Chapter III: Cannonball Fast

Sunday. After school. I was hanging around the tennis courts, feeling miserable. It had finally begun. ‘It’ being the Student Council Executive Branch’s Rent-an-Ichika program.

“Phew...”

They had ended up holding a bingo tournament for first dibs. And first place ended up going to the tennis team. But that wasn’t what was really bringing me down. What was really bringing me down was the second half of it, going on on the court right now: the Massage from Ichika Cup.

“Haaah!”

“I won’t lose!”

“I’m gonna get that massage Cecilia wouldn’t shut up about!”

What did you tell them, Cecilia? More importantly, why were you fighting so hard to get another? That just made it seem even worse.

“Here I go!”

“Ugh! So fast!”

“Is that all you’ve got?!”

“Ahh!”

Cecilia, you’re really taking this seriously... Ah well. I supposed it was better than how she had been acting. Lately, she’d been pushing herself harder and harder, spending all her free time in the arenas. If the thought of a massage from me was all it took to take the edge off of that exhaustion, well, it was a small price to pay. She advanced to the finals, and took the crown with straight sets. Meanwhile, I was kept busy bringing the competitors fresh towels and sports drinks.

“Great job, Cecilia. You won it all.”

“Haah... Haah... Of course... I did... Phew...”

“Here’s a towel. And something so you can rehydrate.”

“Ah... Ichika? My arms... My arms feel like noodles... Right now... Could you perhaps... Wipe my face?”

“Sure. No problem.”

That was no surprise, since the victor had to play the most matches. I wiped off the sweat dripping from her face, like she asked. As I did so, cries of sorrow arose from the crowd around us.

“Ah—”

“What are you doing, Cecilia!”

“I know you won, but that’s still no fair! It’s just no fair!”

We were being booed off the court, but Cecilia smirked back while flicking a lock of hair out of her eyes.

“Unfair? But I’m the winner.” As she spoke, she posed with a hand on her hip, seeming almost to shine under the glowering stares.

“Grrr...”

“I hate it! I hate how she acts like a pretty princess!”

“Orimura! You’re gonna have to do that for everyone now!”

Urk. Why were they coming after me?!

“I know! When we go change, we should make him dry our backs.”

“Ah! That’s good! That’s a great idea!”

“I’m soaking in sweat, I could really use it.”

“Doesn’t that sound good, Orimura!”

I was immediately surrounded by girls angling for their turn, and fumbled for a way to deal with them.

“There’s no way I can do that! When you go change... I mean, you’re all going to be in your underwear...”

I let myself dream of the sight. The entire tennis club stripped down to bras and panties as I wandered through the room, scrubbing backs. Ugh, dammit! I can’t!

“Th-That isn’t on the list of what I’m here for!”

“EHHHHH?!”

The boos only intensified.

“C’mon, it’ll be fine!”

“They’re sports bras, so it’s not embarrassing!”

I crossed my arms in refusal and yelled as they latched on like hungry deer at a petting zoo, “No! Absolutely not!”

The booing became so intense that it echoed across the tennis court.

◆

Ahh, how absolutely blissful it will be to receive such a massage again... Cecilia, having thoroughly washed every drop of sweat away, hummed happily as she rinsed the lather off. This was her second shower, the first after practice and the second after returning to her room.

The shiatsu is a touch painful, but the lymphatic massage afterward... Simply wonderful. Imagining the sensation of his palms running over her, she closed her eyes in rapture.

“Hmm~ Hmm-hmm~♪”

The notes of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons sprang from her lips. As a composition which could be played on piano or violin, its melody, rhythm, and tempo were pure and direct. The beauty of Cecilia’s own voice was met with backing from the echoes of the shower.

After I finish washing, I’ll put on some rose perfume. She had really wanted to bathe with rose petals, but had given up on it as too impractical. Still, for the boy she fancied, she wanted to make the best impression possible. But what shall I wear for lingerie? Cecilia pondered whether to wear the sexy ensemble she’d purchased while at home in England over the summer, but the advice she’d received from her maid and close confidante Chelsea ate at her: “I must advise you, overly-showy lingerie rarely does what it’s supposed to.”

I wonder if she may be right... But wait, isn’t she single as well? Still, Chelsea’s knowing laugh as she spoke made Cecilia suspect there was a hint of truth to her words. Perhaps the best choice is no choice at all. Quite risqué, to be sure, but more tempting the longer she thought of it. That’s it. Clothing would only get in the way of a massage, anyway... Something down below, though, of course!

She stepped out of the shower, having settled on a decision. In her dressing area, she chose only a pair of low-rise panties and a silk blouse. This is... a bit too risqué... Suddenly overcome by embarrassment, she buttoned her blouse.

The sensation of her arms brushing against her breasts only fanned her discomposure.

“I must, of course, comport myself as a proper lady.”

It took Cecilia another 30 minutes to finish choosing her outfit.

Finally, before Ichika’s door, she cleared her throat and announced her presence with a timid knock.

“Hey. I’ve been waiting for you, Cecilia.”

“Of course. My sincerest apologies for the wait.”

In the end, she had made the safe choice of a pair of pajamas. They were silk, of course, and their luster gleamed in the soft light. I went with rather conservative lingerie, in the end... I hope it’ll be fine. ‘Safe’ and ‘conservative’ were, of course, relative terms when speaking of a wardrobe easily three times the cost of an average high school student’s, but this was simply a question of her class.

“Let’s get started, then?”

“What?! I-I thought we’d relax with tea first...”

“Oh, right. Sorry.” Ichika patted the empty bed to indicate Cecilia should sit down, and walked toward the kitchen area. “I only have bagged black tea, is that all right?”

“I-I suppose I’ll endure, just this once.”

“Thanks.”

Ba-dum.

As casual as her words were, her emotions were anything but. Her heart was spurred on by thoughts of making her crush hers and hers alone. He... His workouts lately have certainly been quite effective. Ichika had improved as an IS pilot, as well, and was even getting the hang of energy management. Cecilia had watched his progress with mixed emotions.

I’m quite glad he’s becoming strong, but as for my own position... Lately, he hadn’t needed help from her at all, and it stung. When he had asked for training in high-speed combat, she’d turned him down in a fit of pique, but perhaps now was the time to reconsider. As she mulled it over, Ichika returned with the tea.

“Here.”

“Why, thank you.”

It was slightly cooler than normal and easy to drink as she let its taste fill her mouth. Because a hot tea requires such careful sipping... The gracious consideration only made her heart pound harder.

They sat in silence, drinking their tea, for ten minutes.

No. No! I can’t let him think I’m so dull that I can’t even carry on a conversation! Ichika, of course, was just as silent, but Cecilia abhorred the vacuum between them and cast about for a topic.

“I must ask, Ichika. How are you finding the student council?”

“Huh? Hmm. I had been helping out until now, but now I’m being rented out to other clubs. Honestly, it’s hard work.”

“It must feel wonderful to be in such demand.”

“Really? Does it even make anyone happy that I’m there?”

“Well, I certainly was!” Cecilia, without thinking, leaned forward enthusiastically.

“I guess. But calm down a little, okay?”

“Understood...”

As she sat back down on the place Ichika had patted, she finished her tea.

“Hmm? Are you done with your tea too? Let’s get started with the massage, then.”

“O-Of course!” Embarrassed by her stutter, Cecilia lay down on the bed. “Er, Ichika...”

“Yes?”

“Well, umm...”

Shall I say it? Wait, will he think I’m strange? No! Just let it out!

“Shall I take off my drawers?”

“Wha—”

“I-I thought it would make it easier to massage!”

“It’ll be fine. Don’t worry about it, Cecilia. And please don’t start sounding like Tatenashi.”

Hmph. So he’s heard that from her before? Simply unforgivable. Just—I mean, just as a lady!

“Cecilia?”

“What is it?!”

“Try to relax a little bit more. You’re all tense.”

“Understood.”

She took a deep breath and relaxed. Just as she began to calm down, though, her pulse raced again at the realization that Ichika was about to touch her.

“All right, I’ll start with your legs.”

“Very well.”

As her heart raced, he laid a palm on her leg. Ba-dum!

The massage slowly began, accompanied by the sound of her silk pajamas rustling as they rubbed between her legs. It was all she could do to hold back her excitement, as even the sensation of the massage barely reached her racing mind. Ahh... It still feels so good... His palms released the stress and exhaustion which filled her legs. Not just through the touch alone, but through it being his. Cecilia, filled with a satisfaction beyond words, let out a warm sigh.

“Ahh... Ichika, you’re quite good at this...”

“Mm. Thanks.”

With her calves done, Ichika moved to her thighs. The touch raced up her spine like a bolt of lightning, and she struggled to form a coherent sentence.

“So, ur, what do you think? About my figure.”

“Hmm? Your legs are nice and long. Have you ever modeled?”

“A number of my duties as a national cadet have been quite similar. Lately, we’ve been treated almost as idols.”

“I see. You’ll have to show me pictures sometime.”

“Of course. I’ll bring some by later.”

Cecilia’s words were nonchalant, but her mind raced as she thought of which to bring. There are some in gowns, but many in my usual clothes as well... And a few in swimsuits... She regretted not having taken the photoshoots more seriously now that this moment had come. In fact, she could barely remember what she had worn this summer at her family manor. In other words, it was a complete failure.

It’s no fair only asking me now, Ichika! Cecilia, irked, puffed out her cheeks. But the massage felt so good that the frustration lasted not even two minutes. It feels so wonderful... She sighed languidly as he moved from her knees to her thighs. Finally, with her hip joints done, Ichika hesitated for a moment before moving on.

“Ahh... Um, er... Shall I move on to your lower back?”

“Not at all! I’d like you to massage it all, even... Even my rear...”

“Okay.” Ichika nodded as if working up his own gumption, and took a deep breath.

Perhaps he’s beginning to notice me, too? That she was a woman. That she was a potential partner. Still, it’s embarrassing to be touched there...

“We-Well, Cecilia. Here goes.”

“As you will.”

The pounding in her chest was becoming painful. Cecilia swallowed nervously, cautious to not be noticed, as she waited for Ichika’s touch. I’ve done 30 minutes of lower-body stretches a day. That... That should be enough, right?

Ba-dum, ba-dum, ba-dum.

Smoosh.

“Mm?!”

Ichika’s fingers sunk into the soft flesh. Cecilia, thinking more of it being Ichika’s hands on her butt than of the massage, felt her mind begin to boil over as her face flushed bright red.

“Am I tense there?”

“A-A bit, I guess. Wait, I know. Cecilia, do you play the piano?”

“Yes. When I perform, I’m intensely focused, and of course... During practice, I’m seated for hours on end...”

“I see...”

“Indeed.”

Ichika and Cecilia both hunted desperately for something to speak about. Meanwhile, in Ichika’s brain... Wow, it’s so soft! It’s even softer than Tatenashi’s! Oh man, I gotta focus... And so on.

Hoping to move on to her lower back quickly, Ichika sped up. But it just made the sensations on his palms more intense, as he blushed while leaning over her.

“Should I move on to your back now?”

“Very well.” Cecilia longed to be touched just a little more, but realizing she was approaching her own limits, she nodded along to Ichika’s suggestion. Any more and... Well, any more should happen after we’re dating...

“If it hurts, tell me.”

“Of course.”

As he practiced shiatsu on her back, she was enveloped in pressure, but also in the comfort of his light touch. Unlike her rear, for her back, he worked each joint intently, and soon another sigh of relaxation and something more wafted from her lips. Ahhh... It feels so good... Like my exhaustion from today is floating away...

Her euphoria stretched out another five or ten minutes. Then, as his hands reached her neck, Ichika suddenly spoke, “Cecilia?”

“Mmm?!”

He had whispered directly in her ear. The sensation of his breath on her skin almost made her leap.

“Your hair is beautiful. And it smells so nice.”

“Well, er, I use a quality shampoo, and— Ahh!”

Ichika wove his fingers into her hair, twirling it back and forth. The sensation of his touch on the back of her neck sent Cecilia’s world spinning. Ichika? What are you doing all of a sudden? Ha-Have you noticed my beauty? Cecilia’s chest ached as her heart pounded so fast she didn’t even have time to add a ‘finally.’ Ichika had laid himself over her gently, as if to cover her, and she could feel the warmth of his body.

“Cecilia...”

“Y-Yes?”

“Can I touch you directly?”

“Go ahead...”

At Cecilia’s timid response, Ichika slipped a hand under her pajamas. Eek! Shock and passion ran as one through her nerves. Ichika... Ahh, this is like a dream...

“It’s not a dream.”

Ahh, it’s really happening! Wait, that’s strange...

“It’s not strange at all.”

There it is again! He’s replying to things I didn’t say!

Cecilia pushed herself up in confusion. And before her eyes was—

“And after all the advice I gave you to choose modest lingerie?”

“Chelsea?!”

Her personal maid, Chelsea, was here all the way from England.

“This is...”

“Yes. It’s a dream.”

Cecilia heard a sound like a balloon popping. As the world faded to white around her, all she could see was Chelsea’s grin.

◆

“...Just terrible. That’s just terrible!”

Cecilia awoke with a start. Glowing from the side of her bed was an illuminated clock, the hands pointing to 2:00 in the morning.

“Where am I?”

Her bed felt different than usual, and she glanced around, trying to figure out where she was. In the next bed, there was someone sleeping.

“Ichika?” That meant that getting the massage wasn’t a dream. The question was... When did it turn into one? She’d definitely won the tennis tournament, earned a massage as her reward, drifted off during it, and awoken in Ichika’s room. “Phew.”

Somehow, a wave of exhaustion came back over her, and she slumped back into bed. On the other side of the room, Ichika slept quietly. This was such a failure... Cecilia couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity of it all, before glancing over at Ichika affectionately. Someday, someday I’ll steal your heart.

She formed her fingers into a gun, and aimed carefully.

“Bang.” A playful smile drifted to her face.

◆

“WHAAAAAAT?!” A shout echoed through the morning cafeteria.

Ssh! Ssssshhh!

“Shh! Charl! Rin! Quiet down!”

“B-B-But! But!”

“Ichika! Explain yourself!”

There were tears in Charl’s eyes, while Rin was glaring at me questioningly.

“Why did Cecilia leave your room in her pajamas this morning?!”

It seemed there had been a grave misunderstanding.

“Why, he was a perfect gentleman. Isn’t that right?” Cecilia flicked her hair with a giggle.

Cecilia! Why do you have to pour gas on the fire?! With a sneer at me, she continued speaking, “We simply spent a wonderful evening together. That’s all.”

“I can’t believe you!”

“Ichika!”

“Gah! Wait! Come on! I just gave her a massage! She fell asleep during it, and I wasn’t going to wake her up to kick her out! That’s all!” I was telling the truth and nothing but the truth. With that, Charl and Rin were at least assuaged enough to sigh in relief and sit back down.

“That’s it?”

“I figured it was something like that.”

They turned their attention back to their meals: Charl was having a cream stew, while Rin had chosen the house yakisoba.

“You didn’t need to tell them the truth, you fool.”

“Hm? Didn’t hear you, Cecilia.” Cecilia had muttered something at me over her BLT bagel. I looked over at her, trying to figure out what.

“Oh, nothing at all.”

Huh? What was she mad about? I didn’t get it. I was just glad Houki and Laura weren’t around. They’d definitely have very loud opinions about the whole mess.

“.........”

“.........”

Huh? That’s funny. I could feel two cold stares on my back. Sure enough, turning around, there the twin terrors were with arms crossed.

“Ichika... You’ve broken the rules of the dorms.”

“The rules?”

“Special Rule Number 1! Girls must not stay overnight in a boy’s room!”

“Calm down, Laura!”

“Shut up! If you’re so into that kind of thing, fine! I’ll stay over tonight!”

“Wha?!”

“Wait, what are you talking about? If that’s going to happen, I’ll stay over as a chaperone! We need to strike a balance!” Houki chimed in too.

Why me...

“Ooh! No fair! I will too then!”

“Ichika! Take me first! We’ve been friends since childhood!”

Ugh, even Charl and Rin were getting in on the act. What was going on here?!

“And just what is this commotion?” The room froze over as everyone recognized that voice. Standing in a jet-black suit which perfectly fit her personality, with arms crossed and finger tapping, was my sister, Orimura Chifuyu. “I’m surrounded by idiots, aren’t I.”

That was five slaps in one swift motion. And one knuckle-on punch for me. It hurt. A lot.

“Alcott.”

“Yes?!”

“I expect a written note of contrition.”

“Y-Yes, ma’am...”

“And Orimura.”

“Yes?”

“Three days in the brig. Feel grateful it isn’t anything more.”

“T-Thank you...”

That was plenty harsh. But that’s just how my sister was. “Now! How much longer are you going to waste stuffing your idiotic faces? Finish eating, and get to class! Dismissed!”

With a clap of her hands, the girls moved from on the tips of their toes to clearing out of the cafeteria in disarray. Meanwhile, I slurped up the miso from my grilled salmon meal. Is it just me, or is this a bit salty? It must have been the salt of my tears.

I ate another punch, maybe because she realized I was thinking something so stupid.

◆

“Very well, everyone. Today we’re training in high-speed maneuvers.” The voice of Class 1-A’s assistant homeroom teacher, Yamada Maya, sounded through the sixth arena. “You’ll remember that last week, I mentioned that Arena Six is connected to Central Tower so we can conduct high-speed maneuver exercises. To begin with, I’d like those of you with your own IS to demonstrate for the class.”

With that, Ms. Yamada made a show of pointing at Cecilia and me before continuing, “First, Alcott, with the Strike Gunner high-mobility package!”

It looked like the big difference in this package was its use of both the four cannon bits which normally attached to her side binders, and the two missile bits which rested on her hips as auxiliary thrusters. Each cannon was disabled, and they mounted on her hips for high speed and high mobility. At first glance, they looked like a blue skirt.

“Second, Orimura! While he isn’t using a specialized package, his thrusters have been tuned for increased output to provide an ersatz high-mobility mode! I’d like you each to complete one lap!”

Cheers of encouragement arose from the rest of the class. We each waved a hand in acknowledgment, then focused on materializing our IS. Hmm, what do I do with this high-mobility assist visor?

“Ichika, is there anything you’re having trouble with?” Cecilia’s voice over a private channel was as relieving as a passing ship to an adrift sailor.

“Good timing. Do I really need to change visor modes? What do you think?”

“Yes, that mode’s specialized for high speeds. You also need to set each thruster to linked vision.”

“Got it. Like this?”

A quick shift of focus, and a veil of light washed over me. Suddenly, the world was so much clearer.

“It may make you a bit queasy if you’re not used to it. Be careful.”

“Thanks.”

“Oh, it’s nothing. Did you really think I wouldn’t be able to help you with that?” I could almost hear her blush over the private channel as I floated into the air.

“Then... Three, two, one, go!”

At Ms. Yamada’s signal, we soared into the air, and quickly broke the sound barrier. The scenery below streaked by, but thanks to the assist visor I could make it out clearly. This is really amazing! I was astounded at the speed of our IS, even though it really wasn’t much more than a standard Ignition Boost.

“Beat you to it!” Cecilia left me in the dust as I lost focus pondering my speed. Rising up higher, she made for the Central Tower, visible from anywhere on campus.

Wow, she has a lot of practice at this. I’ve gotta keep up! Feeling out of my element, I made each movement like I was walking on eggshells. If I rammed into that tower at Mach 1, it’d be more than just bruises. Not just for me, the shockwave from my impact might well collapse it. I kept a close eye on my speed, heading, and attitude as I raced to follow Cecilia.

“All right! I’ve caught up!”

“Oh? And here I thought you simply wanted a closer view of my behind.”

“Wha— No, it’s not like that!”

“Ahaha, I was only kidding.” Cecilia was in a good mood for some reason, and we kept up the friendly chatter as we reached the top of the tower and turned around. After that, we raced back to the arena side by side.

“That’s it. Excellent job, both of you!” Ms. Yamada praised us with a smile on her face.

I wondered if it was really so pleasing to have one’s students do well, as I watched her breasts bounce up and down in counter-time to her joyful hop. Ugh, I never know quite where I should be looking when talking to her...

“Hey, Ichika! Hey!”

“What, Laura?”

“So you... You’re... You’re one of those breast men, too?”

“What? No, I mean, uh, I’m not thinking anything I shouldn’t!”

“Hmph! Really then. I... I guess it’s okay then...”

“O-Okay...?”

“Wh-Whatever! Ugh, don’t even look at me!” Laura, her IS already deployed, swept an arm in my direction. With the motion, her AIC activated, twisting my neck at a strange angle and holding it there. Hey, wait a minute, you’re the one who talked to me in the first place!

Meanwhile, Chifuyu drew the class’s attention with a clap. “Listen up. We’re making an exception this year to allow the first years to participate in Cannonball Fast, but I don’t just want you to show up, I want you to achieve something, too. The lessons this teaches you are probably going to do you a lot of good in the future. I want you all to form up into groups and get suited up, double time. Get moving!”

The Cannonball Fast race was run every year, but usually it was only open to second years and up who had already been assigned ground crews. But with so much happening this year, and so many first years having their own personal IS, it was opened to all classes. It seemed like, since the groups using training IS were going to be class-by-class team efforts, there would be prizes like usual.

“All right, we’re gonna win!”

“Maybe I can make her finally notice me!”

“I want those free desserts! Gotta take this seriously!”

The enthusiasm of the girls may have been infectious, as even the teachers were fired up. Ms. Yamada, in her usual V-neck IS suit, seemed to be especially into it.

I bet she wears it like that because it just wouldn’t fit over her breasts otherwise... Honestly, thinking about it was just too much for a 15 year old... Especially since she was walking right up to me.

“Orimura, you really did well out there. That was amazing, especially for your first time using that visor!”

“T-Thanks.”

With my IS deployed, I had an even higher angle on her than usual. Even if I tried to look at her face, I’d be staring straight down her top, so I let my gaze wander as I scratched at my burning cheek.

“Orimura? Ah...” I’d noticed often that once Ms. Yamada got focused on something, she had a hard time noticing anything else. It was only now that she noticed where I was looking, and folded her arms to cover her chest while turning to the side.

“U-Um, would it be better if I purchased a new IS suit?”

“W-Why?”

“It seems like you have a hard time paying attention in class while I’m in this one...”

“Ahh...”

“But it would have to be a special order, wouldn’t it... I just got this one this year and had it altered, too, so it would be such a waste...” Her words tumbled out. For some reason, her embarrassment just made her even more appealing.

As we stood there awkwardly, Chifuyu approached us.

“Orimura.”

“Yes?”

Smack. A chop to my neck. It hurt. A lot. A wave of déjà vu washed over me in an instant.

“Show some shame for once. You shouldn’t look at your teacher like that.”

“Wait, no, I wasn’t—”

“If you’re not going to be using auxiliary thrusters, you should have a talk with Shinonono over there about allocating energy output. Understood?”

“Understood...”

My sister was so, so considerate. Considerate enough to make me cry. I did as I was told and flew toward Houki. With my IS deployed, I didn’t need to walk. It was so convenient.

“Heeeeeey, Houki.”

No response. Houki, who seemed like she was having a really hard time with energy allocation, was frowning at a projection display. I turned up my volume and called out to her again.

“C’mon, Houki! Hey!”

“W-What?!”

“Ms. Orimura said that since neither of us are using bolt-ons, we should have a talk.”

“Oh, I see! Sorry to dump this on you, Ichika, but take a look at this.” Houki brightened up at the arrival of help, and moved beside me to show me her display. It seemed like she didn’t have enough energy with her variable-sweep armor active.

“It’s nice having a big thruster for acceleration in Byakushiki, but I’m really impressed by how Akatsubaki can do a bit of everything. All you have to do is sweep your back and leg armor into high-mobility mode.”

“But if I don’t have enough energy, it doesn’t do me any good. I swear, her designs are always like this...”

Houki’s face always twisted into a frown when Tabane came up. And I always wondered why they couldn’t just get along. After all, they were sisters.

“What about Kenran Butou?”

“I... I still can’t use that.”

“Oh? I mean, you’d know better than I would, but it seems to me like Akatsubaki is designed to use it as a primary energy source.”

The one-off ability of Houki’s IS, the Akatsubaki, was called Kenran Butou. It was capable of amplifying energy. So it should come in handy when the variable-sweep armor was engaged and eating up so much power... Or at least, that’s what I thought. And what Akatsubaki gained from this reliance on multiple energy sources was use of variable-sweep armor which, like BT weaponry, was excellently suited for offense, defense, or even mobility. But without a reliable energy supply from Kenran Butou, it would quickly run out. Pretty similar to my own Byakushiki, honestly.

“How about leaving your leg armor unswept, and only using your back? Use your standard thrusters for balance control.”

“I’d thought of that, but that reduces the thrust output too far. I’ve also considered not using the variable-sweep armor at all, but...”

“You’d never win the race that way.”

“Right... Ugh.” Houki hated losing, so it was only natural that she had her eyes on first place. I hated to lose, too, so I could really understand how she felt. “Ichika, how are you setting yours up?”

“Me? I’ve got Yukihira Nigata turned completely off, and all energy going to my thrusters.”

“All of it? What if you’re attacked?”

“Then I’ll just dodge.”

“What if you have to attack?”

“There’s always ramming as an option.”

It made plenty of sense to me as the only option which covered all the bases, but when Houki heard it she broke out laughing.

“Ahahah. Cannon to the right of you, cannon to the left of you indeed.”

“Ugh... You know, I thought really hard about it too.”

“Hahaha. It’s, uh, definitely very you. Maybe... I should do some more thinking, too. Thank you, Ichika.”

“No problem. We’ll see who wins.”

“We sure will.”

“Anyway, see you later.”

“Yeah.”

Leaving Houki, I went over to Charl and Laura, part of the group using auxiliary thrusters. Speaking of which, here’s how it sorted out:

High-mobility package: Cecilia, Rin.

Mobility tuning: me, Houki.

Auxiliary thrusters: Charl, Laura.

Rin seemed really confident. “My new package is even better than I expected. You’ll see when I blow by you on race day.” I thought back to Rin, her arms folded, smugly announcing her superiority. It must be nice to have a package. I wish I had one too. But Byakushiki wasn’t having any of it. Even Kuramochi Engineering, who had created it, had given up on developing add-on gear. So it was kind of a lost cause.

If I ever really needed some, I’d probably have to go to Tabane. I wonder where she disappeared to? Tabane had vanished after the Gospel Incident in summer. I’m sure she was making trouble somewhere out there. Sigh...

“Hey, Ichika!” Charl noticed me and waved me over. I waved back, and dematerialized my IS as I landed near her and Laura.

“How are you two doing?”

“We’ve both just finished installing our auxiliary thrusters. Next up is tuning them, right?”

“Correct.”

Now that she mentioned it, I noticed they were both in IS suits with only their headgear deployed. Charl’s looked like a hairband, while Laura’s manifested as bunny ears. They almost seemed more like a pair of cute cosplayers. Each set seemed to be loading the newly-installed data, as they occasionally waggled. It made the pair look even more like adorable animals.

“Can I take a look?”

“Huh? Of course. Laura, why don’t we do a lap? I’ll send you the video feed. Tune to channel 304.”

“Oh, thanks. It’s really great to be able to watch someone better than me. I’m glad IS can do this.”

With Direct View, every bit of visual information—that is, everything that Charl saw—could be sent directly to my IS. It’s kinda like TV, or a stream.

“I’ll send from my perspective as well. Channel 305.”

“Thanks. But Laura, your target acquisition is so good that I have a hard time following your vision.”

“You idiot. Try harder to keep up.”

“I know, I know. Thank you for the lessons, Ms. Bodewig.”

“Hmph. So I’m your teacher now?” Laura’s blush betrayed that she was less frustrated with this arrangement than her words indicated. If anything, she was a little bit bashful.

All right, just gotta connect.

“Ichika, are you ready?”

“Yeah, I’m all set... It feels a little funny to see my own face on-screen, though.”

“Wha— I wasn’t just looking at you!”

“Huh?”

“Oh, nothing.”

I watched Charl’s flustered hand-waving bemusedly as Laura materialized Schwarzer Regen and floated into the air.

“I’ll go first.”

“Hey, wait! Laura!”

One step behind, Charl deployed her own Rafale Revive Custom II. Both of them kept steady control over their IS as they flew through Arena Six’s course and toward Central Tower.

Huh... So that’s how I should be accelerating... Looking back and forth between the screens showing their view, I began to understand. They each had their own acceleration pattern, but their deceleration was so similar that I knew it would come in handy.

“How was that, Ichika?” A few moments later, Charl and Laura were back.

“Welcome back. That was really good. Both of you.”

“That was just the basics. We didn’t do anything unusual.”

“Wow, national cadets really are something. I’ll have to learn from that.”

“Mm. Hopefully you’ll be able to keep up.”

After having spoken to everyone else with their own IS—Rin was in Class B, so she wasn’t there—I went back to tuning my own IS.

“How’s it going, Orimura?”

“Oh, Ms. Yamada. I was really impressed with everyone else.”

“You need to do your best too. Cannonball Fast is a full-contact battle race, so it’s important to have a grasp on combat maneuver as well.”

“It’ll be tough with only one ranged attack, but I’ll try.”

“I know! It’s been a while, so why don’t we do a mock battle? At full speed, like Cannonball Fast would be.”

“Are you sure?” I was surprised by her sudden offer, but really grateful for the chance to get some prep in.

“Of course! My IS is already set up for high-speed combat, so we can start anytime.”

“Sure thing, then.”

“No problem!” With a broad smile, Ms. Yamada deployed her Rafale Revive. Unlike Charl’s Custom, hers was mostly similar to the base model. The biggest thing that made it stand out was the shield mounted on one arm.

“This shield can also be used as a side thruster. And I’m running three auxiliary thrusters on my back.” As she spoke, Ms. Yamada pointed out each part. Between the shield and the three beefy thrusters, her IS was definitely imposing.

“Wow, those are huge. Charl’s and Laura’s are nowhere near as big.”

“These auxiliary thrusters are adapted from orbital launch boosters. So they have to be so big, to hold the rocket fuel.”

“Rocket fuel?! Isn’t that dangerous?”

“It’s safe enough. Because of how they’re installed, the life support emergency defenses extend to cover them.”

“I see...” After five months at school, I was beginning to get a handle on IS. Thanks in no small part to Ms. Yamada’s special lessons.

“Then, shall we get started? Are you ready, Orimura?”

“Y-Yes.”

I called forth Byakushiki, and we crouched at the starting line.

“Then let’s begin! Three, two, one, go!”

“......!”

My field of vision constricted in on itself. Then, suddenly, everything was as clear as day. This was my second time today at high speed, and I was starting to get used to it.

“You’re a fast learner, aren’t you. All right, I’m going to ascend now.”

“Okay!”

I followed Ms. Yamada as I replied over a private channel.

Why don’t I try out accelerating like Charl did? I slowed down ahead of the curve, then accelerated through it. All right! Nailed it! Keeping my balance by manipulating my thrusters, I followed it up with an attempt at Laura’s burst acceleration. Letting my speed fall naturally, I suddenly accelerated as I entered the banked curve, and was almost beside Ms. Yamada.

All right, I’ve caught— Suddenly, she reached an arm back toward me and fired a burst from her machine gun. Dammit! I forgot this was going to involve combat!

“Not bad, Orimura, but you’ve still got a lot to learn.”

“Ugh!”

Rolling to the side, I dodged, only to meet a grenade with the pin pulled.

“......!!”

BOOM! The grenade exploded before my eyes. Caught up in the explosion, I flew off the course and sank to the ground.

“Ugh...” Crashing to earth was painful, even with the IS’ shock absorption. As I stood up, Ms. Yamada hovered down next to me.

“Good job today, Orimura.”

“You too.”

She really was a former Japanese national cadet. I was no match for her practiced IS piloting. It’s hard to believe she’s the same person who wiped out during entrance exams... Without that burst of stage fright, I wouldn’t have stood a chance.

“Can you stand?”

“Yeah. I think.”

Using my thrusters, I pushed myself into the air before setting my feet on the ground.

“I’m going to go check on everyone else now.”

“Of course. Thanks again.”

“It was nothing.” Ms. Yamada bowed politely, then left toward the struggling groups in trainer IS.

Guess I’d better go back over my tuning. I spent the remaining hour of the period poring over settings.

◆

“Phew, that was exhausting...”

It was the day before Cannonball Fast, and I’d spent every possible minute in the arenas having Laura drill everything she could into me.

“The most important thing in high-speed combat is clear, cool thinking. The decisiveness to take action is next. Understood?”

“Split-second decision making between attack, evasion, and defense? I think I’ve gotten a lot better at that.”

“You still have a long way to go. And you’re still burning through far too much shield energy. If you simply evaded, you’d make it through without losing energy or speed.”

“I see.”

“Then, let’s get to combat training!”

“Yes, ma’am!”

We went through a whole ‘nother two hours of that... After I dragged my exhausted carcass back to my room, I made straight for the shower. The hot water washed away first my sweat, then my fatigue.

“Phew...” Getting out, I dressed, then dove backward into bed. I think I’ve pretty much got the hang of it, but it sure ain’t coming easy.

Knock, knock.

“Hmm? Who is it?” I got up and walked to the door. Opening it with a click, I saw Laura.

“Oh? What’s up?”

“Oh, it’s just... I thought maybe we could go get dinner...” For once, Laura was a bit mumbly. She kept fidgeting, too, as if she couldn’t calm down.

“Hmm? That’s a cute outfit you’ve got on.”

“......!!”

“I’ve never seen you in that before. What’s the special occasion?”

Laura was wearing a one-piece dress, cut long. Its slender silhouette went well with her delicate build, and her silver-blonde hair stood out against the black cloth. The rope belt slung casually around her waist caught my eye.

“This... This is just... It’s something I bought when I was out shopping with Charlotte!”

“Huh. It looks good on you. Makes you look really classy.”

“Cl-Class...?!”

“Anyway, let’s go get something to eat.”

“Classy... Classy...”

“Laura?”

“Oh, nothing! Anyway, about dinner! Let’s get going!”

She nervously started walking, swinging her right arm at the same time as her right leg and vice-versa.

“What’s up? Is something wrong?”

“Ugh! Quit bothering me about it!” She caught me in the ribs with a karate chop. Why? “This is all your fault!”

“Whoa! Hey, wait, stop it! ...Ugh, I give up!” I caught the hand delivering a flurry of blows, and swept out her legs with some basic aikido.

“......?!”

Laura’s tiny form floated skyward. As it did, I plucked her from out of the air into my arms.

“Wh-Wh-What?!”

“Cool it, will ya?”

“Mm...”

Laura nodded meekly up at me from something almost like a princess carry. With her attacks stopped, I set off for the dining hall, still carrying her.

“Wooooow! Why’s she getting princess carried?!”

“Lucky Bodewig.”

“Me too! Do me next!”

“Grr! I can’t stand how perfect she looks like that!”

Dammit... As soon as I walked in, the girls there noticed. Huh, I wonder why I didn’t run into anyone in the halls. Well, there was no time to think about that. I needed to do something about the girls closing in on me.

“Hey, Laura, I’m putting you down now.”

“Oh. Y-Yeah...”

For some reason, she sounded a bit disappointed as I set her down. Now that I thought of it, she was light. Girls in general were pretty light.

“Orimura!”

“Ah, that’s not something I do on request.”

“Why?!”

“It’s no fair doing it just for Laura!”

“Yeah!”

Somehow, I managed to brush off their angry buzzing, and they went back to their seats. That alone ate up nearly five minutes of our dinner.

“Phew, I can’t say that doesn’t happen a lot but it’s still a pain.”

Laura quietly wrapped her arms around each other as if holding the places I’d touched her to herself, and her cheeks were a bright pink.

“What’re you having, Laura? I was thinking of the barley-rice pilaf with jellied yam.”

“.........”

“Hey, Laura. Laura?”

“W-What?!”

“What’re you having?”

“Oh, right! The fruit salad and a chocolate pu...”

“Chocolate?”

“N-No! Not that! I misspoke!”

“Oh, the chocolate pudding? That’s some good stuff.”

“.........”

“But unexpected. I didn’t think you liked that kind of thing.”

“Well, Charlotte shared some of hers with me earlier, and it was delicious, so...”

“Oh, I see. Well, if you want it, go ahead and have it.”

“Mm...”

With that, we each got our meals and took our seats.

By the way, the pilaf meal came with grilled tripe. The best part about it was the special wasabi sauce. How the tingling on my tongue was cooled by the jellied yam was one of my secret solaces.

“Are you sure that’s enough for you, Laura?”

“I-I’ve heard that it’s healthier to eat smaller dinners...”

“Oh, right. I’ve heard about that. But it’s not like you’re dieting or anything, so you don’t need to worry about it, right?”After all, you’re so skinny.”

“Sk-Skinny?!”

“Wait! Don’t get mad! It’s good to be skinny!”

“I... I suppose. Hmph...”

Laura turned back to her meal, obviously not quite in agreement. Watching her eat a salad in that dress was like watching some kind of commercial or chick flick. It’s honestly a little bit entrancing...

“Hm? Is there something on my face?”

“Oh, nothing.”

“I see.”

We went back to eating. After that, neither of us really had anything to say, not that that was out of the ordinary. As we ate, a silence sat in the air. Neither of us minded eating in silence like this, though. If anything, it was a moment of respite from how busy our lives at the Academy were.

“Ichika.”

“Yes?”

Laura spoke up. This was unusual for her. I stopped eating and looked up.

“Tomorrow will be here soon.

“Yeah, it’s Cannonball Fast time. We’ve gotta do our best.”

“I should tell you. I won’t lose.”

“For sure. Wouldn’t be any fun if you weren’t trying.”

With that, we continued on with our meals. Thinking of my first official battle, at high-speed no less, filled my heart with tension, but also with eagerness.

◆

The day of Cannonball Fast. The stands were packed, and fireworks exploded in the sky.

“Great weather today, huh.”

Looking up at the clear autumn sky, I shielded my eyes from the sun. Today was kicking off with the second-years, then first years with their own IS, then a race between first years in trainers. Finally, there would be an exhibition race between the third years.

“There you are, Ichika. Hurry up and get ready.”

“Hey, Houki. I was just thinking about how many people are watching.”

“Yeah, it looks like lots of industry VIPs and government officials like usual. It’d be a big crowd with just the bodyguards.”

Even without them, the number of people watching illustrated just how much attention was being paid to IS. I wanted to make sure not to embarrass myself in front of so many people with my results.

Hey, I wonder where Ran is? Hmm... I remembered her seat number and looked in her direction. As I used Byakushiki to zoom in, I felt a pinch on my ear.

“Oww!”

“Hurry it up! You’re not a little kid anymore!”

“Then why are you treating me like one?!”

“If you don’t show up, the teachers are going to be mad!”

“I know! I got it! So let me go!”

“Hmph.”

That really hurt. I thought she was going to pull my ear off. But it wouldn’t do me any good to argue with her about it, so I headed off to the pits. I hope Ran didn’t get lost. Nah, that isn’t like her.

◆

“Hmm, F-45, F-45...” Ran walked while looking down at the seating map.

Bump.

“Wha—”

“Oh?”

She must have bumped into someone while looking for her seat. Ran quickly, embarrassedly steadied herself and bowed slightly.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”

The woman was older than her, with blonde hair and overflowing with allure. Wow, she’s beautiful...

The woman was in her late 20s. She was wearing a fabulous red suit that really showed that she was at her peak. Her fashionable sunglasses covered her eyes. Her voluptuous breasts and curvy hips, separated by a slender waist, were the type to draw the eye of men and women alike. Silently comparing herself with the woman, Ran shrank into herself as she came up short even in her own mind.

“Are you hurt?”

“No. Sorry again.”

“That’s good, at least. But do try to be more careful of where you’re walking.”

“Yes.”

The blonde woman waved and passed by Ran. As she did, her golden earrings glimmered in the light. This is an IS event. So there must be people here from all over the world. As she thought, Ran reflexively looked down at her own chest. I’m still growing. I don’t need to worry... Yet.

Ten minutes later, having made her way to her seat, Ran’s pulse was pounding in anticipation. I’m going to get to see Ichika in his IS! And then there was his birthday party later. Ran was normally a quiet, calm student council president, but right now she was like a little kid waiting for the circus to begin.

◆

We could hear the astonishment of the crowd all the way in the pits. The second years were racing now. It seemed like a closely-fought dead heat, where the winner could be anyone.

“Hey, this Sarah Welkin girl is a British National Cadet, right?”

“Indeed. She hasn’t her own IS, but she is quite talented. She’s taught me a few things, in fact,” chimed in Cecilia, who had already deployed her IS Blue Tears with its Strike Gunner high-mobility package.

She’s really getting into this. I’ve gotta take it seriously, too. I deployed Byakushiki and started getting ready. With us waiting in the pits were the other racers Houki, Rin, Laura, and Charl.

“Wow, that thing’s really beefy, Rin.”

“Mhm. Looks great, doesn’t it? It’s got a top speed that can keep up with even Cecilia’s.”

The Feng high-mobility pack mounted four auxiliary thrusters, and came with added chest armor that thrust forward. I almost wondered if she was planning on checking us out of the way with it... The two impact cannon pointed out toward the side, probably less to shoot us down, and more to provide cover fire. It really is specialized for Cannonball Fast. Looking at it that way, she might have the advantage. Cecilia’s package was built more for hit-and-run operations, and the rest of us had made do with what we could. Compared to that, Rin’s purpose-built solution may put her a step ahead.

“Hmph. I’ll show you that the weapon doesn’t make the warrior.” Houki’s comment was appropriately badass. It seemed like she was covering for her energy issues with manual control of her variable-sweep armor.

“There’s a flow to every battle. The one to master it will be the victor.” Laura, with three auxiliary thrusters on her back, joined the conversation. They may not have been designed specifically for her, but she seemed pretty confident that the new model of thruster was enough to carry her to victory.

“Let’s all do our best.” Charl left it at that. Like Laura, she had three auxiliary thrusters, but hers were on each shoulder and her back. Charl’s IS had already been customized with two bespoke wing thrusters, but these would raise her peak output even more.

“Is everyone ready? It’s time to go to the starting line!” Ms. Yamada’s voice, sounding a little bit too relaxed, rang through the pits. We each nodded and followed the navigation to our marks. Byakushiki’s in peak form today. I have to do my best too.

“And now for the race between first-years with their own personal IS!” The announcer’s voice echoed through the stands. At our marks, we fired up our thrusters.

Fshhirrrrr...

Lowering my hypersensor visor, I focused. Under the eyes of the crowd, the starting signal lit.

3... 2...... 1......... Go!

“Mmf—” As I accelerated, the world blurred around me. The hypersensor’s vision support would kick in soon, but for a second, the speed made me lose my bearings. Cecilia’s already getting out in front! Through the first corner, Cecilia had already taken the lead.

“Smell you later, Ichika!” Rin suddenly pulled out to pass.

“Hey!”

“I’ve got you now, Cecilia!” Pulling alongside Cecilia, she fired her impact cannon. Cecilia rolled to the side to dodge. Meanwhile, Rin used her explosive acceleration to pull ahead.

“Ugh! Not bad at all!”

“Hehehe! You’re slow!”

“...How foolish.”

“......?!”

Laura had been keeping up with Rin perfectly, and slipped ahead. It seemed like her plan was to slipstream behind other IS.

“Dammit!”

“Too slow!”

As Rin panicked and tried to aim her impact cannon, a tongue of flame stretched out from Laura’s revolver cannon. It wasn’t a direct hit, but the impact at speed was enough to send Rin flying off course. Meanwhile, she opened up cover fire, stretching back even to me and giving her even more of a lead.

“Ugh! I knew Laura was going to be trouble!” I sped up trying to keep close, but she gained distance in each corner.

“See you later, Ichika.”

“Even you, Charl?!”

“Timing is everything in Cannonball Fast. See you at the finish line.” Charl pushed her thrusters harder, closing in on Laura. I tried to focus on keeping up with her, but a red laser streaked past my eyes.

“That’s... Houki!”

“Sorry, but I’m passing you by!”

“Easier said than done!”

Akatsubaki’s katana, with both short and long-range attacks, shot red lasers at me. I extended Setsura’s claw and began to fire back.

“Not bad!”

“You’re not taking me down that easy!”

As we drew close in combat, Cecilia and Rin added their own attacks. Blam! An impact cannon shot strayed from the course and exploded against one of the retaining walls.

“It’s not over yet!”

“We’re just getting started!”

Just as we finished our first lap and the battle began to heat up, it happened.

Suddenly, an IS swooped down from the sky, firing at Laura and Charl.

“......?!”

“That... That’s the Silent Zephyrus!”

Without even watching Laura and Charl as they spun off-course, the attacker’s mouth curled into a sneer.