It was tiring...
"Ugh. Can't a guy have some break for a while?" A boy with black hair and brown eyes groaned as he walked like a living dead.
Not that Ichika Orimura has any right to complain. After the last fiasco, the 'World Purge' incident happened...
He couldn't see his friends on the eyes anymore, while they couldn't see him in the same way. Probably mad and set him as the one to blame for.
That sounded unfair to him as of lately.
I mean, seriously? How could they just delude themselves and used him as some sort of cheap, dirty model for wet dreams?! The 1st Male IS Pilot threw his hands up in the air.
Fortunately, his first childhood friend seemed to have a decent view on him. He couldn't help but to worry being dragged as a sparring partner every day but that meant Houki respected his standing and boundary. She must have treated me as a fellow Warrior...
And he couldn't deny he was honored. What kind of man wouldn't be happy to be called as a Warrior by the winner of international kendo championship? Houki was technically the strongest in swordsmanship around her peers.
"Still... why are the others having delusions of me like that...?" The ultimate dense boy on earth wondered, then scratched his hurting head. "Hmh... it's true that I intruded into their personal space."
To anyone that knew him, they would have sighed at how Ichika started to go on the thought of apologizing. The boy did wonder and asked why would they do that but all they ever replied, including his older sister was something in line with 'You don't understand at all...' or 'Nothing.'
"...oh, right. Now that I think about it..." Ichika paused in the empty hallway. "It's going to be That Day again..."
He looked outside the window, at the clear blue sky.
Ten years ago... there was a global incident. A mysterious hacker attacked and shot all the nuclear missiles the world had at Japan.
In that ensuing chaos, a mysterious IS unit - later named as White Knight neutralized the missiles in an instance. With such overpowering demonstration, many nations tried to hunt it down only to lose badly. Shortly after, the Alaskan Treaty which banned IS from military usages was created and world peace was regained...
Or so Ichika thought. He remembered the incidents that happened till one year ago and to be honest? He was sure as hell that horrible things still happened in the other side of the world. He just wasn't aware of the bigger picture.
"I need to be strong." The boy clenched his fist with a determined gaze. Completely psyched up once again.
He swore to protect those he cared, so as if he'd lay down after so many defeats. Heck, he improved lately and forced a draw against Houki and Rin so his growth rate might be a late-bloomer type. Also, the special training with everyone truly helped him a lot.
"Although I still can't grasp what Houki meant ..." Ichika scratched his cheek with a wry smile.
Three days from now was the day that marked White Knight Incident, followed by Alaskan Treaty day and a grand, delightful sunday. The city was going to enter festive mood considering it'd be the First Tenth Anniversary. Plus, Ichika wanted to rest for at least three days and have fun like a normal teenage boy rather than dealing with incidents.
"Ichika...! Come back here, you...!"
Yikes! How did they find me so soon?!
Somewhere else, a certain teacher with a signature clipboard was fuming. Her long raven-black hair fluttered as she spun on her heels - and glared at a feebly smiling green haired teacher.
"Teacher Yamada..." Chifuyu Orimura started with a low growl. "Would you care to have a round of sparring session?"
The glasses lady yelped in fright. "T-thank you for the offer but I already have an appointment!"
Glaring, Chifuyu soon exhaled and rubbed the bridge of her nose. How could I be surrounded by so many fools yet remained sane until now?
"Very well then." She said, forgetting all the unconscious teasing done by her colleague at work.
Whenever the teachers started to have an evaluation session, comparisons and critiques always flew. In fact, it'd be a wrong thing for the teachers to neglect their own students' weaknesses and simply playing favorites.
It was then that Maya Yamada ran her mouth off as she pointed out how (extremely) detailed Chifuyu's critiques about her younger sibling's performance. Again.
"While that idiot certainly have improved... He's still far too easy to read." Chifuyu stated. "Likewise, none of the Representatives Candidates have the competence to earn the seat for Mondo Grosso yet. At least not with their half-baked skills."
Maya laughed sheepishly as Chifuyu grunted at the end of her assessment.
"B-But... Orimura certainly has become stronger. I mean... he forced ties with most of the RCs from his year... and he even won against Phan-"
"Teacher Yamada, do you wish for a coffee?"
Maya nearly tripped as she was shoved with a cupful of hot coffee. The steams floated and yet the acidic scent seemed... off?
The klutzy teacher stared at Chifuyu with appalled face, while the raven-haired woman was grinning sadistically with eyes that seemed to curse 'Diz coffee iz a lie!'
Unfortunately, the last straw had been drawn. It was obvious that sensitive topic was sensitive... and no idiot should say it out loud in public.
"Uh... Eh... Al, alright... Thank you for the... coffee..." Maya admitted defeat in raw sorrow as she held the warm paper cup.
Chifuyu crossed her arms and snorted in victory. Ignoring her drinking partner's agony, she turned her eyes to check the calendar. In about several days, the school would be closed down for the international holidays combined with a weekend.
This called for blissful short vacation to students of her class, and those girls might be furiously scheming in how to get closer to her younger sibling.
"Hmph. Kids these days..." Chifuyu grumbled in displeasure. She almost wondered if all they had in minds were the boy and nothing else like how to improve themselves.
At this rate, she'd be forced to teach them some more manners but she'd prefer not to spoil them. Chifuyu knew far too well that giving praises too much would lead to a bankrupt personality, and scolding too much would cause inverse growth. So what was better than having the consciousness to reflect on oneself?
As Chifuyu's mind began to wander, she heard a coughing fit. Turning around, Maya had just finished the... special blend coffee and her complexion looked purple at one simple glance.
Oh. To think she'd go through it... my image of you has been renewed, Maya.
Unfortunately, the yellow-blouse wearing woman didn't catch her appraisal. "...uh... setting aside the students... It's going to be the Tenth Anniversary... What will you do during that day, Ms. Orimura...?"
"Hm? I..." Chifuyu paused as she realized something. "...I already have a business to attend to that day."
Maya seemed not to expect this. At least, her mind didn't wander off to 'Eh? Aren't you going back home to spend time with Ichika-kun again?' this time.
Even That Annoying Rabbit showed the same face. Chifuyu felt offended but...
There was a special reason for her to go out that day. And she didn't mind nobody noticed what she did, save for one genius birdbrain.
"Now that I think about it... What is she going to do this year?"
Looking at the sky outside the windows, the old friend of the rabbit mumbled by herself.
"Tabane-sama, here's your tea and croissant." A girl with silver hair trimmed neatly said, handing a tray with snacks for her Mistre - err, Mother.
Truly,.it was uncomfortable to call her benefactor as that. She felt she had overstepped her boundary but the ball of energy with mechanical bunny ears jumped in delight.
"Waaaiiii~! Thanks so much, Kuu-chan!" Tabane Shinonono said as she jumped off her carrot pod, which she called as lab, then grabbing a croissant and chewed it on the spot.
Chloe Chronicle did not miss the oddity in her attitude. It was only slightly at best but she was certain her mother was never this sensitive.
It took 0.01 second for her rabbit ears to stand up after all. She is tense...?
"Tabane-sama." Chloe called out, only to realize the stiffness in Tabane's gaze. Even though she was unable to see, the feeling of being stared at intently was apparent for all living being. She halted and cleared her throat. "Mo...ther. What... are you working on?"
"Eheheee...! Kuu-chan, do you want to know what mommy's doing?"
Kh. It's hard to talk like this as always.
"I... do." Chloe answered, her defense crumbling as a light shade of red tinted her cheeks. After saying that, Tabane puffed her chest and straightened her back.
"Fufun...! It's a~ Secret!"
Huh?
"Even for Kuu-chan, mommy can't answer it out loud. It won't be a surprise after all." Tabane explained further, much to the Biological IS' dismay.
"...a surprise?" Chloe pondered. Her birthday had long passed so for what reason...?
"Yeppie yep! Anyway, mommy is going to resume her work or she'll be late for the surprise!" The Genius bounced as her mechanical rabbit ears perked up and down with infinite enthusiasms.
Once she finished her snacks and tea and wiping her lips with handkerchief, the woman jumped back into the carrot pod and tuned out herself from the world.
Chloe exhaled quietly, wondering what she was up to but this time, she at least understood it was related to her. At least, possibly since Tabane was at the highest zeal. It took little observation to see the quality and swiftness of her performance.
It was almost bordering inhuman, in fact. But Chloe could curse herself a thousand times over if she let that thought staying in her mind.
When she finally cleansed her impure thoughts, a beeping sound came from the carrot pod. It was... Some kind of foreign sound the blind girl ever heard. She furrowed her brows for the slightest moment-
"A-ha! Now lookie here! I've got you now, Ro-kun!" Tabane shouted like a hunter finding her most prized prey caught in trap.
In the next moment, the carrot pod closed tight, the floor beneath it split open to give path for a railway that extended toward the wall in front of it. Once the railway reached it, the wall too divided, revealing a passage where the scent of wind could be traced.
All the information, starting from the vibration traveling through the concrete, the sounds of magnets scrapping each other to create energy, the echoes of roaring rocket engine as well as the far away scent of unfiltered, raw fresh air told Chloe Chronicle only one possibility.
Th-the mass driver gateway!?
"T-Tabane-sama...?! What are you...!"
An excited, thrilled but almost agitated giggles came from the pod's external speaker.
[Kuu-chan, mommy is going to be back a little later than usual! Don't forget to lock the doors, kay?!]
And then the most wanted person in the world launched out of the secret base into the outside world. Riding a metal carrot pod, of course.
It was far... Far better to sleep rather than barely hanging on being conscious of the surrounding.
Tired. So sleepy... Cold. I wanted to rest.
Hearing something like statics in the ear, there seemed to be complication with the communication device. The link between the mind and the Core was hazy at best so...
"...I'm stuck here all alone, huh...?"
It was hard to even open one's eyes. From beneath the rubble, nothing could be seen and if there was, it was something akin to a sliver of light seen from the bottom of a well.
Ah... so far... and small.
Nobody would expect to be buried alive like this. It was only a boring day where one could rest. A special international holiday where everyone approved festivity with joyous mood - and it was ruined with full arsenal outclassing naval battleship's by multiple folds.
Freaking bitch... She just barged into the base and duked it out as if it was nothing. That cocky little minx...!
"Why the hell... am I dying like this again...?" A groan escaped, loathsome also irritated at best. "...really, this is just the best day for everyone to pull a bullshit on me huh...?"
If anything, I'd have wanted to have a full day for sleep first before all this. Ah, now I'm complaining like a third-rate goon...
"...Whatever. If it ends, then..."
As the eyelids grew heavier by moments, there was the faint sounds of cluttering.
Something moved. Something alerted him, forcing him to stay awake. With half of the consciousness buried, the small light seen above started to expand.
One after another, a stream of light poured down. The darkness that covered the entire world being erased with every flitting movement of a shadow.
I swore... I saw something like rabbit ears. What was th...
"...oh, shit... Looks like 'she' is here huh...?" With a tired wondering leaving the bloodied mouth...
"Ro-kun! There you are!"
And a bunny appeared within the tirade of light.
His vision slowly readjusting, colors flooded back under his sensory control. His worn out body was pressed by something soft, although it further worsened his broken bones plus damaged organs...
His heartbeat resonated with someone else's. Something he recognized. The familiar sound that jogged his memories even though he wished he didn't recall it. And it was so warm that he felt something breaking inside of him.
Staring at a mop of long, silky smooth purple hair, he could discern her figure. A womanly figure dressed in light blue dress with fancy frills and white ribbons. It was someone he knew, and she was hugging him with tear-stricken eyes. An expression I have never seen from her out of all people.
For once, he wondered. Is this fine? What are you crying for? I thought you'd send me to the operation table just to punish me.
But... nothing came out. There was nothing that could be said, other than a simple grunt, and...
"...Taba...ne... It... hurts..." Shinkurou Shinonono complained.