Bullet 10: Physical Measurement

　On a certain day, Akari, Shino, and Raika were changing into their gym clothes.

　The mandatory gym top at Butei High is a white t-shirt with a name tag on it. However, there are no rules for the bottoms, so Akari wears shorts, shino wears rouge-coloured bloomers, and Raika wears black spats.

“– Wow! So Shino was able to sign a War Sister contract too!”

　Akari, dressed only in her childish white cotton undergarments, a bra with simple lace around the edges and panties with a small bow below her belly button, was smiling innocently at Shino.

“Yes!”

　Shino herself was very happy to see Akari again for the first time in a long time, even looking at her was filling the hole in her heart from being away for so long.

　Shino, who had paused after undressing, was wearing bright red lingerie with fine embroidery and lace that was handmade by craftsmen.

　Next to Shino, Raika had pulled down the skirt of her uniform and…

“… I have a bad feeling about our senpai leading a physical today.”

　While blurting out such things, she was dressed in bold black underwear with a shockingly small amount of fabric. Her panties are basically a thong.

　Near the entrance of the changing room, which Raika was glancing at…

　Aria was wearing her uniform, holding a clipboard and was waiting for the three of them to finish changing.

“Hurry up and get dressed! Article 5 of the Butei Charter: Act Swiftly!”

　Akari and the others began to rush changing their clothes after being yelled at by Aria, who seemed to be annoyed with the three of them talking among themselves.

　With Akari and her friends, now wearing their gym clothes, Aria led them down the sidewalks of the school district.

　The end goal was the building where the the Ambulance department was located.

“The physical measurement is an important part of being a butei that dictates your armaments and fighting techniques. The results of the physical are submitted to Masters, so take it seriously, okay?”

“Okay!”

　In contrast to Shino and Raika, who responded to Aria’s words with serious expressions…

(Yay~! I’m with Aria-senpai!)

　Akari is the only one with a massive smile on her face.

　Physical measurements for first-year students are led by second-year students who follow the instructions of the teaching staff.

　The students leading the measurement are generally assigned at random, but if any of them have a War Sister contract, then that fact may be taken into consideration. That is probably why Aria is leading Akari’s group, which to Akari, is only a good thing.

“I will start by measuring your height.”

　In the infirmary of Ambulance, that Aria brought them to, a rifle rack was temporarily set up in addition to the usual medical equipment, and various long guns were lined up in a row.

　Standing in front of them, Aria,

“Shino Sasaki. Height, 155cm. You can just barely use a M4.”

　(Considering Shino’s height, a smaller carbine should be appropriate…)

　Aria handed her a Colt M4, which with its stock was 840mm in length.

　As its name suggests, the M4 was a cavalry rifle that was easy to handle, fully automatic, and neither a short or a long rifle. It is useful in urban warfare, and because the U.S army has adopted it as its weapon of choice, it is an inexpensive gun that is also available in Japan.

“Hino Raika, 165mm, you could probably carry a FAL without dragging it.”

　Raika, who has a slender figure like a model, looked proud as she was handed the 1090mm FAL.

　The FAL, a lightweight automatic rifle developed by the Belgian company FN Herstal, is an assault rifle that is just right for Raika. It is a highly reliable gun that has undergone actual combat in the Falklands War and the Gulf War, with its flaws having been thoroughly identified from field use.

　… on the other hand…

　Akari, who was the first to have her height measured, and has the face of a Buddha…

　Was handed a G11 that was developed in the former West Germany by Heckler & Koch.

　It was a rare gun, rarely ever seen at any military academy.

　This automatic rifle uses lightweight caseless ammunition that thus does not eject casings, making it also a eco-friendly option. The continuous rate of fire when burst firing is far superior to that of other rifles. It is also extremely compact, with a barrel length of only 540mm. It is the only assault rifle that Akari, who is only 139cm tall – about the average height of a fifth grader in elementary school – can operate.

　However, while this gun has such amazing specs, it is… too next-generation… it is not a trusted rifle, is has frequent breakdowns and faults, and its existence has been forgotten in history. It is, in a word, impractical.

“I don’t want this weird looking gun! I want that one too!”

　The G11, which many consider cool, that looks like a laser gun from the future, apparently did not suit Akari’s sense of style. (TL Note: The G11 is like red wine, it is a refined aesthetic. Search it up if you are curious, it looks like no other weapon.)

　When Akari failed to take away Raika’s FAL, she turned to Shino and said “Shino! Measure my height again!”, and went to stand on the stadiometer.

“No matter how many times you measure it, 139cm it 139cm.”

　With a sigh, Aria wrote down the data she collected on a sheet and tucked it into her clipboard.

　Next, they all moved to the Sniper department, where they were to conduct an eye test in Snipe’s firing range.

　Next to Aria, standing at the far end of the firing range, is a landolt ring used for the vision screening.

“Now, get ready.”

　Following Aria’s instructions, Akari, Shino, and Raika held their L96 in a standing firing position.

　They were free to use any rifle, and the three of them look through the scope.

　All vision tests at Butei high were done with a rifle at a firing range.

(…right? Yeah, right.)

　-the person who could figure out the answer first would answer, but before Akari could voice her answer,

“right.”

　Raika answered.

　In addition to this, Akari for some reason has a habit of opening her mouth when she concentrates while looking through a scope…

　Akari’s open mouth was so cute, that Shino, who was next to her, was looking at her concentrating face instead of the firing range.

“under.”

　Only Raika was able to complete the vision test with flying colours…

“Then what about this?”

　When asked by Aria, who was still at the end of the firing range,

“Up left”

　She answered immediately.

　The hearing test was administered in the Connect department building, which has the quaintness of a telecommunications company.

　Akari and the other were wearing headphones in a room full of buttons and communication devices. From the headphones on her head came a grating noise.

　The content of this test was to identify small footsteps heard in the noise.

　But Akari honestly cannot hear anything, so she delicately removes her noisy headphones and pretends to listen while covering her ears with her short twin tails…

　Shino seemed to be focusing and trying to pick up the sound of footsteps from the noise, but she just raised her eyebrows and didn’t answer.

　… and then,

“I hear the footsteps of… 5 people?”

　Raising one eyebrow, Raika answers.

　To which Aria nodded and said “Aural discrimination OK”. It seems Raika was correct.

　In the Lezzad department, the three girls had a test conducted on three semicircular spheres.

　For this test, Akari and her friends were places on swivel chairs similar to those used to train astronauts.

　(This is nauseating…) Akari, who had been turned and flipped and spun around many times, both vertically and horizontally, was..

“upu…”

　Within seconds of leaving the seat, she was staggering on the ground with a pale face. Nearby, Shino was also wobbling.

　However,

“Akari. Are you done already?”

　Raika, the only girl still in the chair, was smiling and grinning at Akari as Akari hugged Aria with tears in her eyes.

“Five more minutes.”

　Aria spoke over the trembling, kneeling Akari…

“Rajah-♪” (TL Note: quirky way of saying “roger”.)

　Raika responded with enthusiasm.

　It seemed that out of the three friends… Raika was a step ahead of the rest when it came to being a butei.

　And so, after the completion of the physical measurements for the new butei…

“Next test is the last test.”

　Aria spoke that at the final destination that the three girls were brought to… the Assault department.

　It was an annex, shaped like an apartment building.

　Next to Akari, looking up at the full-scale building, which is usually used for raid drills, Raika,

“What is the last test…?”

　She is prodding Aria next to her, asking her, trying to get anything out of her.

“Fufu. This is a specialty of Butei High, it is our measurement of your athletic ability. It is sort of an event.”

　With a grin and a unnerving laugh, Aria…

　The four of them step into a room in the annex that just looks like an ordinary girls room.

“This training room is just… it is just a girls room…”

　Aria nodded to Shino, who was looking around the room.

“That is right. The inspection here is also intended as a stress reliever for the year 2’s who were assigned to lead the measurement.”

　And with that, Aria locked the door behind her.

“… now lets grade your CQC for indoor use, and I will make sure that I get a full report.”

　Aria, with a smile on her face, pulls two pistols out from her thigh holsters.

　(A close combat fight… with Aria!?)

　Akari and the others could not hide their surprise when they were suddenly told such an unimaginable thing.

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“Usually this test is done one at a time, but for here three on one is fine.”

　Aria smiles wryly, holding a silver-white and jet-black government pistol in either hand.

　(But… 3 on 1 is fine?)

　As a student as the ever combative Butei High, despite the difference in skill between first years and second years, Akari was a little ticked off

　Of course though, Aria was just trying to provoke the first years so that they would be the ones to take the advantage…

“… then let me start.”

　First, Raika pulled a knife out of her gym clothes.

“…”

　At Aria’s command, Akari also pulled out her Micro Uzi.

　Shino pulled out the sabre that she had with her…

　In a three-on-one situation, the side with one person should repeatedly hit and back away until they are against a wall to stop from being surrounded.

　However, there was no sign of Aria doing this.

　And so, Akari and the others spread out to surround Aria.

　Even in such a situation and surrounded… Aria seems to be in a good mood.

　In Akari’s eyes, Aria is desperate if not already beaten.

　(Aside from myself, Raika can use knife fighting and Shino can use swordsmanship.)

“–lets go!”

　It was Raika who took the lead and rushed forward.

　However, Aria uses the side of her gun in her left hand to counter Raika’s right hand, which was holding the knife. At the same time, Aria kicked out one of Raika’s leg.

“…!”

　Raika fell forward, but immediately put her hands on the ground to support a low kick, but Aria read that too and avoided it with a backstep.

“Kyaa!”

　This movement from Aria though was also a kick aimed at Shino who was behind her.

　Shino was forced to use the side of her sabre as a shield after being kicked by Aria.

　Akari, who only now was turning her guns muzzle towards Aria, but…

(…!)

　Aria used one of her twin tails to push Akari’s Uzi muzzle away.

　Meanwhile, Raika gets up, put her knife in the opposite hand, and clung onto Aria’s back.

　She then put Aria into a strangle hold, while trying to push the knife up to Aria’s neck… at the same time…

“Akari, Shino, Now! Up and down!”

　Raika was not frightened by Aria and started giving instructions.

　Akari and Shino, seeing this as their chance to win, both move and make their own attack motions, with Akari pointing her muzzle at Aria’s shoulder while Shino points the blade of her sabre at her ankle.

“Ara, guess it is my turn.”

　Aria laughed, and got a serious look on her face, turned the safety on on her gun and threw it up into the air.

“–?”

　Raika had clear surprise on her face, and Aria…

　Aria hooked her right pinky into Raika’s mouth and swung her forcefully! (It is common sense in martial arts to grab an opponent’s clothes and wrists to swing them around, but I never thought Aria would pull her mouth…!)

　While Raika was taken aback by this action, Aria jumped a little and hit Akari’s gun with the grip of her government.

　With that momentum, Akari’s Micro UZI rotates around 180 degrees–

“!”

　With her Uzi’s muzzle now point at her own face, Akari was freaked out.

　And when Aria landed, Shino aimed an attack with her sabre at where she would land, but instead ended up wit her sabre stuck under Aria’s ankle.

“aaah…!”

　Shino, unable to do anything after her sabre was stepped on by Aria, was forced to drop it and retreat…

　Raika, watching Aria, had gone from her previous bold attacks to a stiffened face.

　Looking closely, Akari realized that… Aria not only hooked her little finger into Raika’s mouth, but also pressed her thumb against the lower eyelid of her right eye, as if to poke it.

　(If Aria were to mess up the technique and did not hold back, she could have popped Raika’s eye right out.)

　(With Aria’s skill, it could have happened if she willed it…)

“…!”

　In front of the three of them, who were incapacitated in less than 10 seconds, the government pistol that Aria had thrown earlier had fallen perfectly right into her right thigh holster…

　…kin…kon…kin…kon…

　Akari heard the chimes of the Assault department…

“Aaa. Are we done already?”

　Aria, who had not even broken a sweat, chuckles a bit with a disappointed smile.

　She then let go of Raika, took her foot off of Shino’s sword, and also put away the pistol in her left hand that was still pointed at Akari.

　And in the end, these three were no match for the senior S-ranked butei… Akari and Shino were stunned to realize this.

　Aria, though, told Raika who had regret in her eyes,

“You have a little talent.”

　Even after a sound victory, Aria told Raika such enviable words.

　The Assault department building had a women’s bathhouse with a pool.

　Soaking in the public bathtub with the other girls who had just finished their physical fitness tests…

　Akari and the other three were depressed.

　(I couldn’t fight for even 10 seconds, even though it was 3 to 1, because of the motor nerve measurement test…) (TL Note: it was not said when this test was done, but it was the test involving the spinning chair.)

“We couldn’t get a foot in the door.”

　Shino, holding her knees in the bathtub, says cheerfully.

“It was like she was cheating.”

　Raika, who spread her arms out on the edge of the bathtub like a man, was looking up at the ceiling.

　Akari, with her bum sitting flat on the bottom of the tub,

“I wonder if Aria wrote a bad report on me.”

　Akari looked down in disappointment and put her mouth in the bathtub as she blowed bubbles pointlessly…

“… Not really. B+.”

　Aria appeared, her twin-tail hair tied up in a bun and a towel covering her naked body.

　Wa, when the three of them raised their faces…

“You three were a very good team, you worked very well together. I just got a little too serious at the end.”

　Akari and the other looked a little surprised at Aria’s words as she was entering the bathtub.

　It took a few moments, but eventually the three realized that they had just been praised… and they looked at each other with joy evident on their face.

　Seeing Akari’s honest happiness, Aria smiled.

“We are going to keep being good friends from now on, okay?” (TL Note: this might seem out of place, but it is a fairly accurate translation (exact word is not friend but something like “get along”, “work together”, etc. I believed that friend worked best here given previous sentence.). Think of it like Aria worried that she might have discouraged Akari from trying her best or pushed her away by beating her so soundly. It is meant to encourage Akari to work harder and keep trying her best.)

“..Yes!”

　Overjoyed, Akari gave a lively response to Aria with a big smile on her face.

“Especially you, you have a lot of potential.”

　Again, she praised Raika again making Akari envious.

　Raika was pleased to be the only one truly praised.

“… well, your strategy was not very good. It was too straight forward.”

　Immediately after though came a scathing evaluation.

　While the three of them went back to a pure shocked reaction again, Aria looked like she was thinking…

“Yes, you would be an even better team if you had a cunning strategist…”

　She muttered something like that as if talking to herself.

　　§　　　§

　A Hollywood mirror…

　It is a mirror placed in the dressing room of a TV station, with a row of light bulbs surrounding a rectangular edge.

　Female butei don’t usually care much about makeup because in their jobs they usually are never seen by anyone other than their targets… they have no need for a girl-oriented mirror that actresses and idols use to apply makeup.

　But there are several such mirrors with lamps in the makeup room of the CVR department of Butei High.

　In front of one.

“Kuchin!”

　Kirin Shimo, a junior at Butei High, sneezes cutely.

　She is a girl even smaller than Akari, wearing a modified sailor suit trimmed with frills, with a huge ribbon on her head and a deformed giraffe plushie on her lap.

　Her height, 135cm, the height of a fourth grader.

　Kirin was in the middle of applying makeup with a powder puff on her finger.

“Mo~, Who is whispering about me~?”

　As if said in response to the words of the distant Aria, she turned her head to the direction of the public bath and spoke to herself.

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