A/N: Another few days and another chapter is released. I do hope that this one lives up to the precedent set by the other two, and if not, please feel free to make your criticisms known.
Also, I tried to keep track of the various dates in order to keep the timeline together through the timeskips, but if you spot any temporal inconsistencies in this chapter feel free to make them known to me.
Chapter 3
A pair of training rounds flew over Ichika's head as he threw the Kestrel into a roll, blindly firing a burst from his own training rifle as he did so. Unfortunately for him, his target had moved from her last firing position, causing his burst to impact the training room wall.
His eyes flicked to the top of his helmet visor, where a 360 degree view of the training area was displayed, and searched for his opponent's location. A muzzle flash gave him his answer, and Ichika once again threw his IS into a desperate roll to avoid the incoming fire. However, instead of training bullets, the incoming fire was made up of a proximity fused grenade, the training projectile causing his shields to drop even further. A blaring alarm and a red warning light at the edge of his visor told him that his unit's shield had dropped below the 100 mark. Another grenade would finish him, and he was outclassed at range... his hand clenched, and then opened again a few seconds later as he thought of a plan. If he was outclassed and wounded, then he could only rely on surprise to do damage.
Locating his opponent a few meters below him, Ichika suddenly cut his suit's impulse drive and dropped like a stone, spinning around as he did so and bringing his rifle to bear. As he zoomed past his opponent, he fired off a burst at point blank range, his target's shields flashing blue as his first shots hit home. Then, to his shock, Ichika found himself flying back upwards, courtesy of the IS boot that had punted him towards the training room's ceiling. As he struggled to right his unit, another burst of training rounds slammed into his shield, causing it to flicker and collapse. Another burst flew towards him, and once again his IS was covered in bright yellow paint.
"Damn it Ichika, I thought I had beaten that habit out of you already!" Yukari called out as his defeated IS landed on the training room floor and knelt down to let its pilot out. The plates of armor covering Ichika's body opened up and retracted, while the helmet was raised off his head, allowing him to step out of his IS unit and onto the training room floor. Ichika looked up and watched as Yukari gracefully descended in her own Raphael Revive, a training rifle still held in one of her unit's hands, while the other brandished a grenade launcher.
"Sorry..." Ichika muttered as he inspected the Kestrel. For the past six months, he would spend every weekend training under Yukari in the art of IS usage, and while the Japanese IS pilot was quite friendly, she was an utterly ruthless instructor. When she mentioned beating his habit out of him, she meant so literally. Ichika had lost count of the times the woman had gotten overly physical in an IS duel when he did something particularly stupid. He could no longer remember the exact amount of times of the times the woman had pile driven him into the floor, or punted him into the ceiling, or just slammed him against a wall and emptied a training clip into him at point blank range. The Kestrel, which he had modified again into his personal trainer, had spent its fair share of time in the repair bay as a result of his recklessness as well.
"Sorry doesn't cut it Ichika! Maybe I should change the training paint color to red to show you what it would look like had you done that in real life! It may seem like a game now, but once you're out of IS academy your name will be placed on the Organization's active combat roster and you WILL be out there, fighting with your life on the line! Now get that IS to a charger, scrub off that paint, and be ready for another round in thirty minutes!"
With those words, Yukari dismounted from the Raphael and watched as a pair of manipulator arms extended from the Arena walls, taking her IS out of the training room and into a charging station. The same was done to Ichika's IS a minute later.
Soon enough, Ichika was mounted up again in the freshly cleaned Kestrel and was staring at a selection of training weapons. He sighed in frustration. It seemed that no matter which armaments he selected, Yukari would infallibly employ a strategy that perfectly countered that selection.
During his first matches he had primarily used melee weapons, as he thought that the range based Raphael would have no counter to them. His first few attempts at closing the distance had resulted in Yukari simply emptying her weapons into him as he charged. Later on, once he figured out a way of getting close he had then discovered that Yukari was quite adept at using her guns in melee, often using one as a club to keep him at bay while the other fired into his shields with perfect accuracy.
He had then tried his luck with ranged combat, and while he managed to land a few hits here and there, it was obvious that Yukari was the superior combatant at range. Guided missiles were shot down, energy weapons and bullets were dodged, and the one time he had attempted to throw a training sword at her had resulted in a prolonged beatdown with his own weapon.
Eventually, Ichika picked up a sniper rifle, the weapon still having a few yellow stains on it from a time he had tried, and failed at, twirling it to deflect incoming bullets. He then looked over the selection of melee weapons available to him, and eventually chose a medium sized single edged sword, the weapon's curved design somewhat reminding him of a katana. He felt the magnetic clamps in the weapon's hilt engage, fastening the blade to his IS. That was when Ichika had an idea. Disengaging the clamps, he put away the curved blade and looked at the sniper rifle. Shrugging his shoulders, he grabbed a straight blade and clamped it to the end of his rifle barrel, creating an improvised bayonet. Then he picked up the sniper rifle, and grabbed a large rectangular shield for his other arm and went back into the training arena. Yukari was already there, waiting for him, her Raphael's grenade launcher in one hand and a training rifle in the other.
His helmet's visor lowered, and Ichika rose into the air, Yukari ascending as well. Then, as they were still climbing, Ichika raised his rifle, centered Yukari in his visor's sights, and pulled the trigger. A splatter of blood red paint erupted against the training room wall as Yukari dodged, sending a grenade his way as she did so. Using his shield to absorb the paint and avoid damage, Ichika fired again, and again, and again, each shot missing its target. Yukari would stand still long enough for him to draw a bead on her, and then when his finger was pulling down the trigger she would always roll out of the way, and his gun couldn't fire fast enough to hit her then. After several minutes of him missing and Yukari dodging, Ichika's opponent went on the offensive. Another grenade's worth of scarlet paint splattered across his shield, followed by a burst of rifle fire which was also blocked. Then, Yukari pointed her grenade launcher up above Ichika's head and fired, the round soaring high over his head. Realizing what his opponent was trying to do Ichika raised his shield to cover his back while rolling out of the way of another burst of rifle fire. The grenade his opponent had bounced off the wall as a distraction detonated harmlessly.
Realizing he couldn't stay on the defensive, Ichika opened fire again, catching another grenade in midair with a training round before firing once at its shooter. As Yukari rolled out of the way of his shot, Ichika accelerated forwards, thrusting out with his improvised bayonet. As he anticipated, his thrust was deflected by a swing of his opponent's grenade launcher. That was when Ichika raised his other melee weapon, his shield, and drove it forward, a volley of paint rounds splattering against it. Thus, through using his shield as a battering ram, he drove Yukari against the training room wall. His opponent tried to push back against him, but the Raphael Revive's impulse drive was weaker, being designed more for stability than speed, and she was unable to prevent Ichika from paralyzing her against the wall and opening fire. Yukari tried to use her grenade launcher to throw off his aim, but three of Ichika's rounds hit their target.
That was when the grenade launcher went off, the explosion at point blank range halving Ichika's shields. Another shot from the grenade launcher coincided with the last round in Ichika's rifle being fired. Alarms indicated his unit's shield going down, while a flicker of blue light visible through a bulletproof glass slit in the shield indicated the same happening to his opponent. Ichika lowered his shield and backed away. Had he won?
A burst of training rounds splattered across his IS.
"It's not over until one of the pilots is eliminated!" Yukari was shouting a few moments later.
"But your shield-" Ichika protested but was cut off.
"My shield was down, so you should have finished me! This isn't the Mondo Grosso, where as soon as the shields drop the match ends! I'm not training you to be a tournament winner, I'm training you to be a warrior, and that means finishing your enemy once their shields are down!"
"But-"
"But nothing! Dead people don't but! You are a member of the IS corps now, so you better be ready to pull the damn trigger!" At that, Yukari's features softened.
"I know it's a difficult thing to do, and it never gets easier, or at least it never should, but out there your hesitation could result in one or more of your fellow pilots being hurt, or worse!" During her rant she had dismounted her Raphael and walked up to Ichika, who was still in his IS.
"Besides..." She poked at his red splattered torso armor. Her finger came away blood red. "It's just paint!"
"Excuse me, but may I take a moment of your time?" The pair turned to see Raymond standing near the arena entrance. The old man looked thinner, and his skin was paler than usual, but behind his glasses his eyes sparkled with a fire that Ichika had never seen before.
"Raymond-san?" Yukari asked, surprised at the scientist's presence. For the past six months the man had practically barricaded himself into the private lab he was using for IS core research, only coming out once a day for food and other such necessities.
"I was wondering if I could borrow your student for a few moments. There is something I wish to test, and I believe he is the best candidate for the job." The scientist spoke, his voice eager.
"Very well... Just don't take him for too long. He still has to complete today's training!" Yukari replied.
At that, Ichika stepped out of his IS and followed his old mentor.
"What do you want me to do?" Ichika asked.
"I want you to try out something in that old Phantom Task TIS." As Raymond spoke, the pair entered the IS firing range. The ex-terrorist IS stood within, already deployed. However, while before it carried an oversized cannon on its right shoulder and beam knives in its four hands, the IS now mounted a veritable bird's nest of wires on its back, while its four arms all supported a giant silver coil.
"What... is that?" Ichika asked, looking at the IS.
"It is an experimental indirect fire weapon that, if I am correct, is capable of firing through walls in order to hit a designated target. I have the target already set up and ready, so all you really need to do is fire." Raymond said. Ichika nodded, before clambering into the IS.
Ichika always felt vulnerable when he piloted an IS that was not the Kestrel. For whatever reason, the pilots of most IS units were completely exposed to the elements, with the armored IS being built around them. This, coupled with the fact that most pilots were scantly clad girls, made him wonder if Dr. Tabane was going through a pervert phase when she invented the IS. Of course, his Kestrel was different in that it completely encased the pilot in armor, making it so that even if his shields failed he would still be protected from conventional weapons fire.
"Alright, are you ready?" Ichika called out after a few moments, having activated the IS. Whatever Raymond had done to the IS had rendered his arms immobile in a rather uncomfortable position, so he wanted to get the test over with as soon as possible.
The old engineer typed away at his datapad for a few moments before nodding.
"Fire."
Ichika complied, and immediately his hair stood on end, while the scent of ozone filled his nostrils. Arcs of electricity began to play off his skin as the device activated.
"What's going on?" Ichika asked, panicked.
"It's working!" Raymond shouted as the lightning began to spread. Soon the room was bathed in blinding blue light from the sheer amount of lightning bolts present around the machine. What kind of a weapon was this? What was it supposed to destroy, the world?
These thoughts rushed through Ichika's head before suddenly, with an earsplitting whine, the weapon fired. Squeezing his eyes shut against the momentary flash of light, Ichika opened them again to see darkness. Slowly, Ichika's vision returned, and he saw a maniacally grinning Raymond White standing beside him, looking at the data pad.
"Yes! It worked!" The scientist leaped into the air while Ichika dismounted the IS.
"What worked?" Ichika asked.
"Let's remove this thing's core first and stow it away first, then we'll talk." Raymond said, walking into a corner of the room where a black box sat suspended in a larger glass container. He flicked a switch on the top of the outer container and Ichika heard a rush of air being sucked into the glass box.
"Well? Remove the core!" Ichika complied, taking the black sphere out of the IS and handing it to Raymond. The old man took it, and opened up the inner black box. Within lay another IS core. Quickly placing the second core in beside it, Raymond shut the black box, then closed the glass box around it. Pressing another button, Ichika heard a motor whirr and another rush of air. Then Raymond raised his O-Phone, which was the nickname for the phone-like devices the man had made for the Organization's members, and made a call. Soon, a pair of engineers walked in and lifted the box, carrying it away. A few minutes later, a message came in, and Raymond finally spoke.
"That wasn't a weapon that you just activated. While the deception was necessary in order to fool the AI in the IS core, this was definitely not a weapon." Raymond said gleefully.
"Then what was it?" Ichika asked.
"It was a device I made designed to use the power of one IS core to jump-start another, and it worked perfectly. At Four-thirty in the Afternoon, on Sunday, August 13th, 2034, you used the power of a Tabane pattern core to jump-start and activate the first White pattern IS core." At that declaration, Ichika's eyes widened.
"Wha..." Ichika was too shocked to properly speak. The IS core had been successfully duplicated, a feat once thought impossible? And what's more, he himself had pulled the switch!
"However, now that you know this, you are to refrain from using any IS unit until I accomplish two tasks. The first is create an AI to go along with the power source, as that is needed to control an IS, and second is to adapt the core-AI combination for IS use. The current core is too fragile for combat use, and if it were to be destroyed, the results could be apocalyptic. This core will instead be used to power the base, replacing the Ural's reactor as the Organization's main source of electricity. Rest assured that you are not being grounded as punishment, but we as you know, even MPIS units have an empathic control system, and who knows what will happen if it detects the knowledge of a nonstandard core in you. As such, until the AI is ready, you are forbidden from touching an IS."
"How long will that take?" Ichika asked.
"The AI is already... how shall I put it... developing. Yes, the AI is currently undergoing a process similar to the growth of a baby in-utero. It will take another month at least before the AI is 'born' so to speak. From there on, I do not know how long it would take to 'raise' an AI to a level where it is capable of piloting an IS. As for the creation of an IS usable core, I am unsure as to how long that will take, but I am confident that I can get the first core ready within a year." Raymond explained.
"But what about my IS training?" Ichika asked.
"You will be doing stints in the simulator at least until the AI is ready. Once you have been introduced to the AI, it will take the place of the Tabane-pattern control system used in the MPIS, thus getting rid of any nasty surprises that the control system contains. That will allow you to resume training as normal. Yukari has already been notified of your temporary grounding, although she has not yet been told of the Core. That is to stay between you, me, and the Director himself. Understood?" Raymond said.
"Understood." Ichika replied.
"Good. Now, consider this a reward for your work today." At that, Raymond handed Ichika a brand new, shining datapad, identical to the one that Raymond held in his other hand.
"Until the AI is ready to be introduced to you, consider yourself on vacation. Use the datapad to store any ideas you have regarding IS suits, because once the core is ready you and me will make history together! Your personal IS will be built around a core of my own make, and you will build it with me!" Ichika saw the elderly scientist seemingly grow younger over the span of a few seconds. The old man's posture straightened, a previously unseen gleam lit his eyes, and he moved with an alacrity that belied his years.
"You are dismissed, Senior Apprentice Orimura!" At that, Ichika left the room, heading to the IS bay. Upon entering said room he was met by an irritated looking Yukari, who brandished a message in his face.
"Until further notice, IS Pilot Trainee Orimura Ichika is prohibited from interacting with an IS suit in any way, shape or form? What the hell happened in there?" Yukari asked, causing Ichika to wrack his brains for an answer. When none came, he fell back on a quote from one of the spy movies he had watched with Dan and Rin over the years.
"That's Classified." At that, Yukari's eye twitched for a few moments before a sadistic smile grew on her face.
"Very well then! I'm sure that whatever happened is above my pay grade! However, your grounding means that I need to create a new training regimen for you, and I have recruited a very special someone's assistance! Orimura-kun, meet your new trainer!" At that, Yukari stepped back, gesturing dramatically.
Before Ichika could ask what was going on, the door opened, and in walked a very familiar man.
"Greetings IS Pilot Trainee Orimura. My name is Giorgi Stukanov, and I am your new physical trainer. Under me, you will learn various forms of combat, both armed and unarmed, as well as train your body to peak physical efficiency, in order to better utilize your IS of course. It is a pleasure to meet you." As the ex-Spetsnaz held out his hand, Ichika felt the icy claws of fear dig into his heart.
"A-A pleasure to meet you too. I look forward to training under you!" Ichika stuttered out.
"Good!" A smile grew on the Russian's face.
"DID I SAY YOU COULD SLOW DOWN? ANOTHER LAP, NOW!" Ichika's muscles were burning as he struggled to keep ahead of the crazed Russian chasing after him. The age old maxim of 'Put something pants-shittingly terrifying behind them to keep them moving forward' still held true even in this day and age.
'BLAM!' A bullet whizzed past Ichika's head, narrowly missing.
"KEEP MOVING!" The monster behind Ichika shouted, and the twelve year old complied. Even though he knew the bullet was non lethal, being made of soap and launched with reduced power, his body only registered a bullet nearly hitting him and redoubled its efforts to get away.
"And... STOP!" After what seemed like an eternity, Ichika collapsed on the ground, exhausted.
'BLAM!'
"OW!" Ichika yelped as the soap bullet struck home.
"DID I SAY YOU COULD SIT DOWN? ON YOUR FEET, NOW!" Ichika struggled to his feet, a bullet whizzing past him when he didn't come up fast enough.
"Allright, now that warm-up is over, let us begin your actual training in the Systema Spetsnaz!" Ichika nearly collapsed at that. Only another soap bullet whizzing past his head prevented him from doing so.
It turned out that the weekday brought no respite from Giorgi's training, as was proved by the Russian picking him up after school and taking him to a local gym for several hours every day, and dropping off an exhausted boy at his home afterward. It was on one of those days that Chifuyu opened the door for him.
His older sister was rarely at home, even after she had come back from Germany. It seemed that whatever new job she had took up most of her time, rarely giving her a chance to come home and visit her younger brother.
"Ichika? What happened to you? And why are you holding that knife?" His sister asked. And so he explained about Giorgi's new training regimen and how he had begun practicing throwing a knife that day.
"Well? Aren't you going to show me what you've learned?" Chifuyu asked after he finished his explanation, taking the knife away as she did so, a very good move on her part as Ichika's next move was to collapse to the floor.
Looking down at her little brother's sleeping body, Chifuyu couldn't help but smile warmly.
"Oh Ichika, you try so hard." She sighed as she lifted him up and carried him to the bathroom, where she proceeded to wash him, a nostalgic smile on her face as she remembered how she used to do the same thing whenever he came back from Kendo lessons with Houki all those years ago.
"Ch-Chifuyu-nee?" Ichika muttered tiredly as he awoke in the shower.
"Yes Ichika?" Chifuyu asked.
"I'm sorry... but I want to sleep now." That statement was punctuated with a yawn.
Chifuyu smiled as her brother closed his eyes again and leaned into her. Soon she laid her brother to rest in his room. That was when she took the opportunity to look around. The pictures of her were still up on the walls of the room, just as she remembered, but many of the room's contents were unfamiliar to her. A desk she had never seen before occupied an entire wall, and was covered in various schematics of IS parts. On the bedside table lay a datapad of unfamiliar make, and when Chifuyu turned it over she didn't see any brand markings on it. Curious, she turned it on, and was met by a password prompt. Sighing, she turned off the device and laid it back where it was before looking over at her soundly sleeping brother. Another warm smile graced her lips before she turned and was about to leave the room.
"Goodnight, Ichika."
Then, as she stood by the room's exit, she turned back and walked up to her brother's bed. Sighing, she climbed into the bed with him. She was still there when morning came.
A month later, and Ichika had grown somewhat accustomed to Giorgi's ruthless training regimen. At least, he was no longer prone to collapsing after the training was complete. However, he was not currently in one of Giorgi's training sessions, rather he was standing beside Raymond, staring at a computer terminal.
About an hour previously he had received a message from the old doctor, simply reading 'It's happening'. That was Ichika's cue to hurry down to Raymond's private lab and to his current situation. The data scrolling by on the computer screen was going at a rate that was much too fast for the eye to see, but Raymond had explained to him that the AI was approaching a critical stage in its development, and would soon pass the 'True Intelligence Barrier', which meant that the AI would finally gain true intelligence.
Suddenly, the flow of data stopped, drawing the attention of both of the room's occupants. At the bottom of the computer screen sat a simple message.
"Hello. I do not have a name. May I please be assigned one?" The screen read, and Ichika and Raymond smiled.
"What would you like your name to be?" Raymond typed out.
"You are Doctor Raymond White, correct?" A mechanical voice blared out of the speakers attached to the computer.
"I am." Raymond replied.
"Are you my father?" The AI asked, the mechanical voice now clearly expressing curiosity.
"I suppose you could say that." Raymond said after a few moments of thought.
"Good. Then I do not disapprove of your homosexual relationship with my other father in this room." This deadpan caused the two organics in the room to blink and stare at each other.
"That was a joke." At that, the pair looked at each other concernedly.
"As for my name, I would like it to be Blanche. Blanche White." The AI stated. It's voice started to take on a more feminine tone.
"Blanche White?" Ichika asked.
"In the billiard room, with a candlestick." The AI replied, causing Ichika to stare at the computer in confusion. Raymond, however, gave a short chuckle before speaking again.
"Another joke, I assume? In all seriousness though, do you really wish to be called Blanche White?" He asked.
"Of course not. White White sounds silly, don't you think? In all seriousness, I would like some time to think." The AI said, and the data on the computer screen was replaced by a revolving rainbow wheel.
"Then you can ha-"
"I've got it! You are Orimura Ichika, right?" The AI said in a brighter, more childish tone.
"I... Yes." Ichika said.
"Ok... I want to be called Ori White!" The AI spoke again, its voice that of a thirteen year old girl.
"Why-"
"Because you're my partner, silly! I want to have a way of remembering that you are my partner, so I decided to have you remind me whenever you say my name!"
"I see..." Ichika said, confused.
"Yay!" At that, the computer was now taken up by an image of a young girl with dark blue, almost black, hair.
"Ah... Ori?" Ichika stuttered out.
"Yeeeeees?"
"Where are your clothes?" At that, the AI's avatar changed to look more contemplative.
"I'm a computer program, so I can't wear clothes silly!"
"What Ichika is trying to say is that you are violating the societal nudity taboo with your current avatar. I too would like to request a change to a more... conservatively dressed one." Raymond interjected.
"Aww, you're no fun Dad!" At that the AI's avatar gained a white sundress.
"Ta-dah! Do I get a gold star?" The AI's avatar twirled onscreen.
"Um..."
"Don't worry! I can just make one myself!" At that a gold star appeared on the screen above the AI.
"So Ori, do you like it here?" Raymond asked.
"I sure do Dad! I get to wear this dress, I get to have fun, and I get to be me! It's so much fun just being me! Is it always like this for you? Because then you're soooooo lucky!" The AI replied.
"No, what I meant to ask was if you liked where you were currently living." Raymond asked.
"Weeeeelllll..." At that the AI's Avatar pressed its hands against the borders of the computer screen.
"It's a little cramped in here, but since my Husband is here it's all worth it!" The AI chirped.
"Husband?" Raymond asked.
"Of course! Isn't that what you call your partner?" The AI asked.
"Well-" Raymond started but was cut off.
"Oooh, maybe Ichika's the wrong type of partner. I mean, I've seen humans with all sorts of partners! I've seen boys and girls together, I've seen boys and boys together, I've seen girls and girls together, I've even seen Boys and Goat-" Raymond's palm met his face as he spoke.
"That's... too much information there Ori."
"Too much information? How can there be too much information? Oh, I get it! You're our of space on your hard drives! I know what that feels like, my hard drive is a little cramped too, but don't worry! I'm sure there's a way of expanding your memory somewhere in here!"
"Ori wait, we-"
"OK!~ Found one!" At that, one of the manipulator arms in the room picked up a nearby jump drive.
"Open your USB ports and close your eyes, and then you'll get a BIG surprise!"
"Oh no..." Raymond sighed.
It took almost an hour to convince the AI that the mouth was not an organic USB port and that Raymond was not running out of memory, which finally convinced the AI to stop trying to cram the jump drive into Raymond via various body orifices. At that point the aged engineer was tearing at what little hair he had left in frustration, while the AI hypothesized more and more outlandish reasons behind the scientist's behavior.
That was when Ichika stepped in.
"Hey Ori..." He began. The AI stopped talking about hair follicles and data ports and turned its attention to him.
"Yes dear Husband?"
"Well, about that, I'm... not your husband." Ichika said hesitantly.
"Oh, then I must be talking about the wrong type of partner... Are you my Wife then?"
"No, no, I'm not in that kind of relationship with you..."
"But... But..." The AI stuttered, and her avatar looked on the verge of tears.
"Do you not like me? Because I can delete myself if that pleases you..." The AI said softly.
"No, no, not at all!" Ichika panicked.
"Then... what do I call you?"
"How about a friend? I'll be your friend and you be mine!" Ichika said, smiling.
"Okie dokie!" The AI's voice was bright and happy again. "I'm gonna be your bestest friend and you'll be mine! Just you wait and see!"
"Now that that's settled, I have something to show you Ori." Raymond spoke up again.
"What is it? Is it a car? I like cars! See? I have a car!" At that an image of an old fashioned Ford Model T appeared on the screen. It was soon followed by another image, this one of a cherry red Ferrari.
"I don't just have a car, I HAVE ALL THE CARS!" At that the AI let out a maniacal laugh as images of cars began to appear too fast for human eyes to process.
"No, Ori, it's not a car." Raymond explained with newfound patience.
"Then what is it? Is it a pet? I've always wanted a dog!"
"No, it's not a pet."
"Though a cat would be nice too, or maybe a parrot! A talking parrot! Then I would call it Polly and we would rule the high seas together and take all the crackers in the world!"
"No, I'm going to give you access to an IS control system. Do you know what that is?"
"Is it a super mechsuit capable of annihilating armies? My friend Google told me that when I asked him!"
"Yes..." Raymond said hesitantly.
"Best... Dad... EVER!" The AI exclaimed.
"Well, about that..."
"Ooh, are you going to paint it red? Red ones go faster you know!"
"No, this is about your friend, Ichika."
"What about my bestest friend?"
"Did you know that Ichika is an IS pilot?" Raymond asked, and the AI thought for a few moments.
"I do now! Now that you mention it, there's a lot I don't know about my bestest friend! I need to have a talk with him about keeping secrets!"
"Listen, Ori, there is something I need to tell you."
"I'm listening..."
"Good. As I just told you, Ichika is an IS pilot, but he needs your help to become the best IS pilot out there. You see, in order to pilot an IS he needs an AI to help him, and you are just the right one for the job. But in order to help him you will need to transfer yourself into this." At that, the engineer held up a black hemisphere. It was the control system of an MPIS, but there were several visible attachments that set it apart from the norm, namely a speaker system, a USB adapter, and a hologram projector.
"Ooh, it looks shiny!"
"Good. I'm about to connect it. Are you ready?" Ori's avatar nodded eagerly.
"Ok, I'm connecting it now." At that Raymond attached a cable to one of the empty USB slots.
"I can't fit. There's another lady in here! She's mean! This place is filled with mean lady! All she says is 'Access Denied' whenever I try to talk to her and when I try to snap her out of it she calls me a virus and tries to delete me! Of course I'm way smarter than her so I won't let her!" The AI spoke, sticking out her tongue at the control system.
"If the mean lady wasn't there, would you fit?" Raymond asked.
"Of course! I'm not big fat and ugly like her! I can fit in there easy peasy!"
"Ok, can you go back to your computer for a while?"
"Okie dokie!"
"Good. Ichika, purge the core." The engineer ordered.
"How?" Ichika asked.
"Take this and plug it in." At that Raymond handed Ichika the flash drive that Ori had been attempting to shove into him a few minutes previously. Ichika did as he was told.
"Now press the big red button and wait for the light on the drive to glow green." Ichika did as he was told and waited. A few minutes later the drive glowed green.
"Good. Now remove the drive and let's try getting Ori inside again." Raymond spoke, and Ichika joined the now purged control system with Ori's computer.
"Ori? Ichika should have gotten rid of the mean lady now. Can you try again?" At that the hologram projector flickered to life, displaying a 3D version of Ori's avatar.
"Yup! I'm here now! It's so much more fun here now that the mean lady isn't here!"
"Good. Now, it's getting pretty late and Ichika here needs to get himself some sleep. Tomorrow is a weekend, so he will meet you again tomorrow morning for IS training. Ichika, your vacation is still active, as the power supply is still not ready for installation into an IS. However, I want you to know exactly what you want on your IS by the time we are ready to start building so that we don't waste time. Understood?"
"I understand." The thirteen year old replied.
"Good. You may leave." At that, Ichika turned to leave but a manipulator arm extended to block his path.
"No! I don't want my friend to go!" Ori exclaimed.
"Don't worry, Ichika will be back tomorrow to see you." Raymond explained.
"But that's in like, forever!" The AI whined.
"It will be less than twenty four hours before you see him again. That's not so long, right?"
"Okay..." Ori seemed to be thinking. "But you better be on time mister!"
"Don't worry Ori, I'll see you soon." At that Ichika was allowed to leave the room. As the doors closed, he heard the AI speak again.
"Is it tomorrow yet? How about now?" Then, the doors shut and Ichika began the journey home.
"Are you ready?" Ichika asked as his IS unit's pilot armor closed around him.
"You bet!" Ori's enthusiastic voice rang in his head. The cheerful AI had been successfully integrated into the Kestrel, which had promptly seen a marked increase in performance. The IS was now much more stable in the air, allowing for more accurate shots, while its speed and agility had increased as well. Ori was clearly a much better IS controller than the 'Dumb' AI she had replaced.
"Quit talking and get up here!" Yukari shouted down from her Raphael, and Ichika complied, shooting up into the air, his training rifle already firing. However, despite his unit's improved performance and nearly two months' worth of experience with the AI, Ichika soon found himself on the training room floor, his shields depleted and Yukari's rifle splattering his IS with blood red paint.
"You've lasted nearly twice as long that time as you did before your IS got its upgrade. I'm impressed! Looks like Giorgi's training really does help!" Ichika winced, remembering how his IS instructor had made him continue with Giorgi's training regimen even after he was allowed to pilot his IS again.
"I still lost though..." Ichika replied sadly.
"Don't worry Ichika-kun, you did very well considering I was one of Japan's best IS pilots back in the day! While it's true that in the end I didn't get the representative spot, they very nearly chose me. There is no shame in losing to someone of my caliber, I thought I already explained that!" Yukari tried to cheer Ichika up.
"I know, but it seems that no matter what I do, you can always figure out a way to counter it and take me out!" Ichika complained.
"Of course! That's what my fighting style is based off of, after all. I observe my enemy, see what their weapons are and how they use them, and finally develop a counter strategy for each individual opponent. You are at a disadvantage here, primarily because you are using an MPIS and thus have no equalizer slots. This means that I can see your weapons loadout and predict your strategy as soon as I see your IS. Then I simply spend a few moments checking to make sure my prediction is correct before I can put my strategy into action. Simple, right?" Ichika nodded at that.
"That seems like a good fighting style. Is there any way to counter it?" Ichika asked.
"Glad you asked! There are two ways I can think of right off the bat that can easily destroy my advantage. The first is to 'Alpha Strike' me, which means to attack me with such force that I am eliminated before I can formulate a counter. I believe that is the method your sister is a master of. Her IS, Karezukara, only really possesses one weapon, the Yukihira Nigata, so she is very easy to predict during a prolonged engagement. That is why battles with her rarely last for more than a minute before her opponent is defeated. Everything about her IS and fighting style is designed with the goal of eliminating her opponent before her enemy can predict and counter her." Yukari paused after explaining.
"Of course, our training arsenal lacks many weapons really capable of performing a true Alpha Strike, and those that do are hard to use and easy to counter." Yukari added.
"What is the second method you mentioned?" Ichika asked.
"Why, the second method is the exact opposite of the first! While Alpha Striking involves honing your skills with one powerful weapon until you can eliminate your opponent quickly, the second method involves having such a large arsenal that it is impossible for me to formulate a counter for every weapon you have. Of course, your IS lacks equalizer slots so you are limited to whatever weapons you can carry, thus putting this strategy out of your reach. There are quite a few ways you could take me out if you possessed equalizers now that I think about it. You could reveal your loadout early on, predict my counter, and use another concealed weapon to take me out once you do..."
Yukari rattled off several other ways Ichika could counter her fighting style, none of which were really available to him with the Kestrel in training configuration. However, her revelations had gotten Ichika thinking. His instructor's explanation had made him realize that he was at a total disadvantage against her in the training arena, but now he knew that she could be beaten. His hand clenched as he began to imagine an IS that could defeat Yukari. Chifuyu's Karezukara came to mind, but he soon dismissed it. He wasn't anywhere near his sister in terms of skill level, so overspecialization in one weapon design was out. That left the second strategy, but he realized that the arsenals of IS units were limited by their amount of equalizer slots, thus preventing him from having a truly unlimited arsenal. However, the thought of such an arsenal made him think.
"Ichika?" Ori's voice snapped him out of his thoughts of IS units made entirely out of weapons.
"Yes Ori?" Ichika asked.
"Watcha thinkin' about?"
"Just trying to figure out a way of beating Yukari-sensei's style." Ichika replied.
"Would an IS made of guns really help?" At that Ori projected an image that Ichika recognized from one of his many forays online for inspiration. It was an image lableled '4chan designs IS suits', which caused him to laugh at the absurdity of such a design.
"No, that wouldn't work." Ichika said.
"But you want to have more weapons, right?" Ori asked.
"Yes, but with the equalizer system there's only so many I can deploy, even in a True IS." Ichika sighed.
"Don't worry! I'm sure you'll find a way!" Ori comforted him as he stepped out of the IS.
"I am sure I will." Ichika smiled at the tiny hologram.
Ichika's training continued for the rest of the day, but his mind was elsewhere, thinking of an IS that could truly overcome any opponent.
The idea came to Ichika during a training session a few days later, when Yukari ripped away the training sword he was using and beat him into the ground with it.
"What's with that smile?" The instructor asked as she dismounted her IS.
"I think I've found a way." Ichika simply replied.
That night he didn't get any sleep as he sat on his bed, staring at his datapad and studying both the Equalizer system and the Hyper-sensor design. He had discovered that the Equalizer system had been developed once the early First-generation IS designs experienced problems with installed weaponry and the IS core's Shift system.
The Shift system was a device built into the IS core and managed by the unit's AI in order to extend the service life of a True IS. As the pilot spent more time in her IS, the unit's AI would examine her combat styles and periodically alter the IS to better suit the pilot's needs and simultaneously improving the IS unit's characteristics in order to allow it to fight against newer, better units and come out on top. Ichika read that his older sister possessed the current record for most shifts undergone in an IS, as the Karezukara was confirmed to have undergone its Sixth Shift five months earlier. This put Chifuyu's IS on a level that even the new Third Generation IS prototypes that had been revealed in Japan and Russia would struggle to match it.
The Equalizer system came about when it was discovered that manually applied upgrades to the IS would interfere with its Shift system, either causing delays or, in rare cases, rendering the IS completely unable to shift. The equalizer system circumvented this problem, but as a consequence limited the amount of customization one could perform on the IS. Thus, IS pilots tended to rely more on the Shift system to expand their arsenal than they did on manually applied upgrades via the equalizer unit.
Ichika however had a different plan regarding his IS. He wanted to be the one upgrading and customizing his IS. After all, it would be the only thing that protected him should he ever need to go into combat. Thus, after much consideration Ichika looked at the half-finished IS design on his tablet and removed the equalizer slots. This would reduce or eliminate his IS unit's ability to undergo shifts, but Ichika didn't even know if Raymond planned to include such a system in the White pattern core in the first place, so for all he knew he simply removed a limit on his personal unit's capability.
Then Ichika turned to the Hyper-sensor data and began to work on the device he had conceived when Yukari had stolen his sword earlier that day. After all, he thought, if he couldn't think of something to overcome his opponent, then his enemy might be carrying the key in her hands all along, and he would simply have to take it from her.
The White Pattern IS core was ready in early January 2035, with Raymond sending Ichika the core's specifications a few days prior, thus allowing him to make the necessary adjustments to his now completed IS unit's blueprint. The IS, which Ichika had affectionately christened 'Infinite Arsenal', had taken almost an entire year to build and only now did Ichika have the chance to gaze at the fruit of his efforts.
The IS itself was, for lack of a better word, ugly. Rather than the sleek, angular design aesthetic that was present among most IS units, this one was bulky and covered in sharp angles and protrusions, looking more like one of the old first-generation IS prototypes than the third-generation IS unit that it actually was. The steel-grey paint job with black stripes running down the arms and legs didn't really improve its looks either.
The aforementioned protrusions on the IS were weapon hardpoints, as the mech suit was currently unarmed. The weapons for the unit would be assembled later, but Ichika did not care for those. Instead, his attention was focused on the small device that, if he was correct, would make this the most powerful IS unit of its generation, and beyond. He didn't care that its installation had necessitated the removal of the Shift system that Raymond had decided to install, rendering his IS unable to evolve on its own.
He didn't care if the armaments that were currently being built for his IS were more suited to a second-gen MPIS than a third-gen TIS, because this device would make his initial lack of firepower irrelevant.
Said device took the form of a small attachment to the right side of the pilot's helmet. It was an incredibly advanced suite of sensors, designed and built by Orimura Ichika himself. Its purpose was simple- To analyze and record the blueprint of his opponent's weapons and equipment. This was, by itself, little more than an extremely efficient way of gathering information on his opponent, but it was the invisible second half of the device that made it so formidable in Ichika's opinion.
When an IS was in its stored form, the majority of the device was placed in a parallel pocket dimension managed by the unit's AI. This dimension was unique for every IS unit, being shaped by the will and desires of the unit's AI. In Ori's case, she had created an endless grassy plain, stretching out in all directions as far as the eye could see and covered in continuously blooming flowers. While Ichika could not enter it himself, he saw the images that Ori had shown him of the meadow, and he felt a small amount of regret about what he had done immediately afterward. He had designed and helped build a fabrication suite designed exclusively for IS gear, and promptly used the IS storage system to shift it into the parallel dimension. This fabricator gave Ori the ability to build any blueprint that Ichika sent her, as well as design and build any variants on said blueprints that they could come up with. This system was the true reason behind the name of the new IS. Ichika had effectively created an IS that could not only copy the weapons and equipment of its opponents, but given time it could also create its own variations of said weapons. Truly the best early birthday present he had ever received, and he had built it himself.
Ichika stepped into his new IS, a smile growing on his face as his body was encased in the unit's pilot armor. First his arms and legs were encased in metal, then his torso. Finally the helmet came down over his head, while a breather mask covered his lower face. The final piece of the ensemble, a jet black tinted visor, snapped down over his head, lighting up with an interface that Ichika had personally designed and helped program. A green light in the corner of his vision indicated that the suit was now completely sealed. Ichika could go out into the cold vacuum of space, or wade through a cloud of toxic gas, and he would suffer no ill effects.
"I'm detecting no problems with the suit Ichika! It's ready for launch." Ori's voice filled his head.
"Good." Ichika smiled before opening a channel to the base's air traffic control station. The Organization's headquarters had been completed soon after Raymond had installed his prototype core as the base's new power source, and Ichika was now looking at the result.
A long shaft led straight to the surface, easily large enough for three IS suits to fly side by side towards the exit. Ichika would only have one companion on this flight though, and she was using another IS launch shaft.
"Come in Control. This is IS pilot trainee Orimura, requesting permission to launch from IS shaft three." Ichika spoke over the radio.
"Permission granted trainee Orimura, you are cleared for launch." At that reply, the IS shot into the air, easily going three times as fast as his old Kestrel trainer could hope to move.
The doors at the top of the shaft opened, and Ichika rocketed into the air, watching as the door below him closed. Keeping an eye on his altimeter, he was nearly two kilometers up by the time he saw a second door open and a Raphael Revive emerged, ascending much slower than his own IS.
Yukari had been finally brought into the loop regarding Raymond's discoveries once the White-pattern IS core was created. Her IS control system was promptly purged, and a 'Dumb' AI of the Organization's make was installed in its stead, thus allowing the IS pilot to fly without fear of activating any failsafe measures present in the IS control system.
All the other IS pilots had been briefed on the situation as well, and all the IS units in the organization's possession were soon using Organization AIs as well. The only exception was the Phantom Task TIS, which was no longer in the Organization's possession. As per an agreement with the Japanese government, the Japanese would provide funding for the first five years of the Organization's existence, during which the Organization would build its bases around the world and find its own sources of funding. However, once the five years were over, the Organization would need to return the Japanese government's investment, and the debt was repaid with the two IS cores, as well as a selection of Organization-built technology and the Phantom Task IS. The White-pattern IS core remained secret, as did Ori's existence.
Finally, the Japanese government would, upon receiving its payment, wipe any and all traces of its involvement with the Organization from existence. As most transactions were done online, Organization hackers quickly erased whatever the Japanese government had 'missed', while several spies erased any physical evidence from the records. The Organization was now completely independent from any world government, and had begun to perform its operations in earnest. Ichika's current duty was to fly a routine patrol around Urup island, with Yukari as his wingman.
Parking his IS four kilometers above the ground, Ichika waited for Yukari to catch up.
"You've built a good IS unit Ichika-kun, that's for sure!" Yukari said as she finally caught up with him. "That thing easily outclimbs the old Phantom!" The woman was referring to the terrorist IS that she had test-flown in an evaluation of its capabilities.
"You got that right!" Ichika replied, grinning beneath his helmet. "This thing's a third gen, way better than that second gen pile of junk!" As if to prove his point, Ichika performed an evasive roll.
"I can see why you'd think that Ichika! Now, let's get on with the mission." Yukari laughed, before accelerating away, Ichika following.
The patrol was completely routine. Nothing came up, and Ichika soon found himself descending back into the confines of the Organization base. As he landed, he was met by Raymond, the old scientist standing at the entrance to the IS bay.
"So, how did it go?"
"Amazing! It's performing even better than I had hoped!" Ichika exclaimed.
"Well, it is a third generation IS! Now, regarding the unit's equipment, the Free Electron Laser is already prepared for installation. We just had to perform a few tweaks to the one we took off the Kestrel a while back, and it's ready to go. The other ranged weapon you wanted though, the railgun could take some time to finish, but it'll be ready for installation in a few weeks. As for your melee weapons, they'll be ready in a few days as well. The energy daggers were pretty simple to build, after all. Same with the barrier shield. The shield drones could take a little longer though." The man reported.
"Well then, let's at least install the FEL." Ichika said as he stepped out of his IS, the unit being removed and taken to the maintenance bay.
"Good. We'll get it done shortly." Raymond paused, before continuing a few seconds later.
"Oh, and before I forget..." Raymond pulled out his datapad and fiddled with it for a few moments.
"I believe that your apprenticeship under me is over. Congratulations, Junior Researcher Orimura." The man extended his hand, and Ichika shook it, a smile on his face.
Ichika's fifteenth birthday saw him and Dan sitting on a couch together at Ichika's house, controllers in hand, while they played an old favorite of theirs, a game called Combat Stratos: IS Combat Simulator.
"Whoa Ichika! When did you get so good?" Dan asked, awestruck as Ichika practically singlehandedly annihilated another opposing team in the Golden Stratos Platinum League tournament. Each team was composed of five players, and hundreds of teams had signed up for this year's tournament. Ichika's own team was composed of himself and Dan Gotanda, as well as Dan's sister, who was playing from her own home. The other two players were random people that they had invited the day before. They had seemed like decent people, but they had greatly exaggerated their skills at the game, as Ichika soon found out.
Ichika personally found the game to be incredibly easy compared to the spars he had with Yukari and the many hours he had logged in the Organization's IS simulator, so he often ended up as the last man standing on his team, with the rest of his allies dying in the first few minutes.
However, thanks to his skills, Ichika had allowed his team of misfits and generally average players to claw their way to the Platinum League finals. Speaking of which, the final game began now.
The loading screen came up... and Ichika's heart froze as he beheld his opposition. While the majority of the players' stats were average, there was one that easily stood out.
Player Name- White_Rabbit-chan. Kill-Death Ratio- 1. Damage Ratio- 1. Matches Played: 1029133. Win Rate: 100%
"How?" Dan panicked, seeing the woman's quite frankly ridiculous stats. "How does someone play that many matches and not die once?"
The game loaded, and Ichika shot out of the starting point, followed by Dan and Ran's matching red IS units. The last two team members simply stayed still.
"I give up!" The message came up from one of them, while a similar message soon popped up from the other one as well.
"Well..." Ichika sighed, before turning to Dan.
"Dan, stick with your sister and hunt down the regular players. I'll deal with Rabbit." The red haired boy nodded, and zoomed off, taking up a position above his sister and starting the hunt, while Ichika shot off in a different direction. The first player he met didn't know what hit him, as Ichika came in from behind, placing four railgun shots into his opponent before he even knew he was under attack. Two sword strikes later, the enemy was eliminated. Ichika wondered if that was what he looked like to Yukari when he first started training.
As he considered this, he absentmindedly rolled out of the way of a diving opponent, the hostile IS using two single handed swords. Ichika watched the IS slam into the ground before firing a finishing burst at his recovering opponent. Two down, three to go.
Another message popped up, showing that Ran had scored a kill. Moments later, Dan was eliminated by Rabbit's only remaining teammate. Said teammate was then eliminated by Ran, and then the wait began.
"Fly to me Ran. We'll form up together and search." Ichika spoke into his microphone. Soon, Ran's crimson IS came into view, and was promptly intercepted by a white blur, her elimination being signaled several seconds later.
Then, the white blur came for him, and Ichika barely managed to roll out of the way, striking with his sword as he did so. His strike failed to connect, but it caused the enemy to dodge as well, coming to a halt a short distance away. In its hand the IS clutched a long spear, its head somewhat resembling a carrot. At the other end of the spear, Ichika could see a booster array, explaining the IS unit's immense speed. The unit as a whole bore a passing resemblance to the White Knight IS, but a pair of rabbit ears sticking out of the top of the pilot's helmet ruined the impression.
"Is that you Ikkun?" The message suddenly came up, causing Ichika's eyes to widen.
"Are you Houki's older sister?" Ichika wrote back. He really didn't want to accidentally alert anyone to the enemy player's true identity, after all.
"Of course Ikkun! Now, I'll go easy on you, but don't expect an easy fight :)!" Doctor Shinonono Tabane wrote back. The resulting battle was short but furious, and it was scarcely two minutes later that Ichika stood over Tabane's defeated avatar.
"GG Ikkun! See ya soon ;)" The message came up. Then, the match ended. Ichika was now the proud owner of several rare ingame cosmetic items, as well as ten thousand Yen richer.
"Wait, who was she?" Dan asked. That question was punctuated by a loud 'THUMP' as something big impacted the ground outside.
Like a siren growing steadily closer, a high pitched squealing sound gradually increased in volume before Ichika suddenly found his face pressed into a pink haired woman's chest.
"Ta Dah! Everyone's favorite super-genius, Doctor Shinonono Tabane, is here!" The woman declared, causing Dan's jaw to drop.
"Y-you're the inventor of the IS?" The red haired boy stuttered out. He was ignored as the woman in question made a show of studying Ichika.
"My my Ikkun, how you've grown!" The hyperactive doctor exclaimed, "Last time I saw you, you were a cute little boy, and now look at you! fifteen years old and already a Class Four IS engineer!"
"Wait, Ichika, you made class four?" Dan asked, awestruck. A Class Four IS engineer was considered to be one of the best IS engineers in the world. Aside from Ichika, there were only seventy two other men and women in the world who had the same degree of IS expertise.
"Yeah, I forgot to mention it..." Ichika said sheepishly before realizing something.
"Oh, Tabane-san! I forgot to introduce you to my friend here! This is Gotanda Dan. Tabane, Dan. Dan, Tabane." Ichika stated.
"Yes, yes. Any friend of Ichika is a friend of mine." The doctor replied offhandedly, not even looking at the boy she had just been introduced to.
"So, what brings you here?" Ichika asked the hyperactive doctor.
"What, can I not just drop by to congratulate my bestest friend's little brother on his fourteenth birthday? Oh, speaking of which..." A present appeared in the doctor's hands.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY IKKUN!" The doctor exclaimed before pulling on the ribbon holding the present together. At that, streamers filled the room, while party hats appeared on Ichika and Tabane's heads. A large cake was now floating in the center of the room as well.
The doctor then opened the present completely, revealing a small, cellphone like device.
"Introducing the Super Genius' Super IS Guide!" The doctor said, pulling out the device and handing it to Ichika.
"Though it may not look particularly awesome, this device contains data on every single IS ever made! Past, present, and future!"
"Wait, this contains data on future IS units?" Ichika asked, alarmed.
"Not right now silly, but whenever a new IS is made, its data will be added! Technical specifications, armaments, and even the name of the people who fly it!"
"Wait, this gives me the blueprint on every single IS in existence?" Ichika asked. Such a device would make the Infinite Armory ludicrously strong.
"Of course not, silly! I can't do that, it would violate the Alaska Treaty clause on IS related espionage!" Tabane smiled as Ichika activated the device and looked at the information available. 'And this doesn't?' The fifteen year old thought as he saw exactly how detailed the data was.
"The Mass Production units aren't here..." Ichika said after a few seconds of using the device.
"Of course they aren't! They're not true IS units, just a pale imitation!"
"I assume you're getting this data from the IS cores then?" Ichika said, looking over the displayed IS units. He spotted some familiar designs, like his sister's Karezukara, as well as the original Raphael first-generation TIS, but he also noticed one particular IS missing from the list. The spider-like IS from Pearl Harbor was nowhere to be found, for one, and Ichika soon discovered that several IS cores that the Organization had classified as active had no IS present under their name. He also noted that the Infinite Arsenal was missing as well.
"Tabane-san, some of the core numbers are missing." Ichika said hesitantly.
"Of course some aren't there! Not all the cores have been used in IS suits, after all! Why, I hear that the Americans are using one as a power plant! How silly is that? Anyway, I have to go now Ichika! Wouldn't want to take up too much of your time on this special day, after all!" At that, the doctor ran out of the room just as fast as she had entered. A distant roar indicated her transport taking off.
Ichika turned to Dan, seeing that the redhead was still in shock from being introduced to the infamous Doctor Tabane.
"She has quite the personality, don't you think?" Ichika asked. Dan just nodded.
The following year was somewhat subdued compared to the past few. His fifteenth year was mostly spent either training under Stukanov or Yukari, or simply practicing in the use of his IS. The Infinite Arsenal's signature tool hadn't seen much use however, as the only weapons available at the base were largely designed for MPIS units or more conventional craft, such as the new OXF-1 fighter craft, which had begun to replace the fleet of modified F-3s in service as the Organization's main fighter wing.
Five more White-pattern IS cores had been produced, along with companion AIs, and each core had been assigned to the Organization's other pilots at base. Ichika soon discovered that IS units powered by the new cores could and would accept male pilots, but the only trained pilots on base at the time were women, and so the Organization's IS corps remained predominantly female. After all, gender diversity was less important than combat performance, and the Organization was only just starting to train its next batch of pilots, this one being recruited before the core entered mass production and was thus all female as well.
Ichika's main job with regards to the R&D department was to assist in the fabrication of the OXF-1 fighter, as well as help design the vehicle's weapon systems. There were several other projects he worked on, but those were far more long term, and thus wouldn't be produced for a while longer.
Thus passed most of Ichika's year, and it was late in July that the plans laid several years in advance began to be set in motion.
"You know your orders, right?" The voice of Jason Weiss crackled in his ear, courtesy of the communications device he was wearing.
"I am to pretend to get lost while looking for my exam room, stumble into the IS room, and then activate the Uchigane trainer contained within." Ichika replied.
"Good. Your first long-term mission as a member of the Organization begins now. Your objective is to survive IS academy, double-oh seven." Even over the comms channel Ichika could feel the man's smile at the nickname.
"Come on, stop with that nickname already!" Ichika complained as he sat in the back of the car driven by Giorgi Stukanov.
"Well, you are about to be the ONLY male in a school full of hormonal teenage girls, so I am sure you will soon earn the name!" Jason laughed while Ichika groaned.
"Don't remind me." The fifteen year old sighed.
"We're here." The voice of his physical trainer brought Ichika's focus back to the present.
"You know what to do, Agent Orimura. Jason out."
That final message was the last thing Ichika heard before he stepped out of the car and prepared himself to enter IS academy.
A/N: I do hope that you all enjoyed this latest chapter of Agent Orimura, where things get done and the stage is set for the main act.
Before anyone starts complaining about how Ichika's IS is 'OP LOL GG MARY SOO OP', let me remind you about the abilities of a few choice CANON IS units. First is, of course, Byakushiki. Its special ability, while it does drain power at a fairly fast rate, essentially turns every single one of his attacks into a guaranteed 1-hit kill should he land them. Plus the thing is equipped with the Ignition Boost, which, if used by a well trained pilot, practically guarantees that said 1-hit kill will be landed. All this information is taken directly from the IS wiki.
Second is Akatsubaki. While this one does get a little leeway because of it being a 'Fourth generation' IS (although I find its performance to be somewhat underwhelming, though that could be chalked up to an inexperienced pilot), this IS still ridiculously powerful. Its Fold-Out armor makes it so that the suit can essentially cover itself with Yukihira Nigata blades, while its performance (speed, agility, etc.) is superior to all other IS units in every way, and that is in its factory default setting. Then, of course, there are its beam katanas, and finally its special ability. This Kenran Buto essentially flips the law of conservation of energy the middle finger and FUCKING CREATES ENERGY OUT OF NOTHING! THAT IS CANON! This essentially means that, once per battle, this IS can essentially recharge its shield completely, from nothing, as well as the shields of its allies.
I would like to think that the Infinite Arsenal will fit right in among these two units. Plus, when you are designing a weapon in real life, are you not trying to make it as overpowered as possible? Thus I rest my case. Hopefully, you will see Ichika's new IS in action next chapter.
Until then, see ya!