Episode 9-2 - Halcyon


Time: 6:30 AM, July 6, 2033

Location: Kanucha Resort, Nago, Okinawa

Bzz! Bzz! Bzz!

Groggy purple eyes weakly opened, a hand crawling out from under the covers and deactivating the alarm of the phone underneath the pillow. Brushing blonde bangs away, the pajama-clad figure shuffled towards the balcony curtains and pulled them to the side.

Sunlight streamed into the dark room, eliciting a muffled groan from the other occupant. Stepping out into the balcony, the warming winds of a new day entered the room, blowing away the cold artificial air of the AC.

Movement caught the attention of those purples, causing the head to turn to a certain figure walking further down the road. A certain dark-haired courier, who seemed to be heading towards the Stellar Chapel.

"Ryo..?"

Call her clingy, but Charlotte would rather monopolize her time with the Japanese Astray pilot as much as she can now than have to fight for it with a certain blue-haired vixen back at the Academy.

And so, she quickly walked back into her room to change…


Time: 6:35 AM

Five minutes later and a brief change into an orange tracksuit, she found herself staring up at the white building.

From what she'd read up on the resort days prior, the Chapel was primarily built to accommodate weddings and little else. But with the recent renovations of the resort, it was now suited for a proper mass, should there be one.

Climbing up the stairs, she couldn't help but remember the last time she went to a place of worship. It was during her youth, back when her mother was alive when they lived in a peaceful village far from the city. The Sunday sermons blurred in her memories, but she clearly remembered her mother praying for her future.

'Mama…' The blonde thought sadly as she pushed open the door as quietly as she could, not wanting to disturb anyone who may have been inside. 'Can you see me from up there? Am I making you proud..?'

Upon walking past the threshold, Charlotte was met with white.

The interior of the church was a pure, stark white. With white pews, white pillars, a white altar, white steps leading to the altar, and a pristine ceiling. It evoked a sense of purity with all the marble, the monotony broken only by the vibrant reds of the carpet leading down the middle of the aisle, the red rose-like decorations of the sides of the pews facing said isle, and the colorful stained glass window behind the large crucifix.

All that white made it easy to spot the Astray pilot who was kneeling at the backmost pews.

Wearing a dark blue hoodie with his head bowed, the courier made for a humble figure. His hands were pressed together in prayer, and when she got closer, she could see his lips move, but no sound came out.

Sitting down on the pew he was on, she kept quiet as she watched.

His expression was…peaceful. Venerative, even. There was a sense of tranquility in his features, the expression highlighting how beautiful the courier was in the right light. It wasn't like the boyish charm he had in the Academy or the roguish flair of his compliments, this was an artistic kind of beauty, one that could affect anyone.

For Charlotte, it was captivating.

To her, here and now, Ryo Murakumo was beautiful in this humble state of his.

No.

Beautiful wasn't the right word.

It was…

"Angélique…"

Green eyes slowly opened, and the Frenchwoman realized her mistake.

Flinching in shock, she put her hands over her mouth. Ryo raised his head from its bow, and he pushed himself off the pew kneeler, sitting back down on the pew proper with his hands clasped over his lap.

And just like that, the angelic visage disappeared. Replaced, instead, with the charm she was so familiar with.

"What's wrong?" The green-eyed teen tilted his head in slight confusion when he turned to her.

"M-my bad." Charlotte apologized with a whisper, looking away guiltily as she placed her hands on her lap. "I didn't mean to interrupt you."

The courier gave out an amused huff, chuckling quietly as he looked up at the crucifix behind the altar. "It's fine. I was just giving my thanks. I haven't had the proper chance to lately. I don't really have much free time back in the academy."

Shoulders slacking in relief, the Frenchwoman's curled in a small smile. "Then I suppose this place is the best one to be then, yes?"

"I guess you can say that." Ryo nodded, a somewhat wistful smile forming as he closed his eyes. "Back on the island, coupled with my work along with general school stuff, I couldn't find the time for myself, especially with how hectic things have been going lately. But here?" He opened his eyes again, looking around the structure with nostalgic fondness.

"In this place, All my thoughts, which were usually just a jumbled mess, are almost… coherent, and I feel... calm." The courier closed his eyes and leaned back, letting himself be completely immersed in the locale. "This place, His house... is one of the few places where I can be alone with myself."

Charlotte could only stare in wonder.

Never had she seen him this way. In fact, she hadn't seen anyone of the like for years on end. Most people she came across were indifferent to religion and to faith in general, more focused on their different endeavors or other things than the belief in a higher power. She would admit, she could count herself as one of the latter people, that she was more worried about the company's survival than matters of faith.

"I-" The blonde let out a small huff. "I really don't know what to say…"

A quiet laugh was his response, shoulders slightly shaking in mirth. "It's alright. I don't expect people to know and understand, at least not entirely. People these days don't have much interest in things like these anymore. So you don't really need to say anything."

"Okay…" Charlotte nodded, resting her hands together and resting on her lap, looking away. With a quick glance, she saw him with his head down yet again, his lips set on a straight line in silent prayer. Following his example, she bent her head down, hands clasped together, and let her thoughts wander to find one particular subject she wanted to think about.

'… Mama.'

She found herself imagining what it would've been like if her mother had been still here. She could've told her a lot of things since then, her new friends and meeting… him and all the happenings in the IS Academy. Now that she thought about it… really thought about it. The whole thing seems almost surreal and ridiculous.

Her father forcing her to pretend to be a boy, and… actually, how did her father convince the IS Academy to accept her as a boy? Shouldn't they be more diligent, considering that they were training pilots of what is essentially a high-tech weapon capable of causing varying levels of destruction and which has only been recorded to accept female pilots since its creation?

Not only that, but her enrolling as a boy and then revealing herself as a girl? It was a miracle there wasn't much of a political meltdown afterward. Ever since the IS was discovered to only be capable of being piloted by girls, equality towards males has been a… touchy subject. It seemed like the world just banded together to label them as inferior, all because they couldn't get inside a glorified weapon of untold destruction. Her walking away from it without even a slap on the hand was miraculously ridiculous. She assumed it was her father pulling strings again, but who knows?

Drifting off from that line of thought, she didn't know how much time had passed since the moment she began her prayer. All she did know was it was long overdue. Not the prayer, but her feelings on what has been happening lately. When she was finished, she glanced back at her companion, still in prayer, at least she thought so.

"Ryo?" She called out.

The courier shifted slightly, head mechanically turning towards the source of the voice as his eyes opened slowly. For a second, Charlotte swore she saw the vibrant green vibrancy they were known for was utterly gone, replaced with a dull and dead hue as if she was looking at a different person. With a blink, the visage was gone, and the orbs finally filled back with life.

"What is it?" Ryo replied, voice laced with a hidden tone of weariness.

Hesitating a bit, Charlotte asked. "Are you ok? You've been spacing off recently. You can talk to me if you want…"

"Oh? No, no, I just haven't had my coffee yet…" He scratched the back of his neck meekly. "Speaking of, let's go back. I'm sure you also haven't had breakfast too. Let's go meet up with the others." He stood up and offered an arm to Charlotte as he turned towards the Church's exit.

The blonde wordlessly accepted it, but her eyes lingered a bit longer on his face. Her worries were becoming more and more justified toward him as the days went on. But for now, her desire to enjoy this vacation as much as she could with him and her friends overshadowed her uncertainties.


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Time: 9:00 AM

Thwack!

The racquet swung, hitting the tennis ball in a smash that caused a minor shockwave. Clothing was rustled, kicked up by the displaced air and the velocity of the ball.

A white bolt!

Following the tingling sensation in the back of her head, Cecilia quickly ducked. The ball shot past over her head before impacting the chain fencing around the court, rebounding high into the air. She glanced over her shoulder at the noticeable bulge in the metal barrier before looking back at her opponent.

"You're not very good at this."

Cheeks flushing in slight embarrassment, the scarred blonde rested his racquet on his shoulder. "Well, I never said that I was." Ephraim retorted as he scratched his head with his other hand, his lips curled into a bemused frown. "This is my first time trying Tennis."

Without even looking, the noblewoman opened her hand out to the side and caught the ball. "That's not an excuse." She raised a dainty brow as she bounced the neon green orb twice on the ground. "I'm talking about this rally. Hitting an object back and forth isn't that hard to do, dear."

Cecilia had approached the Astray pilot earlier in her tennis attire looking for a quick match, mostly as a ploy to spend more time with him. After all, the events of last night were…eye-opening to say the least.

While it was hard on her heart to listen in on her crush gushing about their teacher, her mood had turned a 180 when he confessed to having the same feelings for someone else.

Now, she wasn't saying that it was her but…a girl can hope, can't she?

With narrowed eyes, Ephraim removed his racquet from his shoulder and idly spun it in his hand. "Don't patronize me, Cecilia. I'm just saying that it'll take me a few tries to adapt."

"Hmm." The shorter blonde pursed her lips as she tilted her head, the high ponytail bouncing with the motion. "We've been at this for about 20 minutes already. How about we go back to the others? I think we've had enough of a break."

"You don't want to continue? I thought you wanted a rally."

Her blue eyes stared at him in deadpan, gesturing to the damage both her tennis ball had and on the metal fence. "I fear that if we keep on going, one of these is going to break."

The Astray pilot winced slightly. "Point. Alright, let's go."

Together, they exited the Tennis Center and got into their rented golf cart, the premier transportation choice around the big resort. As it was an electric-powered vehicle, Ephraim didn't have to trouble himself with things such as gear shifts. All he had were a forward and reverse transmission, pretty much.

So, suffice to say, their ride back to the main resort building was as smooth as butter.

"I must admit, Ephraim, that all those stories your friends tell of you driving got me a bit worried…" Cecilia confessed as she got off the cart, adjusting her visor while she looked around.

With an annoyed sigh, the purple-eyed blonde got off, the electric engine of the cart automatically shutting down once his foot was no longer on the pedal. "Listen, they're exaggerating. I just get confused on how to handle an archaic system like a stick shift."

'They weren't exaggerating, I really almost drove us off a cliff because I had a need for speed.'

"Well, I know that now." She giggled as she latched on to his arm, consciously putting said arm between her breasts as they walked towards the entrance. The noblewoman had been doing this far more often lately, and rumors have certainly spread of them becoming an item amidst the student body.

He didn't know what to feel about that.

Beep! Beep!

Before they could fully enter, the sound of a car's horn made them pause and turn their heads. Coming down the street from the entrance of the resort, came a black sedan that looked familiar to the taller blonde.

"...Wait, is that-"

The rear passenger door opened and an even more familiar brunette got out, stretching her arms up. Hazel eyes opened and locked on to his, a happy smile stretching her lips as she waved. "Hi, Nii-san!"

She wore a pink 3/4th sleeve shirt underneath a brown work vest which had hints of tools poking out from the pockets, khaki shorts, and pink sneakers.

"Kazahana!" Ephraim's brows shot up as the young girl ran up to him and gave a short hug to his leg. Softly ruffling her hair, he glanced up at the car. "Why're you here? Is Lath in the car?"

"Yup!" His younger sister nodded, slapping his hand away from her hair. "She came here to negotiate with some big-shot shipping heir. I tagged along because I wanted to see you and your friends." She turned to Cecilia with a bright smile. "Like you, Alcott-sama!"

Flattered by the honorific, the noblewoman shook her head and crouched down to her level. "You can call me by my first name, Aja-san. Any family of Ephraim— I mean," She cleared her throat to cover her slip-up. "Sir Sahaku here is more than welcome to."

The mischievous twinkle in the brunette's eyes was lost to all but the older brother, who marginally narrowed his eyes in slight suspicion.

"Okay, Cecilia-nee!" Kazahana sent her a beaming smile, full of youthful innocence and cheer.

Zukyuun~!

The blonde's jaw dropped as her cheeks flushed, her heart racing in her chest as she placed a hand over it.

''Nee'? 'Nee'? Is she already accepting me as her big sister? As her sister-in-law?!'

Ephraim facepalmed behind her, muttering indecipherable words to himself as the front passenger door opened. Sea-green immediately locked on to his royal purples before they rolled.

"Hello, brother." Lath Winslet greeted politely as walked over, the car behind her driving away to what he assumed was the Sahaku Estate. She was wearing her usual blue ensemble, the same one that she wore during his first meeting with the O.R.B. "I see you're just as tense as you sounded over the phone yesterday."

Outwardly, he kept his expression cool, with it being the usual genteel smile and a raised brow in question to her accusation.

Inwardly, however, things were a bit more hectic.

'Shit, she's that perceptive? No wait, she handled the clan's affairs even before I woke up in this world, of course she's well-versed in looking past masks.' His eyes glanced at Cecilia and Kazahana, the former of which was hugging the latter. His smile curled a bit more, using their interaction to deflect attention from him. Her sea-greens fell for it and glanced at the two.

'Damn it, I have to keep it cool. Just one more day, calm down. You've got the plans ready, just one more day of wearing this relaxed mask and we can finally discard it. Just one more day…'

"Ah, right." He spoke, turning his head to the orangette. "Thanks for calling Doctor Coast. I don't know what he did but my batchmate's out and about now."

The Scandinavian hummed, glancing down at the briefcase in her hand. "No problem. I wouldn't want any accidents to happen in my—" She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath before opening them. "In our resort. And she was an IS Representative too, if anything bad happened to her under our watch, the political repercussions would be…"

Both the Heir and Successor shared a grimace, already seeing the trouble that would have come at them if Rin had ever been seriously hospitalized.

Sighing, Lath walked past him. "Anyway, I'll be staying here for a couple of days to negotiate on something that may benefit the clan in the long-run."

That got his attention and he followed close after her. Any mention of their clan was something he'd listen in to closely. He may just be related to them via possible stolen genes, but he had this sense of obligation to them.

"Negotiate on what?"

"Maybe later." She waved her hand, an annoyed expression on her face. "Hopefully, this deal will be smoother than the last one."

"Oh! Winslet-san!"

They turned their heads to see Maya approach them, clad in a comfortable white t-shirt and jeans combo, much like what Ephraim had on.

"Yamada-sensei." Lath greeted the teacher with a short bow. "How are you enjoying the resort?"

"Oh, it's just wonderful!" The greenette answered with a big smile. "The staff are so kind and understanding!"

The orangette smiled, once which Ephraim identified as practiced. "That's good to hear. The student who nearly drowned yesterday, is she okay?"

"Oh, Huang-san is fine. A bit shook by the experience, but she bounced back quickly. Though, we forbade her from doing anything too strenuous."

"I see… That's good then."

"I'll leave you two to converse," Ephraim interjected with an apologetic smile. "Cec— Er, Miss Alcott and I have studies to return to."

Lath glanced at him and then at Kazahana behind him, the younger girl talking with a very happy Cecilia. "Bring Kazahana with you, she's been excited to meet the rest of your friends ever since we came to the IS Academy last week."

He gave her a small grin. "Will do."


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Time: 1:00 PM

"I'm gonna take a break. Mind if I lie here?"

"Wait, that's Sahaku-san's bed— Aaand you're lying down anyway."

Laura glanced at the Chinese girl as she lounged on her brother's bed, Ichika sighing at her actions in exasperation not too far away. Looking around, she could see that most of her acquaintances were taking their own breaks, their books and notes lying nearby.

Cecilia was out on the balcony with the outdoor chaise lounge chairs, sitting down at the patio table, the parasol up and open as it shaded her while she studied. She had changed out from her tennis attire to a breezy cream sundress and her gladiator sandals, her hair loosened from the high ponytail.

Kanzashi and Davion were sitting on the two couches before the TV, the latter watching the news relating to some naval exercise while the former was typing away on her laptop. The boy was wearing a sleeveless shirt and basketball shorts, while the bluenette was wearing a plain white shirt and nondescript joggers.

And she herself was lying on the other bed in her brother's room, watching tea ceremony videos on her phone in preparation for the next term's club activities. She wore a faded gray hoodie, boy shorts, and flip-flops, going for a full casual rather than a beach-ready outfit. It wasn't as if she was going to swim or anything.

The sound of the bathroom door opening made the albino turn her head to see Houki stepping out from it, a frown on her face.

"It's not fair that you and him get a damn cottage all by yourselves." The brown-haired girl grumbled to her childhood friend, fresh from a shower after having practiced sword suburis in a more isolated part of the beach for hours. Ichika had offered her his bathroom after joining them once she returned from her training, the girl having spotted Rin and Laura idling by the balcony railings earlier.

Right now, she was clad in a faded red hoodie and a black short skirt with spats underneath. Her hair was let loose from its usual ponytail, a light sheen reflecting.

"Well, whaddya expect?" Rin grouched from her position on Ephraim's bed. She wore an orange tank top and daisy dukes, by far the most revealing out of all of them. "Sahaku-san owns the place. It's obvious that he'd get preferential treatment."

Her words caused Ichika to frown as he closed his notes. "Hey now, don't imply that Sahaku-san did this to show off. He actually didn't like being placed here."

'Why would he be displeased?' Thought the albino, placing her headphones around her neck. 'This place has more amenities than the Kanucha suite.'

"Speaking of," Houki looked around the room with a raised brow. "Where is he? And Murakumo-san and Dunois-san for that matter?"

"Ryo-nii and Fräu Dunois went out to look around the resort. I think they'll be back soon," Laura answered her as she rolled to her back, pausing the video and putting her phone on her chest. "Sahaku-san said that he was going to cook something special for all of us. He brought little Aja with him earlier, before you arrived."

"I thought he wasn't going to cook anything during the trip?" Rin asked, raising her head from the pillow. "Y'know, like what he said on Sunday."

Ichika looked over to his sister, who was sunbathing on the outdoor chaise lounge chair on the balcony, with a bemused expression. "Who do you think asked him to?"

They all turned towards the older woman, save for the couple on the couch and Cecilia, who opened an eye and glanced back in question.

"...Hey, Ichika, do you think that Sahaku-san has a crush on your sister?" Houki looked over to the Byakushiki pilot, whose expression was now a mix between the earlier bemusement and a growing nervousness. "I've kept quiet about it but…he seems to always do what she wants."

"Uh…I don't think so..?" The younger Orimura lied, unsure whether or not he should reveal his friend's…not-so-hidden crush. "I just think they're really good friends, that's all."

The ponytailed girls eyes narrowed and she made to question more-

Knock knock!

-but she was interrupted by someone at the door.

"Can someone open the door? I've got my hands full." The topic of their conversation asked from beyond the barrier. "Kazahana's hands are also full— Oh, careful with that!"

A clatter of what sounded like plates caused the albino to sit up in alarm.

"Sorry, Nii-san!"

Being the closest to the door, Houki walked up and opened it. There, holding two metal trays in his hands, was the scarred blonde. On the trays were what seemed to be 13 sundae-like desserts, with many of those who grew up in Japan recognizing the kakigōri sweet.

Beside him was the young brunette, holding a tray of her own that had a stack of glass bowls that were teetering dangerously every now and again. Next to the stack was an even bigger stainless steel bowl, which had a ladle on top of its cover.

Seeing this, Laura quickly got off the bed and rushed to them, taking the stack of bowls without much difficulty. "There." She muttered as she spied the shaking arms of the shorter girl. "Now, you won't be as troubled."

"Thank you, Bodewig-san." Kazahana gave her a smile as she went inside, quickly heading over to the coffee table before Ichika. The boy promptly cleared whatever books and notes they had on it to make space for the tray, with Houki helping out.

"You got us shaved ice?!" Rin cried out in delight as she quickly got off the blonde's bed, her voice gaining the attention of the rest of those present. "Man, you're the best, Sahaku-san!"

Ephraim huffed as he walked inside, kicking the door close behind him afterwards. Unlike his little sister, he had no difficulties balancing two trays full of delicate desserts on his arms. "Not just any shaved ice, Halo-Halo."

"What's that?" Houki asked, eyeing the fruit and jam-laden sweets as he placed the trays on another table. "Sounds exotic. European?"

"Closer than you think, actually." The scarred blonde chuckled lightly as he handed one to the excited Chinese girl, alongside a disposable spoon. "One of the chefs was a Filipino and when I asked for a suggestion for a good summer dessert, she guided me through the process of making these. I've had these before last summer, I can assure you they're really nice."

"Whoa, there's flan!" Rin did not waste any time in digging in, letting out a pleased whine as she ate. "This hits the spot alright!"

"What's in the bowl?" Ichika eyed said bowl as Laura began to place the bowl individually around it. "It feels…hot. Is it soup?"

"Technically." Ephraim grinned as he removed the lid, revealing a thick, dark purple soup-like pearl sago-laden mixture that had bananas, jackfruit, sweet potatoes, and taros poking out. It smelled delicious, despite its odd look. "A hot dessert by the name of binignit. It's another Filipino dish, with the same chef telling me that it's great to eat on hot days like today."

"I taste-tested it and it's really sweet!" Kazahana affirmed as she hopped on the bed Laura was at previously, taking a well-deserved rest after carrying all of those. "Not too runny too!"

"Don't get too wild." He lightly warned as Cecilia and the teachers walked back inside, their eyes quickly locking on to the sweets. "Savor the taste." He then began handing a halo-halo to each of them, save for two which he placed in the room's mini-fridge. Those were for Ryo and Charlotte, whenever they'd get back from their biking.

"Well well, I haven't eaten one of these in quite a while." Chifuyu grinned as she began to mix her dessert. "Make sure to mix it first, Maya, it'll taste even better."

"Oh, okay!" The green-haired teacher yawned slightly, still somewhat groggy for her recent awakening. "What's this I hear about soup though?"

"Over there, Yamada-sensei."

"Oooh~"

As everyone began to eat the desserts, making small noises of delight as they did so, Laura discreetly looked over her blonde brother.

Ephraim was sitting on the other couch, between her Mentor and the Blue Tears pilot, as he ate his halo-halo. His back was to her but the way he had his head slightly turned towards the TV told her that he was paying attention to whatever was on it.

"Today is the second day of the biennial RIMPAC exercises taking place within the Pacific Ocean. Over 30 nations' navies are participating in the activities, numbering over a total of 67 ships, including those of the Chinese, South Korean, New Zealand, Australian, and Russian Navies. Our reporters in Ogasawara…"

"67 ships? Damn, it's like a Naval Review." Davion whistled appreciatively, a grin on his lips as he took it a spoonful of his treat. "I wonder what they're gonna do with that many personnel…"

Her sharp eye caught the mechanic glance over to the blonde, who she could only assume was giving a glance back. This act made her somewhat suspicious…what was that glance about?

"Who knows?" The scarred blonde shrugged, drinking the rest of his dessert and causing both her Mentor and the Brit to stare at him in incredulity at his action. "Maybe more war games, amphibious invasion mocks?"

"...RIMPAC was supposed to occur last year, but due to the attack on Pearl Harbor by a still unknown party, it has been delayed and moved to this year. The US military still has not released any public information concerning said assailants, other than that they were most likely well-organized and professional. In the same line, there have been reports of similar attacks recently in the EU. Our reporter in Berlin…"

The mere mention of the EU made the albino turn her head towards them, no longer hiding her spying. The gray-eyed mechanic glanced towards her at her movement before turning the volume up. His action also caused the bluenette beside him to stop whatever she was going on her laptop to look at the TV.

"...Sadly, the death toll in the most recent attack on the German Pharmaceutical Company Regenschirm has reached double digits following a chemical leak due to an errant explosion deep within the facility. Once again, the attackers were unable to be identified nor were they able to be tracked…"

'Regenschirm was attacked?!' Laura's sole eye widened minutely, quickly pushing down her panic in order to not be too suspicious. 'That's where I was..!'

Memories of various injections and surgeries went through her mind, flashing alongside lingering scenes of what her brothers had gone through in Project: Neo-Type.

Pursing her lip, she turned away to place her now empty cup on one of the trays. Ignoring her shaking hands, she narrowed her eye as she brooded.

'But how could it be attacked, and with the attackers be unharmed? That place is locked down tighter than Major Loewenherz's candy stash! At least there should have been a body left behind…unless…' Her crimson orb darkened in seriousness. 'They had deadman's switches. A controlled enough explosion with a high-enough yield and energy can vaporize a body into fine atoms.'

"Man, I wish I could observe the RIMPAC." Davion whined from the couch. "Have a bird's eye view, y'know? Using the Blue Frame, just hovering above all of them menacingly!"

"I don't think they'd appreciate some unknown unit hovering in their airspace, Davion." Ephraim's snark was filled with mirth. "Their CIWS would probably shred you."

"Ha! Not if I shred them first! I've got TPS to cover me!"

"TPS can only protect you so much-"

"In other news, another debate between UN Security Council members concerning the status of The Professor's Project: Astray ended in another stalemate. However, those in favor of creating another Alaska Treaty, this time concerning the Astrays, are quickly gaining supporters after the most recent recordings of the three Frames in action caused quite a stir throughout the world."

""Oh for fuck's sakes!"" Both of her brothers snarled at the same time, spooking those near them, save for Chifuyu who merely gave the scarred blonde a smack on the back of his head.

Kazahana gave a small huff of amusement which caused the blonde to whirl around in slight fear and realization.

"Oh shi-!" Catching himself from swearing again, Ephraim sent a pleading look at his younger sister. "You heard nothing."

"Did I~?"

Knock knock!

Laura turned her head to see the door slowly opening, a dark head of hair with green eyes poking in with a raised brow not too soon after.

"Language." Ryo pushed the door open further, revealing a slightly sweating Charlotte behind him. They were both clad in light-colored clothes and similar shorts and sneakers. "Don't curse so loudly. Are you all having another Monopoly game or something?"

"Nah, they're just watching the news." Ichika smiled at the courier and the Frenchwoman as he turned a page of his book, having returned to studying with Houki and Rin after their short dessert break. "How was your stroll?"

"Refreshing! We also rented bikes to move around!" Charlotte chirped as she pulled out a towel and wiped her face dry. "Though, I feel like covering almost every corner of this place was too excessive. My legs feel like jelly…"

"I did say that I tend to take LONG strolls." The courier sighed, looking unaffected by the recent strenuous activity, contrasting his partner. "Although, once you've worked in one tropical resort, you tend to see the rest as similar."

"Wait, you've worked at a resort before?" Rin asked, having taken a bowl of the dessert soup.

"I worked a lot of jobs before being enrolled, yeah. It's just that delivering stuff is more of my preference. Besides, it was just part-time as a lounge sing- I mean bellhop." He coughed, pulling on the collar of his sweaty gray shirt. "Anyway, we heard an interesting conversation earlier from Nohotoke-san when we passed by the Garden Pools."

"They're planning for a karaoke night later over there." Charlotte clapped to herself, excited for another night of festivities. "I'm thinking of joining!"

"Really?!" Rin hopped in place, an eager grin on her lips. "Awesome~! I haven't been to a karaoke since middle school!"

Houki grimaced at her own memories of middle school, that of being pulled out from the Kendo tournament and of government protection. Glancing at Ichika, she placed a hand over her heart before quickly cooling her expression. "Isn't she too carefree? Arranging a karaoke night, party more like, when we should be studying…"

"Aw c'mon, Houki!" The twin-tailed girl grinned at her. "We've got, what, a couple more days to spend here! We should all have fun in the first days and then get back to being serious in the last ones!"

"You're just saying that because you got bored studying." Ichika raised a brow at her, motioning to the scattered notes of the Shenlong pilot.

"S-Shut up, dummy!"

"I heard that, Huang." Chifuyu called out from across the room, causing the girl to freeze. "Remember, the exams are next week. Goof around too much and you'll flunk them."

Davion winced as he rubbed the back of his neck. Being reminded that they still had exams when there was a brewing fight tomorrow was kind of demoralizing.

But at the same time… expected.

They were students, after all. Even they weren't exempt from the universal suffering of standardized tests.


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Time: 7:30 PM

Location: The Garden Pool

"Cause every time we touch, I get this feeling~!"

"And every time we kiss, I swear I can fly!" The crowd sang after, hands raised in the air in cheer as the general atmosphere of the Garden Pool turned from 'hangout' to 'mini concert'. There were students in the pool lounging on floaties as they sipped from fruit mixes or sodas, or simply enjoying the swim and the entertainment.

"Can't you feel my heart beat fast, I want this to last~"

"Need you by my side!"

Clink!

Ryo snapped out of his head bobbing by the sound of a glass knocking against his, causing him to turn his head and lock his verdant greens with amused purple.

"I did not know that you enjoyed such songs, mon chéri." Charlotte giggled as she sat down next to him on the chaise lounge chair, taking a sip of her drink as she did so. She was wearing a pale blue bikini, more as a precaution in case she falls or takes a dip in the pool.

The courier chuckled as he toasted her glass of tropical pop with his own. "Surprising? If you think that's surprising, then take a gander over there." He pointed to the other purple-eyed blonde across the pool. "He's absolutely vibing."

Following his finger, the Frenchwoman quickly found the other blonde and nearly spat out her drink. The Gold Frame's pilot was indeed 'rocking out' to the song if his wild grin, his mouthing of the lyrics, and frequent head bobbing were of any indication.

"Mon dieu!" She exclaimed between peals of laughter. "He's singing along!"

"Can't really blame him, though." The green-eyed pilot grinned as he leaned back in his chair. "You can't deny that it's a nice song. Although, I'm more surprised at the one singing it…"

"Thank you, thank you~!" Honne Nohotoke bowed to her audience as she finished her song. Instead of a onesie, she was wearing a pale yellow bikini with a sarong that had fox-like decorations. "That was 'Everytime we Touch' by Cascada~! Now, let's see who'll sing next! Ei!"

With that little exclamation, she kicked a nearby beach ball in a random direction.

Plenty of hands tried to grab for it, with plenty more splashes following as either those in the pool leaped up, or those outside fell into the water as they attempted to catch it for a chance to sing.

However…

Ryo stared deadpan as the ball arced towards him in slow motion, his glass inches away from his lips as his smile slowly turned into a bemused frown.

"Oh, you've gotta-"

At that moment, time froze as his consciousness split and began to debate with itself. Accept or deny this fate. It would be as easy as getting off the lounge chair-

Pomf!

Or he could just sit still and do nothing.

"Oh!" Charlotte looked at him with a big grin. "I guess it's your turn!"

Pushing the ball off of his lap, the courier sighed. "Great." He lamented, setting his glass down on the table between their chairs. "Just when I was getting comfortable sitting here."

"Let's go, Murakumo-kun!" Came the scattered cheers of the other 1st years.

"Sing something good~!"

"Play Free Bird!"

"He's supposed to sing, not play the guitar you moron!"

Looking over to where the rest of his friends were, Ryo tried to see how they reacted and attempted to send them a half-hearted call for help.

Ichika locked eyes with him for only a moment before he got distracted when Rin chugged down her glass of shochu, the Byakushiki pilot's face paling as he tried to control his increasingly drunken childhood friend.

'Hm…'

Davion was talking with Kanzashi, his face set in a slightly bewildered expression as the bluenette blushed as she kept on whispering something into his ear. A moment later, the mechanic's own cheeks flared as he nodded, his lips curling into a big grin in the meantime.

'Okay… not touching that one, nope.'

Ephraim seemed to be looking through his phone for something, earbuds in his ears as his thumb rapidly swiped at the screen. Purple glanced up at him, as if sensing his gaze, before he gave a smirk and cheered his drink, then went back to looking at his phone.

'... Oh you cheeky little- fine.'

"Come on, Murakumo-kun~!" Honne sang from beside the karaoke machine, waving at him excitedly with her free hand. "Let us hear the cherubic voice that Kaichou likes to brag about~!"

Charlotte's smile strained as she turned toward him. "What is she talking about?"

The courier sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose as he stood up, frowning at the memory of his discovery that his singing had been recorded and had become a premium item in the IS Academy black market. "Get caught singing a couple times, and someone makes it a commodity…"

Walking around the pool, he unzipped his jacket and idly scratched at the plain long-sleeved shirt underneath. Stepping up to the small stage, Honne handed him the wireless mic and the catalogue that contained all the songs and their respective codes.

'Well, they wanted a show. Might as well give them that.' With that thought, he pressed down the buttons to choose his piece.

(Play: Toploader - Dancing in the Moonlight)

Clearing his throat as the song began to start, Ryo found himself unnaturally calm and, at the same time, growing excited as the faces of almost all of the 1st Year batch stared at him eagerly. Across the pool, he could see Charlotte looking at him expectantly.

Tapping his foot on the platform along to the beat, he opened his mouth and began to sing.

"We get it on almost every night~"

A few of those who instantly recognized the song began to nod along and move with the rhythm, including those other tourists that were watching. The older generation certainly perked up when they heard the classic, lifting their cocktails and glasses in cheer.

"When that moon is big and bright! It's a supernatural delight, everybody's dancing in the moonlight~!"

Fittingly, there was a waxing gibbous that was rising from the East. The day was entering its twilight stage, bathing the entire resort in a blue tint.

"Everybody here is out of sight, they don't bark and they don't bite."

He began clapping his thigh with his free hand, syncing to his tapping as he slightly swayed in place. His lips curved into an infectious smile, his expression jovial as he wordlessly encouraged the crowd to sing along.

"They keep things loose, they keep it tight. Everybody's dancing in the moonlight~"

He scanned the audience. The main crowd's eyes were on him, and they were slowly and surely getting entranced by the visual and auditory pleasure.

"Dancing in the moonlight

Everybody's feeling warm and right~

It's such a fine and natural sight

Everybody's dancing in the moonlight~!"

A fair few repeated the lyrics, the loudest being Rin despite her drunken slurring. Laura tried to sing along but her unfamiliarity with the song and singing in general made her sound adorably awkward, so she instead went back to recording and taking photos on her phone.

This caused him to grin and encouraged him to add more energy and passion to his singing, now swaying along to the beat.

"We like our fun and we never fight. You can't dance and stay uptight~"

Maya was clapping along, a big grin on her lips as distant memories of her childhood in the 2000's began resurfacing. Chifuyu was nodding along as she took sips of her gin and tonic, somewhat irked about this whole karaoke party business but unable to find it within herself to punish the students for enjoying their youth.

"It's a supernatural delight, everybody's dancing in the moonlight~!

Off to the side, he could see Cecilia approach her crush with two cocktails in her hands. Ephraim seemed to have found what he wanted to find in his phone, and there was a shaky yet smug grin on his lips.

"Dancing' in the moonlight

Everybody's feeling' warm and right~

It's such a fine and natural sight

Everybody's dancing in the moonlight~!"

This time, a boom of combined voices replied as the people in and around the people began singing along, now familiarized with the lyrics after the first chorus. A chaotic symphony of voices young and old repeated the verses as he sang the song from the very top and began pacing around the stage, putting on a performance, entrancing people to his act and carrying them along by the atmosphere and the infectious vibe of the song.

Charlotte watched all of this with her breath hitched. Much like what she had seen earlier in the Stellar Chapel, the courier's expression was absolutely angelic. He was in his element, she realized. This was Ryo in one of his finest moments where he held little to nothing back. His voice was captivating, his movements graceful, and he had a way in influencing a crowd to follow what he was doing.

"Quite a charming fellow, isn't he?"

The sudden comment made her jolt and turn her head.

There, a foot or so away from her, was a snow-haired man with light pale blue eyes watching the courier sing. He was wearing a blue polo shirt and khaki shorts, monochrome sneakers, and had a Bloody Mary on hand. The Frenchwoman swore she'd seen him before…

"Y-Yes, Ryo definitely is…" She answered the older man, somewhat wary of his intentions. "Er...who-"

"You should seize the chance while it's still up." He interrupted her, the ever-present smile on his face not betraying any kind of emotion other than joviality. "A guy like that, he comes around at least once a century, yeah?"

His words caused her to freeze.

Taking a sip of his Bloody Mary, the man chuckled and turned away. "My, look at me. Butting into something that's private. Ah well, I wish you luck then, Mademoiselle Dunois." He then looked over his shoulder, those pale blue eyes shining in a more sinister light.

"Maybe we'll meet again when both of our fathers arrange another deal, yes?"

With a carefree wave, he walked away, seemingly disappearing into the jovial crowd as the song wound down. Charlotte stared at him, or at least where he went, trying to figure out just where she had met him before.

(End: Toploader - Dancing in the Moonlight)

As the tune died down and the last of the lyrics left his lips, Ryo bowed with a blinding grin over the numerous cheers and whistles, him not being exempted by the gleeful atmosphere he set up himself. The beach ball from earlier rolled up by his feet, and he looked up to see Haku giving him a double thumbs up.

"Let's go, Murakumo!"

"This is so much better than the recordings!"

"Encore! Encore!"

"Sorry~ but my time is up! So, let's give somebody a chance to sing, like…" Glancing over to his side, he spotted Ephraim taking a sip from his cocktail. Keeping a nonchalant expression, he kicked it towards him in a curve, effectively missing all the people who attempted to catch it.

Pomf!

Without even looking, the blonde raised his hand and caught the ball. Turning his head, he sent an annoyed glare at the courier before finishing his cocktail in a few gulps.

"Oooh~!" Honne crowed from her place on her floatie. "It's time for Sahaku-san to sing!"

"Sing! Sing!"

"Oh, I do wonder what you'll sing, Ephraim." Cecilia grinned, suddenly very interested in hearing the singing voice of the blonde before her. He had a smooth, low voice that, when whispering, caused shudders to crawl up her spine. Just how better would it be if he should sing?

"I have a few choices, but…" The scarred teen discreetly glanced at his superior, who was conversing with a tipsy Maya. "I think I've got just the thing."

Stepping off the stage, he handed the mic to the approaching blonde. Said blonde was wearing something similar to what he had yesterday, an unbuttoned short-sleeved shirt and board shorts. Though, they both were primarily black with golden decals, with the shirt having the kanji 天 in the middle of its back.

"Stage is set. Good luck and have fun~" Ryo smugly remarked to his friend with a wink, whose grin merely grew as he stepped up to the platform.

Taking a few moments to flip through the pages, eyes quickly taking in the information, he stopped on a specific name and code. His grin widening, and heart pounding, he quickly inputted its code and turned back to the pool.

(Play: Machine Gun Kiss - Yakuza 5 [Literally Satan lyrics ver.])

As soon as the guitar and drums came in, the blonde snapped his fingers to the beat. Only a fair few of the older guests visibly reacted, either by jolting or grinning, while the girls mostly had their brows raised at the genre.

But that was fine.

The less who know about the song, the better his message will be.

"Midnight shadows sliced through by lights, shrill squealing wheels tear through this highway city."

Ryo looked over his shoulder at his friend as he walked back to Charlotte and then to the people around him. Everyone who wasn't paying attention to the karaoke party before was certainly paying attention now. Despite his eye-catching performance just recently, all attention on him was easily dispersed and passed to his fellow Astray pilot in a snap.

'Remember Delta, the attention of the people is a tool. Once you know how to manipulate it, you can do anything and make them do anything.'

He shook his head at the somewhat unpleasant flashback and blended back into the crowd as the following lines of the lyrics began. His mood somewhat soured at the unfortunate timing of his recollection.

"Seated next to me, unable to hold your head high, nervously blushing so. I'd be your razor-edged knife, yet you'd hold me forever dulled in your warm embrace.

My sweet babe!"

Cecilia nearly dropped her glass when Ephraim pointed at her before it swept out towards the other end of the pool. Her heart had leapt to her throat at the action, rapidly beating as it were, and she had to force herself to calm down. Glancing over at where his finger had pointed last, she pursed her lips when she saw her.

"So disregard your bleak past, a new future is ours to tear down and rebuild once again.

We'll find ourselves a paradise made for you and I!"

Chifuyu raised a brow when her assistant suddenly increased the energy in his voice. There was sheer passion in his singing, one that made her feel…odd. As Maya drunkenly cheered beside her, she focused her attention on the singing blonde.

"Hundreds of millions, or maybe ten billion more, kisses aplenty for you to count.

Baby! Holding you close with my arms wrapped around you so tightly.

I could never let you go…

Machine gun kiss, let's just fall in love!"

Ichika looked over at his sister, gauging her reaction and somewhat found himself disappointed. She may have been sharp when it came to poking around his nonexistent love life, but she sure was slow on the uptake when it came to her love life. He was still leery of Ephraim wanting to date his older sister, though, but given the sheer passion and dogged determination he could hear in his voice as he sang… Well, there was only so much that he, as a younger brother, could do.

"I can foresee losing it all, shackled and bound, stripped of our freedom to love."

There was a barely noticeable tremble in the blonde's voice, one that was picked up by the super soldiers present. Davion furrowed his brows as he locked on to the burns around the wrists and ankles of his friend, their messed up origin causing previous concerns to bubble up. Laura, however, only stared in slight worry.

"For all the time I've spent on fool's money, renown, I'd throw it all aside. 'Romantic' these damn 'last slow dance' affairs would never suit an old dog like me anyway."

Cecilia personally disagreed, not wanting to hear him degrade himself. After all that he had suffered, he deserved a bit of happiness!

"So load a clip into your automatic, please stamp out this unforgiving world which we're bound to rid us all of these tumultuous night time terrors!"

The scarred blonde adopted a fierce expression, replacing the bitter look of the earlier verse, and pointed forward, sweeping it side to side.

"Here by your side, so I won't let you lose hope, no!

Kisses to cover each battle scar, Lady!

No single soul, be it prophets or demons, around us will condemn my love for you…"

"YEAAAH!" Many of the girls cheered, raising arms or pool noodles in the air. They were all moved by the tender emotion of the normally genteel and formal blonde, his smooth and mature voice giving way to one that was closer to his age; a youthful, rebellious, and greedy tone that resonated within them all.

"I need you baby, tonight, HOLD ME TIGHT!"

Nobody was prepared for the scream and it showed in their reactions. Many of those simply listening in or watching from the balconies of the Northern Wing behind the blonde had their brows raised in surprise. The drunken Rin and Maya chorused in their own screams, though they were off-beat. Laura had dropped her phone in surprise, but had quickly caught it thanks to her enhanced reflexes.

Breathing deeply after his scream, Ephraim straightened from his slightly hunched position, having had to put a lot into the last few words. He momentarily locked eyes with Chifuyu and flushed, quickly looking away right into the awed blues of Cecilia.

This whole business…left a bad taste in his mouth.

Here he was, singing his feelings out for two women in a bid to claim both of their hearts. He couldn't choose, he cared too much for either. He was greedy, selfish and extremely so. He felt like scum, playing with emotions like this.

But even then, he set himself on this course, this path…

He might as well see it to the end.

"No destiny will hold us to the whims of gods, nothing we can't overcome ourselves!

Come on!

Keep smiling bright, never to dim again Venus, you…my beloved!"

The blonde nearly bit his tongue off as he almost sang out her name. So instead, he cut himself off, refraining from singing the lyric's name to avoid any misconception.

"Carve out our own invaluable memories!"

"Memories!" The crowd echoed, raising glasses and fists in the air in support of the youth.

"Hundreds of millions, or maybe ten billion more, kisses aplenty for you to count.

Baby! Holding you close with my arms wrapped around you so tightly.

I could never let you go…

Machine gun kiss, let's just…FALL IN LOOOVE!"

He held the note for a few more seconds as the music faded before stopping. Panting, he straightened once again to the applause of the 1st years and other spectators. Looking around, he shared a look with Cecilia and exchanged a smile.

(End: Machine Gun Kiss - Yakuza 5 [Literally Satan lyrics ver.])

Like with Ryo, the beach ball rolled up to his feet and he looked up at Haku giving him a teary-eyed fist pump.

"Do your best, Sahaku-san!" She cheered him on. Whether or not she knew exactly what was going on or who the targets of the song were, he could only speculate.

"Rock on!" One of the girls cried out, brandishing devil horns up into the air.

"This is so gonna get a lot of views on the 'Tube!"

Spotting Davion waving from the corner of his eye, he gave him a small smirk and kicked the ball towards his direction. His throat was starting to itch from all the singing, he might as well get the ball rolling to the next victim.

Placing the mic on the karaoke machine, he stepped off the stage, running a hand through his hair to calm himself.

'That was probably the most nerve-wracking thing that I've ever done. Lords below, how does Ryo do it?'

"Ephraim, that was…" Cecilia walked up to him with a bright smile, one that he felt horrible for. "Well, that was something for sure." She chuckled, handing him a glass of water this time. Her heart wouldn't stop pounding in her chest, and all it took for him to realize that was a simple touch…

"Well, judging from the ovation and compliments, my singing voice isn't that bad." The scarred blonde chuckled as he gratefully took the glass, taking in big gulps to wet his itchy throat. As he did so, he glanced over to where Chifuyu was…

…And found her missing, with Maya being accompanied by one of the other teachers.

'Where..?' A muddled memory flashed by, of a certain ponytailed swordswoman on top of a cliff being approached by his superior. '...Shit, I haven't seen her in the last few hours.' Pulling the glass away from his lips, he looked around, disguising it as an idle action.

'Now, where in the resort would she emote..?'


Time: 7:40 PM

Location: Kanucha Bay Large Swing

There was only a bare sliver of sunlight left, the celestial body almost disappearing in the horizon. The orange rays were quickly being overtaken by the blues of night, and the cooling winds told her that change was near.

"So this is where you were."

..?

"What are you doing?"

Houki looked over her shoulder as she lazily swung, a conflicted expression on her face as she locked eyes with her teacher.

"Orimura-sensei…" She muttered, her grip on the chains that held the swing tightening.

Chifuyu placed a hand on her hip, the other pocketing her phone into her jeans. "You've been distracted ever since yesterday. I barely saw you hanging out with your friends, and when you were, it's only for an hour or so before you wander off." The teacher frowned minutely. "...Do you want to talk about it?"

The swordswoman tensed her jaw before she looked away. "It's…"

"...Tabane?"

Houki kept silent.

Sighing, the older woman walked up to the girl, stopping by her side and leaning against the wooden log that made up the supports of the swing. "What happened during the Class League Match was not of Tabane's doing, I can assure you. The blame lies in the German government, not your sister."

"...I know that." The swordswoman muttered, bitterness creeping in as the chains rattled in her tight grip. "But what is her fault is me being humiliated last Friday."

Chifuyu frowned as she crossed her arms. "You mean with your fight against Sahaku? I will admit that that spear of his breaking the Uchigane's sword surprised me greatly, but I'm sure that he didn't mean to humiliate you."

"Are you sure about that?" Houki spat, her lips drawn in a fierce snarl. "Are you sure you're not just defending him because he's been giving you goodies each day? That he's been making your life an absolute breeze compared to mine?"

"Watch your tone with me, Shinonono." The teacher warned her in a low voice, eyes narrowed as she gave her a side glare. "And quit making baseless accusations. How exactly is it your sister's fault for the match's results?"

"Because she made them!" The younger woman growled, getting off the swing and stomping a foot down. "She made those damn Astrays and somehow picked the three most infuriating men to pilot them! I don't even know why she picked guys of all people!"

Chifuyu kept silent as the girl ranted, inwardly glad that the cover story was still going strong. The mention of their creation brought back the worry of exactly who created said suits and for what purpose, however. Tabane had been silent on that front, either unwilling to share information or not being able to find anything on her end as well.

'For now, we'll just keep our eyes peeled. Later down the line, the boys will confess or the original creator will pop up, either by their own volition or by an outside force.' The teacher briefly stared forward at the setting sun, the barest sliver of the celestial orb being visible in the horizon. 'So the best we can do is to prepare…'

"...and then they decide to butt in on my time with Ichika, somehow also steal my friends, ruin my plans, and-!"

"So you were jealous, is that what you're getting at?" The teacher sighed, shaking her head. "Good grief, and here I thought you matured…"

"You don't understand!"

"Oh yeah?" Chifuyu huffed, pushing off the log and looking down at her with a frown. "Then enlighten me as to why you felt like you needed to antagonize three boys who were of no threat to you?"

"No threat?!" Houki almost screeched, her face reddening in rage. "You must have been blind to not notice how out of place they are! Sahaku's inhuman reflexes, Guele's apparent genius ability to pull glittering crap out of his ass, and then there's Murakumo's bullshit instinct to cut through a HAIL of bullets! If that doesn't scream 'Oh look at me, I'm so cool and special!', then I don't know what is!" She panted, glaring up at the older woman with her fiery blue eyes.

"And somehow everyone just seems to be blind to it! I don't buy the excuse of whatever training my sister put them through because I know my sister! She's too damn lazy and conceited to even train anyone!"

"And that justifies giving them the cold shoulder? Giving these apparent 'threats' a reason to be hostile to you seems a bit stupid." The teacher deadpanned, though she knew she had to be careful. The younger Shinonono was stepping closer to the truth even if she didn't know it.

The ponytailed girl barked a laugh, a dark expression crossing her face as she began to walk away. "Come tomorrow. They won't be a threat to me or to my friends any longer. Not when I'm around."

Chifuyu watched the girl with furrowed brows. What she had just said was definitely ominous and telling as to what she expects tomorrow. Sighing, she sat down on the swing and gazed out into the dark horizon.

"What a mess…"

"You can say that again."

Let it be known that Chifuyu Orimura does not jump in fright, nor does she yelp like some schoolgirl when surprised.

Jumping off from the swing, she whirled around to glare into the surprised purples of her assistant. In one of his hands was a plastic bag filled with whatever it was he bought from the nearby convenience store.

"Sahaku, you-!" Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she placed a hand on her hip and glowered up at him. "I assume you overheard?"

Looking over his shoulder to where he had let Houki pass from his brief hiding area, he huffed. "Hard not to with, y'know, my enhanced senses and all."

Shaking her head, she facepalmed and muttered small curses under her breath. "So…tomorrow…"

"I know." Ephraim nodded, his amused expression turning into one of seriousness. "The Professor is most likely going to come by. Are we to be expected to be on our best behavior?"

"...More like you need to tone down your disdain of her." Chifuyu relaxed her tense shoulders and crossed her arms. "Keep it to yourself tomorrow, I understand your reservations towards her, but you're probably going to be with your friends so it's best to show that the four of you have a positive relationship."

"Another mask, huh…" The blonde muttered bitterly before sighing and nodding again. "Understood. I'll tell the other two later."

The two of them stared at each other for a few more seconds before she looked past him. "I can hear Guele all the way from here."

"Kitto itsuka… (Surely sometime…)

Itsuka doko ka… (Sometime, somewhere…)

Tadoritsuku to shinjite. (You're believing you'll arrive there.)"

Ephraim chuckled, reaching into the plastic bag and pulling out a can of beer. "Well, it's not often he gets a chance to rock out with one of his favorite songs."

"Come on and raise your flag!

So just raise your flag!

Nando kujike mayoedo! (No matter how many times you feel crushed and lose your way!) "

Tossing the can towards her, he pulled out another one, this time a Chu-Hai. "And tonight seems like a good time to enjoy whatever free time we have left before dealing with the headache that is the rabbit professor tomorrow."

"Iki no kagiri! (To the limits of your breath!)

Tsuzuku kagiri! (For as long as you can keep going!)

Yume wo mitsudzuke samayou! (You'll wander aimlessly, seeing a continuous dream!) "

Pffshhh.

Pulling the tab of her can, she took a light sip of the drink and leaned against one of the swing's posts. "...Call me curious, but why do you exactly dislike Tabane?"

The blonde leaned against the other post, crossing his leg over the over as he opened his can. "I told you before, I dislike her because she's irresponsible." He grumbled, annoyance and disdain dripping from his words. "Seriously, creating a world-changing machine system like the Infinite Stratos and then handing it out for the world to use for their own ends…"

"Isn't that the same with you and the Astrays?"

"The difference being that all of us know the consequences should the world be able to mass-produce the suits. And in the event that we'll be strong-armed into giving out the tech, well…" The can in his hand crumpled slightly from his grip, anger slowly creeping into his voice. "Those beaurocrat fucks will have a nasty surprise waiting for them if they think they can push us around."

"Stow that kind of talk, Sahaku." Chifuyu warned him, though without much heat. "You know the IS Academy will try our best to protect you three."

Releasing a sigh, he made an affirmative noise. "Yeah, but you guys only have so much leeway before the whole world tries to strong-arm you too and find loopholes."

The teacher was silent as she took another sip, unable to refute his cynical words.

"But you know me." Ephraim huffed, an obvious smile on his face. "I have plans to mitigate some damage. Not enough to fully free us of the inevitable leash, but just enough to give us the final say."

"You both impress and disappoint me with how you use your spite, Sahaku."

"Ha! All for greater world peace, I guess. Or at least, what's considered as 'peace' in these trying times."

Frowning, the teacher looked over her shoulder, around the post, at him. "So pessimistic and cynical, how typical of you."

He snorted, taking a long drink of his can. "I say it as I see it. Insurgencies in the Middle-East, political tension between the Cold War blocs, various criminal syndicates exploiting the world's focus on the Infinite Stratos to gain underground footholds, this world is far from the peace I want."

"Then what is the peace that you want?"

Her question made him pause.

What was the peace that he wanted?

The utter destruction of those that opposed him and his friends?

The elimination of those who sought harm, nipping the bud of problems, as it were?

Was it just shutting himself away, blind and deaf to the cries of a dying world as it burned?

"Raise your flag!

Koe no kagiri! (Keep screaming!)

Koe no kagiri! (Keep screaming!)

Koe no kagiri sakende! (Keep screaming until your voice gives out!)"

'Fat chance of the last one.' A part of him suddenly raged, inspired by the song of his friend in the distance. 'I refuse to cower and hide like some kicked dog! We fight and scream against the inevitable demise, even if it will be futile in the end. We die standing, spear in hand and a deathly rictus of a grin, in all defiance of our opposition!'

"Hah, I don't know, really." He confessed, a hint of melancholy in his tone as he looked up into the sky. "Peace, like strength, is subjective. My idea of peace may very well be chaos in another's. But what I do know is that I want to share that idea of 'peace' to those close to me, so that they would also enjoy the calm before the storm. To enjoy those halcyon days…"

"Calm before the storm, huh…"

They stood in comfortable silence for a while, eventually emptying their cans as the pseudo-rock concert in the background faded away to a somber piano track. Ephraim recognized the tune as one of the songs Ryo would hum to in their dorm back on the island, but he never heard him sing it.

Until now.

"Oh, they say people come, they say people go. This particular diamond was extra special…

And though you might be gone, and the world may not know…

Still I see you, celestial.."

It was… sad, surprisingly so. Of all the expressions his friend has shown before, Sadness is a rare occurrence. Either Ryo was putting on a show again, or he truly was putting his feelings into song. The tone of his singing influenced his mood and began manipulating the blonde's heart, weakening though not yet enough to cause him to break the stoic wall around it.

"Like a lion you ran, A goddess you rolled, Like an eagle you circle, in perfect purple…"

And speaking of matters of the heart…

Turning his head, he took this chance to look at her properly.

Bathed in the gentle moonlight, Chifuyu Orimura was stunning. Even if she wore a simple ensemble of a blouse and jeans, there was this otherworldly beauty to her that always caught his tongue at times. From the daintiness of her nose, the softness of her lips, the way her eyelashes seemed to flutter with each blink, it was like looking at a piece of art.

But of course, he knew she was not merely a beauty to gaze at.

She was strong, powerful, and an equal. She was a super soldier, born from a project that he and his friends, his fellow Neo-Types, were meant to counter. It should have made them instinctually enemies, but…

Isn't it ironic that he would fall for someone he was meant to defeat? That this body was meant to contest with?

"When it feels like the end of the world,"

Looking up at the sky, his royal purples gazed up at the waxing gibbous that shined down on the both of them.

"When I should, but I can't let you go?"

It was now or never.

"...Hey…the moon…is beautiful tonight, isn't it?"


.

.

.


Time: 9:00 PM

Location: Kanucha Resort North Wing Building

The karaoke party had since wound down, with the tourists taking over the students' festivities. It was their turn to sing, and the Garden Pool was filled with songs and merriment once more. It was approaching the curfew for the students, which meant that those sober had to help those who were not back to their rooms.

"It's a shame I couldn't hear more of your singing, mon chéri~" Charlotte whined as she clung to his side, cheeks flushed and occasionally hiccupping after trying a 'few' cocktails in the pool bar. "But luckily I recorded all your songs~!"

Ryo sighed, patting her head as he walked with her to her hotel room. Laura was leading the two of them, being the roommate of the Frenchwoman, her phone in her hand as she seemed to be texting someone.

"Yes yes, you have recordings. You can keep them. Just make sure those don't get into the black market." Which was essentially useless, considering that there were certainly a fair few people who were also recording him. He just had to get carried away by the atmosphere.

"Really?!" The blonde looked up at him in tipsy wonder. "Ehehe~ You spoil me, mon chéri~"

Shaking his head, he slightly tightened his hold around her waist so that she wouldn't slump over and fall.

"We're close, Ryo-nii." Laura called out, looking over her shoulder at them. "Just a few more doors down the hall."

'Good. I'll need all the rest I can get in preparation for tomorrow…'

"Non~!" Charlotte cried out as they neared their door, clutching to him tightly now. "I don't want you to leaaave~!"

His cheeks somewhat flushed as he held her by the arms. "Come on now, I'm not going away from the resort or anything." The courier muttered, carefully untangling her from him. "I'm just heading back to my room in the South Wing."

"But I want you to stay the— Mmmf!"

Ryo quickly covered her mouth before she could say the next words. Being in a hallway full of busybodies with a drunken Frenchwoman who had loose lips could easily lead to another scandal that he was going to hate to defuse.

"Charlotte, they're going to penalize me for not coming back to my room, you know…" He explained to her slowly. "That and someone needs to have Davion's back. What if someone breaks into our room and steals our…er…"

"Underwear." His albino cousin not-so-helpfully provided with a straight face. "I've read that underwear thieves are quite rampant in this context, with us being in a resort. Getting my brothers' underwear to sell to the Academy Black Market would net them lots of money."

"Exactly." Ryo deadpanned.

Charlotte gasped, if a bit overdramatically, and separated from him. "This must not happen! I'll…I'll help guard your room!"

"No, that's even worse-"

"I can help too, Ryo-nii."

"Wha- Laura, no."

"Aw…"

"Ils ne passeront pas!" The Frenchwoman cried, raising a finger in the air in defiance.

She then deflated as fatigue came over her, almost slumping against the wall were it not for the courier catching her.

"'m sleepy…" Charlotte muttered, nuzzling her head in the crook of his neck.

Ryo sighed and looked over at Laura. Seeing his silent request, she opened the door to their hotel room and held it open. Shifting his grip on the blonde to a princess carry, he walked into their hotel room, ignoring the excited whispers of the spying 1st years behind him.

"Her bed's over there, Ryo-nii." The albino pointed to the king-sized bed on one end of the room. "Just set her down. I'm going to have a night shower before I head to bed." She gestured to the other king-sized bed in the middle of the room that functioned also as a weird table-hybrid before grabbing a towel and walking into a door that he assumed led to the bathroom.

With a small shake of his head, he walked over to the blonde's bed and carefully laid her down. "C'mon, Charlotte, it's time for bed."

"Ryo…" She whispered as he pulled the blanket over her, hazy purple eyes staring into his greens. "I…"

"Shhh," He shushed her gently, an amused curve on his lips. "It's better if you sleep early now. I have a feeling that tomorrow's gonna be a…busy day." He couldn't help but warn her, even if she wasn't fully conscious.

"Come closer…" The blonde pleaded, pulling the blanket up to half of her face. "I have something to ask from you…"

Fighting the urge to roll his eyes, he acquiesced to her plea and leaned closer. "What is it?"

"... Can I have this?"

He blinked, raising a brow at her somewhat confusing question. "Wha-"

Chu~!

…Something warm had pressed itself against his lips.

Eyes wide, he froze as the Frenchwoman's lips parted from his, the blonde flopping on her bed with a very satisfied grin.

"J'ai toujours voulu faire ça~" She whispered as she began to doze off. "J'ai pris l'initiative…"

Stepping back, almost stumbling as he did so, Ryo covered his mouth with a hand, his mind blanking out as he tried to make sense of what had just happened.

A finger tracing his lips, he quickly vacated the room, closing the door behind him of course. He marched down the hall, mind on autopilot and adopting a friendly mask even as a fair few of the eavesdropping girls giggled as he passed.

He took no time to exit the North Wing, quickly going down the stairs where Davion was waiting for him.

"Took you long enough." The mechanic chuckled as he pushed off the wall he was leaning against. "Come on, it's best if we go to sleep now. After all, tomorrow's…"

"I know." Ryo cut him off, sighing in annoyance as he ran a hand through his hair. "I know. Just…remind me all you want tomorrow, I just want to sleep for now."

"Alright."

They walked together in silence as they passed by equally sleepy tourists that were on their way to their cottages and rooms, exchanging nods and tired smiles as they passed.

'Look at you…' The courier thought as his face was set on an apathetic visage in an empty section. 'Already making yourself a place for you to fit right in. It's fine, isn't it? After all, they seem to accept you well enough, especially her~'

Touching his lips, he-

The taste of peach and cranberry juice, alongside schnapps and Chambord-

-shook his head, ignoring the phantom sensation of lips pressing against his. A hand came up to cover his mouth again. As they arrived at the door of their room, he paused.

'But in the end, it doesn't matter, right? You'll never accept that. You'll never believe that you are allowed to have it.'

"I- I think I left something at the pool." Ryo declared as he turned around and started walking back.

"What? Really? Dude, it's almost past curfew. Just find it in lost and found tomorrow."

"I'll be quick. Just leave the room unlocked. I won't be long." He strode ahead, disappearing around a corner as his thoughts…

No, 'that' voice began filling his mind.

'Because despite everything that has happened, what they feel, what they think of you… you and I both know…'

'I don't belong here...'

'Exactly~ We are an anomaly. We never belonged here in the first place. You aren't supposed to exist, and now you can't leave anymore."

.

.

.

'Or, more accurately… you don't want to leave.'


AN:

Proofread and Edited by: ProjectRyo

Apologies for the late update, a bunch of events happened that delayed the final output.

Nothing serious, it's just ah...ProjectRyo went on a road trip and I got distracted by playing Nioh 2 and Xenoverse 2. As well as farming my ass off in the VA-11 Hall-A/GFL collab, the Fate/Requiem event in FGO, and...nevermind, what matters is that I got this uploaded.

Anyway, the other half of Episode 9 is here and with it, comes the shenanigans of youth!

And with it, some intrigue as well! As well as a bunch of references!

Just what plans does Lath have to bring the Sahaku Clan back up to prominence?

Just who is this shipping heir that Kazahana talked about?

And who was that mysterious man that seemed to know Charlotte?

Find out next time on Dragon Ball

Ahem.

Anyway...

Suburi - sword-swinging exercises, often done with a suburito, a bokken-variant that has a thicker blade than the handle.

Halo-Halo and Binignit - Filipino dessert dishes that are perfect for the summer. Recommended to me by an online friend who swears that it's the 'ultimate beach dessert'. Haven't tried it myself, since I haven't been to the Philippines yet, but it'll be on my list.

As for why Machine Gun Kiss is typed out in English here...well, I didn't want to fill the screen with Romaji (English) lyrics so I just stuck to one.

"Ils ne passeront pas!" = "They shall not pass!" A famous slogan used by the French during WW1.

"J'ai toujours voulu faire ça~" = "I've always wanted to do this~"

"J'ai pris l'initiative…" = "I took the initiative..."

To the reviews!

KnightOfZaku: The Schwarzer Hase won't question why Laura calls three totally unrelated boys as her 'brothers'. They are loyal to Laura a tad bit more than their own country, hence why they did their clandestine research behind the Bundeswehr's back. If their commander considers three unrelated boys as 'brothers', be it in arms or a possible blood-relation, then they'll take it at face value. Well, that and Clarissa may have romanticized the relationship between the four behind the curtains.

P.B.S.: Oh, hell will definitely be let loose during the Silver Gospel fight for sure. I've finalized the sequence of events and things will get a smidge hectic, especially since the RIMPAC was mentioned...

Well with that... This is Cipher, currently in Gacha Hell, signing off!


"Hmhmmhmmm~"

Clang!

"Alright~! Everything's all hunky-dory!"

Tabane stepped back from the carrot-shaped drop pod with a big grin. Her grin then curled into a contemplative frown, her robotic rabbit ears twitching as she tapped her chin. "Though, just to be sure…"

Pressing a button on the side, the pod opened and she poked her head in.

"Camera, phone, laptop, the Patriot System, the Akatsubaki Pod remote…what am I missing..?"

"Oh, right! The teleportation waypoints!" With that exclamation, she skipped over to the other end of the workshop.

Clang! Bash! Clink!

"There you are, you rascal!"

Pulling out a comically oversized hexagonal mat-like pad from a pile of scrap, she folded the metal construct into a fraction of its size and stuffed it in her dress. Placing her hands on her hips, she belted out a victorious and cartoonishly evil laugh.

"Mwahahaha~! Now, let's see the heroes take on the plans of the Glorious, Fiendishly Cute, Super-Genius Tabane-sama~!"