Chapter 2: Volume 1 - CH 2

"Hey..."

"..."

"Hey, how long are you going to remain angry?"

"...I'm not angry."

"You're not looking too happy."

"I've been like this since I was born."

Acting so indifferent.

On a side note, it was 8 am on the second day of school. We were in the first-years' cafeteria, and like before, there were girls all around us. I was still rather shocked that even the staff members were female (though it was logical).

I, who supposedly had a "same-room-relation", was having breakfast together with Houki; but ever since last night, we haven't had a proper conversation.

On a side note, my breakfast was of the traditional Japanese style, including natto, blocks of salmon, miso soup and mild pickle, very delicious. Maybe it was because of the exorbitant taxes. Long live Nationalism.

And on another side note, Houki and I had ordered the same thing. As a Japanese, I do feel that having rice for breakfast is still the best. Even though I like bread as well, this salmon was so delicious that it suited my tastes. The rice was soft and hot, wonderful. An electric rice cooker couldn't make this taste. So was it cooked over a rice stove?

"..."

I've been ignored. As if in agreement with the me who's being ignored, Houki picks up a piece of salmon.

—Never mind, that is nothing. I grew up living with Chifuyu-nee, so I don't have that feeling of 'I'm living with a girl! My heart is beating like crazy! I'm so nervous!'. Besides, I handled many years of Chifuyu-nee's dirty laundry, so I'm not going to panic just because of a piece of girl's underwear.

But then again, maybe my experiences don't have any sort of relation with my childhood friend Houki.

In other words, Houki's unhappy because of my attitude when I saw her underwear...right? Hm? That's strange? Why is Houki angry?

"As I said, I'm not angry."

Even though the person in front of me said this, she didn't turn her face towards me at all, and even when our eyes met, she would look away frantically. Hm, if it wasn't for her angry expression, I would believe that the world was peaceful.

"Look look, he's the famous boy ~~"

"Seems like he's also Chifuyu nee-sama's younger brother, you know."

"Huh—, so both siblings are IS users? Is he strong?"

Today's the same as usual. The girls keep their distance, forming a perimeter around me, known as 'even though he's delicious, don't be greedy'. If it were far-sea fishing, it would be quite a catch...hm, that's just a meaningless example.

"So as I was saying, Houki—"

"Don't call me by my name."

"...Shinonono-san."

"..."

If she won't allow me to use her name, I'll just use her surname. This time though, she could only remain silent. The fact that Houki doesn't like to be called by her surname hasn't changed, huh? Besides, this name has quite the history—

"O-Orimura-kun, can we sit here, please?"

"Huh?"

I could see three girls holding their trays of breakfast as they anxiously waited for my reply.

"Well, it's not like you can't."

The girl who tried to talk to me finally heaved a sigh of relief. Behind her, her two friends were secretly encouraging her. Nearby, there was quite a commotion.

"Ah~ I should have tried to talk to him earlier..."

"It-it's just the second day. Nothing to panic over!"

"Say, speaking of which, the people who rushed into the room yesterday are present as well!"

"WHAT DID YOU SAY!?"

...Ah, mm, that's right. 8 first-years, 15 second-years and 33 third-years came over to introduce themselves. It's already tough enough to memorize all their names. On a side note, if anyone's to come up to me and ask me 'do you remember me?', the probability of me remembering them is only about 20%. This is too cruel.

It's early in the morning, and I can't even remember three names.

On a side note, those three probably had their seats assigned, so they managed to sit down quickly. A six-seater table. Houki and I are sitting on the side nearest to the window, and they filled up three seats. As for the remaining one, I hope that no one will squeeze in.

"Wow, Orimura-kun, you do eat a lot in the morning—"

"He, he's a guy, you know."

"I'm the type who eats very little at night, so I have to eat a lot in the morning or else I won't be able to make it."

On a side note, this is true. After experiencing it for many years, testing all sorts of methods, this is still somewhat helpful in maintaining my body shape and health. I learnt it from Chifuyu-nee.

"Is it alright to eat that little for breakfast?"

The trio, though they had three different menus, they all had a drink, a piece of bread and a side dish (very little of it, by the way).

"U-Us?"

"M, yes, is it alright?"

The fuel cost is extremely cheap. Don't tell me the reason why only girls can pilot IS is because of this?

"Because we eat a lot of snacks—"

...You'll grow fat if you eat too many snacks. Besides, that's not good for one's health, isn't it? Is this really good? Their glory of ten years is going to run out. A human starts to age from the age of 22, it seems.

"...Orimura, I'm leaving now."

"Ah? Okay. See you later."

After Houki cleanly finished her breakfast, she left her seat. Though it was a buffet, she still chose a traditional meal. As always, she was trying to maintain a samurai image. She should be like Japan's excellent traditional Yamato Nadeshiko. No, well, I don't know what qualities a Yamato Nadeshiko should have.

(But since Houki's the one living with me, well, at least it's better than living with someone I'm unfamiliar with.)

Houki and I are childhood friends. When I was in first grade, Chifuyu-nee brought me to the Shinonono dojo to train, and until 4th grade we remained in the same class.

For some reason, the two of us didn't have parents, so Chifuyu-nee and I were often taken care of by Shinononos' parents and were invited for dinner. Truthfully, it really helped us a lot while we were poor.

However, instead of saying that our relationship was bad, let's say it was terrible. Though we walked down the same path, comrades in swordsmanship, we parted ways soon after (I'm rather mindful about this.)

(I couldn't remember anything in the past at all...)

Never mind, it's not just me, everyone's the same now. The past is the past, and the present's the present.

"Orimura-kun, are you familiar with Shinonono-san?"

"Even though I heard that you two are living in the same room..."

"Ah, sort of. We're childhood friends."

Though I really didn't know the significance behind this, there was still quite a commotion around us. Some people even let out a 'WHAT?'

"Huh, that's—"

The girl beside me—mm, Tanimoto-san? Just as I was about to ask, a clapping sound could be heard inside the canteen.

"How long are you going to eat!? You got to be fast when eating, be efficient! If you're late, you'll have to run around the field ten times!"

Chifuyu-nee's voice echoed throughout the canteen, and everyone inside frantically returned to eating their breakfast. If you want to know why, it's because one lap around the field in IS Academy is 5km—this is not a joke. I frantically finished up my food.

On a side note, it seems like Chifuyu-nee was acting as the first-years' dorm supervisor. As usual, she wasn't getting any rest at all.

Even though as her brother I was rather worried, I figured it should be alright. Truthfully, nobody could fight with Chifuyu-nee when it came to not knowing fatigue.

(Never mind, I couldn't think of how to focus on learning the IS at all.)

Truthfully, I still have the match against Cecilia next week. Before that, I need to learn how to control the IS.

(Trying to control it, huh?)

◇

—In the end, there wasn't any progress.

Before the second period ended, my mind was already all dizzy.

(Not good...)

It couldn't be helped. It was possible to understand some terms through practice, but there were some parts that were impossible to understand in the first place.

Like a math problem that's impossible to solve no matter what. Yes, those kinds that are impossible to solve unless an example is given.

"..."

However, the situation now feels even more inexplicable. When I first touched the IS, it felt like I was familiar with it, with many years of experience. It was that kind of a feeling.

But I really couldn't understand by reading the textbook like this, that feeling was like 'did I really activate an IS before?'.

(Hm~...)

I folded my arms in front of me and stared at the textbook. Of course, we're having lessons now. Yamada-sensei may end up speechless at times, but she still continued to teach the students basic knowledge regarding IS.

"In other words, the IS was originally created for space work, so the pilot is covered in a special armor. Also, the armor has the ability to increase body functions and keep the pilots in a stable state. This increases the heart rate, pulse, lung capacity, amount of sweat lost, endorphins (amino acids that the brain releases during times of pain, exercise, excitement and other exciting things)—"

"Sensei, is that really alright? It's kind of scary when the body is manipulated like that."

One of my classmates said with an uncertain look on her face. It's true that the unique feeling created by piloting an IS may cause people to feel uncomfortable.

"It's not really that complicated. Oh yeah, for example, everyone's wearing a bra, right? If one has that kind of support, there's no reason that it will cause any adverse effects on humans. Of course, if it's not by your own measurements but out of shape, then—"

...Coincidentally, our eyes met, and Yamada-sensei just stood there, dumbfounded. Several seconds later, she blushed.

"Well, that, no, that's, Ori-Orimura-kun, you have no need to understand that. I, I don't know. This example. Ah, ah ha, ah hahaha..."

Yamada-sensei could only laugh blankly, unknowingly creating a subtle atmosphere throughout the classroom. Compared to me, some of the girls seemed to realize something as they folded their arms in front of their chests, looking like they were trying to hide their breasts.

Like the conversation with Houki yesterday, up until now, I didn't have the interest of getting excited by seeing a girl's underwear. However, now I was surrounded by this—wanting to see it and yet not wanting to see it at the same time—this itchy feeling, and I couldn't seem to calm down no matter what.

This abnormally bad atmosphere continued for another 10 or 20 seconds .

"Ahem, Yamada-sensei, please continue with the lesson."

"Ah, okay."

Deliberately faking a cough to disperse the atmosphere, under Chifuyu-nee's prompt, Yamada-sensei returned back to topic even though it looked like she was about to bury herself in the book.

"Then, well, I got something important to say. The IS has something similar to a human's consciousness that can converse with the pilot—in other words, understanding each other by living together. Mm, the longer the operation time, the more the IS understands the pilot's characteristics."

I see. In other words, it meant that I couldn't slack off during training.

"The more you understand each other, the more you can use its utmost capabilities. You have to understand that the IS isn't a tool, but your friend."

Immediately, a girl raised her hand.

"Sensei, is it like a lover~?"

"Well, that, mm...it should be that kind of feeling. I haven't experienced it before, so I don't really know..."

This so-called experience should be of a boy and girl being in a relationship. Ignoring Yamada-sensei, who lowered her head as she blushed, the girls in the class started to chatter about things related to boys and girls dating each other.

How should I say it? It's like this place is a bit too much like a 'girls' school' already. The air's full of sweetness, isn't it?

Honestly, this classroom—well, not just here, the air in the school was sweet. It wasn't just the atmosphere, but rather, real sweetness. It was the aroma that only girls have. Anyway, this sweetness was everywhere. Actually, it was like this; it filled up my abdomen so much that I felt sick from it.

"..."

"Is, is there anything wrong, Orimura-kun?"

"Ah, it's nothing, nothing at all."

After hearing my words, Yamada-sensei vaguely waved her hand. It felt like someone was staring at me... I had been feeling like that since yesterday.

DING—DONG—DANG—DONG

"Ah, then, during the remaining time, we're going to start training on basic IS braking in the air."

Besides practical skills and other unique subjects, IS Academy is basically in charge of all the basic training. Within these 15 minutes of rest time, to the teachers who have to head back to the office, it's been tough on them.

"Hey, hey, Orimura-kun."

"Over here~ over here~, a question~ a question~"

"Do you have time during the day? Do you have time after school? Do you have time at night?"

So the scenario from yesterday has ended, hasn't it? Once Yamada-sensei and Chifuyu-nee walked out of the classroom, half of the girls wound up gathering around my desk. I just heard the words 'Can't delay this any longer!' and I guess that it's not a mistake on my part...

"Then, please listen to me—"

I was really bothered, and while I was trying to finish what I wanted to say, I saw a girl giving away some sort of coupons, and even receiving money for it. Please don't do any commercial businesses in school, just don't.

"..."

My childhood friend Houki wasn't far away from the group surrounding me as she looked on. It seemed like she was still angry. Please don't complain silently, humans are learning creatures.

(But I'm already lost now. Even though I want to let Houki teach me about things related to IS...it looks like I can only ask later.)

I thought, even if it was for only a short time, it was still hard to endure those 'hurry up and answer me' looks that the girls were showing. Now which question should I answer?

"How's Chifuyu-nee in her own house!?"

"Huh, unexpectedly—"

*PAM!*

"Break time's over. Scram."

Ah, when did she get behind me? She's the only one who would smack me at this time. She's here to prevent me from leaking information about her, right? Speaking of which, Chifuyu-nee, hitting people like that isn't going to give people a good impression. Is it really alright for you to do that?

"Oh yes, Orimura, your IS needs some more time before it can be prepared."

"What?"

"There's no available suit. So wait a while. It seems like the school's making a personal suit for you."

"???"

Just as I was confused, the entire classroom started buzzing.

"A, a personal suit? For a first year, and at this time!?"

"Which means that the government has given support..."

"Ah~ so good...I want to have my own personal suit soon."

What's going on? Is there anything really worth being envious of?

I just showed a look of not knowing anything at all, that Chifuyu-nee couldn't endure seeing as she muttered,

"Page 6 of the textbook. Read it out."

"Mn, mm... 'Today, even though we have links to many countries and enterprises that provide IS technology, all the information related to the manufacturing of the core is never revealed. The cores of the 467 IS that exist in today's society are all created by Professor Shinonono. This core has been completely transformed into a black box, and none have achieved the success that Professor Shinonono has. However, the Professor has declined to continue creating more after a certain amount, and all countries, organizations and enterprises have started research, development and training of their own cores. The dealings of cores are against Title 7 of the Alaska Treaty, that these are forbidden no matter the circumstances'..."

"That's the case. You understand?"

"Sort, sort of..."

Mm, let me clear this up a bit.

1. There are only 467 IS existing in the entire world. 2. Only Professor Shinonono can create the cores, and the Professor's no longer willing to create more. 3. I got a special privilege, but this is a test prototype.

That's the case. Mm, I understand it rather clearly. On a side note, this Professor Shinonono is—

"Erm, sensei. Is Shinononon-san, a relative of Professor Shinonono...?"

A girl trembled as she asked Chifuyu-nee...that's right, this surname Shinonono will be discovered anyway.

—Shinonono Tabane, the complete genius who designed the IS all by herself. She was Chifuyu-nee's classmate, and Houki's elder sister. No matter how many times I met her, I always thought of her as—'genius'.

"That's right, Shinonono's that person's little sister."

Hey, sensei, is it really good to divulge other people's information like that? Actually, Tabane-nee is now a person who's placed under unique security that exceeds National laws. Though she's not a criminal, the whereabouts of the person who has all sorts of technology in regards to IS are unknown. This makes every related person to the governments and organizations feel rather insecure.

(However, she herself doesn't seem to mind though...)

Remembering that haughty look on her face, well, if I have to describe it, an example would be a 'cunning sheep'. On a side note, Chifuyu-nee's an 'honest wolf'. Hm, I'll call that rotating image. Rather suitable, isn't it?

"WHAAAAAT—! This, this is great! We have two famous people's relatives here!"

"That that, how's Professor Shinonono as a person!? She's a genius, right!?"

"So Shinonono-san's a genius too!? Teach me how to operate an IS the next time."

We were supposed to be having lessons now, but the girls were now gathered around Houki. Ah, if I look from here, it may make quite the nice scene. According to common sense, nobody will help you out.

(Strange? Speaking of which, did Houki pilot an IS before...?)

I tried to search through my memory. Hm, I've definitely never seen it before. Besides, Tabane-nee and Houki—

"I HAVE NO RELATION WITH THAT PERSON!"

Her sudden loud voice cut my thoughts like bamboo.

Looking over, the girls surrounding Houki were revealing similar expressions, not knowing what's going on.

"...Sorry for using such a loud voice. However, I'm not that person, there's nothing I can tell you."

After saying that, Houki turned her head to stare outside the window. It seemed like the girls' enthusiasm got doused, everyone was looking troubled and unhappy as they returned to their seats.

(Does Houki really hate Tabane-nee...?)

I again tried to search through my memory, and for some reason, I couldn't find any images of them being together. Speaking of which, Houki would always refuse to talk about Tabane-nee, once anyone mentioned her, Houki would end the topic.

"Then, let's start the lesson. Yamada-sensei, the command."

"Ye-Yes."

Yamada-sensei seemed to be mindful of Houki as well, and from this viewpoint, she definitely looked like a professional teacher. The lesson finally started.

(I'll ask Houki later...)

Harboring these thoughts, I opened the textbook.

◇

"Now I can be at ease. No need to worry about having to use the simulator."

Ah, is that so, Cecilia-san?

During break time, Cecilia came over to my place and said this as she placed a hand on her hip. It really doesn't matter, but you really like this posture, huh? It really doesn't matter.

"Oh my? The victor's obvious already? It's really unfair though."

"? Why do you say that?"

"Oh my, you still don't know? Alright, let me tell you, an ordinary civilian. I, as the English representative of England, Cecilia Alcott...in other words, have my own personal machine."

"Wha—"

"...Are you taking me for a fool?"

"No, although I feel that you're amazing, I don't know how amazing you are."

"Normally speaking, wouldn't you be treating me as an idiot if you're saying that?"

*BAM!* She slammed both hands hard onto the table. Hey, look what you have done, the notebook dropped onto the floor, idiot.

"...Ahem, wasn't it just mentioned during the lesson? There are only 467 IS in the entire world. In other words, those able to have their own personal IS are the elites among elites chosen from the 6 billion people in the entire world."

"Is, is that so..."

"That's right."

"So the current global population is already over 6 billion..."

"That's not the main point!"

*PAM!* Hey, idiot, now the textbook dropped on the floor, you idiot.

"I say! Are you really treating me like an idiot!?"

"No, no such thing."

"Then why are you rebutting me...?"

Huh, why so?

"Why, Houki?"

*DING!* With the sound, the glance flew over. Alright, the time taken was 0.8 seconds. Houki responded to me silently 'I DON'T WANT TO CARE ABOUT YOU!'.

"Speaking of which, you're Professor Shinonono's little sister, right?"

Facing Cecilia who pointed the tip of the spear at her, Houki responded with a sharp look.

"I'm just her little sister."

Hey, Houki, are you trying to scare people? It's terrifying. Look, even Cecilia's giving a "uu..." sound. What kind of delinquent are you?

"Ne-Never mind. As for whoever's suitable to be class representative, just don't forget about me, Cecilia Alcott."

Swinging her hair down with her right hand, she turned around and left. Hm—, show off a little POSE—. Even a model can do that.

"Houki."

"..."

"Shinonono-san, let's go and eat."

It's important to patch up. Because of that incident just now, there was a rift formed between Houki and the rest; as a classmate, I couldn't just leave it like this.

"Who's coming along?"

Got to pretend.

"Me me me!"

"I want to go—hold on a minute—"

"I made a bento, but I'll go as well!"

Oh, I got so many willing to join in for lunch. It's important to have a good relationship with our classmates, isn't that right, Houki?

"...I'm, not going."

"Don't say that. Come on, stand up, stand up, let's go."

"Hey, hey, I said that I'm not going—stop putting your hand behind my back like that."

Hahaha, I knew that Houki would refuse, so I made all sorts of preparations. Forcing this person along is the correct thing to do.

"What, you don't want to move? Do you want me to carry you?"

"Wha...!"

*Dong*, Houki blushed. For my namesake, she will come along even if she doesn't want to.

"Let, let go of me!"

"After we reach the cafeteria."

"Let, let go of me right now! Hei—"

With the elbow at center, Houki twisted my arm in order to get away. At the same time when I thought 'it hurts!', my vision got flipped and I was thrown onto the floor.

"..."

Ow, it hurts. The delayed sense of pain quickly spread throughout my back. On a side note, the surrounding girls were staring in shock.

"You've improved your technique."

"Hm, humph. You became weaker, right? This is an additional application to kendo."

Most likely, among all the girls in Japan, you're the only one who'll learn 'additional applications' in Ancient Martial arts.

"Umm, that..."

"We're still..."

"Well, never mind..."

Ah—it's rare for us to gather together, and yet the girls ran away as if it were a wild-life escape. Look what you have done, you idiot, I gathered them for Houki's sake.

"..."

After saying goodbye to the ground, I patted myself clean of the dust. Houki not only said "It's not my fault", she even folded her arms in front of her chest and looked away.

"Houki."

"I, I told you not to call me by my name—"

"Let's go eat."

I'm hungry. I forcefully grabbed Houki's hand.

"Hey, hey. Act a bit more gently, will you—"

"Just shut up and follow me."

"Uuu..."

I coldly said those words, and just then Houki obediently followed. Really, I should have done this right from the beginning, right?

◇

Alright, we reached the cafeteria. It was kind of crowded, but it looked like we could find seats for two.

"Houki, everything's okay, right? You'll eat something, won't you?"

"Don't treat me like a pet kitten or dog, I do have my own tastes."

"Hm—ah, I'll get two 'Meal of the day' sets. It's the salted mackerel meal set today."

"Are you listening to me at all?"

"I am. Why did you think I was so gentle and got those people to join us, idiot. You ruined it in the end. What'll happen if you can't make any friends? Your High school life will be very gloomy and boring."

"I, I don't remember...particularly asking you for this!"

"I don't remember you doing that either. Ah, aunty, two 'Meal of the day' sets. Can I leave the meal coupons here?"

I placed the meal coupons on the collection booth. I could only use my right hand right from the beginning, which was extremely inconvenient.

My left hand? It was grabbing Houki and not letting her go. Most likely, this person's escape rate rivaled that of a Cactuar (TL Note: Final Fantasy reference, a Cactuar's an enemy/summon)

"You know what? I wouldn't do that if any ordinary person were to ask me. It's because it's Houki that I'm doing this."

"Wha, what do you mean..."

"It's nothing. I just said hello to the aunties and told them that we're childhood friends, don't read too much into it."

"..."

Houki's gaze turned towards the ceiling, feeling silently depressed. This person, ever since I moved in with her, has got a lot more eccentric. No, it seems like it has been like this since a long time ago. If I'm not careful, she'll break away from the group. That's Houki for ya.

"Th-That...thanks—"

"Here, two 'Meal of the day' sets, sorry for making you wait."

"Thanks, aunty. Oh, it sure looks delicious."

"It not just the looks, it's really delicious."

Saying this, the burly canteen aunty smiled heartily. Hm, such a nice person.

"Houki, are there any empty seats?"

"..."

"Houki?"

Since she didn't reply, I turned around to look. Her facial expression was a lot uglier now.

"...There're some empty seats over there."

She shook my hand off, grabbed her own set meal and hurriedly moved off. Huh, why? Why is she angry all of a sudden?

Anyway, as I caught up to Houki, I found two empty seats in front of me.

"It's not really nice of me to say this, but,"

"...What."

Since you answered with miso soup still inside your mouth, I'll explain as I slice this grilled fish up.

"Can you teach me anything related to IS? If this keeps up, I'll lose in the battle next week without even doing anything."

"Who asked you to accept such a challenge, idiot."

Doesn't it mean despair when she says it like this?...Even though that is the case.

"Anyway, please help me in regards to this."

Holding the chopsticks and clapping them together, I begged Houki. It's a common saying that once a man has a first time, he won't feel ashamed later on. 'A man is useless if he doesn't want to win', this was the reason why I was doing this.

"..."

Silence. I got ignored. She's not just remaining silent, she's still eating that spinach salad as well. Such a cruel person.

"As I was saying, Houki—"

"Hey, aren't you that person mentioned in the rumors?"

A girl beside me suddenly asked me. She appeared to be a third-year. The color of the tie varies according to the year. Blue for first-years, yellow for second-years, red for third-years. The ends were gradually curled up, and her curly-hairstyle looked really memorable. She looked rather approachable, like a squirrel. Oh, completely different from this childhood friend of mine who narrowed her eyes.

As expected of a third-year, the looks and even the feeling she gave off was just like an adult. You see, Houki? This social language is a must for society.

"Ah, most likely."

At the same time I gave my reply, the senpai naturally sat down beside me. She folded her arms and placed them on the table, her face closing in on me.

"I heard that you're going to fight against that representative, is it true?"

"Hm, that seems to be the case."

What now? Has the rumor spread that fast? So it's true that girls are addicted to gossip and special rumors.

"But you're still an amateur, right? How long have you piloted an IS?"

"How long...I guess about 20 minutes."

"You can't win if that is the case. The key to an IS is the operation time. Your opponent's a representative, right? Then it's likely that she has exceeded 300 hours easily ."

Hm—I'm not sure whether having more operational time is impressive, so I didn't really understand her words. However, she's right that I'll obviously lose to Cecilia.

"Hm, do you want me to teach you about the IS?"

The senpai (I still don't know her name) said this as she latched onto me.

Oh. How intimate. No matter who it is, it's a far cry from a childhood friend. This should be the so-called relief rain (And it just so happened that the garbage truck appeared when I wanted to throw the packaging away).

"Okay, please—"

Before I could say the words 'please help me out then', someone butted in.

"No need. I'll be teaching him anyway."

Houki, who was eating her meal, suddenly said such a thing. Huh? Is Houki going to teach me?

"You're only a first year, right? Pardon me, but I would be more suitable to teach him."

"...I, I'm Shinonono Tabane's little sister."

Houki said. It felt like she did not want to say it, but she said it reluctantly in the end.

"Even if you say Shinono—huh~?"

Once she had said it, the senpai was stunned. That was to be expected, since the younger sister of the creator of the IS was right in front of her.

"Thus, there's no need to bother."

"Is, is that so. If that's the case, then it can't be helped..."

As expected of the world famous genius'—little sister. Anyone will be afraid when she uses that name. Actually, that kind senpai suddenly felt awkward and walked away. Ah, she was so kind.

"What?"

"What do you mean...well, are you going to teach me?"

"That's just what I said."

Wouldn't it have been much faster if you had just said this right from the beginning?

Anyway, at least I've got someone teaching me now. It's practice after that then.

"Today, after school."

"Hm?"

"Come to the kendo arena later. I want to see if you've gotten rusty in your movements."

"No, what I want is the IS—"

"Just do as I say."

"...Got it."

Why is it that there are so many stubborn girls around me? Maybe it is fate. Good grief.

◇

"What was that?"

"Well, even if you ask me that..."

After school, we were at the kendo dojo. Even though it was packed with spectators, Houki was still throwing her temper at me.

10 minutes into the scrimmage, I lost one set, and Houki raged at me as she took off her 'men'.

"Why have you become so weak?"

"Cause I was preparing for exams, I guess."

"...what club were you in during middle school?"

"Well, I was in the going home club, and I never missed a day during my three years."

Well actually, I went to work part-time to support my family.

"—Got to retrain you."

"What?"

"Retrain! This is much worse than not knowing how to pilot an IS! From now on, I'll train you for three hours, every day, after school."

"What? That's a little too long—speaking of which, it's not IS training, you know."

"That's why I said that it's an even more serious problem!"

Wah, she was rather angry. It seemed like she wouldn't listen no matter what I said.

"How miserable. Not just IS, you can't even beat a girl in kendo when you're a guy...aren't you ashamed, Ichika?"

"Well, hm... I do feel embarrassed about it."

"EMBARRASSED!? You're mindful about your own embarrassment in this situation? Or, I see, you're happy to be surrounded by so many girls!"

*Pata*. It's here. She's angry. No matter what, there's no reason for you to tell me off like that.

"I can't be happy at all! I'm being treated like a pet here! Worst of all, I have to live together with a girl! What kind of tragedy is—"

"So, does that mean you're very unwilling to live with me!?"

*Shua!* Right at the critical moment, the bamboo sword she swung down was blocked by my own bamboo sword. Wah, hold on, you idiot. I took off my gear already! Are you trying to kill me?

"Ca-Calm down a bit, Houki. I don't want to die yet, and you aren't at the age when you can think about killing, right?"

Speaking of which, my right hand singlehandedly-blocked the full force Houki brought over, and my left hand was trembling like crazy.

"As I was saying, Houki? Please, I'll treat you next time, so let me off this time!"

"...Humph, such a spineless guy."

I finally managed to defuse this attack, as Houki glanced at me with a look of disdain before heading to the changing room.

(However...)

Houki had become stronger. In the past, I would have won easily.

My forearm that got hit was now aching. Ah, it's all swollen here...

"Orimura-kun is, well..."

"Rather weak?"

"Can he really operate an IS—"

Those were the voices of despair from the spectators. Ah damn it, there's nothing more humiliating for a guy than losing to a girl.

I can't forgive myself, even more than anyone else would.

Right now, if I want to beat everyone—forget about that, I can't even protect those close to me.

I continued to sulk about it, bringing out all the feelings within me.

"...So, training's about to begin again?"

Since I'm placed in the lower rung...since I'm at the lowest point, I can only work hard. I can't run away any more.

—Right, got to work hard.

Because I can't falter here.

◇

(Maybe I was a little too harsh...)

Inside the changing room of the kendo dojo, Houki was changing her clothes. Up till now, she has been thinking the same thing over and over again.

After six years, these two childhood friends finally met each other again. Being as childish as ever and seeing the places that grew up, her heart started to race.

(No, no, that's the standard. He's normally not the kind of person who would work hard, and he clearly hasn't wielded a sword for a year, or else it wouldn't be—)

If it were the past, he wouldn't have lost to me.

"..."

Ichika has gotten stronger compared to six years ago.

And he's a lot cooler than anyone else.

(Ne-Never mind. That, erm, how can I explain it. The looks...ermm, not bad.)

Of course, he's a lot more like an adult as compared to 6 years ago. That cool looking expression alone gives the feeling that he has become a man.

(But he gave up like that. Doesn't he find it embarrassing to lose after fighting so seriously? Really.)

Thinking about it, she continued to rage, and her anger couldn't be stopped.

(What's going on with him. He was always training so seriously in the past, and now he became so wasted. So unlike a man at all!)

Normally speaking, a person who hasn't practiced kendo for three days will effectively lose a week's worth of training. That should be the case for Ichika.

It's not that he lost his skills, but his senses. Also, regaining the senses will take the longest time. The senses are gained through accumulation of experience. It's hard to gain it, but easy to lose it.

(Even so—)

Removing the scarf in her hair, her silky hair scattered and extended all the way to her waist.

(He knew all about me...)

6 years ago...it's been 6 years since they were 9 years old. Even though her face and even other parts of her body have entirely matured, it seems that the former childhood friend knew it was her before even hearing her name.

"Hoho."

This made her extraordinarily happy.

Houki recognized Ichika based on the name alone. Early on, his photo was shown on the reports. If it hadn't, she probably wouldn't even know that her childhood friend became so manly. —To be honest, she even felt that he has 'quite the build'. The moment she heard the name, the bowls in her hands dropped onto the floor.

Ichika said that he read about her winning the national championships. But those reports normally don't have any photos. However, Ichika said, 'I immediately knew'. He did say that to her.

(Does this mean that it was worth not changing my hairstyle?)

It's as if she had placed all her hope on one single minor coincidence, as if she had been hoping for a wish to be granted; more or less, it was a childish thought on her part. Besides, Houki's a youthful 15-year-old girl, so it's not unnatural for her to be cautious about romance.

"...Huh!?"

Suddenly, she saw her face in the mirror and recovered. "Ho..." She sighed, feeling rather embarrassed about that naive expression on her face as she backed off.

"..."

Though there wasn't any huge significance, she stared at herself through the mirror.

There is really no significance about this—if there's a need to mention it, it's that she's trying to hide her own embarrassment— it looked like this was the only way for Houki to regain her composure as she let out a scowl again.

(An, anyway, starting tomorrow, it'll be special training every day after school. It'll be troublesome if I don't get him back to normal standard.)

How troublesome would it be? What can be considered 'normal standard'? Though she hadn't sorted these out, Houki still folded her arms and nodded in agreement with herself.

(Besides--)

That'll mean that she has a reason to be with Ichika tomorrow.

"No! I´m not thinking of it like that!"

Right, that should be the way. There's nothing illogical about it, and there's nothing to worry about. There's nothing strange at all!

"Therefore, it's justifiable!"

In this ordinary spacious changing room, Houki, who was alone, clenched her fist as she shouted.

◇

Week 2, Monday. The day of the match against Cecilia.

"—As I was saying, Houki."

"What now, Ichika?"

Having lived together for a week, our relationship has been restored back to such that we're calling each other by our names. Maybe the gulf of 6 years was even smaller than expected. This is good.

"Maybe I'm thinking too much."

"Really. Maybe you are."

Yes, there's still a problem that's not settled yet.

"What about my IS training?"

"..."

"Don't, you, pretend, to, be, looking, somewhere, else."

In those six days, Houki drilled me extensively on kendo. However, the problem is that that's the only thing she did.

"It, it can't be helped anyway. You don't have an IS."

"Yeah, you're right—no wait! You could have taught me all the textbook stuff and basic operations!"

"..."

"Don't, you, pretend, to, be, looking, somewhere, else."

You are reading story Infinite Stratos at novel35.com

Anyway, that's the case right now. There seems to be quite the dispute over my Personal IS, and thus, it hasn't arrived yet. That's right, as of today, it has yet to arrive.

"..."

"..."

Houki and I remained silent.

"O-Orimura-kun, Orimura-kun, Orimura-kun!"

There's no need to call my name three times. The vice homeroom teacher that I'm so familiar with, Yamada-sensei came running to the A-block seating area of the 3rd arena.

She looked like she was going to tumble at anytime as her feet movement made everyone worry for her like usual. However, she seems to be a lot hastier than usual.

"Please calm down, Yamada-sensei. Here, take a deep breath."

"Okay, breathe in~ breathe out, breathe in~ breathe out."

"Okay, stop there."

"Mm."

Sure feels like I'm doing a demonstration here. After I said that, Yamada-sensei really held her breath. After a while, her face started to turn red due to the lack of oxygen. Can't this person even tell that it's a joke?

"..."

"...Huah! Is, is it not alright?"

Hm, seems like she just doesn't know when to stop.

"You have to respect your seniors, idiot."

*PANG!* As usual, there was a cracking sound of impact. I would be happy enough if the pain was about the level of a carbonated drink, but unfortunately, the force is of a heavyweight. As expected of a former representative of Japan.

"Chifuyu-nee..."

*PANG!*

"Call me Orimura-sensei. Remember this, or die."

Wah! You heard that? I don't think that's what an educator should say. It's because you have such a personality that you don't have a boyfriend even though you're a beauty.

"Hmph. If I didn't have to take care of this stupid brother, forget about dating, I could have already gotten married by this time."

Oh, mind reading. Any trick is useless against Chifuyu-nee.

"Th-that, there! It's here! Orimura-kun's personal IS!"

—Huh?

"Orimura, hurry up and get ready. You can only use the arena for a limited time, so make this match yours."

—What?

"It's just this level of an obstacle. If you're a man, then get past it easily, Ichika."

—Excuse me?

"Huh? Huh? Wha..."

"""HURRY UP!!"""

Yamada-sensei, Chifuyu-nee and Houki's voices overlapped each other.

The females around me were all on the same page.

Emptiness. The cargo doors of the base opened, letting out a blunt sound. The slanted, patterned fireproof doors let out a heavy opening sound. On the other side of the door, it gradually appeared in front of me.

—The 'white' is over there.

White. Snowy white. No decorations, no colours at all. The IS that was basking in pure white armor was waiting for its pilot.

"This is..."

"That's right! This is Orimura-kun's personal IS, [Byakushiki]!"[1B 1]

Snowy white and inorganic, this thing seems like it is waiting for me. That's right, like the last time; it's always been waiting. For this moment, just for this moment.

"Get moving and start mounting. We don't have much time, so format and fit all the settings during the battle from your own memory. You'll lose if you can't do it, got it?"

Being prompted, I touched the IS.

"Strange..."

I didn't get the electric shock-like feeling of touching the IS like I did during the exam, merely common knowledge and understanding. What it is, why it exists— I understood it all.

"Lean on your back. Yes, just like that. You'll feel like you're sitting down. Next, the system will optimize itself."

Like what Chifuyu-nee said, I left my body to the IS with the opened armor—Byakushiki. It feels like someone's riding on me as the armor fits to my body and closes up.

The sound of air being let out can be heard as the union of the armor feels like it's a part of my body. It feels like it fused with me, as if it became compatible with me. It was created for me in the first place, so Byakushiki and I are 'linked'.

It feels like my vision widened and got clearer, like a higher resolution. After that, the feeling spread throughout my entire body. Values spread throughout all the sensors on my body, and I could understand each and every one of them as if I've been staring at them everyday.

"Ah."

—Sensing an IS in standby mode, the pilot's name is Cecilia Alcott, the IS codename is 'Blue Tears', it's a long-ranged type suit, and has a unique armor—

"The high spec IS sensors are functioning well, right? Ichika, are you feeling okay?"

Chifuyu-nee looked as usual, but I could sense it from her voice—ah, is she worried about me?

"No, Chifuyu-nee. I'm alright."

"I see."

She sounds like she's assured. If not for the hi-specs of the IS sensors, I wouldn't even be able to sense those hidden feelings.

(But since she already called my name, I should have sensed it, right?)

I secretly focused my consciousness on Houki. My eyes didn't need to look over directly, since through the IS, I could 'see everything' 360 degrees around me.

"..."

All I could see was that she was trying to say something, but she obviously didn't know what she wanted to say. If it were the usual me, I wouldn't be able to sense this change either.

"Houki."

"Wh-What?"

"I'm going."

"Ah...mm, win and come back!"

I nodded my head in response and headed towards the gateway of the control room. After bending down slightly, the Byakushiki lightly floated in the air and flew forward.

*Clak* *clak* *clak* *clak* *clak*,

Behind the clear consciousness of mine, the Byakushiki was processing tons of data and formatted the primary settings in accord to my body. Even during this current second, the surface of the Byakushiki's continuing to change and shape itself. As the software and hardware were both updating, the values shown have reached an extent to such that I've never seen them before.

Even so, now's not the time to notice this background. There's still 2.05718422 seconds before the doors open—and the 'enemy' awaits there.

"Oh my, so you didn't run away."

Cecilia snorted as she placed her hand on her hip, giving off that princess vibe again.

However, I'm not mindful about that. The sensors won't bother about such things.

The bright blue machine 'Blue Tears' has the unique characteristic of four rear fin armors on the back, making it look as royal as a knight.

The pilot, Cecilia, was wielding the large 2m long gun—a search indicated that it was identical to a six or seven caliber unique laser gun 'Starlight MkIII'. As the IS was originally developed for space activity, in principle, it'll float in the sky. Thus, it was not strange for her to wield a weapon that was taller than she is.

The arena was 200m in diameter, and the estimated time for a fired shot to reach the target was about 0.4 seconds. The bell indicating the start of the match has already rung, so it was not strange for an attack to come anytime now.

"I'll give you one last chance."

Cecilia moved the hand that was on her hip and pointed her index finger at me, and the muzzle of her rifle casually pointed downwards.

"Chance?"

"It's obvious that I'll be winning no matter what. Thus, if you don't want to end up being seen in a battered and pathetic state, I may as well forgive you if you apologize now."

Having said that, she narrowed her eyes at me—warning, enemy IS pilot's left eye is in firing mode. Confirmed to have removed safety lock.—

I received all the information the IS told me and sorted myself out. If I don't do so, I might be swallowed up in an instant—whether by Cecilia or by Byakushiki.

"That chance isn't yours to give, right?"

"Really? That's a pity. If so—"

—Warning. Enemy IS is entering a firing posture. Trigger has been confirmed to be squeezed, the first energy shot is loaded.

"It's farewell with this!"

*Clank!* With this unique ear-rumbling sound, the flash instantly pierced through my body.

"Oh?"

The Byakushiki's auto defense system seemed to have protected my body. Though I avoided a direct hit, bits of debris started to fall off the left shoulder that was not fully fitted. After that, the slightly slower sonic boom nearly ripped away at my left arm, as my nerves reacted like an electric shock.

As the Byakushiki immediately booted itself to drag my arm back, I managed to end up without any blood loss. Though there was an anti-vertigo function which allowed me to not lose consciousness, I did feel a really uncomfortable gravity.

—Defensive armor was pierced. Damage: 46. Shield Energy remaining: 521. Actual damage: Low.

(Damn it! I can't follow the reactions of the Byakushiki!)

Basically, in an IS battle, one will win if the opponent's shield energy fall to 0. However, if that happens, once the armor's pierced through, there'll be actual damage. This is different from the numerical defensive capabilities, the damage locations, no matter how big or small, will end up affecting the battle.

On a side note, in order not to let the pilot die, the IS seem to have an 'absolute defense' ability. It can block any attack, but will drastically reduce the defensive energy—since this is what the textbook wrote, it should be right, right? As it was a hit on the shoulder, the IS did not use the 'absolute defense', probably thinking that 'it's alright even if it's blown away'.

"Now, let's dance. Dance to the waltz that Cecilia Alcott and Blue Tears are playing!"

A shot, and another, and another, and another. The attacks continued to rain down on me, and they were all shot precisely, so I couldn't dodge them all. The shield energy continued to drop, and the Byakushiki continued to let out the alert signal.

"Weapon. What's its weapon!?"

Immediately after asking this, the current weapon checklist showed itself—the checklist?

"There's only one..."

It showed itself. There was only something called a 'close combat sword'. Sigh, this may be my imagination ...sigh.

"Well, at least it's better than nothing!"

At least it's better than fighting barehanded! I drew the close combat sword 'name unspecified' and used it.

*Clang*...

With the high frequency sound, my right shoulder let out a ball of light. The ball shaped itself, and my hand ended up holding it.

This sword, this 1.6m long 'sword' is my weapon.

"Using a close ranged weapon to challenge me in a long-ranged type suit...what a joke!"

Cecilia immediately launched her attack. Though I managed to slightly dodge it, the distance between me and the opponent was a staggering 27m. To me right now, it's basically a few kilometers worth of distance. However—

"Looks like I can only fight on!"

I can't admit defeat. The intense battle starts here.

◇

"—27 minutes. You've really hung in there. I'll give you credit for that."

"Thanks..."

My shield energy are down to 67, and the actual damage is medium. Though I'm barely using my weapon, it's just 'barely'.

"You're the first person I've seen who has managed to hang on that long against Blue Tears."

After saying that, Cecilia looked as if she was praising a dog that has managed to chase down a Frisbee as she stroked the four independent mobile weapons that floated around her.

On one of the board like things, there was a BT laser muzzle directly installed on it. That weapon seems to have a complicated name, so it's called 'Blue Tears'.

...In other words, this IS became a first unit after these unique armaments called 'Blue Tears' were equipped on it, and thus, the unit was named after it. In the past 27 minutes, Cecilia has been rattling on even though I didn't say anything. Got to thank her for her explanation.

"But let's bring this to an end!"

Cecilia chuckled as she raised her right arm. And then, two Blue Tears received the commands—it's too troublesome explaining them, but the BIT-like things come flying at me from multiple angles.

"Ku...!"

The BITs that have come to surround me from above and below started to glow on their tips and fired out lasers. Once I barely try to block them or even dodge them, Cecilia will use this opportunity to fire her rifle. Anyway, this has always been the case.

"I'm taking your left leg!"

—Damn it! That part has already lost its armor, so if it's attacked, the 'absolute defense' will definitely be activated. Therefore, the shield energy will drop to 0, and I'll lose.

If that is the case, I'll give it a go—

"AHHH!!"

*CLANG!!* A loud sound could be heard, and for an instant, sparks flew. While forcing myself to accelerate, my body slammed into Cecilia's rifle, forcing the rifle to be knocked aside, and at least I've finally managed to avoid being hit, at least once.

"What...? You're really just messing around! However, this is just futile resistance!"

Cecilia pulled her distance away from me and swept her left hand across. With that, the 4 BITs that were on standby came flying at me.

—Good, so now I understand.

Getting past the lasers that can pierce through humans, the sword strikes, and I can feel the heavy metal being sliced in half.

The blue and white sparks danced on the BIT that was sliced in half, and it exploded a second later—one down.

"How did you?"

Facing the shocked Cecilia, I swung the sword downward.

"Uuu..."

Cecilia dodged the attack that came from behind and again waved her right hand. BITs 2 and 3 were deployed.

"These weapons will only move on your commands! Also—"

After investigating the routes, I destroyed the rear boosters of BIT2 to make it fall.

"At that moment, you can't launch any other attacks, because you have to concentrate in order to use them, right?"

"...!"

Cecilia's right eyebrow twitched a bit. Heh, I've nailed it right on the spot! There're only two BITs left, and I can already tell where they're going. They'll definitely come to attack me from an angle where my reaction will be the slowest.

The IS vision field is perfect. However, the humans who use it can't 'look' behind, below and above simultaneously, so when our brain processes the information, the response will be slower by a few seconds. Cecilia must be aiming for this chance to attack. On the other hand, it means that 'I can lure the enemy to attack from where I want it to be'. The logic is simple, I just need to create an opening and let the opponent attack from there, and just wait for it.

(--That will work! I just need to concentrate here.)

I gripped the sword in my right hand again. The training after school that I did with Houki has become unexpectedly useful. The basic of kendo is to strike, and I didn't lose the feeling I've gained from my multiple experiences in the past, even though I've become slower.

And is it my imagination? The IS is moving more agilely. Normally speaking, the more damage the IS has, the functions should decrease, but for some reason, I feel that the response is a lot faster than what it was at the beginning.

(Anyway, if I can close the distance down, I'll have the advantage.)

As what Cecilia declared, her IS is a long-ranged type, and in a distance suitable for close-ranged combat, that large and long rifle is completely useless. And from what I see, she doesn't have any close range equipment.

Even though such equipment might be 'on standby', but even so, since the distance is being reduced extremely quickly, she shouldn't be able to deploy them in time.

This little ray of hope caused my heart to race.

◇

"Ooh...Orimura-kun's amazing!"

Yamada Maya exclaimed while watching the live broadcast on the screen inside the control room. Truly, the way Ichika is fighting doesn't look like one who has just mounted an IS for his second time at all.

However, compared to Yamada, Chifuyu looked rather irritated.

"That idiot sure looks happy."

"Wh? How do you know?"

"He has been clenching his left hand all this time, right? That's a habit he has had since he was young. When this happens, he'll start to make very simple mistakes.

"Wha...to be aware of that, you two really are siblings!"

Maya just casually mentioned it, but Chifuyu was stunned for a second.

"Ye-Yeah, how should I say it...even if he's like that, he's still my brother..."

"Ah—are you embarrassed? Are you embarrassed?"

"..."

*CRRRAACCCKKK!!* The headlock exploded.

"OOWWWWWW!!!"

"The one thing I hate the most is to be made fun of."

"Yes, yes! I know, I know! So please let go of—OWWWW!!!"

Houki was completely unaware of the commotion Maya was making behind her, staring intently at the screen. For some reason, her expression started to look really scary.

"..."

She wasn't making any praying gesture; Houki isn't the kind of person who would do that.

And thus, because of that, this expression of hers had many feelings within it.

(Ichika...)

While Houki was biting her lip lightly, the battle situation started to change again.

◇

—Got her.

Having entered Cecilia's range, I swung my sword to destroy BIT3, and because of the zero gravity mechanism of the IS, I kicked BIT4 away.

The rifle couldn't aim at me in time, and so this would be a good chance to land a hit on her.

"—I got you."

I see Cecilia smirk—damn it! My basic instincts detect danger and tell me to pull away, but it's already too late.

*PAM*—

The skirt-shaped like armor spread from Cecilia's abdomen, and those parts that suddenly rose up started to move.

"I'm sorry, but there're six Blue Tears!"

I can't dodge them in time! And they're not those laser shooting BITs. These are 'auto-tracking' types.

*BAM*—!

The explosion got so red that it became white as it surrounded me.

◇

"ICHIKA...!"

Watching the broadcast, Houki suddenly shouted out.

Chifuyu and Maya, who were squabbling about just now, looked serious as they stared at the screens' image, that was covered with black smoke.

"—Humph."

While the black smoke scattered, Chifuyu let out a snort. However, she looked as if everything was okay.

"You got saved by the machine, you idiot."

The smoke that vaguely floated around scattered as if it crumbled.

And the pure white machine was right in the middle of it.

That's right, it's true appearance—

◇

—Formatting and optimizing of settings are complete, please press the button to confirm.

(What, what now...?)

The information was sent directly to my consciousness. At the same time, a window appeared in front of me, with a 'confirm' button right in the middle.

Without knowing anything, I pressed the button. After that, a large wealth of information came flowing into me.

—No wait, this should be processed information—

I could understand this based on the feeling. After that, a huge transformation occurred in me.

*CLANG...!*

It's a high frequency sound. However, I feel the gentleness within it.

At that moment, my body got wrapped—no, the light ball that appeared on my IS instantly disappeared and then reshaped itself.

"This is..."

The newly-shaped IS again let out a dim glow. This glow erased all the damage I got just now and refined the appearance of the suit.

"Don-Don't tell me...that's the First Shift? This means, this means that you were fighting with the initial settings right from the beginning!?"

The window that showed 'formatting' and 'settings optimized' seem to mean that.

If so, this is my real suit.

I looked at my suit. Those constructive curves that were there in the beginning were now gone, instead becoming one with the polished curves and sharp edges, giving the feeling of a medieval designed armor.

And then, what had changed the most was my weapon.

—Close ranged enhanced sword [Yukihira Nigata][1B 2].

The blade that seemed to be derived from a Japanese sword. Instead of a sword, it was more of an arched longsword. There was a shallow groove on the blade itself, and it revealed a glow that seemed to respond. From the intricate mechanical function, one could tell that it was definitely made for an IS.

And most importantly, the name.

—Yukihira. That's the name of the weapon that Chifuyu-nee once used. At that time, the sword-shaped weapon that she used was called Yukihira.[1B 3]

...Ahh, this is so touching.

"I really have the best sister in the world..."

No matter whether it's three years ago or six years ago or even fifteen years ago, that person is still my always-reliable sister. However, it's about time for me to end this one-sided protection. From today onwards—

"I'll be the one to protect my family."

"...Ah? What're you saying—"

"Anyway, first of all, I'll defend Chifuyu-nee's name!"

I'm the younger brother of the ex-representative of Japan, so if this brother is weak, it'll be too embarrassing! That's right, how can I let the cool Chifuyu-nee lose her face? Even if it's a joke, there has to be a limit. Besides, this isn't funny at all.

"More like I'll be mocked."

"What are you rambling about...ahh geez, you're too irritating!"

The two BITs again reloaded themselves with guided missiles, and under Cecilia's command, they started to fly over. It's those multi-angle paths again, and they're faster than the shooting type BITs. However—

(I can see them...!)

I clenched my right hand tightly. 'Yukihira' seemed to respond to me as it let out a deep mechanical sound. I know how to use it, since I watched a few of Chifuyu-nee's matches without her knowing, and I remember how she used the 'Yukihira'.

*CLANG—!*

The blade of light flashed, and the BITs that were cut in half moved forward due to the momentum, passing by me before exploding.

Before the explosion reached my back, I again attacked Cecilia. The suit instantly accelerated, and the sensor efficiency was a lot different from before, such that it was easy to control it.

"OOOOHHH!!"

I again attacked Cecilia. The suit instantly accelerated

I felt the energy intensity in my hand gradually increasing. At that moment, Yukihira's blade glowed, telling me that it has a tremendous power.

(I can win this...!)

Charging right at Cecilia, I let out a reverse kesagiri[1B 4].

—But, before it could hit her, the buzzer signaled the end of the match.

"Ending the match. Winner—Cecilia Alcott."

...Wha?

"That's strange...?"

My face was most likely filled with 'whys'. Facing me, Cecilia was the same, as her slightly opened mouth revealed a similar expression to mine.

And not just us, all the spectators in the 3rd arena, even Houki and Yamada-sensei, who were watching the match from the control room silently, were the same. Everyone was just shocked.

Only one person...only Chifuyu-nee was giving the 'can't stand you' look.

In these unknown circumstances, the match ended. The result is—I lost.

◇

"Everyone was actually praising you, and this is the outcome we got in return! You big idiot!"

After the match ended, I was upgraded from an idiot to a big idiot. This upgrade wouldn't make me happy at all. Chifuyu-nee's style sure is to not relegate me like this.

"It's because you didn't consider the special characteristics of the weapon before you used it. Now you have experienced it for yourself already, right? From tomorrow onwards, start working hard. Activate the IS when you have time, got it?"

"...Yes."

I nodded. Guess I could only do that...who asked me to lose despite acting so confident.

"Well, the IS is in standby mode now, but if Orimura-kun calls it, it'll deploy right away. However, there're rules to this, so please study it closely. Here, this is it."

Thud. It made a 'thud' just now. What's this in front of me? Though it has IS activation information on it, it's actually a 'phone directory', right? It's not just thick, the pages are so thin...how many pages are there anyway...

"Anyway, that's it for today. Head back and rest."

This order doesn't consider anyone's feelings at all. I really hope that she can learn from gentle medicine and painkillers. Speaking of which, do I really need to protect this person...?

"Let's go."

Oh, she appeared; another person who lacks gentleness. Her name is Houki, and she's my childhood friend.

I stood up tiredly and prepared to head back to the dorm.

"..."

"Wha-What?"

While walking together, Houki stared at me without turning away. Did she discover some treasure? This treasure called 'me'.

"Loser."

Huh? What's with her!? You're like a priest who lets a dead person revive with 1HP before sending him into a labyrinth, right? On a side note, that revival was a daylight robbery! As the common saying goes: 'the devil resides within everyone'. I didn't expect to witness that illustration first hand.

This should be a new scenario: enter a new chapter, and the plot starts to pummel like crazy, creating a shocking situation. The enemy again shows up as an ally, and the enemy in front turns out to be a dead assistant. The world's fate rests on you—no wait, don't come near me!

"DON'T COME NEAR ME!"

"What?"

"Nothing..."

As that's the main point, I repeated it twice, but since Houki's glaring at me, I better be content with this. 'The most important things are the parts where the human eyes can't reach'. This is something an author casually said before, so 'since I got glared at by Houki, the 9th of April is Houki's memorial day'—something like that.

"Are you making fun of me from within your heart?"

"Where did you get that from."

"Why is your tone so weird?"

"It not weird at all. This is normal, it's normal to speak like this in middle South America."

"Ohh..."

She really drew the wooden sword out quickly. What, are you going to swing your sword around over here? Such a strict fellow. But then, Houki, training the body is different from resting! I can't call it resting if I have to carry out some activity.

*BAM—!*

"OOOOWWWW!!! IT HURTS! YOU, YOU, WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?"

"Since there's an idiot here, I just knocked on him."

What's with that 'I'm holding an umbrella because it's raining' tone? Is it alright for you to keep using violence like that? What's wrong with Japan's security!?

"Are you that thing? The vegetable chopper, or are you the envoy of violence!?"

"Want me to go again?"

"...Sorry, I'll shut up."

With a 'mm', Houki keeps her bamboo sword back. She's scarier than Mount Osore...huh, but Mount Osore isn't really terrifying. (Literally meaning Mount Fear, it's a volcano in the center of the remote Shimokita Peninsula of Aomori Prefecture, Japan. The Bodai Temple near the crater lake is seen as one of the three great spiritual fields.)

"..."

"..."

Houki and I silently walked on. Though it's not that we have nothing to talk about, I'm really affected by today's defeat, and so I have nothing to say to Houki.

At this moment, what I really want to do the most is to take a shower. I think that the feeling that comes from lazing around in the bathtub can't be found in any other activity. I did mention this to Gotanda before, only to be told 'you're like an old man'. Really, he doesn't understand the beauty of a silent simplicity.

(Hm? Speaking of which, don't I have someone like that beside me?)

If it's Houki, she may be able to understand that feeling. Besides, if I were to introduce her as someone from the Edo period, 60% of the foreigners would believe me. The source of this information: me.

"Ichika."

"Hm, what's up?"

That's strange, she's actually talking to me. Is this the so-called telepathy? How convenient, this is so much more convenient than a handphone, and I don't have to pay monthly bills. How alluring.

"That, well, how should I say it...are you unhappy about losing?"

"Well, of course I am."

"Is, is that so? That's good..."

Since when is that good? Are you talking about me losing? You're too much!

"Ah, s-starting tomorrow...that...ah, you have to do IS training."

Continuing with the talk, for some reason, didn't her voice sound rather courteous? Or was it distraught...

"So, in the end, Houki's gonna teach me how to control an IS, right?"

"I, I don't intend to force you! Wouldn't you prefer Chifuyu-sensei to teach you?"

"No, Chifuyu-nee would find it bothersome, and I don't want people to misinterpret it as favoritism."

"How, how about getting a senpai to teach you? As they say, the seniors can teach you lots of things, and it's important to improve yourself."

Seems like instead of trying to change the topic, Houki's been trying to divert it to somewhere strange. And I have no idea if it's just me, but why is she glancing at me? It seems like she's waiting for something.

"Mm, since Houki doesn't want to, I'll just look for someone—"

"I, I DIDN'T SAY THAT I DIDN'T WANT TO!"

I got terrified at her, shouting out all of a sudden. Houki seemed to notice that she got too fierce, as she immediately pulled herself together.

"That, that...ahem, I-Ichika, do you want me to teach you...?"

"That's right."

At least it's easier than having to get other girls to teach me, and she's Tabane-san's little sister, so she should be able to understand ISs pretty well, right?

"Is, is that so...hoho, I see. I guess it can't be helped."

Why is she so happy all of a sudden? Did something good happen?

She seemed to be extremely happy as she again started playing with her hair, continuing to flick her long ponytail apart with her fingers.

"Alright, I'll teach you then. This is a special exception!"

For some reason, it felt like she emphasized the words 'special exception' quite a bit.

But that's right. Truthfully, I'm really grateful for that. If I were to continue losing to girls, my man's pride would definitely die. Though it's already half dead, when that happens, it'll be completely dead.

"Starting tomorrow, make sure to leave some time after school, okay?"

"Okay."

Since I have no clubs that I can join (they're all girls' clubs), this is perfect.

Basically, I can't stand having to smear Chifuyu-nee's reputation like that. No matter what, I have to make myself stronger.

"Oh yeah, Houki."

"Hm, what is it?"

Oh, she's still in a good mood. I then gave an honest question I've been harboring up till now.

"Have you been holding yourself from going to the bathroom all this time?"

*BAM—!* The bamboo sword let out a sound.

◇

*Drip* *drip* *drip* *drip* *drip*...

The hot water continued to spurt out from the shower head. The water landed on her skin and flowed down the curves of her body. Her well-proportioned body that was rare among Caucasians and her beautiful streamlines, to Cecilia, were something to be really proud of. Those long legs were shiny, silky and beautiful, and they could not only compete with those of an idols, but would most likely even beat them in beauty.

Though her breasts were a little smaller, compared to other white girls of the same age, it made her body profile stand out even more. Thus, she had some rather complicated feelings because of them. However, that was just for white girls. If they were compared to a Japanese girls', they were more than enough, enough to even be called big.

Cecilia continued to let the water rush down her breasts as she pondered deep in thought.

Cecilia continued to let the water rush down her breasts as she pondered deep in thought.

(Today's match—)

Even now, she didn't understand why Ichika's shield energy dropped to 0. However, if he had struck her with that last hit, it was unknown what would have happened.

To Cecilia, who had always believed that she would win, and would constantly strive for it, this bewilderment made her unable to calm down.

(I definitely won...)

But she wasn't satisifed by it at all; on the contrary, it made her feel uneasy.

(—Orimura, Ichika—)

She still remembered the guy with those strong-willed eyes.

That not-giving-up look often reminded Cecilia of her own father.

(Daddy would always go according to mommy's whims...)

Having married into a wealthy family, her dad must have felt extremely inferior to her mother. And having such a father during her growth, Cecilia inadvertently thought 'I don't want to marry such a useless man'.

And after the IS was rolled out, her dad's attitude got increasingly sulkier. Her mom must have felt that such a man was a disappointment, so she didn't want to talk to him.

"..."

Her mom was already an impressive woman. Before the society became a women-strong-men-weak society, she had already managed numerous companies, and was an accomplished person. Though she was extremely strict, Cecilia had always respected her a lot.

Yes, 'had'. Her parents are no longer alive. They died in an accident 3 years ago.

Why were her parents, who had been working separately, together on that particular day? Up till now, she still doesn't know the reason.

Though there were once rumors of some conspiracies, the scenario of that accident removed that possibility. It was a cross-border railway accident with more than a hundred causalities.

Just like that, her parents became people who won't ever come back.

After that, time flew.

Cecilia had a vast inheritance, and in order to protect the money from those who wanted to laud it, she studied hard to learn everything, and during an IS suitability test that was part of her learning curriculum, she got an A+ grade. Hoping that she would maintain her nationality, the government came up with all sorts of generous conditions; and in order to protect her parents' inheritance, she immediately agreed. Cecilia was chosen to be the first test pilot of the 3rd generation armament 'Blue Tears'. In order to obtain operation informations and battle experience, she came to Japan, and then—

She met Orimura Ichika; she met the ideal man who had such firm looking eyes.

"Orimura, Ichika..."

She tried to shout his name out. Unbelievably, she could even feel her chest heat up.

Her heart was pounding without any restraint. Cecilia gently stroked her lips. Those pretty, wet lips stirred an unbelievable excitement like they desired to be touched.

"..."

Warm and sweet, saddening yet delighting.

—What's with this feeling?

Before she knew it, her chest was already overwhelmed with this feeling.

—I want to know.

She wants to know its true identity, she wants to know what's behind this feeling.

—I want to know. I want to know, about Ichika.

"..."

Only the sound of water flowing echoed throughout the bathroom.

◇

The next morning during, the SHR, something unbelievable happened.

"Then, the class representative of 1-1 will be Orimura Ichika-kun. Ah, it sure is nice to have a '1'[1B 5] for everything!"

Yamada-sensei said delighted, and the girls showed a strong reaction to this. I was the only one in the dark...just me alone.

"Sensei, I have a question."

I raised my hand. Basically, I have to raise my hand if I want to ask a question.

"Please say, Orimura-kun."

"I definitely lost the match yesterday, so why did I still become the class representative?"

"That's because—"

"That's because I gave up on it!"

Cecilia forcefully stood up and quickly put her hands on her hips. She's giving that ojou-sama vibe again. No, actually, I'm not really thinking about that now—more importantly—why did she resign? And she seems rather emotional...no wait, she's always like that...however, how should I say it? She doesn't seem as angry as yesterday. She seems to be feeling rather happy however—why?

"Hm, Even though you lost, that was to be expected, since your opponent was this Cecilia Alcott, so it couldn't be helped that you lost!"

Uu...I can't argue back, since I really lost.

"Besides, I have reflected on my actions for being unable to control myself. So..."

So?

"I decided to hand over the class representative position to 'Ichika-san'. For IS piloting, having practical fights is the best way to improve. So, If you become the class representative, you will have lots of battles."

Ooh, thanks for giving me this burden—hm? That's weird. Did she call me by my name?

"Ooh, Cecilia's really professional!"

"That's right. Since he's the sole male in the world and in the same class, we have to support him—"

"We can gain valuable experiences and sell the information to other classes. Orimura-kun's presence here can kill two birds with one stone!"

Didn't I tell you not to do business already? Don't sell your classmate out like that.

"Therefore—"

After coughing a few times to clear her throat, Cecilia placed her hand on her chin. This is different from what she normally does; is there a special significance to this? I feel that there's something, but just don't know what it is.

"Also, if this outstanding, graceful, elegant and perfect person that I am, were to teach you how to pilot an IS, you would definitely imp—"

*BAM!* With the sound of the table being slammed, Houki stood up.

"Sorry, but Ichika already has an instructor. He already asked me directly!"

Wha, what's going on? Houki actually emphasized the 'me' as she glared at Cecilia with intense killing intent.

(Didn't I tell you that those eyes can scare anyone!?)

—But for some reason, Cecilia, who was afraid of her just last week, now behaved completely different. She took Houki's glare head on and stared back, looking rather satisfied.

"Oh my, IS grade C Shinonono-san? Is there anything you want to talk to this grade A me about?"

"This..., this has nothing to do with level! I was requested. I-Ichika begged me earnestly for this!"

I didn't.

"Huh, Houki's grade C...?"

"That, that's why I said that it has nothing to do with level, right!?"

I got scolded. Well, on a side note, it seems like I got the grade B. Even so, Chifuyu-nee did say before that this is the initial ranking that's obtained from the training suit, so it's not really significant—

"Sit down, you pair of idiots."

Chifuyu-nee quickly walked over and smacked down on Cecilia and Houki's heads as she swiftly went to them.

As expected of the Japanese representative in the first Mondo Grosso, the dreadfulness is on a completely different scale. Both of them could only sit down dejectedly. Dreadful and dejected[1B 6], it's really interesting to combine these two things together.

*BAM!*

"WHAT ARE YOU BEING ALL CARRIED AWAY ABOUT!? BUCK UP!"

I got hit by the attendance book. Chifuyu-nee, do you know that the cover of the attendance book is really hard? However, only I know that.

"Your level's like that of trash. The way I see it, each one of you are flocks of a feather. Don't show your superiority before you break through your shells."

Regarding Chifuyu-nee's words, it seemed like even Cecilia couldn't argue back. Though it seemed like she had something to say about it, she swallowed her words in the end.

"I should have mentioned before that even representative candidates have to learn everything, starting from the beginning. Though I would say that it's a youth's privilege to bicker over something trivial, unfortunately for you people, I'm in charge, so you better respect yourselves more."

Hm—so Chifuyu-nee's such a reliable person in her profession? That's really unexpected. She doesn't seem to be the kind of person who always complains that the food tastes bland.

Speaking of which, since I'm living in the dorm now, how will Chifuyu-nee turn the house around? No one will be in the house, right? Seems like I'll have to go back on weekends. Speaking of which, has Chifuyu-nee been doing her laundry properly? She has always asked me to help her wash her laundry when I'm washing mine. However, it would be great if she threw those underwear-like clothes into the laundry net. If she were to wash them together and damage the fabric, she would be the one angry. You should do that yourself, you 24-year-old member of society.

*PAM!*

"...You're thinking of something rude, right?"

"No...Not at all."

"Is that so?"

*PAM!* *PAM!*

"I'm very sorry!"

"Good that you know."

A kind citizen actually succumbed to violence? This defies all logic!

"The class representative will be Orimura Ichika. No one has any objections, right?"

"Nope", everyone (except for me) replied. Unity is a good thing.

However, it would be great if it was also good for me. That's what I think.

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