Chapter I: Strange Days Again
Chapter I: Strange Days Again
“So?”
“Ah...”
It was after classes let out, in the café area of the dining hall, and Ling was staring Kanzashi down from across the table. Kanzashi didn’t know why she was there, or why she was being treated like this. She cringed backward into her seat, from the interrogation and her own natural shyness. Why... Why are they treating me like this...
It wasn’t just the two of them—Houki, Cecilia, Charlotte, and Laura were there too. If Ichika showed up, it’d be all seven first years with their own IS gathered in one place. Seven people. Meaning, seven IS. Enough firepower to take on a great power.
“C’mon, Ling. Calm down. Look at her, she’s terrified.” Charlotte stood up as she tried to calm everyone down with her natural kindness.
“Back off, Charlotte. If this doesn’t work, I’ve half a mind to try chains or Pentothal.” Laura, her arms and legs crossed and a deep scowl on her face, was having none of it. At least she didn’t have a knife or a Mauser in her hands. Yet.
“You don’t have to be like that, Laura. Here, Kanzashi. You must be thirsty. You can have my orange juice.”
Kanzashi nervously looked up at Charlotte; she responded with a smile. Well... At least she’s on my side... Kanzashi brought the juice to her lips as she thought.
A sip or two later, Charlotte, without dropping her gleaming smile, asked, “So, be honest with us, how’s it going~”
Kanzashi wasn’t sure what she meant by that. As she tried to politely play it off with an awkward smile, both Houki and Cecilia brought their fists down on the table while standing up.
“D-Don’t play dumb! She means, with Ichika!”
“Are, are, are you two going out?!”
“Ah—” Kanzashi gasped, blinking in surprise at the sudden question, and turned beet-red a moment later as it sunk in. “Ichika and I... Aren’t like—”
“‘Ichika,’ huh?!” Ling fired back.
What, she’s not even calling him Orimura anymore? There’s gotta be something going on then... Wait. Didn’t I just do the same? Okay, yeah, I guess that’s no big deal. Ling cooled off as quickly as she’d just come to a boil.
Then, as five stares pierced through Kanzashi, she began to speak timidly. “I... I mean, ummm... It’d be nice if we were, but we’re not... That’s how it is...”
Her voice, always quiet, was swallowed up by the pressure she felt from the other girls. The last few words couldn’t even be made out, but her blush, her stare at the table, her fiddling fingers, each put one shared thought in the minds of the five: ‘More competition, huh.’
Kanzashi quietly shrunk behind the glass of juice, trying to hide behind it like a scared kitten. As they realized she wasn’t going out with Ichika, the others took pity on her and tried to change the topic.
“Ahh, I see, umm. Sarashiki?”
“You... You can call me Kanzashi...” Houki asked nervously, and Kanzashi answered just as nervously.
“All right. Same goes for us, then.”
“Y-Yeah...” Rin, meanwhile, was as blunt as ever, and Kanzashi was a little more firm in reply.
“Anyway, ah— I apologize. It was unbefitting of us to simply bring you here without warning.”
“I... It just surprised me.” Cecilia forced a friendly smile, and Kanzashi, embarrassed to have worried her, awkwardly smiled back in return.
“Er, anyway. Would you like another juice?”
“I’m fine.” Kanzashi gently waved away the menu Charlotte held out.
“Oh, I know. We’re all in the same year. Why don’t we practice together sometime?”
“Y-Yeah. Thanks.” The mixture of force and tenderness in Laura’s voice, as she sat back down with her arms crossed, made Kanzashi gulp as she nodded twice in response.
“Phew...”
All six let out a sigh of relief at the same time. They each looked around at each other in surprise, then broke out in laughter.
“Hahaha, we’re so silly.” Charlotte, with impeccable timing, held out her hand to Kanzashi. “Anyway, it’ll be nice to have you around.”
“Y-Yeah... You too...”
As Kanzashi and Charlotte shook hands, the others nodded. And thus, a cloud over each of their hearts faded away, with the arrival of a new rival—but also a new friend.
◇
“Zzzzzzzzzzz...”
Ichika was asleep in his room, minutes before the rays of the sun would begin filtering in through the window. A shadow, with breath bated, loomed over him.
Her name was Laura Bodewig. This wasn’t the first time she’d infiltrated Ichika’s room while he slept—but it was the first time she’d tried it in her black cat pajamas. The idea of this new twist made her pulse pound. Calm down, calm down. Just do it like you practiced! She ran over the plan in her head to stay focused as she wormed her way under Ichika’s blanket.
[Beeeep. Intruder detected. Intruder detected.] Suddenly, a mechanical voice rang out.
“What’s going on?!” With a pop, his blanket suddenly inflated, pressing her against the mattress. “Grrgh...”
The pressure was too much. Her arms were trapped, unable to reach her knife so she could cut her way out.
“Damn you...”
Laura knew of only one person who would set this sort of trap.
“Ahahahaha! Caught you, Laura!” She could hear a loud laugh from the attached shower.
“Sarashiki Tatenashi...”
“That’s right! It’s me, Sarashiki Tatenashi! IS Academy’s student council president, and the strongest—”
Tatenashi’s voice was drowned out by Ichika’s groans of pain, “I’m gonna die if I don’t get unstuck from under here...”
“Ah!”
Pop! The sound of a bursting balloon echoed through the first year dorms.
◇
“Ugh... That was terrible...”
I rubbed my neck, trying to take off some of the pain, as I changed into my uniform. We were having physicals today. And there was a problem with that. The problem was that I was assigned to help out with the measurements. Whyyyyyyy.
I could just imagine Tatenashi’s giggle and the look on her face. ‘Measurements’ doesn’t just mean their height, either, does it. Why are the teachers even allowing this?! I waited, alone, in classroom 1-A. Soon—
“Oh, sorry to keep you waiting, Orimura. I needed to get all the paperwork together.”
“Ms. Yamada?!” Yamada Maya walked into the classroom as she spoke. In my mind I’d thought she’d come back with good news. “Oh, good! You’re doing the measuring? I guess the adults did decide to step in.”
“Mhm. I’ll make sure everything gets noted down correctly!”
“...Whaa?”
“Hm? I’m just writing everything down.”
Wh-Wh-Wh...
“WHAT THE HELL ARE THEY THINKING?!” My scream fell on deaf ears, as the girls of class 1-A energetically filed into the room.
“Oh, it’s Orimura!”
“Is he really going to be measuring us?”
“No way! I shouldn’t have had seconds at dinner last night!”
“Heeeey, Orimu! Hehe, looks like Tat’s secret plan is a hit!”
Oh, I definitely knew who I wanted to hit right then.
“All right, now quiet down, everyone. Today’s measurements will be used for IS suit fitting, so remember, don’t wear any more than you have to during them!” Ms. Yamada was obviously enjoying this. But for me, it was like hearing my death sentence read out. “Be sure to take off your gym uniforms! You shouldn’t be in anything but your underwear!”
Yeah. I’m dead. D-e-a-d, dead.
“Of course, we have a curtain, so you can step inside, undress, be measured, and then redress. That way, no one else will see you in your underwear.”
“Won’t you see them, Ms. Yamada?!” I exploded in rage, determined to escape the tyranny of the physicals.
But Orimura Ichika did not understand the female heart. Orimura Ichika was a boy. He had spent his youth hanging out with other boys, playing games with them. Yet still, he was more sensitive than most to girls—or at least, to their physical attributes.
Run, Ichika. Dazai Osamu, my favorite author. It would be an honor to meet him, soon, in heaven.
“I’ll be just on the other side of the curtain. You can just read the numbers over to me.”
“WHAT THE HELL?!” I was beyond rage, beyond fury. My senses had left me.
“What’s your problem?”
“HEY! Is that you, Chifu—”
“Call me Ms. Orimura.”
A beautiful chop to my neck. It felt great. A comfy 32 degrees.
“Can’t you be proud of your work?”
“No, wait, this is all wrong! It’s a trap!”
“Why don’t you just grow a pair.”
“Grr...”
“I wanna hear an ‘All right, I’ll do this!’”
...OK, Chifuyu!
“I’ll do this! My bestial instincts have awakened!”
“Good. Do your best, then.”
“Wait, what?”
“You just said you were going to do it, right?”
“Y-Yes...” I couldn’t argue with the glare she was giving me. I could hear the Reaper’s scythe, whistling toward my neck.
“You look like you’re going to hang yourself. Here, you can use this blindfold.”
“Oh, thanks!”
What a lifesaver! She was the best!
“Anyway.” I saluted Chifuyu, as she left as swiftly as she had arrived. Thank you, Chifuyu. Thank you, Ms. Orimura.
All right, then, blindfold on. I pulled it tight around my head.
“Wait, I can see right through this!”
I heard Chifuyu’s laugh from all the way out in the hallway. Everyone was against me!
“Seat number one, Aikawa Kyoko!”
“Wait, waaait!”
“Tee-hee, too late!”
She stepped inside the curtain with me, wearing only a bra and panties. I know! I just have to look away! The mind’s eye! The third eye! I squeezed my eyes shut, and stretched out the measuring tape in my hands.
“Here goes.”
“Okay!”
Squish.
“Wait...”
“Eek! Don’t be so sudden, Orimura!”
“No, wait, I was just—”
Squish, squish. My hand sunk into something soft.
“.........”
Squish, squish, squish.
“Wait, that’s... Oh... Oh God, yes...”
Ah... I was dead.
“ICHIKAAAAAAA! YOU SCUMBAAAAAAAG!”
One Houki,
“What on earth are you doing, Ichika?!”
One Cecilia,
“Ichika, you pervert! I can’t believe you!”
One Charl,
“Ichika. How would you like to die?”
and One Laura appear!
Your foes suddenly mount an attack!
⯈[FIGHT] [SPELL] [PARRY] [RUN]
[FIGHT] [SPELL] [PARRY]⯈[RUN]
“I’ve gotta get aw— GYAAAAAAH!”
Ichika is dead.
Na-na-na-na na-na-na-na naa naa naa naa naa naa.
◇
Oh, for shame, Ichika! You died!
W-Who are you?!
“Dazai Osamu.”
Ehh?!
“I’m just kidding.”
Oh, right...
“Still, it’s shameful for you to panic just from seeing a girl in her underwear. You’re No Longer Human.”
Huh. Maybe this really is Dazai—
“Ichika... Ichika, open your eyes...”
Someone was calling out to me...
“C’mon! Wake the hell up, Ichika!”
“Wuh?!”
Smack! My alarm clock was a punch to the face.
“What are you doing, Rin?!”
“I should ask you that! I’m stuck here until we measure you too, and you’re just sitting there dozed off!”
Rin was visibly angry. Oh, and I was in the nurse’s office.
“Now hurry up and strip! I’ll measure you just this once!”
“Er... Okay.” I stumbled, still a bit dazed, out of the cot, and began to undress.
“W-Wait! You can leave your pants on, idiot!”
“Oh, okay.” I wobbled.
“C’mon, what’s wrong with you? Put your arms up!”
“Okay...”
Rin was in the shirt and bloomers that were the IS Academy gym uniform. The lithe, fit lines of her body were almost feline. Her thighs, curved in all the right places, hinted at the energy within. It was quite a sight.
“All right, your chest is— Wait, Ichika!”
“Bwuh?”
“Your face is all red, and you have a nosebleed! Let me take your temperature.”
“’Kay...”
Something wasn’t right. I couldn’t... Move...
Thud.
“Hey, c’mon. C’mon, Ichika! What’s wrong?!”
◇
“I told you, I’ll watch over him!”
“Why do you have to hog him for yourself, Houki?!”
“Like you have room to talk! You had your turn in the nurse’s office! Share!”
“Can we all just calm down?”
“No! I won’t let any of you take my bride!”
I could hear people arguing, but what they were arguing over, I didn’t know. What I did know for sure, however, was that they were being awfully loud.
“Urrrgh...” I forced a sound out.
“Oh, Ichika! You’re awake!”
“Are you okay?!”
“Ichika! Hold on!”
“Are you all right?”
“Do you need hydration? Nutrition?”
Ugh. My head...
“Quiet down...” I slumped out of the bed, down to the floor.
“All of you! You’re just getting in the way! Get out of here!”
“You first, Houki!”
“Quiet down, both of you!”
“Ichika, I’ll help you get back into bed.”
“My bride’s care is my responsibility, my privilege!”
They started arguing again. As the world swam around me, I heard the door open.
Click. Step, step step.
“All of you.”
Slap.
“Stop this.”
Slap. Slap.
“Now.”
Slap. Slap.
“Now get out of here. Kanzashi, can you lift his legs for me?”
Ah... This must have been Tatenashi and Kanzashi... The crowd quieted down, no doubt rubbing the welts her fan had left on their foreheads.
“The last thing he needs is a commotion like that. Understood?”
“Yes, ma’am...”
“All right, if you realize that, you should realize that it’s time to leave.”
The five shuffled out, their enthusiasm punctured. I could barely tell what was going on, but it seemed like Tatenashi and Kanzashi were caring for me. Tatenashi brought food and water, while Kanzashi kept my face cool with a damp cloth.
“Um...” I tried to pull myself upright and speak.
“You don’t have to push yourself. Just get some rest.”
“Okay... Um. About the others...”
“Yes?”
“Don’t be too hard on them... They have their differences sometimes, but they’re good people...”
I wanted to at least clear that up.
“Mhm...” Tatenashi sighed, rolling her eyes. “Did you five hear that?”
I heard my door rattle as some sort of response.
“Tatenashi, should I let them in?”
“I suppose. They’ve learned their lesson by now.”
After she spoke, the five entered, slowly and timidly.
“I’m sorry, Ichika...”
“I shouldn’t have done that.”
“My apologies, Ichika.”
“I’m sorry...”
“Sorry.”
Houki, Rin, Cecilia, Charl, and Laura, in that order. Each bowed apologetically. I replied with a wan smile and let out a quiet “It’s fine.”
“I guess this is the bond you’ve forged.” Tatenashi smiled, even more beautifully than usual.
◇
A few days later, during a joint training exercise for the first years...
Chifuyu, her arms folded like usual, faced the entire first year lined up in a straight row.
“Orimura, Shinonono, Alcott, Dunois, Bodewig, Huang, Sarashiki! Step forward!” First up on the agenda were the students with their own IS. “Each of your IS took heavy damage during the recent attack. While they’re regenerating, you’re strictly forbidden from any use of them.”
“Yes, ma’am!” They’d known that much even before she told them, and their lack of hesitation in agreement showed as much.
“Therefore... Well, I’ll let Ms. Yamada explain.”
“Yes! If I could have your attention over here, please.”
Ms. Yamada motioned to a row of shipping containers behind her, as if inviting them to take a closer look. Everyone had been wondering what those were since they filed into the fields, and now, the class was abuzz with anticipation. The drive to make conversation at any opportunity must be unique to teenage girls.
“What are those?”
“Wait, are they new IS?”
“Really? Wouldn’t those be set up in hangars instead?”
“Y’know, I wonder. Something’s pretty funny about this.”
That last one was Miss Casual, as if there was any question.
“Quiet down! Don’t you know how to keep your mouths shut for a minute?” Chifuyu barked. “Ms. Yamada. Open them up.”
“All right! Open sesame!” The assembled first years looked around in confusion, and Maya’s eyes glistened as she pressed a button on a remote controller. “Ugh, it sucks getting old...”
With a whirr, motors inside the containers began to push the containers’ covers open.
“These are...” Ichika sounded shocked. “...What are these, again?”
Smack! Chifuyu’s clipboard was super effective. Ichika took 30 damage!
Rubbing his head, he turned his eyes back to the container. Inside were hulking metal forms in the shape of armor.
“Lehrerin, are these—”
“Call me Ms. Orimura.”
Something was stirring Laura’s memory—enough that she reverted to modes of address from the Bundeswehr, to Chifuyu’s chagrin. Seeing her reaction, Laura nervously clammed up.
“This is the EOS exoskeleton assault armor under development by the U.N.”
“EOS?”
“It’s short for Extended Operation Seeker. It’s designed for missions like disaster recovery and peacekeeping.”
“Ms. Orimura? How do we...” Houki nervously began to ask.
Chifuyu’s answer was simple and direct. “Try it on.”
“Eh?!” Ichika and the six girls gaped.
“Don’t make me tell you twice. The higher-ups were told to get some operational data on it. And since you’re all without IS for the moment, you’ve been volunteered.”
“O-Okay...” They managed a weak response.
Behind them, Maya was already clapping out marching orders to the rest of the class, “All right! I want you to form up into groups and get ready for mock battles using the trainer IS. Could you bring them from the hangars?”
The cries of dismay from the girls hoping to see the EOS in action were quickly silenced by a glare from Chifuyu. Meanwhile, she kept the cadets’ minds from wandering too far with quick raps from her clipboard.
“Hurry it up, you idiots. We don’t have all day. Or, what? Are you worried you’ll have a hard time with these?”
“Why, Ms. Orimura. As national cadets, I’m sure we’ll have no problem at all.” Cecilia, for one, was confident.
“Oh? Really. Show me, then.”
Nervously, under Chifuyu’s smug grin, the seven began to strap themselves in.
Moving the EOS around was slow and laborious, more like lifting it than moving it at will. Their brows furrowed as they strained against their own limbs.
“Ugh, this piece of...”
“This is...”
“Rather heavy... Aren’t they...”
“Gimme a break...”
“This is pretty tough...”
Ichika, Houki, Cecilia, Ling, Charlotte. Each was having trouble with the EOS. After all, it was heavy. Lighter than an IS, to be sure, but an IS is equipped with a Passive Inertial Canceler anti-gravity system and an array of auxiliary motors and power assist functions to take the weight off its operator. The EOS, on the other hand, was just a lump of metal. What assists it had was far below the level of an IS, and energy consumption prevented its constant use to boot. And unlike an IS’ Direct Motion System which predicted its pilot’s movements, the EOS inevitably lagged behind.
Worse yet was the huge backpack each pilot was equipped with. It was called a ‘portable plasma battery,’ but over 30 kilograms was pushing the limits of ‘portable.’ Even with that, the EOS could only be run at full power for around ten minutes. It definitely impressed on each of them just how advanced IS were.
Still, Laura, who had quietly run through the motions, soon gave a confident nod.
“Now that you’re settled in, it’s time for a mock battle in the EOS. Remember, the only protection they have is the armor, so don’t aim directly for the opposing pilot. We’re only using paintballs, but it’ll still sting pretty bad if you get hit.” Chifuyu clapped to draw their attention.
As her yell of ‘Start!’ rang out, Laura immediately used the foot-mounted wheels to close in on Ichika, who was still struggling with the controls.
“Gwuh?!”
“Hmph. You’re too slow!” Dodging his clumsy punch, she darted in and swept his legs out from under him.
“Ugh!” As Ichika tumbled to the ground, she nimbly pulled out her EOS’s submachine gun and squeezed off a three-round burst. Her next target was Cecilia.
“Got you!”
“I won’t be that easy to take down!” Cecilia fired away in full auto mode, but her aim was poor. “Ugh! I can’t believe the recoil...”
An IS was equipped with auto-balancers and the PIC’s reactive controller, making it fully able to compensate for both recoil and weight shifts in melee. An EOS, on the other hand, was not, and relied on the pilot’s own strength to compensate.
“Hmph! Gunpowder is fussy enough to deal with, even in an IS!”
Cecilia may have had a tough time at first, but she was still a national cadet. Her military training helped her get the hang of the EOS fast. But Laura’s training was better. Before Cecilia was able to fully come to grips with her gun, she closed in with a zig-zag motion.
“You’re quite fast! But closing in will just make it easier to hit you.”
“How foolish can you be?”
Laura suddenly charged forward toward Cecilia, rather than the arced path she’d taken while evading Ichika’s counter, blocking her return fire with the shield on her left arm.
“What?!”
“Pfft.” Laura shoved Cecilia’s shoulder armor with an open-palm strike.
“Eek!” Losing her balance, Cecilia tumbled onto her back. With the weight of the EOS, she’d have a very hard time getting up. The EOS featured a pushing arm on its back for just such a situation, but it was already too late. Before Cecilia could get back on her feet, Laura sprayed her with a hail of paintballs.
“Two down!”
“And a perfect opening for me!” Ling charged from the side at full speed. “Gotcha!”
In came a haymaker punch with the full weight of the EOS behind it. Laura twisted her body, letting it brush by her.
“Huh?” Unable to control her momentum, Ling tumbled with a resounding clang.
“That leaves...” Laura looked up to see Houki and Charlotte side by side. “Who’s first?”
“I-I’ll go second!”
“Me too...”
Houki and Charl argued energetically over who would have to be first.
“Charlotte, why don’t you go?”
“No, no, you first.”
“You don’t have to worry about being polite.”
“No, I insist.”
“.........”
“.........”
“All right, I’ll go.”
“I’ll go!”
“No, I will.”
“Go right ahead, then!”
Ahh, the beauty of Japanese politeness. But that last volunteer was Laura.
“Eh?”
Houki and Charlotte looked at each other in shock, but it was already too late. The servos driving Laura’s wheels whined as she closed in.
“T-Take this!”
“Sorry, Laura!” Having seen Ling’s faceplant, the impromptu tag team opted for ranged combat over melee. But while Charl kept her balance as she opened up some distance, Houki miscalculated and fell backward onto her butt. She was promptly met by a shower of paintballs.
“Got you!”
“Oww! Stop it, you idiot! That hurts! It hurts!” Laura, uncaring, emptied her clip into Houki before throwing the spent gun at Charlotte.
“Huh?!”
“Sorry.” Speeding in, Laura gave Charlotte a two-palmed shove as she crouched for balance.
“W-Whoa!”
“Hmm. You kept your footing.”
“Ehehe...”
“Let’s try that again, then.”
Slam! The second shove was more successful than the first.
“Whoaaa!”
Just like Cecilia, Charlotte tilted over backward. But a moment before she hit the ground, she curled into a tumble and regained her balance.
“All right, that’s enough!” Chifuyu called an end to the EOS mock battle. “Not too shabby, Bodewig.”
“I owe it all to mein Lehrerin in the Bundeswehr—”
Smack! This time, the clipboard held a spec sheet rather than a class roster, but it didn’t seem to reduce its effectiveness at all. “I told you. Call me Ms. Orimura.”
“Yes, ma’am...” As Laura rubbed her head, the others, having taken off their EOSes, gathered.
“Laura, have you used an EOS before?”
“No, not really, but the Bundeswehr has something similar. It’s used for testing experimental IS equipment,” Laura quickly replied to Ichika’s question.
The next was Charlotte’s, “Wow, and you were still that impressive in it?”
“I wasn’t that impressive, was I?”
“If that wasn’t impressive, what is? Jeez.” The only way Ling could salvage her utter defeat was with an attempt at wit.
“It’s more like the rest of you were... Pff— Ahahahahaha!” Laura suddenly broke out in laughter. It was only when Ichika and the others looked at each other that they realized why—the blotches of paint all over their faces and clothes.
“Dammit, Laura, you were aiming for my face, weren’t you.”
“I-I just missed, hahahahaha.”
Houki and the others couldn’t stay mad, seeing that rare smile on Laura’s face. She looked just like a normal girl who’d played a joke on her friends.
“Anyway! These, er, EOS. Do you think they’ll be of any use?”
“I was wondering about that, too.”
Cecilia and Houki watched Chifuyu, waiting for her answer.
“There aren’t that many IS out there. I think they’ll be significant in rescue operations.” In terms of raw capability, a thousand EOSes couldn’t match up to a single IS. Chifuyu found it better to just not mention that. After all, the official line was that they ‘weren’t designed for combat with IS.’
Seriously. How desperate are they, that they had to send that kind of thing to IS Academy? She couldn’t understand why the principal went along with it, either. But now wasn’t the time for that. It was something to think about when the time came. Though not, of course, not to prepare for.
As she wandered lost in thought, the students, now all out of their EOSes, gathered around her, asking for orders with their gazes.
“Ah, right. Bring them to the second hangar. Use the jacks they came in on. Dismissed.”
As Chifuyu clapped, the students got to work. Maya had loaded the EOSes on the jacks using her IS, but moving them was to be done by raw brute force, and Ling let out a quiet whine as she realized what was happening. The process took the rest of the scheduled practice time.
“Seriously, though.” The girls’ shower room was crowded after IS practice. Ling’s voice rose through the steam. “Didn’t that take a toll on everyone’s IS?”
“Indeed it did— Come on, Ling! Don’t just wander off with my shampoo!”
“What’s wrong with that? You’re rich, you can afford to buy another.”
“I-I don’t mind if you take it, just tell me!”
“Yeah, that expensive shampoo’s some good stuff.”
“Are you even listening?!”
Regardless of the shampoo, Ling’s observation seemed to have caught the attention of all of the cadets.
“Seems like it. I heard some of the second and third years had to send their IS back to their home country for repair.”
“Y-Yeah... I heard that too... My sister’s having hers repaired here, though,” Kanzashi chimed in after Laura.
“Tatenashi’s is Russian, right?”
“Can’t she use other countries’ equipment because of technology sharing, though?”
Charlotte and Houki had their own questions, and Kanzashi filled them in as well, “Some of the technology is Japanese, and I think there was an Italian engineer involved too...”
“Italian? Wait, Tempesta’s—” Cecilia’s expression was serious as she probed Kanzashi about a potential rival in the selection process for the EU’s next frontline IS.
“Hmm. A successor to the Tempesta. Now I’m curious.”
Chifuyu’s opponent in the championship match of the first Mondo Grosso tournament, and in the scheduled championship match of the second tournament which she forfeited, was Italy’s Tempesta. One of the few IS with a one-off ability, it was widely recognized as #2 in the world. Just like Chifuyu’s, it was a pure melee fighter which overwhelmed its foes.
It was powerful enough that its pilot had no hesitation publicly stating that things ‘weren’t settled’ between her and Chifuyu—maybe, that was the only reason she said it. Still, though, she had declined to be crowned Brynhildr at the second Mondo Grosso. Because of this, and the popular understanding that the Brynhildr was the strongest, most people still considered the title to be Chifuyu’s.
“You know. Aren’t the Aqua Machines an application of BT technology?” Charlotte’s casual speculation naturally—inevitably—made Cecilia wince. It seemed like she had had the same thought. “I mean, mind control of fluid energy... They’re pretty much the same.”
“I... I suppose.”
“I’m pretty sure Tatenashi’s works better, though.”
Thunk. Ling had definitely stumbled upon a way to set Cecilia off. No, had stamped her foot right down in it.
“...Ling.”
“Huh, what?”
“I’m never lending you my shampoo again.”
“Huh?”
“Or body wash, or conditioner, or facial wash, or hand soap, or lotion, or perfume, or towels, or money! Never again!”
“Whaaaa? Wait, why? How come?! I need them, though!”
“.........”
“Don’t ignore me!”
Ling, realizing she was losing a vital, vital lifeline, suddenly stopped joking around and tried to beg her way back into Cecilia’s good graces. But Cecilia was the proud scion of an empire upon which the sun never set. Once her mind was set on a decision, it wouldn’t be easily changed.
Ignoring Ling’s panic, Laura rinsed her hair and put her eyepatch back on before saying, “By the way, I’ve received orders to return home. I’ll likely be leaving for Germany soon.”
“Really? You’ll have to pick up some souvenirs for your squad, then.”
“Yeah. Everyone from the Schwarze Hase has been telling me what they want.”
“Like what?” For once, Houki took an interest in Laura’s conversation. Probably out of pride that her squad was so interested in Japan.
“Matcha, yatsuhashi, Imagawa cakes, konpeito. Then taiyaki, monaka, manju buns, uiro, senbei biscuits, warabi-mochi, dango, mizuame...”
As they watched Laura count on her fingers, Charl and Houki wore awkward grins.
“They’re all sweets...”
“I guess even if they’re a spec ops squad, they’re still girls...”
“Oh, and the most important part, the thing Klarissa asked for!”
“W-What?”
“A shachihoko.”
“Whaa......?” Their jaws dropped.
Meanwhile, Laura, with a serious look on her face, repeated herself, “A shachihoko. What, don’t you know what that is? It’s supposed to be the image of an ancient guardian deity. With it, you can put up an impregnable defense. It was vital in the protection of the old castles.”
Wasn’t that just because they were supposed to prevent fires?
I think her second-in-command is deeply confused about something...
“Do you know where I can buy one?”
“I, umm. Laura. I don’t think they sell those.”
“I see. So I should take one by force?”
“Where’d that come from?!”
“I read a manga about something like that.”
“Just because you read it doesn’t mean you should do it!” Charlotte seemed to know which one. Or at least have enough of an idea to know that she should shut that line of thought down, fast.
For the rest of the shower, Charlotte and Houki tried their hardest to convince Laura that she had the wrong idea. On Laura’s part, she had little to say but a surprised expression, nods, and a repeated ‘I see.’
“Cecilia! Don’t you see how sorry I am?!”
“I most certainly do not see anyone here being properly apologetic!”
Houki, Charlotte, Laura, and Kanzashi put on their underwear as Ling continued to entreat Cecilia even in the locker room. The scene, vivid beyond color, was one only possible among teenagers. To put it into words—yes, it was simply indescribable with words.
◇
“Um...”
In a research laboratory, set far away from the urban hustle and bustle of IS Academy. It had taken me an hour on light rail, another hour on the bus, and I was beyond deep in the mountains.
“Is this the place?”
I looked down at my map, then up at the sign again.
“Kuramochi Engineering. It definitely should be.”
Yeah. I’d made my way to where Byakushiki was created. Today was a weekday, and normally I’d be in class, but today I had special permission to leave campus.
A full overhaul of Byakushiki, huh. I wonder what they’re gonna have to do. As I wondered to myself, I made my way to the gatehouse punctuating the white wall around the complex. But there was no doorbell, no intercom, just a blank door.
“How am I supposed to get in here...”
Grope, grope.
“Whoa!”
Feeling someone grope my butt, I spun around wildly. As I tried to keep my balance, I saw a woman in blacked-out swim goggles, right on the border between creepy and alluring.
“Wh-What are you—”
“Ufufu. You’ve got a nice, tight butt.” Her grin arced like a crescent moon. From it, long fangs poked out, almost like Dracula in the movies.
“Who the hell are you?!”
“Who do I look like?”
She was wearing what looked like a school swimsuit—no, a navy blue IS suit. Plastered across the expanse of cloth that could barely hold her huge breasts in was a name tag reading ‘Kagaribi.’ And she was drenched. Not just that. She had a harpoon in her right hand, and a still-writhing clump of five or six trout in her left. The water was still dripping off of her onto the asphalt. Her curly hair was soaking wet, too, and hung off her like sheets of seaweed.
A weirdo... is what she looks like. Some kind of pervert. I did my best to keep my distance, but this pervert got right up in my face.
“Mm-hmm.”
“Um...”
“Hmm. Mm?”
“.........”
Just as what was going on started to overwhelm me, the door behind me opened.
“Boss! What’re you doing?” It was a man that looked to be in his thirties, and when he saw me, he went, “Oh! Orimura, is that you? Orimura Ichika?”
“Yes.”
“Oh, I see! I’m so sorry about that. She’d told me she was going out to meet you, but, ah, as you can see, she’s a bit of a creep.” He was brutally honest. I’ll give him that.
“Shut your mouth before he smells the Fixodent, gramps,” she retorted as she flung her harpoon. Whoa! What kind of nutjob was I dealing with?! “Anyway, you little cutie. Why don’t you come to my room and we have some fun?”
“Uh... What kind of fun?”
Watching her boobs jiggle was captivating enough that I was having a hard time arguing.
“Well, we could play Old Maid.”
“Isn’t that kinda boring with just two people?”
“Yeah, I guess it would be. So why don’t we just fuck instead?”
“.........” The man and I had matching stares of disapproval.
“Tch. My shower’s the perfect size for two, so why does it have to be illegal?!” She pursed her lips as she crossed her arms behind her head.
I wasn’t quite sure what to say, but his whisper cut through my confusion, “I’m terribly sorry about all of this. Will you come inside? I’ll get you a drink.”
With another apology, he led me inside. The walls were painted a bright white. So was the ceiling. And the lights were, you guessed it, shining pale fluorescents. Are they that proud of making Byakushiki...? Nahhhhh.
Splish, splash, sploosh. The damp squishing sounds as she walked behind me made me feel kind of like I was in a horror movie.
“C’mon, boss! Dry off before you come in!”
“Mwahahaha, it’s no big deal.”
“I’m going to have to mop up!”
“I guess you are. Okay, I’ll stay out here until I’m dry.”
“That’s going to take forever!”
“Ahahaha.”
Dealing with her every day must be exhausting.
“Anyway, uh. See you later, I guess,” I muttered.
“Sure thing, sweetcakes. I’m looking forward to it.” As the ‘boss’ waved goodbye, I set off down the hallway.
◇
“Ufufu. He really is Orimura’s little brother, isn’t he.”
The woman smiled to herself after Ichika’s departure. Her fangy grin was enough to give anyone watching goosebumps.
“Boss! Hurry up and dry yourself off!”
“Sure, sure. Sorry.” She traded her harpoon and fish for a towel, and scrubbed her hair dry. “I can’t wait to see what kind of data I get out of you, Orimura Ichika.”
The boss’s subtle grin peeked out from under the towel as she dried herself off.
◇
Hmm... I’d spent around half an hour waiting in the room I was led to. I had just gotten sick of the wait and stood up to do some pushups when the woman from before walked into the room.
“Sorry about that! I didn’t keep you waiting too long, did I?”
“Ah, it wasn’t that bad.”
“.........”
“......?”
She puffed out her cheeks, as if irritated with my response, and said, “Boy, when a lady asks whether she’s kept you waiting, you tell her you didn’t even notice.”
“Ahh... Okay...”
“If you don’t have any grace, you’re never going to catch a girl.”
“I-I see...”
“But don’t worry. I’ll always be here for you.”
I, uh. I should probably just pretend she didn’t actually say that.
“Anyway, let’s get started!” She was wearing a lab coat over her IS suit. On her feet were fuzzy cat’s-paw slippers. And her goggles were pushed up, so I could finally see her eyes. “Let me introduce myself. I’m Kagaribi Hikaruno, chief engineer of the second Kuramochi Engineering Laboratory, and a classmate of your sister.”
A smile rose to her feline eyes. But the fangs protruding from her grin were definitely canines.
“My sister... You mean Chifuyu?”
“Yep.”
She snapped the elastic band of her goggles as she pushed them up to the top of her head, making them look almost like a hairband. Wait, I have better things to think about!
“By classmate, you mean in high school?”
“Yep.”
“So you’re a friend of Tabane’s too?”
“Nooo, no no no.” She turned aside. “A ‘friend’ is someone you can approach on an equal footing. And no one out there is quite on their level. What Orimura Chifuyu can be to Shinonono Tabane, and what Shinonono Tabane can be to Orimura Chifuyu, is something no one else can come close to.”
She waved her finger as she spoke and continued, “Someone like me can’t even come close. So I can’t say they’re my friends. Classmates, yes. But just classmates.”
Changing the topic, she opened up a projection display and brought forth an IS maintenance machine. Its six arms grasped at me.
“Open up Byakushiki for me. I’m going to get started on repair, optimization, and data collection.”
“Okay.”
I focused and called forth Byakushiki. My body shined before being enveloped in pure white armor.
“Sorry about this summer. It’s just... I had so much to take care of that I couldn’t make it to IS Academy. No sooner did I take care of one mess, another one popped up. I was in such a pickle.”
“......?”
“Man, it sucks getting old...”
I didn’t really understand what she meant, but I couldn’t argue. Hikaruno sighed and looked back at her display.
“Hmm, hmm. That’s some pretty serious damage. Why don’t you step out of Byakushiki and I’ll send it to the techs?”
“Uhh... How long is it going to take?”
“Hm? It should be ready by tomorrow. We’ll just have to pull an all-nighter, it’ll be easy.” That didn’t sound all that easy. “Anyway, let me introduce you to the staff of Kuramochi Engineering!”
A door slid open, and a line of men and women rushed in. They were of varying ages, but it seemed like they were all Japanese.
“Why don’t you go fishing or something to pass the time? They’re biting in the river nearby.” She handed me a bamboo rod. It had no lure attached, just a line dangling from the end. “You’ll have to find your own bait, though.”
“Ooookay. I’ll go do that, then.”
“Have fun!” Hikaruno saw me off with a wave as I left the lab.
◇
“Fishing, huh.”
I hadn’t done that in forever. It used to be a hobby of mine in elementary school, though. First with Chifuyu, then with Houki, then with Rin. But I got so busy in middle school that I didn’t have time.
I followed the path into the hills, and soon enough I could hear the river’s flow.
“Here we go.”
I found myself a place with a bunch of rocks overlooking a spot where the river, glistening in the sunlight, widened. Seems like the fishing’ll be good here. I decided to get started looking for bait and lifted up a rock on the shore looking for bugs. There was nothing wrong with worms, either, but I preferred bugs. Or more, I figured the fish did. Now that I think back on it, Rin hated having to do this.
“So, what are we using for bait?”
“Huh? Oh, these.”
“Eeek!”
“Jeez, quiet down.”
“But that’s a, a b-b-bug!”
“Yep.”
“I can’t believe you. You Japanese are so weird.”
“Huh? Don’t the Chinese eat fried centipedes?”
“Only people, like, out in the middle of nowhere! Who on earth would eat that if they didn’t have to?!”
“Oh really.”
“Yeah really!”
“But isn’t the saying that the Chinese will eat anything with legs except for a chair?”
“Why do you think that?!”
“Oh, sorry. I guess chairs too.”
“.........”
She punched me then. Not just a slap, a full-on punch. Chinese people are scary. But she still kept coming fishing with me. I miss those days. I kept up my hunt as I reflected, and soon enough, I had all the bait I’d need.
“All right, that should be enough.”
I perched atop the largest rock, and setting a bug on my hook, cast it into the water. All there was now was to wait for a bite.
This is so relaxing... Fishing is great. Out away from all the worries in the world, at a quiet place in the hills. Just a peaceful spot where the sounds of the wind and water gave you room to set your mind free. That’s what fishing meant to me. It’s nice to catch fish, I used to get really excited about the idea, but now it was more just a bonus. You know, I should let out everything I can’t say normally.
“Going to IS Academy is a real pain in the ass...”
It was okay. No one was around to hear me.
“What, don’t you like being around all those girls?”
My heart skipped a beat and I turned to look for the source of the voice.
“Whoa?! What are you doing here, Hikaruno?”
“I don’t have anything else to do. My specialty is IS software.” Hikaruno hopped up on top of the rock and sat down next to me. Her breasts bounced up and down as she did, and I turned so as not to stare. “Gimme some bait?”
“Here you go. I’m using bugs, though.”
“That’s fine, I like those better anyway. But it’s good to have dough balls or berries around for if you run into any girls.”
She snapped up a bug, and set it on her own hook. Yeah, if I did that, Rin wouldn’t have hit me. That makes sense, though. Hikaruno’s pole, like mine, was bamboo. It was about the same length, and our lines drooped into the water side-by-side.
“Anyway, Orimura Ichika. How much do you know about IS software?”
“Me? Um... It’s set up on the core, and uses the ‘unlimited circuit’ to self-evolve. It has its own tendencies and preferences.”
“Yeah. That’s a good answer. But, you know, there’s one other feature of the unlimited circuit. It operates at hypervisor level on the core network. So when it gets out onto standard networks, it’s extremely good for hacking.”
“I see.”
“Question, then. What’s the core network?”
“Um... A virtual world protocol designed to connect IS during their intended use of space exploration?”
“Pretty much. I see you’ve done your homework. That’s too bad, I like bad boys.”
“...Why?”
“Anyway, did you know that it also has a data backup capability over the core network?”
“Huh?”
“Looks like you didn’t. Like, for example. Your own Byakushiki inherited the one-off ability of Orimura Chifuyu’s Kurezakura, as well as some of the capabilities of the first Infinite Stratos, Shirokishi.”
“Right...”
I glanced over at Hikaruno, and saw her grinning again. This time was different than before, though. It was like a predator’s, about to strike.
“Looks like you’ve got a bite, Ichika.”
“Ah!” My grip tensed around my rod. A fat fish flopped out of the water at the end of my line.
“That’s a big one.”
“Thanks.”
It had been a long time, but the feeling of a good catch was still exhilarating. I put it into my basket, and set another bug on my hook, then cast again.
“Anyway, really. The most fun I have at work is convincing an IS to do something it doesn’t want to.”
“Convincing?”
“Yeah. Like, training an IS that hates ranged weapons how to shoot. It’s almost like convincing them. Like breaking a horse in,” Hikaruno said as she hauled in her line. “Aww, it got away.”
“Was it a big one?”
“Nah, it felt pretty small.”
Sighing, she reset her bait and cast again. Never mind the size of the fish, the size of her boobs was at least comparable to Ms. Yamada’s. I nervously swallowed. Ugh, no, I can’t— I swiftly looked away.
“Ahahahaha.” I could hear Hikaruno’s laugh from beside me.
◇
“Phew. I don’t feel like doing anything today.”
Ling walked through the halls with her arms crossed behind her head, a juice box dangling from her mouth by its straw.
“Hahaha. Is it because Ichika isn’t here?”
Prodding her from the side was Charlotte. Ling almost dropped her juice as she sputtered out a response.
“What?! No way! Hmph! Who cares if he’s hanging around, anyway!”
“Yeah, yeah.”
They didn’t spend very much time together, but today, there was a joint lecture and they’d been assigned to put away the materials. Stopping along the way to buy a juice was definitely Ling’s idea.
“I feel almost naked without having my IS. It’s in personal lock mode, so it can’t be stolen and couldn’t be used if it was, but still.”
Ling looked at Shenlong, in standby on her arm. Normally, it took the form of a ring bracelet, but in personal lock it was a thin band, like a temporary tattoo at first glance.
“The problem is how long it would take to get ready in an emergency.”
“I know, but we’re stuck with it. It’s like disassembling a gun for storage.”
“Mmm. I guess our training will be enough to keep ourselves safe while it lasts. It’s not like we can’t use them anyway, it’ll just take a little bit longer.”
“Yeah. And that’s why they have us on the buddy system, too.”
“The only one left on her own here is Tatenashi, right?”
“Yeah. And Ichika. I think we’ll be fine, though.”
“...I still wish he’d hurry up and get back.” Ling covered her mouth as she realized she’d said that out loud. But Charlotte just smiled, pretending she hadn’t heard it. “I-I didn’t mean it that way! Just, he hasn’t had military training or anything, so...”
“Yeah. You’re worried about him, aren’t you?”
“Wait, no, that’s not—”
Ling was halfway through a panicked response when the lights went out. Not just in the hallway. The classrooms and signage were dark too. Only the midday sun shining through the windows pierced the darkness. Just as they realized what was happening—
“Wait, why are the defensive shutters closing?!”
Armor plate slid shut diagonally over the windows, and as they sealed shut, the inside of the school descended into a haze of darkness and panicked exclamations.
“One, two... Charlotte.”
“Yeah. I know. We haven’t switched over to generators, and the emergency lights haven’t come on. Something’s wrong.”
They each started up their IS in low-power mode, and opened a status window, simultaneously switching into night-vision mode driven by sonar, thermal sensors, gravitational sensors, and radar.
“Hey, it’s Laura. Charlotte, are you okay?”
“Where are you, Ling?”
Laura and Cecilia’s voices came over private channels. As Ling and Cecilia replied, another voice broke in, “All cadets, report to the basement operations room. I’m marking it on your maps. If any shutters block your path, you’re authorized to destroy them.”
It was Chifuyu’s voice, quiet but forceful. They could tell that another battle was about to unfold at IS Academy.