Episode 7 - Fray, Frayed, and Astray

(This chapter mentions sensitive topics such as prostitution and sexual assault, if such things are uncomfortable to you, feel free to not read.)


The sun rose, signaling a new day for the students of the IS Academy to enjoy. This also meant that it was another day closer to the Class League Match, an event which whipped up an excited frenzy among the student body. Rumors of international delegations visiting and observing spread throughout, which prompted all the Representative Candidates and IS Representatives to confirm with their sponsors or parent government.

However, for a select few, this amount of hubbub and activity was fairly common for them.

The Neo-Types, Outworlders they were, simply stayed true to their normal routines.


Davion yawned as he slipped on his work vest, somewhat regretting pulling an all-nighter. He should really stop with his fixation on the Astrays in favor of his own grades. The mechanic has been rather lax with his assignments, often passing them late or forgetting to pass them at all. This had earned him some scolding from Yamada-sensei, but he swore it was for a good cause!

Grey eyes slowly glanced over to the Weapon Station, where a half built Tactical Arms lay. A giddy smile curled his lips as he walked over to it, tracing the mix of titanium and Gerbera steel that comprised the blade. He had just unlocked the schematic for his suit's signature weapon a night prior, as well as changed the head sculpt to better fit his aesthetic.

No longer was the armor the Second G, but the Second L!

Though, he'd keep the name 'Second G'. It sounded more catchy.

"I wouldn't be the Blue Frame if I didn't have its signature weapon..." Davion mumbled, yawning once more as he hefted his messenger bag. It was full of blueprints for non-Astray related gizmos that he was going to share with Arzenal later in the afternoon. Most of them were purely theoretical, like the Scroll device from RWBY, though he hoped that some of them could be realized with the help of the madwomen of his club.

That's not to mention his little ventures into robotics...

At the thought, the grey-eyed teen fist pumped to psych himself up for the day. Patting the bag one last time, he exited the Astray's hangar and made his way to class.

His Crankclub will come to fruition, all will see!


Several minutes later...

Having had a quick breakfast that consisted of a couple onigiri, the Astray pilot entered his classroom. The moment the door slid open, the usual chaos and cacophony of students talking and gossiping entered his ears.

"Morning..." He greeted with a small yawn. as he made his way to the back where his seat was. He pointedly ignored the glaring albino in the same row as him, not having the slightest bit of care about what she thought about him after he beat her down so decisively.

"Morning, Guele-san!"

"Good morning!"

"You mean to tell me that Sahaku-san cooked dinner for you while I was out searching for your stupid butt?!"

Davion paused, turning his head to see Houki shaking Ichika while Charles tried to break them apart.

The swordswoman was ranting and raving at the poor boy, who seemed to look more and more fearful of his childhood friend. Ephraim was pointedly not looking at them as he chatted with Cecilia, knowing full well that he was partly at fault for the angry girl's fruitless search. Said girl seemed to be a bit more bubbly when talking to his blonde friend, and the mechanic could only roll his eyes at the not so subtle wooing attempts by the Brit. At least the taller blonde seemed aware of this, even as he played dumb.

...For some bloody reason.

Ryo, meanwhile, was leaning on his desk, head resting on the palm of his hand propped up by his elbow. His headphones were on and nodding along to the beat of some song. Though, he seemed to be looking over at where Houki was as she rounded on Charles and began to interrogate him.

Davion was informed of what happened the week prior, of Charlotte's unveiling of her identity to the three other boys, and he took the news with a shrug. He didn't care much for her deception, but when she asked him about the Astray data...

"So, Ryo said that you were Astray's mechanic..."

"Ah-ah, my route's locked for you, sorry."

"Huh?"

Blinking and breaking out of that brief trip down memory lane, he looked around the class once. Since his friends were doing their own thing, he continued his way to his seat-

"Guele-san, Guele-san!"

He turned his head to see one of the girls that frequented the Engineering Bay, waving him over to where she was. The girl was also surrounded by a few familiar faces that frequented the Bay, and they seemed to have excited smiles on their lips. Shrugging to himself, he walked over to her, raising a hand in greeting-

"Is it true that whoever could beat the Astrays in combat would get a date?!"

Whatever lingering sleepiness in him was quickly booted out at that statement. Grey eyes were wide in shock and confusion as to the girls around her tittered and whispered among themselves.

"H-Huh?! Wha-No!" He waved his hands in panic and to dissuade their notion. "We're merely Gatekeepers to the next bracket! Like a form of half-time show! There's no reward in beating us!"

"I bet you're just saying that!" One of the more gossip-savvy girls pointed at him, a jealous scowl on her lips. "I've seen you with that girl from Class 4! I bet you're planning to lose to her, so she'd ask you out!"

Davion frowned as he put his foot down, both literally and figuratively. "Listen, whatever you heard, none of it is true okay? You literally get nothing from defeating us aside from combat experience." The mechanic sighed as he ran a hand through his messy hair. "The three of us aren't really looking to date anyone right now, especially this early in the year-"

Off the side, Ryo coughed, sneaking a glance at the mechanic.

"-and even then, we're not boyfriend material!" He finished with a groan, shaking his head at the hopeful look of the girls.

"I don't buy it!"

"Yeah!"

"Oh my god." The grey-eyed teen could only facepalm at their stubbornness.

He wasn't looking to date anyone yet!

...Well, maybe a certain someone...

"What is all this racket about?" Chifuyu barked as she stepped in, causing everyone to scramble to their seats. "Class is about to start!"


.

.

.


Ring!

"And that's the bell!" Maya cheerfully noted as she shut down the projector. She was just wrapping up the lesson anyway, so she wasn't interrupted like how many times before! "Remember, the Class League Match is in two days. Please don't strain yourselves too much in some last minute practice, because today will be the last day where you can do that! Tomorrow is a rest day, so be sure to not hurt yourselves!'

"Yes, Yamada-sensei!"

The class began to pack up, students animatedly chatting about practice and what they expect of the event coming up soon. A fair few of them, the more excited ones, simply dashed out of the classroom, eager to put in more hours of training with their Uchiganes.

And those who didn't share their level of excitement...

"Sir Sahaku, I'd be honored if you would join me in training for this Friday's events."

Ephraim looked up at Cecilia with a small jolt, having been lost in thought for minutes prior to the bell. Registering her words, he offered her an apologetic smile, inwardly wondering what the small niggling sensation was in the back of his head. It was like he was...forgetting something. "I'd like to, Lady Alcott, but I have plans."

Disappointed, though not outwardly showing it too much, the British Representative Candidate tilted her head. "What are your plans? Does it involve your work as Orimura-sensei's assistant?" She had to admit that him showing such dedication as their teacher's assistant was quite admirable...if not a bit jealousy-inducing. Watching him serve her coffee every morning, cook her dinner and occasionally lunch...

Rumors between the teacher and her assistant were wild and were even quicker to put down. Lots of the girls would not want to hear anything concerning their beloved 'Orimura-sama' be involved with a guy, even if it was the tall blonde. Their denial only got worse whenever they saw the former Brunhilde pull him along the halls or to her office by the tie, like a scene straight out of an office romance novel or a shoujo manga.

'Still...'

"No no, it's just Emiya-san challenging me for bragging rights again." The Gold Frame pilot clarified with a small chuckle. "At this point, it's more like us training Nakiri-buchou to not faint outright from our cooking."

The noblewoman pouted, having considered the red haired cook as a sort of rival the moment she saw both the taller blonde and her compete. "I still don't understand why you insist on entertaining her little challenges. You've already demonstrated your prowess in the kitchen!" If there was anyone he should be cooking off against, it was her! She hadn't fully shown off her skill in the kitchen to him yet!

"It's a matter of pride for me, Lady Alcott." The taller blonde gave her a soft smile, one that was tinged in his signature arrogance. "As well as a good way to exercise my skills. Emiya-san can be quite wily with her meals and it keeps me on my toes."

"Well," She crossed her arms, looking down at him imperiously, though it was ruined with the upset pout on her lips. "You better make me lunch as recompense then! Delivered hot and ready to Arena 6!"

Ephraim chuckled as he stood up, playing along and bowing with a hand hover his heart. "Of course, my lady. I am your humble servant~"

Cecilia's face erupted in a blush and then turned away with a harrumph. Inwardly, she was cheering for herself as she got another chance to eat the taller blonde's cooking. He didn't make meals just for anyone, you know!

From the corner of his eye, Ryo watched all of this happen with a deadpan expression.

"...Is he purposely tripping flags or is he playing some stupid scheme..?" The courier mumbled to himself with a frown. It was true though, as the blonde Neo-Type seemed to reciprocate the Brit's advances, even though he knew that he was after their deadly beauty of a teacher. It left a bad taste in Ryo's mouth, seeing his friend lead the younger girl on like that.

Though, it...didn't really surprise him that much.

Vague memories of their time in [...] gave him the notion that his friend had always been a polyamorous git.

'...In [...]? I...where..?'

Bzzz...

Blinking, his train of thought derailed, he pulled out his phone. Immediately his green eyes locked on to the message he just received in the 'Request/Deliveries' section of his phone, the first of the day really.

Kaichou: Buy me some chocolates, Mu-kun!( 3) I'll need the energy for the upcoming meeting~!

He glared down at the screen, his brow twitching as he got out of his seat. The bluenette has been rather demanding lately, always asking for him to stick around so she could tease him or simply leech off of him. It was like she knew he had a fair bit of money to burn, with all her requests for these sweets or drinks during the meetings he was coerced into attending.

"I'm not a walking wallet." He grumbled as he slipped an arm through a shoulder strap of his backpack. Waving to those that noticed him about to leave, the Red Frame's pilot switched songs as he left the room.

Davion stood up from his seat, compiling his current notes about the Quantum Materialization effect that all IS COREs seemed to possess. It was somewhat similar to the Astray's 'Inventory' system that he couldn't really understand.

Mechanic-wise, that is.

He damn well knew that it was straight ripped from a video game, but his pride as a tinker urged him to find a logical reason!

"Hey, Davion!" Ichika walked over to him with his blonde roommate following, both having a cheerful smile on their faces. Despite what had happened the week prior, their 'all-boys' friend group was still going strong despite knowing the Frenchman was actually a Frenchwoman. "Want to go with us to the library for some light reading? Charles said that the Academy recently acquired some new manuals about the mechanics of European-made IS'."

In the corner of his eye, he could see a certain swordswoman giving him a death stare.

'...Yikes.'

Scratching the back of his head, the grey-eyed mechanic shook his head. "Sorry, normally I'd like to but with the League coming up in two days, I need to do some checks on my Astray." He apologized sincerely, as he found out that hanging out with the younger Orimura was actually kinda fun.

It was...normal. Painfully so.

He had gotten so used to the brooding aura around his blonde friend or the delivery-obsessed courier that he actually forgot how...hard it was to act around normal mundane people. With Ichika, he was able to actually let loose a bit and nerd out about the latest stuff that caught his interest, ranging from otaku topics he would share with Kanzashi later to cool things he and the male IS pilot would geek out about like what was in the latest shounen manga.

It felt kinda nice to have...a friend

'I guess we can be considered friends at this point.'

Though a bit disappointed at the rejection, the Byakushiki pilot understood with a nod. "Oh, right...well, good luck!"

"Why don't you invite Shinonono-san?" Davion offered as he packed all of his things into his messenger bag. "Maybe she can benefit you with some tips and tricks in the meanwhile?"

With that, the mechanic left with a hasty wave, not wanting to hear any sort of aftermath of his attempt at alleviating whatever animosity the swordswoman had against him. Well, that and he was sort of in a hurry to dump his plans to Arzenal and to return to the Astray's hangar, where he knew his partner and friend was working on her IS.

Ignored by most of the class, a lone red eye narrowed as it followed the British Representative Candidate leaving the room.


Dainty fingers rapidly typed the keys on her laptop as she coded the lock for her new naginata. Her friend had brilliantly combined both a physical and beam blade to the polearm, needing only a thought to switch between modes. It was energy efficient, light, and had an absolutely divine balance.

While it wasn't the Vibro-Blade that she was planning, the versatility of the weapon made up for it greatly. Apparently he had approached the blonde Astray pilot for tips on polearm creation, and with the data his friend provided, Davion was able to forge a foldable naginata that could shorten into a katana. Normally having something foldable would threaten the integrity of the whole weapon, but the mechanic had his own tricks that allowed her new weapon to be as solid as a normal naginata.

She was also pleasantly surprised to find out that the Sahaku Clan Member was a fellow polearm user. He looked like he seemed more familiar with a blade than anything else, much like how his late mother expertly used a rapier in her famous 'Courting Duels' that made waves a decade prior. She wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth, though, both boys gave her an advantage and she was going to exploit it.

The door hissed open and she turned around, a bit surprised at the sudden sound but quickly calming down.

"Time to tinker!" Davion's grin brightened the whole room as he marched in, setting his messenger bag on a nearby table.

Kanzashi smiled as she stopped her typing. "What on?"

"Oh, a little bit of this and that..."

On the berths, the Blue Frame and the Uchigane stood beside each other, watching as their users began to fill the hangar with technobabble.


Erina watched as the blonde and redhead danced around their stations. Their hands gracefully working the tools and ingredients for their chosen dishes with expert technique. The other members of the club watched as their two stars worked their magic with both awe and fear, some of them taking notes of the exact ingredients they were using and the tiniest movements of the hands in how they chopped or worked their recipes.

Today's Wednesday lunch was going to be Italian, and it seems they were going all out.

Ephraim was twirling pizza dough effortlessly on his finger, while the other was accurately cutting into the mushrooms for the topping. His eyes were narrowed in focus as he chopped, the knife swinging and slicing accurately as it left silver streaks in the air. It hummed and sang as it cut into the fungi' flesh before being used to set it aside so he could begin to slice into the cheese and garlic needed for the sauce.

...It was admittedly a scary thing to see, with the sheer dexterity and multi-tasking ability of the blonde. Some of the members even compared his skill with the knife to that of the Red Frame with its katanas.

Haku was in the middle of layering a lasagna, the succulent scent of the meat, cheese, and spices wafting throughout the whole room. The redhead was grinning as she did so, a pep in her step and a song humming through her lips as she retraced each procedure with expertise that came from a childhood of making food. There was a fond gleam in those golden eyes of hers and it made the scene of her cooking look all the more homey, as opposed to Ephraim's clinical and professional vibe.

The club president glanced at all those under her, those watching the two cooking titans duel, and smiled.

All was good.


"Thank you, Mu-kun~! I promise I won't forget this~."

Ryo sighed, glancing over to the door as the other members of the Student Council left for their break. "I'm not going to successfully convince you to stop using that name, arent I? The Nohotoke siblings were looking at us funny whenever you call me that."

"Nope~! It's pretty fun to call you that sweet little nickname of mine~" Tatenashi grinned, sitting next to him on the meeting table with her legs swinging playfully. Papers were scattered, mainly focusing on the Class League Match visitors, but it was a controlled mess.

He fought the urge to facepalm, ignoring the teasing titter of the Sarashiki heiress. She unwrapped the chocolate bar in her hand, licking her lips as she brought it close to her mouth.

...The courier felt a sense of forbod-

"Mmmmh~"

'You have got to be kidding me-'

The test pilot could only stare forward out the window as the bluenette next to him purposefully made suggestive noises as she ate her candy. He had become far accustomed to random… events like this one, but when there was a rather shapely woman making noises like that right next to him...well.

"Kaichou, why."

"Hmhmhm~!"


"So, you're going to practice today as well?"

"I kinda have to." Ichika chuckled weakly, scratching the back of his head as he answered his roommate. "Even with Ryo and Sahaku-san training me every now and again, I still don't think I'm up to par." He glanced to the side, a small frown on his lips as he mused. "At least Houki thinks so."

Just thinking about his childhood friend made him feel bad. She's been nothing but prickly the whole week, brushing off his attempt in getting them to hang out in the library and giving him the cold shoulder as she left.

"Go train some more, dummy."

"As long as you remember to dodge-"

The Byakushiki pilot flinched.

"-ranged attacks while you close in, then you'll be fine." Charles finished with a closed-eye smile, not noticing the brief expression of panic on the boy.

Bump!

"Oof!"

Ichika stumbled forward, almost losing grip of his book satchel as the girl that bumped into him caught herself against the wall.

"A-Ah, sorry Orimura-kun!" She apologized, her turning back to where a few other girls were hurriedly running ahead.

"It's alright, what's going on?" The boy eased her worry as he looked at the few girls that were running past them. "Where's everyone heading?"

"Arena 6, three Representative Candidates are having a practice match in there! My friends and I are going to watch!"

"Hey, hurry up slowpoke!" One of said friends called out from the end of the hall.

"I know, I know! Wait up!" Without looking back, the girl ran to catch up to her friends, eager to not miss whatever spectacle was happening.

"...Three Representative Candidates..?" The two pilots turned to each other with furrowed brows. Charles frowned as he began to walk forward, his strides a bit longer as he gestured for his roommate to follow him.

"I have a bad feeling about this." The Frenchman muttered as Ichika followed shortly.

"Yeah, same here. I'm right behind you."


Ring!

The electric beat of the ringtone he set for Arzenal's president rang throughout the hangar, halting the mechanic from finishing his most recent creation. The solid block of Gerbera steel lay in the forge, ready to be shaped into whatever he needed made. Letting go of the machine's controls, he pulled his phone out and answered the call.

"Loewenherz-kaichou?" He wondered, as it wasn't really often that his club leader would call him. The ringing had gained the attention of the other occupant of the hangar, with Kanzashi looking over in curiosity.

"Head to Arena 6. Now. And call your boys too, I think the RC of my country is about to escalate."

"Uh-what?" The mechanic blinked, confused by the order. "What do you mean escalate?"

Kanzashi looked over at him in slight concern, now turning away from gazing up at her IS. Whatever it was, it sounded quite serious...

"You better get here fast before someone gets hurt..."

She then hung up, causing the Astray pilot to look at his phone in bewilderment. "Escalate..? RC...oh fuck." The mechanic cursed as he quickly turned heel and marched over to the Blue Frame. The bluenette stepped back, noting the urgency in his step and his hurried movements as he touched the leg of the suit.

With a brief flash, the Closed form of the Blue Frame adorned his hands which he clenched into fists. He brought them together as he turned to her, a metallic clang echoing in the workshop. "Sarashiki-san, can you watch the hangar for me? I'm going to meet up with the rest of the boys to see what's happening in Arena 6."

The bluenette frowned somewhat, wanting to help, but nodded nonetheless. "Alright."

Davion sent her a thankful smile as he fast-walked over to the hangar's entrance. "Thanks."


Drying his hands on a towel he hung on his apron, Ephraim eyed the oven that held his pizza. It was a vegetarian-safe pizza, a recipe he had learned in a past reality and one that he continuously cooked again and again to master. That world was a bit lacking in more fast food-esque businesses, and he had planned to open up a small café to cater to such needs.

...At least, he thought so.

Lately, it's been getting harder and harder to remember, and what he had written down was beginning to sound more and more fantastical. Given, that world was fantastic, with its Archons and Visions and all the other nuances like the giant dragon or the sea god in Liyue. What grounded it to him that he had experienced such things were his scars and the mark left behind during his stint in Inazuma.

'As well as...'

Laughter.

Masked faces with sneering lips.

Icy blue-grey eyes looking down at him with sadistic pleasure as her underlings-

Bzzz.

Purple eyes glanced down at his left pocket, his lips letting out an involuntary sigh of relief as he pulled out his phone. Quickly unlocking it, he skimmed over the name of the recent text and opened it up.

Barbatos Addict: Trouble brewing at Arena 6. Bodewig is apparently the cause.

Almost instantly, his mind flashed with brief scenes of combat, of blue and pink against black, of metal breaking apart amidst hits, and of cries of pain and whimpers of mercy. His grip around the phone tightened, and he let go of a tense breath, struggling to keep the calm mask from breaking into a battle-hungry visage. Stuffing it back in his pocket, he removed his apron, gaining the attention of everyone in the room.

"Admitting defeat already, Sahaku-san?" Haku's grin was almost infectious in its giddiness, were it not for the blistering rage boiling inside him.

"An urgent matter has come up that requires my attention." He simply stated, trying to keep his voice level and calm. Folding the cream fabric, he handed it to a nearby clubmate. "In 10 or so minutes, the pizza will be ready. Do save me a quarter of it. I promised a friend of mine that she would have some." The blonde instructed said clubmate as he fixed his tie, passing by her with purpose.

Without waiting for the reply, the blonde left with hurried steps, royal purple blazing angrily as he made his way to his destination.


Feeling his phone vibrate, the courier sighed as he pulled it out. He was so ready to complain if it was Tatenashi again-

Dumbass 2: Trouble brewing at Arena 6. Bodewig is apparently the cause.

Boom!

Ryo snapped up from his phone towards the very building where the explosion came from. The same building he was heading over to observe practices at the behest of the Student Council President.

Cursing, he hastened his pace-

!

-and side-stepped quickly to dodge a rushing figure. The heavy steps warned him of an incoming presence, which was...

For a moment, purple and green locked on to each other.

"Oh, damn it." The courier muttered, immediately recognizing the unbridled emotions in his friend's eyes as he zoomed past. He quickly followed, not wanting to let the situation get out of hand again.

Though... he had a feeling that things are now well past that point.


(BGM Start: SD Gundam G Generation Cross Rays - Enemy Battle Theme (00F) )

"That's...! Mademoiselle Huang and Mademoiselle Alcott!" Charles called out as the dust cleared, revealing the aforementioned pilots. The Shenlong and Blue Tears were on the ground, their armor heavily damaged as the pilots struggled to stand.

"And Laura Bodewig..!" The blonde then hissed upon sighting the black armored German across from them.

Ichika stepped forward, placing a hand on the half-wall that acted as a railing. "What are they doing? Are they nuts?!"

Rin uneasily stood up, quickly jumping into the air and firing off her Shockwave Cannon.

"Take that!"

The yellow projectile streaked towards the smirking albino, who merely raised her hand.

Flash!

A prismatic barrier appeared before the claw just moments before impact. It hit with a resounding boom, but any resulting shockwave was snuffed out.

Ichika's eyes widened in shock, mirroring that of the Shenlong's pilot. "How did she stop the Ryuhou's shot?"

"Of course!" His roommate hissed, furrowing his brows. "She has an AIC!"

"AIC..?" The Byakushiki pilot raised a brow, just as Houki shook her head.

"It stands for Active Inertia Canceller. It's the Schwarzer Regen's 3rd Generation weapon, allowing the black IS to forgo dodging in favor of simply blocking attacks." The swordswoman glanced at him with a critical eye, a small frown on her lips. "You understood that, didn't you?"

Ichika narrowed his eyes at the ensuing battle. "I saw it...that's more than enough."


The Shenlong zipped through the air, firing the Ryuhou's at the Schwarzer Regen, who took simply dashes to the side to dodge. Dazed with fatigue, the Chinese Representative Candidate snarled as another shot was blocked by the AIC.

"Tch! I can't believe we're this incompatible..!"

Green eyes then widened as odd tendrils seem to shoot out from the black IS, chasing after her as she tried to shake them off her tail.

"Damn you, Bodewig!" The twin-tailed girl snarled as she took evasive maneuvers to dodge the relentless tendrils. "We were in the middle of a match!"

The albino didn't reply, merely smirking as a flanking wire wrapped around the right leg of the Shenlong. Rin's eyes widened as she was suddenly thrown about in the air, much to the sadistic delight of the German.

Chuckling, the carmine-eyed girl tracked the flailing pink IS. "How laughable to call that machine a 3rd Generation model."

Fyoom!

Blue beams impacted around her and the black IS had to raise a hand to block a larger blue shot. The AIC visibly rippled, but the neutralizing effect still shone through and dissipated the beam. Cecilia grit her teeth as she willed the Bits to chased the Schwarzer Regen, causing Laura to launch off the ground with a huff. Her missile pods swung forward and fired off a swarm of ordinance, nearly a dozen screaming cylinders of explosives relentlessly chasing after her.

Laura's mind sharpened and she did high-G maneuvers, causing most of the rockets to overshoot or even impact one another in a staggering staccato of detonations. A flash of blue caused her to shield herself with the AIC, barely stopping the four sharp Bits from impacting her as they froze in the air.

"You're incapacitated, Bodewig." Cecilia growled as she aimed Blue Pierce down at her, a shot already charging and ready to let loose. "Surrender and I may have enough mercy in me to let you go without much fuss!"

The German merely grinned smugly. "Who says I'm unable to fight?"

Purizushi snapped up, the railgun glowing with energy before the 20mm slug was fired.

The Blue Tears pilot, having had prior experience with railgun users, simply fired her rifle.

BOOM!

Unlike last time, both shell and beam met dead-on, resulting in a massive explosion that blew both IS' away from each other. Laura used this opportunity to pull something down with great force.

"Aaaaah!"

Cecilia's blue eyes widened and she snapped her head over at the screaming figure of the Shenlong approaching at high velocity-

Crash!

(BGM End: SD Gundam G Generation Cross Rays - Enemy Battle Theme (00F) )


"Davion!"

The mechanic ceased his worried pacing, turning his head to see the two other Astray pilots fast approaching. Relief filled him as the arena shook with more explosions, causing him to grit his teeth.

Ephraim was livid. His royal purple eyes seemed to be ablaze with anger as a nearby screen showcased what was happening in Arena 6. The way his hands clenched and relax told him that the blonde Neo-Type was itching for a fight, and inwardly, so was he.

Ryo's expression was set into stern distaste, cold green eyes glancing at the screen before the two stopped before their friend. Both Gerbera Straight and Tiger Pierce were already in their sword forms, hanging on to a foam metal belt around his hips.

The courier placed a hand on his roommates shoulder, squeezing it slightly to bring him out of the emerging battle frenzy. "Have you contacted Orimura-sensei about all this?"

"That was the first thing I did on the way here." The blonde growled, shrugging the hand off before grabbing Davion by the collar. "Get us in the fight. Now."

His haste wasn't unwarranted, as he knew just what could happen to the two girls fighting the albino. Given Laura's tendency to escalate and the ripples that they have caused, there was a high chance that Cecilia and Rin wouldn't get off scot-free with bruises and bandages this time.

Boom!

The three of them stumbled somewhat, turning their heads in synch to look at the holographic screens depicting what was happening in the arena proper.

From the large dust cloud, both Shenlong and Blue Tears hovered out. Their pilots turned back to look at the cloud itself, mouths moving in what obviously was a conversation...

Beep!

"Come on!" The Blue Frame pilot called out, quickly beckoning them into the Launch Bay. His ongoing override had finally unlocked, the dumb AI having had to deal with the most recent security measures installed. Security measures that were ironically added due to his prior hacking during the Golem incident.

Immediately, the red lights that blared over them dimmed down and returned to normal. The door leading into the Launch Bay proper opened, and the trio filed in, all in varying states of anger, distaste, or general negativity.


(BGM Start: Toshihiko Sahashi - Kyoki no Hate)

"Are you finished?"

Cecilia and Rin stared up at the albino with wide eyes.

'She took a missile point-blank, how was she still unharmed?!' Both girls thought at the same time, shock filling their bodies at the still floating Schwarzer Regen.

"I said, are you finished?" Laura taunted with a frown, her arms crossed as she looked down at the two. "Alright then, it must be my turn now."

4 more of those pointed tendrils launched from the wing binders of the black IS, soaring towards the two on the ground.

Blue and Green eyes widened at the sheer speed, their tired bodies unable to dodge. They had been sparring rather intensely prior to Bodewig's interruption, and said sparring had obviously taken a toll to their stamina. Normally, they would have been able to marginally dodge the grappling wires...

Now, though?

Their bodies were far too fatigued to keep on fighting at such intense levels.

Both gasped as a tendril wrapped around their necks, while the other two were wrapped around their waists. Suddenly, they found their air supply limited, the two girls starting to choke as the wires tightened around their prey.

Cecilia found herself being pulled forward, letting out a strangled cry as she did so, and the Blue Tears crashed on the ground as it left a furrow.

The German landed before Rin, who was struggling and fighting back against the pull, rearing back a fist and sending a hook straight into the side of her head.

Bash!

The albino then kicked the Blue Tears' pilot straight in the chest, sending her rolling and heaving from both the pain and the sudden lack of air within her lungs. She couldn't even block the strike, the claws preoccupied in making themselves a barrier so the wires wouldn't fully wrap around her throat.

Laura continued to pummel Rin, the only IS left standing against her. Metal claws met the armor of the Shenlong, the Chinese girl desperately trying to block and protect her face from the fierce assault. The wires continuously pulled her into the range of the black IS' fists, creating a cycle of impacts and strikes accompanied by the ever increasing threat of blacking out from the lack of oxygen.


Charles' eyes widened as he spotted the red warning signs blaring before the two constricted pilots.

"Sacrebleu! The shield energy won't hold out much longer at this rate!" He cried out, stepping forward closer to the half-wall.

"Why isn't she stopping?!" Ichika grit his teeth, looking around him for any sign of an authority figure. But all he found were similarly shocked spectators, students from different classes and year levels staring at the beatdown before them with disdain and worry.

The Blue Tear's gauntlets shattered from a hard kick.

"If this keeps up, the IS Mandatory Unlock will activate and in doing so, doom them to even greater injuries!" Houki hissed, cursing quietly as she took out her phone.

The Shenlong's bracers broke apart from a devastating straight.

"We need to call Orimura-sensei-!"

(BGM End: Toshihiko Sahashi - Kyoki no Hate)

《 Red Frame, Launching! 》

Houki jolted, turning her head to see a red blur fly out from one of the launch platforms. Immediately her fists clenched as, once more, her sister's precious new projects stuck their nose in something that didn't necessarily concern them.

"Is that-?!" The Frenchman pointed at the red streak, purple eyes widening as he pointed to the Launch Bay at the other side of the arena. The Gundam Astray Red Frame flew to a stop, floating above the black IS as it continued to punch and tear into the two incapacitated pilots.

《 Blue Frame, Heading out! 》

Hidden amidst the crowd of spectators, Alektra let out a quiet sigh of relief at the sight of the white and blue streak following after its friend. It seemed as if the mechanic was just in time before things got even worse. But hey, better late than never.

《 Gold Frame, Engaging.

Ichika felt a cold sweat form down his spine at those words just as a golden glint soared out behind Red and Blue.

There was no emotion in the voice of the blonde pilot, only a cold and professional tone. He had expected anger, righteous anger from having seen the Alcott Heiress be beaten down, but...

This was a new level of chilling.


(BGM Start: Jose Pavli - Professional Execution)

Fyoom!

!

Laura turned just in time to see a green beam head towards her. Smirking lightly, she activated her AIC, arresting the mass of charged particles as it sparked and shook in its prison. Meanwhile, her daggers let go of the barely conscious girls, reeling back into the black IS for another attack.

"Heh, so the gutter rats finally crawl out." She taunted the three Astrays that were floating far above her. Her sole red-eye locked on to the trio of sea-green optics before she took note of their weapons.

The Gold Frame held its signature Gae Bulg Rail Bazooka, the one weapon that she knew was more potent than her Purizushi, while on its other hand, he held the Type 71 beam rifle he pointed at her. There was this aura of menace around the golden suit, and the way it had the sun at its back merely added to this intimidating air around it.

In the Blue Frame's hands was a massive buster sword. The sword itself was just as big as the suit, glinting in the light as the armored Astray held it easily with a single hand. It was all steel grey, most likely unpainted, and the way it seemed to twitch and shudder in the grasp of the suit spoke of rage.

And finally, the Red Frame held Gerbera Straight out, the blade horizontally before its faceplate. The gleam of its cold optics glinted off the edge of the blade as its Flight Pack roared blue fire. It hovered unnaturally still, unexpressive of its pilot's inner thoughts.

She smirked nonetheless.

'What a foolish assembly.'


The three pilots tapped into their private communication line.

"Davion, use that sword of yours to cover the girls. Ryo and I will occupy the brat."

"Roger!"

"Got it…"

It was time that they let loose, if only for a short while.


The German looked up at the unmoving Astrays, the arrogant smirk on her lips on full display. Today was finally the day that her superior Schwarzer Regen would show just how outclassed those three mocks were!

"How-"

Fwoom!

Her sole eye widened as her AIC struggled to restrain the sudden appearance of a 35mm round.

'I...I almost didn't see that! What is that round's velocity?!'

Boom!

The railgun round exploded in her AIC field, smoke quickly spreading out-

"A smoke round?!" The albino hissed as she looked around frantically. Her hearing picked up their thrusters but...

!

Aided by the Schwarzer Regen's sensors, she detected several projectiles coming her way.

Brrrrrrrt!

Three pairs of 7.62mm vulcans roared, and she quickly dodged out of the way of the wall of hot lead by leaping high into the air. Rather than block it within the smoke cloud where she'd be vulnerable, instead she-

A golden flash!

The AIC once more activated but to her surprise, it only barely held back the downward strike of the spear within the Gold Frame's grip. The Astray appeared so suddenly that it once more shocked her. The cold optics glared into her sole carmine as the pressure of the spear seemed to increase with each passing second. She could see the status of her AIC begin to fluctuate, the physical weapon somehow causing its energy readings to drop steadily.

"What the-?!"

A silver river!

From the corner of her eye, she felt an incoming threat. The albino retaliated by shooting out her wire-guided daggers on an intercept route-

Slash!

-only for all 6 of them to be swung aside by the edge of Gerbera Straight, the perpetrator a distance… away.

How? She was sure that the Red frame was close enough to attack with her instincts screaming to defend just now!

Rather than close the distance, it stayed in place, an unreadable aura hanging around it. The sea-green optics of the sword-wielding Astray stared blankly into her eye, and she cursed as she boosted up and away from the two.

Slash!

The albino cringed in pain as the deactivation of the AIC meant that the spear was free, and it cut against her shields heavily. Wind blew her, and the smoke cloud below, away from the sheer force of the attack.

Laura snarled once she broke away from their range, the Purizushi swinging back to aim at where the two downed IS pilots were.

"Let's see you second-rates stop this!"

Bang!

(BGM End: Jose Pavli - Professional Execution)


"No!" Ichika roared upon seeing the railgun swing back, his body acting by itself as he leapt over the safety rails.

"BYAKUSHIKI!"

Flash!


Boom!

The resulting explosion kicked up a new dust cloud, the arena shaking at the shockwave of the blast.

Laura frowned as she glared at the Red and Gold-

'Wait, where is the third..?!'

(BGM Start: Kenji Kawai - Intervention)

"Willing to hurt downed opponents, huh?"

"Bodewig, you scum!"

She turned, almost whirling around to see the dust cloud be swept away by a powerful swing. Her sole eye widened when she caught sight of two blue-white figures standing before her downed prey.

With the grey buster sword resting on its shoulder, the Blue Frame tilted its head up at her in distaste. Scorch marks in the center of the blade indicated that it was used to block her shot. The Astray glared up at her as it stood protectively before an unconscious Cecilia and Rin. Both had bleeding wounds, with Rin having cuts open on her face and with the noblewoman having blood leaking from between her lips.

"Despicable." Davion growled, heavy disapproval and loathing tainting his words. "Ichika's right, you are scum."

And right beside him was..!

"You're going too far, Bodewig!" The aforementioned boy growled, Yukihira held before him in a high guard. His face was set in deep disapproval and anger, having just watched his childhood friend almost die due to the actions of what seemed to be an insane woman. "You didn't even hesitate in shooting the two that were down and out!"

"Tch. You're here too, huh?" Laura clicked her tongue, unable to keep the mad grin from forming on her lips. "Second-rate words from two inferior humans!"

《 Says the brat. 》

!

Her world slowed down as her pupil shrunk. Turning her head, sea-green optics glared at her from inches away as the Gold Frame's spear shaft quickly met the side of her head-

Clang!

Then she was sent down, impacting the ground and bouncing harshly.

Though the pain was negligible thanks to her shields, the German was far more shaken by another reason altogether.

'Such speed! How did he get so close in such a short time?!'

She quickly recovered from the bouncing, using its momentum to send her up into the air as she now warily looked at the four opponents facing her. The Gold Frame and Red Frame were above her, presenting the more dangerous front as she knew the two had weapons that could hurt her far more than what an IS could have. Now that she noticed it, the former's thrusters had changed from blue-white fire to red-white flames.

'Not that it mattered...'

Looking over at the ground, she saw the Blue Frame and the Byakushiki with their weapons at the ready. The two were acting as shields, blocking her sight of the other two IS pilots bleeding on the ground. She knew the two wouldn't be much of a threat, with them being preoccupied with blocking should her Purizushi fire again. This fact only made her grin as the railgun snapped back, charging a more powerful shot.

"Damn you, Bodewig!" Ichika snarled as he floated up between her and the Blue Frame, the Astray using the massive flat of its blade as a shield to cover itself and the two girls behind. "Stop trying to kill them!"

"They are but pests, worm," Laura growled back, Purizushi moving ever so slightly as it aimed towards the white IS. "You pose no threat to me. You're but one of the helpless masses. Once I'm done with you, it will be those three gutter rats' turns-!"

Flash!

Slice!

A red blur passed her, leaving a silver trail as-

The Purizushi fell apart into clean pieces.

"What-?!" Her mind worked itself overtime at the sheer speed of each strike, much less the fact that her shields did nothing to stop the swings!

How was he able to bypass her awareness!? She was able to detect his presence earlier!

《 Pathetic. 》

Ichika looked up, and his eyes widened, quickly boosting back as a golden blur crashed against the Schwarzer Regen with an ear-ringing impact. Laura glared into the cold optics as the spear was pressed against her neck, cutting off her airflow and causing the German to snarl. The two quickly fell to the ground, the Gold Frame leaving a red streak from its thrusters as their velocity became greater and greater.

'You might think that you've won, but I've got you right where I want you!' The albino grit her teeth as she conserved her oxygen. Suddenly, two beam sabers lit up on top of her wrists, and she thrust them towards the helmet-!

Where they washed over the surface akin to water splashing harmlessly against solid rock.

"What?!"

She chose the wrong time to gasp, as she impacted the ground right after.

CRASH!

Her breath left her lungs, and she now struggled against the pole pressing against her trachea. Sea green optics seemed to burn balefully as the Gold Frame pressed harder and harder, ignoring the hapless thrusts and swings of the useless beam sabers. Each strike was ineffective, the pink dagger-like beams only leaving faint heat marks that quickly dissipated. Both the weight of the Astray on top and the pressure of the spear began affecting her, her hearing becoming muted and her fingers feeling numb.

A blur of red landed beside the golden luster, where muffled words entered her ears.

"Stop!"

A pair of red metallic hands wrapped around the shoulders of the Astray, trying to pull the violence-drunk brother unit off of the paling albino.

"Get off! You're...kill...her!"

Darkness began to creep into the corners of her vision, and she began to audibly choke as the metal pole was practically right up against her spinal column. Even as she tried her best, even as she tried to use her superior strength to push the pole away, she just couldn't. She reached out, desperation now fueling her actions as she tried to scratch, shatter, or break those indifferent optics that seemed to pierce into her.

Even then, the Gold Frame showed no mercy.

'N-No...not like...this!'

Then… a heavy pressure washed across the whole field. The Gold Frame loosened its grip in its wake, albeit ever so slightly, granting the slightest reprieve for the Albino. It was as if time stilled at its presence for a second, bending by its will, stopping the breaths of many in response to its intent.

It's killing intent.

"SAHAKU!"

(BGM End: Kenji Kawai - Intervention)

"...M-Mentor..?" Laura whispered, almost croaking it out before the pressure on her neck was lifted. She tilted her head up weakly, her sole carmine looking right into the upside-down visage of Chifuyu, who was marching towards them.

"...Sensei." The Astray pilot muttered, letting himself be pulled off by the Red Frame just as the Blue Frame soared ahead, its arms occupied by the wounded IS pilots. The Red Frame held him in a full nelson to restrain him in case the bloodlust spiked again, just in time as the former Brunhilde walked over.

"Uh-oh..." Ichika muttered, somewhat floating behind the two Astrays to hide from the irate glare of his big sister.

"I was informed that a practice match was going to occur. It was expected of you to train for the upcoming event in two days." The elder Orimura started, irritation quickly seeping in as she looked around the battered arena. "But then my assistant sent me a text that 'Bodewig was causing trouble in Arena 6'."

Pinching the bridge of her nose, she let out an annoyed sigh before sending a glare at the Gold Frame. "I'm just glad I expected someone to get seriously hurt, what with you and Laura practically being at each others' throats the whole week prior." The teacher looked over her shoulder to see the Blue Frame hand the two wounded girls to the medical team she brought with her. "Me knowing your troublesome ass lessened the risk of anyone getting even more wounded..."

Turning back to them, her irritation turned to a brief flash of anger that caused two Astray pilots to visibly flinch. Moving her sights, she then growled at the state of the shutter and shielding that the Byakushiki's Yukihira had cut through in order for him to help shield the girls.

"But what I didn't expect was for this idiot to destroy school property when the situation was handled by those present." She turned her sights to her younger brother, who jolted.

"B-But Chifuyu-nee-!" Ichika tried to protest but was shouted down by his sister.

"Orimura-sensei!" The teacher hissed, casting her glare this time to all present. "And don't think that I'm letting Bodewig go." She glowered at the German who was rubbing her neck while sending a baleful glare at the Gold Frame. The girl was now just in her pilot suit, on her knees as she took greedy breaths.

"Your actions have caused two of the competitors for the League Match to resign due to injuries." Chifuyu looked over her shoulder once more to see the medical team wheel the wounded away into the darkness of the exits. "The most logical punishment would be to pull you from the competition as well."

Laura merely tensed her jaw, her military upbringing preventing her from back-talking her superior and idol.

"Considering you injured two of the competitors for this Friday's tournament to the extent that can't be healed within a day, the punishment for you will be that your partner will be decided via lottery. No ifs, ands, or buts."

Ephraim shrugged off the nelson that he was held in, sending a dirty look at the Red Frame as he quantized all of his weapons. The Gold Frame turned its head, sea-green optics locking on to the disdainful blue of the swordswoman at the bleachers.

'I wish you luck, Shinonono-san.' The sufficiently calmed down blonde thought, glancing at the glowering albino from the corner of his eye. 'Bodewig is a bitch to handle.'

"You will also not be allowed to repair whatever damage your IS will take during the whole tournament." Chifuyu's eyes locked onto the sliced pieces of what was once a railgun, the sparking having died down to pitiful sputters. "Guele will help repair your Purizushi in the meantime."

"What?!" The aforementioned mechanic landed next to his friends, the grey buster sword having split in half and forming wing-like structures on his back. "There's no way I'd repair this bitch's-!"

"Language." The teacher hissed, scowling at him and causing the pilot to raise his hand's palm forward. "And I wasn't asking. The destruction of the railgun will earn the ire of the German Military if they catch wind of this, as it was their 'crowning achievement in IS weaponry'."

Ephraim couldn't help but snort, white-gold motes surrounding him as he reverted back to his uniform.

"That hunk of metal was their crowning achievement?" Davion asked, his tone disbelieving and mocking. He rolled his eyes, a sneer evident in his tone as he continued. "Puh-lease, I could make a more compact and better version of it in just two nights."

"Which is why I'm tasking you on simply repairing it," Chifuyu smirked slightly. "Because I know you'll fix it in no time. As well as the wire-guided daggers."

The backhanded praise was flattering, but the Blue Frame turned its head to glare at the angry albino. "...Fine. It'll be ready on the day. I've simply got better things to do than repair some rabid dog's weapons, after all."

Laura bared her teeth at him but still kept silent.

"Good." The teacher looked around, at all the pilots present and at all the spectators watching.

"Then you are all dismissed!"

The German Representative Candidate walked away with one last glare, uncaring of the glowers and stares that followed her.

Davion reverted back to his uniform, dusting his hands as he harrumphed. He didn't feel like helping the smaller girl, but orders were orders.

Ephraim's stormy expression lightened up ever so slightly as he turned to his friend, who was cracking his knuckles. "You've completed the Tactical Arms?" He asked, his tone calm and collected as if he hadn't just tried to choke out a young girl, minutes prior.

Grey-eyes glanced at the spectators and at Ichika. "...Yeah. I just need to paint it." The mechanic lied as he rotated his shoulder, feigning some form of cramp. "Well, I better get started on collecting that scrap." Davion sighed, grumbling at the same time.

All eyes turned to the remains of the Puzishuri.

However, off to the side, the Red frame stood still, the pilot seemingly unresponsive to the turn of events and had yet to return normal senses.

Ichika, the only one to notice, began moving towards the still figure, somewhat worried for its pilot.

"Uh… Ryo-"

His vision flashed. An unbearable pressure, a sword leaving its sheathe, darkness slowly taking ove-

"Ichika?"

The Byakushiki pilot returned to his senses, greeted by the green orbs of the Astray pilot, now out of the Red frame.

"Ryo...Are- You- Are you ok?" He stammered out, unsure which words were the correct ones to say.

In response, Ryo simply gave him a slight grin.

"I'm fine."


.

.

.


Later...

"You and your friends did well in dispatching Bodewig."

Davion nearly dropped the remains of the railgun in surprise. Looking over his shoulder, he found his club president smirking at him from the shadows of a column. Calming his heart down, turned to her slightly with a bemused tilt to his lips.

"If only we were a little faster, Alcott-san and Huang-san wouldn't be in the infirmary." He sighed, frowning at the memory of the earlier fight.

"You did the best you could." Alektra reassured him as she pushed off the column she was leaning against. "You protected them from further harm with that giant sword of yours. I'll have words with the government concerning her behavior." Purple eyes locked on to the pile of metal in his arms as she smirked. "And I'll remain ignorant of what happened to the Purizushi."

The mechanic narrowed his eyes, somewhat suspicious as to why she was willing to cover for him. "...Why?" He asked, keeping his voice nonchalant. "I mean, you don't really have any reason to cover for me."

"I like to protect my flock, is all." She grinned somewhat, walking past him.

"And you're a part of it, Guele-kun."


.

.

.


In another part of the island...

Green eyes took note of the sullen expression on his friend's face. The orange rays of the setting sun behind them just made it all the more apparent, as the royal purple seemed to glimmer and dim at the same time. This was a moment both knew was a long time coming, a moment that...shouldn't have really come into fruition in the first place.

But thanks to his friend's actions and their mere presence that caused the ripples...

"...This is gonna be-"

"The final flag. I know."

...it was an inevitability that they really didn't want to encounter.

"The one boy she's close to, visiting her in her hour of need? How cliché can I get..?" Ephraim mumbled, his voice soft as they entered the building. His whole demeanor was the opposite of what he usually had, from unyielding and genteel to somber and contemplative. This was a moment of weakness for him, a time where he let his mask slip if only to show his genuine self.

The self that he...admittedly didn't even know if it was truly him at all.

"With everything that happened, added with the things you did, you'd have to be an idiot not to notice anything." The courier snarked as they walked through the quiet halls of the medical wing, nary a soul in sight even after all the excitement of the day. "What're you gonna do?"

The blonde stopped walking, sighing and cupping his face as he leaned against the nearby wall.

Ryo also stopped, staring back at his friend's shadowed silhouette. The courier opened his mouth, attempting to find the correct words of encouragement, reassurance maybe, only to find none. He instead opted to rub the back of his head and turned to the side towards nothing.

"You're going to reject her, aren't you?"

His roommate's frown deepened, using the lack of reply as his answer.

The matters of the heart is never easy to deal with to the blonde. For someone like him, it was better to be direct to the point, skipping the necessities and build ups. It was why he'd rather have the carnal side of romance, of the wild nature where the pleasures of the flesh rule their minds rather than the soft and tender emotions such as love or care.

"I'm going to break it to her. That I...that I know how she feels about me." Ephraim responded, the usual arrogance in those royal purple of his giving way into a vulnerable concern. "And that I'll have to reject her...approaches."

With sigh, he pushed himself off the wall and began to pace, a stressed lilt in his tone as his lips twisted into an irritated snarl. "She's going to be hurt, emotionally this time. I can't not do it now. Because we both know what comes after. What we're gonna face soon..." The blonde ran a hand through his hair in an effort to calm himself down. "Leading her on, I- it's not something I want to do...something that I didn't...didn't mean to do."

His fellow Astray pilot frowned slightly, looking up and down the hallway they were in to see if they had any tails.

None, thankfully.

"...Well." The courier exhaled, now moving his feet to catch up to his roommate. "It was gonna happen someday."

"Might as well face the music, right?" Came the bitter retort of the blonde.

"I guess you can say that."

They continued to walk, side by side, through the golden lit halls, letting their footsteps echo through their ears.

The silence between them was more than enough to convey what they thought.


Blue eyes glared at the bandages wrapped around her chest and at the cast around her right arm. They dully throbbed with pain, reminding her that what happened was indeed real with tangible effects.

"Stupid..!" She muttered, quickly taking a glance at the unconscious Rin on the bed beside hers. The blonde could only imagine what explosive anger the Chinese girl would go into when she saw the casts that covered both her arms.

Thinking back to the fight only made her more upset as she stewed and seethed at the diminutive German.

'Barging in like that while Miss Huang and I were in the midst of our third round..! What a barbarian!'

A bandaged hand reached up to trace where the wires were wrapped around her neck, a spike of fear going through her heart once more at the feeling of not being able to breathe, of choking-!

The door to their infirmary room hissed open, snapping her out of what was going to be a panic attack.

Blue eyes looked up into concerned purple and she felt her heart be at ease. A head of blonde hair soon entered, and her heart, as eased at it was, couldn't help but race.

"Sir Sahaku..." She softly called out to him, pink dusting her cheeks at the relieved smile on his lips. For him to visit her was...warm.

(BGM Start: Mika Nakashima - Find the Way [Instrumental])

So incredibly, utterly, warm.

"Lady Alcott." He greeted back, stepping inside as the door closed behind him. "Please, call me Ephraim. I think we're acquainted enough for you to use it."

Cecilia blinked, ignoring the manner where her heart leapt for joy. She gave him a full smile as he pulled up a chair next to her bed. "Well, you too are privileged to call me by my first name as well, Sir Sa...E-Ephraim."

The taller blonde chuckled quietly as he sat down, those royal purple eyes trailing the bandages that wrapped around her body, still clad in her IS flight suit. There was no lecherous light in them, only concern, and that was all that mattered for the noblewoman. Even as she knew of his...sexual deviance concerning older women, for him to look upon her rather exposed form with nothing but worry was very comforting.

He held out a hand, and a circular food container materialized on it. On his other hand, materialized a thermos which he placed on her bedside table.

She could never understand just how easy he made it look to quantize items just like that...

But then again, the Astrays probably worked on a different system to her Blue Tears.

"I remember that you wanted me to save some of what I was cooking for you." Ephraim started, his voice low and quiet so as to not disturb the sleeping occupant in the room."It was Italian for the lunch challenge, and I made pizza."

"O-Oh..." Cecilia blinked, somewhat conflicted on the choice. While she couldn't deny that people enjoyed it, personally she never saw the appeal of eating such a...greasy food.

"However, since you're wounded...I instead made Minestrone, to make it easier for you to swallow down with your bruised ribs." He removed the container's top and the mouth-watering aroma of spices mixed in a nice sauce entered her nose. "This could be considered your dinner, so I'll make you lunch some other time."

Set on his lap was a thick soup mixture of vegetables, small cubes of meat, pasta, and various other ingredients she couldn't identify. Even from their distance, she could sense that it was still warm.

"It's quite a heavy meal so," He glanced at the thermos briefly. "I also made Lemongrass tea for you."

This time, she couldn't stop the coo from escaping her lips. With her sole free hand clutching at her heart, she gazed at him with a loving smile. "You are so sweet, Ephraim. You absolutely pamper me, you know that?"

The man that she had been harboring confused feelings for since the past three or so weeks was silent as he took out a spoon. There was a hint of melancholy in his eyes that she wasn't sure was real, as it was there and then gone faster than a blink of an eye.

The fellow blonde gave out a small, low chuckle. "...I guess I do. Ryo does say that I tend to be a little bit coddling."

Cecilia giggled quietly. "It's nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, I find it quite...adorable~"

The Sahaku Heir snorted, inching closer as he dipped the spoon into the soup. "Just eat before it gets cold." He once more glanced at the bandages around her torso with a worried light. "Though, are you cleared to eat solid foods? No fractured ribs or anything? I tried my best to make the meat and veggies as small as possible but..."

She huffed slightly, the action causing a wave of short, stinging pain to spread throughout her chest. "That barbarian managed to bruise my ribs. Aside from that and some slight damage around my neck, I'm right as rain." The noblewoman clicked her tongue, rolling her eyes as she spoke with a bitter tone. "Though, still not as right as I can be to pilot my Blue Tears again."

"...If you're sure." Ephraim hummed quietly as he lifted the spoon to her mouth. "Say 'aah'."

Blue eyes looked down at the silverware and she blushed heavily. Opening her mouth, she let the man feed her, all the while ignoring her pounding heart.

'Be calm, me! D-Don't embarrass yourself, think of something to cool your spirits, something, anything..!'

Her mind thought back to what she last saw before she fell unconscious. The blur of red and blue, followed by the telltale golden glint. It was like seeing angels descend to save her from the black armored devil that was Laura.

'Laura Bodewig...'

And just like that, the terror returned.

The wires.

The sole red, demonic eye.

Thechokingthechokingthechokingthedarknessallaround-

A cup of tea was held out before her, the scent of the brew breaking whatever hold her fear got on her.

"Drink." Ephraim softly offered, his royal purple glinting with deep-seated concern. He recognized the telltale signs of a panic attack, having had his own fair share of dealing with liquor-induced attacks. "Lemongrass will calm your nerves."

"Thank you..."

They sat in silence as she drank and calmed down. When she was well enough, he resumed feeding her, a comforting smile on his lips as the noblewoman quietly relished the cooking of the man before her.

A man that was kind, genteel. A man that had the steel to back up his words, brimming with skill and noble pride.

A man so unlike her father.

"You and your friends are like knights, you know?"

The purple eyed blonde blinked before a small smirk grew on his lips. "How so?"

Cecilia giggled quietly at the obvious faux-curiosity in his expression. "You three always come in to save fair maidens. The rampant test machine's attack, the way Davion caught Yamada-sensei during that one Practical Training lesson, Ryo stepping in to stop that barbarian Bodewig last week, and now all three of you flying in to save Miss Huang and I from that very same brute."

"Please, those were nothing." The Astray pilot chuckled, his tone humble yet there was that signature snippiness of his creeping in. "I'd hardly call us knights. We haven't slain a dragon yet, or saved a princess from danger-"

"You saved me, Ephraim." She smiled up at him lovingly, the warmth on her cheeks no longer bothering her as she began to speak her heart's words to him. "You've slain the dragon that was my arrogance. You've saved me from the danger that was Bodewig. You're my Knight."

'You're the man that I've fallen for..!' She wanted to let out, but could not find the courage to do so, much to her shame.

But despite that, the noblewoman relished the widening eyes of the blonde, inwardly delighting how his cheeks seemed to redden much the same as hers. His demeanor seemed to change, from firm to unbalanced. She wanted to exploit it, to press the attack!

"I...Cecilia, I'm flattered-"

Her free hand settled on top of his, curling around the same hand that held the bento. He seemed to jolt, looking down at her hand and then back up at her, surprise and...worry in his eyes?

"And as your reward for your brave deeds..."

She took a deep breath, preparing her heart and soul for the next words that would come out of her mouth. The next words that she was sure would ensnare the elusive prize that was Ephraim Sahaku.

"You have my permission to court me."

(BGM End: Mika Nakashima - Find the Way [Instrumental])

...

Silence reigned in the infirmary, proud blue staring into wide purple.

'T-There! I said it! Yes!'

Ephraim was speechless, staring at her with the shocked expression that she was sure to commit to memory. She could understand why he would gape like that. After all, it was not everyday that a noblewoman of her caliber would give her express permission for courtship.

"I understand your shock and awe, Ephraim. But have pride that I, Cecilia Alcott, have given you my blessing in order to court someone as wonderful as I."

The man before her sighed as he set the soup container on the nightstand, using both of his hands to hold her own.

It was a giddy feeling, with the sensation of those warm hands, bigger than hers, wrapping around the dainty limb of a lady with such gentleness that only belonged to a true gentleman-

"Cecilia."

(BGM Start: Katawa Shoujo - Shadow of the Truth)

She looked back up into his eyes, her proud smile turning into a confused one at the remorse and shame in his royal purple. His hands...they weren't warm like what she expected them to be. They were...cold, clammy, and shaking in a nervous twitch that...that wasn't like him at all.

"I cant."

His voice trembled with emotion, and the noblewoman felt like she just got punched in the gut. Just one line, one cursed line...and it felt more painful than her bruised ribs.

"W-Wha-"

He squeezed her hand gently, and even though it was supposed to be comforting, she felt his own fear in the twitchiness of his fingers.

"It's...it's not you. Never your fault." He confessed, and it did little to lighten the heavy weight on her shoulders. "I'm not worth it, Cecilia. I'm not the shining knight you see me as."

Ephraim looked away, his bangs shadowing his eyes as a self-loathing frown wormed its way on his lips.

"You know that I slept with older women before I came here. That I've had multiple sexual partners... that, even now, I'm still in contact with."

She stared at him, her throat unable to make a single noise as he spoke. There was this...heavy air, this aura, that pressed down on her, preventing her from intervening so desperately.

"You probably thought that I slept with those older women, that I flirted with them, wooed them to their bed?" He continued, his hands leaving hers as he spread them out mockingly, tilting his head up ever so slightly so she could see his eyes...

His hollow, hollow eyes.

"No. I didn't woo them to their bed."

He then laughed cruelly, belittlement heavy in his tone.

"They paid me. I'm a whore, Cecilia."

The Brit flinched at the empty smile on his lips, at his entire expression, honestly.

"And I liked it."

It was one that lost all hope for happiness in the future, one that expressed compliance with the hand he was dealt with.

An expression that looked so utterly wrong on who she thought was Ephraim Sahaku.

"See?" The taller blonde pointed at her, a short laugh on his lips. "That's the expression. Shock, disgust, all manner of disapproval, rolled up into...one. Aversion."

Her breath hitched and she tried her best to school her expression...

But the damage had already been done.

"I'm used and damaged goods, Cecilia." Ephraim smiled, a hollow mimicry of what was right. "You wouldn't want to be caught dead in a relationship with someone as tainted as I. Someone...that enjoys being used, being treated as a mere commodity."

Her fist clenched, the heavy grip of emotion around her heart making her body feel all the more oppressed.

"You don't deserve to be with a man who sees himself as lower than dirt, a man who has drowned himself in excess and carnal sin just so he could feel useful in this world."

With a chuckle that ended with a choked sob, the taller blonde hunched in his seat, covering his face in an effort to hide away from her pained expression.

"So I...I cannot accept that permission. You deserve better, Cecilia. Not me...not someone like me. Never someone like me."

(BGM End: Katawa Shoujo - Shadow of the Truth)

...

"...But...I still want it to be you."

Purple eyes looked up at her, wide and a little bit enraged.

"Cecilia-"

She took her head stubbornly, pouting as she uneasily crossed her arms. Or at least tried to, with her having one arm in a cast and all. "No!"

"Cecilia," Ephraim tried again, stressing her name as if to impose upon her his stupid opinion. "You're making a huge mistake."

"How?" She challenged him, lips quivering as her own emotions bubbled underneath all the stress and anger. "How is I being true to my feelings a big mistake?"

"I..! You know what I am now, Cecilia, do you understand what that means?!" He hissed, frustration clear in his voice and across his face.

"S-So what if you used to be a prostitute, Ephraim, my feelings-!"

"Cecilia, I was raped!" Ephraim snarled, standing in anger and scaring the noblewoman at the sudden action.

(BGM Start: Katawa Shoujo - Painful History)

Her stomach dropped at his words, her face turning ashen as the upset teen began to unbutton his top buttons and pull back his sleeves. He took off the choker and his cufflinks, setting them aside as he glowered down at her, the scars becoming more prominent now that the orange rays of the setting sun were hitting them.

"You see these?" The purple eyes seemed to spark and sputter, a free hand tracing the burns on his neck and on his wrists. "You see these burns? These were from heated chains that they used to tie me up and hold me down as...!" His breath shuddered, a faraway look engulfing his eyes as his whole body shivered.

Without another word, the tall blonde suddenly collapsed back on the seat, palming his face as he heaved and took deep breaths to calm down.

Cecilia hesitantly reached out, still scared out of her wits and wholly out of her element. "E-Ephraim..."

"...It...It was the Russians that did this to me." He started, voice hollow and sounding so defeated as he spoke. "A mob...a Russian Mob. Called themselves the...the Fatui. The 'Foolish'. I guess I interfered in one too many of their operations and got 'nabbed as a result."

Her hand gingerly settled on top of his other hand, her thumb gently tracing circles around his clammy skin.

"This was...two years ago. In Hokkaido, where its quiet and close to Vladivostok. A perfect place for the Yakuza and the Russian Mob to have deals. I...followed a trail, followed dealings, and disrupted them because I had a grudge against the Fatui. I hated the bastards, I loathed those pompous gits..!" There was genuine hatred in his voice, yet it did not stop Cecilia from squeezing his hand in comfort.

"Ryo was...he was with me. We've known each other for a while, and he got my back during those operations. We...we interrupted what would have been an execution, and in doing so, attracted the attention and ire of the onna-oyabun, an intimidating woman who was simply called...Eternity."

'What kind of name is Eternity..?' Cecilia pondered.

"Eternity had...she was a skilled fighter." Ephraim summarized, not wanting to give out too much amidst all the roiling emotions within him. "Suffice to say, Ryo and I got our shit rocked in. By sheer luck, Ryo managed to escape while I...got locked up."

"...For how long..?" She asked quietly.

"I don't know." The older blonde lifted his face from his palm, reddened yet hollow eyes brimming with unbidden tears. "It was dark, cold, and I was chained up on a chair."

"That's horrible..."

A short bark of laughter escaped his lips, lacking in all warmth. "Horrible? What happened next was even worse. They came in, seeking vengeance and retribution."

'He must be talking about the Fatui...'

"I-It's alright, Ephraim, you don't need to-"

"But I do. So you know." He hissed, glaring up at her briefly before sighing. Taking a few breaths to calm himself, he sat up straight.

"They sought vengeance and retribution...in a twisted way. You see, that particular band of Fatui were...they were all women."

"...Rape..." She whispered, heart leaping up her throat when she made the connection. "T-They...they raped you. Tortured you too, with those burns of yours, they..!"

"...Yeah." He looked up at her with those pained eyes, smiling as he shook his head.

"That's why I'm no good. I'm just not good enough for someone like you. You deserve better, Cecilia."

(BGM End: Katawa Shoujo - Painful History)

...

"Ephraim..." The noblewoman whispered, her hand wrapping around his in a desperate attempt to comfort him. "I..."

'I thought what I went through when I lost mother and father was...'

"You see now?" He muttered, the smile on his lips losing warmth. "I'm no good. I'll only drag you down. It traumatized me, changed me...broke me." Those royal purple were once more far away, sinking in the quagmire of some negative emotion she couldn't identify. "It's why I don't give a damn about sleeping around. Sexual morality? The fuck is that?"

'Suffering...I...Ephraim suffered. A lot. My Knight...my poor poor knight...'

"The fact that women nowadays barely respect the integrity of a man just drives it in further-"

"Stop..!" Cecilia whispered, her throat tight as she squeezed his hand. She couldn't bare to look at him as he put himself down again and again. "Please just...stop!"

The taller blonde did, and he instead made to put on the choker again, to hide the scars that would remain with her now that she knew their story. He removed her hand gently, placing it on her lap as he did so, the silence between the stretching into a keening white noise.

'And here I thought he was strong, who faced the world with a confident smirk and...'

...

She clenched her fist, gritting her teeth as...

'No. He is strong. Even with all the pain he went through, he is still standing. He is still alive.'

(BGM Start: Katawa Shoujo - Moment of Decision)

...as resolve filled her spirit.

Ocean blue eyes looked up at the hollow purple, which were turned away from her as the boy buttoned his collar. His body language was...one of vulnerability. Yet, there was this lingering strength inherent to it, from the straight back to the tense shoulders that told her that he was ready to explode into action in defense.

'He survived long enough to drag me out of my own pit of mud. It's only righteous that I do the same for him now.'

"Ephraim." Cecilia softly called out, causing him to turn back to her. She held firm at those empty eyes stared back, and as seconds passed, she could see the light of emotion sparking within.

A silent conversation, not with words, but with intent.

With the heart.

...

"...I told you..." Ephraim murmured, shoulders sagging as he realized that he failed in dissuading her. "Pursuing me is a big mistake. It'll end in heartbreak for you."

"That's what you think." She reached over, her hand taking his in their grip and softly squeezing as she threw down the gauntlet. "I will overcome the challenges set before me. I will mend your wounded-"

"Don't."

She barely flinched as she stared back into his glare.

"Don't try to fix me." He warned her, limp hands and fingers in her own. "Entering a relationship by having that as a foundation...it's doomed to fail."

"Don't. Fix. Me."

"And how will we know if we don't try?" She put forth another retort, bringing his hands together, with slight difficulty, and pulling them closer to her lips. "How can you even say that without trying first?"

Ephraim did not response, even as her lips brushed against his knuckles.

"We can have our happiness, I can support you, Ephraim." She muttered, lowering her head as tears started to stream down her cheeks. "You don't have to stand alone, I-"

"I'm interested in Orimura-sensei."

...

"...I know."

His fingers twitched.

"I've had my suspicions but...it doesn't matter." Cecilia looked back up at him with a fond smile, not caring if the tears still ran. "You are looking at Cecilia Alcott, the proud Head of House Alcott. A woman of will and drive. You are interested in Orimura-sensei because of her strength and character..." Her smile curled up a bit more into a smug and proud one.

"Well, I guess I have some competition then."

They stared at each other for what seemed to be an eternity, wills battling in the desperate hope that the other would give into their own. The noblewoman hadn't felt this...pushed and excited ever since the mantle of being the House Head was placed on her shoulders.

It was exhilarating.

(BGM End: Katawa Shoujo - Moment of Decision)

"Hah," The Gold Frame pilot let out a hybrid of a sigh and an empty laugh as he shook his head. "You're utterly foolish. I warned you, just so you know. Again and again." Those purple eyes of his seemed to regain some life back, and the masque of his usual smile graced his lips. "I will court you when I'm ready, if I'll ever be."

"That's all I ask..." Her heart leapt for joy, a somewhat subdued joy, but joy nonetheless.

"Um...I don't want to be rude but..."

Both blondes jolted and turned to the other occupant of the room, the one that they had absolutely forgotten about in the midst of their emotional highs and lows.

Rin was sitting up, cheeks flaring in embarrassment, shame, a multitude of emotions, as she stared at them guiltily. She was holding her blanket up, with difficulty as both her arms were in casts, as if it was a bulwark to deflect whatever punishment was going to come at her. "I...you kinda woke me up and...yeah."

"I heard a lot." Was left unsaid.

"...Keep it a secret." Ephraim sighed, palming his face as he stood up. "Orimura, the both of them, and the others don't know. I'll...tell them when it's the right time."

"Alright..." The twin-tailed girl whispered, looking up at the blonde with pity in her eyes. "You have my word."

Cecilia nodded her approval, her shoulders now relaxing after all the turbulent emotions in the air slowly dissipated. She got what she wanted, a chance, and that was all that she needed. It might not have been what she idealized, but reality often didn't deal out what people longed for so easily.

"Thanks, Huang-san."

The door slid open, and the three of them turned in slight panic to see who just entered.

"-ome on, Ryo, the nurses said that both of them would be awake by now and-"

"Ichika, seriously-"

The Gold Frame pilot sighed heavily, placing his mask back on. Just in time too as his eyes met with the surprised Byakushiki and Custom Revive pilots.

His roommate shook his head behind them, shrugging as he mouthed 'I tried my best to stall.'

"O-Oh, I didn't expect monsieur Sahaku to be here." Charles broke the awkward staring contest as he slipped past Ichika. On his hand was a tray that held two cups of what seemed to be tea.

"I was simply handing Ce...Lady Alcott's dinner to her." Ephraim cleared his throat, gesturing to the soup container on the bedside table next to the thermos. Calling her by her first name so suddenly and so soon was...not good. Not good at all.

"It was delicious." The aforementioned lady spoke up, smirking at the new arrivals with her usual haughty air.

"Thank you."

Rin rolled her eyes, leaning back as the upper half of her bed inclined. "So why are you guys here?" She looked at Ichika before blushing and quickly glancing away. "N-Not that I'm annoyed! I'm just curious."

"Well," Charles started with a smile as he placed a cup of tea on her bedside table. "Ichika and I wanted to visit and talk about what had happened earlier if you two were awake."

"There's really nothing much to say about it." The Shenlong's pilot grumbled, a frown on her lips as she recalled the series of events that led to them being bedridden. "Alcott-san and I were training against each other, then the bitch stepped in during our 3rd round and started the trouble."

"Any particular reason why she did that?" Ryo spoke up from his position beside the door, curious as to how things played out.

"No clue." Rin shrugged, having become aggravated just by remembering everything. "We were literally just minding our own business when suddenly she just appeared! Shot her stupid railgun at us like 'boom'!"

Then, the whole place seemed to rumble, as if responding to her onomatopoeia.

Those standing wobbled, eyes wide as they sought their balance. Ephraim immediately went to hover over Cecilia, using his body as a shield to any possible falling debris. Charles wobbled, almost tipping over were it not for Ryo catching him by wrapping an arm around his waist. And Ichika tried to do the same as Ephraim with his childhood friend.

Tried.

A particularly strong rumble made him trip, tumbling over and on top of Rin as she let out both an angered and pained cry.

Bam!

Crash!

Ephraim and Ryo's heads whipped over to the now open entrance, eyes set in a glare before they widened in surprise as a horde of girls filed in. Most of them weren't even from their class!

"What's going on here?!" And the tall blonde put on his authoritative mask, quickly backing away from the noblewoman as Ryo used his other hand to pull Ichika off of a swearing Rin.

Almost all of the girls pulled out some kind of paper.

"This!" They chorused.

Ryo let go of Charles and Ichika and grabbed one of the sheets, narrowing his eyes and pushing his fake glasses up as he read the text. It...really didn't do anything, but habits die hard! "Class League Match Application Requirements. 'In order for us to conduct the most suitable simulated matches, all of those participating in this month's IS Tournament will be required to form two-member teams. However, for those who are unable to establish teams on their own, their partners will be chosen by a random lottery. The registration deadline is...tonight?!"

"Huh?!" Ichika looked at the courier in shock as the girls began badgering him and Charles to be their partners.

"You should just team-up with me, Orimura~!"

"Please be my partner, Dunois!"

Clap!

Everyone winced as they turned to an irate Ephraim, whose jaw was tense as he lowered his hands.

'I would've gone for a finger snap, but a clap does just fine. 7 out of 10, nice work.' The courier inwardly complimented his friend with a wry grin.

"You can all do this outside the Infirmary." The Astray pilot growled, as he gestured to the two bed-ridden patients. "As you can see, all of you are disturbing their peace. So I would appreciate it if you all took this outside instead of crowding inside a small room where there are wounded."

"Yes, please leave." Cecilia sighed as she took a sip of the Lemongrass tea Ephraim brewed for her, even if it had turned a tad bit cold now. "All this noise and excitement is inflaming my bruised ribs."

"Grrr, I'll get you for that elbow, Ichika!" Rin groaned as she gingerly touched her side, wincing and cringing at the flares of pain. "That really hurt!"

"S-Sorry!" The Byakushiki pilot apologized, with a small bow. "I tripped and uh..." He then turned to the crowd of girls looking at him expectantly befire gesturing to the Frenchman beside him. "I'll be teaming up with Charles for the tournament!"

"Aww..."

"Well, if that's the case."

They began streaming out, unaware of the inner frothing rage of the Gold Frame pilot as he watched them step over the steel sliding door that they kicked in.

'A fucking sliding door straight out from sci-fi, and they just...kick it the fuck in like it was made out of flimsy plywood!'

"I suppose it's okay if two guys are teaming up."

Charles and Ichika flinched.

"Honestly, I kinda find it hot."

Ephraim and Ryo grimaced.

Maya peeked her head in as soon as the girls left, sighing at the sight of the door on the floor. Another thing she had to report about, another thing the wild girls of the academy wrecked in some form of pursuit over the boys...

"Oh, afternoon Yamada-sensei." The tall blonde greeted the teacher as she looked at the tablet in her hand. The green-haired woman looked up with a friendly smile. "Afternoon, Sahaku-kun, Murakumo-kun. I trust that the three of you Astray pilots are ready for this Friday?"

The courier chuckled, pulling out Gerbera Straight and spinning it around his finger. "As ready as we'll ever be. They just need to last 5 minutes against us, right?"

"Right."

Ichika paled, having noticed a particular word in their conversation. "W-Wait, what do you mean 'last'..?"

Ephraim turned to him with a smug grin, made all the more menacing by his action of cracking his knuckles. "We're the Gatekeepers, remember? We give the people a good show by going all out against those who seek to pass through our gauntlet. You either last and dodge us for 5 minutes or you manage to strike our armor three separate times in order to go past."

"Will we be able to watch, Yamada-sensei?" Cecilia raised her free hand, wanting to support her...suitor? Tentative suitor? "If we're still bedridden by then, that is."

"Oh, you'll be fine to walk around by Friday." The green haired teacher smiled reassuringly. "Just don't go doing any strenuous tasks." She checked her tablet again, brows furrowing for a moment as a finger swept through the screen. "...Yep! You just need to be careful and you won't be seeing the Infirmary for a while!"

"Grr, you better win Ichika!" Rin grumbled, still wincing as she gingerly touched a sore spot. "Think of it as paying me back for that damn elbow of yours! Ow-!" She then hissed as she accidentally poked it a bit too hard.

"Again, I said I was sorry!"

Charles smiled at her. "We'll try our best to meet your expectations!"

Both Astray pilots shared a glance.

'I'll tell you about it later.' Said somber purple.

'Just remember that I got your back.' Replied concerned green.


The sun had already set, with the stars dotting the night sky above and a cool wind blowing through the whole island. They had exited the Medical Building, with Ephraim walking ahead of them in tense silence. Ichika and Charlotte looked at Ryo for any explanation of the blonde's uncharacteristic frown. The courier only shook his head, and so they walked back to the dorm building with a somewhat uncomfortable atmosphere.

"Um..."

The three boys stopped and turned to the short blonde, who looked at them with an unsure expression.

"What is it, Charlo-oof!" Ichika's question was cut off with a light elbow from the courier. Green eyes narrowed as they looked around, checking if anyone was listening in or following them after that horde in the Infirmary.

"Watch your words." Ryo whispered, a frown on his lips. "Don't let you-know-what slip out so stupidly just because you let your guard down."

"O-Oh! Sorry..."

The disguised girl chuckled as she sent all of them a grateful smile. "Thanks for helping me out earlier. With the rumbling and with those girls that were quite...um..."

"Forceful?" The courier eased his glare, placing a calm smile on his lips as he turned to the Frenchwoman. "Don't worry about it."

"Still," Charlotte looked at Ichika, who was looking around all paranoid now. "Thank you for choosing to be my partner. I can't think of what might happen if one of those girls discovered that I was-"

"Ryo just said—" Ephraim interrupted with a growl and a sigh, a lollipop in his mouth as he raised a hand. "Not out here." The blonde reminded them, brows furrowed as the stick between his lips swished about. He had been quiet during the whole walk, and his sudden entry into their conversation made the two IS pilots jolt. "And as we told you last week, we got your back."

"You guys are so sweet." Charlotte's smile as she said the compliment faltered at the other blonde's visible flinch. "Monsieur Sahaku? Did I say something wrong?"

"Nothing." The taller blonde replied instantly, ignoring the questioning stare of the IS pilots and sharing a glance with his roommate. "Let's just get back to our dorms. It's been a long day for me and I want a stiff drink."

Ichika's brows rose at his words. "But aren't alcoholic drinks...they're not allowed though?"

Royal purple turned to him with a small smirk, a strawberry Chūhai can materializing in his empty right hand.

"That's not stopping me."

The IS pilots' eyes widened in shock, while his fellow Astray only sighed.

"B-But you're underage! And you use your Astray's quantizing system to smuggle-!" Charlotte made to protest, face paling at the fact that the most rule-abiding student out of the three of them would so casually break said rules in the first place. However, the courier closed the distance and shushed her with a finger on her lips.

"You'd be surprised at how many loopholes and rules we were able to exploit and bend just from reading the Academy guidebook, despite how stupid he has been using them." The same could be said to their resident mechanic and his blasted model kit fix. "He has a damn minifridge stocked with all sorts of drinks that I won't even bother to name."

Nor drink.

Ephraim merely chuckled as he opened the can, taking a sip of the alcoholic beverage. Pulling it away after a few gulps, the blonde shook the can almost tauntingly. "How do you think I managed to destress Orimura-sensei lately? She's been drinking my reserves dry."

"Wait, you've been giving Chifuyu-nee beer?!" Ichika pulled him aside, panic clear in his eyes as he shook the older teen. "Do you have any idea how wild she can be when under the influence?!"

"One, she takes my whiskey and bourbon. I'm running out of hard liquors because of her." The Astray pilot clarified, unaffected by the shaking of the younger Orimura. "Two, yes, I am quite aware of her touchy nature when drunk. I have been ever since she frequented the bar in the InterContinental, where I used to work prior to being enrolled."

Charlotte's brows rose as she took the courier's finger away from her lips, cheeks flushing at the prolonged contact. "The InterContinental? The hotel chain which caters to celebrities, statesmen, and other people of luxury all over the world? That InterContinental?"

"Yep." Ephraim grinned smugly, grasping Ichika's wrists with a single hand to stop him from continuing his ineffectual shaking. "The very same, indeed."

"You don't understand, Sahaku-san, her wanderings hands are on the edge of being-"

"Sexual Harassment?" The blonde chuckled as a light blush dusted his cheeks. Ryo rolled his eyes at this, knowing that his friend enjoyed being touched by the older woman. "She once called my butt 'a speed bag for spanking'."

Ichika stared at him in shock and no small amount of horror.

"What the fu-"


Beep!

Davion stepped back from the controls of the forge, letting out a long sigh as his finished creation wheeled out on the conveyor belt. Walking over, he ran his hand on the still warm flat, a grin spreading on his lips as his fingers momentarily curled around one of the four barrels.

Wrapping his other hand on the handle, he lifted the buster sword over his head easily. Twisting a small ring on the handle itself, the finished Tactical Arms transformed, splitting down the middle to reveal the 30mm rotary cannon. It was all according to the blueprints, half of the barrels would fire physical shells, while the other half were modified to fire the same kind of beams the Type 71 shot. The blades turned as he hefted it down, the tips easily digging into the thick metal flooring as the gun's barrels spun ominously.

The gun was a verified shield shredder, and he couldn't wait to test it out on the big boss of the season.

The mechanic grinned before he lifted it up again, returning the Tactical Arms to its sword form. Resting it on his shoulder, he walked over to the Blue Frame and attached it to its new backpack. Automatically, the blade folded up into its Flight form, mimicking wings as the new thrusters of the sword itself folded over the suit's shoulders.

"Oh, this'll be fun."

Turning back around, he spotted the two new holes in his floor.

"Shit."

Grey eyes then looked over to the pile of scrap that he still hadn't repaired.

"Shit."


"Surrender your Visions as you should have done so a year before. This is your only warning."

"Once again, I'll have to decline." He could recall himself saying, vague images flashing of a large winged statue with multiple gem-like objects inlaid within. "I have no desire to give up my ambitions and memories, the latter of which is eternal to me."

He remembered the battle, its climax, and the aftermath...

"Are you sure that he will talk, Madam?"

"It's not the matter of getting him to talk. It's the matter of bringing as much pain to this thorn in the Fatui's side. Now..."

"Open it."

The chains, that damn uncomfortable chair in the prison domain...

"Hello there, pest."

"Signora..." Purple eyes opened as the growl left his lips. A hand waved in front of his face, and he followed it to see the concerned expression on his roommate's face.

"Hey, you suddenly went silent." Ryo murmured, having set his mug of coffee aside.

Ephraim looked around briefly, taking in just when and where he was.

'Kitchenette. Dorm. Safe.'

"...Ah." He sighed, pushing his empty mug to a stop beside the running brewer. "What was I saying before I stopped?"

"You were telling me about Cecilia rejecting your rejection."

'Right...that.'

Another sigh left his lips as his shoulders slumped, the blonde leaning against the counter in exhaustion. "Right...right. She stubbornly refused to see logic, I kept on bloody telling her that pursuing me would end in heartbreak. I even told her a...a rendition of what happened in Inazuma. I kept on fucking repeating that I'm no good, and still she persisted..."

Ryo remained silent, watching his friend as he spoke.

The scars cut deep, and not just physically.

Try as his friend might in keeping up appearances, sometimes the words betrayed the exterior. The truth was found beneath masks, a gilded one that was particularly built from civility, pride, arrogance and the typical characteristics one would find in a nobleman...behind all of that?

"...but I guess that's just it, huh? We're in a damn Harem anime, where the world bends over the protagonist to make him look cooler to cover up the lack of proper characterization. Of course, the damn tropes rear their heads over the moment a shred of romance is in the air. Lords below, I should have just killed Tabane when I had the chance and then myself so I don't have to suffer another second in this damn existence."

...was a hurt individual, wounded, scared, and prone to lashing out at the first sign of danger.

The courier sighed as he flicked the side of the blonde's head. "Those are my lines, and you know it, Ephraim." Purple eyes glanced at him in annoyance as the former barista poured himself a cup of Blue Mountain.

"Listen, how about you just... I don't know, give her a chance. Take her out for a spin?"

Ephraim stopped the mug just a bare inch from his lip.

"...'Take her out for a spi'— Ryo," The taller Neo-Type turned to him with a disturbed expression. "I'm not banging someone younger than me, that'll get me jail time!"

Green eyes widened in surprise and shifted to disgust. "How in the hell did your perverted ass come to that? Is your libido really that strong that it's all you think about, or are you just stupid?" He gave out a frustrated sigh as he ran a hand through his hair. " What I meant was to try and give her a shot. Date her over the summer, test the waters, get a feel if you guys are a good couple or not."

"You know that I'm gunning for Chifu-"

Ryo raised his hand to stop the retort, sending his friend a sharp, albeit annoyed look. "And I know that. But need I remind you that we are in a harem world? And harem tropes dictate that we aren't really limited to one route now, are we?"

Ephraim raised a finger in protest before a pensive expression washed over his face. Cupping his chin, the blonde set his mug down as he began to think.

...

"...I thought you hated harems?"

"I do and always will. But it doesn't mean I'm gonna push away some character development." The courier muttered as he took a sip of his own coffee. 'For both your sake and hers.' went unsaid. "Besides, with the way things are going, this world... is becoming a bit more tolerable."


.

.

.


Friday...

Purple eyes narrowed at the screen and the list beside it.

Invited Guests (VIP)

He was familiar with several of the names on the board, as they were the representatives of nations and corporations that had ties to the contestants. He had researched about them yesterday, taking note to investigate them a bit more in-depth, if only to use any leverage in the event they attempt to blackmail him and his friends. As of right now, they were just here as esteemed spectators.

From the Representative Candidates, to the IS Representatives themselves, and then to those who had their IS made by a specific manufacturer, they were here to see just how far their sponsee was doing. This also was a chance for them to show off their tech to competitors, to rival countries, and the like.

It was a form of warfare, all this showboating and pomp.

"...Hn?!"

Ephraim's eyes went wide as he saw a specific name amidst the list of VIPs.

Lath Winslet

"Surprised?"

He didn't need to turn to know that it was his superior.

"She didn't contact us until last night." Chifuyu stepped up next to him, arms crossed as she also stared at the live feed of the guest box. "Apparently, she got tired of waiting for you and came here using her status as the Acting-CEO of the Winslet World Concern and as one of the heads of the Okinawa Restoration Bureau. Her reason for coming here was apparently 'family matters'."

'Okinawa Resto-...O.R.B?!'

Bang!

The former Brunhilde watched as her assistant bashed his head against the Launch Bay walls, her enhanced hearing able to pick up his infuriated mutterings.

Bang!

"O.R.B.? Orb?! Are you kidding me you piece of-!"

Bang!

Chifuyu raised a brow at the clear expression of rage on the Astray pilot's face.

'What was his deal with the Okinawa Restoration Bureau?'

Bang!


"Huh...Lath Winslet is here?"

Charlotte and Ichika turned to the other occupant of their section of the locker rooms.

Ryo was already clad in his red pilot suit, both of his katanas attached to the belt around his hip. His green eyes were wide in surprise as he read off the list of guests.

"You know her, Ryo?" The Byakushiki pilot asked, finally putting on the top half of his IS pilot attire.

"Not personally, but Ephraim definitely does." The swordsman mused, crossing her arms as his lips curled into a small frown. "Convenient too, since he's all packed up and ready to go."

Charlotte snapped her fingers, purple eyes widening in realization. "Oh, right! She's technically Monsieur Sahaku's sister!" The Frenchwoman tapped her cheek, a frown on her lips as she continued to talk. "Though, I wonder who the head of the Sahaku Conglomerate is now. Mademoiselle Winslet is the appointed successor of the late Mina Sahaku but Ephraim is the biological son..."

"That's probably why she's here." Ryo hummed, already imagining his roommate's own surprise and anger. "Maybe she wanted to drag him back with her to Okinawa to discuss the matter."

The screen then changed, from the live feed of the VIP's to the bracket list of contestants.

"..! No way!" Ichika wheezed out in disbelief, brown eyes locked on to just who their opponents were.

"Sacrebleu!" The Frenchwoman gaped, holding a hand over her mouth.

Ryo merely frowned, narrowing his eyes at the first match.

Orimura Ichika Charles Dunois vs Shinonono Houki Laura Bodewig


Davion grumbled to himself as he handed the newly repaired Purizushi and the replacement wire-daggers to the mechanics in charge of the Schwarzer Regen. The Germans looked at him in confusion, as they had been stumped as to why the weapons of their 3rd-Gen were missing after a spar. Their Representative Candidate had stepped in when questions were raised, saying that she had someone she trusted looking them over for damages.

Grey eyes glared at the black IS before he walked away, zipping up his white and blue pilot suit as he anticipated just what was going to happen in the first round. He saw the listings and he knew things were going to go down bad.

As he made his way through the maintenance halls that went between the Launch Bays of the different Arenas...

"Guele-san!"

He turned, his serious frown immediately warming into a smile as Kanzashi ran up to him.

She was clad in the usual IS pilot attire of the Academy, which simply looked like a one piece swimwear. The mechanic had to control himself, not wanting to ruin this moment with his own perverted thoughts.

'Boy, are they bouncy-'

'Stop it, me.'

The younger Sarashiki stopped a few steps before him and wrung her hands together in slight nervousness.

"I...Will you watch my match?"

Davion blinked before a grin replaced the smile.

"Of course. I'll be cheering you on also."


Houki felt like life just dealt her a really horrible hand recently.

Starting from her childhood friend and crush suddenly attending the same school she was in...

Those three agents of her sister literally stepping in not even a minute after said childhood friend registered in her senses...

Their suits...

Ichika wanting to hang out with them over her...

Them stealing away her time with him...

And now..?

She looked over across the locker room, at the albino who looked up at the list with an indifferent expression. Fists clenched, the swordswoman grit her teeth.

'It just isn't my day, isn't it?!'


AN:

Proofread by: ProjectRyo

Oh goodness, this chapter was a whole trip to write. Almost 20k words, damn it.

So many revisions from the framework, so many rewrites of dialogues between characters. On top of all that is crazy RL stuff, like geez...

Ah well, all that matters is that I've finished this and I'm somewhat content with how it turned out.

Once more, hints and a few things are dropped about the Outworlders, their experiences, whatever they can remember, etc.

Originally, the fight between Laura and the Neo-Types would have been a bit longer but...well, it's a 4 on 1, and 3 of those 4 are of a higher class than her. She had no hope in defeating them in the first place, especially since she triggered Ephraim in almost killing Cecilia.

Anyway, I finally found the EN VA's for the three! Only took me almost two months...

Ephraim Sahaku = Troy Baker (Who voiced: Schneizel el Britannia from the EN Dub of Code Geass, Booker DeWitt from Bioshock Infinite, Pain/Yamato from Naruto Shippuden, Jason Todd from Arkham Knight, Samuel Drake from the Uncharted Franchise, Higgs from Death Stranding, Pagan Min from Far Cry 4, and many many more.)

Davion Guele = Kyle McCarley (Who voiced: Mikazuki Augus in the EN Dub of Gundam IBO, Alm from Fire Emblem: Echoes, Gatekeeper from Fire Emblem: Three Houses, 9S from Neir Automata, Mob from Mob Psycho, Shinji Matou from Fate/Stay Night, Hyde from Blazblue Cross Tag Battle, Ryo Asuka from Devilman Crybaby, and many more.)

Ryo Murakumo = Yuri Lowenthal (Who voiced: Suzaku Kururugi from the EN Dub of Code Geass, Sasuke Uchiha from Naruto/Shippuden, Yosuke Hanamura from Persona 4, Makoto Yuki, Ryuji, and Pharos from Persona 3, Marth, Corrin, Kiragi, and Eliwood from the Fire Emblem franchise, Simon from Gurren Lagann, Soma Schicksal from God Eater, Ben Tennyson (Teen) from the Ben 10 Franchise, and many many more!)

On to the reviews!

P.B.S: Laura not apologizing in the anime about almost killing them made me so salty. Like c'mon, you almost died and you're fine with her in the next episode? She'll definitely have more consequences felt here, for sure.

As for the other Frames? Well, all I can say is that the Mirage Frame isn't in Phantom Task's possession. I'd like to keep that plot point close to my chest for now.

KnightofZaku: Oh, that sounds like a fun idea! But Laura needs to trigger her VT during the fight for...well, plot reasons. You'll find out why in the next chapter. However, the idea of Laura finding them both like that does have its merits...heheheh...

As for the Silver Gospel...that plot point will be kept quiet for now, sorry! However, what I can say is that Natasha Fairs was involved with one of the pilots.

With that! Cipher is off!

...To the academic grind with shitass internet speed.


Non-Canon Omake (Slight Crack-ish): A hint of whiskey on the lips...

A lone red eye glared down the hall as the owner's footfalls echoed throughout. The windows to the side displayed the night sky, twinkling stars dancing and twirling in the expansive darkness that so many romanticize. The moon itself, full as it was, illuminated the Earth in its graceful way.

Laura had no need to look at distant lights.

She was on a mission.

"I just need to plead my case once more, and maybe mentor will-"

The sound of objects falling cut the albino off from her muttering, her heightened hearing immediately pinpointing the source of the sound to somewhere within said mentor's office.

"O-Orimura-sensei..?"

Her hands twitched, immediately recognizing the masculine tone of the half-breed. Quickly stomping over to the door, she reached for the handle-

"What's wrong~? I thought you'd love this~?"

Laura paused.

"I-I...er...Orimura-sensei, please let go of my tie. You're drunk."

'Drunk?'

"Oh, don't play coy with me, Sahaku...I've seen your wandering eyes~"

The German's face flushed as she took a step back in shock. Her mentor and the half-breed were..!

"I'm sorry for that, but please let goO-Oh Lords below, your leg is..! Your crotch is-!"

"Come to momma, baby~"

"ohfuck-"

Laura couldn't take it anymore! The mere thought of her precious mentor f-fornicating with the half-breed?! That was forbidden!

BAM!

"Mentor!" And so she kicked the door in, her body going into overdrive. Combat knives immediately flew into her hands, having unsheathed them from their holsters in her boots as she leapt inside.

What she found was-!

Chifuyu held in one hand the tie of the blonde, pulling him in closer as she sat on her desk. Her other hand supported her weight, with it propping her up behind her on the desk. A leg was wrapped around his waist, curling around so their hips were practically pressing against each other. Her lips were mere centimeters away from the half-German, with cheeks flushed and those brown eyes of her in a drunken haze.

Ephraim himself had a fully red face, both from being slightly choked by his tie and from the intimate proximity with the woman he lusted after. There was a tent in his pants that brushed against her tights, the blonde feeling the latent heat of both their cores as she ever so slightly ground against him. Wide purple eyes darted to her, pleading for aid.

"Bodewig! Thank fuck you're here, hel-Mmmf!?"

And with one last tug, Chifuyu's lips claimed her assistant's.

"N-No..."

Her mentor...tainted...

With a sultry giggle, the teacher leaned back, pulling her protesting assistant on top of her as she made out with him. The blonde used his hands to prop himself up, at the same time trying to push himself off of her as tongue became involved.

Sure, he was down to fuck, but holy shit was this not a good time!

Laura fell to her knees, her sole eye wide in disbelief as her mentor began stripping the younger man on top of her. As the dress shirt was ripped open, a bottle of whiskey fell off the table at the movement, staining the carpet as its contents spilled out.

But alas, it was ignored...

"Pwah~! You're a damn fine kisser, Sahaku~!"

"Sensei, we have Bodewig watching!"

Hazy brown eyes glanced over to her for just a moment before the teacher shrugged. "Let her watch. It'll be a good lesson for her: How you pleasure a man~"

"EXHIBITIONISM WAS NOT WHAT I SIGNED UP FOR!"

The albino simply fainted, impacting the floor in a dead slump as both superior and assistant began a dance of (somewhat dubiously consented) flesh.