CHAPTER ONE: Look to The Future, Walk Towards The Past
Disclaimer: I don't own Infinite Stratos but I do own this fiction and any other OC's in this story
ITALIC: THOUGHTS
This is not fun anymore. A little boy thought as he sat in a room, not even trying to escape his bindings.
The room was pitch black but he could see everything perfectly. As far as he knew, he was its only occupant and was in the far end of the room, tied to a lead pipe with even heavier chains.
Normally, children in this situation would scream and panic, yet this child held a deathly calm about him, and like a practiced theologian, he just thought about what would happen next.
Great, just great. I will be so dead if anyone knew where I was, and someone is bound to worry if I do not activate the stupid {I'm home button} older sister installed for me. How did this even go this far? I thought I would get to beat up some random street thugs, not end up actually getting kidnapped by pros. He thought as he massaged his wrists for a while, an act of contemplation.
"I just need some idiot to open the door, then I'll go." He said to himself in an unusually confident tone for a ten year old in this situation, though he was far from ordinary.
He had been doing this for months now, trying out his body after rigorous self-imposed training.
Just that week, it was the third time he was kidnapped, though these seemed more professional than any he encountered. It was as if they were well versed in making children's lives hell, and for that they would pay dearly.
As if by his will, the door creaked open, a smile forming on his face as light started to trickle in.
In his mind were thousands of ways to, in no particular order, bifurcate, mutilate, incapacitate, castrate, suffocate, and finally knock out his captors, but he never got the chance. Instead he was forced to watch a scene far more appalling.
Before the emotionally scaring scene itself, he waited patiently as he heard the sound of footsteps, extremely far from his position but approaching very slowly. The sound of expensive leather slapping hard tiled floor was very comforting, as the volume was a telltale sign that he could wreck his vengeance.
His extremely heightened senses picked up everything in about a hundred meters, unfortunately footsteps weren't the only thing he was able to hear. The other sound forced him to hold back, as it invoked fury that would probably destroy most of the building complex. It was the heart wrenching sound of a little girl, probably his age or maybe even younger, crying.
Control yourself Yukito, it not time yet. I have to adjust the plan a little then. This if I have to punish them, I can't do it in front of her, and I have to make sure that the building does not fall on top of us. Well at least this qualifies as an emergency situation. He thought while mixed feelings consumed his mind.
First he was furious that they would do something like that, to a girl no less. Then he was disappointed that he could not take proper vengeance. Lastly, he was apprehensive, this was the first time he would ever try and save someone else aside from himself.
It was not due to lack of trying, he just never found any company. The line of thought was abruptly stopped when the man entered the room, allowing light to flood in, blinding the boy.
He was happy he could not watch the suffering, but the sounds of the atrocity that echoed around the room and etching themselves into his memory, were enough to make him swallow the little he had in his stomach as it threatened to claw its way out.
By her screams and the scratching of the floor, he easily picked up that she was pulled by the hair, and by the thud of flesh hitting tile, she was thrown onto the floor, like garbage. This was not enough to silence her as she continued weeping endlessly, the man's footsteps grimly edged closer and a bone chilling whisper snaked its way into his ears, filling his form with seething fury.
"Are we comfortable little girl? If it were not for your worth, you would be dead by now. That or slaving away at some unknown city" He said mockingly, as if he thoroughly enjoyed her pain.
A bloodcurdling chuckle that would fill children with fear just served to further enrage him, only logic stopped him from falling. The next sound shook him to the core, as a large smack echoed around the room.
That was the last straw for him, he resolved to make that man pay one way or another, but not just yet. He was angry to say the least and when he was angry, he could make the Spanish donkey look like a horse ride on the beach.
It was several moments of torturous noise, as he listened to the man's murmurings before the welcomed sound of the door closing roused him. He decided to listen to the fading footsteps before taking any drastic action, and when he was satisfied with his distance, he pulled on his binds.
Much too easy, and to think I let these guys take me down. He thought as he shook of the chains that once bound him. He may have been tied down by solid steel chains, but it was as if he was shaking off a blanket that was too thin when he applied a little effort to break them.
Instead of letting it crash on the ground though, he managed to nimbly catch every link, not only to keep his new and terrified companion calm but to keep the room as silent as he possibly could. Satisfied with his work, he slowly walked towards her, making no sounds whatsoever, until he could get a good view of her. He hovered above her for a while before finally shrugging and kneeling close to her.
As a child of probably the same age, she was startlingly distressed, but that was to be expected in this situation. Her light celeste hair was in a mess, obviously due to the abuse she received, while her face was bathed in a river of tears, emanating from her burgundy red eyes that hid behind foggy glasses. Her face was surprisingly pale, just like the rest of her body, and that made the slap mark more obvious, even in the dark room. Two strange hairpins, hers obviously, were scattered on the floor, ripped from her head.
To get a better look, he gingerly lifted her chin, as they looked each other face to face. As soon as her eyes met his, a large gentle grin graced his lips, one that would have obviously made any girl blush if the circumstances were just a little less dire. She did quiet down immediately, just taking a moment to look and sink into his deep heterochromatic eyes, tinted black and gold twisted in a hypnotizing spiral. That moment of peace did not last long.
As soon as she regained her ability to move, for it seemed she was too busy crying to notice him and that apparently startled her, she opened her mouth to scream. Being much too used to this kind of reaction, Yukito quickly placed his hand of her mouth, as to stop the scream from being heard. If only the scream was supposed to come from her.
She bit down on his palm as soon as it made contact and it took all of his will power not to shout himself, instead a soft grunt escaped from his throat. He knew perfectly well that she would scream if he was to jerk his hand away, and that would spell either doom for the both of them, or killing whoever entered, and he wanted to avoid both.
In response, he used the only sure technique that would silence her, he pulled her into a warm embrace. It was a movement of desperation and from his short experience, a hug from him would do nothing less that calm even the most maniacally insane.
"Don't worry, he's gone. I won't let him hurt you anymore." He said in a very reassuring whisper, a sound filled with such sweetness and sincerity it was almost palpable.
His siblings once told him that with a voice like his, he could ask for a country and get the world, and that charisma was paying off. Needless to say, it calmed her down enough for her to stop chomping on his hand.
As soon as she quieted herself, he pushed his forehead against hers, to check if her temperature was normal. He then said the first thing that came to his mind when he got a proper look at her, while gingerly whipping her tears from her cheeks.
"You would look much prettier if you wore a smile." He said before showing a smile that practically lit up the entire room. Obviously, she ended up blushing as he gently stroked her hair, while he just tired his best to keep her sane. He knew that such a traumatic event would change anyone, so he tried to make it as pleasant as possible.
As soon as she was silent, he swung a sword, taken from its place beside him, down, cutting the rope that held her like it was as fragile as the air he breathed. He placed his finger over her mouth, and gestured her to remain in her place while he quickly moved for the door.
He knew that there were a group of five men outside, but with his sword properly in his hand, it wouldn't have made a difference if there was an entire army behind him.
This is the fun bit. I just hope she won't get hurt after this. He thought as he cut the door in front of him in half and kicked the large pieces of metal forward, knocking out two guards who just happened to pass.
Capitalizing on their surprise, no one would expect a child coming at them at subsonic speed with a sword taller than them and not be afraid, he jumped out and struck another with the pommel of his sword with a force that could crush concrete, decimating his jaw and shutting his brain down.
With the left over momentum, he stabbed the ground, the entirety of the blade sliding in as if it was greased, and used the long sword as a pivot, sweeping the other two before promptly striking their jaws, all in was simple movement consisting of two graceful spins.
With the grace of a break-dancer, he flipped upward, landing with the sword before him, only to see that all were as good as dead, their brains irresponsive due to being overloaded with terrible pain.
He breathed a sigh of relief as the girl came out, right after the fight was over. It was all of the best that she didn't witness that since he would have hated himself if he scared her. After surveying the five men sprawled helplessly before him once more, he twirled his sword a couple of times, shredding some of the concrete since the weapon was a bit taller than he was, and put it into a cloth sheath on his back, which surprisingly ended up unscathed.
He then took the girls hand, and started to move at a leisurely jog that if seen in another light, it would look like a pair of children playing innocently. He knew that they needed to move fast, as the skirmish was too loud not to drag any attention. They tore through the complex within minutes, as he had done this sort of thing several times in his life, and just one companion was not enough to hinder him.
As far as he could tell, the place was extremely large, but the layout was simple and spacious, allowing quick movement in between floors. It was most likely based on ports or warehouses since all the rooms were wide and spacious, a single corridor leading to each one.
No one sighted them, or to be more specific it had appeared as if no one was looking for them so they were free to look for the exit, meeting no opposition at all. Though that would not last long as fate had a very twisted sense of humor.
"How big do you think this place is?" She asked timidly almost to herself, breaking the strange silence. He did not need to look back to see nervousness ad fear contorting her face, her shaking voice told him of these and then some. He did not blame her, he knew perfectly well how traumatic kidnappings could be and that was part of the reason he did this on purpose.
Experiencing this desensitized him to trauma in general thus he could control his instincts and act on pure logic if need be. This basically meant that he was levelheaded at all times, thinking of every possible way out before acting a single step. Coupled with his extreme intelligence, he could probably defeat supercomputers in chess games.
With that, he knew approximately how large the complex was and with that knowledge, he just kept on running. He could not answer her as it was at this time that the sound of rushed footsteps echoed into his ears.
In haste he picked the girl up and started sprinting, not even noticing the furious blush on her cheeks. He looked for the nearest room, which happened to be a supply closet of all things. Thoroughly cursing the cliche and fate's very, very bad sense of humor, he pushed her inside and quickly followed in afterward, fully intending the guards to just pass by without noticing them.
Once inside the cramped space, he shielded her with his own body, his back turned towards her while his hands fiddled with the handle of his oversized sword. As they drew closer, he quickly turned to her and embraced her, his eyes silently apologizing and requesting she keep silent for the time being.
The reason was very practical, physical contact would probably calm her down a little, and if he drew the blade with his back facing her, she would have gotten cut. In that position, even if they do find them out, he would still have first blood if not undisputed victory.
They were in this position for about five minutes before the footsteps were at an acceptable distance away.
"So what's your name?" He asked, breaking the silence with an extremely soft whisper. He was afraid of what the silence might do to her, as well as what could happen if someone were to hear his voice. He did not want to kill today, especially with an observer he had to protect.
"Kanzashi, Sarashiki Kanzashi." She said with a nervous whisper.
It was worse than he thought, she was sacred out of her wits. He had to do something about this and fast, it would not be nice to be with a person who just had a metal breakdown. It would weigh him with guilt all his life, which would also inevitably suffer since he would get outnumbered and quickly killed. He needed to cheer her up, so he decided to just run his mouth and hope for the best
"Nice to meet you Sarashiki-san, is what I would like to say if we were somewhere else. I'm Masamune Byakuya." He said a little unsure about the last pair of words. He had been calling himself by that name for the last two years but it would never be his own. It was though, much better than his own name so he used it at his leisure. He could never claim it be without some sort of telltale sign that it was a lie.
"So after we're done with all of this, how's about we play together sometime? I know a great playground near my place. So what do you say?" He said trying to lighten the mood, doing everything he could to try and make her laugh.
He did get a slight giggle from her, but it was all too obvious in his eyes. Her entre body screamed despair, and from the way she was forcing a small smile, it won't be long until it consumed her. She was leaning very close to the edge and with just a little more pushing, she would probably be forever broken.
He needed something, anything to give her hope, and that was when the rectangular object in his pocket came in to play. He hated that he always needed a lifeline to the outside world but this time, it saved a life. With a quick glance at the object to make sure it's still working, he spoke very calmly.
"Sarashiki-san," he said softly offering the object to her.
"Yes?" she answered startled, but it also seemed she was used to be referred to in such a formal way. If her fine clothing was any indication, he would say she was from a pretty high class family, ergo some people would be looking for her. That would make her life much easier, at the same time giving him a little more trouble. If they recognize him as a threat, then the choice is simple. He just carried out his plan so that it benefited both of them.
"I placed the volume as loud as it could go without anyone hearing." He said as he gingerly clasped her hands and forced the smart phone into her palm, "Call them up if you can, at least let them know you're safe. Your parents I mean. I'll just keep a lookout in case anyone passes by." He said with genuine concern in his eyes, and when anyone was confronted with such a look from him, they were simply compelled to obey.
It took her only a few seconds until she got the number in, and after a strange look for her, she pressed to call. The line was picked up instant, though the voice that came after was not something he would have expected.
[Hello?] A familiar, definitely feminine voice echoed through the cramped space, no it was definitely something neither of them seemed to expect.
Soon after, soft static echoed through the phone before a smooth deep voice took over, with a less pleasant greeting. He knew who spoke before, how could he forget, though it would not be nice to get her attention as of yet. At that he kept silent, his ears back on the ground in case footsteps started to echo closer.
[Who is this, and how did you get this number?] The voice said much more threateningly, they were starting to miss the gentle voice of a young boy that filed the room before.
"I-I-It's m-me" She said with a very startling stutter. He would have liked go back to embrace her tighter because of the fear that she was flinging around the small confines of the room, but he kept his distance instead, as commonsense dictated.
He knew all the ways this would end, and he was just preparing for the most probable. The fragile silence, also their first lifeline, was soon shattered by two different things. Perhaps he would have some fun after all. And now.
[Kanzashi!] They shouted, though it was now an incoherent blur to him. As soon as the air started vibrating around him defined as sound, he kicked down the door in front of him, throwing it off its hinges with ease.
Time started to slow down to such an extent that everything was suspended in place, moving so slowly that it was as if they were statues. Even the door did not leave its place too hastily, while he had all the freedom in the world.
As far as he could see, he casually walked towards the two guards he knew were guarding the hall, and promptly broke their jaws with frightening ease and walked back. When he deemed it was safe, his perception of time decided to return to normal, the gales caused by his movements tore through the wide corridor.
This was the result of his training, the ability to control his movements while moving at the pace reserved for the most extreme of reflexes. It allowed speeds and acceleration much faster than any sports car in the market in tandem with control and precision machines would envy.
At least I was right about something. Now, I just hope no one was close enough to hear them fall. It would be bad if I took them out, and more just decide to walk in on us. He thought to himself after the assault that took less than a second was over with.
He had mastered the ability to move and see faster than a normal human could dream of, but then again he knew the toll it took would manifest itself sooner or later, and that was not the best thing to feel. At the start, moving at such speed would overload his brain with shocks of pain but now he had a few hours before it hit him.
By his own reckoning and senses, he walked like a normal child while in front of others he was a barely visible blur, the unholy offspring of light and darkness with the speed of the former and the fearsome power and malevolence of the latter. He never even moved at full speed.
"Ask them to keep it as quiet as possible." He told Kanzashi gently, even if he knew how futile it is to stop a loving family from showing their concern. What am I kidding, she's much noisier than that. Easier to fluster or worry too. He noted, shuddering at the memory why she almost broke his eardrums with her "theme music".
[Oh, princess, are you hurt? Are you okay? Did the bad people do anything to you? Who are you with, and how did you escape?] Another voice yelled through the phone in between several sniffles and sobs.
From the tone and volume of the voice, it could be inferred that it was her mother, and her reaction was very understandable. Unfortunately for them it could be attracting guards form other floors. Not that it was that loud, the place just had great acoustics. If only he was safe enough to sing here.
"Everything is fine now, mother" She said in a less harried tone, "I'm with another person, and he helped me escape. It's okay now so you don't need to worry. I'll try to be home in a while so you don't need to send another brigade like last time…"
A sound that did not please him drowned her voice out with its overpowering volume. He recognized it instantly and reactivated his ability. As to properly execute the blueprint in his mind, he had to time it just right, something he was always good at.
The transonic bullets were deflected by the large five foot sword that sprung up in front of him, its wide blade providing just enough cover while its tip tore through the concrete like it was water. He mentally thanked any and all gods that they were firing transonic projectiles, his extremely sensitive ears and enhanced instincts could pick them up before they would hit. If they were using fully automatic rifles then he might have started to miss.
They're shooting? Now they have the nerve to try and shoot us? No, you do not just kidnap a child, then try to kill him, or her, it doesn't matter! That is not cool anymore. No more holding back, this ends now! He cursed in his thoughts as he jumped in between the rain of burning lead and the girl.
He would not let these scum of society hurt either of them, a goal he had both the skills to achieve this goal and the tenacity to destroy all who got in his way.
"Stay behind me." He said while submachine gun fire rained down on them, only to be knocked out of the air by the flat of his large sword, ending up as useless pieces of lead on the floor. The scene unfolding was straight out of a movie, several gunmen hopelessly shooting at a pair of children, one of which is deflecting the transonic projectiles with ease, as if they were traveling no faster than an old tortoise.
The sword was practically turned into a steel wall, leaving afterimages behind as it swatted all the lead projectiles while its wielder stood rooted to his position. Each movement was graceful and certain, all his strikes supremely efficient yet devoid of any hesitation. He only had to make sure none of the bullets passed his blade to win the fight as it was only a matter of time until the submachine gun clips ran out and the sword could taste blood again.
All seven guns clicked to signal the need to reload while a smile that would make the devil shudder crept across his lips.
He rushed at them with extraordinary speed while they could only blink in shock as he closed the distance in a blink of an eye. One tried to flee before taking a gun to the head, while the rest held their ground, confident they were enough. Other than the coward, all six of them charged at the same time, hoping to overpower him with numbers.
This did not work as he merely spun like a top, striking them all with the flat of the seemingly heavy blade while weaving through their ranks, knocking the air out of their lungs. As three fell, their heads crashed against the floor, rendering the need for a follow-up useless.
The other three though quickly rose to the challenge, a futile action, only find a heavy foot cleaving the air towards their heads. A single roundhouse kick going in a full circle dispatched the remaining assailants with ease. The entire battle was a one-sided beat down, ending when the victor nodded in satisfaction before casually walking back to the young lady who was still staring at him in either shock, awe, or a combination of both.
[Were those guns? Were you shot?] The deeper voice of the father demanded frantically, snapping her out of the state of shock. Frankly, He had each and every right to be extremely worried at this point.
"Please calm down, father." He breathed a sigh of relief when he heard her voice regain a sense of normalcy, though only to such a small degree. "It's all right now, the fight just ended. Byakuya-kun saved me again."
[Wait, that's the name of the one who was kidnapped with you, correct? And he fought roughly four armed kidnappers, and won?]
"Yes, about seven men go in our way. I found him in the same room I was thrown in. He was the one who got us out of every situation safely, I would not be talking to you if it was not for him." She said with a relived smile, not that her parents could see it.
He saw it though and that was enough to quell his worries if only for a moment.
[Is that so? Then we are forever in his debt.]
"This way." He interjected when a room at the far end of the hall entered his line of sight.
They had been walking for a while since the last clash with the kidnappers, though it was obvious they were learning, if slowly, how dangerous it could be to fight him. It was only a matter of time till they bring weapons not even a master of the sword could take down. He was fully prepared for that, though he doubted he could defend himself and the girl if that came to pass. With that in mind, he doubled his pace.
As soon as they entered the dark and much more spacious room, he stood in front of the door. He locked the heavy door shut and he knew it was just a matter of time when it came to these kind of people. He had pulled himself into a corner, for a last stand. It was just such a shame he had to drag another here.
"We are at a dead end, for now." He said with a reassuring smile, and a voice that hinted he thought the entire situation was even funny. "If I'm right, it's just a matter of time before they storm the place with everything they have. Just leave it to me, I'll get you out of here." He smiled as he paced around the room.
"Byakuya, are you alright?" She asked him worriedly, which he just answered with a wave of his hand, and an even brighter smile.
"Talk to your parents first, then you can worry about me. They miss you more than I do anyway." He ended with that useless joke before pulling out another phone from his pocket.
As he slowly entered the numbers he imagined how the other would react upon hearing his voice, it did not look pretty nor did it end well for him. The one on the other end of the phone tended to be a bit, eccentric, though he knew she would turn bloodthirsty if it involved him being in danger.
And so with a sigh, he placed the phone to his ear. That was the exact moment everything went to hell in the most terrific way possible.
The scene faded to black in a heartbeat as his body seemed to float in the darkness. His once standing form was molded to match one's posture when falling asleep on a desk, admittedly it was his default position during his grade and middle school years.
With his arms crossed on whatever he was lying on and his face buried in the cross, his skin picked up light changes in temperature and his nose sensed a change in the air.
I was dreaming again, wasn't I? The kidnapping incident was one of the best times of my life as a kid, so thrilling and the first time I found a companion. I thought I heard a third cry out when those seven assholes started to open fire but I had to get her to safety first. Wait, I have a tendency to dream about something related to what I last saw, heard or smelled, so that must mean…He thought before a single, storm gray eye opened to see the world around him. It took him a just a few words to summarize his entire situation, I'm in hell, again.
This is a Page Break
"…a-san, Ichika-san, Orimura Ichika-san, ORIMURA ICHIKA-SAN!" A green-haired teacher yelled at the boy who spaced out beside him.
The teacher was, not the perfect image of a teacher in his opinion, looking more like one of the older students who just forgot her uniform. Her light green hair was cut to neck lengths while her hazy green eyes hid behind large glasses, further imposing the childish look. She wore a short sleeved yellow dress that was decorated with black trimming. She wore it well, though he had a bit of trouble not looking like a pervert seeing it showed her, assets, off pretty brazenly.
"Y-yes! Orimura Ichika present!" He shouted with a slight stutter, instantly standing in attention and visibly startled by the teacher's repeated calling.
The boy was of average height, probably a bit shorter than he was by a few centimeters give or take, and average appearance. His black hair was spiked sideward while his body language screamed, "I have no idea what I'm doing here." The strangest thing about him was his eyes, stained a dark crimson like the girl in his dream.
Yukito didn't really react much, as far as crazy eye colors are concerned, he took the cake when he removed his contact lenses.
What did trouble him was the fact that he seemed much more idiotic than thought possible, but that was probably because the other twenty nine people in the room were strictly female, and if he was not mistaken, the poor sap thought he was a girl too.
It wasn't that hard to make such a mistake, Yukito's looks almost always had people pondering on his gender. With immaculate cream hair that flowed a few inches past his chest and a very delicate facial structure with absolutely no trace of definite masculinity or femininity. Coupled with pale skin, a slender build and bright eyes, though they're only contacts, it is extremely easy to mistake him for a female.
In the case of relying on the uniform to identify his gender, it was very possible to have one altered. Most students wore the standard type but some did choose to personalize theirs. That and the two boys weren't the only students in the academy who chose to forgo a skirt.
If it was in another time and place, he would be extremely insulted to the point of wanting to beat everyone around him senseless, though as his steel eyes shone mischievously, he decided to have some fun with this situation.
"S-sorry for calling your name out so loudly but Orimura-san wasn't responding earlier…. Are you angry at me? I'm really sorry! B-but we are doing self-introductions now and we are at the surnames starting with O's now…. S-so can you introduce yourself? P-please?" The teacher, Yamada Maya quickly apologizes as she leans in and puts her hand together in a pleading fashion.
How in the world this, this child get this job? Yukito thought as he watched the scene from a seat away.
"There's no need to apologize. I mean, it's just a self-introduction, right? So please calm down, sensei. I just zoned out a bit, that's all." he said, raising his hands in a chaotic attempt to calm down an equally frantic teacher. It didn't help, at all.
"Re-really? Really, really? O-okay, then please go right ahead and introduce yourself." She said cheerfully, grabbing his hand, earning the stares of everyone in the room, and practically throwing him to the stage. Yukito felt for the guy, though he couldn't say he didn't enjoy his suffering. The way he turned around to face the entire class and the face he made for a split second when he met a flood of palpable curiosity was almost sidesplitting. He seemed to swallow nervously before a shaken voice broke the unpleasant silence.
"My name is Orimura Ichika, nice to meet you all…" he began halfheartedly, and took a bow. That's it? The entire class collectively thought while continuing to gaze at the boy in front with a combination of curiosity and expectations. He took a deep breath in preparation before speaking. "That's all."
As soon as those words reached the reached the ears of everyone in the room, all the girls collapsed, slumping on their chairs, heads crashing on their desks while some even ended up with a face full of floor wax.
Maya beside him was on the verge of tears, mumbling incoherently as the girls struggled to pick themselves up.
On the other hand, while trying his very best to stop his laughter from escaping his throat the other boy was almost convulsing on his desk. Ichika did not disappoint, him at least, and he thought the first day of this hell would be just awkwardness all around.
In all the chaos, no one noticed the second teacher sneak in the room, no one save the only other boy in the room. At the sight of her, he immediately shook off his mirth in favor of his usual emotionless calculations. This will be a good year indeed, both the brother and sister are in place. He smiled wickedly before standing and falsely tripping, knocking the blockhead beside him aside before a heavy fist could connect to his skull.
As he sat up from the floor, he got a better look at the slightly surprised teacher. A tight fitting business suit and a black skirt befitting a CEO of a company or a high ranking government official hugged her form nicely, showing of a slender form that bellied her immense strength. Long black hair flowed until her lower back, tied into a ponytail while a pair of fierce orange eyes alternated from him to the other boy left standing. A deep scowl plastered itself on her face while she let out a sigh, most likely due to the fact that both the boys were acting like total idiots, and as the teacher she would have to deal with that.
Yukito was very satisfied with his work, not only saving his seatmate from a heavy hit on the head, he had felt the shockwave of the punch, but shutting the entire class up. Though it did give the pair all the attention, it would mostly land on Ichika due to Yukito's neutral appearance. All his effort from the former was in vain though. As Ichika turned to face his would be attacker, pure shock forced a single name out of his mouth. "Chifuyu-nee?!"
A loud crash echoed through the room as her fist connected with his skull, ending with the boy in the fetal position on the floor, clutching his head while he trembled in fear. "Call me Orimura sensei at school, idiot," She stated mercilessly before her eyes shifted to the one still sitting on the floor.
A stern gaze met a gentle smile as she addressed the boy's savior. "And what do you think you're doing?" The tone of her voice and her body language threatened told him that he would be floored so much more viciously if she didn't like his answer. Fortunately though, he was a brilliant speaker as long as logic was involved.
"Sorry, Sensei." He said as he stood, his voice pitch modulated as if to seem like a female's. It wasn't as hard as one might think as his voice was low enough to be considered male but high enough to be female so he needed to elevate the pitch a little. "I just thought that since my name was next, I thought I should just get it over with. I stood, tripped and accidentally knocked him aside but thankfully I was the only one who fell. On a side note, I thought I should just get him off the stage. Guys do have to stick together after all."
He paused, pulling a single silver clip from his pocket and expertly folding his hair around it, shortening so impossibly that it ended just above his shoulders. That was when everyone was overcome with shock as the divine looking girl was turned into a long-haired boy.
No matter how many times he did it in front of people, he couldn't help but laugh at their reaction.
"My name's Sumeragi Yukito, a pleasure meeting you all." he resumed, his voice normal once more, "Sorry for the trick, Orimura-san, I just really wanted to see how you would fare if you were the only boy here." He concluded with a graceful bow before returning to his seat, leaving the entire class in a state of shock and awe.
Everyone was still in a state of stupor until Maya spoke up. "Orimura-sensei, is the meeting over?"
That seemed to be enough to snap everyone out of it since the room regained its old atmosphere, not like that was any better for the pair up front. "Yes, Yamada-kun. Sorry for forcing you to make these kids introduce themselves, especially this one." She said with a much gentler tone before taking the stage as well.
"No, it's fine. As the assistant homeroom teacher, I should be able to handle the class from time to time." The tears and the shock vanished, and assistant homeroom teacher Maya snapped to attention for Chifuyu. She seemed a bit more mature now though not by much.
Chifuyu acknowledged her with a nod before addressing the class with her thunderous voice. "Listen up, everyone. My name is Orimura Chifuyu and I've been tasked to train all of you in the operations and controls of an IS. I expect each and every one of you to remember and comprehend what I will be teaching, no exceptions. To those who don't understand a subject, I will teach it to you again and again until it is engrained into your mind. My job here is to thoroughly train you during your first year in the academy. I don't care if none of you like me but I will not tolerate disrespect and disobedience. Understand?"
Now under normal circumstances, all the students would be scared out of their wits but like all things in the IS Academy, the teachers are far from normal. It was not a surprised that instead of a bunch of scared little girls crying of out of fear, the shirking of the force of nature more popularly known as the "Fan Girl" resounded around the room.
"EEEEEK! It's Chifuyu-sama! It's Chifuyu-sama herself in real life!"
"I've always been your fan!"
"You inspired me to come to this school all the way from North Kyushu, onee-sama!"
"I came all the way from southern Hokkaido!"
"I'm so happy Chifuyu-sama is my teacher!"
"I'll gladly die for you, Chifuyu-sama!"
The woman in question didn't even bother to look at the crazed females, opting to bury her face into her palm as if she had headache coming on. ""I'm amazed how many nut-jobs come to this school every year. I guess I should be used to this, seeing as this is the nth time this happens. Do they put all the loons in my class on purpose? Why? What did I do to deserve this?" She mumbled to herself before an exasperated sigh escaped her lips.
It took her while to get them all settled down before she faced her brother, who was enough of an idiot to remain standing throughout the entire ordeal. "So you can't even manage to introduce yourself to a class without help? Why am I not surprised?"
"Chifuyu-nee..." He managed to get that out before having his head smashed against his desk.
"Call. Me. Orimura. Sensei." She demanded, each word bringing more of her weight into her palm as she pinned Ichika's head to his desk.
"Yes, Orimura-sensei." He relented quickly, suffering too much for a single morning. It was only after calling her "Chifuyu-nee" that many times that the girls in the class finally put two and two together and they began to do what girls their age always do in these situations; they started to gossip.
"Huh? That would mean that Orimura-kun is Chifuyu-sama's younger brother, right?"
"Then, could that have something to do with him being the only male in the world that can use the IS!?"
"Probably, but then Sumeragi-kun is here too, so it can't just be because of that? If it was then where did Sumeragi-kun get the ability from? That name was never heard off!"
"That can't be the case either since that would mean that every male born within the last fifteen years is a candidate!"
It only took a few moments before the most powerful pilot in the world had enough. "Be quiet!" Chifuyu finally yelled before the class descended into silence once more. The bell rang before she could scold them more so she just left them with much less venomous words than the ones that would have followed.
"Oh my, the student homeroom meeting is over. Class, over the next six months you'll be memorizing the basics of IS specs, controls, readouts, and all other fundamentals. After that, it will be practical training. You'll have half a month to master the basic maneuvers and let them become like reflexes, then we'll work our way from there. If you understand, answer 'Yes, ma'am!' Even if you don't, say it anyway. I expect a response whenever I make announcement!"
"Yes, ma'am!" Yukito along with the rest of the class said before looking back at Ichika, who seemed to be zoning out again despite the danger to his health. It was only a matter of time before another strike would come.
It did after a few seconds.
"SIT DOWN, YOU FOOL!"
And that was how the first period of hell ended for the two boys, one with a mischievous grin playing on his lips while the other was nursing his aching head.
This is a Page Break
"Yukito, right?" Ichika asked timidly, turning towards the white-haired prince a bit awkwardly. In reply, the latter brought out a smile so sublime that all the girls who were there to witness it started to turn into a shade normally reserved for tomatoes, though neither noticed the multitude of girls swooning around them.
"Yes, and what can I do for you Ichika?" Yukito said welcomingly, trying his best to seem as friendly and approachable as possible. He did leave this other boy in hell for a few minutes so conversing with him was the least he could do as recompense. Besides, it was very comforting to know that there was a guy around to talk too, for better or worse.
"I just wanted to come and say hi, maybe have a quick chat." He replied more naturally, flashing a smile that paled in comparison. "So how do you like it here, being in the legendary IS academy where all the other students are supposed to be girls? Feels like heaven right?" He asked, the last question subtly more sarcastic than natural.
"Very funny, Ichika-san." He said with another one of his melodious laughs, more akin to skillful striking of piano strings than the vibration of the throat. "If anything, it's more like self-imposed solitary confinement. You can't talk to anyone because they either avoid you or you avoid them. You end up lonely and depressed due to lack of human communication then go insane until someone works up the nerve to talk to you, considering anyone has enough guts to before you turn insane. It's never fun to converse with loons."
"And for the second question, I also have a friend who said this would be the time of my life. No it's not fun, but at least it's not as bad as we both expected." He said with a wry smile, and a charming laugh. "I meant to ask you, but how did you get here? Last time I checked, only women had to go through this kind of hell. I mean really, a pair of guys in an all-girl's school? What were these people thinking?"
"I can relate to that. As to why I'm here, it's kind of a long story. So prepare yourself for a wild ride" He took a breath before explaining his situation. "It was the middle of February, basically the time for high school entrance exams. Since I was a third-year, off I went to the examination center. Due to some serious cheating case last year, the government would only announce the location of each school's entrance exams two days before the actual examination took place. Way over the top, if you ask me, but what could I say? I was only a third-year student. So, I wallowed in bitterness as I trudged towards the place." He said as his story began to change him, making him unaware that it was dragging too long.
"Ideally, I wanted to get into the Private School near my house, a school that was above average in the quality of education, and also had an annual school festival, whoop de do! Most important, though, was that the school's fees are really reasonable exceptionally inexpensive. That's because 90% of the graduates are employed by the school's corporation. The company offers lots of wonderful jobs, and they're all nearby to boot. I wouldn't have to worry about zipping off to a different, out-of-the-way place every other day…" He was cut off by a hand and protests from the white-haired boy.
"Whoa, can we get to the IS part already, this is starting to sound like your entire life story. Just cut to the chase already." Yukito cried in exasperation as Ichika's story seemed to drag on and on. He was starting to regret having asked the question in the first place. Lucky for him, Ichika obliged.
"Well I kind of got lost in the school and entered a room with an IS in it. Some lady dragged me to the changing room and had me mount the thing before I could say no. Next thing I know, another IS pops up and tries to kill me, and it took a while for them to realize I was a guy. A few weeks later, I'm here, with you apparently." Ichika's story finally met its end while Yukito feigned slumber. With a quick tap, he was up and grinning like a madman.
"See was that so hard?" Yukito playfully mocked him before letting out a lighthearted laugh "Here's to being in hell." He added, raising his fist and pointing it to the black-haired boy. When no action was taken, coupled by the confused look he received, Yukito quickly explained the gesture. "You hit it."
Ichika just laughed, more out of embarrassment than mirth, and responded appropriately by striking the boy's fist with his own before answering his own question. "I know right? Seriously, what was Dan thinking saying this place was like heaven?" He laughed with a noticeable bitter undertone before continuing.
"An old friend of mine decided to pop back up and what does she do the second she sees me? She turns away and pretends to look out the window. Is that the attitude I deserve from a childhood friend after we haven't seen each other for six years? By heartless and cold glares and the cold shoulder? Does she hate me now?" He said in a quiet voice that only the two could hear but with enough emotion that he could understand where he was coming from.
On Ichika's part, it was very relieving finding out he wasn't the only boy in the godforsaken island the world dubbed the IS Academy, and talking about it helped him.
At first Yukito almost felt pity on his fellow man, or boy, but as soon as he saw a girl with brown hair tied up in a ponytail, a sly smirk spread on his face. "I'm assuming you friend's name is Dan, right?" As he received a quick nod in reply he continued.
"Then that's one thing we have in common, our friends are idiots." He paused, caught in a fit of laughter that threatened to drag the entire class with him. Even Ichika's supposed friend smiled a little before continuing her approach.
"I don't think you have to worry about your friend though." He said, nudging his head in her direction before literally pushing him out of his seat with enough force to propel him just a few inches away from her. "You two have your heartfelt reunion now!" he said with a very suggestive tone as the two exited the room.
Okay, that wasn't so bad. We actually have some similarities so relating with him is easier than expected. Still it would be hard to actually make it here without friends so I guess one would do for the moment. He thought before he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small tripod and gingerly placed it on top of his desk.
After pushing a single button located below the tripod, he donned a pair of glasses and a keyboard projected itself before him. Observing from the front, he looked like he merely staring at the strange device, but from behind the glasses, his vision faltered and changed.
What once was a classroom in the IS academy soon became a simple room with plain whitewashed walls and a glass table for three. Even the large crowd of young school girls disappeared, leaving him at a table for three with a pair of exquisitely beautiful young women.
The one to his left looked his age, possibly younger as she sat across him, dressed in a simple low-cut black top with a plain white undershirt and a short beige skirt that hugged her body quite nicely, revealing quite an attractive figure. Slender arms lead to a pair of dainty hands, gasping a cup of tea and a saucer below it, while a pair of long and shapely legs crossed themselves under the crystal clear table. A simple black choker contrasted against the beautifully pale porcelain skin of her neck while a genuinely happy smile played on her lips as she sipped her beverage.
Long white hair that curved slightly outwards flowed unbound like a river of the purest starlight, a pair of shorter locks framed her immaculately elegant face while a single thin tress sat in the center, curving like a snake just between her eyes. She seemed to suffer from the same disorder he hid as the rich blue orbs he stared into carried a blend of light violet, indigo and cyan arranged like layers of sand in a jar, though hers seemed to coalesce naturally, further increasing her allure.
She looked positively divine as she sat beside him looking at him with eyes brimming with innocent curiosity, not unlike that of a child. She looked like she was prepared to burst with an abundance of questions, though the other woman beside him seemed to rein her in with just a glance.
If the one to his left possessed beauty so sublime that it could make all the angels above and below fall for her, the one to his right was infinitely more empyreal in comparison. She looked older than the two though, probably in her late teens and was dressed in a white long-sleeved dress shirt under a long sleeved button up jacket and a pair of loose pants that left much to the imagination, in contrast to her more daring white-haired companion. Her covered arms rested on the table while her soft hands covered each other, what he recalled as her default position when she was waiting.
A single string of crystals hung around her neck, as he smiled a little more, seeing they wore the gifts he got them on their respective birthdays. Her hair was a river as dark as the hair of the other two was light, though it reflected the light in such a way that it seemed to possess a glossy sheen. The long tresses framed her face while the rest of her hair parted just above her right eye, revealing a face that could charm even the most hateful of men and the most maleficent of demons. Her eyes were deep pools of crimson, though like his own they were just contacts to hide their apparently shared heterochromia.
"So Onii-chan," The white-haired beauty began at a speed he didn't expect, much too slow. "How's your first day of school? Did you make any new friends? Were the lessons hard? Did you get into a fight with anyone yet? Did you beat her to a pulp? Why did you even fight a girl in the first place? Onii-chan is so mean…" Then she started hammering him with all the questions she had behind her.
The other just shook his head while Yukito raised his hands in surrender.
"Okay Mitsuko-chan, that's enough questions for now." The black-haired goddess said with a very slight giggle. "Your impossibly handsome Onii-chan just finished his first class, so not that much happened yet. You would have to save your questions for later tonight, okay?" She ended with a smile that was just impossible to say no too. It was not a smile that bellied any subtle threat but a beam of pure angelic radiance that any form resistance would just seem too negative. She then turned to the boy, "You will call tonight right, Yukito?" She said with the same powerful expression.
Needless to say, there was no room for argument.
"Yes and thank you, Mayumi-nee." He said, exhausted if his voice and the fact that he accepted the compliment were of any indication, before facing his little sister, Mitsuko. "And to answer some of you questions, my first class was not so bad. I'm in good terms with the other boy here, though the girls seem to not want to speak to me for some reason. The lessons were very basic but still complicated. If I didn't read that phonebook they call a manual, I would have fallen apart after the first few minutes. No I didn't get in a fight, and I hope I would never get into a fight, so that takes care of the last two questions."
Some things never change, she's still as energetic as ever. I think she would be able to power the IS without a proper core, not just pilot it. He mentally commented on her being an abnormally powerful dynamo as he let out at tired sigh.
"As expected from Onii-chan, still a perfect gentleman though and though." Mitsuko paused slightly before releasing the rest of her statement, this time with a wry smile shining on her face. "Or is it because you're afraid of losing to a girl in a fight? That's understandable too, since you never really win whenever we spar." She stated casually before looking to the eldest of the three. "Isn't that right, Onee-sama?"
Mayumi's smile just grew a little wider before she replied in a very motherly voice. "No, Mitsuko-chan, I'm afraid you're wrong there. Yukito-kun just never uses any more than a quarter of his full potential whenever you two get into a scuffle. He just doesn't want to ruin that pretty face of yours, sweetie, so that makes him a true gentleman. He should learn to stop though, people might think he's just too proud to use his full power and pride usually comes before a fall. Still whenever he fights me, I don't see anything wrong with the amount of power, thought and effort he puts in every move. He's pretty much perfect as a fighter just the way he is and I pity anyone who would get on his bad side." With a gracious smile, she directed the last few statements at her brother, who quickly nodded and replied.
"That's not true. No matter how much, I try I still can't beat you in a fair fight, Onee-sama. Be it with a sword, gun or even an entire army, you're still better than me at everything. Well except baking but that's just because you're too lazy to learn!" The boy interjected, rendering his eldest sister's argument that he was perfect moot.
"Well of course you won't be able to beat me in anything. I am the eldest for a reason and that is to protect the both of you form harm weather you like it or not. Last time I checked, baking isn't a skill you need to provide for a family and in what reality could you cook better than me?" She smiled, silencing him once more before he could even voice his rebuttal. No, that wasn't quite right, he was silenced because he lacked a proper rebuttal. All of that was true, it was only in the more mundane things that they eclipsed her.
"Aw, Onee-sama always ruins our fun, right Onii-chan?" The youngest said in a complacent tone, pouting cutely at the eldest before turning to the brother. "Anyways, let's get down to business, shall we?" She asked, her voice cheerful voice now likened to a controlled but beautiful soprano. As all at the table nodded in agreement, the youngest among them continued.
"The development and assembly on several of the special shields you requested is almost complete so all that's left is the melee weapon, the specialized autocannon, and your extensive thruster system. Honestly, I don't know why you need three barrels on that thing but with basically infinite ammo, Onee-sama thinks you're wasting the opportunity." She received a relatively soft hit to the shoulder, courtesy of Mayumi before the eldest herself continued for her.
"Regarding that, you should really grasp the opportunities when you can, but judging from the theoretical fire rate of that monster and your proclivity for breaking said theoretical barriers, I say it's just a little less than what I expected from you." She said with a radiant smile that effectively held back the embarrassment she felt when her youngest sibling said that out loud. She was a firm believer in the quote, "There is no kill like overkill!" so needless to say, her own personal designs, when used effectively, left absolutely no hope of victory for whoever she was fighting.
"Though I have to hand it to you, that was one of the most effective thruster and defense systems I have ever laid eyes on, and that's considering who you're named after. But we digress, if you do not get into a fight in the next few days for fitting and optimization, we will summon you in the dead of night for a quick battle, just so you reach First Shift before you actually need it. The progress aside, why in the world did you want your suit so big?" She asked with a raised eyebrow and a look that wouldn't take no for an answer.
"You'll have to wait after a school sanctioned battle or our own training match for the answer to that one, but let's just say I need the added mass for proper stabilization. It took hours to complete the plans for the thruster system and when it reaches full blast, I need all the surface area I can get. Even after I increased speed the Passive Inertia Control can negate in excess of a thousand fold, I will need a massive amount the coverage to use my thrusters at peak efficiency, without sacrificing mobility or safety." He said with a wry smile immediately continuing as soon as he saw his sibling return the expression.
"Yes, Mitsuko, I will virtually turn into a battering ram if all goes well and when you factor in the fact that maneuverability is not sacrificed even after achieving maximum acceleration, I don't think I need a weapon anymore."
"Yes, all well and good Onii-chan, but best a bit more careful when you use it. This suit isn't like any normal IS anyone can just pilot. Because of the size, the mobility is a bit subpar before you get used to it and before during formatting, its size causes massive stress on your body and mind as you move it. It will feel like moving the entire suit without the PIC at first, but it'll get better after that. Your first battle will undoubtedly be your hardest one." She said with a grim sense of foreboding ill-suited to her.
"Regarding the thrusters, knowing you, I can already tell that fully utilizing your thruster system will end up being a last resort." The youngest cheekily rebutted after he basically read her mind.
"It's not like you lose all mobility if you decide to keep those beasts hidden, so you will probably only use them when you run out of ideas, or just plain angry. If that's the case, then why did you make them at all? You never run out of contingency plans, even after that incident, and that was the only time we've ever seen you truly angry but even then you weren't angry enough to kill!"
"Well you're right about one thing, Mitsuko-chan, it is my last resort. With virtually untouchable speed, an absolute defense, and sure-hit, one-shot weaponry, even Onee-sama would be hard-pressed to keep up with me, and the only reason she wouldn't be defeated immediately is her suit's sensor is powerful enough to detect me even when I'm moving at my maximum speed. We all know that once Mayumi-nee can see a target, it's already dead. Poor, poor Orimura sensei" He argued back as the younglings nodded solemnly.
"True, at the speeds you'll be going at full blast, no one would be able to see you coming before you end up hitting them, but then you would have to switch to melee weaponry since you travel faster than any of your projectiles." She cut in as the youngest resorted to cutely sticking her tongue at the middle child.
"As far as your absolute defense is concerned, it will be like holding a black hole in front of you when you use it at its most powerful. Though two was a bit much since one could easily fit five suits behind it, not counting the six indestructible bulwarks you call thrusters. Your close combat weaponry is pretty good too, though I doubt your teacher would be impressed. Speaking of the woman, in my defense, I'm sorry, I didn't think she only had one weapon. If I knew, I wouldn't have taken it from her." She grumbled humorously before turning serious again.
"To incorporate the swords into hip cannons was genius and a double sword strike, coupled with the space distortion would kill any pilot, even with Absolute barrier on. And to think you developed all of this after you saw a simple metal fan a madman called a time machine, I'm so proud." She said, wiping a single tear away as it threatened to fall.
He would have said something to refuse her excessive praise but the tolling of the bells signaled his departing. The glasses soon reverted to being completely transparent while the keyboard he used to type in messages that were eventually voiced, to avoid leaking information about his suit and looking like he was talking to himself of course, disappeared completely.
With a fond smile, he folded up the small tripod, removed his glasses and quickly pocketed both. I'll never hear the end of it when I call again tonight, but at least I would never get smacked on the upside of the head any time soon.
A large smack caused him to stir, his head suddenly twisting to the source of the sound, the poor sap who got on the teacher's bad side. It was his brother in hell, Orimura Ichika, again, for the fourth time in a row. Really, he was the only person in the room getting hit since morning. The demon, no wait, not even those things are that heartless when it came to their own kin, then spoke, her voice like an avalanche. "Why, in the name of any and all gods, are you still standing up?"
Just watching the scene made him shudder at the thought of what his own siblings would do to him after the quick cutoff. This will not end well. He thought, fully realizing what kind of predicament they were thrust into.
AN
And that's the first chapter.
this is my first fic if you don't notice so please forgive any mistakes and shortcomings. About the similarities with other authors if there is any, its purely coincidental, though just PM me and show me the story so i can give you the credit due. I decided to write this based on the light novels and the anime so please point out anything if you guys find something wrong.
Due to several prompts, I decided to edit it a bit and cut the chapters so that it would be an easier read.
Oh and if you think Yukito is a bit too OP, it will be explained in later chapters.
Please Review!
See ya