Gender Dislocation
Chapter 9 - Negotiation, IS Academy
Hi guys:)
IT'S SO LONG!
Even with three chapters out, this section on IS Academy is still far from FINISHED!
I think I might need one or two chapters more before this part will be done.
After that I'll work on the reunion.
Before we start I want to answer some questions.
Dear VV, Ichika's face has not healed yet because of the extreme blood loss he suffered after getting blasted. The thing is, Madoka and Ichika are stranded in the ocean for about 3 hours before Tabane found them on one of her secret Islands. With the healing capabilities of his own IS, it is enough to heal his torso and neck injuries, but not enough to completely heal the head. As for if his head will fully heal... I am still thinking about it.
Dear Noble1998, Ichika is better in fighting now since he is personally trained by his own grandfather, so i guess you can say he is top notch now.
Dear Alpha Liege, I intent to let Ichika recover his memories. I think... Ichika will be confused when he remembers the past because he lives like a different person after Madoka brought him back to the family... I am not too sure yet.
Without further due, let's start:)
14 years ago, Somewhere in the Pacific Ocean, Orimura island villa
Though often used for aristocratic entertainment, the island villa was also used as an extensive training ground for survival skills.
The island was big enough to house a small rocky hill close to a natural forest.
The family had to use extensive resources just to clear the beach and build the villa structure in order to suit their tastes.
It was here that those of the youngest generation would train to hone their awareness and capability to adapt, overcome and survive.
As a young mind learns quickly, so does the body.
Each Orimura child is forced to come here at the age of 14 to face the harshness of Mother Nature.
But for the Main family, a child is sent at the age of 11.
This is the reason why most from the Main family proved to be a little better than their Branch family counterparts.
Ha… ha…
A 11 year old Orimura Chifuyu was panting as she knelt leaning on her bokken.
She is currently at a standard traditional Japanese room with tatami floors.
For the past three days, she was forced to search for her own food in the nearby forest.
She was thrown into such a harsh environment without any tool or equipment.
Everything has to be made from whatever she can find.
She has to eat whatever edible things she can find.
After three solid days, she was tracked and picked up by her own family.
And now, after successfully staying alive, she was forced to undergo strict training personally under her own grandfather.
Controlling the pace of her breaths, she stared up angrily at her current opponent, protesting with her eyes regarding her aching body.
The elderly 26th Head merely stared down at her.
His face has no expression or any form of emotion.
Emotionless and indifferent, Orimura Ichirou merely ignored her current state.
Raising his own bokken, he positioned his body into the Jōdan-no-kamae kenjutsu stance.
"Again." He said.
Orimura Chifuyu woke up in cold sweat.
Looking around her, she saw herself on her bed at her familiar room in IS Academy.
She sat upright, pushing her blanket down to her waist as she brought her right hand to her face.
That was… the past…
Ever since she discovered that those in Kyoto are on the move, she had been dreaming of the past.
Though they are not nightmares, they were mostly unpleasant.
Even if she had left the family years ago, their memories still lie deep in her subconscious.
She took some time to pace her breaths, and then she looked at the time.
The time now is 2:38 am.
Getting out of her bed, she went to pour herself a cup of water.
She took her time to drink.
The water oddly tasted bitter, most probably due to the sickish feeling she is currently having.
She put the cup down, and she stared at her hands.
I personally killed seven of my own cousins so that they would stop hunting Ichika and me. Now that he is dead, they want to finish what they have started?
If they are on the move again, they are most likely going to kill her.
Chifuyu has every confidence that she can stand a chance against her own family.
She was trained to be the best of her own generation.
There is practically no one she is afraid of.
All save one.
She still feared her own grandfather.
Well, fear is technically not the right choice of word.
It ought to be more… concerned… or weary.
He was the one who taught her everything she knew, but he did not teach her everything he knew.
In terms of odds, Chifuyu is at an disadvantage.
But if there is a triumph card she has, it is her experience when it comes to the IS.
Even if her family got excess to these ISes, the amount of experiences they had together, will never be on par with hers.
No matter how strong they trained, Chifuyu will always have the initial upper hand when it comes to the IS.
All she needs to do now is to prepare herself and wait for them to strike.
She cannot risk hunting them herself, she might be walking into a prepared trap that might have been set ever since she defied her family.
By waiting for them to take the initiative, Chifuyu would force them to play in terms that are advantageous to herself.
Let them walk into her territory and she will take them out one by one.
This is her current strategy, but she must prepare more in case some things did not go as planned.
After a straight decade, there is no telling how much her cousins have improved.
15th March, IS Academy, 7:30 am, Houki POV
Morning breakfast menu is a Saba fish bento set.
Laura and Charlotte are having macaroni salad, toast and yogurt along with an additional item, steak.
"Though I am in no place to say this… but of all other dishes you two chose steak? Can your stomach handle such tough meat in the morning?" I asked.
"We are used to it. Since we have been eating like this about twice per week." Charlotte said.
"Steak in the morning? I'd rather eat Cha Siew Bao (A kind of Chinese pork bun)." Rin said.
"For me it would be fried fish with vinegar. Standard British dish~." Cecilia added.
Cecilia and Rin just came back yesterday.
Despite the fact that Europe and Japan had different time zones, Cecilia had got used to the jack lag.
She was not as tired as we thought she would be.
This is good news indeed.
This means that both Rin and Cecilia would be ready for the up coming Class representative tournaments.
Apparently, of the two who left, Cecilia faced a lot more than she could ever ask.
"EEEHH?" Charlotte cried.
"SSSSSHH! Quiet!" Cecilia said.
Just now, just now, Cecilia was telling us about what happened in Britain not too long ago.
She did not fight there personally.
But she did watch the fight itself with her own two eyes.
When she mentioned another new 4th generation, it took a lot of our discipline as IS pilots to control our shock.
It appears that there are indeed other 4th generations out there.
This only means that we have to be wearier of our new adversaries.
But it would not be wise to discuss this topic further, especially in public.
Orimura Sensei already warned us of the consequences.
"Well, brining this topic to a close, are you guys ready for the Class Representative Tournament?" Charlotte said.
"Are you asking that so that you can say you are ahead of me? Well forget it, I am going to beat you later!" Rin declared.
"Well, I got my injuries so that's a no for me." Cecilia declared.
Guess she still has not recovered from what happened in Italy.
About half of her bandages were removed, but her right arm is still on cast.
She needs about another week for the injury to fully heal.
This means that she can't participate for the up coming tournament.
"According to the Instructor, those who are not involved in the Class Representative tournament are free for the rest of the day." Laura added.
"I'm going out to the nearby city. What about you Cecilia?" I asked.
"Hmm… well I need to call Chelsea. I need to check how my family business is doing…"
Same time, Near IS Academy
"Guess the only way into IS Academy publically is the monorail." Orimura Seishi said.
"But the monorail's security has been improved since Phantom Task bombed over half of its structure last year." Says Orimura Izumi.
The two cousins are currently leaning on the railing while standing at a smooth stone platform.
They are at the edge of the urban city overlooking IS Academy.
Both are using binoculars to re-observe the academy's structure.
"Like what Ichika said, all the 13 plans match when it comes to the outside." Seishi said.
"But it's the inside that we are going to have problems with." Izumi added.
"Sigh… this is just getting tougher and tougher."
"Nonsense. You are just saying that out of boredom."
"Say, what would happen if one of those wires got cut?"
"Well Duh. The monorail will slant; it will end up relying on one strand. Any more weight and it will drop into the ocean."
"Sheesh, you think of an answer too quickly."
"Of course I have to. If not, how can I get out of tight spots?"
"So this is where you two are." Another voice said.
"Huh? Oh Kyuuji-san." Izumi said.
"What's up Kyuuji? Did Madoka send you here to look for us?"
"No, I just came here to inform you, we are starting the infiltration in 20 minutes. Make sure you have your visitor's pass when you board the monorail."
IS Academy, Control hanger
The control hanger of IS Academy is strongly noted for its capabilities to overlook security for all 4 of IS Academy's arenas.
Ever since the end of last year, the security installations have been continuously updated, making the overall security stronger.
Based on last year's attacks, the teachers have begun to notice that these various underground organizations usually attack during a special event where many students are participating with their ISes.
Since the usual location for such clashes are the IS arenas, the school had used a considerable amount of money to increase the capabilities of the alarm systems
They added additional security cameras, new door locks that can only be opened by fingerprint or flashing the ID card, etc.
Plus the barrier levels have increased from 4 levels to 6 levels.
On top of that, the protective ceiling of the 4 IS arenas have also been upgraded to a tougher material so that there are lesser chances of intruders escaping through the sky.
But even with all these new additions, not all are ready yet.
It takes time for some of these new installations to be complete.
The expected timing for the completion is in 3 weeks time.
But in the face of the spartan, it is too slow.
"Yamada, are the new installations for the arena gates complete?"
"Not yet Orimura Sensei, they are still at 87% completion."
"Why so slow? We got VIPs coming in today and the updates are not complete?"
"Well… the working crew had some miscommunications regarding logistic so…"
"Get the person in charge to meet me after the day is over. I want to have a word with her."
"Oh… hai."
Looks like the person in charge is so going to be in trouble.
"My my, look how security is tight."
"It was way tighter the last time I was here."
"Hello Chifuyu-san! Have you been doing well?"
Three new intruders entered the control hanger.
Looking around, Orimura Chifuyu saw familiar faces.
They are two of Japan's representative cadets and Japan's National IS Representative themselves.
The two Japan representative cadets are Seirei Keiko, a black pony tailed beauty and Sora Noriko who is a short black curly haired Bishoujo who wears spectacles.
The current National IS Representative for Japan is none other than Toro Matsumi.
She has long wavy black hair that falls down to her waist along with a long straight fringe.
As they approached, Chifuyu merely sighed.
"I was not expecting any of you to show up."
"Now now, don't be so cold Chifuyu-san." Keiko-san said.
"I see that you are still with the rookie Maya." Noriko-san followed.
"EEEHH? Everybody is here?" Yamada Sensei exclaimed.
"Not everyone, Kaguri-san is abroad. Haruka-san is still at northern Kyushu."
"We are just here with the Mitsurigi Industry VIPs to help them scout out potential students."
"What? It takes three professionals to scout out what? Five individuals? Can't those business blockheads see for themselves?" Chifuyu commented.
"Not everyone has the right eye Chifuyu-san, you know better than that." Matsumi-san said.
"Matsumi. I see that you are still in good shape. We'll have ten rounds of Kendo after dinner."
"Bring it on Brunhilde, unlike you I have been training continuously."
"Ho? Then I'll look forward to pounding you later."
"Oi oi guys, this is not the time for old rivalries. Chifuyu-san, Maya-san, don't you have work to do?" Keiko-san commented.
"Sigh… Keiko, always here to save the day. I'll let you off this time Matsumi."
"No, I am the one who is letting you off. Be prepared for later."
2:30 pm, IS Academy 4th Arena locker room
"Laura, have you seen Houki-san?" Charlotte asked.
"No, she has probably left the Academy already."
The two are currently waiting in the locker room.
Charlotte is getting ready for her own battle.
Laura simply decided to accompany her since she has nothing else to do.
Looking at the screen provided, the first match is starting.
1st round is Rin vs Kanzashi.
After that it is Charlotte's turn, followed by the 2nd and 3rd years.
On the screen, one can see Rin jeering at her opponent.
Well, her arrogant attitude is already something the usual friends have gotten used to.
"I'll give you the chance to say I surrender. You better choose wisely." Rin declared.
"…"
"Wha… oi oi Kanzashi, can't you say anything?"
Kanzashi remained silent.
"Man, you are no fun."
"…"
"Oh well, never mind, get ready to be pounded!"
3, 2, 1, start.
Rin used 'Ignition Boost' to close in their distance, and the first match for the Class Representative Tournament began.
15th March 3:05 pm, Tokyo, Sarashiki estate
"Are the two of you enjoying yourselves?"
"Exquisite, the tea is very good. What is it? Smiths Tea? Or Fortnum & Mason?" Ichika asked
"My you have such good tastes. It is Fortnum & Mason."
An Ocean blue haired beauty with gorgeous red eyes.
This is the only way Ichika can describe her.
Though she is already a mother of two, Sarashiki Tatenmiko has managed to maintain her looks such that she looked like someone from her mid twenties.
"I apologize for the wait." She said.
"My husband has yet to finish his conversations with his business acquaintances."
"No not to worry. I get to enjoy this tea and our current conversation." Ichika smiled.
The mother smiled in response.
So far the atmosphere has been quite relaxing.
"Have you two come down from Kyoto for business or pleasure?"
"Business. But if we are lucky enough, we would have time for entertainment." Ichika said.
The two Orimuras find themselves in a room within one of Tokyo's biggest estates.
Like all houses in Japan, it has two stories with four walls to confine the housing territory.
But it has a large amount of land to support its building structure.
It generally has enough space to build at most nine commoner's houses.
Living in such an estate in Tokyo would only speak of a life full of privileges and luxuries.
It is relatively small compared to the Orimura Mansion, but in Tokyo, it easily passes as a house owned by someone extremely rich.
While waiting for the husband to finish his previous appointment, it is up to the wife to host the current guests and make sure that they are comfortable.
If the guests like their environment, it adds points for a good negotiation.
"If you are Orimura Saiyoka, may I know who is the other?" She asked.
"He is Orimura Kanata. We are both part of the same family." Ichika added.
In Kanata's case, it is all right to tell others your real name.
The two are here for diplomacy, to discuss business.
Giving a false name would definitely have a negative impact in dealing business.
Not only does it poorly reflect presentation, more people would be reluctant to negotiate with such a falsifying person in future.
Sarashiki Tatenmiko began to stare at Kanata in an interested manner.
She's not sizing him up, but merely observing him out of curiosity.
"You are such a charming young man." She said.
"You're not kidding, are you?" Kanata asked.
"Oh no. With such unique curly brown hair and such intriguing round glasses, don't you have someone to date?"
"Currently no."
"Oh dear what a shame. Perhaps you want me to introduce you to my daughter? She is at the end of her 1st year at IS Academy."
"That will have to depend if your youngest daughter is looking out for someone to date." Kanata said.
Ichika strongly resisted the urge to laugh.
Though Kanata is doing a good job keeping his composure, he can tell Kanata is shocked.
Judging from how his eyes are shaking slightly, Ichika can tell that Kanata was definitely not expecting this.
"Oh my, such a mature decision. For such a young teenager, you already have qualities to be a good husband. Are you perhaps, already married to work?" she teased.
"Well… considering my education and all… to the work." Kanata said.
"And you?" she said, turning to Ichika again.
"To the work." Ichika said.
Right now, in this very room, Orimura Saiyoka and Orimura Kanata are ambassadors from the Orimura family, here to discuss business.
Now, in the eyes of the public it is impossible for any 17-year-old to be acting as business ambassadors.
But this is an exception in the high-class society, since including family members inside a family business company does proved to be extremely beneficial.
In such usual cases, the adults would encourage their children to study and learn business so that the future of the family company would already be secured in the hands of seasoned teenagers.
"Tell me then, Ambassador Saiyoka, are you one of those individuals who has a friend in every business companies you come across?" she asked.
"I am always eager to make friends. The more, the merrier." Ichika said.
This brought a change in Sarashiki Tatenmiko's face, for there is a new light in her eyes.
"Then you and I are alike."
"Are you interested in establishing a long term relationship?" Ichika asked.
"If we share common interests then why not?"
"Well, your husband might not agree." Kanata said.
"Oh he might. Don't worry. You two may be teenagers, but my husband has an eye for those who can think~."
"It sounds like you are looking for more than just business partners." Ichika commented.
"Right on the mark. +20 points."
"… Hai?"
"I just added marks for you. If you achieved enough within this short exchange, you are fit for recommendation."
"What? What do you mean?" Kanata said.
Sarashiki Tatenmiko only resumed smiling.
Ignoring his cousin, Ichika forced himself to analyze carefully.
Clearly there is something else going on.
People don't just 'add marks' like that.
It is not something formally done between adults.
Is she having fun with them?
Based on her conversational tone, she is speaking to the two like how a mother would to normal teenagers.
So currently she is not seeing the two as business ambassadors of the Orimura family.
She now sees them as normal teenagers.
But why?
What can she achieve by doing this?
What is her motive?
From the point system, Ichika can tell that she is testing them.
The prize is that the two are 'fit for recommendation'.
But to whom is this mother going to recommend the two of them?
Wait… mother…
Ichika suddenly got a brainwave.
"Sarashiki-san, surely you are not thinking of recommending us as possible dating partners for your daughters?"
"Bravo! +50 marks. You also mentioned 'daughters' even when I only mentioned my youngest, +20 marks."
It is only the first meeting and she is already offering such a bold proposal?
"How did you know I had more than one daughter?" she tested.
"I did some research before coming here. You only have two children, two daughters, both are at IS Academy. The older is the student council president and Russia's National IS Representative, Sarashiki Tatenashi, the pilot of the Russia's 3rd generation [Moscow's Deep Mist] or according to your daughter, the [Mysterious Lady]."
"Good job, +30 points, and the other?"
Now Ichika is clueless, he understands what is going on, but he still failed to grasp the cause for such an action.
But he just went along with her flow.
"The younger is Japan's representative cadet Sarashiki Kanzashi who has yet to have a personal IS. This is because of the fact that her IS developer was from Kuramochi Machinery Development. Due to the irregularity of… Orimura Ichika, the Kuramochi Machinery Development ended up focusing on Ichika's personal IS [Byakushiki]. (LN volume 7)"
"Well done, +40 marks."
Kanata gave Ichika a concerned look.
All of what Ichika mentioned earlier are information that he dug up himself, not by remembering.
And Ichika never ever wanted to talk about his past.
In facing such a situation to bring out a portion of his past, how is Ichika coping?
But Ichika showed no change in his emotion.
He still kept his analyzing expression.
It is either he is occupied in trying to read Sarashiki Tatenmiko's mind, or he is successful in retaining his composure.
After reading Ichika, Kanata believed it to the former.
"Sarashiki-san." Ichika said.
"Yes?"
"Based on… how this conversation is turning, I find myself the more believing that you rarely come across youths like us."
Based on what Sarashiki Tatenmiko has been saying, it really does appear that it is rare for her to see ambassadors at such a young age.
Sarashiki Tatenmiko's smile widened in satisfaction.
Her eyes began to gleam more.
"Good! Good! Kanata-kun, why are you so quiet? Your brother is doing a much better job than you are."
"Umm, he is not my brother." Kanata said while smiling.
"Eh? Not brothers? Then cousins?"
"Hai."
"Then… who is from the main family?" she asked.
Kanata pointed at Ichika.
"Ara! I see that you have been trained very well! +30 points" she added.
She just added points for nothing, just what is with this lady?
"Did you hear all of that? Anata (My darling)? This one is very good!" she said loudly at another direction.
"Good only in your terms Okaa-san."
The one who replied is standing near the opened door.
He has short trimmed black hair but with some hints of grey, wearing a simple light blue shirt.
For a man in his mid ages he has a strong physical build.
The muscle linings seen across his arm and torso clearly distinguishes the fact that he has worked and maintained his physique.
He has a stern face that seems to rarely smile.
The aging wrinkles further add to the detail that he is not the type of man to joke around with.
According to the data, he should be the 16th Head of the Sarashiki family, Sarashiki Kazenoshi.
A lively teasing wife and a strict stern husband, it is quite a unique combination.
In the past, when Ichika was studying national IS pilots, he came across the Sarashiki sisters.
This means that he already knew what the daughters looked liked prior to this visit.
If he is to say who resembles whom more, Sarashiki Tatenashi looked liked the mother, while Sarashiki Kanzashi looked like the father.
From the way Sarashiki Kazenoshi is standing, it is clearly evident that he has been at that spot for quite some time.
But since when?
When the mother was testing them?
Sarashiki Kazenoshi soon walked into the room and sat down with his wife.
"Are you finished having your fun with these youths?"
"Anata~ since when have I been having fun? I am seriously analyzing these two guests just to see if they are a perfect fit for our daughters."
Sarashiki Kazenoshi shot her a 'no, you are clearly having fun' look.
Then he began to observe the two Orimuras.
This time, unlike the wife, he is sizing them up.
He began to look at Ichika from head to toe, and for some reason Ichika felt uncomfortable.
Yup, I'm definitely right. This guy is strict.
But this level of strictness can never be compared to his own grandfather.
"I hope it is not your nature to make people wait." Ichika said.
Sarashiki Kazenoshi eyes widened slightly in response to this daring statement.
But he did not do anything else.
Sarashiki Tatenmiko merely regarded Ichika with an increasing interest.
"My previous business acquaintances love to chat, it really took my efforts to finish that meeting as fast as I can."
All right, now that the man is here, time to talk business.
Ichika knew that they had wasted enough time entertaining Sarashiki Tatenmiko.
"Let's get straight to the point. Your agent has been continuously detected within Kyoto asking around for the Orimura family." Ichika said.
He then motioned to Kanata, giving him the cue to place a captured photo at the table in front of them for the couple to see.
"Your intelligence has served you well Orimura Saiyoka." Sarashiki Kazenoshi said.
"Your agent did not approach us directly when he has all the opportunity. Instead, he continues to sneak around, sometimes secretly following some of my family members. Had your agent continue to poke into our business, our Head would have had him removed."
"It is a necessary move. I only intent to find out more about who I am dealing with prior to negotiating. I trust that you would pardon him, he is following through just like how I directed him to do so."
"You really do intent to find out about us, even at great lengths."
"Your family's profile is difficult to find. I only managed to find out a significant amount of detail after talking with several of my business acquaintances in Kyoto."
"And my family has went through great lengths to keep it that way. I hope you can respect our little demand in privacy."
"Respect indeed. Now down to proper business."
Now for the real test.
"It has come to my attention that your family possessed the ISes." The 16th Head of the Sarashiki said.
"Your source is accurate." Ichika said.
"Indeed. Obviously, such a matter would invoke direct attention from the government."
"But such an action has yet to be imposed. I can already figure that you are in some ways behind it."
Now Sarashiki Kazenoshi begin to regard Ichika in new light.
"You got the flow of this conversation. Perhaps you might guess what I have in mind?"
"You want the ISes, or at least, our co-operation in a family alliance since we are both fighting Phantom Task, who threatens Japan, or at least, what we have."
"Yes, since we are fighting a common enemy, it would be wise to combine our resources so that we can be more efficient against our common adversaries."
Now time to add a bit of salt.
"But there are some within my family who are reluctant for this alliance." Ichika said.
"Why?"
"Some believe that the need for such an alliance is not that urgently required."
"Your family sure must have quite the amount of confidence to say such a thing."
"I am merely stating some opinions, what I just mention is just a faction. It does not represent what most of my family are thinking."
"And what does the majority thinks?"
Ichika feigned understanding.
"Well, most of then thought that working together does bring mutual benefit for the both of our families."
"What else?"
"Traditionally, we have stood alone. But since Phantom Task is an enemy we cannot ignore, a family alliance might be needed."
"You said 'might'. It is not convincing."
"What is not convincing? I am merely stating the opinion made by the majority in my family. You said 'it is not convincing' because it does not appear that we will form a likely alliance, which is something you expect, not us."
Sarashiki Tatenmiko laughed.
"He got you this time Anata~. You did ask him to guess what you had in mind."
"So I ought to ask him about what his side thinks, is that what you are telling me Okaa-san?" he said it in a way that tells Ichika that he understood the joke.
"No, it's just a careless error that Saiyoka here exploited. The more I hear this conversation the more I like how you think Saiyoka-kun."
"Thank you for your compliment."
So above that entire strict aura, there is some element of tolerance for Sarashiki Kazenoshi.
It probably had something to do with facing such a lively wife everyday.
This is something Ichika believed he might want to take note of.
"So Saiyoka-kun." Sarashiki Tatenmiko said.
"What do you believe would make it in such a way that this alliance would prove to be beneficial for your family?"
"The main issue I believe is how the IS can be negotiated."
"You mean the ones your family possess. How did you even come across them?"
Ichika then puts up a façade of a close associate willing to tell anyone anything.
"Well, we came across some in the black market and through underground missions." He lied.
"Oh? How so?"
"Well, considering how Phantom Task managed to steal some ISes, what my family's intelligence department theorized is that there are other organizations who have the same capability to steal an IS core. As we all know, countries who lost their IS's or their IS cores refused to announce their losses, as it would put them on a disadvantageous position to rival countries. Since no one knows how these countries lost these additional numbers of IS cores, these other underground organizations have the luxurious option to sell these stolen IS cores at ridiculous prices."
"But surely we would be aware of this since we also have underground connections." Sarashiki Tatenmiko pointed out.
"Perhaps you would wish to expand on your contacts. Our family has at least 25 generations to build up on our various contacts. I suppose we knew some contacts you don't."
"That might be a reasonable explanation, but you mentioned that you also came across these IS cores from underground mission?"
"Yes, they are… what we call 'mission bonuses'. We merely came across them by chance alone, the numbers are extremely few compared to what we got from our contacts."
"Why your family must have been very lucky."
"But surely, the Sarashiki family must have gotten at least some IS cores by chance too right?"
"Ara, good thinking. +20 points."
"Enough with the points Okaa-san, I think you are already satisfied with this youth." The father interjected.
"But you aren't right? I think you said that someone need at least 1000 points in order to match up to your standards. Saiyoka-kun currently has 210 points so I'm merely stating to remind you."
"What? I never mention a thing like that before. Besides, isn't this a matter we disclose in privacy?"
Ichika strongly prayed that his own parents are not like that.
These two in front of him are still treating him like a kid.
Ichika is already the 28th Head, his super strict grandfather has been treating him like an adult ever since.
But Ichika strongly urged himself to calm down.
He is now a 17-year-old Saiyoka.
It is natural for people to still see him not as an adult.
Maintaining a façade to this extent is much tougher than what he can ever imagine.
Indirectly, he ended up clenching his left hand, and it is something the mother did not fail to notice.
"Ah you see anata? Saiyoka-kun here is getting a little nervous."
"That is your fault. We are here to talk business."
It looks like this is going to be an extensive meeting, one that Ichika hope that he has enough stamina to see through.
IS Academy, 4th arena
Rin charged head on with her 'Souten Gagetsu' drawn.
In response, Kanzashi merely used reverse 'Ignition Boost' firing her missiles towards her opponent.
Rin avoided the missiles and sliced off some of them.
The explosions near her had little effect on her shield energy.
"Oi what's wrong Sarashiki? Those black ISes we came across in Italy can do way better than this."
But Kanzashi merely continued to fall back, using her missiles to slow Rin down.
"Just relying on missiles won't save your ass!"
Rin immediately switched to her 'Ryuhou' and fired them at the incoming missiles.
All are accurate hits, but the explosion in front of her caused black smoke to cover her vision.
"Tch! Using smoke as a form of cover eh?"
Then Rin got hit from her left.
"From there!"
She continued to fire her 'Ryuhou' at that particular direction.
As she heard nothing from the other side, Rin soon realized that Kanzashi is no longer there.
"Tch!"
Rin then soared up towards the blue sky, Kaznashi's newly fired missiles missed her by inches.
From a high altitude, Rin can see her opponent.
The smoke from the exploded missiles also began to clear, helping Rin to analyze her situation.
Once she saw her opponent, Rin fused the hilts of her 'Souten Gagetsu' and charged firing 'Ryuhou' and the same time.
Kanzashi then proceed to move away in Zig-Zag directions, decreasing Rin's accuracy.
Rin smiled.
Her opponent is facing the floor with her head looking ahead of her.
This means she has a handicap when it comes to being aware of her surroundings up in the air.
All Rin needs to do is to simply charge in and hit her hard from the top.
The impact would send the two of them crashing into the ground, but as long as Kanzashi is below her, Rin would have nothing to fear.
Rin then applied double 'Ignition Boost', closing their distance.
But at the last minute before Rin can reach her, Kanzashi twisted her body upwards so that she got a good view of Rin.
Just when Rin was about to use 'Souten Gagetsu', Kanzashi fired some missiles.
They were not fired directly straight at Rin, but they are fired from the sides.
Soon the missiles turned and proceed to flank Rin from her right and left.
"Tch! She must have avoided shooting straight so that her shield energy wouldn't go down. Now that she fired her missile at her sides, I am the one who is getting flanked."
The only way out is to fly upwards.
But if she does so, Rin would miss this chance.
If Rin charged straight on, she may hit Kanzashi, but her missiles will hit her from the back.
Well, considering that Kanzashi is going to be the one crashing into the ground, Rin merely soared head on.
She slammed her blade into Kanzashi's torso without any attempts to recover.
The two then went crashing down on the arena floor.
But in a last attempt to escape damage, Rin flipped her 'Ryuhou' at 180 degrees such that the beam barrier would face the up coming missiles from behind.
Rin then fired 'Ryuhou' and the area behind her back exploded.
The impact of the explosion further sent the two crashing ahead, creating a deep line in the arena floor.
But throughout the course Rin lost her sense of balance.
She let go of her grip on Kanzashi.
This resulted in the two of them flying to different parts of the arena.
Since the two lost their sense of balance they ended up crashing into opposite ends of the arena walls.
"Oof…"
Overall estimation – Shield energy remaining 307
Damn it!
Rin immediately got up only to see Kanzashi struggling to get her balance right.
Giving no chance, Rin got her weapon ready and charged at her opponent.
4th Arena locker room
"Not bad Rin, even I never see that move coming." Laura said.
"What? You mean when she flipped her 'Ryuhou'?" Charlotte said.
"Yes, that was smart. Perhaps I can do the same with my railgun?"
"It's possible, but you need speed and accuracy."
"Good comment. Perhaps you can use Kanzashi's move with your 'Rapid Switch'."
"You mean when she twisted her body? Maybe I can. But I'm worried about doing it while flying. That has got to be something difficult."
"Well, Charlotte, you manage to spin in mid air utilizing 'Rapid Switch' continuously while falling. That is good enough. (LN volume 7)"
"But I am using gravity to my advantage. Kanzashi has to use that move while flying straight. Even with the PIC effects on, twisting your body while moving straight is not an easy task."
"So timing is not an issue. You are just worried about the idea of twisting your body while going straight is that right?"
"Yes precisely, now supposedly – "
BOOM!
The whole place shook.
"What the…"
Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!
"SECURITY ALERT?"
"WHAT'S GOING ON?"
"ARE WE BEING ATTACKED?"
"OI! THE DOOR'S NOT OPENEING!"
"EEEHHH?! HOW CAN WE GET OUT?"
Various cries can be heard through out the place.
Though Laura and Charlotte are in the locker room, the door to the corridor is left open.
Suspecting that this is now another crazy thing that is about to happen, the two left the locker room.
"Ah! Charlotte-san! The door won't open!" Tanimoto-san said.
"Step aside!" Laura barked.
The girls at the door immediately make space.
Laura activated her IS partially, summoning her huge shoulder railgun.
"L-Laura! We can't use that much power here!"
Charlotte tried to warn her but –
BANG!
Laura fired at the door.
The metal obstacle soon blasted into the other side of the corridor.
Looking around, no one got hurt.
"L-Laura! What were you thinking?"
"I hit the door with minimum impact. Just enough to get us out."
"Oh… right."
"What do we do now?" Someone said.
"It's probably not safe out there." Someone else said.
"Laura, we need to help them." Charlotte said.
"Tch! Sheesh fine. Civilians…"
Back at 4th arena
The explosion shook the entire arena.
In a split second, the students and the VIPs began to run for cover.
That explosion alone, was more than enough to stop Rin from advancing towards Kanzashi.
"What the hell? It's a total repeat of what happened last year!" Rin shouted.
In looking for the cause, Rin saw five ISes at the protective ceiling.
They are nothing like she has never seen before.
They are fully armored like the black ISes she has seen in Italy.
The colors of the IS orientates around white, with blue and red linings.
The pilots have helmets that covered their upper face, preventing Rin from identifying the pilots.
Out of experience and instinct, Rin summoned a holographic screen to zoom into the left forearm plate of the ISes.
Shinonono Tabane – 3rd generation
"Oh hell! Not these guys again?!"
The five ISes appear to have trouble blasting their way into the arena.
Some used their beam rifles to shoot at the barrier, but the protective ceiling won't budge.
Others then used mechanic force by smashing their forearm into the tough metal.
From the looks of it, they already attempted to blast their way through at the first strike as a means of surprise to add to their advantage.
But clearly, they failed.
The material for the protective ceiling had been reinforced.
It is a lot harder compared to last year.
Now that they have failed, these male IS pilots lost their element of surprise.
To make matters worse, the two female pilots already know their current position.
They will be ready for them.
"Oi Kanzashi! How much shield energy you have left?"
"Why… would I want… to tell you?"
"Screw that! We are in a pinch now. We have to work together to get out of this whether you like it or not!"
"Fine… I'm left with 342."
So she is fairing better than me. Damn it!
The five ISes then organized themselves into a circle.
In one single motion, they pressed their right hands onto the protective ceiling.
Slowly but steadily, a glowing bright red ring began to form.
From the hazels seen around the ring Rin can tell that the air around that ring is sizzling hot.
Did they have some kind of beam weapon at their palms?
Or can they somehow manipulate heat?
Looking at Kanzashi, she merely stared with her mouth in open shock.
It is clear that she recognizes the ability of these adversaries.
"Oi Kanzashi! What do you know about those guys?"
"They have the 'Molecular Manipulator'."
"Huh? That IS ability that only Russian ISes have?"
'Molecular Manipulator', as the term suggests is a mechanical trait an IS use to manipulate the molecules within a restricted domain.
With this system, an IS can manipulate the molecular structure of anything around it.
For an example, it can create water with the presence of Oxygen and Hydrogen molecules, or it can manipulate the Kinetic energy between the aerial molecules causing temperatures to drop or rise.
It was created by the famous Dr. Yukimaru Hisaga, who was one of the few in Dr. Shinonono's former research team prior to her disappearance.
But that Doctor recently went MIA.
If not, he would still be in his patron country, the Federation of Russia.
From the looks of it, the first thought that Rin came up with is that the Russian government might be behind this.
But since the Italian government had no idea about the Italian male IS pilots, Rin trashed that possibility.
These male IS pilots must have found the ISes by chance.
There are only five of them so there should be nothing to worry about.
But Rin remembered the numbers of those black ISes she faced in Italy.
Fearing that there are more of them, she opened her scanners.
There is no one outside her radius.
This means that if there are other male IS pilots out there, they are probably somewhere else.
Rin immediately opened a public channel.
She does not care if the enemy can hear her.
"This is Huang LingYin from the 4th arena. Is there anyone?"
"… pff… pff…"
"Anyone there?"
"… pff… pff…"
Rin was about to try again, but Kanzashi stopped her.
"Cellular network… is dead."
"Damn it!" Rin slammed her fist into the ground.
"They must have placed a jamming device somewhere. We need to get out of here."
"We might need… Nee-san's help. Only she knows… how to deal with the 'Molecular Manipulator'."
"Really? Awesome! But we need to get out of here. The nearest exit should be –"
Bang!
A circular metal plate landed right in front of them.
Uh oh…
The male IS pilots soon soared into the arena.
The five began circling them like vultures.
They studied them at first, then their surroundings.
Then one of them did some hand signals, and three of the five went to another direction.
"So they think two vs two is good enough. They are making the biggest mistake in their lives!" Rin declared.
"Right…"
"Oi Sarashiki, I'll leave my back to you. Do the smoke thing that you did earlier."
"Ok…"
"If you find yourself cornered, shout and I'll come for you ok?"
"Ok…"
Readying her 'Souten Gagetsu', Rin used 'Ignition Boost' and charged towards the enemy.
IS Academy, At another location
"Ara ara… everyone is running around, it is difficult to organize."
"Tatenashi-san! Where do we send the VIPs?" A third year said.
"Send them to the dormitories. That is one place where the enemy is least interested."
Almost immediately, the VIPs are escorted to the right direction.
Now then, what can this Onee-sama do?
The arenas are all full with fights.
The 3rd years are doing their job and they have engaged the enemy.
But rarely have intruders been this organized.
Could they be from Phantom Task?
But from the com-links she has herd from the 3rd years, they reported male IS pilots.
They are most likely part of the group her own family has detected.
Tatenashi began to run.
She must see things for herself.
What on earth are they exactly facing?
According to the most recent reports, those who are at the 2nd arena are having a tough time.
Tatenashi then prioritized their safety first.
This is the time for the strongest IS piloting student to shine.
As the entrance to the 2nd arena came into view, something happened.
The entrance door, which is locked down through security measures was suddenly pushed from the inside.
Apparently, the entrance door was reinforced so the door was not knocked out of place.
The amount of force applied from the inside was not enough to knock the door out.
So the end result was a huge dent inflicted on the door.
Suddenly, a few more punches was inflicted from the inside increasing the number of dents on the door.
But the door still did not budge.
Afterwards, for a brief period of time, no one touched the door from the inside.
Then, in a split second, the door exploded.
The entrance metal door was flung towards Tatenashi.
Out of instinct, she summoned her IS.
In a split second, she was covered in armor frame.
As expected of an actual National representative, she was ready when the flying door was upon her.
Using the 'Molecular Manipulator' traits on her [Mysterious Lady], Tatenashi flashed out her 'Rusty Nail', a whip sword made of water.
In manipulating the Kinetic movements between the H2Os, Tatenashi maximized the speed of the energy movements in between the hydrogen bonds.
The extremely fast movements of the water molecules made the water highly pressurized.
This was more than enough to make the whip sword slice solid metal into two.
As the divided door went to two different sides, Tatenashi got a good look at who is in front of her.
Four ISes came out and the thing that caught her attention is how each IS is fully armored.
Fully armored in the sense that the usual vulnerable places such as the upper arm, shoulder, torso, neck and the head are treated with protective gears and additional armor plates.
This would mean that it might be tougher to penetrate their shield energy.
Three are identical.
They are mostly white with blue and red linings and they appear slightly similar to the black ones she fought in last year's Cannonball Fast.
But the leading IS is different.
It is white from its leggings all the way to its lower abdomen.
It's head, chest and arms are all light blue.
Surrounding this irregular are additional red linings that guarded its waist and shoulders.
But that is not all.
Its armor is completely different compared to the other three.
It has multiple shifts indicating that this IS can change its armor for various purposes. Only one IS has that kind of feature so far, and Tatenashi believed that this one might be an attempted copy.
Suddenly, her own IS sent out a warning vibe, bringing Tatenashi's attention to the left forearm frame of the ISes.
The three identical IS have the following logo.
Shinonono Tabane – 3rd generation
But the leading IS…
Shinonono Tabane – 4th generation
Tatenashi clicked her tongue.
Four machines made by the peerless genius herself.
On top of that, one of them is a 4th generation, like Houki-chan's.
In a split second, the three 3rd generations began to circle around Tatenashi.
Almost immediately, Tatenashi found herself in the middle of a four-point circle.
The three 3rd generations then equipped themselves with white beam blades.
In response, Tatenashi equipped herself with her 'Lance of Mysteltainn'.
She had originally wanted to keep that for later, but considering the situation she is in, she has to use it now.
But strangely, the 4th generation pilot gave the three others a hand signal.
The three 3rd generations then put away their beam swords and slowly backed away.
It looks like someone wants to dance with this Onee-sama alone.
Tatenashi got ready, when the moment he moves she will use the water to –
Oof!
In one split second, the 4th generation pilot closed their distance and kicked her square in her abdomen.
Unlike standard kicks, this was of military trained.
The force of the kick was utilized to the point that it is capable to knock someone off unconscious.
Thanks to the shield energy of the [Mysterious Lady], the force of the kick is reduced.
But this was not enough to land a significant blow to Russia's National IS Representative.
She twisted her body so that she would land on her feet.
But her opponent did not give her a chance to fully recover.
From the instance Tatenashi touched the ground, the 4th generation's pilot shot out his hand and a metallic ball materialized out of nowhere.
He threw the ball straight at her.
For some unknown reason, the ball moved in an unnatural straight line instead of an arc.
But before Tatenashi can respond, half of the ball's circumference slid into the underside of the other half, revealing multiple mini needle looking shapes.
The ball exploded, sending the needles flying towards Tatenashi.
They hit her square around her torso, shoulder and abdomen.
And while the needles are still attached, they exploded.
The area around Tatenashi filled with black smoke.
Or it should be.
Instead of misty black smoke, black drops of water exploded all around her position.
Soon, puddles of black water began to form.
"… Water clone." The 4th generation pilot said.
"Quite right!" a voice said from behind him.
Tatenashi then proceeds to kick the 4th generation pilot's back.
But her IS legging landed on thin air.
The 4th generation pilot jumped high away from her kick.
Then something unexpected happened.
The pilot jumped too high.
He then spins around in mid air until he is upside down, before falling and landing on his two feet.
Such an action can never be performed unless he experienced gymnastic lessons or the sort.
Tatenashi blinked her eyes.
There are indeed a lot of surprises today.
Firstly, that metallic ball.
To materialize it out of thin air can only mean one thing, 'Rapid switch'.
Plus that gymnastic style jump, he must be physically adequate in order to achieve that kind of jump.
This kind of opponent would usually fall under the fast dexterous types.
On top of that, he is faster than Charlotte, and probably stronger than Laura.
But the way to deal with dexterous types is to force them to move until they drop, and Tatenashi has a method to do that.
She equipped herself with the 'Heavy Rain', a lance with an internal 4-barrel gatling gun.
This weapon gives her a choice of switching between close-combat to long range attacks, it really helps to make your opponent move before he makes a proper plan.
She first responded by firing at her opponent.
As expected, the 4th generation pilot maneuvered out of the way.
But Tatenashi has no intention of letting him go as he pleases.
She used 'Ignition Boost', not to close in on her enemy, but to maintain the close distance so that she can keep making her opponent move as she pleases.
She continued to fire and her opponent responded a little differently.
He did continue to maneuver out of the way as she predicted.
But he materialized a medium sized rifle at his right hand and proceeds to fire back.
This forces Tatenashi to create some distance between them.
And it seems that her opponent intends to keep that distance.
He materialized another medium sized weapon on his left hand and continuously fired at her.
Guess he is quite intent not to let Tatenashi have her way.
It looks like Tatenashi will have to think thoroughly to get out of her current situation.
Tokyo, after the meeting
"That went a lot more better than what I expected." Kanata said.
"In what way?"
"You were a lot more composed."
"This is normal."
"Really?"
"I'm just applying what I was taught." Ichika sighed out of total relief.
In the end, an agreement is reached between the two families to stay out of each other's way.
Since the Orimura family is still not willing to share the IS cores, an alliance right now would not be of any use.
Since both families are already fighting a common enemy, it would be good to be on friendly terms, but it does not mean that they are working together.
In short, both families have reached a kind of situation that is similar to détente.
Well, even if an alliance cannot be agreed on, the Sarashiki family won't trouble the Orimura family any longer.
As long as the Sarashiki family came across the Orimura family, or groups with close relationships with the Orimura family, both sides won't interfere with each other.
In thinking about this twice, Ichika was relief that he manage to bring this engagement to the benefit of the Orimura family.
He made sure that he played the game right, just as how his grandfather had taught him.
"The secret of all politics is to play the game right." Orimura Ichirou said.
Grandfather and grandson were together taking a stroll around the mansion gardens.
"In the past our ancestors have used diplomacy and politics against each other. Daimyos of each province applied politics to rise higher than their rivals, to out smart the weakening Shogunate to become the new shogun."
It has been three weeks since Ichika was brought back, and the elderly 26th Head wasted no time teaching his favorite grandson his secrets.
"For generations, our ancestors had donned their Samurai armor and met other clan representatives in small Bakufu tents discussing politics and agreements."
"…"
"The old school diplomacies orientates around the Bushido code that all of our ancestors took to practice. Honor and loyalty are valuable traits. The more you have them, the more you will be respected."
"…"
"The masters of manipulation of the past are noted individuals like Minamoto no Yoritomo, Tokugawa Ieyasu, Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideiyoshi, etc. Now these warlords, took diplomacy and politics to the next level."
"…"
"Instead of just merely following the Bushido Code and weakening their enemies, these individuals forced themselves to consider multiple plans that expanded their clan's options."
"…"
"True, the existence of multiple plans can affect the direction your own family or clan will be following. But these warlords considered all the options and narrowed them down."
"…"
"Even if one negotiation fails, there are always other options. If the most promising plan did not work, the warlords can immediately switch to another plan. Then when the time is right, they'll go back to the original plan."
"How?"
"Think of it like an expandable network, no matter which path these warlords choose, sooner or later they will end up back on the same path that they so desire to walk."
"But isn't everything imperfect?"
"Not everything is perfect. True, these warlords had their own downfalls, but their achievements are what we must study. There is a lot we can learn from our ancestors and we can still apply them today."
"…"
"Regardless of whatever century we are in, business dealings, diplomacy and politics are still the same old game, like Shogi (Japanese chess). The only thing that differs is the kind of topic that would cause the representatives to debate. But the method is still the same."
"The method?"
"Politicians and businessmen. No matter who they are, they always donned different faces when speaking to different individuals. They create multiple facades, each becoming as crafty as a chameleon, always changing sides to aid only those who proved the most beneficial in the end, making and breaking promises behind the backs of many."
"…"
"We may have discarded our ancestors' Samurai armor and Katanas today, but in our minds, we still apply the same political methods, allowing us to be as crafty as Oda Nobunaga himself."
"…"
"We wear these western suits only to fit in this age, to be what others see as 'educated individuals' who can be easily approached, rather than be seen as 'primitive barbarians with swords and arrows'."
"…"
"So Ichika, when negotiating with someone outside the family, always put up a false front."
"Why? Can't I be honest?"
"Honesty sure is the best policy, but that only applies to every day public life."
"Hai?"
"Playing diplomacy and politics has nothing to do with honesty. I am telling you to put up a false front because you can never count on anyone. This is because every individual have their own motives, and they will do their best to get what they want."
"Then what should I do?" Ichika asked.
"If you are meeting with politicians or businessmen, listen to what they have to say. Satisfy their ego that they have the upper hand in getting what they want. Listen and smile, give them the image that you are interested."
"…"
"Once you gave them that kind of satisfaction, let them spill out their proposals. You can never grasp 100% of what they are up to, but at most 60%."
"…"
"If their proposals do not catch your interest, just play being the possible partner. Who knows? You might need their help in the future. But never ever tell them of your true intentions. If you do so, you will make yourself vulnerable."
"So I should just go with the flow?"
"Go with their flow, but keep your thoughts to yourself. You are not obliged to drop everything in service to the predicaments they have gotten themselves into."
"Ok."
"If you find yourself going against their wishes, at least show that you are interested and that you did at least consider their demands. If you do that, any person will understand that you considered other routes only to take the best for yourself."
"…"
"If you met people who rages at your lack of co-operation, only to throw threats and violent intentions, avoid dealing with them in future. They are immature, only thinking about their own interests, hereby limiting their role in the game. They will make terrible working partners."
"If I need to be wary of these people, I can't trust them… right?"
"You can place your trust and faith in business partners and politicians, but never be dependent on them."
"…"
"In order to survive on this harsh environment, we must be independent and take things into our own hands."
"…"
"As the saying goes, 'we reap what we sow'. We have to realize that we can only attain what we desire only by taking our own initiative, not by waiting for petty promises made by someone you can't fully trust."
"So I should be distrustful of every politician I come across?" Ichika asked.
"Not distrustful. But be wary. All politicians carry different sorts of information with them to gain the attention of whomever they are targeting. As long as you have an option of sharing interests, it is worth the effort to hear out those who approach you."
"…"
"There will come a time where you have to approach politicians and businesspeople yourself. When you do so, you would do better not to be influenced by them."
"…"
"What you need Ichika, is not just cunning, but also the mental strength to hold on to your values so that you will not be influenced by petty individuals when making dealings."
"What happens if I get influenced?"
"Your personal values will change, and you will become a lesser man."
Ichika shook his head.
By the time Kanata and he are out of the Sarashiki estate, Oyobe Fukuse is already waiting for them with the same black Aruca MDX.
As they got into the car Ichika relaxed his shoulders.
It is just as Kanata said.
The meeting went a little better than expected.
Now, on to the next phase of the plan.
"Fukusuke-san?"
"Hai Ichika-dono?"
"Drive us to IS Academy."
IS Academy, Control hanger, Chifuyu POV
"Yamada! Just what is going on?"
"S-System is locking down. All the doors are closing shut."
"There are still students and the VIPs there!"
"T-They got stuck in the passages, some VIPs are relocated to the dormitories."
"The doors?"
"Most of them are locked down. No one can get out."
"The security cameras?"
"Knocked out. I can't see anything."
Tch!
The attackers did their job well.
"Man, guess we are stuck here for the time being." Keiko-san said.
"What about the door Noriko?" Matsumi-san said.
"Shut down. I would love to use my IS to break out." Noriko-san replied.
Oh hell.
"And just what are you three still doing here?" I asked.
"Now now, we just decided to stay here and observe via the cameras."
"I though you are suppose to help scout out potential candidates?"
"We can do that during the breaks or after the tournament. There is no hurry."
"Chifuyu-san, can I blast this door open?" Noriko-san asked.
The only door ahead of them is deadlocked.
"Not if you want to pay 7 million yen. The school paid for it, not the government."
"Ok I'm scrapped out."
"Any idea who is behind this?" Keiko-san asked.
"Phantom Task no doubt." Matsumi-san said.
"Yamada, how long until the system comes back online?"
"A-An hour or so."
Other than Phantom Task, there is only one group that Chifuyu knows who can inflict such damage.
But they are supposed to be in Kyoto.
Did they make a move?
Chifuyu then decided to wait and see.
If they did appear, she will be ready.
At the same time, IS Academy, Near the underground shaft
"Ah ha ha ha ha! Take that security!" Orimura Chiyo laughed with satisfaction.
"Chiyo-san, if you laugh like that people are going to find us." Orimura Minori said.
"Ah… sorry."
Just now, the family members involved all successfully managed to enter the IS Academy through their visitors pass.
But how did 10 teenagers just walk in like that, when the visitors are supposed to be adult VIPs?
The answer is this.
Prior to the infiltration, a member of the Oyobe family, Oyobe Aki, disguised herself as one of the various security personal of IS Academy.
She deliberately offered to change shifts with the actual guards, claiming that she was early and just wanted to start work.
Convinced by persuasion, the actual guards simply left the security of the monorail to her.
After that, all that need to be done is to rewrite the security cameras and the Orimura family members merely infiltrated into IS Academy.
Once all 10 Orimuras are in IS Academy, they split up and went into places where they won't be seen by most of the public.
As long as they had the visitors pass, the students of IS Academy won't question their presence.
All they need is just to avoid the teachers.
Orimura Chiyo and Orimura Minori are tasked to hack into the Academy's security hardware by simply using their ISes.
Technically their ISes are in standby mode.
But as long as the two can summon a holographic screen, a holographic keyboard and connect the black bracelets to any security hardware, they can do anything.
The ISes can be used to overwrite security systems, cause them to lock down, or even cause an entire security network to fall apart.
Well, the extent of damage inflicted is also dependent on the amount of knowledge and skills the IS pilot can utilize.
But for two Orimuras, the damage can be done to the maximum impact possible.
"Ha ha, system overwrite and establish lock down! This is a piece of cake! Never underestimate any Orimura from the family's intellectual department!"
"Chiyo-san, what's the password for level 5 from building 4?"
"According to the information I got from hacking in, it should be Wsx476fd."
"Always such weird passwords."
"That is why the patterns are also predictable! Ha ha ha~!"
Then all of a sudden, a com-link is activated.
"Oi Chiyo, Minori."
""Madoka-sama?""
"Lock down all the security. The Russians are already busting their way in. Make sure no one comes out."
"Ok~"
"Also, use your ISes to connect to the security cameras. We need to have a lookout for all the adult IS pilots.
30 minutes later, Mainland city near IS Academy, Houki POV
Sigh… time for a break.
I entered a local coffee shop.
Taking some time to go to the city sure does help.
I am able to get some privacy on my own, and do my own shopping.
Let's see…
I need some shampoo, body wash and toothpaste.
I also need to get more ink replenishes for my ink pen and more 2B pencils.
As I entered the coffee shop, I noticed how quiet it was.
It is not so crowded.
Strange, it is clearly lunchtime, yet there are about 5 customers.
Huh?
There is a guy sitting at an extreme corner.
Well, normal guys won't get my attention.
But there is something about this guy.
He has black hair all right.
But his face…
There are bandages coiling around his face covering over the upper left part.
The bandaged are coiled to the extent that he can only look through his right eye.
Squeeze
Huh?
Its [Akatsubaki], and for some reason I feel that… it is giving me a warning vibe.
Is that teenage boy that dangerous?
Squeeze
No… not that dangerous?
Squeeze
The final tug from the [Akatsubaki] allowed me to confirm the extent of danger the red bracelet is trying to warn me.
That bandaged faced guy is not that dangerous, but he is someone I ought to watch out for.
Ichika POV
There she is, just as I have expected.
Shinonono Houki, aged 16 until this year's 7th July.
The imouto of Tabane Sensei herself, piloting the world's first 4th Generation [Akatsubaki].
The Kendo National Champion who never got defeated before.
According to the statistics she is a 1st class tanker orientating around pure aggressiveness.
And a childhood friend of mine, eh?
I never doubted Tabane Sensei's words.
If she says that I know this girl, I will trust what she says.
But I seriously do not want to encounter anyone from my past.
Not at least until I got back my memories.
At times like this, I am glad for the bandages.
I would not want anyone recognizing me.
Since I am wearing bandages it was easy to get anyone's attention, but it should be enough for ordinary people to just let it slide.
But now her 4th generation should have detected the threat level I, or rather, my IS is emitting.
She should be weary of me now.
Judging by the time right now, Madoka and the others should have been halfway into their part of the mission.
Trovalkhin would have already engaged Sarashiki Tatenashi.
Now I just need to maintain getting her attention and lead her to where I want her to be.
I sipped my last drop of tea, and paid at the counter.
Before opening the exit door, I gave my IS one final command.
Increase threat level directed at Shinonono Houki, I want to get her attention.
Looking at the corner of my eye, that Shinonono imouto soon immediately shot her head up and look towards my direction.
Good.
I opened the exit door and left.
A few seconds before, Houki POV
The tea here is quite good, even for a coffee shop, this would only match to the level of Cecilia's personal tea sets.
Overall estimation – Target source identified increased its threat level, it was still directed at us
On hearing that single report, I shot up my head.
Turning to my head where I felt the threat was coming from, I saw… that bandaged face teenager?
That teenager soon opened the door and left.
To direct threats at me twice, what is he thinking?
…
Could he be from some underground organization…
PHANTOM TASK!
I immediately got up from my seat, paid for the tea and dashed out of the coffee shop.
There is no need to look around.
[Akatsubaki] has already helped me pinpoint that teenager's location.
It continuously gave me an image of a compass, where my objective is and the distance required.
It continues to feed me such information just like how it reports its analysis and its discoveries to me.
With just one glance, I saw that teenager.
That bandaged face sure makes him stand out in such a crowd.
I soon started to follow him, keeping some distance so that he won't see me coming.
As I walked, I thought about sending a message to Orimura Sensei.
But I soon stopped myself.
She would only tell me to fall back and cease pursuing someone dangerous.
This is a chance for me to find out about Ichika.
I must follow him and see where he goes.
If he leads me to some hideout, I can stage an attack there with Charlotte and the others.
Ichika POV
She is following, good.
Everything is going on as planned.
Now I just need to loose her.
That local mirror maze will do the trick.
I did some research on this area before I commence this part of the mission.
There was a local exhibition of a mirror maze that anyone can enter and leave for free.
A mirror maze is quite a challenge for those who are poor at their own geography.
If I can loose her in there, my part of this job is done.
Houki POV
That guy entered a… mirror maze?
Great!
A prefect location to loose him.
But as long as he does not leave my eye I can see where he would be going.
All I need is to keep up in such a manner that he will always be in sight.
I entered the mirror maze.
As soon as I walked into the mirror maze, I saw a few mes all around me.
As I walked, the mes also followed where I am going.
As expected of a mirror maze.
You see too much of yourself that you might loose your sense of direction and loose that teenager I am tracking.
But calm down.
He still should be around here somewhere.
Looking around, I saw that teenager walking to a corner.
I immediately rushed to that corner.
But as I entered the corner that teenager is out of sight.
Relax, he got to be around here somewhere.
I soon walked to a likely place where he might have turned to.
I saw a reflection of myself walking towards me.
Am I walking to a mirror wall?
But even from a distance you can see your reflection.
There should be a pathway here –
Bang!
Oww…
It is a wall.
Let's try here then.
Bang!
Oww…
WHERE DID HE GO TO!
Outside the mirror maze
Ichika waited, and waited.
He made sure that that Shinonono Imouto won't be out for a few minutes.
Satisfied, he turned his back and walked away.
While walking, he took out a phone and dialed a contact number.
"Kuhina, Kuhana, you two are up."
Back in the mirror maze, Houki POV
Finally, the exit!
I got out of the maze.
But I already knew, that bandaged face teenager is long gone.
Well, at least I got a lead.
Now I just need to provide this information to Laura.
If she can use the Schwarzer Hase to track that teenager, we will be one step closer.
Suddenly, I felt a voice in my head.
Overall estimation – unknown source is emitting target lock on onto us
Target lock on?
I immediately looked around me.
…
…
There is no one suspicious.
I looked at my red bracelet.
That was [Akatsubaki] all right…
It transmitted reports to me before, like what happened in Milan and in Rome.
Target lock on… meaning to say that there is someone aiming a weapon at us.
I looked around me again.
There is no one suspicious.
It is either the person is aiming a weapon at us from a far distance or he is concealing his weapon under some clothing.
But why would anyone want to target me?
Is it that bandaged faced teenager again?
I looked around, but I cannot see that face.
That bandaged face teenager is long gone.
…
…
Could it be public thugs?
Overall estimation – source emitting target lock on has the identical presence of an IS core, but presence is limited as a fully employed IS is not detected
Conclusion – source emitting target lock on onto us has an IS in standby mode
Could it be… THOSE MALE IS PILOTS?
I immediately run away from my present location.
This is bad.
If it is those guys, I would be in trouble alone.
Overall estimation – the unknown source still emitting target lock on onto us and is following us, distance 41 meters
Shit! He is quite near.
I continued running, until I see a city park.
There are not a lot of people there, and it appears that one can easily blend into the surroundings.
Good, maybe I will use that park to my advantage.
I continued to run towards the park.
As I reached the park entrance I sought out for a spot I can blend into.
Hopefully, I can find out…
Or not.
There are guys everywhere.
Well, there are not a lot of people, but there are a small number of guys spread around in this park for no apparent reason.
And an IS on standby mode can be any object.
These guys around me are wearing various objects that easily can be an IS in standby mode.
Overall estimation – source emitting target lock on is approaching
Which one of them is my pursuer?
I can't seem to shake them off.
Maybe their facial expression might tell me.
Considering the fact that I have ran from my previous location, he must be panting and looking at any direction.
"Seriously, you do know that I have locked onto you, yet you choose to run. I could have shot you the moment you are looking out for me back then don't you know?"
I immediately turned my body around at 180 degrees.
My pursuer is…
Not a guy, but a girl.
I am looking down at a girl who is about the age of 12.
She has short brown hair with dark brown eyes, and she is wearing a standard kids outfit.
Blue culottes, yellow shirt with a white vest, plus she is wearing a yellow hood from her shirt so I can't fully see her entire face
"W-Who are you?"
"Isn't it basic manners to self introduce yourself when enquiring the name of someone else? Well I already know who you are so that part might not be necessary."
What is with this kid?
"I have no intention of telling you my name. All you need to know is that I am from Shinonono Tabane Organization."
Back in IS Academy
"Take this!" Rin cried.
She fired her 'Ryuhou' straight at her opponent, even if she knows it is futile.
In response, the male IS pilot countered just as she predicted.
He merely raised his hands.
From the moment the beam shot from 'Ryuhou' came into contact with his IS's hand, the beam shot split into multiple directions.
Damn it…
By compressing the nearby air space, Rin's 'Ryuhou' is capable of shooting out shockwaves as a form of projectile.
The trajectory is linear, but because both the barrel and projectile are invisible, taking evasive action effectively is a challenge for opponent.
But this opponent has no need to face the challenge of dodging.
He merely used his IS's forearm frame to somehow redirect the energy flow of her 'Ryuhou' beam shots.
Rin theorized that this male IS pilot is utilizing the 'Molecular Manipulator', to manipulate the wavelengths of the projected shockwaves.
After numerous clashes, Rin noticed a weakness her opponent has.
Time and time again, when she fired her 'Ryuhou', he has to halt is movements and focus on her beam shots.
She must exploit this weakness, no matter what.
Hang on…
If 'Ryuhou' fires shockwaves as a form of projectile, these shockwaves are fired at a fixed frequency right?
In order to repel the beam shot, that male IS pilot ought to calculate the right frequency of the shockwave.
If Rin can somehow fire 'Ryuhou' at a different frequency, she could possibly throw him off guard.
When that happens, she can go for the kill.
Rin circled around the male IS pilot.
She then moves in to fire lighter, faster shots.
As expected, the male IS pilot shot out his arms to use the 'Molecular Manipulator'.
But instead of holding his own ground, the lighter and faster shots managed to throw off his center of gravity slightly.
With continuous shots, the male IS pilot found his movements exaggerated.
He struggled to control his stance, only to divert his attention from Rin.
Seizing this opportunity, Rin used double 'Ignition Boost' closing in her opponent.
Without waiting for her opponent, she slammed 'Souten Gagetsu' into his face.
As her opponent to falls to the ground, she raised her double-sided blade and stabbed him in the abdomen with all the force she got.
The male responded by grasping, only to realize that Rin's blade managed to penetrate the chest plate of his armor frame, despite the still running shield energy.
But the damage was kept to a minimum as he can only see some cracks on his armor.
He then pressed his hands on the flat side of the blade that stabbed him struggling to wrench the blade off his armor.
Rin refused to let him recover, so she continued to press her blade down.
Then, she felt something warm with an increasing temperature.
Looking down, she saw part of her blade turning bright red.
The male IS pilot must have been using the 'Molecular Manipulator' to break apart the bonds between the metallic ions.
Realizing the danger, Rin backed away immediately.
But it was too late for her blade.
From the moment she released her strength, the male IS pilot seized the opportunity.
He twisted the blade slightly, sending a network of molecular changes into the metal.
As Rin pulled back, her blade exploded.
The force of the explosion created a significant distance enough for the male IS pilot to recover.
Now armed with just one of the two blades, Rin is forced to reconsider her plans.
The male IS pilot in front of her then materialized a white beam sword.
Mainland city near IS Academy, City park, Houki POV
"You are from Shinonono Tabane Organization?"
"Yes."
"Don't joke around with me."
I am speaking with a 12-year-old child who thinks she is from some organization.
On top of that, an organization named after nee-san.
Just how funny is that?
Her joke is so bad that I can easily pass it as a form of provocation.
"Ara, are you doubting me?"
Ok, now I am starting to get annoyed.
"I'm in a bad mood, so leave now while your childish pranks are still on the acceptable level."
The child then looked around her.
Apparently, there is no one but us in this area.
In this side of the park, no one would be around to see this current conversation.
The child then raised her right arm.
Out of thin air, a mechanic machine envelops her entire arm.
The form resembles an IS forearm.
"Does this convince you?"
How can I say…
Total shock.
"W-Where did you get that?!"
"From your nee-san of course."
"Impossible, Nee-san is too self centered to even think about distributing additional IS cores."
"Or so you believe. Perhaps you don't really know your own sister at all?"
Houki bit her lower lip.
The child then dematerialized her IS.
Clearly, she has an upper hand when it comes to fighting a 12-year-old.
But fighting someone so young completely goes against what she believed.
"You just target locked onto me why is that so?"
"IS Academy is under attack. I am here to stall you."
…
…
"Don't joke with me kid."
"I'm serious."
Houki is at a loss, she never experienced dealing with children before.
"Ok, where's your mother?"
"Dead."
"That's no way to talk about your mother. Come, the police station is not far from here."
"Do you want to die?"
What is with this kid?
"For someone your age, you shouldn't think of killing. Don't you know the seriousness of the words you are using? I lost a very important friend, don't speak of death so lightly."
But the child rolled her eyes.
Clearly, she is not interested.
"I'm sick of hearing you talk." She said.
"What? That is no way to speak to your elders!" Houki retorted.
"The only elderly I will listen in this world is my grandfather, besides, I got a proper job to do."
The child then raised her right hand.
Her eyes looked behind Houki.
As Houki turned around, she saw two Europeans walking towards her.
Judging from their height and looks, they are around 16 – 17 years old.
"I'll leave her to the two of you. Make sure you stall her. Our instructions are to make sure that she does not reach IS Academy for the next hour.
That's about it for this chapter.
Sorry if the content is a little fuzzy.
I tried my best to make it as clear as possible.
For those who have trouble keeping up with the OCs, I will upload another OC list after i finish up on this section.
Until the next chapter, and Happy Chinese New Year... oh wait, Happy new year:)
