Chapter I: Heart Painkiller
Chapter I: Heart Painkiller
“Hyah!”
A clang resounded as Ichika and Ling’s blades clashed together. It was September 3rd. Classes A and B had joined up for the second semester’s first live-fire exercises.
“Ugh...”
“You’re not getting away, Ichika!”
They’d each taken up the banner of their class, and Ichika had come out the gate strong, but Ling had begun to claw her way back into the fight. The reason was clear and simple: Byakushiki in second shift was even more of a resource hog.
“You used your shield too much in the beginning!”
“This isn’t over yet!” Ichika swung his katana as he yelled, but the glow of Reiraku Byakuya had already faded from Yukihira Nigata, leaving it as nothing but a normal blade. Now that he was in second shift and had the Setsura weapons pack, he also had a particle cannon in his left hand, but that too was almost completely drained of energy.
“You’ve already lost! My Shenlong’s designed to be a steady, efficient, practical fighter...! Impact cannon!” As the roar of cannon fire echoed, Ling darted away. Seizing the opportunity, she followed up by throwing the linked Souten Gagetsu.
“Ugh!”
Ichika managed to parry, but the force of the impact tore his sight away from Ling. Only a moment later, his hypersensor picked her back up, but by then it was too late.
“Ungh!”
She had grabbed his ankles from below, and slung him toward the ground. The glare of the sun filled Ichika’s vision, only to be blocked out by a shadow.
“Got you!”
“......?!”
Still hovering upside down, Ling opened fire again with her impact cannon. A dozen or so shots slammed into him as the bell rang to end the match. Needless to say, Ichika had lost.
◇
“That’s two wins in a row for me. Looks like you owe me lunch!”
“Man...”
I’d lost both the first battle and the runback in training today. After cleaning up, we’d gone to the dining hall like usual. Rin’s smug gloating over her victories twisted the knife in me as I ate. Oh, and today’s menu was mackerel in a miso sauce. The tangy white miso was an excellent accent for the tender mackerel. Hm, yeah. The lunch ladies had done a great job, like usual.
“How’s yours, Laura? Good?”
“Yeah. I never expected I’d have a schnitzel this tasty anywhere outside of Germany.”
Charl and Laura were getting along well, as usual, and Laura sliced off a bite of her veal cutlet from a plate stacked high with German cuisine.
“Want to try it?”
“You sure?”
“Mm.”
“Thanks, then! You know, I’ve always wanted to try schnitzel.”
After taking it and lifting it to her mouth, Charl lit up with a smile.
“Mmm! This is delicious! The meats are so good in German cooking.”
“I guess. We’re good at potatoes, too.”
Laura, perhaps pleased at hearing her country praised, blushed slightly. Seeing that was enough of a cue for the other girls to all start talking about cooking as well.
“Doesn’t Germany have a lot of good desserts, too? Like baumkuchen and stuff. I’m a little bit jealous, China doesn’t have anything like that.”
“Oh? I’ll have to ask my squad to send some frankfurter kranz.”
Hmm, what was that? Oh, right. A butter cake topped with caramel-covered walnuts. It’s made in a ring shape, almost like a crown. Baumkuchen’s a ring shape too. I wonder why German chefs like having the hole in the middle so much?
“You know which German dessert I’m taken with? Berliner pfannkuchen.”
Charl was visibly surprised at Cecilia’s favorite.
“Eh? You mean the jam-filled donuts? That vanilla icing must be loaded with calories. I’m surprised they’re your thing.”
“I’m fine! I keep my calories counted! Yes, as I eat a berliner I accept that nothing else will pass my lips that day...”
All the resolution of a warrior preparing to fast. Why not just eat dessert if you want to? Yeah... If I asked them that they’d probably all be mad.
“Well, jam-filled donuts are tasty.”
Houki, as expected. I remember her always eating her donut at lunch in elementary school, even when the other girls skipped them. Yeah, if I mentioned that she’d definitely be mad.
“You like donuts, Cecilia? I should make you some sesame jian dui.”
“What are those?”
“A Chinese dessert. You wrap red bean paste in rice dough and then coat it with sesame seeds. Then you fry it.”
“That sounds delicious! But the calories...”
“Well, if you ever want to try it, just ask.”
“You’re a kinder person than I thought, Ling.”
“‘Than you thought’? What do you mean, ‘than you thought’!?”
Rin and Cecilia were just as dynamic a duo as ever.
“I like Japanese desserts, personally. They’re just so elegant.”
Laura seemed to love the jellies at the green tea café we’d all visited together over summer break, and she’d been back there over and over. When she told her friends back home about it, they were only able to stifle their jealousy when they realized it was getting in the way of asking her to send back raw yatsuhashi. For soldiers, they certainly are very, ah, informal sometimes.
“If spring is for sugar candies and summer is for jellies, fall is for manju.”
“Oh? And then what in winter?”
“Senbei.”
Houki truly understood the Japanese mindset. All the talk about dessert was making me hungry. I shouldn’t have been sitting around just chatting like that. I needed to think about IS. Especially about my IS, Byakushiki.
“Blah... I just got a power-up, so how’d I lose?”
“I told you, you burn too much power. It was bad enough when you had one weapon which burned shield energy, but now you’ve got two.”
“Hmm...”
Even beyond, the enlargement of the wing thrusters had increased their energy consumption. My time in Ignition Boost was down to two-thirds, and being half again as fast was scant comfortable. Not that that ate my shield energy, but it did draw from the same pool as my particle cannon, so I needed to get better at rationing its use.
I need to learn how to move smoothly between melee and ranged combat. I need to rethink my tactics. Then I need to get more practice shooting, get more experience with my new equipment, and... Gah! There was a mountain of things to focus on! But top priority, unchanged from First Shift, had to be getting a handle on energy usage. Energy... Hmm, energy. Where can I shave a little bit off? Sigh...
“Well, you know! Team up with me and that problem’s solved!” Houki suddenly interjected with crossed arms.
Her IS, Akatsubaki, has the one-off ability Kenran Butou which was essentially the opposite of Byakushiki’s Reiraku Byakuya—it amplifies any energy, no matter how little. It was also capable of transferring energy to other IS just by contact, when most IS couldn’t transfer it at all.
Didn’t Chifuyu say something about that? Like, Byakushiki and Akatsubaki are a matched pair designed to be operated in concert. Which would also make them each other’s natural counter. Byakushuki destroying energy, Akatsubaki amplifying it. Each was the key to the other’s defeat...
“Why do you look so conflicted? You’re my bride. You should team up with me.”
Laura prodded at my right cheek. Lately she’s lightened up a lot, and jokes around like this, but she still does it with a deadpan sullen look.
“Not happening. I’m teaming up with Ichika. We’re childhood friends, and Shenlong is good at short and medium range so it’s a good match for Byakushiki.”
“Why, the nerve! If anything, then, my Blue Tears is ideal as long-ranged support. After all, isn’t that Byakushiki’s greatest weakness?”
“I was his childhood friend before you were! And plus, Byakushiki and Akatsubaki just... They just look perfect together...”
I couldn’t quite make out the last bit of what she said, but it was obvious that Houki and the rest all wanted to team up with me. But why, though?
“Hmm. You know, we haven’t even been doing team tournaments lately.”
“You never know when they might announce one.”
“Well, if it happens... I’ll team up with Charl.”
“Huh? Me?!” Charl paused with her carbonara halfway to her mouth as she suddenly became the center of attention. Putting down her fork and spoon, she fidgeted her fingers together as she looked at me querulously.
“B-But why?”
“We did before, right?”
“Oh, right...” The shine faded from her eyes as she looked dejectedly back at her plate. What was up with that?
“Sigh... I knew it’d be something like that...”
Her sigh was the signal for the other girls to turn on me.
“You’re terrible.”
“You just don’t understand women at all, do you.”
“Sometimes you’re just too much of a blockhead.”
“It’s okay, Charlotte. Let me get you a café au lait to cheer you up.”
“Thanks, Laura. Everyone.” Charl’s eyes lit back up as she smiled at them in gratitude. She avoided eye contact with me, though.
“I wasn’t just saying it for your sake.” Rin blushed a little as she folded her arms, as if it embarrassed her to say it out loud.
Charlotte chuckled, “You say that, but I know you’re trying to be kind.”
“Hmph!”
Charl’s so good at handling girls and guys. It must be great to have that kind of charisma.
“...Why are you looking at me?”
“You must be imagining things, Houki.”
“...Why are you looking at me now?”
“You must be imagining things, Laura.”
My excuse wasn’t enough to spare me from simultaneous karate chops from both of them.
“I don’t know what you’re thinking, but it has to be something rude.”
O-Of course not!
Another pair of chops.
“Ugh...”
“Hmph.”
Things kept on like that until the end of lunch, and we returned to the arena to get ready for afternoon exercises.
◇
“This place is just too big.”
The empty silence of the locker room which was all my own unnerved me. I tried to put it out of my head as I sat in my IS suit, going through Byakushiki’s console. Hmm... Setsura chews through way too much energy. I wonder if I can tone it back a bit. As I thought that, the world went black around me. No... It literally did.
“......?!”
“Guess who!”
Eh?
Eh?
Ehh?
Who was it?
The voice from behind me was a woman, one who sounded too old to be a classmate. But the cheeky grin I could imagine from her voice was that of a kid playing a prank. The fingers covering my eyes were smooth, and a bit cold. They felt wonderful, so wonderful I couldn’t respond for a few seconds.
“Time’s up!” I turned around to see whose hands they were. “Who... are you?”
It was a girl I didn’t recognize. Uh... How could I have guessed, then?
“Fufufu...”
The girl in front of me—by the color of her ribbon, she had to be a second-year—smiled at my confusion before raising a fan she’d pulled from somewhere over her face. She was definitely a strange one. Her attitude was relaxed. In a good way, a calming way. But the saucy grin on her face wiped that away.
It made me nervous, wondering what she had planned for me. She was mysterious. Almost alluring—maybe that was too positive of a way to think of it.
“And you are...? Ah—”
She was looking past me. I turned to see what she was focused on, and—
“Tricked you!” She poked my cheek with her fan.
“.........”
“Anyway. If you don’t hurry up, Ms. Orimura will be mad.”
“Eh?”
My heart sinking, I looked at the clock on the wall. I was already three minutes late.
“Whaa? Oh crap! I’m in trouble!”
I turned back to look at the person who’d made me late, but she was already gone.
◇
“Any further explanation for your tardiness?”
Hell’s Teacher, Orimura Chifuyu, had not a shred of mercy in her heart.
“C-C’mon! I told you! A girl I didn’t recognize was—”
“Okay, so what was her name?”
“I just told you! I’d never even met her before!”
“Oh? So you’re late because you’d rather chat up new girls than make it to class?”
“Wait, no, that’s not—”
She had no interest in any further excuses.
“Dunois, show the class your Rapid Switch. If you need a target, I don’t mind if you use this idiot.”
I mind, though!
“.........”
Praying for a reprieve, I smiled wanly at Charl. She smiled back, like a ray of hope from the heavens. I knew you were on my side, Charl! I knew you wouldn’t do anything like that!
“Understood, Ms. Orimura.”
“Go ahead.”
Bwah! That may have been the smile of an angel, but it was definitely an Old Testament angel. She soared into the air. In her hand, a cluster of light formed into a gun.
“Uh... Charl... Charlotte?”
“What is it, Orimura?”
Ahhh! I could practically see her veins bulging in anger. Why? Why are you angry with me, Charl?!
“Here goes. Revive!”
“W-Wait—”
My words were drowned out in a rat-a-tat-tat of gunfire. GAHH!
◇
“So please! Supply me with a non-energy weapon!”
“Request denied, Cecilia Alcott. Your Blue Tears will continue to gather metrics on BT weaponry. Data on kinetic weaponry is not needed at this time.”
“I know that! I know, just... Ugh, why won’t you listen?”
The sixth period exercise was over, and two classes of girls were packed into a locker room buzzing with conversation. A few paces away from the crowd, Cecilia had her cell phone in one hand, on an international call to her IS maintenance crew lead in England.
“Why are you so insistent on kinetic weapons, anyway?”
“Ugh...”
The reason was clear, simple... And something she absolutely didn’t want to say. An IS with only BT weapons could never beat Ichika’s Byakushiki. Without a way to pierce through his energy-nullifying shield, I’ll never win.
During the afternoon exercise which combined aerial maneuvers with combat, Cecilia was the only one who’d lost to Ichika. Her pride was nearly shattered by her struggles against even the energy-hungry Second Shift Byakushiki. Why only me? A sigh came over the line as she scowled bitterly.
“Alcott. Your mission is to gather combat data on BT weaponry. Understood? Don’t you comprehend the situation we’re in after you lost your new equipment two months ago?”
“That was just—”
“I don’t need to hear any more explanations. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”
Click. The dial tone hung in the air, almost sorrowfully.
“The nerve!”
Cecilia’s arm whipped around as if to sling her phone at the wall.
“Cecilia? What’s wrong?”
“It’s... nothing.”
Charlotte was the one to show concern. She’d already changed from her IS suit back into her uniform, and was drying her hair. Charlotte’s the one who has the least problem with the Byakushiki’s Second Shift... That was because almost all of her weapons used traditional ammunition, but even beyond that, she was a difficult foe.
In terms of performance, it’s Laura, then Charlotte, then Ling, then Houki, Ichika, and me... Cecilia let out a sigh. Habitually pulling up her IS data, her heart sank at the line which read ‘BT weaponry operational efficiency: 37%.’ They say at 100% I’ll be able to control them like extensions of my own body, but... She couldn’t help but not believe it. No one’s ever been able to achieve that. It’s all theoretical. And Cecilia herself was the only national cadet with an A-class compatibility with BT weapons. That was why she was sent to IS Academy. That was why she had her own IS. But if she couldn’t supply the data they wanted, who knew how long that would last?
“Sigh...”
“C’mon, Cecilia. Let’s go get a coffee or something. You can’t stay down in the dumps like this.”
“I know, just...”
Worried that even that wouldn’t cheer Cecilia up, Charlotte continued, “Hey, I have an idea. I’ll invite Ichika and the others too. It’s more fun together, right?”
“If Ichika will be there, I’ll pass...”
Charlotte regretted not realizing that Cecilia’s pride would never let her see her crush after losing to him, but it was too late to take it back. A few seconds later, she tried again, “Just us girls, then. C’mon, Cecilia.”
“Hmm... Well, I certainly appreciate your concern. Thank you.”
Cecilia walked toward her locker, her mood noticeably brightened. Her stride was as proud, as very her, as ever.
◇
The next day, homeroom and part of first period were replaced with an assembly. It was, of course, about the school festival that month. But with so many girls here... It was noisy. Any louder, and it would be distracting.
“And now, the student council president will explain the details.”
The girl who introduced her must have been one of the council members, as the buzz of conversation faded away like the tide rolling out.
“Hey, guys! What’s up?”
“......?!”
I recognized the girl on stage. She was the one in the second-year ribbon who’d appeared in front of me in the locker room the day before. I managed to hold back a shout of recognition as I saw her again.
“Fufufu.”
Our eyes met for a moment, and a grin sprang to her lips. Oh no. I didn’t have a good feeling about this. My heart was pounding. I tried my best not to show my panic as we listened to her speak.
“You know, this year’s just been so busy that I’ve never had a chance to introduce myself! My name is Sarashiki Tatenashi. Your student council president. Nice to meet you!”
The grin on her face was apparently as charming to girls as it was to guys, as I heard sighs well up around me.
“Anyway, for this month’s school festival, we’re going to have a special one-time-only rule. And that is...” She expertly pulled out her fan and drew it to the side, and as if responding to the motion, a floating holographic display opened up in midair. “The Club Battle for Orimura Ichika!”
With an audible snap, she spread her fan wide. At the same time, the display switched to a huge picture of me.
“Eh?”
“EHHH?!” A thunderous roar of applause broke out as the assembly realized she wasn’t joking. I felt an army of eyes fall upon me.
“Let me finish. Normally, each club would propose an event of some sort, with voting held to determine which are funded by the school. But I thought that wouldn’t be as much fun as—” Her fan swung to point directly at me. “Orimura Ichika being forced to join the top club!”
Another roar of applause.
“Omigawd!”
“Prez, you’re amazing!”
“We... We got this!”
“We’re getting started today! Who gives a crap about the Autumn tournament?”
I mean, you should... But really, why would you want me in your club? I’m a guy, so I’d be in different groups than you at meets. And I’d make a pretty bad manager.
“You didn’t even ask whether I wanted to do this...”
Still a bit confused, I looked up at Tatenashi, and she answered me with a giggle and a wink.
I didn’t think a wink was enough to excuse that...
“All right! I can’t wait!”
“Let’s all get together after school and vote on what to do?”
“We have to get first place! Failing that, there is no failing!”
Once you set them off, there was no stopping them.
And thus, without any notice and without any agreement, the battle over me began.
◇
The same day, we had an extra homeroom session after classes. It was an excited discussion of what to do for the festival.
“Um...”
As class rep, it was my job to collect suggestions, but... This is all stuff like ‘A host club with Orimura Ichika,’ ‘Play Twister with Orimura Ichika,’ ‘Spin the bottle with Orimura Ichika,’ and ‘Truth or dare with Orimura Ichika.’
“Rejected.”
The classroom echoed with dismay.
“What’s wrong with you all? Who would even enjoy something like this?!”
“I definitely would!” a girl shouted out.
“Yeah! Do your job and make us girls happy!”
“Orimura Ichika belongs to us all!”
“The other classes have been all over us with ideas. Especially in my club.”
“Remember, you’re helping us out!”
“Endure it for our sins.”
Umm. What do I even do about this? The only person I could maybe look to for help was Chifuyu.
“Seems like it’s going to take you a while. I’ll be in the faculty room, tell me when you’re finished.”
Such a kind sister.
“Ms. Yamada, we can’t actually do these kinds of things, right?”
“W-Why are you asking me?”
Oh, come on.
“Honestly, the one with the bottle sounds nice.”
A blush rose to Ms. Yamada’s face. Asking her was a mistake...
“Does anyone have any more normal ideas?”
“How about a maid café?” Surprisingly, Laura came up with that.
“Eh?” I wasn’t the only one surprised. The rest of the class was as well.
“It would be popular. We could earn money for the class selling snacks. And aren’t non-students able to get tickets too? They’ll probably want somewhere to take a break.”
She was as blunt as ever, but it still didn’t sound quite right coming from her, and it took a few seconds for it to click with everyone.
“Um... What do you think?”
Laura had hoped for a majority agreement, but we were all too stunned to say anything.
“Sounds good to me. We could have Ichika be the butler or the cook,” Charl followed her up, and the cover fire was just what was needed for a direct hit.
“Orimura as a butler? That sounds great!”
“That’s it! You’ve got it!”
“Where are we getting the outfits? I do costumes for the drama club, I can sew them!”
The class suddenly erupted in a flurry of activity. Once they were started, there was no way I could stop them. Ah well. I guess it’s fine if I just think of it as a café with costumes.
“I have a contact who can get me maid outfits. I’ll see if she can lend me those and a tuxedo.”
Surprisingly enough, that was Laura again. Everyone’s eyes went wide in shock as they realized who was saying they’d do what.
“Ahem— I mean, Charlotte will.”
Laura wilted, blushing in embarrassment, under the stares. Charl, meanwhile, looked confused at suddenly being the center of attention and replied with, “Er, Laura? Wait, do you mean... From last month?”
“Mm.”
“I’ll ask, but no guarantees...”
The class responded to her ambivalence with a “That’s okay!” in unison. And thus, class 1-A settled on a maid—well, a ‘Servant Café.’
◇
“So... Class A has decided on a café.”
I was in the faculty room, reporting to Chifuyu on what our class had chosen.
“A smart choice. So, what’s the catch?”
“We’ll be in costume. That’s what they decided.”
“Who came up with this? Tajima? Liadh? It had to have been one of those troublemakers, right?”
“Um...” Chifuyu’s grin almost made me not want to tell her the truth. But I had to go through with it. “Actually, it was Laura.”
Her face went blank and the room became silent as she absorbed this new information. Ugh, this is ominous. She blinked once, then twice... Then burst out laughing, “Ahahahahah! Bodewig? Really?! I never would have guessed that in a million years. Really? She decided on a cosplay café? Hahahaha, she sure has changed.”
“You weren’t expecting it to be her?”
“Of course not. Not with what she used to be like. Ahaha, Laura wanting a cosplay café...” Chifuyu dabbed tears from the corners of her eyes as she struggled to hold back her laughter. Was it really that unexpected? Even the rest of the teachers were staring at Chifuyu as if they’d never seen her do anything like this before. “Mm-hmm. Anyway, is that all?”
Noticing the looks she was receiving, she cleared her throat and regained her composure.
“Yes. That’s all,” I plainly replied.
“Very well, then. This requisition form is for any equipment or food you’ll need. It will need to be turned in a week in advance. Understood?”
That sounds like a lot of work...
“Un-der-stood?” Chifuyu reemphasized.
“Yes, ma’am.”
Her insistence made me subconsciously straighten my back as I answered. She’d always been a bit scary when she got like that. But I guess she has changed. I didn’t really remember clearly, but in middle school, she always seemed so scary. Like a knife ready to cut anything it touched, no matter how close we were. She’s softened up a lot since I started high school, though. Hmm, she used to hang out a lot with Tabane back then. The genius inventor Shinonono Tabane... Chifuyu was probably the only person in the whole world on a level with her. No, definitely. I knew it for sure.
“Oh, and remember. The school festival will have military high brass and representatives from the IS industry all over, so civilians will not be allowed—with the exception of one companion for each student. Be sure to choose yours wisely.”
“Ah, yes.”
Having finished reporting to Chifuyu, I took my leave and exited the faculty room. As the door clicked shut behind me, I let out a sigh.
“Hey!”
“.........” A face I’d never forget was waiting for me just outside. Student council president Sarashiki Tatenashi. “...What do you want?”
“Aw, why so prickly?”
“Do you have to ask?”
She was smiling at me as if she’d never made me late and the assembly had gone perfectly normally.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I thought if I didn’t make a big first impression that you’d forget about me.”
“You didn’t have to go that far.”
I broke off and left for the arena, and she followed alongside me. It looked like she wouldn’t be that easy to shake. She definitely didn’t seem like someone who would take no for an answer. But at the same time, it didn’t seem like she would be insistent—rather, that she’d manipulate the flow of things to get what she wanted.
“C’mon, don’t be so standoffish. It’s not good to shut yourself away from the world when you’re young.”
“And whose fault is it that I want to?”
“Hmm. How about this? I’ll be your personal IS coach. Sound good?”
“I already have plenty of coaches.”
Houki, Rin, Charl, and Laura. Honestly, I had my hands full with coaches.
“Aww, c’mon. I mean, I am the student council president.”
“And?”
“Huh? Didn’t you know? IS Academy’s student council chooses its president by—”
Sarashiki was interrupted as another girl came running in a cloud of dust—no, charging in with a shinai raised to strike.
“Prepare yourself!” the girl exclaimed.
“Wha—” I reflexively placed myself between them, but Sarashiki dodged past me while pulling out her fan.
“Oh, no hesitation... Not bad.”
Amazingly, she parried the shinai with her fan before delivering a karate chop in response. The other girl fell to the ground as a nearby window shattered.
“Now what?!” I exclaimed out of reflex.
A hail of arrows plunged toward Sarashiki. Through the broken window, I could see a girl in the next building over, clad in an archer’s hakama, drawing her bow again. What the hell is going on?
“Let me borrow that for a minute.”
She kicked the collapsed girl’s shinai into the air, then grabbed it from its arc and sent it flying in one smooth motion. It soared out the window and across the courtyard, before striking the archer directly between her eyes.
“Got you!” The door to the janitor’s locker burst open with a bang, and a third assassin sprung out. Her fists were wrapped in boxing gloves, and she moved with the fleet footwork of a champ as she threw her weight into each punch.
“Hmm. They’re certainly enthusiastic today... Oh, by the way, Orimura Ichika.”
“Uh, yes?”
“It seems like you really didn’t know, so let me explain. At IS Academy, the title of student council president proves one thing.” Sarashiki covered her mouth with a half-opened fan, but her excitement was still audible. Through all this, she continued to slip past each and every punch of the boxer’s assault.
“The right to be student council president—the leader of all the students—” She circled around a right jab, then suddenly leapt into the air. “—belongs to the strongest.”
And her foot spun around behind her before plunging into the boxer’s gut like a lance. The boxer plunged back into the locker as if played in rewind.
“Got it?”
The fan she’d tossed into the air while kicking spun around once before she plucked it from the air and snapped it open, demurely holding down her hemline as she landed.
“Did you see them?”
“O-Of course not!”
“Excellent,” she giggled as she closed her fan.
“So... what exactly is going on?”
“Oh? Isn’t it obvious? A shrinking violet like me simply needs a knight to protect her.”
That was an obvious lie.
“Didn’t you just say you were the strongest?”
“Oh dear, I’ve been found out,” she replied with another bemused chuckle. It didn’t really matter, but her laughs were always so refined, and so natural. Just what kind of person was she? “Anyway, to put it simply. The student council president is the strongest, but it’s open season on them. If they’re defeated, the person who pulled it off becomes the new president.”
“That sounds... chaotic.”
“Well, there haven’t really been many attempts since I became president, until now. I guess it must be—” She pulled me toward her, her face drawing closer. So close! Too close! “Your fault?”
“W-Why?!” The smell of flowers softly filled my head. My heart pounded, suddenly unable to relax.
“Hm? Ever since I announced you as the prize of this month’s school festival, the sports and martial arts clubs that don’t think they have a very good chance have turned to naked force. They think that if they depose me, they can cancel the competition and take you for themselves.”
I wanted to fire back with ‘You think?’ but it seemed like her guesses were pretty much on the money. It felt like she was really good at reading people. Which was terrifying, because it meant she could probably tell just how hard my heart was pounding.
“Very well, then. Will you join me in the student council room for a drink?”
I sighed in reply.
“Can I take that as agreement?”
I... couldn’t exactly disagree so I said, “Fine, I’ll go.”
“Excellent. I like it when you’re honest, Orimura.”
“Just call me Ichika.”
“Okay. Call me Tatenashi, then. Just Tat for short.”
“I’m fine either way.” I let out another sigh as I shrugged. There was no arguing with her. Her face beamed with delight as she recognized my resignation. It was different from her mature smile from before. Almost childlike—almost like a child who’d just pulled off a successful prank.
◇
“...How long are you just going to slack off like that?” came a voice from the other side of the door to the student council room.
“Iss late... Mmmm, tired...”
“Pull yourself together.”
“Okay......”
I couldn’t quite put my finger on why, but hearing that voice made me sigh.
“Hm? What’s wrong, Ichika?”
“I feel like I recognize that voice from somewhere...”
“Oh, right. She must be here.” Tatenashi opened the door. It swung silently on its hinges with a weight that suggested quality. “I’m back.”
“Welcome back.”
Greeting us was a third-year. She already looked the part of a serious hard worker with her braided hair and glasses, and the file folder in her hand just completed the picture. Behind her, though, was a face I didn’t expect at all.
“Wow... It’s Orimu...”
It was Miss Casual. Wait, what? Really? What’s she doing here?
“Sit right down. I’ll have some tea ready in a minute.”
“Okay...”
Miss Casual seemed even more sleepy than usual, as her face barely lifted three centimeters from the table before seeing me and drooping back down.
“We have a guest. Get a hold of yourself.”
“I can’t... Tired... Wanna go home...”
“Well, that isn’t happening.”
Her last hopes were crushed by the stony demeanor of the third-year. To soften the blow I decided to greet the only familiar face I knew, “Oh, hey, Miss Casual! Tired again?”
“Yeah... Up all night... Every day this week... Sorting wallpapers...”
“Wall... papers?”
“Oh, wow, you two even have nicknames for each other?” Tatenashi, president despite her youth, left the making of the tea to the third-year as she sat elegantly with arms crossed.
“Actually, I just never learned her real name.”
“What?!” For the first time ever, I heard Miss Casual raise her voice as she stood. “That’s so mean! I thought you called me that because you liked me!”
“Uh... Sorry...”
Just as I slouched my head forward in guilt, the third-year returned with tea mugs and interjected, “Stop lying to him, Honne.”
“Tee-hee, you caught me. Fine, fine, sis.”
“Sis?”
“Yes. I’m Nohotoke Utsuho. My little sister here is Honne.”
“Our family’s served the Sarashikis for a long, long time. For generations.”
“Eh? So is the whole student council related in the same way, then?” I asked.
“Yes. The president, of course, is the strongest, but the others are freely chosen up to a limit. So I chose my childhood friends.” Tatenashi explained the council’s membership. So they all grew up together, huh? I guess because their families were connected?
“Serving the young mistress is my duty.” Utsuho, having finished with the tea, poured it into the mugs. She bore herself with all the precision of a secretary or head maid.
“Stop calling me ‘young mistress.’”
“I’m sorry. I’m too used to it.”
It seemed like the Sarashiki family was of some repute? Tatenashi’s comportment made it obvious, I guess.
“Here you are, Orimura.”
“Th-Thank you.” Utsuho’s formality made me stiffen up in response.
“Honne, could you get the cake from the refrigerator?”
“Sure thing! See, I can do a good job as long as I’m awake!”
If you say so... She was still as slow as ever, and she stumbled as if still in a daze. But somehow, she stayed upright as she retrieved the cake.
“Orimu, this bakery... This bakery’s cakes are super, super, super, super tasty...” As she spoke, she served herself a piece as well.
“Stop that, Honne. Do you want him to think we were raised in a barn?”
“Oh, come on, it’s fine. Plus, it’s really tasty.”
She was gleefully licking the cream from the plastic wrap, to her sister’s dismay. With a dull thud, a fist interrupted her from continuing any longer.
“Oww... That hurt...”
“Would you like another? Because it’s coming if you keep talking.”
“I didn’t even say anything...”
Tears welled up in Miss Casual’s eyes.
“Yes, yes, we know just how close you two are. But right now, we have a guest,” interrupted Tatenashi.
“My apologies.”
“I’m sorry...”
The three then turned to me and Tatenashi spoke up first with, “Anyway, let me explain. We’ve received a number of complaints that you aren’t in any clubs. So as the student council, we decided that you must join one.”
“And that’s the reason for the voting at the school festival?”
What a pain in the butt that would be. I had my hands full just with IS training. I didn’t have time for clubs. I don’t think I could handle a club full of girls anyway. Just mentally couldn’t do it. Like, say I joined a team. Where would I change? Where would I shower?
“Yes. As compensation, I’ll also be giving you special training until the festival. Both in IS and on foot.”
“Thanks for the offer, but I’ll have to pass.”
“Don’t say that. Oh, and do try the tea. It’s excellent.”
“If you insist...” The smell of flowers wafted to my nose. I drank slowly, letting the aroma soothe me as I enjoyed its perfect warmth. “It’s delicious.”
“Utsuho makes the best black tea in the world. Try the cake next.”
That sounded like a good suggestion, and I helped myself to the shortcake covered in whipped cream. The cream was a luscious accent rather than overwhelming—wait, since when was I a restaurant reviewer?
“Now, will you let me teach you?”
“I don’t need it. Why do you care so much about it, anyway?”
“Huh? Isn’t it obvious? Because you’re weak.”
The words left her lips so casually and matter-of-factly that I didn’t realize what she’d said at first. When it sunk in, though, I was... honestly a little bit mad.
“I definitely don’t think I’m that weak,” I rebutted.
“But you are weak. Extremely weak. And that’s why I want to improve you.”
I’m only human. There’s no way I could stand hearing that. So before I knew it, I was on my feet, pointing at Tatenashi and said, “All right, let’s fight then! If I lose I’ll go along with you.”
“Excellent.”
The grin on her face practically screamed: “You just activated my trap card.” What did I just get myself into?
◇
“Uh, what’s this?”
“Hakama?”
“I know that, I mean—”
It was after classes had let out, and Tatenashi and I were facing each other in a rush-matted dojo. Each of us were in the white gi and navy-blue hakama traditional to Japanese martial artists. Oh, and we were the only ones there. The Nohotoke sisters apparently had other work to take care of. It still amazed me that Miss Casual was on the student council.
“All right, here’s how this will work. Drop me to the floor, and you win.”
“Eh?”
“And if you can’t keep fighting anymore, I win. Does that sound good?”
“Well, um...” I wanted to ask “Isn’t that unfair to you?” but before I could get it out of my mouth, she cut me off.
“It doesn’t really matter. I’m going to win anyway.”
I knew she was trying to provoke me, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t working. When I studied the blade at Houki’s dojo, I also learned barehanded martial arts in case my sword broke. I may have been a little rusty, but once you learn that kind of skill it stays with you forever.
“Here I come,” I said, as I readied myself.
“Any time, now,” she replied.
The smile stayed on her face. Her cool composure made her seem even more mysterious than usual. Anyway, let me see what I’m up against. I dropped into a crouch and stepped toward her, reaching for her arm, and—
“......?!”
In the blink of an eye, I was flipped over and dropped to the floor. A feeling of pressure burst through my lungs, taking my breath away. I sputtered, and instantly, she was at my throat, her finger probing for my jugular.
“Ugh...”
“That’s one.”
As it sunk in for me that she could have killed me at will, she stepped back. She’s tough! I realized I’d never manage to win this unless I treated it like a match with Chifuyu. But that meant I couldn’t take any risks, either. I was at a stalemate.
“.........”
“Mm? Aren’t you coming? I suppose I’ll get us started, then.”
Instantly, she was upon me. Her footwork was impossibly vivid—no, was the traditional ‘no moment’ technique.
Every person alive has a rhythm. The pulse of their heart. The pace of their breath. When people are in perfect sync, it’s two hearts beating as one. When they’re very much not, one marches to the beat of a different drummer. Attacking at your own body’s rhythm is the ‘striking moment.’ Using it to shrug off blows is ‘guarding moment.’ And then, beyond that, hiding your own rhythm to become completely unreadable... Is ‘no moment.’
“Oh no—”
Three quick blows, to my elbow, shoulder, and gut. Then, the moment I stiffened in reaction, a double-palmed strike directly at my lungs. I gasped for air, as the world spun around me. And then—
“Watch your step!”
I collapsed backward onto the floor. As she threw me, she drove her finger into pressure point after pressure point, ensuring that my body wouldn’t listen even as I tried to scramble to my feet.
“That’s two. Shall we keep going?” Tatenashi, without a wrinkle on her outfit, smiled down at me.
I’m a man, dammit! I won’t give up this easily!
“I’m not done yet!” My words were firmer than my knees, and I wobbled as I exhaled.
“Fufu. I like boys with a bit of fire in them.”
“Thanks, I guess.”
Inside my heart, I screamed at my legs to stop shaking. Facing Tatenashi again, her smile was the same as always, but now it terrified me. It was like a deep, dense fog in a forest, concealing the way out. People aren’t afraid then because of the forest. They’re afraid because of the unknowns hidden in the fog. And her smile hid everything. It was an impenetrable iron wall. Yet it wasn’t a false smile, either. She wasn’t forcing it. I just didn’t understand where it was coming from.
Calm down. Calm down, me. She isn’t a monster. She’s a normal human standing on two feet. There’s got to be some way to get them out from under her. I took two deep breaths. In my head, I formed the image of a steady, unwavering candle flame, and gathered my focus.
“Hmm. Looks like you’re serious now.”
“.........”
I answered with silence, and she replied in kind. The air was thick with tension as we both prepared to go out. I’ve got to take her down in one hit... Here goes!
I attacked with an intensity calculated to break her silence. I moved with the secret Shinonono school technique of ‘zero moment’—moving at my foe’s pace, but a beat earlier.
“......!”
A look of surprise flashed over her face as she took a half-step back. I’ve got her! Before her foot could touch the floor, I grabbed her by the arm and put all my might into—
Slam!
“Ugh!”
I plunged face-first to the ground myself. My vision blurred at I coughed uncontrollably. But through it, I refocused my determination and grasped a hold of her ankle.
“Well, well.”
“I’ve got you now!”
I pulled her foot upward and out from under her as hard as I could, wrapping my arms around her as she began to tumble.
“Did you think it would be that easy?”
Even as I thought I had a secure grip under her arms, she planted her right hand on the floor and pivoted cleanly from my grasp. And at the same time, she unleashed a fierce capoeira kick.
“Wha—”
“It was a good try.”
Mixing traditional martial arts and capoeira?! What the hell is she?! It was no pretense, no self-flattery, that she was the strongest. It was the stark truth. But I still wasn’t going to admit defeat. Now was the time for guts. Manly determination. My will is unbending!
“HIYAH!”
I landed on all fours from the force of the kick and leapt forth again. She had regained her footing, and a smile sprang to her face. Screw techniques! I just need to not lose! I rushed forward and yanked her toward me while winding up a punch. And—
“Ah...”
“Eek!”
Her gi pulled wide open, revealing an ample bosom under her bra. The swelling mounds, wrapped in silken lace, were of a size just as impressive as Houki’s— No! I can’t think about that right now!
“Ichika, you pervert!”
“Wha—”
I had no excuse. That was 100% my fault. As my hesitation left me wide-open, she quietly pushed my arm aside. Dammit! In the next moment, I experienced a juggle combo for the first time. How many times was I hit? I stopped counting after the seventeenth. Because I blacked out.
“Getting to see that much will cost you, you know?”
A giggle. I could have sworn the last thing I heard was a happy giggle.
◇
“Where on Earth did he go? Such a useless bride...”
Ichika’s IS coach for the day was Laura. At the start of the second semester, Ichika had pointed out that all five working with him at once was inefficient, so they’d set up a rotation. And for the first day of his special training, Laura’s luck had landed her the slot, or at rather, a good performance in rock-paper-scissors.
He hardly ever takes the opportunity to spend time with me. It’s inexcusably rude. Laura’s irritated pacing slowed, then came to a stop. Is... Is he avoiding me? She shuddered, as if to shake off the sense of dread that had washed over her. No, it’s not like that! It’s fine. It’s fine... I think. But once the doubt set in, it was hard for her to clear the shadow it cast over her heart. As her anxiety grew with every passing moment, she found it harder and harder to resist breaking the school rules and using the IS private channel to track down his position.
No one’s watching. I won’t get caught. It’s just starting up my IS and checking something, no big deal. Looking a bit guilty, Laura scanned her surroundings, for once not confident in her grasp of the situation. All right. I just need to put my IS into limited standby, and...
She tried to calm the beating of her heart as she focused to bring forth her IS.
“You.”
Laura’s heartbeat echoed. “W-What?!”
Laura spun around in a rage, as much to create a distraction as anything else. But behind her was Chifuyu.
“And what are you up to?”
“Lehrerin...”
With a snicker-snack, the clipboard swung forth. “Call me ‘Ms. Orimura.’”
“Understood, Ms. Orimura...”
Even Laura couldn’t stand up to Chifuyu, or even wanted to, for that matter.
“Listen. I saw Ichika by the nurse’s office.”
“R-Really?! Which one?”
“Get a hold of yourself, it’s embarrassing. The one on the first floor of the club building.”
“First floor of the club building...” Laura mumbled it back to herself as if thinking it over, then gave Chifuyu a quick bow and turned to leave. Before she could go, though, Chifuyu interrupted her.
“Listen, Bodewig. Even if you’ve got your own IS, it’s still against the rules—and a treaty violation—to deploy your IS outside of designated areas.”
“I-I know!” Laura meant to sound as if she’d never considered otherwise, but a bit of residual guilt made her voice waver. “Anyway, if you’ll excuse me.”
“Go ahead.”
Laura barely made it five meters from Chifuyu before her walk broke into a mad dash. As Chifuyu watched her speed away, all she could mutter under her breath was, “Kids today...”
◇
Rustle, rustle. The leaves sang as the breeze wafted through the branches. I was running in the blistering June heat.
I’ve gotta hurry. I didn’t know why, but I knew that I did. As I ran, the sweltering heat sapped my energy. But I couldn’t stop running. No, I couldn’t slow down.
“Ah...”
I saw a person waiting by a well. A gorgeous woman, her hair tied back in a high ponytail, in the white and red of a shrine maiden. Something welled up in my heart, and my pace stopped. Slowly, she turned toward me, her face still hidden from my sight. I could tell she was beautiful, but I couldn’t tell who she was. My heart tensed and—
◇
“Hmm-hmm~♪ Hm-hmm-hm~♪”
A hum filled my ears as I slowly came to. Huh... I squinted as the sun filled my eyes. As I did so, she noticed I was awake, and leaned toward me as if to block its light with her face.
“Are you awake now?”
“Tate... nashi?”
Tatenashi’s face was close to mine. Wait, Tatenashi isn’t a girl’s name, is it?
“Hm? It’s the name always given to the head of the Sarashiki family. I’m the seventeenth.”
“I see...” I replied with a slight nod. I was too groggy to do much more than that. Wait... Did I ask that out loud?
“Hey, hold on a minute!” As I realized my position, I sat up with a start. I thought it was just a soft pillow that happened to smell really nice, but in reality... “What are you doing?!”
“Resting your head in my lap.”
Ugh. I mean, sure, it was obvious in retrospect, but why did she have to stare at me like I was asking a weird question? And why did she have to change clothes? It probably would’ve felt really nice if she still had her tights on instead. Oh no. This is bad. I’ve got a really bad feeling about this. If this keeps up... Just as I moved to back away from her, her hands came down on my shoulders.
“Wha—”
I was pressed back down into her lap. C’mon, let me go!
“Ichika!” The door clattered open, and Laura shouted. As she looked at me and Tatenashi, her face went blank. It’s over. My short life was over. I didn’t even have the willpower to watch it flash before my eyes.
“Target acquired.” Laura was already activating her AIC as her IS formed around her starting from her fingertips. Before it even finished, she slashed toward us, but—
“Waaait!” I cried.
“Fufu.” Tatenashi chuckled as she flung her fan toward Laura’s forehead. Laura flinched for a moment as it struck an unarmored part of her. Seizing the opportunity, Tatenashi snatched it from midair, flicking it open and trailing the edge along Laura’s jugular.
“Ngh—”
Neither Laura nor I could hide our surprise at the swift, graceful motion. It was already too late for Laura’s emergency defenses—Tatenashi was swift enough to secure the kill before they could kick in. Laura ground her teeth, grudgingly accepting defeat.
“That’s a good girl.” Tatenashi patted Laura’s head with her fan, then turned toward me. “Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s get going.”
“Huh? Where to?”
“The third arena.”
Her grin seemed indomitable—or at least undefeatable.
◇
“Huh? What are you doing here, Ichika?”
“Ichika? I’d heard you’d be training in the fourth arena today.”
I hadn’t been expecting Charl or Cecilia, either. They were taking a break from practice, with their IS dematerialized but their IS suits still on. As they saw me enter with Laura and Tatenashi, their eyebrows raised in unison.
“And who might that be?” Cecilia scowled slightly as she asked about Tatenashi.
What’s with that look on her face?
“Uh, Cecilia. It’s the student council president.”
“Ah, I see. I was sure I recognized her face from somewhere.” Charl was trying to polish the edges off Cecilia’s moodiness, but only managed to turn it onto herself. She really did end up taking the heat for other people a lot...
“Relax. What did she do to you? Anyway, I’m Ichika’s personal IS coach now, so we’ll probably be seeing a lot of each other.” Tatenashi let it drop casually, but Charl, Cecilia, and Laura were each startled.
“Huh? How’d that happen?”
“Why, Ichika!”
“Ichika, you...!”
“Wait! I can explain! It’s because I lost a fight! That’s all it is!” I squeezed out the excuse as fast as I could.
“He lost, and now he has to do aaaanything I say.” Tatenashi giggled as she grinned. Well, that isn’t going to improve things.
“Ichika.”
“Why, Ichika!”
“Ichika!”
As expected, each of them wanted their own shot at me, and I was running out of excuses. What was I even doing here?
“Anyway, let’s get started. First, I want you to follow along with someone more experienced. Charlotte. Cecilia. Show him Shooter Flow in Circle Rondo formation.”
Shoo... Huh? Something about London?
“Oh? But that’s a ranged battle stance.”
“If you say so... Are you sure it’ll help Ichika, though?”
It seems I was the only one confused about what was going on.
“Because his Second Shift has a long-ranged— A shooting attack?” Laura interjected warily. It seemed like she was still on edge around Tatenashi.
“You’re clever. But I have another reason, too.” Tatenashi tapped her fan in the palm of her hand as she spoke. “Normally, the most important part of ranged combat is suppressive fire. But something like a high-output particle cannon is more like a sniper rifle. One shot, one kill. However, I’m sure you’re familiar with Ichika’s marksmanship by now and realize that isn’t his strong suit.”
Man, did she have to be so blunt about it?
“Therefore, instead—”
“He needs to close to melee range.”
“Correct. You’re sharp, Laura.” Tatenashi opened her fan as she congratulated Laura. It even had “Impressive” written on it.
When did she swap fans?
“Laura...” Something was up with Laura. She was staring off into space.
“Hey, Laura? You okay?”
“I’m perfectly fine! Don’t look at me!” She slipped past under the hand I’d reached out to put on her shoulder, caught it, and twisted it back. Oww! That hurts!
“Now, if you two lovebirds could pay attention. Charlotte and Cecilia are ready to go, so watch closely.” Tatenashi slapped her fan against her palm.
I’d finally managed to disentangle my arm from Laura’s grip, and was still trying to rub the pain away as I turned toward the arena field.
“Here goes.”
“Ichika. Watch well.”
The Rafale Revive Custom II and the Blue Tears faced each other across the field.
But when they started to move, rather than rushing toward each other, they each strafed counterclockwise. Their movements formed a circle, with each IS keeping its gun trained on the other as it kept its back to the wall.
“Here I come, Cecilia.”
“Ready when you are.”
As they sped up, each began to fire. They kept their circular motion, sporadically accelerating to evade the other’s shots. At the same time, they continued to fire, spiraling ever-faster around the arena.
“You’re good, Cecilia— Ooh, close one!”
“You as well, Charlotte. I never realized a second generation IS could move so fast.”
As they spoke, their fire only increased in intensity.
“This is...”
“Yeah. I thought you’d understand how impressive it was. They’re maintaining precise control over their movement while firing. More importantly, they’re focusing on both evasion and hitting the target. That’s almost impossible if you haven’t mastered your IS.”
The PIC driving the IS is set to automatic control by default. However, this makes precise movement difficult. On the other hand, setting it to manual means you have to split your focus and pay attention to piloting as well. Honestly, it’s something I’d been having a lot of trouble with. Staying calm, not getting caught up in my emotions, paying attention to two things at one time... Just thinking about it made my head hurt.
“You need more experience, but that’s not all you need. You need precise manual control too. Understand?” came a breathy whisper entered my ear. When did she get behind me?!
“I-Ichika?!”
“What are you doing?!”
The duo’s voices rose uncontrollably as they turned toward me.
“Ah—”
Shortly, it was followed by an exclamation of dismay, as they were bathed in each others’ fire. Because they were using manual control, the shock was enough to send them crashing into the wall.
“Are you guys okay?!”
“We’re...”
“Most certainly not!”
They both rocketed upright and flew straight for me.
“We were taking this so seriously!”
“And there you were, fooling around!”
“I don’t think I was fo—”
“Oh yes you were!” Cecilia and Charl resounded in unison.
“Okay, okay...”
I was trapped. Between Charl and Cecilia in a rage, grinning and chuckling Tatenashi, and a sighing Laura.