Monday morning went without a hitch. Lincoln started to regain more of his former self, with Lori easing her way back to his side. Ichika has started to become more comfortable with hanging around the girls. Neither of the boys knew about the plan to split them up, or about the massive wrench that was about to be thrown into the plan.
Come Monday afternoon, Tina was walloping with Lori, "And so, they thought it was a good idea to spend time separately."
"I don't get it," Lori said, "What's so bad about developing their girl skills?"
"Separately?" Tina talked with her hands, "To the point of them not being able to see each other again?"
"..."
"Say something, girl."
Lori blinked, "...You underestimate the power of bromance."
"And you underestimate the power of the female lust! Only something so strong as that can drive these girls to their mates, and once they're locked on, they're stuck to them like flies on a turd!"
Lori was whiplashed, "Uh...literally wuh?..."
"You know what I mean!" Tina snapped.
"No, I don't-"
Tina grabbed her hands, "This is a dangerous game they're playing, and they're gonna hack themselves if they keep going at this-*RASPYGASPY* It's already happening-look!..." she swerved Lori's head to the boys. They witnessed the girls coming to their table, only for Houki, Rin, and Cecilia to keep Ichika at the table, and for Laura and Charlotte to walk away with Lincoln and stumble upon Kanzashi. Tina got into Lori's face, "Two days till the tournament. Any of this look weird to you?"
"Well, I..." Lori stammered, "I guess it's worth-"
"Good!" Tina clapped, "Then, you piss on ya blade, and I'll be a terrible actor!"
Lori was truly confused, "...w...th-I..."
"That means split up and contain."
"You just made that up..."
That afternoon, Tina hacked together a plan to keep Ichika and Lincoln together. She would spy on Ichika, while Lori would 'tag along' with Lincoln.
Tina went to the park where Ichika was hanging with Cecilia, Rin, and Houki, and caught them talking about White Day.
"How did you not notice us sneaking chocolate into your locker?" Rin squinted.
"One: you snuck it in, so how would I notice?" Ichika said, "Two: how did you get into my locker?!"
"Your code is 1025," Cecilia said, "Not very thoughtful."
"Well, that's certainly not me-like," Tina groaned and jumped in the conversation, "Hello, friends!"
"Hello, Tina..." Ichika muttered, all weirded out.
"Well, what brings you to our little gathering?" Cecilia asked.
"I just needed to borrow Ichika for a bit," Tina hastily responded, "I'm trying to make a mini Byakushiki, and I needed his measurements to scale."
"Measure?!" Houki yelped.
"Well, we can help with that!" Rin piped.
"OK, wait," Ichika tried to ward them off, "That is not necessary-"
"YES IT IS!" Houki and Rin screamed.
"Come, come, Ichika dear," Cecilia moved them along, a little too eagerly, "We can't leave a damsel in distress, can we?"
"Sweet nibblets..." Ichika and Tina cursed.
Meanwhile, Lori was walking through the park feeling like a walking civil war, "Out of all the times to second guess myself, why literally now?..." She swerved around a bush when she saw Lincoln, Leni, Laura, and Charlotte playing a game of sorts. "Yeah," Lori muttered, "Literally nothing." She simply walked up to the group and waved, "What'ch'all doing over here?"
"We tried to play charades," Lincoln said, "but we got carried away with Laura and went full-on cosplay."
"Cos-wah!" Lori jolted at the sight of Laura, who didn't look like Laura anymore, especially with her new and outlandishly large twin-drill-tails.
Laura even mimicked her to perfection, "The Bronya demands compensation for this time waster."
"Geez," Lori groaned, and brushed Laura's hair, "Y'all have gotta get off the Cellphone bandwagon. It's like you guys are just runnig away from something."
"Wuh?..." Lincoln thought she was speaking fluff.
"Running from what?" Charlotte inquired.
"Well, it..." Lori was stumped. Extensive elaboration has never been her strong point. In fact, she slept through all of her class debates, "...eeheh, like a garbage necklace, you're trying to throw it out and run away from it."
"Lady, you are not making any sense," Lincoln rolled his eyes.
Lori slumped, while Laura kept poking her wire dagger at Lincoln, "I have a costume for you."
Later that day, Tina was wallowing along with her group inside 1025. What was supposed to be an IS measurement assignment mutated into a fashion show slash figurine modeling day. She sat on the bed covered in drapes and glitter while the others had their way with Ichika. "What the hell happened to make them so floofy?..." She muttered. She just sat there while the other girls were eyeing different outfits and working their magic on the clothes they currently had, so much so that even Ichika started to enjoy it a little. That started to grate on her a little, because that was a problem she had while growing up.
Every time Tina started an activity with friends, she would find herself having fun, and then just fitting in, and then all of a sudden she was on the sidelines while everyone else was having the time of their lives. She always felt isolated, even though her friends acknowledged her for starting the activity.
"Hey, guys," She would find herself calling to them, "Mind if I join the fun?"
They would all look at each other before turning to Tina, "Sure thing, Tina! Come on!"
Tina would join the fun for a good 10 minutes before the attention slowly dwindled away from her and sealed itself in a bubble compromising everyone but her. Despite her best efforts to rejoin the party, she always found herself just watching. She could never figure out why that was.
"Yo!"
"Huh?! Who dat?!" Tina jolted.
"That was completely unexpected of you," dat Each-ka.
Tina quickly went back to her usual self, "Hey, I figured we needed to make a change every once in a while."
"Can't argue with that," Ichika nodded, "even though you were just supposed to make a mini Byakushiki."
"Oh...that..." Tina oops'd, "Well, I don't-"
"It's ok, Tina," Ichika assured her, "We all have our own issues to work with. We just need a little help from other people to get through them."
"Yeah, yeah, I know," Tina griped, "Just...it's hard finding the right people."
Just then, they were pelted with cotton jackets.
"Come on, slowpokes!" Rin screamed, "Now's not the time to relax!"
"Man alive, Fang!" Tina shouted, "How about a warning next time!"
"We don't wait for no one!" Cecilia said something she never would've said before, "Now are you coming or what?!"
"Alright, alright!" Tina groaned, "But I'm gonna milk you for all it's worth!"
"I'd like to see you try!"
Ichika sat back and watched as Tina, Rin, and Cecilia were dressing up a fashion storm. "I better make sure that it stays this way," he said...
...before Houki plopped herself on his lap, completely broken by the experience, "Ichika...I'm scared..."
Lori found herself taking extra potshots in the IS VR simulation program, "Waaaah! Omigod-HELP! Watch my-OOF!"
"My God, Lori, what's become of you?!" Lincoln laughed.
"Nothing!" Lori said, as she threw off her VR gear and dismounted the apparatus, "It doesn't feel right doing the fake thing. That's all."
"Mayhaps you need additional training in a different area," Laura thought.
"Where?" Lincoln smirked, "With her cunning, she doesn't need any mental training."
Lori caught that slight referenced and shot back, "At least I didn't need to rope in any help. Like I could even!"
"Ooh, can we just move on to the next game?!" Leni snatched the gear from Lori and jumped into the cockpit.
"Sure, go ahead," Lori slumped over to Lincoln's side, "Help me out here. I open my mouth, shit hits the fan. I keep my mouth shut, shit destroys the fan and blows a hole in the ceiling! What am I supposed to do?!"
"Heck if I know," Lincoln said, "But I think you might have answered your own question."
"I figured. Damage no matter what, so...just say it."
"Yep," Lincoln nodded, "because the fan's still there. We can still clean it."
"For how long?" Lori asked before Leni-
"Oh! I'm doing it! I'm doing it-PHKWJE-" lost her high score and got tangled in the wires, "Ok, I'm not doing it..."
"Len!" Lincoln stopped the conversation and rushed to free Leni from the apparatus.
"Uh, boyoyoy..." Lori muttered as Charlotte walked towards her with unease.
"Um, Lori?" Charlotte asked, "Are you ok?"
"Nope," Lori uttered, "Tina thinks you're trying to split Ichika and Lincoln apart."
Laura's ears twitched.
"Oh, geez..." Charlotte sighed, "I did tell them that this was a fool's errand."
"Really?"
"I can tell you from firsthand experience that it has something to do with their pasts."
"Doesn't everything?..." At that moment, Laura aimed her wire daggers at Lori, but they ended up wrapping around Charlotte instead.
"Oh, nein!" Laura realized her mistake too late, as Lincoln suddenly grabbed her arm.
"They build VR Saber into this thing!" Lincoln strapped her into the seat, "You gotta give this a try!"
"Wait-no-I am still holding-" Laura was thrust into the game on Hard difficulty, meaning there was a lot of obstacles to avoid and targets to destroy at a rapid pace, meaning-
"WAIAIAIIAIAI-~~~~~~" Charlotte was swinging.
Lori and Lincoln just stood there in awe of Laura and Charlotte's seemingly flawless synchronization, while Leni started dancing to the rhythm.
The group reuinted in a dinner picnic along the island's coastline, where Lincoln and Ichika were as far away from each other as the girls could make possible.
"Wait, why is she here?" Houki pointed to Leni, who was not even a student.
"Because someone needs to keep these two bunderbeds in check," Leni winked.
"Dunderheads, Len," Lori said while snacking on her sandwich.
"Who's Len?" Leni and Laura said in unison, sparking a gasp of surprise from the rest of the group.
"What the hell has become of you, young one?..." Cecilia quivered.
"Anyway!" Tina threw her tablet to the water- "Oh God no!" -and it snapped as soon as it hit the water.
"Um...Tina..." Cecilia quivered, "Was that...my tablet?..."
"Yesss?..." was all Tina said before she ran away.
"I'LL GUT YOU LIKE A FISH!" Cecilia chased after her.
Ichika and Lincoln let out a small chuckle, which caught the attention of the rest of the group.
"Hey, Lincoln!" Rin suddenly piped, "Can you help me with my homework?"
"Yeah, what do you need?" Lincoln said
"Don't forget, Ichika," Houki said, "There's a training session tonight."
"I know," Ichika said, "The pairs tournament, right?"
And the group split right then and there, leaving Lori and Leni alone.
"Wow," Leni said, "and I thought I was the scatterbrain. Did you see the look in their eyes when the boys looked at each other?"
It was at that moment when Lori had uneasy thoughts about her current situation. Something did not sit well with her, given what happened mere days ago. "Yeah, I did...and I think we've lost it..."
Later that night...late night...
"Great googly moogly..." Ichika groaned while dousing himself with tea, "What the hell is up with those ladies?..."
"I know, right?" Lincoln said while jumping out of the shower with just a towel, "Feels like everyone did a character 360. For the second time this year!"
That line caused Ichika to flinch. With everything that's happened so far, he thought he'd be a little more scarred that he was pretending not to be. But he thought Lincoln wasn't acting how Lincoln was supposed to act. "Ok, what?" he blurted out, "What is going on inside that impenetrable head of yours?"
"Watchumeen?" Lincoln said, "I've always been me."
"No you haven't," Ichika leaned in for a closer look inside Lincoln's eyes, "Is there a hidden "Backpedal" switch in there?"
Lincoln backed away, "Hey, ease up, Buck Wild. I ain't trying to get your morning grill," and then ran out into the hallways.
"Uh-huh..." Ichika leaned out and saw Lincoln walking out with Laura and Charlotte. That made him think about everything that the boys have been experiencing for the past few days, "...You'd think by now I'd know better than to stick my nose into unnecessary crap..." He shook his head and bolted out of the room to find Tina...
"AAAAGH!"
...who was busy punching her pillow, "What ain't I doin'?! What do I have to do to derail this crazy train?!"
"What is going on here?..."
"YOW!" Tina jolted at the sound of Ichika's voice, but she immediately grabbed his hand, "Oh, thank god you're here! I thought they'd already ensnared you in their clutches!"
Ichika went, "Huh?..."
"What huh?"
"What do you mean, 'clutches'?"
"Uhh..." Tina realized her slip up. She was forced to explain herself to him, with the other girls just outside the room, listening in on their conversation undetected.
Five minutes later, "...and that's the short story long. Long story short, the other girls were trying to separate you and Lincoln and I had to prevent that!"
Ichika stared blankly at her while she was giving her explanation. When she was done, he sighed, "...no, you didn't."
"Wuh?..." Tina slumped and gave him the confusion face.
"I already knew the girls were going to try something," Ichika said.
"What?!" Tina was shocked, "How?!"
"Call it a guy's intuition," Ichika scratched his cheek, "but after half a semester of pains, strains, and OHGODMYBALLS!, even I can tell when the members of the opposite sex have had enough." Then, he turned his eyes to the tiny creak in the door, "And they, in turn, should know when I've had enough."
Cecilia, Houki, and Rin silently gasped. They knew that he was calling them out directly, but rather than try to barge in to offer a quick-easy-fake explanation, they simply left.
Ichika turned back to Tina, "Look. I appreciate that you're trying to look out for me, but I know where my limits to this kind of stuff is, and I know when someone has crossed that limit. I can keep a pretty good eye out for that."
"Oh..." Tina was confused at one point, but then she internalized everything he said in that instant, "So, I had nothing to worry about, huh?" ...somewhat internalized...
"Of course not," Ichika patted Tina's shoulder, "...but you do." And he just walked out.
Tina twitched and turned behind her. She saw Ichika escape with Tatenashi while Cecilia, Rin, and Houki were at the door, glaring at her in contempt of her actions. "Oh..." she murmured while squinting.
Meanwhile Kiyoka had, under Rain's tutelage, gained more knowledge of the IS in one week than she would have gained at the IS Academy in half a semester. She had already learned how to commandeer other default IS units and maneuver her own effortlessly around extreme attacks. All while being dogged by Rain. This particular occasion had them raiding a safehouse hidden in the Ngari prefecture of Tibet, fully automated without a single person in sight.
Just the perfect target for a trainee's final test.
"You're getting the hang of it now, Kiyo!" Rain cooed, "But how'd you like to stack up to THIS?!" while sending her hellhounds after her.
"SHIT!" Kiyoka ran for her life. She ran up to the door of the safehouse and activated her Winds of Silence's hacking mode. She got the door open in two seconds, ran inside, and shut the door right when the hellhounds were about to bite her. That meant that she didn't have any time to lose, as manned personnel will storm the compound in five minutes. So she ran, "Gotta find that holding area...Tibet's still a part of China, so it's gotta be underground..." She found a computer and connected her IS to its local network, accessing only the deep-wise map. She quickly figured out that the parts of the map that were blurred out were where she needed to go, "There. And the hidden access platform." She withdrew her IS and immediately made for the hidden recycling shaft, ripping the door open with just her brute strength and jumping in with barely a trace left behind. While sliding down, she kept a conscious count of how many chutes she passed and waited for the right time to unleash her IS-
-BOOM! BOOM!-
"NOW!" Kiyoka didn't have to wait long. She blasted two holes and flew right into the upper one, wasting no time to track down her destination. There was a hard right turn following a metal wall, which she was supposed to plow right into. "Oh god oh god oh god oh god-" she braced herself for impact and blasted the wall to make the impact softer, but her target was behind seven feet of pure concrete, "OH GOD OH GO-" -CRASH!- "AHAAGH!" She almost destroyed her own IS with that impact, "Urgh...gotta...keep...go-huh?!" But she finally found it. China's hidden Gen 3.5 model, Lóng Zhī Hún, the successor of the Shenlong, complete with preinstalled core.
But Kiyoka didn't have time to marvel at its grandeur. She connected her IS to the Dragon's Spirit and created a temporary user profile for the IS to use as a pilot interface. Just in time too, because the alarm sounded the instant it sensed any contact with the IS. "Come on! Come on!" Kiyoka stared worriedly at the holographic screen, eager to take off the moment finalization was completed.
One of Rain's hellhounds had found its way to Kiyoka and attempted to bite her, only to receive a staff uppercut right through its jaw.
"That's what you get, sausage fleabag!" Kiyoka shouted. She saw the hellhound fizzle out of existence just as second hellhound made its way to her. This time, instead of attacking her, it opened its mouth and let out a voiceover,
"Please tell me you got the thing!" Rain's voice.
"Yes!" Kiyoka stopped moving, "I'm piloting the thing right now!"
"Well, pilot it outta here, asshat! I'm dying up here!"
Kiyoka heard a soft boom from above, "Oh shit..." Two more booms followed, that second of which resulted in a power outage and a rattling of the facility, "Oh god, what do I do..."
The hellhound closed its mouth and activated the flashlight within its eyes. It walked into the same chute Kiyoka used to break into the facility. Kiyoka hoisted it on her back and flew up the shaft. She blocked herself from thinking about the chaos that Rain might be causing. All she could focus on was getting back home.
Which, oddly enough, was much easier thanks to Rain going absolutely ham on the tanks and soldiers there.
"COME ON, YA RED-FACED PLASTIC MAO DOLLS!" And she had no issue offending them, as she rendered a large majority of them already dead.
Kiyoka withdrew her target IS and released the Winds of Silence's stealth mode upon reaching ground level. She set the hellhound down and let it run back to Rain as she prepared to make her escape. But then she had a nagging thought: what could she have overlooked that would endanger her or Rain? She tossed her sniper into the air, and it morphed into a surveillance drone, giving her a clear view of the battle that lay ahead of her. And as it turned out...
"FUCK YOU! FUCK YOUR MOMS! FUCK YOUR ANCESTORS ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE 18TH GENERATION!"
"杀了她！"
Kiyoka had nothing to worry about. Rain loved the thrill of the fight. Just about the only thing she loved more than fighting was seeing the wretched faces on her opponents twist in rage before they lose all life when they hit the dirt.
"What the hell is wrong with me?..." Kiyoka rubbed her eyes before fleeing the fight.
Later that night at Phantom Task HQ, Squall was carefully inspecting the Winds of Silence and Dragon's Spirit for any damages and hidden devices, while Kiyoka was lying on the couch completely exhausted from the mission.
"Seven straight days..." Kiyoka mouthed, "...need...tea..."
"Not after all that work," Forte said, "What you need is proper nutrition."
"I stuck my neck out there for you...I better get something good in return..."
"Watch your mouth, Aikawa," Forte glared, "Remember who you're talking to."
"UGH..." Kiyoka fell off the couch and curled up under the coffee table when Rain barged in covered in bandages.
"WOOOOO!" Rain screamed, "Adrenaline is pumpiiiiiiiing!" and frantically paced, "I gotta calm down I need to calm down Why ain't I calm down Please me calm down I FIGHT CALM DOWN!"
"How can you still be so hyper after what you did to your own IS?..." Forte asked.
"'CUZ IT'S FUCKIN' LIVING!?" Rain snapped, "HOW CAN YOU CALL YOURSELF A WOMAN IF YOU WON'T BITCH SOME BEAT'S ASS AND SLAVE SOME CONQUER MANS?!"
"Because my brain still works?..."
"SHUT UP!"
Kiyoka covered her ears and tried to climb back on the couch, but she didn't have enough strength to even sit herself upright. These last few days have taken a toll on her, having to learn the practical knowledge of operating an IS in the heat of battle while operating as a soldier. She would've been conked out by now if it weren't for the constant alarms calling her into action. This was a far cry from her previous life, but she had to accept that she would never go back to her cushiony home.
"Ahem."
Rain and Forte stopped their lively bickering when Squall entered the room.
"Please try to remember what tomorrow is," Squall raised an eyebrow.
"Hey, auntie," Rain waved, "What's up?"
"Rain, get Autumn," Squall sighed, "Forte, get M."
"Right," both girls went off to get the others, leaving Squall alone with Kiyoka.
Squall walked to where Kiyoka was sleeping and sat down beside her. "Color me impressed," Squall said, "Not only did you bring your IS intact each mission, you went out of your way to make sure your teammates were still in prime condition when you were gone."
Kiyoka slumped down on the fluffy rug and lost herself in her sleep.
Squall stroked Kiyoka's shoulder, "I can tell you're committed to Phantom Task already. But just one more task awaits."
"Hey, auntie!" Rain winked as she entered the living room, "Got the whole gang here, FINALLY."
"I only came because it was you, Squall," Autumn said.
Forte and M were simply standing at attention, awaiting the order from their commanding officer.
Squall sighed, "I hope you're all in the right mindset."
"The hell did that come from?..." M muttered.
"I just received word from my contact with some very vital information," Squall leaned back on the couch and threw her phone on the table, "There's two tournaments at the IS Academy, and one of them is tomorrow." The phone projected the layout of the IS Academy, with the arena that will be hosting the tournament highlighted in yellow. "Arena 6 is where it'll be, and it will feature those with personal units."
M gasped. This could be her chance to get payback on both Ichika and Chifuyu.
"I know what you're thinking, M," but Squall immediately denied, "and I can't have you losing yourself like last time."
M looked somewhat dejected.
Squall turned to Forte, "I will need your help reprogramming the ISs to move by themselves."
"Understood," Forte nooded.
"Autumn," Squall continued, "you and M will help me bring out Tabane Shinonono into the open."
"Whoa, what?!" Autumn exclaimed, "The Creator?!"
"I'll explain everything tomorrow," Squall turned to Autumn, "For now, can I trust you to persuade Tabane to make a little favor for us?"
"Yes," Autumn blushed, "anything for you, Squall."
M nodded without making eye contact.
"Rain?" Squall called to attention.
"Yeah?"
"I would like to test Kiyoka one more time," Squall snapped her fingers, and a second chamber underneath the main educational building blinked red, "While you lead the attack on the Academy with the unmanned ISs, Kiyoka will break Sayuka out. I need you to make sure that they both come back with the Heavy Battler."
"*WHISTLE* Now, that's a challenge," Rain grinned.
"We have our battle plan, then," Squall clapped her hands, "Rain, you and Kiyoka get some rest. Everyone else come with me. We have 16 hours until the operation begins."
That night, Tatenashi and Lori were approaching 1025, hoping to get on Ichika and Lincoln's good side together. Kanzashi was holding a bag of muffins for Ichika, while Lori was holding small locket for Lincoln.
"This'll be a big step for you, Kan-chan," Lori rubbed Kanzashi's shoulders.
"I hope so," Kanzashi blushed. Then, she caught a dull glimmer in Lori's hand, "What's that in your hand?"
"A broken locket," Lori answered, "I salvaged it out of a dumpster and fixed it."
"Oh," Kanzashi saw the locket's empty center, "Where's the picture?"
"Oh, that," Lori scratched her head, "I didn't like it either, so I ditched it. I was hoping to get the gang together for another group photo."
"That's nice," Kanzashi commented. She was about to say something more until they heard the door open. They hid behind the corner and saw Ichika exit the room with Lincoln...and Tatenashi of all people.
"That was a nice massage..." Lincoln stretched his back, "I think I acquired new mobility."
"Oh, don't be absurd!" Tatenashi laughed while clinging to Ichika, "I wouldn't put it past him to-" squeeze "-anger any massage-gynists. Get it?!"
Ichika groaned, but Lincoln snickered.
Lori thought about approaching Tatenashi, seeing as how Kanzashi still got nervous upon seeing them frollicking about. And she was about to...
...until she heard Tatenashi say, "Speaking of which, how's my sister's IS coming along?"
"Huh?" Lori and Kanzashi grew worrisome. They immediately took that statement as another plan Tatenashi concocted to interfere in their plans.
"Well, it's coming together..." Ichika said.
Lori sensed Kanzashi's growing unease, "Don't assume the worst..." she gripped her shoulders, "...maybe he's..."
Tatenashi laughed, then said, "I bet my unit's data came in handy, right?"
"Hey-hey-SHH!" Lincoln waggled, "Not in the open!"
"Oh, it's not like anyone's wandering around," Tatenashi wagged her hand, "It's just a wholesome threesome!"
"And I regret you..." Ichika grumbled while enduring a squeeze on his upper right hand.
Lori and Kanzashi were shaken, "This was...all her?!..." They absolutely could not believe that Tatenashi would think so little of her sister, that even found a way to influence the most prestigious school in the world, all to further rub in the fact that she would always have to high ground, and those in her way must acknowledge that she is the superior. Whoever dared to challenge that notion would be severely punished.
That was Kanzashi's mindset. But for Lori, this was way too familiar to be a mere power-hungry spout. It was almost as if...
("Trust me. You're gonna fail. You and Leni both. Now, where's Lynn? She owes me a pedicure.")
("I'm not going to the dance. My boss is making me work tonight to pay for all the free stuff I gave you. Instead of Romance Under the Sea, I'm gonna have mozzarella under the fingernails. Thanks a lot, Lincoln.")
("That's not a mirror, that's me! Now go take your dress back!")
"Ugh...the hell?..." ...she's seen this kind of cycle before...
("If I catch you in here again, I will literally turn you into a human pretzel!")
("A man in a limo can't be seen in some rat hole named after a bodily function. It's just not done.")
("And if you vote Team Beach, the fun will literally never stop.")
("You're never gonna find him anywhere near me. I bet not even the fleas would mourn him.")
"Literally wuh?..." Seeing that one bit of interaction connect everything she's experienced at the Academy so far brought back haunting memories of the cycle, before Lincoln attempted to break it. And she could see its effects on everything around her, starting with Kanzashi, "Kanzashi? Hey, Kanzashi?"
Kanzashi was close to having a panic attack, "No...it's not-"
"Kanzashi!"
"!" She jolted upward and saw Lori try to hug her head.
"Keep it together!" Lori frantically pleaded.
To no avail. Kanzashi was still rattle with the revelation that her time with Ichika could've been fabricated, "I...I can't..."
Lori knew exactly how Kanzashi was going to react. It was the same reaction that she herself gave during the numerous times she found herself helpless against the power of her own siblings uniting against her, "...I'll be by in a few...keep your door unlocked..." she let Kanzashi go.
One minute later, Lori was in the hallway by her lonesome. She had just witnessed Tatenashi weave her way into Lincoln's mind, similar to how Lori herself weaved her way into the minds of everyone around her. For all her talk about being the older sister and needing to set things right with Lincoln, she could no longer tell how much progress she was making, if any at all. She kept her eyes on the floor, staring at the bag of muffins that were carelessly dropped, waiting for anyone willing to spare a shred of compassion. The original owner felt like they were worthless now that her plan has gone awry, so they were tossed aside with little regard.
Quite the fitting metaphor.
Lori picked up the bag and stared at it, "Can we learn anything?..."
Back in her dorm, Kanzashi had collapsed in tears. Out of all the possible scenarios that could've played out, this was the worst. She couldn't stop thinking about how much Tatenashi could've infiltrated her Academy life. Did Tatenashi influence the students too? Did Tatenashi get to Lincoln before she did? How much of the Byakushiki was her own sister's doing? She was trapped in a cycle all her own, and she feared that she would never break free. She would always be inferior to her sister, and she would be flaunted for it.
("The real deal's right here. Why don't you out that girl aside and have fun with a real woman?")
("You just need to hide. The Cannonball Fast is my priority.")
("I am the head of the household now! Whatever happens happens under my watch!")
"NOOOOO!" Kanzashi broke completely.
Leni was watching from the dorm's entryway. She didn't know exactly what was going on, but she was able to tell that this wasn't how she'd normally see Kanzashi. She crept her way in until she was kneeling right next to the blue-haired girl.
"Um...Kan-chan?..."
Kanzashi was crying too loud to hear her.
"Uh..." Leni simply rubbed her back, "It's alright. You'll get through this." The rub turned into a full-back massage. She kept going for a good five minutes before she noticed the crying slowly start to subside. She eased up for a minute, and the sobbing gave way to snoring. Leni carefully removed her glasses before carrying Kanzashi to her bed.
Lori had just walked in with the muffin bag. She didn't notice Leni until she heard her voice.
"Lori?"
And she didn't care. She didn't bat an eye to her, keeping her gaze only on the bag.
"Lori?" Leni called again.
"What?..." Lori murmured.
"What happened to her?" Leni demanded.
Lori sat on the bed and opened the bag, "Her life...might be a complete lie..."
"Lie?!" Leni got desperate, "Is she even real?! Is any of this real?! Tell me!"
"Oh, she's very real. All this is real," Lori sternly said, before telling her everything she witnessed.
Leni just stood there dumbfounded, "Holy shamoley..."
"Exactly."
And it was at that moment that something snapped inside Leni's brain. All of a sudden, it was as if the gears in her mind started to turn faster and faster until they whirled at an unfathomable speed, and showed no signs of stopping. "So, you're telling me..." she tried to suppress her anger, "...that all the progress everyone's made...can be reset at any time?"
Lori twitched, "Where'd you get that from?"
"No...no, I'm not good with that..." Leni stormed out.
"Leni?! Hey, Leni!" Lori tried to stop her...
...but Leni shoved her back into the bed.
"AGH! Rrgh..." by an elbow to her sternum, "THE HELL, WOMAN?!"
"I'm not as stupid as you think," Leni growled before stomping outside.
Tina was out of the toilet room when she saw Leni walking down the hall, "Ok, she ain't supposed to be there..."
Leni noticed Tina the instant she tried to approach her, "Do you know where Tatenashi's room is?"
"Whoa, what's all that about-"
Leni grabbed Tina's collar and reeled it in, "I said, DO YOU KNOW WHERE TATENASHI'S ROOM IS?!"
"Yes! Yes, I do!" Tina panicked.
"Good. I need you to do me a couple things."
Back in her dorm, Tatenashi was contemplating her next move. She went to check on Lincoln and Ichika, and it seemed that they were doing well. She knew that she was asking Ichika to partner with Kanzashi, but seeing how much she got along with Lincoln didn't sit well with her, so she had hoped to gain some insight into the boys by visiting 1025. But she may have gotten more than she bargained for with that slight gasp she heard in the corner. And now, there she was on the bed, wondering what came over her.
"Why did I do that?..." Tatenashi whispered, "There was no reason for me to do that..." Not even she knew what she wanted to do with Kanzashi.
The spirit wasn't always there, but she always felt like they were in competition with each other. From a simple "Heads Up 7 Up" to reading, even to a make up contest. Nothing was off limits. But whereas Tatenashi had the good fortune of being born with a bombastic personality, Kanzashi was far more reserved, being younger than her, but looking so much like her, constantly being compared to her as a result. It's no wonder why Kanzashi felt lower than her. Maybe that's what undid all the progress she made over the semester. From just one interaction she wasn't supposed to see...
-BANG-BANG-BANG-
"HEY! OPEN UP!"
Tatenashi blinked, "What the hell?..." She propped herself up and opened the door to a very angry Leni, "Uh, can I help you?"
"No," Leni grabbed Tatenashi by the collar and slammed her against the hallway, "but you can help someone else."
Tatenashi seemed unfazed. She drifted her eyes toward Tina, "Et tu, blondie?"
"I didn't believe it at first," Tina shook her head, "until Leni told me what happened."
"Oh, that's rich," Tatenashi laughed. She then deflected a sucker punch from Leni, causing it to slam into a wall and bring Leni's neck to her fan "FAMILY".
"YOU THINK MAKING YOUR SISTER CRY IS FUNNY?!" Leni was livid, "THE WAY YOU WERE SQUEEZING YOUR BIG FLUFFERS AGAINST ICHIKA'S ARM?! AND HOW YOU BRAGGED ABOUT YOUR IS DATA HELPING HER IS?!"
"Ok, lady," Tatenashi said, "You are in way over your head. All I did was give Ichika and Kanzashi a little push. That's all."
"Yeah, a push off the cliff," Tina shook her head.
"You're lying," Leni growled, "Kanzashi slammed her body on the floor, practically crying a waterfall outta her brain! On account of you sharing your data with Ichika to help her!"
Tatenashi kept her calm demeanor, but inside she was surprised. She had no idea that Kanzashi and Lori wanted to to talk to Ichika and Lincoln. But at least that would open up a chance for her to-
"HNNG-" Tatenashi's train of thought was blocked by Leni planting her forearm onto her neck.
"Just now, you were planning something, weren't you?!" Leni got observant.
"What?!" Tina got in close, "How can you tell?!"
"I can see past her eyes," Leni stated, "She's gonna make her move tomorrow, during the tournament!"
"Whatever you two are thinking, I can assure you it isn't true," Tatenashi said before slamming her foot at Leni's gut.
Tina immediately deployed her leg and arm gauntlets and tried to fight Tatenashi, but she was easily blown back. She tried to rush at Leni, but she was grappled and thrown off. Tatenashi tried to take Leni, only for Leni to dig her nails into Tatenashi's forearm.
"Tina..." Leni croaked, "Go..."
"Right..." Tina fully deployed and blasted out of Tatenashi's range.
Tatenashi attempted to deploy her lance, but Leni yanked her arm towards her, forcing the lance to aim directly at her. Leni kept her vicegrip on Tatenashi's arms, rendering her unable to move.
"Oh no..." Leni hissed, "You deal with me..."
Meanwhile, Tina barged into literally every single room on the first floor and...under Leni's orders...told every single person what she saw and heard, throwing the freshman dorm into a gossip frenzy. Some girls were starting to wonder what purpose the sudden appearance of the new Student Council President. Some girls had questions about Kanzashi. Most assumed that Tina was snooping on the twins and did something inappropriate. Some thought Ichika had shattered their ideal image of the ideal man and turned everything upside down. Some went so far as to say that Lincoln manipulated him.
But one thing was for sure: the entire dynamic of the ISL would change for the worse.
Starting with 1025, the last dorm that Tina would visit, "Hey! Emergency!"
"Yow!" Ichika jolted.
"WUTHAWUT?!" Lincoln jumped, "Tina?!"
Tina was about to spill, until she realized who was in the dorm, "...oh...you..."
"What brings you here?..." Ichika asked.
"Y'know, I've been thinking about what you said earlier," Tina leaned her arm on the doorway, "and I realized something."
Lincoln didn't like the sound of this, "Ok...what did you realize and do?"
"One: I realized that sometimes, it IS necessary to stick my nose into other people's businesses," Tina pointed to outside the room.
Ichika and Lincoln took a peek outside and saw Lori slowly walking towards them, holding a locket and bag of muffins.
"Two: the big one," Tina continued, "I told every single person what Lori and Kanzashi saw."
The boys went "You said WHAT?!"
"Exactly," Tina nodded.
"Wait, how would you know this?!" Lincoln asked.
"I have a friend of a friend who, with her friend, overheard you giving Tatenashi a massage, and then something about..." whisper in Ichika's ear "...her IS data helping her IS..."
Ichika reacted in horror. There's no denying it now. Someone overheard that little outburst and passed it onto Tina, who in turn passed it onto Tina, who no doubt blabbed it to everyone else. They know how Kanzashi reacted. God only knew how Lori would react to this.
"What the hell have you done?..." He muttered.
Tina could've said that Leni told her to do this, but she had already witnessed how Lincoln was treated when the rumors came for him. So, she focused all of the attention on herself, "What the hell has to be done."
"THAT DIDN'T NEED TO BE DONE! WE HAD EVERYTHING UNDER CONTROL! WHY'D YOU HAVE TO GO AND SCREW IT ALL UP?!"
"'Cuz you're too dense to see below the surface!" Tina countered, "Your intuition only went so fa-" after which a card was thrown right by her, grazing her hair and exploding behind her.
"Get out..." Lincoln muttered.
Tina blinked, "...trust me on th-"
All of a sudden, Night Club appeared behind him and amplified Lincoln's and her voices. They screamed loud enough for the entire dorm to hear, "GET OUT!"
Tina fled the room.
Lincoln slammed and locked the door. Then, he turned to the kitchenette and poured himself a cup of tea, "God, what was she thinking?! Why would she blab to the entire dorm?!"
"I know, right?" Night Club leaned against a chair, "What a real piece of work she turned out to be."
"I swear, if I see her again, I'm gonna-" Lincoln stopped short of seeing Ichika slump on his bed, "Hey, Ichika!" He rushed over to his side and tried to massage his neck, "Come on, dude. Talk to me. What's going through your mind?"
Ichika was still in shock at how much Tina knew. His mind raced at the possibility of the other girls labeling him as a voyeur, or worse, a womanizer. That could entrap him in a rumor that he was as shallow as they come. For all his efforts in trying to keep the group together, he seemed to have forgotten to address the biggest problem of all.
Sometimes, his denseness gets the better of him, and he would never know.
"Dammit...how the hell did I miss that?..."
"Dude!"
"Uh!"
Lincoln brought him back to his senses, "Good, you're still here."
"Yeah, but what are we gonna do about tomorrow?" Ichika asked, "The tag match is screwed now."
"We'll find a way," Lincoln said.
"We always do," Night Club added.