A/N: Here it is. My apologies for the delay. This should have been out yesterday, but as many of you are already aware, the servers were down.
Also, I've located an inconsistency in the previous chapter, where Tatenashi stated that Cecilia was the only one who had a match against an unarmed squadron in the first round, only to state later that her first match would be the same. I have edited the previous chapter's dialogue a bit to fix this.
Chapter 27
Ichika awoke to the sensation of movement behind him. Very quickly, he realized that something was not right. There was an arm wrapped around his shoulder, and that arm was not his. Considering how he had gone to sleep as his bed's only occupant, that was very unusual indeed.
The first thing he saw when he opened his eyes was Houki's sleeping face, and he quickly realized that it was her arm that had grabbed him. She was wearing her pink yukata, although it had slipped during the night, baring her shoulder. A pair of arms were wrapped around her waist, and by raising his head he quickly spotted Cecilia, who had evidently been sleeping beside her.
As his childhood friend was showing no signs of waking up, Ichika began to gently extricate himself from her grasp. As he began to do so, however, the movement behind him stopped.
"Sorry Ichika, did I wake you up?" Laura's voice whispered in his ear a moment later.
"No, you didn't. What is..." Ichika asked, twisting his himself around until he could just about see the predicament that Laura had gotten herself into. Evidently Charlotte liked to cuddle, and Laura was attempting to gently extricate herself from her sleeping friend's grip.
"Tatenashi did it. She waited until you were asleep, and then used her IS to move us all over to your bed. I... I might have woken up during the process." Laura blushed. Ichika sighed before raising himself up in an attempt to find the older girl. Her distinctive blue hair made her easy to spot, and Ichika quickly located the Sarashiki siblings behind Cecilia. The two had cuddled up to each other, sandwiching an awake and uncomfortable looking Rin between them as they did so. The Chinese girl was struggling to get out from between the two sleeping sisters, although judging by the smile on Tatenashi's face, the older of the two was not as asleep as she appeared.
Shaking his head, Ichika allowed his head to drop back onto the pillow, intent on getting a few more minutes of rest before the ticking time bomb went off. That was when Houki chose to wake up, her eyes flickering open to stare into Ichika's own. They widened at the sight before flicking down to see the state of her sleepwear. She blushed at the sight, but a faint smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. A moment later, her arm tightened around Ichika's shoulder, pulling him closer as her eyes closed again.
"Mmh... Ichika~!" That was not Houki's voice, and his childhood friend's eyes snapped open as she suddenly released him. Twisting herself around, she came face to face with a suddenly awake and mortified Cecilia, whose hands were now clapped over her mouth.
Ichika's palm met his face as the two girls processed the other's actions. Any second now...
He felt Houki's growl before he heard it, and he promptly rolled over, putting some distance between himself and the coming fight. He came face to face with Laura and a drowsy Charlotte, the former of whom was now on top of the latter. Both girls were clad in their cat-themed pajamas, and they blinked in unison just in time for the battle to break out behind him. Rin evidently took that as her cue to try and break free of the Sarashiki sisters' grip, and when her cries of frustration could be heard above the sound of Houki and Cecilia's fight, Ichika knew that she had failed.
"So... How does breakfast sound?" Ichika asked.
"I-It sounds wonderful..." Charlotte replied.
Almost an hour later, the last of the girls made their way downstairs to the food court. Fortunately, while both Rin and Kanzashi were fighting that day, their bus did not leave until the afternoon.
"Looks like today's the day for you to settle your grudge. You looking forward to it?" Tatenashi asked as she walked up to the table, breakfast tray in hand. Kanzashi nodded absentmindedly at that, her face set in a focused expression.
"You're not nervous, are you?" Kanzashi shook her head at that.
"No. The battlefield favors my squadron. We'll win." She replied.
"That's the spirit!" Tatenashi smiled as she sat down beside her sister.
Most of the table's other occupants had either already finished eating, or were busy watching an ongoing match on the display screens scattered throughout the room. It was a rather entertaining one too, with both squadrons being well equipped and led by a TIS user with some leadership skill.
The first squadron called themselves the Varangian Guards, and were led by a red-haired girl piloting was what appeared to be a Greek-Danish collaborative design, armed with no fewer than six hip-mounted ordinance racks of various types that spewed forth immense volumes of missiles. Her squadmates, meanwhile, were equipped with identical loadouts of machine pistols, arm-mounted secondary shields, and immense battleaxes. Their pilots were advancing under the cover of their leader's missile barrages, although they were not making much headway.
On the other side, Grey Squadron was sitting back, clustered together and keeping its distance from its enemy while blazing away with an impressive arsenal of long-range weaponry. Their leader, who was flying an IS armed with no fewer than six individually-aimed cannons, was doing an impressive job of splitting her focus between operating her weaponry and coordinating her squadron's anti-missile weapons use, which fired off plasma projectiles that exploded to take out entire volleys of missiles at once.
"So Ichika, any advice?" Ichika looked over at Rin's question.
"On what?" He asked.
"For my match, of course!" Rin replied, giving his ribs a friendly elbow.
"Is there anything in particular?" Ichika asked. Rin thought about it for a moment.
"Yes. I'm wondering, how should I try to close distance? My IS can't exactly do much out past a kilometer or so, and judging by how that match is going, I'm going to have a lot of trouble getting in to within that distance unless my opponent's team is also close-quarters focused."
"Hmm..." Ichika considered the problem from the opposite angle, trying to imagine what a melee-focused enemy could try to do in order to get close to his squadron. Finally, he shrugged.
"I'm honestly not sure. I guess you could try to use the clouds as cover to sneak in close, or else try and hide around the island, lure the enemy in close, and then ambush them, but aside from that I can't really offer much in the way of advice. You should ask Chifuyu-nee if you really want good advice, she practically wrote the book on getting in close for a killing strike." He replied.
"A-Ah, of course! Your sister! I-I really should ask her, why didn't I do so in the first place!" Ichika's eyes widened as Rin continued to stammer.
"Don't tell me you're still scared of her after all this time! Chifuyu-nee doesn't bite!" He laughed. Rin shuddered in response.
"Easy for you to say, you're her... brother..." Rin trailed off, looking up.
"Did someone say my name?" Ichika turned at Chifuyu's amused voice.
"Oh, good! Chifuyu-nee, Rin here was just asking for advice about how a melee-focused IS can get in close enough to do damage against a range-oriented opponent!" He smiled, gesturing towards the Chinese girl as he spoke. Chifuyu raised an eyebrow at that, before pausing to think. She responded a moment later.
"That depends on several factors. If your IS is slower than your opponent, you can forget ever getting close in this tournament, as you cannot pin them against an arena wall. However, stealth is still an option with the weather being as cloudy as it is, and depending on your skill at ambush tactics, you might want to consider hiding underwater around the island and letting the enemy come to you." Tatenashi raised an eyebrow at that, before a crafty smile appeared on her face.
"However, in a more traditional engagement, your options are somewhat limited. Unless you can outrun your opponent by a significant margin, they would likely be able to keep their distance long enough to eliminate you with superior firepower, as you can see over there." Chifuyu continued, gesturing towards the match display, where Grey Squadron had managed to take down the Varangians' leader and were now picking apart the rest of their opponents.
"So stealth is my only option?" Rin asked.'
"It is your best option." Chifuyu replied.
"Alright... Thank you, Orimura-sensei!" Rin smiled, and Chifuyu nodded before walking away.
"See? She wasn't that scary!" Ichika teased.
"Shut up... You know how she can be sometimes!" Rin mumbled.
"So what's your plan?" Ichika asked.
"Well, considering what your sister said, I don't have much of a choice aside from climbing into the clouds, trying to spot them, and then engaging, unless my enemy also happens to be designed for close combat." Rin replied.
"You don't think that will be the case?" Ichika asked.
"No, I just want to be prepared." Rin smiled. Then her phone buzzed, and Ichika saw a Chinese message appear on the screen. Rin glanced down, before looking around the room. Ichika followed her gaze to see her squadron gathered around a table.
"Sorry, but I have to go. Strategy meeting." She said, and Ichika stood up, allowing her to get out, although the rest of the girls took that as their cue to start preparing to head back to Cecilia's room as well. Soon enough, Ichika followed them there, arriving just in time to see the next match start.
"Ichika, what makes you think that a semi-automatic tank cannon would be a good weapon for an IS?" Cecilia asked a few hours later as she studied the latest holographic blueprint for a long range IS sniper rifle.
"I wouldn't say 'would be', as I've already made it." Ori replied, her avatar shimmering into being beside it.
"That and, what, five other guns?" Tatenashi asked.
"Six, actually, although one was just a cut-down version of another." Ori replied.
"Wait, so you stayed up all night, designing and building IS weaponry?" Charlotte asked.
"Of course! I haven't had this much fun since we made the Aurora!" Ori exclaimed.
"But... Wouldn't you get bored after a while?" Charlotte asked.
"Of course not! This is what I was made for... Shame I won't be able to make too many more of these." Ori answered, moments before the end of the ongoing match was signaled, the Dutch representative candidate having wiped out a squadron of unarmed Blank Slates.
"How many are you making?" Cecilia asked.
"We settled on ten distinct gun designs for various roles, as well as another six close combat weapons of my choice... Secrecy is a shame, isn't it? I wanted to make three times that amount to start, but the 'we had them almost ready in advance' excuse only works for so long..." Ori sighed. That was when Laura, who had been inspecting the weapon, decided to speak up.
"Ori, are you sure this weapon will work for long range anti-IS combat? It's been a long time since I've worked with guns this big, but I imagine that it would be pretty hard to accurately use this weapon at distances greater than a few hundred meters. Blank Slates don't come with ballistic targeting computers, after all, and it would be hard enough for an inexperienced pilot to make the calculations for hitting a static ground target, let alone a highly evasive IS."
"Don't worry, I've included the necessary targeting equipment as part of the weapon. I've had to keep it pretty basic, which means no predictive targeting system, but the computer I've included should contain enough to calculate the path of the shell, determine the range of the target, and generate an appropriate visual targeting aid for the user." Ori replied.
"Impressive." Laura replied.
"Great work as always, Ori." Ichika smiled.
"Ori-sempai is an inspiration to us all." Aki added, her own avatar shimmering into view.
"Yes, our older sister has done quite well for herself. If I were human, I might be jealous." Moira commented.
"Oh stop it, I only do what I was made for!" Ori's avatar flushed red at the praise.
"Kanzashi, you might want to check the time. If I remember correctly, your bus leaves in about an hour, and you wanted to meet up with your squadron beforehand." Gladys interjected.
"You always remember correctly." Kanzashi replied with a smile as she stood up, grabbing a bag that held her folded pilot suit as she did so.
"I know, but I've been told that adding in bits like that to my speech make it more comfortable to listen to." Gladys replied. Kanzashi laughed at that.
"So you say every time." She replied, before heading into the bathroom to change. She emerged a minute later, clothes bundled under her arm and wearing only her pilot suit.
"Onee-chan, do you mind taking these up to my room?" She asked.
"Of course!" Tatenashi replied, standing and taking the clothes from her sister, allowing Kanzashi to put on her coat.
"Good luck!" Ichika called out as she turned to leave the room.
"I'd prefer not to win because of luck." Kanzashi replied. Then, she stepped out of the room.
"Rin's match should be up next." Tatenashi said as another match ended. It had been a rather interesting one as well, with a squadron being made up entirely of Uchiganes facing off against one comprised of all Revives. Technologically speaking, the two teams had been on even footing, but the battlefield significantly favored the Revives. It had ended up turning into a running battle, with the Revives keeping their distance and slowly wearing down their opponents with machine gun fire while the Uchiganes were unable to effectively return fire with their holdout pistols.
"She's going to have a tough time." Charlotte commented.
"Yes, the battlefield significantly favors ranged combatants over close-quarters fighters, and Rin's squadron is armed almost exclusively for close combat." Laura added.
"It's definitely something I'll have to look into for the next tournament." Tatenashi sighed.
"What do you mean?" Houki asked.
"Well, we're already starting to plan for the next tournament. I can't reveal any details, of course, but I've got a meeting tonight where I'll have to discuss this... And my match is tomorrow morning too!" The student council president groaned.
"Ouch." Ichika replied.
"Still, the fact that melee combatants are at such a disadvantage is definitely something that will have to be fixed." Tatenashi continued.
"Does that mean we're going back into the arena?" Houki asked.
"No, that wouldn't work. The arena would just turn the tables around so that long-range combatants like the Blue Tears lose much of their potency. Not to mention, the arenas are a bit too small to have ten IS suits flying around in them, and expanding them to accommodate for so many pilots would cost time and money that we don't have." Tatenashi replied.
"But aren't sniper IS units only capable of being used to their fullest at extremely long range, where they can operate without having to worry about being targeted? Wouldn't any significant reduction in battlefield size reduce their effectiveness?" Cecilia asked.
"The problem right now is that a sniper IS such as the Blue Tears can wipe out an entire incoming squadron before they can get close enough to return fire. We want snipers to be able to influence a battle, but at the same time, we don't want them completely steamrolling their opposition." Tatenashi replied.
"It's starting!" Charlotte called out, and the conversation stopped.
"Starting over Habomai, we have Squadron 002, Si Xiang Squadron, sponsored by the Aviation Industry Corporation of China!" The announcer exclaimed a moment later as the camera panned over Rin's squadron. The squadron's armament hadn't changed in the time since Ichika had last faced them, although much like Cecilia's squadron, they had taken the time to paint their IS suits in various shades of pink to match their squadron leader. Chinese flags were emblazoned on their right pauldrons, although aside from a number 002 below it, they did not seem to have any sort of squadron insignia.
Rin's squadmates were all armed identically, carrying four short-range air to air missiles under their wings and carrying long spears in their hands. A straight-bladed sword was kept on each IS suit's right hip, while a gun was kept on their left. Judging by the weapon's short barrel, Ichika doubted it would be of much use outside of relatively close range.
"She looks pretty upset." Laura commented as the camera made its rounds.
"I wonder why?" Houki mused, just as the camera switched targets.
"And over Shikotan, we have Squadron 301, Valkoiset Kotkat, sponsored by Patria Aviation!" Even before the announcer had finished butchering the name, Ichika realized why Rin might be somewhat upset about the coming match.
The Finnish squadron was painted in an impressive-looking blue and white splinter camouflage scheme. The only exceptions were their shoulders, the right one bearing a Finnish flag, while the left had an eagle on a blue background. However, it was their armament that drew Ichika's attention.
Their leader, Mari Tuomainen, whom Ichika had learned was the Finnish representative candidate, was flying a TIS armed with a long-barreled cannon that looked like it had been taken off of a tank. Indeed, it looked like an even larger version of the weapon Ori had finished almost two hours ago. The immense weapon was integrated directly into the suit's left arm, while the right carried the suit's close combat weapon. This took the form of an immense armor-plated pincer that looked like it could easily grab and crush a small house. The rest of the pincer arm was dedicated to supporting the weapon, keeping the hydraulic fluid required to operate it in a shielded, armored container. Considering the weapon's sheer size, however, Ichika thought that it would be more effective to just bludgeon an enemy with it instead of trying to grab them.
Three of Mari's squadmates carried guns identical to the one used by their squad leader, although they held them with both arms. A skeletal third arm extended from the back of their suits, holding onto the weapon's immense magazine. Ichika assumed that it was there to reload the weapon. However, it was the fourth Blank Slate in the squadron that really drew Ichika's attention.
This suit had no arms, and very short, stubby legs. The pilot sat in front of a holographic display, with both of her hands free in a manner similar to Kanzashi's Uchigane Niishiki. The suit's most distinguishing feature, however, was the immense circular radar dish suspended above its pilot's head like a mushroom cap. It was easily as big as the rest of the IS, and Ichika had no doubts about its ability to detect and track Rin's squadron. The suit was armed with a pair of long-barreled cannons in place of its arms, their ammunition feeds wrapping around to a pair of back-mounted drums.
"Those look like Oerlikons... Yes, they definitely just strapped a pair of anti-aircraft cannons to that thing." Laura muttered.
"Rin really got unlucky, didn't she?" Charlotte commented.
"That team seems perfectly suited to countering her, that's for certain." Houki added. Ichika opened his mouth to reply, but the announcer cut him off.
"Let the match... BEGIN!"
Rin's squadron immediately dove for the ocean, evidently having decided against hiding in the clouds after they had seen their opponent's radar. They leveled out just above the water and began to fly towards the central island, leaving behind visible wakes. The Finnish squadron, on the other hand, had climbed into the clouds before splitting up. The four cannon-equipped IS suits began to make their way towards the island, while the radar unit held back.
Suddenly, the radar's pilot called something out, and her squadmates all stopped.
"Does anyone speak Finnish?" Ichika asked, and the girls shook their heads, before returning their attention to the screen, where the four gunners were now aiming their guns at Mari's command.
"Wait a minute, they can't be-" Charlotte's exclamation was cut short as four guns fired simultaneously. With the clouds hiding their muzzle flashes and their shells bereft of tracers, Rin barely had any warning before all four shells slammed home, sending her IS into the ocean.
"The radar IS must also be calculating targeting solutions for its squadron." Ichika mused.
"But how did they manage to land direct hits with all four shells? Their aim can't be that precise, can it?" Tatenashi asked.
"I don't know. I think they might be using some kind of smart shell, but they're not using tracers so I can't tell for sure." Ichika replied as Rin surfaced, her ADS activated. Moments later, the Finnish squadron fired again. This time the shells struck one of her squadmates, who had paused to check on her leader. She went down as well.
"Rush for the flag! Make your movements as erratic as possible!" Rin shouted, and her squadmates obeyed. Their straight wakes in the water turned into crooked patterns as they desperately tried to evade the high-caliber shells that were coming down all around them.
Two of Rin's teammates managed to make it to the island, where they began to search for the flag. Two more volleys came down, before the gunfire stopped. Looking over at the screen that showed the Finnish team, Ichika saw that the Blank Slates had run out of ammunition. However, an ammunition resupply drone had managed to catch up with them, and their back-mounted ammunition racks were already being refilled, while the squadron leader began deploying ammunition into the drone's storage container, keeping it topped up and allowing it to completely refill her squadron's magazines.
"Found it!" One of Rin's squadmates exclaimed, pulling the flag of a crater left over from a previous match.
"Run back to the island, now!" Rin ordered, and her two remaining IS suits began their retreat. They had made it about a third of the way back before the Finnish team had finished reloading and took aim once more. As luck would have it, the first volley hit the girl in the lead, who was not carrying the flag.
"Dive, now!" Rin shouted, and her lone remaining squadmate promptly dove into the water. A moment later, the Finnish radar operator called something out, and her teammates stopped shooting. A few moments passed, then Mari gave her orders to the rest of her squadron and dove for the ocean.
Meanwhile, Rin's squadmate was slowly making her way towards Habomai. The water slowed her IS to a crawl, but the radar could not detect her there. However, she was at an extremely shallow depth, and Ichika quickly spotted the wake she was making in the water. From the looks of it, her opponent did as well.
The pincer on Mari's IS began to open, and Ichika grimaced as he realized what she was about to do. At the last second, Rin's squadmate spotted the shadow overhead and attempted to surface, only to run face-first into her opponent's hydraulic claw, and while she tried to push against it, Mari pushed back, forcing her to stay underwater, unable to fire her weapons. The Finnish girl said something that caused her squadmates to burst out laughing, before the pincer began to close, quickly coming to a stop against its victim's shield.
The shield held for nearly twenty seconds before breaking, and the claw closed against its victim's ADS. The camera cut out just as Mari began to lift her opponent out of the water.
"And that is why the next tournament needs a smaller battlefield." Tatenashi stated.
"I see your point." Cecilia replied.
"Still, that was a very interesting battle." Laura commented.
"Rin's going to be pretty angry about it, I bet." Tatenashi pointed out, causing Ichika to shake his head.
"No, she won't be. Rin is a good sport, and so long as her opponent didn't start insulting her in the middle of the match, she'll happily congratulate her once they're back on land." He replied, smiling. Granted, usually he had been on the losing end of Rin's competitive streak, but that had just made the occasional victory even sweeter.
Houki broke him out of his thoughts a few moments later.
"Do you think there was a way for Rin to have won this match?" She asked. Ichika thought for a moment, but before he could respond, Tatenashi beat him to the punch.
"Honestly, no. The arena was against her, her opponents had equipment to take full advantage of that, and her teammates were lucky to survive long enough to even grab the flag. That said, they might have been able to pull it off if that last girl had gone deeper underwater, but if her opponents were smart they would have just picketed Habomai and waited. She would have to approach the surface eventually as she approached the shore, and at that point they would have just been able to either bombard her or crush her with that ridiculous claw." Tatenashi replied.
"I agree..." Ichika said, frowning.
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Ori asked.
"What are you thinking?" Ichika replied.
"That ShenLong is due for an upgrade!" Ori exclaimed.
"Why yes, that is exactly what I am thinking." Ichika replied, smiling.
"Alri-"
"But! That is not our job. ShenLong is still the property of the Chinese military, and we can't exactly strap artillery onto it and expect it to go unnoticed." Ichika replied.
"Aww..." Ori sighed.
"Still, Rin needs some real ranged firepower aside from her impact cannons if she wants her IS to remain viable outside of the arena, and anyone observing her would have to agree. I think we might be seeing an upgrade package for her before the next tournament." Ichika replied.
"Ooh!"
"So, Kanzashi is up next, right?" Cecilia asked.
"Yeah." Tatenashi replied.
"Does that mean that, if she wins, she'll be going up against the Finnish team?" Charlotte asked.
"I believe so, although I would have to check the brackets to make sure." Tatenashi replied.
"Do you think she could beat them?" Houki asked.
"Of course! She's my sister, she'll be fine!" Tatenashi replied with a smile on her face.
A few minutes later the screen flickered to life, and the familiar voice of the announcer filled the room.
"Starting over Habomai we have Squadron number 317, White Sword Squadron! Their sponsor is Kuromochi Machinery Development!" With those words, Ichika got his first real look at Isumi's squadron.
Byakushiki itself was unchanged from when he had last seen it, with its only visible armament being its katana. Considering the suit's speed and agility, it would be a nightmare to face in the arena, especially with a pilot who knew what they were doing. In this tournament, however, the deck was stacked against it. Unless the suit was hiding other weaponry, it would be unable to fight back until it had managed to close to melee range.
Isumi's squadmates were in the same boat, their white-painted IS suits armed only with katanas. Ichika struggled to see if there was any other visible armament, but nothing could be seen. As far as he could tell, Kanzashi was facing a squadron that was unable to attack anything that was more than a few meters away from them.
"And over Shikotan, we have Squadron 031, Storm Squadron! Their sponsor is White-Sakamoto Innovations!" Now, the camera panned over Kanzashi's team. They had painted themselves in the same light blue and grey as their leader, while Japanese flags were emblazoned on their right shoulders. On their left was a chibified thundercloud.
Comparing the two squadrons, Ichika knew that, unless Isumi had some very powerful tricks up her sleeve, her squadron would be annihilated without dealing any damage whatsoever.
"Let the match... BEGIN!"
"You know the plan! Maintain spacing, don't get too close to each other!" Isumi shouted as her squadron shot upwards into the sky, leveling off just below the cloud layer.
"You know the plan. Hold off on firing missiles until we are fifteen kilometers out, then fire at will. Keep your distance." Kanzashi ordered as her squadron did the same.
Not even a minute had passed before Isumi spoke up again.
"Radar drone is picking them up. They're matching our altitude, dead ahead."
"Perfect, looks like we're set for a head on approach." One of her squadmates replied.
Evidently, Kanzashi's squadron had detected them as well, and a few seconds later, the order to open fire was given.
"Incoming! Deploying countermeasures now!" Isumi shouted as her squadron released chaff and impulse flares. A moment later, twenty drones shimmered into being around her squadmates.
"Cormorants deployed. Let's see them lock onto us now!"
True to her word, Kanzashi's first volley went off target, with some missiles going for the impulse flares while others targeted the Cormorants. However, just before they could strike the drones they disappeared, only to redeploy once the missiles passed through the locations they had just occupied.
"Hmm, Ori, do you think you could do something like that?" Ichika asked.
"Leave it to me!" The AI replied, just as Kanzashi fired off another volley while ordering her squadmates to switch to manual targeting. More missiles streaked towards White Sword squadron, and this time they did not go for the decoys. Of the eight laser-guided missiles fired, five struck home. Kanzashi's missiles came in a moment later, but the Cormorants charged ahead, ramming themselves into the missiles before stowing themselves away. While a portion of Kanzashi's barrage struck home, it failed to do much damage.
"No more missiles, switch to guns! Keep your distance!" Kanzashi ordered, her squadrons drawing rifles as she spoke and reversing direction.
"They're in gun range, open fire! Hanna, Megami, keep your distance and engage at range. Ami, Hibari, on me!"
"Wait, I thought-" Before Tatenashi could finish, panels on the wings of each of Isumi's squadmates snapped open, revealing gun barrels hidden behind them. As for Isumi, she raised her suit's left arm and pointed its palm at Kanzashi, taking aim with a gun concealed within the appendage. Particle cannon fire criss-crossed the skies as both sides opened fire.
"What- Evade!" Kanzashi's shout came too late, and her squadron took the first volley of fire head-on.
"Ami, Hibari, engage at will! I'll take their leader! Reiraku Byakuya, activate!" As its pilot spoke, Byakushiki began to glow with a bright golden light, while eight identical-looking copies appeared around the white IS. Boosters ignited on the Byakushiki's wings and it rocketed towards its target, breaking the sound barrier as it did so.
"That won't fool me..." Kanzashi's muttered declaration was nonetheless picked up by the microphone as Byakushiki shot towards her. Her particle cannons opened fire, directing their shots towards one of the decoys. The camera showed them passing through it, but the hologram reacted as if it were hit, falling behind the rest of the pack in an attempt to keep the deception consistent. Then, Byakushiki was inside striking distance, and eight glowing swords descended...
Only for the one real blade to slam into the shaft of Kanzashi's halberd.
"Damn!" As she locked blades with her opponent, the glow around Isumi's IS vanished, although the decoys stayed.
"Kiki, look out!" Kanzashi's warning came too late, as Isumi's two squadmates came in from either side of their target, and with a combination of point-blank gunfire and sword strikes, they quickly eliminated their opponent.
"Mai, Miku, engage the ones nearby! Honne, distract the two keeping their distance!" Kanzashi shouted as she blocked another sword strike with a twirl of her halberd before firing off a burst of particle cannon fire, forcing Isumi back and allowing Kanzashi to go on the offensive. Her halberd strike was parried, but her follow-up cannon shots were not.
"Hanna, Megami, incoming!" Isumi shouted as Honne Nohotoke accelerated towards her targets, firing off a pair of laser-guided missiles as she flew. The missiles were evaded, but Honne's follow-up gunshots were not. One of her opponents was forced back, but the other chose to charge forward, raising her sword and attempting to regain the initiative. That was when Honne fired her rifle's underbarrel grenade launcher, scoring a direct hit that allowed her to deftly sidestep her opponent's charge. Then, she drew her laser targeters and took aim with one in each direction, firing off a missile at each of her opponents. At such close range both struck home, giving Honne enough time to switch back to her rifle and load another grenade. This one, along with a short burst of particle cannon fire, was enough to take out one of her opponents and even the numerical odds in her battle.
Meanwhile, Isumi had managed to regain the initiative with an open-palm strike against Kanzashi's shield, followed up by a point-blank particle cannon shot. She was wielding her sword with one hand now, while Kanzashi alternated between one and two-handed use of her halberd. For all of Byakushiki's close-combat focus, whatever plan Isumi had was falling apart, and she was now tied up in a battle against an evenly matched opponent. Sparks flew as her sword met the shaft of Kanzashi's halberd, and her shield flashed as Kanzashi took advantage of an opening to land a blow with the weapon's head. Around them, four Blank Slates dueled with gun and sword. While they lacked close combat weapons of their own, Kanzashi's squadmates were making themselves almost impossible to hit, firing back with guns and missiles whenever they had the chance. However, for all their evasive skill, they could not last forever against Isumi's faster and more agile squadmates, and one of them soon went down, while her partner was brought down to within a sliver of elimination.
Two kilometers away, Honne Nohotoke had just finished off her second opponent, and the normally sleepy girl had a wide grin on her face as she shot back towards the main battle. She released two more missiles as she flew, both of which struck their target. One final volley of gunfire, and Honne claimed a third kill.
"Wow... I didn't know Nohohon was that good!" Charlotte exclaimed.
"It's natural that Utsuho's sister also has her talent." Tatenashi replied with a fond smile as Honne started circling Isumi's last remaining teammate, who was now forced to split her focus between the new arrival and her wounded target. Evidently, she chose to focus on the latter, as while she quickly went down, she was able to get off one last volley of gunfire that took Kanzashi's weakened teammate down with her.
Now, Isumi was forced to split her focus as well, but there was little else she could do. Her suit's left arm rotated backwards, attempting to fire blindly at Kanzashi's teammate, but to little effect. With Honne now shooting her in the back and Kanzashi pressing her advantage, it was only a matter of time before the Byakushiki was finally taken out of the fight.
"We did it!" Honne's exclamation was the last thing that could be heard before the camera cut out.
"See? I told you my sister could do it!" Tatenashi exclaimed, a proud smile on her face.
"I honestly did not expect her to last so long in close combat, let alone win like that." Houki replied.
"Oh? What do you mean by that?" Tatenashi asked.
"I've faced her a few times, back when I was practicing for the tournament, and every time we've fought she always kept her distance and attacked with missiles. I did not believe she was so skilled in close quarters combat as well!" Houki answered.
"I'm still amazed by Nohotoke-san's ability." Cecilia commented.
"Yeah, she never really stood out back when we still did piloting practice as a class... She must be a natural pilot!" Charlotte added.
"She takes after her sister, and I know for a fact that Utsuho-san is good enough to give me a run for my money." Tatenashi replied.
"So when are Rin and Kanzashi coming back?" Ichika asked.
"The next bus is due in about twenty minutes, they should be on it. Want to come down and meet them with me?" Tatenashi asked.
"Sure." Ichika replied, the rest of the girls present nodding in agreement.
True to the student council president's word, the bus arrived twenty minutes later, with Rin being one of the first riders to disembark. She smiled as she spotted her friends, before turning to the rest of her squadron and quickly conversing in Chinese. The other four girls nodded and began to walk towards the elevator while their leader walked up to Ichika.
"Looks like I didn't do too well, huh?" She asked.
"It... Could have gone better." Ichika replied, an awkward smile on his face.
"That's one way to put it. Personally, I'd say that my team got completely demolished, but that works too." Rin replied with a shrug.
"Rin, do you know where my sister is?" Tatenashi asked, causing Ichika to look past his friend towards the bus. The vehicle was empty now, but there was no sign of Kanzashi's very distinctive blue hair.
"Oh, she missed the bus. I tried to warn her, but she was too busy talking with Isumi-san. She should be on the next one." Rin replied. Tatenashi laughed at that.
"That sounds just like her. Were they arguing?" She asked.
"It didn't look like it..." Rin replied.
"Good!"
With that, they returned to the table they had claimed, where the rest of the girls were currently embroiled in a fast-paced game of Cheat. Tatenashi and Ichika had already gotten rid of their cards.
"Oh, hey Rin!" Charlotte greeted as Ichika pulled up a chair for the Chinese girl.
"They're all sevens." Laura deadpanned a moment later, putting down a stack of twenty cards into the center of the table. Houki raised an eyebrow at that blatant lie, before sighing.
"Why do you even bother, it's ob-" She pulled out a card at random as she spoke, only to choke on her words as she saw that she had drawn a seven of clubs. The rest of the table promptly broke out into laughter as Laura went out, while Houki was forced to pick up the entirety of her hand.
"So Rin, I've been thinking, and I have a proposal I think you might be interested in." Cecilia spoke as Houki put down three sevens. Charlotte nodded, and put down two more.
"What is it?" Rin asked as Cecilia flipped one of Charlotte's cards over, revealing it to be a five. The French girl gave an exaggerated sigh as she picked the pile up.
"Well, I was thinking that, since your squadron is so focused on close combat and mine is almost exclusively designed for long range engagements, we could organize some practice matches to train ourselves to counter the other's combat style." Cecilia answered. Rin made a show of thinking for a moment, before nodding.
"Sounds good!" She replied.
"Alright, let's schedule our first match once this tournament is over... Oh, and three fives." Cecilia replied with a smile, before placing down a seven and two threes. Houki decided not to check her, however, and instead placed down two more cards.
"Say Ichika, do you mind walking with me to get lunch? We haven't eaten since breakfast after all, and Rin must be starving after her match!" Tatenashi spoke up after a few moments of frantic card playing.
"That sounds good. Is everyone alright with sushi, or should we look for something else?" Ichika asked.
"Sushi sounds good, thank you." Cecilia replied.
"I agree. Don't worry Ichika, we won't start the next game until you come back!" Charlotte added. Nodding, Ichika turned and allowed Tatenashi to lead him out of the building, heading to the same restaurant that Charlotte had visited the day before.
Ichika expected the blue-haired girl to start talking as soon as they exited the building, but to his surprise, Tatenashi stayed silent.
"Is there something you wanted to tell me?" He finally prompted after a few minutes of walking.
"Hm? Oh... Yes, there was." Tatenashi replied, but did not continue for a few long moments. Finally, she stopped walking and took a deep breath.
"Ichika... I... I just wanted to thank you for what you've done for my sister." She said, a slight blush on her face. Ichika smiled in response.
"Of course, I..." Ichika trailed off, unsure of what else to say. For a moment, an unreadable expression flickered over Tatenashi's face before she smiled and continued.
"I mean it, Ichika. Last year, my sister was a totally different person! She would spend almost all her time alone, and would rarely ever speak. When she started IS Academy, her attitude, combined with her relationship with me, made her look distant and aloof to her classmates. She had no friends, almost no desire to make friends, and..." Tatenashi trailed off, and Ichika placed a hand on her shoulder. She gave him another faint smile before continuing.
"But that's all in the past now, and I have you to thank for that. So thank you, Ichika." She drew closer as she finished, and wrapped him in a hug that he returned a second later. They would stay like that until a nearby clapping alerted them to the presence of some passers-by.
"Now kiss her!" An older voice shouted, and they sprang apart, blushing.
"Well? What are you waiting for?" The old man shouted.
"Well? What are we waiting for?" Tatenashi repeated, looking up at Ichika with a smirk on her face.
"You know-" He began to protest, but once again Tatenashi silenced him, this time with a kiss. It was little more than a peck on the lips, but it still caused Ichika's words to die in his throat.
"That wasn't so bad, now was it?" Tatenashi whispered as she pulled back, before turning away and grabbing his arm, pulling him behind her as she continued on her way.
"I swear, you boys these days watch too much anime. A pretty girl like her so much as touches you, and your brains shut down!" The old man complained loudly as they passed, Ichika shooting him a glare in response.
He waited until they'd turned a corner before speaking up.
"Tatenashi, what was that all about?" He hissed, digging his heels in and forcing the girl in question to come to a stop.
"That, Ichika, was me testing to see just how you would react in such a delicate situation. I have to say, while it went just about as well as expected, I'm still not particularly impressed." Tatenashi replied.
"What do you mean?" Ichika demanded, taken aback.
"I was standing in front of you, blushing like a schoolgirl and looking like I was about to confess my everlasting love for you, and you just stood there, smiling like one of those absurdly nice protagonists in the romance shows my sister sometimes watches. Tell me, Ichika, if one of the other girls was in my position right now, would you have done things any differently?" She asked as she resumed her walk towards the sushi restaurant, Ichika trailing along behind her.
"I... Well..." He began, but he couldn't find the words to say anything else.
"My point exactly. Ichika, if you want to get out of the situation you are in with all your friendships intact, you're going to have to be a bit more aware of the direction a conversation may be headed, and learn to steer it in the right direction, lest your gentlemanly tendencies force you into a situation like that for real." Tatenashi finished.
"I thought I wasn't supposed to play with girls' feelings." Ichika replied.
"It's a bit too late for that now. Listen Ichika, I'm not asking for much here. All I want is for you to not cause any unwanted changes to the status quo until I have enough of a chance to put my plan into action-"
"You're still going on about that?" Ichika exclaimed.
"Have you thought of a better solution?" Tatenashi countered. When Ichika did not respond, she continued.
"Exactly. My job will be hard enough as it is. I just wanted to make sure that you don't accidentally make it harder... Oh, and I meant what I said earlier. Thank you for helping my sister, Ichika." She finished as they finally arrived at their destination.
Ichika was still considering her words as they returned to the hotel. By the time they arrived, Kanzashi was already waiting for them, along with Isumi.
"There you are! I was worried when I didn't see you on the first bus!" Tatenashi exclaimed as she walked over to her sister, setting a bag of sushi down on the table. Ichika did the same a moment later.
"Ah, well, I was kinda..." Kanzashi blushed as she was reminded of her missing the bus.
"Don't worry, I get it. Looks like you made a friend as well... You know, I seem to remember a certain someone saying that she had a score to settle with Byakushiki's pilot a couple weeks ago... Is that no longer the case?" Tatenashi asked with a grin.
"What? Oh, well, Shirone-san isn't that bad." Kanzashi replied.
"I'm right here, you know!" Isumi interjected.
"She might be a bit of a showoff at times, like when she decided to go supersonic near IS Academy-"
"Hey!"
"But she's not that bad when she decides to take things seriously." Kanzashi continued, ignoring Isumi's exclamation.
"Thanks, I guess?"
"Plus, she's not a bad pilot. I haven't had a fight like that in, well, months!" Kanzashi finished.
"Same to you, Sarashiki-san. I'll say it again, I did not expect you to be so good with that halberd of yours!" Isumi replied.
"Isn't it nice when we all get along?" Tatenashi smiled as she grabbed her sister in one arm and her new friend in the other and forced them together in a group hug.
"H-Hey!" Both girls cried out.
"Watch it!" Kanzashi exclaimed.
"I can't help it! My sister just made a new friend, all by herself!" Tatenashi replied.
"Sarashiki-san, your sister is very... Enthusiastic!" Isumi mumbled.
"She means well, but sometimes she takes things a bit too far..." Kanzashi replied.
"Aww, my sister is so mean to me!" Tatenashi exclaimed in mock horror as she let go.
"Sometimes I need to be." Kanzashi muttered, causing Isumi to giggle.
"So does the Saturday after the tournament ends sound good?" She asked.
"Yes, it shouldn't be a problem. I look forward to seeing you there." Kanzashi replied.
"Great! Just don't expect me to go easy on you!" Isumi said, smiling.
"Go right ahead, my squadron has a winning streak to forge." Kanzashi replied.
"We'll see about that! Anyway, I should be going now. My squadron is probably getting pretty annoyed with me missing the bus by now!"
"Alright, I'll see you later then!" Kanzashi replied as Isumi turned and headed towards the stairwell.
Once she left, Ichika sat down at the table, while Tatenashi pulled up a chair for her sister. Their cards had already been dealt, and so they began to play.
"So Laura, you're going tomorrow as well?" Tatenashi asked as Ichika put down a six and an ace, declaring a pair of threes.
"I am, although it won't be until tomorrow night." The German girl replied.
"How much longer until the first round ends?" Cecilia asked.
"It's supposed to run for another four days, although it might end up dragging on for another day after that." Tatenashi replied.
"So what do we do once we've all gone?" Rin asked.
"I don't know. Watch the matches, maybe repair squadron equipment if necessary, and have a bit of fun... Oh, and in my case, go to meetings in order to avoid another tournament like this." Tatenashi replied.
"Oh yeah, on the topic of repairs, Ichika, Kokone-san needs a new naginata. Can you please replace it?" Houki asked.
"Sure, I can do that. I'll have it ready tomorrow." Ichika replied.
"Alright, that sounds good. One three." Houki said, placing down another card as her turn came up. Ichika flipped it over, revealing a four.
The rest of the day went by fairly quickly, and it seemed like no time at all had passed before Ichika found himself in Cecilia's room, watching another match end as the sun slipped below the horizon.
"Well, this has been fun, but I have to go now." Tatenashi said as she stood up from her seat, stretching as she did so.
"Good luck! Be sure to tell us all about it when you get back!" Rin replied.
"Don't worry, I'll share what I can." Tatenashi said as she headed towards the exit. She paused at the door, and looked back.
"Oh, and save a spot for me. We're doing another sleepover tonight, right?" Before anyone could answer, she walked out.
"... Are we?" Charlotte asked.
"I don't see why not." Laura replied.
"I don't mind." Kanzashi added.
"I... Well..." Houki blushed.
"Ichika?" Charlotte asked, looking over to him.
Ichika thought on the matter for a moment, before shrugging.
"Why not?" He finally said. Tatenashi was going to drag him into it regardless, after all.
The room darkened to pitch black as the door closed, and for a few seconds Dr. Aaron Meusel was blind. Then, the holographic display in the center of the room shimmered to life, and he saluted as the image of Phantom Task's leader materialized into view.
"You may sit, Doctor." The old man gestured and Aaron obeyed, sitting down in the room's only chair.
"Now, let us get down to business. Before anything else, I want a detailed report on the status of our primary objective. I trust that the issues plaguing the production of the beacons and reactors has been resolved?" Aaron nodded at that.
"Yes on both counts. Mass production has begun, and the required amount of beacon-reactor pairs is expected to be completed by the end of the month. Past that point, it will be up to our agents in the field to get the beacons out to their target locations. Operation Coronation is proceeding on schedule." He replied.
"Excellent work, Doctor. Now, what of the supporting objectives?"
"Automated greenhouse production has been started, with three hundred units being scheduled for completion and tagging by the end of the month. The order will be completed on schedule, although acquiring enough crops for them could be more difficult. However, the atmospheric regulation satellites have encountered significant setbacks."
"Explain." The leader's voice was calm, with nothing in it suggesting the possibility of punishment for failure.
"We have designed a mechanism that, given enough power, should work. However, we have no way of testing it in the base, and as far as I am aware, we do not have the means to launch a completed satellite into space within the Coronation timetable that would not be a security risk." Aaron replied. The Leader nodded at that.
"Very well. Construct the prototype and place it into storage. We will launch it after the first stages of Coronation are completed. Now, what of my... Personal request?" Aaron grimaced at that.
"It... It is proceeding on schedule." He replied. The Leader gave him a bemused smile.
"Go ahead, Doctor. I'm not petty enough to execute such a useful member of my organization if his honest thoughts don't quite line up with mine."
"I... With all due respect, sir, I believe that your request for a personal flagship is a waste of resources. It is fully possible to build a flying, submersible carrier-battleship hybrid, and as per your orders we have begun construction of the selected design, but the time taken to build such a vessel could have been used to produce five Golem-carrier submarines plus their escorts-" The Leader raised his hand, and Aaron stopped talking.
"I understand, and you are not the first to raise such a point. However, the Damocles is meant to be a symbol of might. Submarines may be the better instrument for enforcing our will over the world once Coronation is complete, but the Damocles is intended to be the visible symbol that we are the new masters of this world. After all, while the rest of our organization may be loyal followers whilst we are all under the same roof in this base, I highly doubt that they will remain as such once Coronation is complete and they have been given their proper dues. The Damocles will be needed to prevent the fragmentation of Phantom Task after our victory." Aaron nodded at that.
"I understand, sir."
"Good. You have-" Before the Leader could finish, a bright ball of light appeared in the room, and the alarms for a Class T security breach began to blare throughout the base.
"She's here." He growled as Aaron stood, placing his hand on his pistol while two of his escorts shimmered into view with weapons drawn. A moment later, a woman wearing a long dress and her signature rabbit-ears headpiece stepped into the room, an airheaded smile on her face.
"Doctor Tabane. To what do we owe the pleasure?" The Leader asked.
"We~ell, I couldn't help but overhear your fascinating discussion about your plan to take over the world, and I just wanted to make sure you remembered the terms of our agreement!" She exclaimed in response.
"IS Academy is not on our target list." The Leader replied.
"The Golem Core going off in its arena a few weeks ago suggests otherwise. I understand that your daughter was on the team behind that particular attack?" Now she turned to look Aaron in the eye, and while the smile had never left her face, he could see no mirth in her gaze.
"From what I understand, no harm came of it, and the operative whose reckless behavior led to a core going off in the restricted area was killed during the engagement. Assuming that you keep your end of the bargain, it will not happen again." Aaron replied.
"Good. Then you have nothing to fear." Tabane replied, a chair materializing below her as she sat down.
"However, the fact remains that your operative acted recklessly and nearly caused irreparable damage to IS Academy. Even worse, it forced me to expend quite a few favors in order to keep IS Academy operating uninterrupted. Compensation is required." She continued.
"What do you have in mind?" The Leader asked.
"Well, I am under the impression that you have a cell observing the tournament that is currently ongoing... Probably to locate a certain thorn in our mutual sides. I want access to the information they gather. Give that to me, and I will call it even." The Leader crossed his arms at that.
"Unacceptable." He said.
"Oh? Why is that?" Tabane asked.
"I am no stranger to the triple-cross, Doctor. I would have to be a fool to give an entity such as yourself that sort of information."
"Aww, do you not trust me? Even after I gave you the rights to produce IS cores? I'm hurt!"
"I don't think that there is anyone in the world who trusts you after what you've done, Doctor. If they could see you now, their worst suspicions would only be confirmed."
"Hmm, alright. You know what? Forget the compensation. Keep the information to yourself, it's not like I can't get it on my own." She stood, her chair flashing out of existence below her. She turned towards where her portal had been minutes before, and then spun around to face Aaron again.
"My genius sense is telling me that you have a question, Mr. Meusel. I wonder what it is!" Aaron looked to his Leader, who nodded.
"I'm curious, Doctor, as to why you are aiding us in such a manner, especially considering that you know what our goal is, and what we plan to do to achieve it. After all, most people in your place would have tried to shoot us where we stand." He asked.
"Isn't it obvious? Our plans align. If it weren't for you, I would have eventually done something similar... Anyway, I hope you two have a wonderful day. Oh, and as for you, mister Tsar? Remember that what I give, I can also take away at any moment. Bye-bye!" With those words, Tabane flashed white and disappeared. For a few moments the room was silent, then the Leader spoke.
"If I could make an example of our former acquisitions expert again, I would. From the moment she brought that IS core into the base, that rabbit-eared megalomaniac has been quite the thorn in our side." He muttered.
"I will have my men begin checking for any bugs she might have teleported in immediately. I will have a report sent to you regarding possible security leaks sent to you as soon as possible." Aaron stated.
"Do it. You are dismissed, Doctor." The Leader replied, before his hologram flickered and died, the lights in the room switching on a moment later.
A/N: And that's a wrap! This chapter took a bit longer than expected, but here it is nonetheless. Now for my standard after-chapter thoughts.
First, Rin's battle was somewhat difficult to write, as it was the first battle I made where I was bound by a language barrier. In this case, Rin's squadron was speaking Chinese, which Ichika can understand, while Mari's squadron spoke Finnish, which he could not. That made it somewhat challenging to write, as Mari's squadron was one that relied heavily on communication between the squadron commander, the radar operator, and the gunners. The commander would order the radar operator to lock onto a single target and extrapolate their position fifteen seconds into the future. The radar operator would do that, and then transmit the required targeting data to the gunnery team, which would aim their weapons and fire. Smart ammunition would then correct for minor errors, ensuring that the shells would all land on or near the target. However, I wasn't able to accurately showcase this communication thanks to the aforementioned language barrier.
But hey, at least we saw what happens when you crush an IS with a hydraulic press! I'm sure you can all figure out what Mari said that was so funny.
Also, I cannot speak, read or write a word of Finnish. If there is a problem with the squadron name, please notify me so that I can fix the problem.
Next, Kanzashi's battle was very fun to write, and it finally allowed me to showcase the capabilities of my upgraded Byakushiki. The changes I made to the design were pretty much exclusively focused on improving its ability to close the distance to its target. This includes holographic decoys, extensive flare and chaff dispensers, and the Cormorant drones, which are designed to fake IS-sized impulse and radar signatures. These cause missiles and radar-based targeting systems to prioritize targeting the drones, which stow themselves away right before incoming fire would hit them. The result is a system of reusable decoys that can cover an entire squadron. Aside from that, it has other electronic warfare systems such as radar jammers.
The only weapon-focused addition I made to the Byakushiki was to address the critical flaw of its primary ability, the Reiraku Byakuya (RB). As we see in the show, that system will allow it to one-shot any IS it hits with its melee weapon, but it also drains shield energy at a very rapid rate. The result turns Byakushiki into a one-off wunderwaffen that can theoretically dominate any arena engagement, but if the pilot makes even one tiny mistake, the suit will effectively render itself combat-ineffective. My one change to the design eliminated this flaw. Now, the RB system may only be activated for a very short period of time before needing to recharge, but it does not drain shield energy. It may be reactivated in its uncharged state, which will result in a shield energy drain, but the system now gives the pilot one free attack with it that does not have this drawback.
Of course, while the RB-enhanced strike will ignore shields, it can still be parried by blocking the physical component of the weapon, which Kanzashi was able to do.
I also gave Nohohon a bit of love, and we might see a bit more of her later on.
Next, we arrive at Phantom Task. It's been a while since we've seen Aaron, and the Leader has only gotten one scene in the whole story. However, it feels great to finally start giving out a few hints about Phantom Task's overall plan, as well as Tabane's relationship with the terrorist organization. Rest assured, the whole story has been planned out already, although I would appreciate some feedback on my plans from willing individuals. It will, after all, involve some pretty damn big spoilers for events to come after the Season 2 ending.
However, rest assured that there is indeed a plan, and it is coming together quite nicely.
Finally, I have played a bit of Infinite Stratos: Archetype Breaker in my spare time, and I have to say... If that game is really considered canon, Infinite Stratos is going in a very weird direction. After all, the game is about fighting aliens that are invading IS Academy and IS Academy alone, always engaging in fair, equal-number engagements, and generally being very polite about the whole affair. It also introduces eight new harem members (Nine if you count Maya), whose character descriptions are absolutely hilarious when run through Google Translate. For instance, the Dutch representative candidate, whose name is 'Rorentsuine Laurent Di Fil Ney' apparently has 99 girlfriends. Suffice to say, I think that seven girls are difficult enough to write, and there is no way in hell that I am expanding that number to sixteen. That said, two of the Archetype Breaker girls have already made cameo appearances, and the game does introduce some very interesting concepts that I will gladly use, such as as tandem IS with a pilot and co-pilot.
In addition to this, I have also acquired some information on the latter light novels. These will be considered non-canon, as at this point I have gone too off the rails to incorporate the events described in them. I may cherry-pick and incorporate elements that I do like, but the novels as a whole will be disregarded, as they once again go in a pretty strange direction, with an IS that somehow benefits from having multiple IS cores installed in it (you know what's better than an infinite power supply? TWO infinite power supplies!), two IS suits doing the fusion dance and merging into one unit (because IS suits are magical things), an IS core being fused with a human body (wat?) and some shenanigans involving Charlotte's father. Suffice to say, LN Canon is strange, and I am glad that I am not obligated to include it into Agent Orimura.
Finally, the plot of Archetype Breaker has given me a bit of a plot bunny, which has resulted in the following non-canon omake. I hope you all enjoy!
Orimura Chifuyu stared across the table, keeping her face stoic and unchanging in spite of the headache that was quickly building up. Across from her, the object of her ire gave her a rather good approximation of an innocent smile, and Chifuyu once again wondered how anyone could be capable of so much and yet be so stupid at the same time.
It had all started a week ago, when strange lights had been seen in the sky above IS Academy. There had been barely a few minutes of warning before an immense alien craft appeared over the school. It had transmitted a single message in an indecipherable mix of practically every major language, before dropping off several squadrons of combat drones and ascending back into space. These drones promptly sought out any IS in the air, engaging them in one-on-one duels while the IS Academy staff ran around like headless chickens, trying to figure out what the hell was going on. Fortunately, while they may have been unleashed by enigmatic alien invaders from beyond the solar system, the drones themselves were fairly easy to destroy, and the skies over IS Academy were clear a few minutes later.
The next day, Chifuyu was sitting in her office, reading an article about aliens invading IS Academy, when it happened again. The alien vessel flew over IS Academy, dropped off another batch of combat drones, and ascended back into space. These had behaved the same as the ones from the day before, and were once again easily taken care of. Indeed, she hadn't even realized a second wave had arrived until Maya had barged into her office in order to ask about what to do with the new drone carcasses scattered across the IS Academy lawn.
The process repeated itself for the next few days, and the media quickly downgraded the threat from 'Imminent threat to all life as we know it' to 'Just another day at IS Academy'. All attempts to contact that alien spacecraft were met with another unintelligible transmission that had cryptologists banging their heads against the wall.
Finally, two days ago, the aliens made another transmission, this time in reasonable Japanese. It read:
"Greetings! We are sorry for using your facilities like this, but our translation programs had an unforeseen problem! On behalf of the Great Galactic Union, we would like to accept our invitation to IS Academy!"
Naturally, that had puzzled Chifuyu to no end, as neither she nor anyone else at IS Academy could remember extending an invitation to a race of enigmatic aliens.
All that had led up to the events unfolding in the IS Academy press room, where for the first time in history, a Human would meet and speak to an extraterrestrial being face to face.
"Hello! I am World-princess Angeli'nacontes Aluis'afrancheska Bananafana Balbeska the Third, and I am here on behalf of the Great Galactic Union and the United Ko Hives to accept our race's invitation to IS Academy! I apologize for taking so long, but there was a lot of debate about whether or not this invitation constituted a direct attempt to contact a known species, and thus made your people eligible for interaction!" The alien introduced herself, and Chifuyu blinked.
"I'm also sorry for any commotion our arrival may have caused. Unfortunately our transmission system was damaged by micro-meteor impacts in orbit, and as a result wasn't transmitting our greetings as intended! Still I hope that we haven't caused too much trouble!" The alien with the ludicrously long name finished. Chifuyu took a moment to consider her response before speaking.
"I am Instructor Orimura Chifuyu, and on behalf of Humanity and the State of Japan I welcome you to Earth. My people are eager to begin diplomatic talks with yours in order to ensure a prosperous relationship between our races." She replied.
"As am I! I have already been appointed to the position of Galactic Representative to Earth, and will represent the many different peoples of the galaxy during my time attending IS Academy!" The Princess replied.
"Ah, yes, about that..." Chifuyu replied, trying to figure out what to do next.
"What is it?" The princess asked. Chifuyu thought for a few seconds before mentally sighing. If this alien attending IS Academy would make things easier for the actual diplomats, she would grant her wish.
"Before you are allowed to attend IS Academy, I must ask you a few questions. In addition, due to your status as a non-human, there will have to be certain arrangements made in order to make sure that your dietary needs are taken care of, and that the risk of disease is minimized. Normally, such questions would be answered on the paperwork submitted as part of an IS Academy application, but the current circumstances necessitate me to ask them verbally." Chifuyu replied.
"Oh, of course! I'll answer any questions you may have!" The Princess replied with a smile.
"Very well. First, why do you personally wish to attend IS Academy, and why do you think that you are a suitable candidate for acceptance into this school?" Chifuyu asked.
"I personally find the premise of this academy to be fascinating! A neutral meeting ground where military technology may be tested and showcased, open to everyone regardless of nation or race has never been done before, and when we picked up the radio transmission announcing this facility to the galaxy we just had to send a representative. My people have debated extensively about who to send, and they eventually chose me. I look forward to proving my worth, both to you and to my people!" The Princess exclaimed, and Chifuyu fought back the urge to facepalm. So the aliens had picked up a radio transmission about IS Academy's mission and mistook it for an invitation.
Still, the question had been answered, so Chifuyu just nodded.
"Very well. Second, do you intend to enroll as a representative candidate, or as a normal student?" Chifuyu asked.
"I intend to enroll as a representative candidate of the United Ko Hives." The Princess replied.
"Very well. Finally, IS Academy has undergone a recent change to its curriculum, and as such representative candidates are now expected to command a squadron comprised of them and four normal students. We can attempt to fold you into an existing squadron, or your people may send additional prospective students to act as your subordinates." Chifuyu asked.
"Oh, I do not wish to impose! I will choose four eligible members of my ship's crew to accompany me. They will be provided with their own combat exoskeletons equipped with the necessary safety equipment." The Princess replied.
"On the subject of safety equipment, we will have to perform tests on your equipment in order to see if it meets our standards before we can allow you to use it in tournaments." Chifuyu pointed out.
"Of course, go right ahead!"
"Perfect. It looks like everything is in order, so... Welcome to IS Academy, World-princess Angeli'nacontes Aluis'afrancheska Bananafana Balbeska the Third. We look forward to having you at our academy." Chifuyu finished.
The Princess' eyes widened, and a high-pitched whining noise emanated from her throat.
"Yay!" She cheered, while a pair of comically undersized wings similar to those of a butterfly flapped around behind her.
"Good morning class! Today, we have a new student joining us. While she may look... Unusual, I ask that you all treat her with the same respect and courtesy that you treat each other!" Ichika listened to Chifuyu with half an ear as he, along with the rest of the class, eyed the door, eager to catch their first glimpse of the new student.
The door opened, and the class gasped as one as the new student walked in.
"Greetings! I am World-princess Angeli'nacontes Aluis'afrancheska Bananafana Balbeska the Third, but you can call me Alui! I hope we can all get along!"
The alien was surprisingly human-looking, with two legs, two arms, and a head with two eyes, a nose and a mouth. Indeed, the similarity was somewhat uncanny to Ichika, who had expected something decidedly different.
Of course, there were some differences. Instead of hair, the alien's head was protected by a crown of sloping chitin that resembled a samurai helmet. Each hand only had four fingers instead of five, and two small butterfly wings glittering with hundreds of shades of green fluttered slightly on her back. Then there was the matter of the alien's chest. To say that her chest was huge was like saying that Mount Everest was a rather large hill.
The rest of the class went rather poorly, as the students were more preoccupied with staring at the new student.
Later that day, Ichika found himself carrying paperwork for Maya downstairs. It was a rather large stack of folders, most of which pertained to the diplomatic mess currently going on as Earth's nations scrambled to hide their dirty laundry and look presentable for their new alien friends.
He was halfway down the last flight of stairs when he tripped and fell forward. Folders flew everywhere, and he desperately flung his hands out to catch himself, turning his head to the side to avoid smashing his nose against the floor.
"Aah!" However, instead of hitting the floor, his hands caught onto something soft, and he quickly leaned on it to steady himself.
"A-Ah~!" That voice was horrifyingly familiar, and Ichika's head snapped around to look the alien transfer student he had just accidentally groped in the eye.
"O-Orimura-kun... S-Sorry..." The alien princess mumbled, her face colored bright blue.
"No, I'm-" Before he could finish apologizing, the alien ran off into the nearest girls' bathroom. Ichika shrugged, and began picking up the folders that had scattered all over the hallway, while trying not to focus on the odd hacking and hissing noises emanating from the bathroom.
He had just about finished gathering up the last of the paperwork when the alien emerged from the restroom, her chest deflated to easily a quarter of its previous size.
"Orimura-kun, I'm so sorry about all of this!" She exclaimed as she saw him picking up the last folder.
"No, it was my fault. I wasn't watching where I was going." He replied.
"No, I should have helped you clean up, but... Well... My venom glands were full, a-and it hurt when you fell on them, and I had to empty them, and..."
"Oh, it wasn't a problem. It wasn't that hard to..." Ichika trailed off as a nauseating smell began to emanate from the bathroom. The Princess gasped at that.
"Oh no... I think your waste bags aren't able to properly handle Ko venom! We need to evacuate the building, now! I don't know if-" Before she could finish, Ichika had already pulled the fire alarm and began sprinting towards the exit.
Ichika sighed as he ran. Not even a day had gone by, and already the new transfer student was already causing problems. It looked like her being an alien did absolutely nothing to change that.
Here it is. In case it was not obvious, this bit is not canon.