Episode 6 - Green Eyed Songbird


"Okay class, I have yet another exciting announcement to make today!"

Ryo spun the pen-form Gerbera Straight listlessly, trying his best to not completely lose focus on whatever was happening at the moment.

"I'm about to introduce another addition to our expanding classroom!"

Ephraim's eye visibly twitched, struggling to keep the calm façade, while Davion merely continued to sketch. No offense to Yamada-sensei, but this announcement wasn't as important as turning Kanzashi's Uchigane into a masterpiece!

"Meet our newest transfer student from Germany: Laura Bodewig." Maya gestured to the girl beside her. Her name was displayed on the board behind her, and yet the girl closed her visible eye, with the other covered by an eyepatch. She was short, glaringly so, with greyish hair that reached mid-back. Her uniform consisted of the standard girl's top but with baggy pants tucked into knee-high cavalry boots.

"Huh?"

"What's going on?"

"Two transfer students in only two weeks?"

"No matter how you look at it, it's rather strange."

Ephraim and Ryo grimaced, the latter stopping his initial pen fidgeting.

They knew why she was here. They knew just who she was here for.

"Please be quiet now, everyone! Her introduction isn't finished yet. Show some respect!" The assistant homeroom teacher pleaded, and the class followed. It took a few seconds, but the class hushed as they stared at the German at the front.

"Yes, go ahead, Laura." Chifuyu glanced at her former pupil, lifting her mug to her lips. "Please finish."

A single red eye opened.

"Jawohl, mentor."

Ichika blinked.

'Mentor? So that means when Chifuyu-nee was in Germany, she was...'

Clicking her heels together, the newest transfer student stood straight.

"I am Laura Bodewig!"

...

'...Deja vu...' Many of the girls thought as their eyes slowly wandered to the Byakushiki pilot.

"...Is that...all you wanted to say, Laura?" Maya turned her head to her with a slight look of confusion. This same confusion was shared by everyone, save for the Neo-Types who merely kept indifferent expressions.

"Ja, that is all." Her sole eye locked on to the nearest male pilot...

Ichika.

"And you must be..." She muttered loudly as she stepped closer to him. The younger Orimura rose a brow as she walked forward and-

Slap!

-delivered a backhanded slap to his cheek.

Ryo let out a low whistle.

Ephraim's jaw tensed.

And Davion looked up in slight alert at the sound. If a brawl was going to erupt, he should be at least aware of it!

Some of the girls in the class let out short screams, and a few of them began to panic at the prospect of a fight happening. Ichika himself looked at her while holding his stinging cheek, all too shocked at being slapped out of the blue.

"I do not approve..!" Laura hissed, narrowing her sole red eye. "In fact, I will never approve that you're her brother!"

The whole class tensed, halfway between glaring and halfway between being willfully ignorant of what just happened. The latter ones were understandable, as what Laura had said was basically stepping into some familial territory.

"That's a bit uncalled for, don't you think so?"

Laura sneered at the speaker, the look of superiority replacing the momentary rage. "As if I'll ever need the approval of a half-breed."

Many of the girls gasped in shock. To blatantly insult one of the boys that showed nothing but gentlemanly and decent behavior towards them was going a bit too far!

Chifuyu sent an attentive look towards Laura and her assistant, the latter keeping his indifferent mask on. However, the way his finger restlessly tapped on the desk was indicative of his mood. Both she and Ryo knew what it meant, knowing him enough.

And boy, was he really irritated right now.

The tall blonde stared into the sole eye of the German, royal purple clashing against blood red.

Ephraim's lips then twitched as he shrugged, struggling to not let the cruel smile from breaking out. "I think I am stating what the majority of this class thinks of your action." He looked around, the cold rage in his eyes causing many to flinch as his sights washed over them. "Your first impression is impeccably lacking in manners."

Cecilia quietly nodded beside him, crossing her arms and glaring at the shorter girl. She would have made to protest her action, but the blonde beside her had acted first.

His gaze passed by Ryo, who attempted to send a silent message for him to calm down. They didn't need conflict this early in the morning.

Purple eyes switched to Laura and then back to the Courier as if saying, 'She started it.'

"I don't care." Bodewig snorted, rolling her eye and interrupting the silent conversation between the two Astray pilots. "Everyone here is second-rate to me. Much less you and your trash copies of the I.S."

Snap!

'Oh, damn it.' Ryo inwardly cursed and switched his attention to Davion.

The mechanic broke the pencil in his hand as his jaw tensed. He could feel the adrenaline begin to pump in, the familiar heat spreading throughout his body. His senses sharpened, his sight noticing the most minuscule detail with each movement, his hearing now able to pick out the stretching of muscle fibers...

To insult him or his friends was one thing. To insult the Astrays, however, is a whole other level.

'If anything, it's the I.S. that's trash, you diminutive-!'

He made to rise, but a discouraging look from Ryo made him hesitate. Starting a fight here and now would be undesirable. Not only is it a hassle to deal with the aftermath, but it would ruin their good images and reveal their superhuman abilities should Laura and Davion not pull their punches.

The mechanic got the idea and eased up. He'll find a way to prove her wrong soon.

However, the green-eyed student didn't account for the other, more acerbic, Astray pilot.

Purple eyes gleamed in a malicious light.

Maintaining their image or not, that didn't mean Ephraim wouldn't settle for some...verbal sparring. If she wanted to throw shade, he would throw shade back.

In a more…formal manner, of course.

Clap. Clap.

"Wonderful, it's been less than a few minutes since you've arrived, and you've managed to turn a whole class against you. To be honest, I'm quite amazed at the feat." A tone laced with faux-admiration escaped from the blonde's lips. His face was serene, utterly calm, with a friendly smile that lacked all the warmth that should come with it.

Off to the side, Ryo tensed.

The situation was getting out of hand, he knew this the moment his blonde friend opened his mouth. Ephraim and Conflict practically came hand in hand!

Ephraim's tirade continued, the smile turning more and more mocking and condescending. "And what? 'Second-rate'? Does that sole eye of yours allow you to judge a person at a glance? Have you given up the other one just like Odin to allow such a skill?" He then snapped his fingers, the smile turning into a snake-like smirk as a look of false-realization washed over his face. "Ah...or maybe not."

The courier bit the inside of his cheek, eyes looking around the class to read the mood. Most of the girls seemed to be in his friend's corner, sending dirty looks at the albino at the front. Cecilia seemed to be smirking oh-so-viciously while Houki was outright glaring death right into the side of the German's head.

He needed to do something fast.

"Perhaps you're just projecting. Trying to talk big to make up for..." Purple eyes scanned up and down, stopping at the top of the German's head and then at the bottom of her shoes. "...certain deficiencies."

Laura grit her teeth audibly, fists clenched and shaking in restrained anger. He was goading her on, and it was working.

"How cute~"

Chifuyu sent her assistant another sharp look, wordlessly demanding another command for him to stand down. She then gazed at the other Astray pilots, gauging their reactions and anticipating what they would do. Davion was ready to attack or defend, waiting for the first strike, while Ryo appeared to be calm, but the rapid tapping and fidgeting of his pen betrayed that image.

Tension rose by the second, and any sudden actions could turn sour.

CLACK!

Chifuyu and everyone in class collectively snapped their heads towards a kneeling Ryo beside his desk.

"There we are," The courier looked up and was surprised to see everyone staring at him. "I uh… dropped my pen?" He then wiggled said thing in his hand for all to see.

'Was that deliberate?' The teacher thought, narrowing her eyes briefly as she recalled the purpose of Murakumo's creation. To be the 'perfect' diplomat, which meant being able to read the room and...

'Hmm...'

Regardless of whether his actions were deliberate or not, Chifuyu immediately intervened while the tension was dispersed.

"Bodewig." Their homeroom teacher spoke up, her voice heavy with authority. "That's enough. Find a seat so we can get this class started."

"Jawohl, mentor." The transfer student stressed the last word, glaring at everyone before walking to a vacant seat near the back. Davion sent a noticeable glare at her, the splintered pieces of his pencil scattered on his desk being ignored by the angry mechanic. The German acknowledged this with a small scoff, ignoring him afterward as she sat down.

"Maya." Chifuyu sighed, staring into her empty cup for a few moments before closing her eyes. "Start the lesson."

"O-Of course..."

Ryo sighed in relief as everyone settled back in class.

Confrontation adverted.

Or rather...

Delayed.


.

.

.


Ring!

Maya stopped her lecture and looked towards the door. Blinking once, she stopped the presentation and smiled at the class. "Oh, that's the bell! Well, since the Class League Match is just a week away, the school has decided to make classes until then a half-day!"

"Yaaay!"

"In exchange for all that free time, all of the pilots here are required to practice while the mechanics are instructed to study repair techniques, and the deeper intricacies of the I.S." Chifuyu spoke up, cutting the cheers short with a small glare. "What I expect out of all of you is the same as always. Be sure to practice whenever the chance arises because you're going to need it one day soon."

"Y-Yay..."

"Sahaku, head to my office at 5 PM sharp." She sent a stern look at the blonde, who was starting to get out of his seat. "I got a few stacks of paperwork that need a second look-over-"

Ephraim slumped slightly but maintained his smile. "O-Of course, Orimura-sensei..."

"And we need to have a talk about what happened earlier."

He grimaced.

A few seats behind him, Laura glared hotly into his back.

The tall blonde stood up and sent her a smug smirk over his shoulder before walking ahead. A pair of dainty hands wrapped around his wrist, stopping him and making the teen turn his head. Cecilia's smile greeted him as she beamed up at the taller boy. "Sir Sahaku, I assume you're going to the Culinary Arts Club?"

"...Yes, why?"

"Can I come with? I wish to learn just how you cook your dishes."

Ephraim paled slightly but humored her nonetheless. There's no way she had the stereotype of 'Brits can't cook,' right? He can fix that trope, right?

"Of course. I shall inform Nakiri-kaichou of your intent when we arrive."

The noblewoman clapped giddily as she and the other blonde left the room.

Davion and Ryo shared a look, snickering as they too got up and prepared to do what they needed to do for the day.

"Hey, Ryo!" The courier turned to see Ichika walk over to him, the red handprint on his cheek as vibrant as ever. Houki trailed after him worriedly, glaring at Laura when their eyes met. "Can you help me with some training?"

"Dodging?" The taller teen raised a brow, smiling slightly when the I.S. pilot flinched.

'Pavlovian Conditioning, everyone.'

"No, no, I wanted you to help me with my swordplay." Ichika waved off his brief show of fear. "You use the katana, right? Think you can help me?"

"Uh... okay...?" Ryo hesitantly replied, a bit unsure how to teach the Byakushiki pilot.

"Great!" The younger Orimura grinned as he fist-pumped. "Maybe you can show me how you did those cool slashes during our spar!"

"Er..."

They began their journey to the training grounds while Ryo ignored the way Houki was glaring at him. He really didn't know what her deal was with him.

Actually, she seemed to have beef with all of them, even Davion! She had beef with Davion!

Who does that?

Well, aside from the most recent addition to the class roster, that is...


"What I'm trying to say is you gotta do it like 'Woosh!' and then 'Clang!' and then 'Bang!' and- you know!"

"What she's trying to say is that it's all about your feelings...Hey! Why don't you understand, you moron?!"

Ryo stared at the two girls that were supposed to help Ichika with his blade work. On their way to Arena 6, the Class 1-2 Representative had joined them. Apparently, she overheard them talking about training and tagged along.

"One! Two! One! Two!"

He glanced over to the two rows of Uchigane-equipped students, who were practicing their own swings, and then back at the yelling Rin and Houki.

The Byakushiki pilot looked harried, utterly confused by the lack of proper instructions. "U-Uh, Ryo!" The younger Orimura pointedly ignored the heated stares of his childhood friends as he looked at the other boy. "Can you give me a tip about swordsmanship?"

The Courier blinked before he tapped his chin. "... To be honest, I don't really know how to teach you, Ichika." Ryo shook his head, spreading his arms helplessly. "I'm actually still learning, creating my own style, and uh..." Remembering the cover story of his rather jaw-dropping skills, his cheeks burned somewhat. "... I... take inspiration from anime..."

...

"Eh?" Ichika's eyes were wide, lips curled up in a clueless smile. "Anime?"

His cheeks burned even more. "...and movies..."

"B-But, what about that cool move you did last week? With those cool swings and stuff?!" The brown-eyed pilot was getting hysterical. There was no way that the courier was just as clueless as he was in the way of the sword!

Ryo pulled his hoodie up and over his hair. "I didn't think it would work, okay?! I'm a courier, not a Musashi! I just happen to like using a sword and followed my instincts!"

Houki narrowed her eyes at his words, immediately suspicious of his reasoning.

There was talent, and there was pure skill. Houki knew the difference between the two, and the test pilot clearly had what seemed to be years of practice behind his graceful swings and the capability to learn them. There was no hesitance in his strikes during the practical test the week before. Each slash was calculated, methodological, sending awed shivers up her spine as a fellow warrior when she witnessed it.

'Instincts, huh…'

"Alright, Ichika! I'm here as promised!"

They all turned to see Charles in his custom Revive, an excited smile on his face.

"I hope you're ready for a match." The Frenchman looked at his classmates, especially at the glares from the two girls, with a raised brow but focused back on the Byakushiki. "Ready to compare your I.S. with mine?"

"Oh, sure!" Ichika grinned and then turned to Houki and Rin. "So I'll see you guys in a bit, alright?"

The two girls growled before Ryo sighed loudly, catching their attention. "Come on, let's clear the grounds for the match. Don't go overboard, you two." He directed the last sentence to the two male pilots. "You have a bunch of spectators around."

As the three walked away, Rin turned to him curiously.

"Hey, where are the other two, by the way?" The Chinese Representative Candidate asked, referring to the other two Astray pilots. "I thought that they would also be practicing."

"Ephraim is off teaching Alcott-san how to cook, and Davion is probably cooped up in the hangar. He's been irritated on hitting a roadblock concerning upgrades."


Wide purple eyes looked at all the prone bodies in the room, having just returned from the restroom. They were all still, nary a word or even a breath escaping them as they lay there.

In the middle of them all stood Cecilia Alcott, a knife in her hand that gleamed in the dimness of the club. Red liquid dripped from the weapon, pooling just by her feet in a viscous puddle.

By said feet was one Haku Emiya, her arms, and torso covered in the same liquid. She laid on her side, dead golden eyes staring into nothing as several containers were spilled around her.

Movement caught his attention as a body inched around the corner of a cooking station.

"... Sahaku-san..." Erina Nakiri groaned, partially crawling towards him as she reached an arm out. "R-Run...!"

Ephraim watched as the noblewoman turned, a bright smile on her face as she held a plate with biscuits in her other hand.

"Just in time, Sir Sahaku! I made crumpets!"

A cold sweat formed down his spine.


"Um... Guele-san, are you sure that this is allowed?"

The mechanic finished quantizing the last of the micro missiles into his friend's Uchigane. "Under the 2nd Article of the Alaska Treaty, this is allowed, yes." He sent a mischievous grin at her. "Since this is technically 'newly-acquired' technology due to the involvement of Astray tech, we can be hush-hush about all this."

Kanzashi frowned slightly as she watched him install the new skirts that doubled as secret missile pods.

Her assigned I.S. was looking less and less like a training Uchigane. The old skirt armor was replaced with a more lightweight version that fully wrapped around her waist. It was the same with the shoulder binders, having been removed altogether in favor of more armor on the arms themselves.

New thrusters were added in key positions by the Astray mechanic of the same grade as their suits. Instead of using propellant, they were linked to the mysterious abilities of her I.S.' CORE. After running diagnostics following the upgrades, she found that the suit's performance level nearly tripled.

It now looked less and less like an I.S. and leaned more towards the Astray's more humanoid design.

The claws were also replaced with solid manipulators, and the ordinarily massive legs were downsized. She could actually properly walk and run with those on!

Davion had added some form of cuirass-type armor that she was still trying to get used to. It wasn't awfully restrictive, as she feared, but the added weight took some time to acclimatize to.

"Are all the changes necessary though?" She asked, turning her eyes back on her laptop as her fingers danced on the keys. The bluenette has been running diagnostics and fixing any bugs that came with the impromptu upgrading of her suit. "It's going to feel awkward using it when I'm more used to the freedom of movement of the Uchigane..."

"Trust me, Sarashiki-san, the armor is necessary." The mechanic turned to her with a small smile, patting the leg armor of her I.S. "I've upgraded it with the Trans Phase Shift system, after all."

Her eyes widened, and she looked up at him in surprise. "W-Wait, isn't that what makes your suits immune to physical attacks? Why are you also giving it to me?"

Davion crossed his arms, uncaring of the hydraulic fluid staining his exposed skin. "Because I promised you, didn't I?" He grinned brightly, the sight of which sent a flutter up her spine. "I'm going to help you make your suit a 4th-gen. And if that means adding a few...unconventional bells and whistles, then heck yeah, I'll do it."


"Bring it!"

Ryo sighed as he watched the Byakushiki be kited by the Revive Custom, palming his face in the meanwhile. Such a common mistake was once again committed by the male pilot.

'I thought he would have learned when watching Cecilia and Rin fight against Yamada-sensei, but I guess not...'

"Come on Ichika!" Rin cheered from beside him. The three were seated on a few benches in the arena grounds, set up by the faculty for tired pilots to rest on. "You can do it!"

"Close in and strike!" Houki yelled, face twisting in concern as the Revive shot the white I.S. with its rifle. "Dodge, you idiot!"

The Astray pilot shook his head in disapproval, lifting his face from his palm as he looked at the battle. "He should have learned something by now. Ichika teamed up with him during our mock battle last week. Hell, he should have seen Yamada-sensei do that same with-"

Boom!

'Aaand there he goes...' Green eyes watched the white I.S. fall. It spiraled and gained speed as it fell, and Charles' expression immediately turned to one of shock.

"Ichika!" Houki and Rin gasped, the latter standing up from the bench as she reached for her bracelets-

In a wave of light, his uniform transformed into his pilot suit.

Standing up, he took a powerful leap, the Red Frame materializing around him before the Flight Pack answered. It rocketed him up, allowing the Astray to close in with the Byakushiki in a mere couple of seconds. Wrapping his arms underneath the pilot's arms, he increased the thruster output to compensate for the added weight.

"You never learn, do you?" Ryo grumbled as Ichika merely sighed in his arms, cheeks burning in embarrassment. "Now I know why Ephraim referred to you as a blockhead. You're just that stubborn, huh?"

The two landed softly, and the courier let go of the male pilot.

"Yeah, well...eh." The Byakushiki pilot shrugged helplessly. "Charles is pure ranged, and I'm pure melee. It's a bad matchup, like an inexperienced Rushdown against a pro Zoner-"

"I'm gonna stop you right there because I have no idea what you're talking about." Ryo interrupted, the Astray raising his hand as it shook its head slowly. "If you knew that, then why did you charge towards Charles like he was also a melee opponent?"

"Well…"

"You went on a straight course, making it easier for him to hit you with a barrage." The courier deadpanned.

"I uh…"

"And forgot the one thing Ephraim and I tried so hard to indent into your mind, and that is?"

"… keep your weapon in your hand?"

The Red Frame reached over to the small of its back and grabbed a white handle, pulling it out and igniting it to reveal a pink blade that grew in intensity.

"Try again."

"DODGE! Dodge, I meant to say dodge!"

The Astray pilot tensed his jaw as he deactivated the blade. "Then why didn't you?"

"You taught me to dodge swords, not bullets!"

Ryo raised a hand to argue but then lowered it down. "Fair point. But that doesn't excuse you from not dodging or at least maneuvering from Charles's shots."

"I thought I could reach him on time before the shields depleted."

'Again with the energy shields...'

The Astrays do not have that luxury, making it hard for Ryo to relate. Ichika's relying too much on that safety net, maybe that's why he doesn't have any instincts to defend.

Perhaps he can remedy that...

"Charles, I need your assistance in this one." The courier called out to the Frenchman just as he descended. The blonde's expression quickly shifted from relief to surprise.

"Eh? If I can."

"Good."

The two tagalongs didn't take it too well, pouting and huffing in the meanwhile.

"We can help too, you know!"

"Yeah!"

"No, you can't, and I'm pretty sure both of you won't be able to either way." The courier shot them down quick. There was no need for outside interference.

And as expected, they also didn't take that too well. Ignoring the growing noise emanating from the two stowaways. Ryo dematerialized the Red Frame and went back into his casual uniform. There's no way he was walking around in his pilot suit, that thing had that stupid gorget-collar that choked him out.

He turned to Ichika with a small incline of his head. "C'mon, get out of there."

"Get out of what?" Ichika tilted his head to the side, confused.

"Your clothes."

Ichika's face grew red, and the three other people who overheard it stared with open mouths.

"Oh, for the love of-" The green-eyed teen groaned, palming his face in exasperation. "THE BYAKUSHIKI, WHAT ELSE DID YOU THINK I MEANT?!"

"Right! Aahahaha…"

The courier quickly turned away, attempting to hide his embarrassment from the failed sarcasm attempt. He began walking towards the open field, followed by Ichika, now in his pilot suit.

...Ryo still did not understand why it looked like swimwear.

'...Ah right, anime world.'

"So, what now?"

Pushing away the inevitable rant of a train of thought, the green-eyed teen merely waved his hand over his shoulder. "Just follow me, and Charles, stay right here."

"Okay?"

The two boys further distanced away from the three other I.S. pilots.

"I don't like where this is going," Rin muttered to herself, with Houki clenching her fists beside her.

A few meters more and they finally stopped, standing side to side. "This should be enough." Ryo turned towards the other members of their training group. "Charles, can you hear me?" He shouted across the training grounds.

"Yes!"

"I want you to shoot us!"

"Oka-" Purple eyes then widened in shock. "Wait WHAT!?"

"Yeah! I didn't sign up for this!" Ichika quickly scrambled closer to the courier's side. Ryo merely looked at him with a serious expression.

"You wanted to know why I'm able to do all that fancy swordplay, right?"

"Well, yes, but this is far from what I expected!"

"I wasn't lying about that thing about acting on instinct." Crossing his arms, the green-eyed teen began to lecture the younger boy. "The clear difference between the traditional I.S. and our Astrays is that we lack energy shields. Any attack has the capability of damaging us and the suit." The courier shrugged as he glanced off to the side. "I was able to do that thing because I believed that every shot could've meant defeat."

Ichika's face grew apprehensive, somewhat unsure about all of this still. "But I don't think I can learn anything with whatever we are doing."

"This isn't about learning, It's about understanding."

"Understanding what?"

Ryo fixed him a stern stare. "That you can't rely on your I.S. shields forever. What if you don't have shields? What if you ran out of energy to maintain it?"

The Byakushiki pilot pondered on that thought.

"Do you trust me?"

Ichika glanced at the side, towards the nervous-looking three, then back to his friend, who no sign of hesitation or levity. He was utterly serious.

The Byakushiki pilot wet his dry throat, gathering his courage for the next endeavor. "I do."

"Good. Stand next to me, and whatever you do, DON'T MOVE." Ryo fished out his pen from his pocket and extended it to Gerbera Straight. "Now, close your eyes."

Following his orders, he shut them tight. Ryo waved his hand a few times in front of Ichika's face to ensure he couldn't see anything.

'Sheesh, he's too trusting.'

"Ok, now imagine that you're completely defenseless, a sitting duck." The courier instructed as he glanced over to the Rafale pilot.

Wordlessly, he signaled to Charles by making a finger gun that was pointed to the sky.

"Shoot, up?" The Frenchman interpreted with a quiet mumble.

The other two, who had been worried about the direction they expected to go, let out sighs of relief. Even if Ryo showcased skills that allowed him to deflect bullets, he didn't seem like the type to push teaching a simple lesson too far...

That was the blonde Astray pilot's thing.

Charles bought out the Vent rifle he used against Ichika on their recent duel and pointed it to the sky. He nodded to the Courier, indicating that he was ready.

"I want you to remember this feeling, this vulnerability." Ryo grasped Gerbera Straight by its sheath just below the hilt with his left hand. He held up three fingers towards Charles, signaling him to shoot on that count.

"I have no doubt that the shields can handle anything."

Three.

"But let go of the idea that it will protect you forever."

Two.

"Because once that's gone-"

One.

BANG!

At the same time, Ryo swung his sword sideways, the tip of its scabbard passing by Ichika's ear. It created a gust of wind to make it seem that the projectile whizzed by.

"You're also done."

Ichika visibly flinched, breaking into a nervous sweat as he paled.

The courier moved in front of Ichika, attaching his blade to the side of his belt via a magnetic plate. "Now open your eyes."

Instead of doing that, the Byakushiki pilot buckled forward under his weight, forcing Ryo to wrap his arms around him in a pseudo hug to prevent both of them from falling to the ground. He gave out a small grunt of surprise at the clammy skin and the cold sweat, inwardly wondering if he might have gone a bit too far.

"Ichika! Are you alright?!" Houki called out as the others quickly moved towards the two as soon as they saw the Byakushiki pilot stumble.

Ryo let Ichika gather his wits for a few seconds before pushing him off to see his pallor returning back to normal, all the while nervously smiling.

"Yeah… I don't think I want to learn deflecting bullets anytime soon." He said sheepishly as he scratched the back of his head.

"And?" Ryo saw fit to add as he stood up.

"That I rely too much on my shields. I guess I need to learn to manage it more efficiently-"

'This is a good step for now,' The courier thought with a small smile as he continued to nod.

"Especially when the Byakushiki has that whacky ability that even channels shield energy to attack."

'Yes, yes, especially when the Byaku-' The smile disappeared as he froze.

"Ichika, could you run that by me again?" Ryo asked, his lips set in an indifferent line.

"That I should manage my shields better?"

"No, no, not that, about that whacky ability thing."

"That would be the Reiraku Byakuya am I right?" Charles inserted himself into the covnersation as he approached, a small smile of relief on his face.

The other male IS pilot nodded. "Yeah, that's it. Every time I use the Yukihira, it seems to drain my shield energy to power it up."

The Astray pilot paused, mental gears clicking in place. How could he forget such a crucial bit of info? Then again, he couldn't care less about this world.

So that would mean Ichika still recklessly used up his shields, knowing full well that he needed the energy to charge up his weapon.

'This damn idiot never stops surprising, huh?'

"You know what? I'm done with my lesson. As long as you got something from it, you blockhead." Ryo sighed, running a hand through his hair. "What you need to learn now is actually dealing with ranged enemies. Didn't Ephraim already begin training you with this?"

Ichika jolted upon hearing the blonde's name, memories of his experience flashing through his eyes. "Ah, yes! It's been going well, it's fine! It's just that..." he trailed off.

Ryo pondered for a second and connected the dots.

The Astray pilots trained at a level that was suitable for their advanced senses, both born from their prior experiences and from Project: Neo-Type. A high-intensity training would probably be a regular workout for them, however, Ephraim continued to push himself further and further to maintain his warrior conditioning. Both he and Davion might be able to keep up, but the more mundane people might not.

Ichika is all but a regular human. Unique, maybe, but normal through and through.

And, if Ryo were to assume correctly, Ichika has been experiencing something close to hell because of it.

"It hasn't been going well, hasn't it?" He flatly stated, already knowing the lengths his roommate would go through to teach someone a lesson.

"I mean, I did learn something…."

Ryo sighed, shaking his head lightly. They're gonna need to adjust his training regime.

"Perhaps I can help with that, yes?"

Both boys looked at Charlotte, an apologetic smile on the Frenchman's lips. "I'm sorry for earlier, by the way."

"Oh, it's alright. I trusted Ryo to protect me." The Byakushiki pilot laughed, to which the Red Frame elbowed him gently.

"I won't be here all the time to help you, you know?" The courier warned half-heartedly. "I'm serious. You need to learn how to fight, not just with ranged opponents."

Ichika breathed out as he quantized the wings of the Byakushiki. "I looked up some theories and have some ideas on how to approach, but... well, I don't think Sahaku-san's 'training' with that bazooka of his could count as practical experience."

'Of course, he's using Gae Bulg…'

"Why not?" Charles wondered. "It's still a ranged weapon, right?"

"It's a railgun," Ryo informed the Frenchman, moving his hand to pinch the bridge of his nose. "Fires rounds at at least Mach 3. I doubt Ichika has the reaction time to be able to dodge it, and I'm willing to bet that Ephraim was specifically aiming center-mass."

"He was." The aforementioned pilot groaned. "Knocked the wind outta my lungs a few times, but throughout our uh...' training,' I kinda learned how to watch out for it."

"Watch out but not dodge. Is that why you didn't move away from Charles's line of sight?" Ryo rested a hand on his hip.

"Yeah... I knew the shots were coming, but I may have underestimated it a bit. I'm used to getting hit by Sahaku-san's bazooka. Charles's attacks were like a light tap in comparison to the amount of energy it drains from my I.S.."

"Simply put, you don't understand the nature of long-range weapons, yes?" The blonde between them inserted, having quantized the claws and now cupping his chin, staring down at the ground in contemplation.

"I guess so. I thought I understood it, though. The Byakushiki doesn't really have any ranged weapons."

"The Byakushiki doesn't have an Equalizer, right?" Charles asked.

"Not that I know of." Ichika shook his head. "The technicians said something about there not being a vacant bus-slot."

'The hell is a bus-slot?' The courier thought, wishing that the Astray mechanic was here to explain what the term exactly was. He didn't really pay attention to the IT-speak when it came to certain lessons, instead just noting them down and presenting them for him to identify.

"It's only speculation, but it's probably using the other space for your One-Off Ability, allocating the spare power to increase its capability." Charles postulated, mimicking the Courier's pose.

"One-off? What's that?" Ichika asked while Ryo began to listen attentively to recall anything.

"A natural ability that emerged when both pilot and I.S. are synchronized, at the same wave-length, so to speak." The blonde continued, glancing off to the side to see Rin and Houki glaring at them...for some reason. "For the Byakushiki, that would most likely be your Reiryaku Byakuya. Which would explain the energy drain, most likely."

"I see..." Ichika crossed his arms, recognition alighting in his eyes as the cogs in his mind spun. "You explain things a lot easier, Charles. Thanks!"

'No, it just shows how much of a dumbass you are along with the other two.' The courier's mind thought cynically.

Speaking of, Houki and Rin were now sulking from the side, wholly forgotten from their discussion.

...Not that they provided anything for it in the first place.

"Heh? And you don't even listen to any of my advice." Houki muttered to herself.

"And after I try to teach you so kindly, too..." Rin growled under her breath as she crossed her arms.

Ryo glanced over at them, having overheard with his enhanced hearing. Behind the impassive façade, he was looking at the two pitifully.

'Advice? Teachings? You two are better off making him learn how to dodge more than anything else.' The courier mentally snarked.

"The thing is that the Reiryaku Byakuya takes a lot of power to use, draining most of my shield energy, just like you said." Ichika shook his head in exasperation, opening a screen that held the I.S.'s records of the Golem Attack. He tracked how sharply the energy dipped when he used his attack, shrugging helplessly as a result when it ended.

"That's the same ability Orimura-sensei's I.S. used during her time, yes?" Charles looked at the other boy in question. "But that's odd. You're not supposed to be able to use the same ability just because you're siblings."

...

... The Astray pilot felt like he was missing something here.

Something big.

"Before anything else," He interrupted the two with a raised hand. "You still need help understanding Long-range weapons and dodging bullets. So let's move on to the next phase. You offered to help him with that, right Charles?"

"O-Oh! Oui!" The Frenchman blushed, chuckling in embarrassment for going off-topic. "Let me just ask for permission to access the Range program from the control booth..." He then walked off a fair distance away as he accessed the communications channel, followed by Houki and Rin who went to ask him questions on their discussion.

'Why the hell are both of them even still here?' Ryo wondered.

Breathing out another sigh for today. "C'mon, back into our suits." The Red Astray rematerialized around the courier and he ignited his Flight Pack. He then turned to Ichika, only to see him still outside the Byakushiki, looking away and idly scratching his cheek with a finger.

"Well? What are you waiting for?" The sea-green optics of the Astray stared at the pilot questionningly.

"Um… I was wondering-"

"Yes?"

"Maybe you could teach me to shoot instead of Charles?"

What?


A few minutes later...

A series of hexagons folded out from thin air, hard light constructs quickly formed a target with varying colors denoting points.

Ryo crossed his arms, the most recent conversation replaying in his mind.

"Why? Charles is the ranged weapons expert here, not me."

"I just feel like I can learn more if it's you, you know?"

"No, I do not, in fact, know."

"C'mon, just this once? If you think that I'm not getting anything, we can switch to Charles anytime, please?"

"… fine."

The Red Astray and the Byakushiki stood next to each other, the latter awaiting instructions. The former materialized his sole ranged weapon and checked its battery level.

Davion had modified their Type 71's to be able to fire 'practice' beams while he was upgrading the Gold Frame's Rail Bazooka. Using the 'practice' beams meant that they were practically the same as the laser bolts in laser tag, harmless to humans aside from feeling a bit electrified and heated. Against hard light targets, however, they still hit like they were the real deal.

This meant that it didn't really take energy from their Hand Plugs like it used to, rather relying on the smaller battery he jury-rigged into the foregrip of their rifles.

"Alright, Let's give this a go." Ryo held his Type 71 rifle towards the Byakushiki. His idea of making the pilot learn how to dodge a bullet was to learn how to shoot the bullet, basically.

Taking it, Ichika initially struggled in just trying to hold the thing properly. The white IS' claws wasn't really built for the Type 71 in the first place. "Hold on, I thought that I couldn't use someone else's equipment."

"Normally, that would be the case. However, if the user unlocks it, anyone can use it as long as they are registered pilots." Charles commented from behind them, purple eyes curiously staring at the weapon in the Byakushiki's claws. "I don't know about the Astrays, though."

"I didn't even know that existed in the I.S.." Or, more accurately, Ryo didn't bother to remember. "Our Astrays don't really have that mechanic."

"I'm surprised that they don't have this system." The Frenchman's brows rose in surprise.

Shrugging, the courier turned to look at the targets beyond them. "I'll ask Davion later. Maybe he can get an idea from that. Probably would design something complicated like a bio-lock...or something."

Ichika settled into an awkward stance, trying to mimic that one fighting character that used guns to do combat. "Is this the right?"

"No, it is not. Also, show some trigger discipline." Ryo commented, lips twitching into a frown.

"Trigger what?"

"It means don't put your finger on the trigger if you're not ready to shoot yet," Charles instructed.

"Oh… okay." Ichika adjusted his pose. "So how about now, is my stance correct?"

"You somehow made it worse than before." Ryo deadpanned.

The Frenchman was about to move forward to physically adjust him until the courier decided to be the one to do that instead. Moving next to Ichika, the Red Astray's manipulators gripped the Byakushiki's arms and began altering his pose accordingly. "You're too tense, relax a bit." Ryo advised the pilot with a small sigh.

"Right."

Charles, Houki, and Rin watched as the courier instructed Ichika on firing the Type 71. The Red Astray placed itself behind the Byakushiki, its hands guiding the white I.S.'s own on properly holding the weapon.

"Move your hand a bit more forward on the forestock. The claws aren't build to hold the foregrip, so you have to use another method to steady it."

Their closeness, the way they were positioned...

"Like this?"

Somehow…

"Good, now make sure that the butt is just against your bicep. The Type 71 isn't a traditional rifle weapon, it doesn't have the buttstock that you'd expect from, let's say, an M1 Garand or a hunting rifle. But we still call it a rifle anyway...oh, and remember what I said about trigger discipline."

It was making them…

"How about now?"

"Point your elbow a bit more outward."

Very Jealous and or Confused…

"Hey, doesn't it seem like those two are getting along a little too well?" Rin grumbled from behind the Frenchman, hands on her hips as she glared at what was happening before her.

"What are you talking about? They're friends, right?" Charles added in an attempt to stray away from a particular line of thought. He had, unfortunately, encountered the black market of candid photos of him and the other boys in the Academy. What he found was...

...On second thought, perhaps he shouldn't dwell on it.

Ryo refrained from commenting, having overheard their conversation all too clearly with his enhanced hearing and wishing that he didn't. He could already feel holes being burnt on his back with how much the three were staring at him.

'This is just for today... this is just for today... he needs to know guns so that he could dodge 'em...'

"That about does it." Ryo finished making the adjustments, the Red Astray's hands not leaving the Byakushiki's arms. "Now fire."

"Right!"

Fyoom! Fyoom! Fyoom! Fyoom! Fyoom!

"Whoa..." Ichika looked at the rifle in his hands with an excited grin. "That...was so cool!"

"3 Shots out of 5, not bad." Ryo finally let go of Ichika to stop the spectators from getting more indecent thoughts. "Since you got the hang of it, how about you-"

"Wow! Check that I.S. out!"

The Red Astray turned its head, its sea-green optics directed at the sight of a black I.S. on the end of the launch platform, the recognition of its color causing him to tense ever so slightly. It was angular, with hints of red and feldgrau coloration amidst all the black metal, with the pilot itself wearing a pilot suit of similar coloration.

He immediately realized just who it was, and his mood quickly turned into slight irritation. The other pilots nearby, those from and those not of his class, pointed and stared at the new I.S., whispers and mutters going on between.

"Hey, isn't that Germany's 3rd Gen?"

"I heard that it was still in its trial period here in this country."

"You think it'd be a match for Loewenherz-senpai's Raziya? Hers might be a 2nd Gen, but she's got plenty of experience."

"Laura Bodewig..." The courier muttered, Tiger Pierce materializing on the hip opposite his trusty Gerbera Straight. A hand rested below the hilt of the latter, ready to move into an Iai form in case things turn out as he remembered.

"Bodewig? The Representative Candidate from Germany that slapped Ichika?!" Rin progressively got angrier the longer she stared at the shorter girl. "Ooooh, why I oughta-!"

"Ichika Orimura!" The German called out, not even giving a single glance to anyone else besides the Byakushiki's pilot.

Ryo's eyes narrowed, already gripping his sword in preparation for interference.

"That's my name," Ichika asked, clear annoyance in his tone as he looked over to her. His expression was set in displeasure, obviously not amused at being slapped earlier in the morning.

"So, you also have a personal machine. That will make it much easier..." Laura's sole eye seemed to gleam with malice. "Now fight me!"

...

"No." The Byakushiki pilot refused, turning away from the increasingly angry albino. There's no reason to."

"Oh, but there is," The silver-haired pilot hissed, her cool façade momentarily breaking into one of pure anger. "And it all centers around you!"

"Can't we just settle it during the Class League Matches?" Ichika groaned, shaking his head as he began to walk away. "It's coming up soon anyway!"

"No."

The massive gun on her shoulder rose, yellow electricity sparking as it quickly charged up a shot.

Boom!

Ichika whirled around at the sound, gasping as he caught sight of the yellow projectile heading towards him.

Charles took a step forward, materializing his shield-

Gerbera straight left its sheath-

Flash!

Slice!

The 20mm railgun shell was split vertically in twain, the halves harmlessly flying past the three as purple and brown eyes widened. Right before the both of them was the Astray!

The cold sea-green optics flashed, and the Red Frame raised the Gerbera Straight up horizontally by the side of his head. The Flight Pack spooled up, kicking up dirt and dust around it as the Astray prepared to intercept more projectiles.

"Ryo!" Ichika gaped, looking back and forth at the inactive halves of the once whole shell. "How did you-?!"

"Of course, she'd challenge you like that!" Charles growled, bringing out two sniper rifles that she aimed at the black I.S. "Germans do get hot and bothered easily!"


Ephraim turned away and sneezed into his elbow.

"Sir Sahaku, are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Focus back on-?! H-Hey, you're letting the egg burn!"


Laura glared hotly at the Astray. "How dare you! A pale imitation of the I.S. standing up against me?!"

Ryo remained silent, tilting the Gerbera Straight slightly so it could gleam dangerously in the afternoon light.

The wind seemed to still as he took a step back, taking a stance that many watching simply could not identify. There was some kind of pressure around the Red Frame, some aura that it exuded that gave its movement some form of gravitas.

The courier didn't want to fight. It's pretty much in his nature to avoid fighting, especially when he was trained to talk out of it if possible.

But when push comes to the shove-

He'll end it quick.

"Versuch es noch einmal-" Came a cold voice from the Astray.

Laura's eyes widened, understanding the language he was fluently using.

"Arschgeige…"

Her anger instantly spiked, the mental trigger about to let lose another shell.

"Attention, students on the field! What on Earth are you doing down there?!"

The weapon remained silent, and she turned to the side to scowl at nothing in particular. "I will allow you to escape for today." And with one last scathing glare at the three boys, she turned around and left.

The courier let out a long breath, lowering his sword and flicking it to the side before sheathing Gerbera Straight back into its saya.

"Hey, Ichika! Why did Bodewig attack you like that?" Rin asked as she ran up to them.

"Yeah!" Houki growled as she followed close behind. "Did you do something to her in the past?!"

Ryo began stretching the kinks out of his body. Doing a rapid slash like that might've pulled something.

'A hot bath might do me some good later.'

"Uh... Ryo." Ichika's voice called out from behind him.

The Astray pilot turned towards the source. The person was staring alternately at the two halved shells.

"Yes?"

"I take back what I said. I want to learn to cleave bullets."

The sea-green optics could only express enough disbelief.

"You never learn, don't you?"

"But that was so cool!" Ichika beamed in excitement.


A few hours later...

"Er... Ichika, are you okay?" Charles worriedly called out to the pilot, staring at the air.

"Uh- Yeah. I'm fine... just remembering what happened, but we have Ryo to thank for it."

The courier exhaled as he washed the shampoo out of his hair. "It was nothing. I'm far more impressed that you managed to detect the railgun firing and turn around to react to it. At least you got something from Ephraim's training."

Ichika winced at the mention of the older blonde's name. "Don't remind me. That bazooka of his shot faster rounds than whatever Bodewig fired. Probably would have hit harder too, since...what was it, his Rail Bazooka is 35mm, right?"

"I think so."

The three of them were in the locker room, either washing off the sweat and grime or preparing to after spending the whole afternoon training.

The communal shower had an opaque glass wall separating it from the main locker room. It was clearly built for girls in mind who were more comfortable showing their bodies to members of the same sex than guys.

So, the guys made a compromise wherein they either shower meters apart from one another while staring forward or take turns using the stalls. In the current case, it was the latter, and Ryo was the first to shower.

"...Well, I'm headed to the room now," Charles announced as he hastily wore his uniform.

"Wha?"

Green eyes opened as he stopped the flow of water. He knew what was happening. Admittedly, it was one of the only memories he still held on to when he watched the anime, for how... stupid it was. Taking one more second to process, he stepped out of the stall, grabbed the nearby towel, and began drying himself off.

'Should I interrupt?'

Ichika looked at the Frenchman oddly as he stopped pulling his pants down. "Aren't you gonna take a shower here? ...Wait a minute, how come you never do that?"

"U-Uh..."

Ryo pulled up his pants, grumbling as he did so.

'We've have already caused unpredictable changes in the world just by existing. What if we...what if I actually intervened?'

"Does me being naked bother you that much? You also do that with the guys. You slip away to another row to change alone..." The Byakushiki pilot walked towards the blonde, a frown on his face as he placed his hands on his hips.

"N-No! It doesn't bother me at all! I-uh... I'm just not confident in myself, that's it!" Charles stammered, waving his hands and taking a step back as the taller boy approached.

"Oh, come on, I know that Sahaku-san and Davion frequent the gym and are built better than both of us are, but that doesn't mean you should be ashamed for it! Why don't we get dressed together for a change? Get used to seeing our developing muscles, eh?" Ichika wrapped his arm around the Frenchman's shoulder, grinning as he did so. "Have some solidarity between us with our average builds!"

Charles' face erupted in red as he stared at the hand on her shoulder with wide eyes. "No thanks! I'm fine!"

The muttering courier dried his damp feet, stuffing them into his socks a second after he did. His sneakers went on next, and he bit his lower lip as he unconsciously began rushing to knot them up.

"Come on, don't be like that!"

"A-Ah...! I...I have to go!"

"Wait, Charles..!"

He couldn't take not interfering anymore.

The blonde passed him, and Ryo silently cursed, giving up on tying the last shoe and bolting after the Frenchman. He paused by the Byakushiki pilot, who looked at him in surprise.

"Huh? Ryo-?"

"You need to learn to respect someone's privacy." He scolded Ichikia, barely giving him a glance, before he continued his pursuit on the growing distant footsteps of the Frenchma-

No. Woman.

"Charles, wait up!" The Astray pilot called, almost stumbling when he stepped on a shoelace before recovering.

Ichika was left alone, wondering what had just happened that caused both of his friends to run out of the locker room.

"...Huh?"


Charlotte ran.

She needed to get away from Ichika, away so she could have some peace and quiet in order to come up with an excuse-!

"Hey, hold on!"

Her heart skipped a beat, and she glanced over her shoulder to see a determined Ryo chasing after her. The courier seemed determined, brows furrowed and a frown on his lips as slowly but surely closed the distance between them.

Panic rose within her heart, her paranoia skyrocketing.

'What if he remembers our meeting back in France..?! Does he know I'm the same girl?!' A part of her screeched.

'T-There's a chance that he doesn't! Sahaku-san has a similar shade as my eyes, and Ryo must have met plenty more blondes after me, r-right?' Another part of her reasoned, desperately finding an excuse to keep her calm.

'Running will only make things worse! Stop it!'

Slowing down to a walk, she nervously turned around and waved at the Astray pilot. She tried to keep her shaking knees under control, and when that failed, she used her book satchel to cover them. Waving at the courier with an unsure laugh, the blonde greeted him.

"H-Hello, monsieur Ryo! I've got to get going, I have to shower-"

The green-eyed courier strode forward, stopping an arm's length away from her, emotions unreadable in those emeralds of his.

"I know." He breathed out a simple phrase.

...

Charlotte paled and quickly turned back around to run-

"Wait!"

His hand wrapped around her right bicep, holding her in place.

She froze.

Ryo sighed as he looked around, inwardly thankful for the lack of students that would have seen the somewhat awkward scene. The French pilot used one of the routes he mapped out, one of the lesser-known paths to the dorms that went through the Research and Development sector, which meant minimal foot traffic from students. The staff and scientists were still in their offices, meaning that they had the privilege of privacy.

"I... You can shower in my room if you want. Let's talk afterward." He offered, loosening his grip on her but not letting go entirely.

The short blonde didn't speak, her shoulders shuddering. Her heart pounded in her chest, a deluge of feelings washing through her, ranging from fear to reluctance.

"You must have your reasons to pose as a guy, but I'm not here to judge." Ryo continued, taking a careful step closer and moving to place his other hand on her left shoulder but opted to lower it to the side instead. "I'm also not going to hold it against you, and I'm not going to tell anyone."

Charlotte began to ease up, hearing the sincerity in his tone.

"I just want to talk, but-" Ryo finally let go of her arm, letting out a small sight at the action. "It's your decision."

'My decision?' Charlotte turned around ever so slightly to take a peek at the Astray pilot. Unfortunately for her, the setting sun was behind him, causing his features to be shadowed.

"I at least deserve an explanation why you're doing this… maybe I don't. I just want to know, to understand."

If she told him her true purpose, will he hate her?

"Or, we can forget that this ever happened, and I'll forget that I ever met you. We'll see each other in class, and you- I mean, Charlotte, never existed."

The latter decision was preferable. She'd get to keep her identity as Charles, and her purpose will remain hidden throughout her stay. But somehow…

She didn't like it.

The courier has been nothing but hospitable ever since she started attending the academy. Forgetting about everything would ironically mean that they would never forget what happened and permanently serve as a stain in their history. It would linger forever in the back of their minds.

And if he knew all this time without telling anyone, then she was going to lose someone she could've trusted.

She didn't want that.

Charlotte slowly turned to him, purple eyes shimmering with a mix of apprehension and hope.

"P-Promise..?"

The sun set further, hiding behind the head of the courier in her point of view. An illusion of a corona of light framed his head, making him look rather ethereal and...the courier lips curved ever so slightly in relief, seemingly brightening the area as well as her shaky courage. The setting sun had finally allowed her to see his expression, one that was full of nothing but kindness and empathy.

"Promise."


"I do not approve. In fact, I will never approve...that you're brother!"

Ichika lightly touched the cheek slapped earlier in the morning, narrowing his eyes at the memory. He had never even met the girl, and immediately she was hostile. Said hostility circled around the fact that he was Chifuyu's younger brother, something that he's dealt with a fair few times growing up. He sifted through his memories of the times in Elementary and Middle School where the girls used to mock and bully him for-

Bump!

Distracted by the deluge of memories flooding back, he didn't notice the person right in front of him until their collision. He grunted quietly, wondering if what he hit was a brick wall.

"O-Oh, so-" The Byakushiki pilot tried to apologize, but a hand quickly covered it. Shocked brown eyes stared up at royal purple, momentarily mistaking them for his roommate.

"Charles?" He mumbled out in confusion before a finger flicked him right in the forehead.

Ephraim shook his head and shushed him as he did his best to...hide behind a tree?

"Please answer me, Mentor...Why are you at a place like this?!"

"Don't make me say the same thing over and over again."

Ichika's eyes widened at the familiar voice, and the tall blonde gestured to the waist-high bushes beside the tree. Crouching down quietly, the male I.S. pilot parted some leaves to peer past the foliage. There, standing before one of the artificial rivers on the island, was his sister. And right beside her was the pale-haired girl that was causing so much trouble for so many people today.

"I have my own role to play. That is all you need to know." Chifuyu stated as she stared out in the distance, the river's shimmering waters before her a mere distraction to her thoughts.

"What kind of role could you possibly have to play here in the Far East?!" Laura Bodewig asked in near hysterics, hands clenching and unclenching in exasperation. "I'm begging you, Mentor, please come back and teach us in Germany once again! You can't even exert half of your ability at this wretched place!"

"Uh-huh..."

The younger Orimura's eyes widened in both recognition and curiosity, while the Astray pilot next to him merely narrowed his eyes. Both boys knew the context of their conversation, one more than the other, and they kept quiet as they watched.

"The students at this Academy do not deserve to be taught by someone of your stature! They lack a sense of danger! And they mistake the I.S. as some kind of extravagant fashion accessory!"

Ephraim privately agreed with the latter half of her argument. Most of the pilots he's met and spoken with viewed their I.S. as some sort of fashion tool, a charm used to get them at a higher social standing. But that was to be expected when the Mondo Grosso Championships were created, back when women's status in society skyrocketed as they displayed jaw-dropping skills and acrobatics in the midst of combat.

"I find it unbelievable that you could even give the time of day to these people!"

"I think I've heard more than enough, little girl."

"H-Huh?"

Both boys winced, their shoulders tensing as even they felt the pressure from the teacher.

'She was pissed.' The two of them thought at the same time.

"You've grown up quite a bit since I last saw you but not enough to assume you're the chosen one when you're only 15." Chifuyu rebuked, her tone simmering with barely held irritation.

"I-! I was just-!"

"I'm a busy woman, and you need to get back to your dorm, girl."

Laura recoiled as if physically slapped before closing her sole eye and running away. The blonde Neo-Type's ears could hear her trying to restrain her sobs, and...

He felt nothing.

Royal purple eyes tracked her as she left, nary a spark of emotion in them other than disdain and contempt. People with privileged attitudes like that were always a pet peeve for him. So high and mighty, believing in their own superiority as one that soared far above others. It was always such a pleasure to knock them down, to see their raw despair when he'd demolish their ivory tower bit by bit.

There was always a bigger fish, after all...

'I'm going to show her the difference between being a soldier and being a survivor.'

"Are you two idiots done with your eavesdropping? Or should I list you down as voyeurs that like to engage in aberrant sexual behaviors just to satisfy your sick fetish?"

The blonde's face outright exploded in a blush, clearing his throat as he stepped out. He forgot that he was eavesdropping as a thermos flashed into existence in his hand. The Neo-Type didn't dare look at his superior, both in shame at being caught and in embarrassment at being labeled a voyeur. He would admit that, yes, he was a pervert, he enjoyed looking at the female form, enjoyed its fruits, but he had the decency to not let it control him.

He was not one of those public perverts. He wasn't like a certain perverted demon from a particular world. He had class and decency!

...Unless you were an older woman who made a pass at him.

Then his lizard brain would take control.

The younger brother, however, had a more violent reaction.

"How can you say that, Chifuyu-nee?! I'm your brother, for cripes sake!" Ichika protested as he stood up from the bushes, not daring to swear at his sister because he knew better.

"At school, you will call me Orimura-sensei!" She turned to glare at him, the heavy stare even affecting Ephraim when she swept her gaze between the two of them.

The Byakushiki pilot flinched before slumping. "Yes, ma'am..."

She stared at him with steely eyes, a finger tapping the clipboard in her hand. "You don't have time to waste lurking in the bushes. You should be out there training. At the rate you're going, you won't even make it past the first round of next month's tournament."

"I know that..." Ichika grit out, clenching his free fist. He didn't need this kind of lecture from his sister. Not this soon, at least. "I spent half the day training with Charles and Ryo, okay?"

"In that case, fine." She began to walk away, snatching the thermos from her assistant's hand when she passed by. Ephraim sent Ichika a sympathetic nod as he made to follow her-

"Hey, wait a second."

Chifuyu stopped and looked at him over her shoulder.

The blonde suddenly felt the atmosphere feel heavier for him. He looked between the two as he became a bit more uncomfortable.

'Shit, is this a family moment?'

"I wanted to ask you something about what Bodewig-san said to me in class this morning." The younger brother started, clenching a fist that he stared at. "She said that she doesn't approve of me being your brother." He took a deep breath, memories of his younger days flashing through his head.

Of the dark.

Of the cold steel against his back.

Of the mocking jeers and the rough treatment...

"Was she talking about...the way you missed the chance to win the second championship because of me-?"

"That's all in the past, kid." Chifuyu huffed, interrupting him with a frown. "There's no need for you to worry about it now." She then turned around, grabbing her taller assistant by the necktie as she often did in public. "Later, 'kay?"

"S-Sensei, you're choking me!" Ephraim wheezed out as they began to walk away or be dragged away in his case. "And this necktie's from Drioni-!"

"Shut it. Just be thankful that I'm not punishing you for eavesdropping."

Ichika watched as they left, mind swimming with resurfaced memories as he reflected...


As they walked a fair distance away from the Byakushiki pilot, the blonde Neo-Type mused quietly. "... She really does have this obsession over you, huh, Orimura-sensei?"

Chifuyu sighed as she walked. "Blame her upbringing. She didn't...have the same circumstances as you and the other two. She was born in the military, raised in it, molded by it. You three...you three had the chance to grow up properly."

Purple eyes looked at her in confusion. "Sensei, I barely recall anything after...escaping from the facility. I doubt that whatever I did could count as 'growing up properly.'"

"More proper than endless drills, rigorous testing, and being treated as nothing more than a tool-" She froze for a moment, and he was sure that, then and there, realization washed over her expression.

"Oh."

Ephraim couldn't help the grin from stretching his lips.

"Mhmm. I guess The Professor's fake backgrounds affected even you, huh-?"

She tugged at his tie harshly, pulling him forward and almost causing him to stumble forward. "GHCK! S-SENSEI, THE TIE! I CAN'T BREATHE!"

"Shut it," Chifuyu growled as she marched forward, making sure to push the embarrassed blush down as best she could. "Don't make me punish you for this backtalk. We still have to discuss what happened this morning."

Her cheeks flushed either way.


Ryo absentmindedly sat on his desk chair, wondering how things were gonna turn out. The ripples they have caused on the events to come have already been altered just by their very existence. They were 「Outworlders」, they weren't supposed to be here, and they weren't supposed to alter events any more than they should.

However, he was now directly interfering with it.

The shower stopped, and he tried to bury the lingering nervousness inside him. Turning on his seat, he stared out towards the balcony window, watching as the orange sky gradually turn dark.

He heard the bathroom door open and took a glance towards it in his peripheral vision.

"T-Thank you… for letting me use your bathroom."

Taking it as an ok sign for him to look, Ryo turned towards the revealed Charlotte. She was wearing one of his hoodies and a pair of shorts that he didn't really use. Her hair was somewhat damp still, but he was thankful that there weren't droplets dripping to the floor. He gave her a reassuring smile, gestured to his bed as he stood up. "Sit over there. Might as well get comfortable while we talk." He then walked over to the kitchenette to heat up some water.

Charlotte replied with a thankful smile as she did, still somewhat apprehensive at the turn of events. "Does anyone else know?" She asked, worriedly inquiring.

Ryo paused for a second. "Yeah… Ephraim and Davion. Before you ask, they also won't tell anyone." Reaching over to the cupboards, he pulled out two mugs and one of the many drink packets they had in stock. "Cocoa?" He offered to his 'guest.'

The girl nodded, and he poured in the mixture. "You know…" Ryo began, his cheeks flushing somewhat at the awkward air. "I... immediately knew that it was you the moment you stepped inside the class last week."

"E-Eh?" Wide purple eyes stared at him in shock. "B-But how? Father's employees made sure that my disguise would be perfect!"

Biting his lower lip, the courier looked away, feeling his face heat up. "Your eyes... I never actually got over how beautiful they looked when I met you in France, even with your 'Charles' getup." It was a half-truth he embarrassingly confessed. "At first, I thought it was a twin, but I was already confident that it wasn't the case." He added to make it more convincing.

Charlotte's cheeks flushed, unseen by him, or perhaps he suspected it. "O-Oh... but you must've met other people who look like me, doesn't monsieur Sahaku have the same colors as mine?"

"Pfft!" He suppressed a laugh, startling her at its suddenness as he stirred the mixture in the mugs. "I've known with him for quite a while now, and believe me, they are far from similar." He replied, his shoulders quivering slightly in amusement.

'Quite a while' was an understatement. Who knows how long the three of them have been together, hopping from dimension to dimension?

He finished preparing the hot beverages and then walked over to her. Passing the other mug as he sat down on his desk chair.

"In my line of work as a courier, you get to meet a variety of people, and one thing I learned from the experience is reading them. You'd be surprised how much the eyes reveal things in people." Ryo leaned back on his chair, displaying ease and comfort, hoping to affect Charlotte. "The two of you might as well be polar opposites. That's how I immediately knew that Charles was a disguise."

"So... you knew this whole time..?" She mumbled, taking a careful sip of her drink after blowing on it to cool it down. "And you didn't tell anyone..?"

"Aside from the two, yeah..." He confirmed before looking quite sheepish.

Feeling quite confused, perhaps a bit curious, the Frenchwoman inquired further. "W-why?"

"Why what?"

"Why didn't you do anything? Why didn't you blackmail me or anything?" Charlotte immediately regretted saying those words when a flash of both offense and hurt appeared on Ryo's face.

"I- I didn't mean-"

"It's okay… I'd be paranoid too." Ryo brushed it off with a small smile. "If you want to know. I don't really have anything to gain from doing anything." He started to explain, staring at his mug that remained untouched in his hands. "Sure, I could probably use it as leverage against you or your family's company."

Charlotte paled.

"But for what? Power that I don't need and do not know how to use? Abuse a good person like you?"

'A good person?' she thought.

"… How about money?" The Frenchwoman prodded further, hoping to dig up more about his motives.

Ryo perked up. "That's actually a good idea-"

She tensed, her grip on the mug increasing.

"I'm just kidding! I also don't need that!"

'You'd be surprised how much I have, though.'

The courier then breathed out a tired sigh. "But if you really want to learn why I didn't particularly do anything… I guess I just didn't care about it. The whole Charles, Charlotte thing."

'Tell that to reverse trap connoisseur over here.'

'Shut up me.'

"So why were you so… friendly last week when I arrived?" Charlotte asked.

"It was really more about genuinely getting to know you. Meeting you was one of my memorable experiences when I worked in France, despite how short it was." Ryo admitted with a sheepish grin, bashfully glancing away from her inquiring eyes for but a moment.

Her cheeks flushed once more as she turned away from him, her heart skipping a beat as she hunched over her cup of cocoa. Charlotte then sighed, staring into her drink.

An awkward silence emerged between them, and the Astray pilot began tapping his foot nervously. He wasn't trained to deal with situations like this! He warmed his hands on his mug, trying to stave off the inner pressure as much as he could.

"Thank you," Charlotte replied in a fragile voice, the words echoing in the room. "But you need to learn why I'm here."

"Charlotte, you don't need to-"

She stood up, startling the courier. "But I need to." The Frenchwoman declared, leaving no room for debate.

The courier blinked.

Growing a bit embarrassed at her sudden outburst, and taking his blink as his affirmation, she sat back down on his bed. "I appreciate your consideration. I really do. But it's more than what I deserve, especially if you know the real reason why I was sent here as 'Charles.'" She drew a long breath, somewhat shuddering as she gathering her courage. "The Dunois Company is... having financial troubles. They may be the 3rd largest IS-centric company in the world, but they produce 2nd Generation units, while its competitors are rolling out 3rd Generations."

"The Blue Tears and rabbit girl's I.S..." Ryo muttered, vague memories coming back to him over both his time in France under the employ of the Dunois Corporation and whatever he could remember on the history of this world. "You're here to gather data for some sort of... mass production 3rd gen."

"Correct." The blonde nodded, a serious frown on her lips. "The Dunois Corporation has only begun developing its own 3rd Gen model, but the progress is slow. Other countries obviously won't share their data on their own 3rd Gen, and the cutthroat corporate world meant that measures had to be taken. Their development permit is in danger of being revoked if they don't show solid results."

"So that's why you were sent here with a customized revive and posing as a boy. To advertise your company and to gather data on the other I.S. models."

Charlotte gulped, pointedly looking away from him as she whispered. "... And on the Astrays too."

"Huh... I should've known."

'And as expected...'

"When Project: Astray was unveiled by the Professor, my father saw it as nothing more than a chance to gain the upper hand over his competitors." She sighed, taking more sips of her drink after cooling it down. "After all, being able to produce a unit that can rival an I.S. without needing a CORE is...priceless."

Ryo slightly grimaced, remembering the consequences if their suits fell into government hands. If there was one thing that the Astray pilots should never forget, it was thinking of ways people outside their circle could screw them over.

That's why he was a freelance courier. Never staying in one place for a long time, and never under someone's permanent employ.

"But... why disguise yourself as a boy though?" The courier drank some of his now cooling cocoa to hide his surfacing anxiety. "Won't the academy recognize you as the daughter of the Dunois Corporation's C.E.O.?"

Charlotte was silent, sad eyes staring into her mug.

"I-...I'm an illegitimate child." Her lips curved upwards sardonically. "I am the child of one of his mistresses. We were sent away to a rural province, and I lived there for most of my life... That is, until two years ago when Mama passed away." She finished while smiling sadly at the recollection.

Charlotte felt another weight on the right side of the bed, and she turned to the side to see Ryo moving to sit next to her, his mug left on his desk.

"I don't need to know more." He reassured her, his tone laced with empathy. "I can deduce what happened in the year before I met you."

"... Thank you, Ryo." She sniffled, her body easing up and beginning to relax. "I really don't deserve your sympathy."

Frowning, he put a hand on her shoulder comfortingly, "Anyone deserves kindness, and even if there was a line wherein you or someone doesn't deserve it anymore, you're far from crossing it." He chuckled softly. "If you're worried about me being angry that you 'tricked' me, then you shouldn't be."

Teary purple stared up into gentle green.

"I forgive you," Ryo stated as if everything she tried to do didn't matter in the least. "You haven't done anything yet, as far as I know. So I don't really have anything to hold against you." He continued like he was reading her mind.

"B-But I don't deserve..!" Her breath hitched as she tried her best to contain her tears. "I lied to you! My father will pull me out because I failed! I'll lose all my new friends!" Charlotte began to stammer, enumerating all the possible consequences she would receive for her deception.

Ryo sighed. "Alright, you forced me to do this."

The hand on her shoulder moved to hover on the side of her face, the same happening with Ryo's other.

SLAP!

'THAT HURTS!' The sudden sting of both palms coming on her cheeks bought Charlotte back to her senses. Almost forgetting what she was talking about just seconds ago.

Purple directly stared closely at the green, seeing her reflection at its luster.

Then.

Squeeeeze…

Her cheeks were pulled in opposite directions, albeit not too much to cause pain.

"E-Eh?"

Charlotte gawked at the sudden action of the man before her, his face close enough that she could feel his breath.

"The Academy manual stated that students have diplomatic immunity if they continue their attendance. That extends to governments, organizations, and even corporations." The courier explained with a self-satisfied, and admittedly roguish, grin. "Before we Astray pilots accepted our enrollment here, we made sure to know all the rules and regulations to make sure we knew what we were getting into. Just as they could've exploited us, we made sure that we could exploit them. This means that as long as you keep on attending classes, partake in activities such as tournaments, join a club, stuff like that, you're safe from outside interference for the next three years."

Her eyes widened at the implications of her situation now.

"I... I see... but I would still need the data to..."

"Then get it without all this subterfuge and the lies. Don't make enemies when there are none to find." Ryo cut her off with stern yet gentle eyes. "Think about it, and give it a go."

Charlotte bit her inner cheek, about to ask something chancy, "How about the Astrays?"

Ryo's eyes widened at her words, and he gave her an inviting smile.


"What did I tell you again about provoking people?"

The blonde narrowed his eyes to the side, feeling something crawl up his spine.

Something big was happening and he was missing it...

"Sahaku."

Something big enough to affect all three of them, it felt like...

"Sahaku."

His tie was tugged and he lurched forward, hands immediately trying to loose his collar. "S-Sensei, please!"

"What did I tell you about provoking people?"

"T-To not do so, at least in your class! In your presence!"

"God, you're such a damn..!" Chifuyu growled before sighing, letting his tie go as she walked around her desk. "Whatever, I know that's the best I can get outta your arrogant ass. Where's your damn minifridge, I want some scotch on the rocks."

Ephraim sighed, materializing the appliance as he grabbed the stack of documents that she shoved towards him.

Just another day working under her.


"No."

Somehow, Charlotte wasn't disappointed. It just showed how much she didn't know yet about the boy in front of her if he could flatly decline her so readily.

And how much she wanted to learn more.

Since she first came to this academy, Charlotte finally felt at ease for the first time. Having someone to hide nothing from was the reprieve she didn't know she was looking for. His mouth curved to a small smile in genuine amusement.

"You're welcome to try, though."

"Is that a challenge?" Charlotte retorted, making a smug grin of her own.


Grey eyes narrowed as its owner looked around the hangar in paranoia.

Kanzashi had left earlier, leaving her Uchigane on the berth so he could upgrade it further over the week.

"...Why the fuck do I feel a looming dread all of a sudden..?" Davion muttered as he pushed in an ultra-compact battery into his newest creation.

The Blue Frame's Sniper Pack.

Well, technically it would be given to the Gold Frame, since he wasn't all that good with long-ranged sniping. He was a CQC man at heart, it was better to leave ranged combat to those that knew what they were doing.


Knock knock!

Both froze as they turned their heads towards the door.

It was then and there that they realized the positions they were in. Ryo cupping Charlotte's cheeks and their faces were literally inches away from each other. Anyone who saw the current scene wouldn't think twice about getting the wrong idea.

Like magnets, they moved away from each other, Ryo standing up while Charlotte remained sitting. The red in their cheeks, however, were clear for anyone to see.

The courier coughed into his hand to lighten the sudden awkward pressure. "I better see who it is."

"Uh- sure." The Frenchwoman replied, still looking at anything but her host.

The courier moved towards the door and made himself… presentable.

"Hey, uh...Ryo? I heard something inside, and uh... I was hoping you know where Charles is? You did chase after him earlier and I wanted to apologize." Ichika's muffled voice came through, and the aforementioned blonde paled.

...

His hand hovered on the doorknob.

Ichika is supposed to know Charles's true identity by now. Should he let things get back on track? Doing so would at least mitigate some of the ripples he had caused.

So why was he hesitating?

He glanced behind him, towards Charlotte, looking at him expectantly.

After a few seconds, she gave him a reassuring smile. "It's fine. I should trust my friends more, right?"

Ryo sighed.

She was right. Might as well push things back closer into place. He should trust the ripples he carefully caused to prevent a particular trope from happening actually worked. He mumbled a wordless curse, a slightly displeased expression on his face. Granted, doing that action was going to be risky, as the stupid forces that be— Harem Tropes™ —would unravel all the work he's put into pulling the Frenchwoman away from the Byakushiki pilot's orbit.

"Alright, I'm sure he'll understand." The Courier finally relented, looking back at the door. "He's your roommate, and he deserves to know..." He bit his tongue.

The Frenchwoman looked nervous, but she remained steadfast. Eyeing the door warily before she bit her lip. Pulling the hood up and over her hair, she nodded slightly.

"... I trust you." Purple eyes stared up at him, fully displaying the amount of confidence she now had for him.

'... Damn it, why does she have to be so damNED CUTE IN THAT?!'

His hand paused once more before the knob for a second before he twisted it, opening the mahogany barrier between him and the blonde's roommate.

Ichika, clad in a simple shirt and shorts combo, waved at him and made to speak-

"Alright, get in." Ryo demanded before he pulled the hapless pilot inside the room.


Ephraim sighed as he walked out of the Academic Building. In his hands were a couple of disposable bentos filled with the leftovers of his and Haku's latest cook off.

"Can't believe she ambushed me right outside Orimura-sensei's office..." The blonde mumbled, balancing the containers on one hand as the other came up to rub his neck. His superior's constant tugging on his tie was getting bad for the scars. Taking a glance at the bentos, he then looked back at the building he was walking away from, watching as several students exited with their own relieved and fatigued expressions.

The cook-off challenges were something that she came up with a week back, wherein she wanted to test the skills she inherited from her father against the blonde's. He had to admit, she was just as much a natural in the kitchen as he was, and given his assumption of just who the father was, it wasn't really a big surprise.

They did it every M.W.F., alternating between lunch and dinner. On Wednesday, they were going to have another cook off, with the theme revolving around Italian pasta lunch recipes. Tonight had been Japanese meat-based dishes and he had cooked a More-and-More, which was just a bacon-ized okonomiyaki, while she made a sashimi platter. The recipe from Inazuma obviously didn't fully translate to this world, considering there wasn't any Lavender Melon, so he made do instead with Eggplant.

It was a close tie, with Erina almost fainting at the deluge of flavor from both of the star cooks of the Culinary Arts Club.

Glancing at the rising moon, he quickened his pace.

"Hope Ryo likes a heavy dinner tonight." Ephraim muttered as he felt the piling exhaustion take its toll on his body. In just under a month's worth of time, there's been a lot more action than he liked, and it affected him quite heavily.

First was the Practical Test, where his maneuvers did its usual damage to his body. Luckily, Davion had completed the inertia and g-force dampening feature of their pilot suits, so he only had stretched muscles and inflamed fibers. He just needed to take it easy for a day or two for his body to heal itself back to tip-top shape.

Second was Cecilia's cooking, both during last week and earlier today. They both managed to bring back his lost gag reflex.

And third was the revelation that, not only were he and his friends actually grounded in this world via them being test-tube babies, the serum that made them into super soldiers was used to create the midget and it made her family to them in a way.

That's not to mention the mountains of paperwork and training reports he had to review and analyze while Chifuyu got drunk on whiskey.

'Damn it, Boss, what the fuck are you trying to do..?'

The automatic doors of the dorm building opened and he made his way to the elevator-

"Hey, Sahaku-san."

He paused and looked over his shoulder to see Houki holding something long wrapped in a blue cloth. She looked rather reluctant in talking to him, but she continued either way.

"Have you seen Ichika? He hasn't had dinner yet and I haven't seen him in the dorms..."

Ephraim blinked, raising a brow as he was sure he saw Ichika head over to the dorm building while he was dragged away by Chifuyu.

"That's odd. I thought that he was here already. Maybe he just went out to the cafeteria?" He shrugged as the elevator opened in front of him. The less he was involved with the two, the better. Even he had his limits when dealing with tsunderes and dense protagonists.

Houki pouted but shook it off with an irritated sigh. "Well...thanks."

She then turned around, muttering lowly but audibly to his enhanced senses. "Maybe he's there with Charles, their room is empty after all..."

...

He tensed his jaw, already suspecting what he thought happened.

"Oi oi..." He quietly lamented as he stepped inside the elevator, forcefully pressing the 2nd floor button and tapping his right foot impatiently.

'I swear, if he took her to our room for a heart to heart..!'

The elevator rose and then stopped in less than 10 seconds, the tech of the lift being much more advanced than those in the mainland. As soon as the door opened, he slipped past and let his feet take him to their dorm. A few of the girls that he passed by waved, and he flashed by a smile to keep up his mask of being a gentleman. But once he got near his door...

"...ecret's safe with me!"

'...That was Orimura's voice.' Purple eyes sparked as he punched in the code to his dorm.

"Aaand, he's here-"

He opened the door, a hot glare immediately locking on to a surprised Ichika, a pale Charlotte, and an unsurprised Ryo.

All of them were seated around the center of the room, with Ryo and his crush occupying his respective bed, while Ichika sat on Ephraim's.

"H-Heeey, Sahaku-san!" The younger Orimura stood up with an obviously nervous grin. "I...uh, was invited here by-"

"Save it." Ephraim hissed, closing the door behind him with his foot. He took a deep breath as Ryo sent him a shrug, as if saying 'Can't really help what happens.'

Imperious purple locked on to nervous amethysts.

"I suspect that he already told you?" He gestured to his green-eyed roommate.

Charlotte nodded.

"Then I don't care, none of us do." The Gold Frame pilot continued, as he set what was supposed to be his and Ryo's dinner on the kitchenette counter. "As long as you won't be a danger to the students of the academy, I won't say anything."

"Oh...well, um..." Ichika looked at the other two conspirators. "So you won't report us to Chifuyu-nee..?"

"No, I won't." The taller blonde was already bringing out the spare utensils. "So just… shut up and eat the dinner Emiya-san and I made. We both got a tad bit too carried away earlier."

Charlotte breathed out a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Sahaku-san."

"Good, now help me with this." The Astray pilot replied, turning around and handing Charlotte and Ryo a bento full of yakitori, okonomiyaki, and rice. "I've got a tad bit too many on my plate right now. I have to prepare for the League next Friday and then head out to Okinawa the next day after that."

"Oh...for how long?" Ichika asked, taking an offered pair of disposable chopsticks from him as the blonde sat next to the Byakushiki pilot. Charlotte looked confused on how to use them since she's been using a spoon and fork since... forever.

'Better to learn now than never.' She thought while fumbling the two utensils between her fingers.

"The weekend probably. Now, eat your dinner before it gets cold."

"Yes, mom." Ryo teased, causing the other two to stifle their laughter.

Ephraim let out a sigh that was both bemused and amused.

"Itadakimasu!"


"Mentor..."

The crescent moon rose high in the slightly clouded sky, the stars miraculously visible despite the light pollution from the nearby mainland city.

"Your absolute and incomparable strength is all I seek, the very reason for my continued existence..."

The knot was loosened, and the eyepatch removed, revealing a glowing yellow eye in place of what used to be red.

"Ichika Orimura...the person who cast a stain upon my mentor's name..."

Red and yellow glared up at the moon.

"Those trash pilots who use the imitation I.S...they who spit upon the glory of the Infinite Stratos...A half-breed, a vagabond, and a hack..!"

Laura Bodewig grit her teeth, fists clenched as she stood up on the edge of a launch platform.

"I swear that I will get rid of all of you by any means necessary!"


Everything seemed to turn out well, more or less.

Unbeknownst to the boys, anew product was being distributed in the underground trading ring of records of the Astrays and the two male I.S. pilots.

More specifically, between the Red frame pilot and the Byakushiki pilot.

Ryo was not amused when he learned of this.

Damn Fujioshis.


AN:

(REVISED)

Goodness, it's been a while since I pulled this huh? But hey, at least that itch that something was wrong with this chapter is utterly dead and gone now.

And that's all thanks to the co-writer of this Episode, FF's very own ProjectRyo! (Yes. Yes, he is. The very same.) He's got a different writing style from mine, so you can notice some change in...well, writing style here and there. I tried to compliment his with mine as best I could. Go check out his stuff, it's pretty good...for a Yukinoshita camper.

Yeah, I said it!

Kawasaki camp for life!

W-Well, also a Shizuka camper, but still!

Anyway, I hope you all had a great New Year's party! I know my friends and I had! Downed 7th shots'a whiskey on the rocks amidst the noise of hollering family and screeching brats.

"Versuch es noch einmal, Arschgeige." = "Try again, ass fiddle."

Let's move on to the reviews!

P.B.S: Hey, welcome back! And uh, the urchin thing? It's a cover backstory made by both Ephraim and Tabane to make up for their lack of documents concerning their past when they got 'caught' by Chifuyu and the Professor. But Ephraim sleeping around? Oh, he definitely did that in the year prior to their enrollment. He did both, if you must know, for money and pleasure, so the blonde is a veritable man whore. He did travel around the world, sampling some...exquisite meat while he did so.

KnightofZaku: Thanks for the follow and fave! The reason why the guys seem to get along with the girls is that both Ephraim and Ryo have meta-knowledge of the Infinite Stratos anime, the former more than the latter. That includes the characters and their personality. So them having this said meta-knowledge allows them to basically avoid any social landmines, though that's not the only factor that's involved. Feelings, their own agendas, stuff like that coming from the girls' side kinda makes it easier for them to get along with the boys. Davion is just Davion, a friendly, sorta awkward guy that's real easy to get along with.

As for Lath? Well...let's just wait and see, shall we?

(I'll address your most recent review prior to the pull in the coming Interlude, don't worry!)

This is Cipher, finally satisfied with the Episode, signing off!


Omake: What if? The Arsenal Bird

"Hey, I got an idea."

Charles looked over to the courier, a brow raised as the three boys waited for the confirmation of being allowed to use the Range program. "What is it?"

A wide smile was on his lips, and he tapped his chin as he sent a mischievous look at Ichika. "You want to know how ranged attacks work, right? How about we learn using lots o' dakka?"

"...Dakka?"

"This."

In a wave of light, his entire being was covered in the white-gold motes. Several pairs of eyes turned to him, many of them excited to see one of the three non-IS suits within the Academy. In less than a second, the 7 foot tall suit stood in place of the green-eyed teen.

The Frenchman gaped, finally having a chance to study the suit up close. "W-Well!" He started, a growing smile curling his lips as he began to float around Ryo. "Both the same fighting style and the same paintjob!"

"W-Whoa, that's uh..." Ichika piped up, a nervous lilt in his tone as he gazed at the boxes and containers on the suit's body. "That's a lot of... guns."

Ryo chuckled as he pulled a minigun from his back, the six barrels spinning for a second before he lowered the weapon. "Yup! There's nothing like being covered by all the smoke fired off by your missiles, that's how you know that your target's destroyed." As if to make a point, he opened the shoulder panels, and all the micro-missile containers on is legs, revealing dozens upon dozens of ordinances ready to be fired.

Several of the audience gulped, taking a step back at the sheer intimidation factor exuded by the veritable walking armory.

"Come on, Ichika, let's get you used to wielding a heavy weapon." The minigun was offered towards the white I.S. Ichika's eyes widened in boyish awe.

"Are you serious?!"

Ryo smiled behind the faceplate of the suit. "Yup. No firing it yet, just get used to the weight of a ranged weapon."

A few minutes later...

Laura paused in hopping into the Schwarzer Regen when the sounds of gunfire entered her ears. It was way too fast and, if she was correct, was of a much higher caliber than what an I.S. should have. Turning away from the I.S., she walked across the Launch Pad and peered out from behind the wall into the arena.

BOOM!

BANG! BANG!

BRRRRRRRRT!

Dust was kicked up in great clouds as missiles impacted several hard light targets all at once. Several rounds followed after, the Rafale-Revive Custom II using both Garm and Vent to hit the untouched targets. The pilot's lips stretched in a wide grin as both guns kicked and fired in his arms.

"I must admit, this is pretty fun!"

The Byakushiki held in its claws a big minigun which it was using, with great difficulty, to perforate a single target, breaking all of its outer hexagons before finally hitting the bullseye. Ichika was whooping and hollering as the large rotary weapon spewed thousands upon thousands of bullets into the next target.

"Heck yeah, get soooome! Raaaaagh!"

The minigun itself was belt-fed, with bullets visibly moving along said belt as it fed into the hungry weapon. Laura's sole red eye followed it to a large container of the back of a red and orange suit. The suit itself was boxy, very boxy, and the olive green containers on its shoulders opened up to reveal micro-missiles that roared out to hit more targets. The lime green optics flashed as the chest opened, where two rotary cannons spun before unleashing a storm of lead into a cluster of targets. The golden v-fin was very distinct, as if the red-orange paintjob wasn't already enough.

The German knew of the suit, having seen it in action in videos of the test machine's rampage, she had seen how it absolutely decimated its opponent with sheer volume of fire and explosives. The test machine barely had a chance to move before a swarm of missiles engulfed it. A cold sweat formed down her back as she stepped away from the wall, now just feeling the entire arena shake and shudder from all the explosions.

"...Not today."

Discretion is the better part of valor, after all.

Down in the arena, Ryo smirked as Laura retreated. The calculations were right, and that was one less headache to deal with.

"Probability of being punished for excessive noise and destruction...98%."

'Oh for gods-'

"BURTON!" Chifuyu's voice roared out over the speakers as everyone froze, stopping whatever they were doing as they paled. "WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING OVER THERE?!"

Both the Rafale-Revive and the Byakushiki turned to the Gundam, their pilots having expressions of fear. The courier shook his head and reached out-

He blinked and was met with the sounds of gunfire again.

Sighing, the suit closed all of its panels and retrieved the minigun from a surprised Ichika.

"H-Huh? Wha? Are we done?"

"Yeah." Ryo nodded as he hooked the weapon back into the back rack, letting the barrels finally cool after minutes of continuous firing by the I.S. pilot. "I have a feeling that it's better for you two to scram now."

"BURTON!" Chifuyu's voice roared out over the speakers. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!"

'You sure take the saying 'better late than never' a bit too literal, ZERO.'

The system remained quiet, ever busy with predicting and calculating in its usual cold manner. However, the pilot could feel some sort of sadistic pleasure from the program.

The bastard.