'Laura Bodewig and Houki Shinonono Vs. Charles Dunois and Ichika Orimura.' I thought as I looked at the matchups. Rin and Cecilia are out of the competition due to Laura's attack on them while I was in the Student Council Meeting yesterday. Laura nearly killed them both, and that all fell upon me to take responsibility for her actions. Looking at the other student council members, I saw the President was just smirking as we watched as the four moved into position.

Looking at the timer, I frowned as this was going to be both a good match, and a bad one. It was good for the spectators, but it was bad seeing the blood feud that was going on between them, and to make matters worse, Houki was on the wrong team and had to fight with Laura.

As the timer hit zero, Ichika went straight for Laura, but was stopped due to her AIC, Anti-Inertia Canceler. I let out a sigh as I had heard that he had seen it already, so attacking her head on was a bad way to start seeing as she countered him in every way. But, they weren't without a strategy, as Charles had used him as cover to get to Laura as she started to move. It was a flaw of the AIC, the user wasn't able to move, just like Cecilia when she used her drones.

Charles laid down cover fire, with Laura moving out of the way, where Houki stepped in to cover for her partner, and it took Charles by surprise as she sent him back with a strike of her sword. "Ichika has to focus on Houki while Charles keeps Laura back, once either Ichika or Houki is down, they can take down their other opponent. But that's easier said than done." I said, with the president nodding her head.

"Too true, Laura wants to take out Ichika, and there is no guarantee that Ichika will stick to that plan." Tatenashi said, with me nodding. "That is the problem with emotions, they usually get in the way." She said, with me nodding as we watched Laura pull her own teammate away and attacked Ichika. "But of course, Laura is far more combative." She added, with me frowning at her actions. "Dealing with more than one opponent, or just one, its a bit over kill." She said, looking at me. "Tell me, you saw her up close an personal, what is she like?" She asked, with me leaning back into my seat while leaning my head on my fist as an arm rest.

"She's brutal, doesn't care whos in her way. If she sees them as a target, then she will remove them without a second thought." I said, with her nodding. 'Lets hope this one doesn't get interrupted like the last one.' I thought, knowing that would be bad for the school and could put us in lock down, but knowing Tatenashi, she would have a back up plan to get us out of that.

We watched as Charles took the opportunity and removed Houki from the battle, with me shaking my head as it was due to her inexperience in the I.S. and real life combat. "That was fast, I expected more from her, considering who her sister is." Tatenashi said, with me shaking my head.

"I didn't, I knew she would lose the first fight, but this early? I expected her to last a bit longer." I said, closing my eyes. "Her sister may have made the I.S., but that doesn't put her on the same playing field as her. I should know, she is dangerous in and out of an I.S." I said, with Tatenashi looking at me.

"Oh, you've fought Tabane?" Tatenashi asked, with me nodding.

"More than once, at first it went with her beating me, but after I would say we are on equal grounds seeing as she has counters to my I.M. and me to her I.S. Then there is the matter of her in general. She's fast and agile-Ichika has increased his energy conversion rate above ninety percent, he plans to end this quickly." I said, with Tatenashi looking as well, with us seeing Ichika glowing yellow. "He's playing decoy now that Charles is free." I said, with us watching him go after Laura, with him getting stuck in the AIC again, only for Charles to take out Laura's cannon.

We watched as Charles laid down cover fire, with Laura flying into the air to get away, where Ichika went to end the fight, but his IS shield went into the red. Seeing Laura get the upper hand, she knocked him down and went for the kill, only for Charles to save him at the last second, but I saw what he did with during his ignition boost.

"Do you think he knows how to use it?" I asked Tatenashi, who shrugged her shoulders.

"Who knows, I've only seen sword play up until now." She said, with me nodding as I didn't know that he could use a gun or not. We watched as Ichika shot Laura in the back, gaining her attention towards him, shocking her as he had a gun. We then watched as Charles got in and used the shield piercer and dropped her shield down.

Charles moved in and started taking out her shield, with me frowning as Laura's emotional state was no longer synced up with her I.S., and the spot that was being hit was where the core was. Standing up, I gained the others attention as I started walking away. "Monika, get the Modular Armor ready." I said, knowing that this was going to be bad.

The Modular Armor. It was built to be the most sophisticated model to date. With the Modular Armor, I rethought the basic design paradigm. Instead of a single, integrated suit, its design was based on a modular component system. The armor's capabilities could be reconfigured by swapping in and out sub-systems like boots, gloves, helmets, weapons or scanners, whatever I needed at the moment. Plug-in points all over the armor's surface allowed for plug 'n' play of a wide array of auxiliary systems.

It was the sleekest and most streamlined armor I had ever designed. The chosen color scheme was also a departure. While still red and gold, the suit was mostly red. Red shoulder pieces, gauntlets, and legs, with golden forearms and midriff/back section produced an armor that looked unlike anything the world had ever seen. Other design changes included a lift able faceplate, an inverted pentagon-shaped chest beam, and a prominent belt buckle.

Although the module concept took up the lion's share of the new design overhaul, it still contained the regular computing hardware and software upgrades. I even improved the sensor array as well, most notably the audio sensors and the ultrasound imaging system. A new refined refractory coating on the armor's skin was able to absorb almost anything. It also supplements the armor's Camouflage Mode, which allowed me to blend in with the surroundings. Electro-Magnetic Attention circuits in the armor allowed me to pull things to my armor. Palm and sole magnets allowed me to become a wall-crawler at will. A quantum leap in concept and design.

For now, this was my strongest armor. The nickname I had given it, was something that I was proud of.

The LauraBuster

Later

Reaching the arena, I watched as Laura had finished her change. "Ichika, Charles, get out of here!" I said, landing next to them, with both of them looking at me. "Leave this to me, whatever this thing is, I'll shut it down." I said, looking at the two. "I'll have back up from a team of instructors, right now I am the first one here." I informed, with them taking off, with me watching as Ichika took Houki with him.

Looking back at Laura, I saw it just standing there with a sword in hand. Seeing it charge, I watched as it struck my shield and was pushed back, sending it into the ground. "Deploying I:Buster sword." Monika said, with me holding my hand out, with the a side panel in the wall opening and shooting a sword my way. Catching the sword, I spun around and slashed at Laura, with both strikes blocking the other.

I watched as the sword powered on, with it cutting straight through the her sword, with it backing up. Twisting the handle, it was ignited in flames where I then started striking back at it, pushing it further back into the wall. "This is going to shut you down!" I said, holding out my hand to the wall. "Monika, deploy I.S: Buster Gauntlet!" I said, with the wall opening and attaching a glove to my hand. Backing up, I held it out to her, with me firing a large repulser blast at the I.S. unit. After a bit, I shut it down, with me seeing that Laura was the only thing left, and she was passed out. Walking over to her, I pulled her out of the wall and tossed her over my shoulder as the teachers joined the fight.

Later, Nurses Office

"Why do you try to be strong... why are you strong?" I heard Laura, with me looking up from the schematics on her I.S. unit, with me seeing that her eyes were open slightly.

Putting my tablet down, I walked over and sat down next to her. "Strong, no, I'm not strong. The only strong thing about me is my mind. Its what makes me this way. Building my armors, is something that I need to do." I said, with her turning her head towards me.

"Something you need to do?" She questioned, with me nodding.

"I build my armors to make up for a mistake of mine, but as of now, I'm sure that I have atoned for it, but I keep thinking, that I haven't, and I must keep building, preparing for any possible situation there is." I said, with her eyes closing while I took a deep breath. "I don't plan on being the Iron Man forever, but until then, I will protect everyone, and that includes you." I said, reaching over and brushing her hair out of her face. "Rest, I'll make sure that I rebuild your I.S. back to what it was supposed to be, not what it was." I said, standing up and walking back over to my tablet.

Picking it up, I looked at the door as Chifuyu walked in. "Mind giving me some privacy?" She asked, with me nodding, and walking out while leaving the tablet behind as it wasn't officially mine, but Laura's, and I didn't want to take it with me.

Later

Walking into the new bath house fot the boys, I saw two baskets with clothes in them. Ichika and Charles must be in here already. I thought as I started getting undressed and placing my clothes in my own basket. Grabbing a towel, I wrapped it around my waist and opened the doors. "Good work out there you two, you made a really good team!" I said, smiling at the two, with me stopping and looking at the with a deadpan expression.

Two boys. Ichika and I.

One girl. Charles.

"Monika, activate Pervert Buster!" I yelled, with tasers poking the water, shocking both of them. "When they wake up and I'm not back with a staff member, activate it again!" I said, storming out of the bath house and started getting dressed.

The next day

Yamada wasn't as chipper as she usually was, and I knew why. "I would like to introduce to you a new transfer student today." She said, looking at the door as Charles, in a girls uniform, walked in, confusing everyone but me.

"Hello, I am Charlotte Dunois, it is very nice to be meeting all of you once again!" She said, with me keeping up my glair, making her flinch as she looked at me.

"Yes... it seems Mr. Dunois, turned out to be a Miss." Yamada said, with an embarrassed expression. "We were kind of shocked too." She said, with me knowing that this was for the better.

Seeing Rin bust down the wall, I face palmed as this was going to get bad. "ICHIKA!?" Rin yelled, pissed as she had heard what had happened, also being the first to figure out what was going on between him and Charlotte.

"ENOUGH!?" I yelled, tossing a bug forward and hitting her I.S. unit, with it shutting down and making her fall on her rear. "GET TO YOUR CLASS, BEFORE I KICK YOU THERE!?" I yelled, annoyed with her reaction. "Good god, why cant I have just one normal day, right, because I'll never be normal!" I said, with someone grabbing me and pulling me towards them. I was then shocked as Laura was the one who did this while giving me a kiss.

As she broke the kiss, I could only stand there in complete shock. "Now, I have decided that I will make you my bride! That is final and I will not accept any objections from you!" She said, with me and the entire class screaming in shock as we didn't expect this to happen.