CHAPTER FOUR: White Emperor, Cerulean Artist and the Black Flash
Disclaimer: I don't own Infinite Stratos but I do own this fiction and any other OC's in this story
ITALIC: THOUGHTS
His own mind was blank but only because of the background calculations his suit, Byakushiki was doing. Every moment brought a new change, either in data or the actual suit, though so miniscule it escapes the naked eye. Even the values displayed to him were vastly different changing from one code to the next with astounding speed.
This was nothing like the first time he operated the suit, or even during the IS Academy entrance exam. This was the fitting for a Personal IS, a process that melds two existences together in perfect symbiosis so it was only natural that such a bond needed time and adjustments. But he knew this was not the time to dwell on such minor problems, as the true enemy smirked victoriously before him, and the neutral party landed on the sands below.
The Blue Tears was beautiful cerulean and despite being there to fight it, Ichika couldn't deny it looked pretty good. The leg armor was streamlined to the maximum without sacrificing defense and stability with blue orbs on the sides marking the knee joints while the foot parts looking like pincers or spikes to clamp on the ground. the arms were elegantly shaped, and like the legs were covered in green trimming that looked more than a decoration; quite possibly an omnidirectional sensor array more powerful than what is normally present in an IS.
The wings assumed the appearance of four scimitar blades, a blue crystal surrounded by two smaller ones in turn surrounded by two larger ones, all arranged like an upside-down tear. Two more wings floated around her back area, possibly added for improved stability while shooting. Similar smaller pieces of armor hung behind her waist, making the suit look more elegant and regal, though, like the green trimming, they seemed to hide a second function. Finally a large blue crystal was fastened to her forehead, most likely her main sensor.
"I'm surprised you didn't run away." She said with a hint of pleasure as she looked down on the two boys, putting a hand on her hip while the other held a large ornate rifle downwards. She waited for the signal to begin before continuing her perverted version of diplomacy. "Well, I assume it's only fair that I give you one last chance." She said arrogantly, pointing at both Ichika and Yukito.
"A chance?" Ichika said with his usual tone while Yukito remained silent.
"Obviously this won't end well for either of you, considering the fact that you're fighting me. So here's the deal, if you don't want me to practically wipe the arena floor with your mangled and barely breathing bodies, I suggest you apologize now." She said while her eyes narrowed, going from arrogant to deadly serious. Ichika just received the message that she was about to fire and quickly glanced at Yukito, who was still looking at both of them with a strangely vacant expression.
"Sorry, no deal." He sneered, though his arrogance had a price.
"That's too bad then." She said before quickly raising her rifle at him with practiced efficiency. "I bid you goodnight!" Then she fired, a blue bolt of energy made a beeline for Ichika.
It would have landed if a thin yellow beam didn't intercept it in time, causing all eyes to turn to the origin of the counter attack. Eyes widened as the sight of Yukito looking wide-eyed at a black pistol of ornate make in his hand. If one were to look closely, they would see that despite it being a pistol, it was strangely large, even for an IS weapon.
"That was lucky." He said sheepishly before turning back to Ichika. "Hey, Ichika, Don't be so careless! I don't think I can deflect another one of her shots. That was just a misfire." He warned as Ichika looked back questioningly to respond, only to be shot in the back and sent crashing to the ground. As he got up, he was met with another sermon.
"I just told you to be a little more careful, but no, you turn you back on an enemy, giving a sniper, of all things, a still and very large target." He berated Ichika while shooting a salvo of yellow beams, each directed towards a blue bolt that left her weapon.
Shot after shot, they were at a standstill, with Yukito controlling the pace with his faster firing weapon and Cecilia struggling to keep up. He was smiling as Ichika looked on with awe at the boy who kept pace with a Representative Candidate, no he forced her to keep up.
"I thought you said you couldn't deflect her shots?" The one in white asked curiously while a sly smile formed on the face of the one in green.
"I did, didn't I?" His smirk grew even wider as Ichika raised an eyebrow. "Though I never said I couldn't force her to deflect mine. Having a weapon with a faster fire rate does have its perks. Though I have to apologize, Ichika, this is a fight so it would be such a shame if I leave you out of it. You have ten seconds by the way…" He said as another pistol materialized in his hand, the barrel leveled at the poor sap. In reflex, he took to the sky in an attempt to escape, only to have both his shoulders clipped simultaneously.
Ichika wasn't having the time of his life, that much is certain. After he felt a sonic boom cutting through both his arms, all he wanted to do was pass out. Quite unfortunate for him as he found out that the IS has an anti-vertigo feature, something that kept him from passing out even if he felt in excess of 4 Gs' on his chest at the same time electrifying his entire torso with enough power to keep him awake.
"Defensive armor has been pierced. Damage taken: 50. Remaining Shield Energy: 550. Actual damage is low, please be more careful. ;)"After he recovered, he resumed his erratic flight path desperately trying to avoid beams of yellow and blue directed at him. The origins of the projectiles and recommended actions were being sent to him at startling speed, something too quick for him to properly react to resulting in…
"Focus on the one shooting at you, Princess." Ichika turned to hear Yukito shout as five beams of yellow light were sent to shoot down a couple of blue bolts. "And Ichika, really, fight like a man or something. Running doesn't suit you at all." He ended as he leveled both pistols at the girl and firing, forcing Cecilia to take evasive action to avoid one stream while shooting down the second torrent of beams, effectively keeping them at a standstill.
The display was wondrous, with the green suit unable to fly trying in earnest to shoot the flying princes, who did her best to evade and land her own strikes if she had the time. The colors clashed and cut through the sky, filling the arena with a pleasant glow, a glow that bellied the danger behind the projectile and the amount of destruction that would ensue if it touched any solid mater.
He was rooted in place, well maybe not rooted since he was flying, as he watched the two combatants struggle for supremacy, cursing his own weakness as he still couldn't participate despite having his own personal suit. In anger he called for the weapons list, though it was hardly to be called a list considering it only had a single item on it, a close-quarter combat sword named "Name Unspecified".
It's not enough that they made my suit send messages with emoticons, now they don't name my one and only weapon?! He mentally bellowed as the sword materialized in his hands. He swung it a few times to test the balance of the 1.6 meter blade, before charging into the fray himself and making a beeline for Cecilia.
He would have reached her if not for something strange happening as soon as he moved: Yukito stopped shooting, instead choosing to dodge the blue bolts of energy instead of returning fire. His decision gave Cecilia a bit of breathing room, and a perfect opportunity to pay more attention to Ichika as seen when she leveled the barrel at him and began firing.
Ichika hurried to dodge the beams, shifting towards the side as the deadly blue rain only increased in magnitude. His efforts weren't in vain though as inch by inch he managed to get closer and closer to her despite being clipped here and there by the blue bolts of light. He was about to shorten the distance to about 30 meters when something very strange happened again; she stopped for a while and laughed. No shooting, or any other attack, or even explosions, she just laughed at him.
"This is your brilliant plan? To come here and slash me with that sword of yours, even if I'm using a long ranged type. That is the best you have? If it is, then dance for me, dance to the waltz being played by Cecilia and the blue tears." She taunted, resuming the rain of bolts while Ichika continued to evade. Several bolts still struck his machine though an even greater amount zipped on by to strike the ground or the shield that defended the audience. He was getting better at evading, no it was more than that.
The suit itself was modifying itself to him, making some things much easier for him like dodging the bolts and even seeing the part she was aiming at. In a few moments he would be close enough to finally land a blow on her.
He accelerated to the left and preformed a role in midair to dodge a blot aimed for his face before shooting towards the sky to evade ones aimed for his chest. Together with gravity, he descended from above, swooping down like a hawk and quickly closing the distance, bringing him to the moment he was waiting for. That moment came quickly, as he finally reached striking distance the ends of her tear shaped wings pointed towards him and just as he raised his sword to strike, the four tear shaped crystals together with her own sniper rifle fired, sending five beams of light straight to a single point on his chest.
"Still can't believe it took you that long to figure out why her IS was called the Blue Tears. Come on, man, the four tear shaped crystals on her wings aren't just for show." Yukito scolded him in a way that was not unlike Houki's sermons. "What's strange about this is that she used them so late in the game. If she used that move early on then it would be very easy to pick us off one by one, something must have forced her to change her mind. If I'm right then there's only one thing left to do."
Yukito smirked as he shifted his gaze from the grounded Ichika to the floating Cecilia. "Ichika, this might be the best time for you to start running from here. It's going to get very messy, very fast."
"Why, what are you going to do?" the other boy asked as he got up, feeling the sense of foreboding the suddenly filled the arena. Even Cecilia stopped shooting as soon as he landed due to the immense pressure weighing on their shoulders. He knew it was Yukito's doing, but it was only until that moment that he realized just how powerless he was.
"Get serious."
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"So this is finally it." Chifuyu said to no one in particular as she watched her little brother distance himself as far away from the other two combatants as possible. Yukito just rose from the ground with what looked like an Uchigane shocking everyone in the arena including Cecilia who just looked on with curiosity. "He's finally going all out this time, or at least treating her like a proper opponent. Isn't that right Mayumi?"
The other two in the room failed to grasp what she was talking about until a beautiful woman dressed in long black jacket with a mandarin collar seemingly materialized out of thin air beside the teacher. She sent a friendly gaze coupled with a radiant smile towards Houki and a nod of acknowledgment to Maya before she replied, her voice the exact same one heard over the PA systems the week before.
"Yup, his First Shift, something that should never have seen the light of day finally catches a Sliver of Luminescence. In a few minutes the floor of the arena would be covered with Ceremonial White and will be wet with sorrow of Blue." Mayumi said proudly with that smile of hers, a smile that could only be made low with Chifuyu's terrible scowl, and even then it was still bright enough to light up the entire control room.
"That's very poetic of you. How many days did it take for you to figure that one out?" Chifuyu asked impatiently, definitely irked by the appearance of her old acquaintance.
"Oh, that's mean Chichi! You only think of me as an acquaintance. As for the pun, it was much easier than getting Tabane's attention the first time around. I thought you would be better to hang around with, but you're just as heartless as she is. She doesn't even talk to us anymore, I thought we were all friends back then, right?" Mayumi spoke with the tone of a complaining child, and in concert with the ability to read even Chifuyu's mind during special circumstances, her presence only served to irritate Chifuyu further.
"We have no time for this now, Mayumi. The primary concern is making sure this battle doesn't turn into a killing, and judging from the schematics you showed me there's a good chance of that happening. What were you thinking when you gave a child that much firepower, it's insane! We made sure that the English placed limiters on their tech, but your brother's pretty much a wild card at this point. If he so happens as draw blood during this fight, I will make sure he goes home in a body bag." She promised threateningly.
The other just continued to smile as the temperature dropped to a few solid degrees below zero before she spoke. "A few flaws in your threat Chichi, the first being his weapons don't draw blood. The heat levels on those bullets, oh yes their solid projectiles and not particle beams or lasers, make certain of instant cauterization or evaporation of body fluids at the moment of contact so no liquid blood would be present. Your second flaw is making him go anywhere without his consent is almost impossible after he reaches his First Shift."
She smiled a bit more slyly than anyone in the room might have been comfortable with. "Don't worry, I placed the limiters in myself, he won't kill anyone anytime soon."
Doubt was in her eyes as she watched his transformation intently, at least that was her intention until black fog enveloped the entirety of his IS even extending as far as a 10 meters from his original position. It only lasted for a moment though and as quickly as it appeared, it was violently sucked back into his armor.
Yes armor, since whatever it was that stood on the arena floor could no longer be classified as simply an IS. One of the main differences was its size, it was enormous, roughly three and a half meters from head to toe and easily towering over any other IS in existence. It was also fully armored, looking more like the full body of a giant man rather than a human being in a traditional IS, which just covers the legs and the arms. A gargantuan and ornate breastplate composed of several large angular plates overlapping over each other covered the entirety of the upper torso with only an opening in the frontal abdominal region revealing another series of smaller overlapping plates that provided added protection inside the cuirass.
Its shoulders were encased in overlapping pauldrons that pointed out sideward resembling a pair of robotic wings and was large enough to reach the cheek of the giant creature while several plates extended downward, covering the thick arms in the same fashion as the torso armor. Gauntlets enveloped the giant's arms ending in large claws towards the hands and heavy armor tipped with trio of sinister spikes instead of a regular elbow. The main bracer sported a large blade spanning from the theoretical tip of the elbow to the wrist of the clawed hand, obviously intended for unarmed combat.
The legs were in streamlined greaves with a diamond "V" shaped armor on the knees and a blade on the tip of the large boot and the heel of the foot. It even had extra shin and lower leg armor and special plate coverings akin to small blades that added a more sinister appearance. To look at the leg armor was to imagine what it felt like to be kicked by a running chainsaw adding to the suits combat ability even when unarmed. On the back of the calves and all over the back of the beast was a set of miniature thrusters arranged in a special formation to increase acceleration, maximum velocity and maneuverability while the thighs sported smoother plates of armor that betrayed a more sinister purpose.
Its head was a hidden from sight by a series of plates resembling a hooded mantle, as such only shadow was seen when one looked into its face. As light was reflected inwards, only a plain mask without any openings would be seen, making it look like fighting a faceless enemy. Or maybe it would be to avoid looking into the enemies' face.
The entirety of the suit was adored with several golden lines that spread from the chest like veins, much like the blue tears, except these pulsed with power, changing intensity at a moment's notice. The last difference was the fact that it lacked wings, or the part that usually floats behind the IS.
"Wow, I have to hand it to you, Mayumi, I don't think anyone could have expected this." Chifuyu said with much surprise and a hint of humor as the metal giant began to test its limbs, its hood shifting its gaze left end right as its hands began to move and twist slowly but powerfully.
The movements it was doing was not unlike an athlete warming up before his event, or a fighter testing his limbs before a skirmish."A mighty glacier huh? Not the best choice in this case, but still usable if he plays his cards right. Though I pictured him preferring untouchable speed over overwhelming strength."
"Just watch, Chichi, I'm sure even in this state Yukito-kun still has his share of tricks. Besides, it's not polite to go all out against a lady." Mayumi muttered cryptically.
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"What in bloody hell?" Cecilia was shaken out of stupor when the black giant summoned the pair of pistols in reply and began to let loose a torrent of fire, forcing her to focus solely on weaving through the holes and evading every beam to ensure survival. She noticed several differences when he began to try and shoot her down, unfortunately none of them would tilt the match in her favor.
What is that thing? How did he get such firepower? She wondered in fear as the fire rate of the side arms that now seemed to fit perfectly in his hands seemed to increase after his form changed, rendering any attempt to counterattack impossibly futile.
I was able to keep pace with those things a while ago, but now even using my BTs would be useless. As soon as the opportunity comes, he will just shoot them down with those monsters of pistols he uses, then I'll be left virtually defenseless. I can't believe I'm thinking this, but if that useless swordsman doesn't do anything soon, I'm going to be done for. She analyzed as she continue to weave through the wall of fire.
"What, this?" The giant began to speak, not even laying his arms down to allow his voice to fill the arena unhindered or his enemy any form of respite.
"It's something that would lose to an Uchigane if you played your cards right, though obviously that's something you didn't do. I mean, come on, did you really think you could explain how those drones work and still pull out a win?! No! You're just a little girl whose arrogance landed her in a position she can't escape, even with all her toys! You are the perfect picture of the woman of today; an arrogant, piece of self-congratulatory garbage that holds her head up high just because she has immunity to ridicule; Someone who treats men like dirt just because of a possibility she can wield a suit like yours, then do some real damage, like, oh I don't know, challenging a pair of novices to a fight just because you were justifiably slighted! How can you look yourself in the mirror and smile at the sight of what you are? You're a stuck up, snobbish, elitist spoiled, condescending egotistical and conceited little brat who has nothing better to do that walk all over other people just for the false reassurance that your actually important! WHAT WOULD YOUR MOTHER THINK IF SHE SAW YOU NOW?!" He had long stopped the onslaught of fire to watch his prey hover in morbid stillness, the girl being fully gutted by the questions he asked. He was right of course, something she just saw as he slammed it right in her face, all the flaws she acquired in perusing a noble cause. When did I lose myself? She wondered as tears threatened to fall.
"Enough!" She gasped as the black behemoth turned on a dime to block a 1.6 meter blade with his right claw."This was supposed to be a fight to prove her wrong about us, not stoop down to her level." Ichika said flatly as the claw continued to repel the blade.
The girl would have to be a fool not to see the pity and anger in his eye as he started down the faceless giant, his teeth grating as his hands trembled to keep the contest of strength in his favor. "This was supposed to be a fight to show her that we're not as weak as she said we were, that we weren't about to descend to trickery to beat her."
The blade began to lean closer and closer towards Ichika's face as the giant began to put in more effort to break the deadlock. "You just insulted a girl, man, and made her cry! Where's the honor?! That's! Just! LOW!" He shouted before being overpowered by a gargantuan push.
"So you're her knight in shining armor now?" Yukito asked sarcastically from inside his mask. "Well then bring it, Hero!" Ichika only had a chance to look up from his fallen position to see a black blur barreling towards him at a speed that should be completely impossible for such a large form.
He raised his blade to block as a large claw was thrust forward, effectively throwing him off the ground before he managed to halt his movement in midair. He smirked victoriously as he looked towards the Representative Candidate, the crowd favorite turned silenced observe, if only to lift her from the depths of her sorrow, but that was before the giant took to the skies with the ease of and speed of a rocket.
She watched silently as the two combatants clashed in their savage, unforgiving melee, claws clashing against sword in a fight for supremacy, one fighting in the name of honor while the other attempting to ruthlessly rend his opponent apart in cold blood.
Ichika continued to lose ground as the battle dragged on, uppercut, overhand, straight, hook, cross, the punches enhanced by the presence of great bestial barbs rained down on the white champion while his sword struggled to keep up with the assault. A gaping opening was suddenly spotted, and with the quick mind of the warrior he decided to capitalize on it with a quick upward slash, only to find his sword caught between the dreaded black talons and the second arm winding back to deliver a devastating haymaker.
With little thought, he ducked under the heavy limb and darted the opposite way, using the giant's momentum against him to pull out his blade form his claw before finally landing a strike from behind. The giant's back jolted upright at the impact of the blow while Ichika sped just out of mauling range and waited for his enemy to face him. The victorious smirk on the Ichika's face was not lost on anyone in the arena, save for the giant who still had his back turned.
"You managed to land a blow on me. What a crowning achievement, tell me, do you want a medal with that face?" Yukito snapped viciously as he turned around slowly, as if giving the other boy a chance to hide before what happens next.
"Not even scratch, you land a blow on my shields that didn't even strike the metal and you look like you already won. I'll give you one thing, Ichika, you had the guts to prioritize fighting me over her. It's getting better, isn't it, your suit? Your movements seem more refined, quicker, and you seem to have gotten more of the wasted movements out of your form, though that isn't nearly enough to beat me. You want a fight, boy? Then I think it would be fair to grant that request." He said as flatly as possible, the tone of his voice betraying no hint of emotion save crippling apathy before he summoned a weapon into his hands.
With a flick of his wrist, a large scythe flickered into existence and like his counterpart, he spun it a few times to test its balance.
The main blade of the weapon was about half as long as the three meter shaft that held it, though that didn't count the actual curve of the laser-edged blade. The blade itself looked like it was made out of multiple pieces of solid plating, inserted into one another to form its crescent shape, the structure starting from the largest piece nearest the shaft before ending at the fourth piece, the final point of the blade. An ornate spade-like blade extended at the other end of the shaft, intended for use just in case the enemy got a bit too close for comfort.
At the back of her mind, a voice screamed "DANGER" regarding the blade thus snapping her out of the trance she was in, the memories of their earlier clash still fresh in her mind. At the sight of the weapon the giant held, she spared a moment to think.
Close combat was never my forte, though giving him ranged support would end this much quicker. If we do defeat this…monstrosity, then I might still have a chance at regaining my honor. I will, of course, give him enough time to ready himself again before I end up using him as target practice. And with that, she silently promised herself that she would win, for herself, for her pride, for her parents, for her mother.
She quickly lined up the shot as the scythe was raised, easily changing the course of the blow and giving Ichika an opening to strike though again a black hand reached out and caught the blade and both his hands, this time opting to throw him at the sniper to take them both out. She easily evaded her surrogate partner turned projectile and released her drones, each one of them darting to different directions before firing once, only to quickly change position to fire again.
It would have been useful he was a tad bit less used to being attacked from all directions as he effortlessly dodged the bulk of the assault only being nicked once or twice by the occasional prison of lasers. He quickly shifted his gaze to her when it seemed evident that Ichika wouldn't interfere, all three of them knew that it was more than possible for her to swap alliance and start aiming for him, and quickly threw his weapon. The new projectile force her to use her rifle to deflect the weapon while the giant darted towards the weapon to confront a waiting Ichika.
With the scythe in hand, Yukito began the clash with an overhead slash, a move easily blocked by Ichika's sword before pulling back on the weapon and carving a gash on Ichika's back. With first blood awarded to the enemy, Ichika recklessly charged to counter with an overhead slash of his own before the smaller business end of the polearm made a beeline for his exposed chest, tearing another unsightly fissure into the armor.
Even as he was struck, he payed it no heed as he continued his charged, though as his blade finally began its decent, a side kick to the gut managed to fling him a good distance away. More strikes came at the speed of lighting as Ichika's blade cut through the air, thirsting for blood, though air was all it found while Yukito's scythe peppered Ichika's suit with more gashes, though they were quickly shrinking in size as the suit formatted itself to his body.
After a few more moments of trading blows, they came to a stalemate; each of Ichika's attacks were quickly blocked while Yukito's counter thrusts were dodged or parried. Yukito would initiate with a sideward swipe, only to have the blade blocked by the sword before Ichika deflects it over his head before blocking the dagger blade before it could connect with his leg.
With a parry it was gone through a diagonal slash much faster than he thought possible soon took its place. More and more still came as he stayed on the defensive, perfectly blocking a weapon that capitalizes on the enemy's lack of experience to land killing blows, though he had another enemy; fatigue.
A four blue bolts exploded as they struck the giant's form, each dealing damage as he staggered back a little to regain his stance. He looked up to see the drones deployed once again, while the woman he broke stared at his empty face with eye brimming of resolve. "This fight isn't over yet, not by a long shot!" Another series of bolts together with a white sword struck the giant's armor, pushing him back by another foot.
Cecilia smiled as they finally caught him in a bind, to dodge the bolts that were fired like rain, or block the sword that struck like lightning. They couldn't help but smirk as the perfect storm ravaged their opponents shield points, allowing Ichika to land dozens of blows if not sending several bolts towards his as searing his armor. The scythe would block the blade of the sword, only for a bullet to dig into his armor. And as he tries to deflect the rain of energy, a sword of silver eats its way through steel like it was nothing.
Victory was all but certain until Ichika fell half a second behind, giving Yukito ample time to deflect his strike and summon his pistol to shoot the first drone down. Their eyes widened at the sight of the large explosion and using their surprise, the giant pushed Ichika back with another slash to the chest, doing a good deal of damage while striking him of his breastplate.
"Good, good. Your cooperation is impressive to say the least, putting into perspective that you are too arrogant to consider teammates…" Another series of bolts were defected with his scythe he nonchalantly spoke. "…and you are a first timer." As Ichika charged, he used all the momentum he gathered in spinning the scythe to deliver a slash that converted the entirely of the giant's mas into force, throwing him several meters back.
"Though I have to say, those things are more annoying than I first expected." He said while firing his pistol at another drone before deflecting Ichika's strike.
"But if there that durable, then it is of no consequence." He then grabbed his opponent with his free hand and tossed Ichika like a ragdoll, sending him hurtling towards Cecilia faster than she could dodge and shooting down another bit with a swing for his arm.
"Come on you two, don't tell me that's all…" He couldn't finish his sentence as Ichika tackled him from out of nowhere, knocking him out of the sky and kicking up sandstorm that filled a quarter of the arena.
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Ooh...Sumeragi-kun and Orimura-kun are amazing!" Maya Yamada was watching the live broadcast of Cecilia's, Ichika's and Yukito's fight on the screen in the control room. To say she was impressed was an understatement.
"I can't believe this is only his second time in an IS, and one restricted to only one weapon at that. Sumeragi-kun is even holding both of them back at the same time, and Alcott-san is a Representative Candidate. If this is their first time, then what would happen if they had training?"
"That idiot." Chifuyu, on the other hand, looked rather irritated.
"Sumeragi already told them that a training suit could dismantle his…whatever that is if properly used, and that seems about right for now. The fact that it's taking them this long to defeat a first timer is simply unacceptable. Plus, he's about to make one of his more reckless mistakes."
"What? How do you know?" Maya asked innocently.
"See how he keeps clenching his left hand? Whenever he does that, he starts making a fool out of himself. He had that habit since he was younger, imagine my surprise when he did that halfway up a tree." Chifuyu sighed, she knew what was coming and she didn't like it one bit. "How's Sumeragi doing?"
"Yuki-kun isn't taking the battle seriously either." Mayumi sighed in exasperation, knowing her brother he would have to be angry enough to kill in order to go all out. "If he was even remotely serious then this should have been all over by now. Even if it's made of glass, a cannon is still a cannon, and he's not even using it. My bet's that he'll lose."
"Wow! To know that much, you both really must be their sisters!" Maya hadn't meant anything by the comment, but Chifuyu was stunned, though Mayumi was still saddened.
"Ye-Yeah. How do I put this… even though he's an idiot with the tact of a brick wall, he's still my brother." She muttered almost incoherently while Mayumi…
"Huh? Oh, just like Chichi said, we are siblings after all. What kind of a sister would I be if I knew nothing about what was going on inside that head of his?" She whimpered.
"Huh? Are you embarrassed? ARE YOU BOTH EMBARRASSED?" Maya asked with an innocent expression, though the sly smile on her face bellied her true intentions.
A bone-crunching crash resounded throughout the entire control room; the point of origin? Maya's head.
"OOWWWWWW!"
"The one thing I hate the most is to be made fun of!"
"Yes, yes! I know, I know! Sorry, I'm sorry! So please let go of—OWWWW!"
"Chichi, let the poor girl go, it's not like violence will solve anything-Hey don't start with me to-OWWWW! OWWWW!"
Houki was completely unaware of the commotion behind her. She was too busy staring intently at the screen, watching Ichika's every move, slightly cringing whenever Yukito managed to land a blow on him. Her normally sour scowl became even more frightening as the battle dragged on. Houki wasn't a praying type of person, but her hands were folded in front of her in a gesture of petition, so what else could it have meant? In reality, a maelstrom of emotion was raging inside her, just barely contained in her form.
Ichika…
Houki bit her lip, as the battle shifted again, this time, against their favor.
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"You've given me much more trouble than I expected boy, but I'll save you for later." Yukito said slyly as he tossed Ichika away for the fifth time before shifting his gaze towards Cecilia. As soon as Ichika was a good distance away, she began firing from her drones as well as her rifle, nailing him in several areas before he shot of the ground, intent on ending her.
"I thought you could only shoot these when you kept still, but apparently…" He said as he dodged every bolt that came from the three beam launchers. No that's not it.
The moment she pulled the trigger on all three weapons and with the accuracy of the sniper she was, there was no doubt it would have hit. The prison of beams were positioned in such a way that there was only one path of escape, but that was if the enemy was in an IS. If the enemy was any bigger, then the possibility of landing a hit should have been 100%. Should have been being the key words, again.
If his face was visible, then the audience would be treated to the sight of a twisted smirk, filled with confidence, rapture, but stained with predatory corruption that it couldn't have been anything other than evil. They would see that expression before he moved. He moved, there was no other way to explain what had happened when the beams crossed just past his left flank.
Then he raised his arms, pistols at the ready before letting loose the yellow beam that destroyed everything in its path and sent them against the blue drones. They might have been made of paper as the beams tore through them, and they detonated as he passed by.
He rode the wave caused by the simultaneous explosion of two drones, allowing him to accelerate further and in turn face her in much less time. He was aware of her intentions but he managed to check the airwaves before taking any action. The sly smirk on her face did nothing to stop him from moving closer at an astounding speed. if anyone else was in her situation, the sight of a speeding giant with a scythe as large as its wielder would have made them panic on the spot, but a smirk played on her lips, feelings of triumph and relief filled her countenance..
"Sorry, but there are six blue tears." She said nonchalantly while her skirt armor folded up towards him, displaying a pair of guided missile launchers primed and ready. She couldn't see his face, so she imagined it would be horror stricken while he tried his best to evade the twin missiles it couldn't have been further from the truth. Deep under the armor, Yukito chucked knowingly and with a voice full of...pity
"Do you know why I prefer the tango to the waltz?" He said cryptically, enjoying the instant she finally comprehended what he meant. "It's because you can't cut in.
Yukito shot straight up revealing Ichika in hot pursuit behind him, though unlike the black giant, the white dunce couldn't maneuver away fast enough. Yukito decided to take a quick picture of their expressions as they realized solid organic waste was on a collision course with a manual rotational atmosphere circulation apparatus while the former enough force to make the big bang seem like a the sudden popping of an inflatable rubber orb at a gathering for prepubescent homo sapiens.
Needless to say, he decided that he was posting that particular picture was going online as an explosion rocked the arena ever so slightly
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"ICHIKA!" Houki shouted as the explosion shook the control room, though that wouldn't be surprising since they were comparatively nearer to the explosion that everyone else. The slight tremor was enough to break the supposed adults in the room to cease their little battle of their own and stared at the screen as black as the giant that caused the destruction. They looked at it curiously for a moment before several different expressions floated up onto their faces.
Chifuyu let out an irritated snort, though one would have to be blind not to see the relief that practically covered her face. "The machine managed to have him from that, idiot." She said in an irked tone, while Mayumi looked at her with an emotionless expression.
As for the reason it was emotionless, it was because so many expressions were threatening to make themselves manifest that none of them could overpower the other. Happiness at the fact her brother was enjoying himself was beaten down by disappointment that the other two were still standing. Disbelief that Chifuyu could be so heartless was covered up by laughter that Maya's mouth could open so widely, seriously you could fit a puppy in there.
As if on cue, the smoke seemed to clear like a large curtain being pulled, showing off something magnificent. It was snowy white, sharp contrast to the dark that previously surrounded, slowly glistening more and more intensely as the fog rolled away.
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"Formatting and optimization complete "A voice stated mechanical in the depths of Ichika's consciousness. Actually, He couldn't really tell, his eyes had been closed ever since he saw the rockets intended for Yukito flying towards him with a vengeance.
"Please confirm to start the transformation process. Come on, hurry up!" It said again, though this time, the voice sounded a bit more feminine than the last time. Brushing that thought aside, Ichika stared down the button conveniently labeled "confirm" and pressed it.
That was just the beginning of everything. Suddenly vast amounts of information flowed into him, giving him the feeling not unlike the entire ocean being thrust down his throat. The sheer volume was simply staggering, though he understood it like it was simple math or a matter of breathing easily sifting through the atmosphere of data until only a sphere of light remained in his mind's eye.
He instantly realized that the ball of light was his IS, shifting and changing to perfectly suit his person, his entirety. As the smoke faded, his IS looked different, and all the damage dome previously was instantly repaired. His senses tinged with the anticipation of a battle, this time he was absolutely ready.
"You were using the standard settings all this time?!" The shock on Cecilia's face was surprisingly pleasant for a change, a nice deviation from her arrogant or sorrowful self. "No one should have lasted that long against that without using a full-fledged suit! Tell me can this day get any more unbelievable?!"
Uh oh, tempting fate is never a good thing. Ichika though while his mind went on overdrive, his senses searching for the giant that should have been much easier to find. He's going to start shooting again, isn't he?
"You're both wide open!" A voice bellowed from the other side of the arena while two beams of yellow closed the distance instantly. Ichika shifted to the right only to get one of his new wings almost blown to pieces while Cecilia tried to climb higher only for her rifle to take the brunt of the blast."That takes care of the Brit."
Both pistols were leveled against Ichika as the rain of fire continued, though with his new found speed, it was easier for him to evade. His sensors detected every single beam headed towards him and his suit automatically blazed a path form him to follow to ensure not damage was sustained.
He corkscrewed to the side to evade three heading for his chest before taking a dive to dodge the two aiming for his wings. He zigzagged across the ground to confuse the enemy while his speed skyrocketed as he made a sheer climb to evade the ones aimed for his feet. More came in speeds he could barely anticipate though all struck empty air of the arena floor as he danced through the rain of light, evading all the projectiles sent his way.
"Sorry for letting your ammo go to waste Yukito." Another pair of rounds were evaded with a tight corkscrew forward. "But I'm afraid I can't get hit anymore." He climbed as another two made a bee line for his chest. He knew he was safe with the sun on his back, no one could see him and not get blinded, especially with the improved sensors of the IS.
"With this sword, I'll protect my family! From the day I was born, it was always my sister protecting me, even until now in the form of this sword. I refuse to remain the one behind another, always the one being defended always the one waiting for a savior. It would be such a tragedy if Chifuyu-nee couldn't show her face because of her useless little brother. So for my sister's honor with the weapon she wielded, I, Orimura Ichika, will strike you down!" He shouted with the blade overhead, poised to strike.
The sword in his hand arguably underwent the most change of one looked close enough. Before, it was a simple piece of steel fashioned into the shape of a katana. It was a simple design and made for a simple purpose, to cut through steel with the ease of cutting a piece of string. Though now the blade ad undergone a change, being made with the same method as Yukito's monstrous scythe, though made with three parts instead of five and with a fissure in the middle, possibly made with the intention of channeling energy in mind.
He was proven correct as the blade split into two in mid swing, both halves folding into each other, forming a larger cross guard while allowing the immense amount of energy to flow out in the form of a straight blade. It was a magnificent piece of workmanship, made for the successor of the first ever champion. The giant didn't have a prayer.
The giant attempted to catch the hands of the warrior holding the blade, but it was just too late. His Suit operated too much like an IS it let such a weapon that close to its pilot and deployed the shield even if the blade was still a few inches away from the armor. With the shield effectively rendered useless by the immense amount of energy his blade generated, there was absolutely no alternative that could be used to repel it save for the Absolute Barrier itself.
The Absolute Barrier was a shield that could defend against any attack with a theoretical limit of an explosion several times as powerful as the world's entire nuclear arsenal during its peak. Despite its indomitable strength, deploying it would drain all energy from the suit, and not just the energy devoted to the shields; the energy routed to the thrusters, life support systems, main computer and weaponry is effectively sacrificed to protect the user for about ten seconds. After that, the pilot is a sitting duck.
"Two combatants have been eliminated" The speaker declared just after a beam of yellow struck Cecilia right in the chest. Right before the blade made the slightest contact on the black armor, five shots were fired in quick succession, each was sent and detonated the four missiles Cecilia launched to kill the two birds before her. The entire arena waited for about an eternity before the speaker continued the announcement.
"Winner," the entire arena was silent as the pilots patiently waited for the declaration. The intelligent ones bet on Ichika winning since he was the only one not struck, while other bet on Yukito, who had battled the two since the true form of his suit was revealed. "Cecilia Alcott."
"Huh?" Three voices questioned simultaneously, Ichika form beside Yukito, Cecilia from the highest point of the arena, and Houki from inside the control room. Maya was still reeling from the dramatic pair of speeches Ichika deliver about honor and family while Mayumi simply smiled knowingly as her brother stood straight, defeated but still graceful in his loss. Chifuyu stared straight at Ichika with a look that held nothing but utter contempt, though only Mayumi could see that gentleness and relief in her gaze.
And with that, the three way battle between the Blue Tears, the Byakushiki, and the Hakko no Hahen ended with the Blue Tears standing above all.
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"You managed to create the perfect hero versus villain confrontation with corresponding colors and the girl watching on the sidelines, the entire audience was on your side as you fought, you even made Yamada-sensei cry, twice, and this is what you gave them?!" Chifuyu decided to shoot the elephant in the room as soon as the pair of boys entered Ichika being the target of the first salvo with Yukito's share quick to follow.
"And then there's you, you practically broke a Representative Contender with nothing but words! They are trained to resist any type of psychological and physical torture instead of revealing the technological advances of there is to the enemy in case of war, and you broke one by talking! You're both such…TREMENDOUS…IDIOTS!" A pair of blows struck them as the teacher sighed deeply.
It was very obvious to Ichika that her sister was angry, no obvious to everyone she was fuming so he along with everyone else in the room decided to keep silent. Well I definitely deserve this, I did boast cannonade style only to be caught in a mutual defeat by Yukito. Ichika admitted to himself. Though why did he turn evil as soon as he wore the suit? I'll better talk to him.
"Anyway, the reason you lost, Orimura, was because of the attack he used while the reason you lost, Sumeragi, was because you decided to play with your food before eating it. Bottom-line, you both need to work harder now that you have no excuse not to train. Understood?" His elder sister asked sternly, snapping him from his stupor.
"Yes, ma'am!" They both said while Maya approached them, armed with two encyclopedias.
"Your suits are in standby mode for now, but you could call it at any time and it will deploy immediately. There are some rules to follow though so please study this book closely, okay Orimura-san?" As Ichika received the book, she turned to Yukito with an identical one.
"Sumeragi-san, your sister filled us in on your suit during the battle and since it is still classified as an IS, you'll be needing this too. Please observe all of the rules so you don't get into trouble. It's bad enough you acquired an IS through unknown means, if you break one of these rules, you'll probably be classified as an international criminal." He had no choice but to nod meekly before taking the book off her hands, quickly flipping the pages to gauge its thickness.
"Well at least I have something to do now that Onee-sama finished my IS. Okay rules and regulations, show me what you got." Yukito said out loud.
"That's all, all of you head back to your rooms and get some rest." Chifuyu said before leaving with Maya in tow. But before she left, she turned and face Yukito with a sincere smile, shocking everyone in the room.
"Sumeragi-san, tell you sister she owes me a hundred yen. We had a bet if you would think out loud after the fight. Try to keep your mouth shut for once, Snow rabbit." Yukito was pretty much as red as a tomato after that one, Ichika personally having to use all his will power to stop himself from laughing.
"Shut up, Ichika, it's not that funny." He said more like a whimper than a complaint while Ichika laughed at the cowed boy.
"Okay, okay, sorry about that." Ichika said as more of a formality while trying to keep as much of his laughter in. Oh, who was he kidding, it had been too long since his sister ever picked on a little kid, he would cherish this moment forever.
It took a few more minutes filled with his laughter and the other's whimpering before he got back on track. "Okay, back the main issue here; how did you pilot the thing so well and why did you say those things to her?"
All seriousness returned to the other boy's countenance while his voice regained its deadly cold and uncaring tone, the voice he used during the entire battle. "To answer the first question completely, I think you should know more about my sister. But that's a story for another time. Let's just say it was a bit more difficult than it looked and you really would have floored me during the first five minutes if Cecilia wasn't there." He said with a small but hollow chuckle that sounded haunting to their ears.
"As for the second question, I'll return fire for now. Why do you care, are you her knight in shining armor now?"
The question did nothing to change his serious expression, though it did make him flinch ever so slightly he doubted either of the two in front of him noticed. Why do I care? It was her fault this battle took place in the first place, so why am I defending her? He shook his head and locked eyes with the pilot of the black giant.
"No, I'm not, but even if she is the reason this entire fiasco started, I don't find pleasure in seeing girls being pushed around. I want to prove to the world that chivalry isn't dead, that the IS should protect. The white knight reminded us that, so I say we don't spit on such an important memory." He said with conviction, imagining what would have happened if his counterpart insulted his sister.
"I'll apologize to her after the expected outcome is achieved." He raised his hand to stop Ichika from talking before continuing himself. "Before you ask what that is, just let me explain myself. I decided to grind her pride on the asphalt or in that case the sands since I knew, no matter what would happen, you would help a girl in trouble as long as you see she's not in the wrong. As long as she's not the oppressor, you would rush to her aid, it's a simple observation. Using that, I managed to turn you against me, while taking you both on, assuming the role of the villain."
An evil smile twisted Yukito lips as he continued, making both himself and Houki take a step back. "Most of the fight, it was just you and me clashing, so I made sure to glorify you as much as possible so whenever she entered the fray, I would make sure to show her just how hard it is to pressure me..."
"So you would take it easy on Ichika but use the best of your ability while battling with Alcott-san. It would make Ichika look better that he really is, even if you take more shots from her, it would look like you were prioritizing him more." Houki cut in using the analytical skills she barely voices.
"Though what good would it do if an experienced pilot sees a novice protecting her from an enemy even she can't defeat?" He shot her a small smile before she finally realized what had happened.
"Oh, it's a girl seeing a man protecting her, isn't it? He's supposed to be a hero who saved her from defeat and sacrificed himself to do it, that was what that last shot was for. If she happens to be an honorable warrior, then couldn't live with herself, so she would give up the prize and give it to the one she deems more worthy. This was all just a ploy to get Ichika to be the Class Representative?!" She screamed angrily as Yukito just smiled at her reaction.
"Full marks Houki-chan!" he exclaimed happily as he gave her a round of applause, as if congratulating a student for a job well done. "Yes, I just wanted to get out of this myself, but I needed a way so I wouldn't look to bad. So I thought 'why not make Ichika lose too but make sure he ends up with the position?' it was brilliant, if I say so myself." He said as he started to walk away with the same jolly expression his sister had before she left.
"Ichika, don't do anything stupid while I'm away, like asking her some stupid question. Houki, take care of my boy for me would you?!" He said as he raised his hand and took his leave.
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Today's match... Cecilia pondered while droplets of water cascaded down her body, lost in thought. What happened to me? How did he catch me in a bind, I should have been the best one out there, but I was tossed aside like a play thing.
She scolded herself while recalling what had happened just a few hours ago. She was basically rendered useless when the pistols out fired her sniper rifle. No it wasn't just that, they possessed a greater rate of fire, but due to their size, it was about three fourths the power of her own weapon, just enough to destabilize both beams. Her problem was she was forced to deflect them instead of the other way around, though it was a task she could do easily at first, it got tricky as soon as he added a second pistol.
I went in there to win, I did my very best against him, though it was probably too late when I went all out. She admitted to herself as a soft sigh escaped her lips. If only I took him out early in the game, then this would have been much easier to win. But still, if another shot was fired, I would have lost.
She was reminded of an image she would never forget as long as she lived. Though the course of the match, her shields have been declining at a steady rate, thanks to the giant pistols and the pointblank explosion of her own missiles, but the last shot was the most shocking.
Each shot should have done 20 damage each and after the bulk of the 40 minute match and the explosion, she was down to about 19 shield points left. What shocked her the most was what happened after that shot landed.
It's like he's reminding me that I won because he let me, really to win with a single shield point remaining, it's inconceivable! She continued to berate herself before her mind took a different turn. She started to think about the other combatant, the won who stood by her despite her slight against him.
"Cecilia-chan!" A voice shook her out of trance as she took her towel and quickly improved her state of dress. "Sorry to do this but I need a bit of help, my roommate suddenly fainted , I don't know why!" The voice belonged to Takatsuki Shizune, one of her closest classmates, and one of the only people she felt safe with, other than her childhood friend of course.
Dressed in only her night gown, it was the only piece of clothing she could don fast enough, she quickly made her way to the door and turned the knob. She could not predict what was waiting for her on the other side of the door. As soon as the door opened, she was greeted by the sight of familiar the cerulean hair and even darker navy blue eyes that belonged her friend but what she didn't expect was a figure obscured by long white hair, slumped up against the wall.
No one in the academy could have mistaken the figure for anyone else, especially since his IS took the form of a finger less glove on his left hand. Without a doubt, her friend brought her an unconscious Sumeragi Yukito, the pilot of the black armor she fought and almost lost to just a few hours ago.
Several things raced through her mind as she saw him, explosive outrage, burning contempt, begrudging respect, and obvious confusion as to why there were there in the first place. It was obvious what she would have to inquire about first, and she quickly put her thoughts into words. "Uh, Takatsuki-chan, when did Sumeragi-san become your roommate?"
"Yeah, about that, I did tell you that my roommate wasn't in class the day you asked, and true enough Yukito was absent. I thought you figured it out on your own, sorry about that, and I told you to call me Shizune." She said while scratching her head and with a nervous laugh, before returning to her usually serious but reliable self.
"Back to the more pressing matter, the boy fainted as soon as he entered the room. I though he just tripped and honestly laughed a bit, but after a full minute of staying down, thought it would be best to take him to someone who knows a little more these things. it seemed IS related since all his vitals are stable as far as I can see, and since he just came out of a battle, so I decided to take him to you."
"Fine." She snorted as she looked at his fallen form. Even if he was knocked out cold, she still felt a twang of resentment towards him, especially after his little speech against her. "Bring him in the room and lay him on the bed, well figure out what to do with him after or if her wakes up."
It took a while, but they finally got him into the room without much fuss, though it was something neither girls wanted a repeat of. they carried him like one would carry a plank of wood, though they couldn't avoid bumping into a few things along the way, including but not limited to, the door, the door frame, the wall after Cecilia accidentally slipped, the list goes on and on. Though they were met with another surprise as soon as he hit the bed.
"Please stop using my head as a battering ram," A soft voice made both girls jump as they sat of the bed to rest, Shizune umping to her feet and taking a solid stance while Cecilia aimed all four of her drones at the source of the voice.
"Oh my, I'm not in my room anymore am I?" Yukito asked no one in particular, his eyes still glued shut for unknown reasons."Shizune-chan, I thought I left you a note saying to leave me alone if I faint for no reason, did you read it? Never mind, though this wouldn't be the ideal place to stay for the next few hours."
"Wait, what exactly is happening here?" Cecilia screamed as all the barrels of the drones began to glow an ominous shade of blue.
"Oh, Alcott-san, we must be in your room then." He said with a small sigh. "I believe I owe you an apology for what transpired in the arena, I don't know what came over me but that does not excuse my behavior or my insulting of the memories of your parents. I'm sorry if I reopened any wounds there...passing must have left you with. If you wish to pull the trigger, I have no reason to stop you." He ended as the room held deathly silence.
Shizune looked at her, as if to ask her if she really intended to kill him, while Cecilia herself was lost in thought. He's ready to die? So will I do it? She was caught in a state of inner turmoil that far eclipsed her previous breakdown. On one hand, he insulted her very being, her family, her heritage, her existence without remorse while he fought Ichika, thoroughly breaking her.
But on the other hand, he fought Ichika and Ichika alone before she began to fight too, he didn't strike an unarmed enemy while protecting the almost laughably pathetic Ichika during the early part of the match. "No, you didn't strike me down when I was helpless, I won't do the same to you. But you insulted not just me but my family, and their memory during the match, a sin not easily forgiven or forgotten."
"I understand how you feel and I apologize again, though while I'm stuck here, I think it is best I explain why I'm in this state in the first place. As you may have figured out, my suit isn't exactly an IS. though I'm not at liberty to explain it's true nature, it's obvious that it reacts at exactly the speed the pilot would react to, as if it was their own body while an IS would require a few minutes of formatting and optimization to achieve such performance. My suit has a similar feature, though the changes are only applied after the battle, requiring a pilot to experience much mental stress while the progresses battle and only improve itself in time for the next one." He said as he took as his breathing deepened while tremors rocked his arms slightly.
"In simpler terms, I fought you both off with the equivalent of one ton weights on my entire body while you both were practically weightless. I'm just suffering from the after effects of moving too quickly, that's why I said an Uchigane could easily beat me." A tired sigh escaped him as Shizune edged closer to him, worried that he would lose consciousness at any time.
It was very surprising to see the man she knew to be the better in such a state, paralyzed and helpless, especially since she didn't expect him to apologize. Throughout their several meetings, he always carried himself with a subtle air of regality, and to see such a figure sent low was a strange experience indeed. Though the more she thought about it, he was justified.
Really, she was conceited in speech, easy to anger at the slightest insult and showed no reason why anyone should have given her any form of respect.
Her title? She knew was defeated by two absolute novices, one even taking handicap without her knowledge.
Her wealth? Everyone here was basically equal in terms of social status as entering the IS Academy would surely bring publicity followed by several offers for jobs, money and the like.
No, I'm the best here, I was the valedictorian in both exams and thus deserve some bragging rights, and I just have to be a bit more tactful when using them. But he's still right, I needed an attitude adjustment, it was such a shame to be this severe. Maybe he should be... She was lost in thought before Yukito managed to grate a few more words out.
"Let me stop you right there, Alcott-san." She turned to see his grey eyes with the strength of a storm behind them. Despite his weakness, his gaze was as heavy as ever, only bested by Orimura-sensei in magnitude. His gaze was strong, no one could contest that, but they also held a bit of gentleness that forced a name from the depths of her memories. Arthur?
Yukito didn't seem to notice her flinch as he continued. "The other boy deserves the title more than I do. I'm just a fleeting image, an evanescent mirage, but the other boy is a solid pillar. No doubt I'll make a good champion in battle, but he will be a better leader and a fine representative all in all." Another name entered her mind as Yukito smiled gently.
Orimura Ichika. She thought of his name.
Unbelievably, she felt a warmth swell in her chest, a strange feeling of contentment in her being. Her heart was pounding, unbridled, as if trying to release something she kept to herself for so long. Unconsciously, she reached up and gently stroked her lips.
The pretty, moist lips that she was so proud of quivered with excitement, desiring to be touched by something like it: a feeling warm and sweet, saddening yet delighting, longing and contentment, desire and rapture.
What is this feeling? Her chest was flooded with a sense...wanting. I want to know. She wants to know what's behind this feeling, no she needed to know, to understand its true identity.
I want to know. I want to know – about Ichika.
Warning, may contain a few spoilers for those who don't know the light novel
AN
And that's the fourth(end of the second) chapter done.
Before everything else, I apologize for the, what a friend of mine calls, Technology Porn. (If you don't know either, don't ask)
Anyway, what did you guys think? I revealed Houki's more intelligent side, what, this isn't Lion King where one sibling is just smart and the other sibling is just strong, and made Cecilia a bit more human by giving her a friend and made her less of an ass
Also, after having some of my writer friends (not necessarily on the site) advice, I decided to explain some of Yukito's limiters early. One of them being the paralysis he experienced twice in the story after using his newly dubbed "Godspeed". Think of it as Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū except the effect of the body degenerating comes after a few hours instead of years. He then needs a combination of an adrenaline shot, new cells to replace the old ones(Stem cells) and someone to inject him with it, so just imagine what happened to him after he used it in the first chapter. To clarify, the first paralysis was because of our beloved Miss "Perfect/Tease" while the absence was because of the fight with Houki.
His giant suit, believe it or not, is also a limiter, making moving it much harder and slower and forcing him to risk hours of paralysis whenever trying to use it normally, since if he slows down, he'll be a sitting duck. Even after the pain from the metal stress subsides, he would still need to use his speed to quicken his strikes. Oh and you'll actually see and Uchigane curb stomp so just be patient.
Please review, and PM me if you guys have any more questions,
See ya