chifuyu sighed and rubbed the back of her head on the tree. Whatever words escaped from her lips were, likewise, carried away on the gale.