Yeah... This has been a long while ever since I updated this story. I kind of... disliked the way I'm going with this chapter and decided to think properly, but I don't want to preach about things I have an aversion to argue about. Ultimately, this is because I don't believe I'm a good writer enough to write about big issues, thus why I couldn't finish this particular chapter on time.


When school restarted and life entered a somewhat calm if not mundane routine without anything big going on, Ichika had a feeling that he was witnessing the return of normalcy to his life.

He was glad for that. Truly, he was. He even shed some tears and smiled like a saint.

Though saying that, as an expert who got involved in strange incidents almost in a regular basis, he of all people knew that peace could only last so long. Yes, something could happen anytime, anywhere, anyhow.

His experience was telling him that something would definitely ruin his day, but not today!

"Alright," from behind the teacher's desk, Chifuyu's voice easily cut through the noisy classroom. "Although it's been slightly delayed, I will now inform you lot about your second summer camp."

Ichika lurched, groaned, and planted his face on his desk. Why is this happening to me…?


As far as Shinkurou knew, summer was the time where corpses could decompose faster than the usual.

Yes, yes. He knew that he was not treating this 'summer camp' as serious as the rest of the class did, but he wasn't around when the Silver Gospel incident happened. The students he was mingled with were all creams of the crops and they had one or two roles during the whole shenanigans last year.

In summary, the now black-haired boy mused. This isn't going to end well for everyone.

He wondered if he should point out that the Representative Candidates were the ones who did the most heavy-lifting, but since when had he cared about something besides himself? Shinkurou exasperated quietly as the Instructor finished her explanation.

I'm becoming way too relaxed...

"We're going for a mountain climbing," the raven-haired woman said as she folded her arms. "Three days and two nights. The lodging will be at a camping site reserved by the academy. Make sure to not bring unimportant things and prepare yourself for urban battles. This is a good chance to test how far you have improved your practical and piloting skills, so I'll give extra points if you ever exceeded expectations."

In the midst of the excited murmurs, Shinkurou yawned and raised his right hand.

"What is it, Shinonono?" Chifuyu asked.

"Whose expectation are we talking about here, Instructor?"

The woman's grin could never be more bone-chilling in the eyes of class 2-1.


After all that was said and done, classes resumed without nothing of note going on.

Naturally, it would have been a blessing had some classmates did not have wastefully colorful personalities. It was a sort of twisted thing that tended to do less good than more for children of impressionable age, so Shinkurou concluded that Chifuyu must have a lot of headaches from this.

However, even that woman's problems didn't really matter in the end.

"As long as I don't get caught up, I don't have to care about them."

With such thought running on his mind, the boy proceeded on alternating between studying and dozing off. The winds were nice around this time and the windows were opened, so the situation was giving him a very tempting offer to laze around.

Also, history was such a borefest he could die from it.

"With that being said," Yamada Maya's voice resounded as the diagrams, texts, and pictures floated on the blackboard behind her. "While the IS has become the new standard military force, there are still problems in regard to their usage. Now, Orimura-kun, why is that?"

The boy sitting a few seats and a row away from Shinkurou's shook his head as if he received a rude awakening. He looked to the left and right, met Yamada Maya's gaze with a blank look and then pointed at himself as if asking 'Are you asking me?'.

Because of the nature of the teacher in question, all eyes were set on the first male IS pilot. He rubbed his head before he straightened his back as he answered.

"Well, umm… the Alaskan Treaty prevented IS from being used in war."

Yamada Maya smiled and nodded as if nudging her student to continue. That might not be enough of an incentive, so the green-haired woman asked.

"Why is that so?"

The younger brother of the Brunhildr scratched his cheek as if in thoughts, said 'Well…' without any more word and put his hand on his chin.

"The… the threat of mutual destruction?" Ichika muttered out. "I mean, not even nuclear warheads could match an IS, so if every country uses IS to go to war, then… nothing would be left."

Oh, so he can finish that.

Shinkurou felt the boy was the one who learned the most out of enrolling in the IS Academy. Though he might not know him personally, at least he could tell that Orimura Ichika was such a kind person that it disgusted Madoka.

Then again, that girl hates him for being raised with happiness, the former Vagrant mulled as he rested his chin in his hand. But even people raised in happiness can sometimes tell why others feel sad and bitter.

"Yes! Correct! Well done, Orimura-kun!" Yamada Maya clapped her hands and beamed. "However, what do you think of other countries? Yes, for example… countries who are not as advanced or as rich as Japan, America, and the nations around the Europe?"

..hmm?

"Umm," the younger Orimura sibling made a confused sound. "What do you mean by that, Yamada-sensei?"

"Well… while it's true that IS has created various major breakthroughs in the realms of science, such wondrous technology still possesses one weakness." The teacher assigned to teach history for Class 2-1 raised her right index finger. "That is, availability."

Shinkurou felt a stir washing across the students. He glanced around discreetly and found a classmate he couldn't remember what her name was raising a hand.

"Is it because Infinite Stratos cannot be mass-produced?"

Yamada Maya promptly nodded and stepped aside so that the entire class could obtain a clear view of the blackboard. As if taking that as a cue, the holographic display changed and a 3D projection of the world appeared.

The planet was divided by timezone grids, and the continents were further outlined with national borders. After that, arrows could be seen spreading from Japan to various countries, and interestingly, there were many countries not being on the receiving ends of those arrows.

"Because the 467 Cores of IS cannot be mass-produced, extensive research and development of IS have been a slow-going." Yamada Maya waved her left hand and textboxes tagged the various regions around the projection. "Adding with the funding needed to maintain both the IS and the technology revolving around it, less advanced countries naturally would have troubles accessing and reaping benefits from Infinite Stratos."

The teacher in yellow blouse muttered 'Now then…' as she moved her gaze away from the blackboard and to the class.

"Pop quiz! What do you think happened when a country does not receive the same benefits as other countries do from Infinite Stratos?"

The moment that question was given out, nobody answered.

At first, Yamada Maya's smile was still holding on the cheerful spirits she had when her students were being proactive about her lessons, but soon it became hard to endure and the teacher twitched in place.

"H-Huh? No one wants to answer?" The petite woman turned her head around in search for a hope that seemed to not exist even if she were to look for it. "Huuuuh!? D-Did I fail!? Is it too hard…!?"

Not really, Shinkurou thought in bemusement. It's just that no one has the initiative to answer.

Really, that was why Shinkurou disliked being in this sort of place. He was about to sigh in annoyance when one Chinese girl stood up from her seat and raised her hand.

"Sensei, I can answer that."

Yamada Maya's spirit could never be as bright as of now. After wiping the tears from the corner of her eyes, the world history teacher extended a hand to Huang Lingyin as if passing the baton.

The one often called as Rin nodded.

"Well, China has a multilateral relationship with its neighboring countries, but that now extends further to some nations in Europe, Middle East, and all of Southeast Asia," explained she. "Though saying that, the progress of the research differs depending on the state of the country we're dealing with. It created huge gaps between each country, so to speak."

The girl with long brown twin-tail might be using the term 'We' because she considered China as a part of herself. It was the pride of a countryman supported by her title as a Representative Candidate who symbolized China's might in the fields of Infinite Stratos.

I guess even she is aware of her own situation, Shinkurou noted.

"Umm, if it's alright with you, what sort of aspects caused the gaps?" Yamada Maya replied.

"Well… economy, technology, general welfare, political system, moral and ethics, military power…" Huang hummed in thoughts. "Mmm, also culture and religion, I guess? We're not really bothered by the last two but I've heard those can be big factors."

"Then, what happens to those countries for having those issues?"

"...They got left behind in times?"

Shinkurou couldn't help but exasperate now.

No, it wasn't like he found the answer to be inadequate. In fact, as a student from another country, that would be within expectations. Huang still somewhat missed the point, though.

Yes, the less advanced countries would be left behind. Yes, a lot of aspects would restrict those countries from enjoying the same benefits, even cause them to regress. Yes, many countries could give no care about the idea of 'women are superior to men' that was induced by Infinite Stratos even if they were able to afford it.

However, those weren't all.

Some countries would turn their backs on laws and steal research data of other countries if they were desperate enough. Some would scheme and backstab their friends if they were getting in the way. Some would outright use terrorists like Phantom Task if that was necessary to tidy their agendas.

And at the end of it, a lot of people wasted their efforts, time, money and life for absolutely nothing.

"...People are such a pain in the ass…"

The battlefield was a simpler and less contrived place than this. The former vagrant wondered if this was just a dream he would eventually wake up from, but...

I've already decided to accept that I'm a part of someone's world, huh?

Summer was about to pass in less than two months. The sky was clear without clouds, and the dazzling sunlight was accompanied by the buzzing of cicadas.

As the boy looked at the windows, he tuned out the lectures and wondered what that doll and her 'mother' were up to.