Crossed Paths

by VIRUS-GO

Rewritten Story! Chifuyu and Kerlongsj didn't meet each other at the first time on the school. They have met each other more than once the past decade and they did a lot more than just meet. How two uneasy enemies became good allies in 10 years will be explained. The stories won't take place right after each other, but they're connected in some way. Bit of romance.

2. Second Meeting

"Infinite Stratos" belongs to the author Izuru Yumizuru.

Original story belonging to the user and author: Kerlongsj Evert Orlejov.

Story made non-profit, from a couple of fans to other fans.

Annotations:

"Dialogues are shown between quotation marks"

'Clarifications and messages are shown in single quotation marks'

The 3rd person narration is shown in normal letters

Words in italics indicate narration, monologues or thoughts of the character

UNDERLINED WORDS INDICATE LOCATIONS

{Words in Curly brackets and in italics indicate dialogue in a different language}

CRACK! PUNCH! BOOM! They indicate sound effects

Chapter 2: Second meeting.

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UNKNOWN AIRSPACE (DURING THE SECOND MONDO GROSSO CHAMPIONSHIP, ONE YEAR AFTER THE ESCAPE IN WALLONIA)

Chaos theory. Described as a branch of mathematics, physics, and many other sciences that deals with certain types of complex systems and nonlinear dynamical systems that are very sensitive to variations in initial conditions, and where even the smallest variations in initial conditions can involve large differences in future behavior, making prediction impossible.

However, one doesn't have to be a mathematical expert or some kind of scientist to witness the effects of this theory that is blessed to occur anywhere and at all times. The impossibility of predicting what destiny holds for one and what will happen in the next second, minute, hour, day, week, etc. It can be considered one of the main factors that make living something wonderful or something horrifying.

And for the sake of the preservation of universal equilibrium... the latter was currently occurring.

Within the heart of Chifuyu Orimura, within the mind of the black-haired woman, there was no room for anything less than chaos in her pure state; fruit of a chain of events that has led her to live the worst of her nightmares.

Her day had started quite well: after having consumed a delicious breakfast made by the hands of the person she loved the most in the world, she traveled to the stadium where the most important sporting tournament would take place today. All free of mishaps or incidents.

She received many stares when she walked through the gates of the stadium, the variety of which was quite an interesting fact. Most were admiration, many others respect, there were a few of infatuation and could not lack the hatred.

Chifuyu didn't care about those looks or the feelings or stories behind them. She was going there to win. She had claimed the title as the strongest woman in the world in that same tournament 3 years ago and she returned once more with the goal of keeping it. Her pleasure and excitement from her sporting fight was intoxicating to her, and the rewards for her victory were more than welcome. By the time the sun had set on the horizon, she would have already returned home with the results of her triumph over all other rivals.

That, until life made the decision to spit in her face:

She heard the news of the kidnapping of her little brother an hour ago, shortly after her 4th consecutive victory. What followed next was something that would remain on her record forever and in the memory of her millions of fans.

But she couldn't care less.

Chifuyu hurried out of the stadium, leaving the competition. The cameras captured the elegant and sensual figure of her clad in the steel that made up her Infinite Stratos. Reporters, like predators, began to interview her as soon as they saw her, microphones and tape recorders in hand.

She olympically ignored them.

Activating the flight system, she took off and traveled the skies of the earth, traveling kilometers and kilometers in a few minutes to the site where the intelligence department of the German army told her where her brother was.

The military offered to help her, but she asked to come alone. In the past, she had to stay in Germany for a few years to train cadets for the ISA. The Japanese woman was aware that if she asked for or accepted their help, it would be too long before she was able to return home.

Stupid military laws and rules.

PUM!

With a loud impact, Chifuyu landed on the outskirts of a seemingly deserted warehouse.

―Seemingly― was the key-word.

There was no time for a stealthy approach.

Crack!

She rammed the door, knocking it down completely. Several soldiers, if one wanted to call them that, pointed her out.

"She's that bitch!"

"She's that brat's sister!"

"Open fire!"

They took aim at her with their automatic machine guns and fired at her. As expected, ALL the bullets were stopped by the energy shield.

"Stupid assholes" Chifuyu spoke in a voice hybrid of fury and disappointment "Do you really think you can win?"

One could seriously question the intelligence of those men, as everyone knew that the Infinite Stratos could not be harmed by anything other than another Infinite Stratos or the Nanite Hackers.

Well, Chifuyu Orimura wouldn't waste her time dealing with the mentally retarded. She had to save her little brother.

Brandishing her weapons, she stalked towards her supposed enemies.

"Gha!"

She attacked the first one with her two katanas and pierced him cleanly across his torso and abdomen.

"Nagh!"

The second, she cut his chest from top to bottom, with the perfect depth and angle to mortally wound his heart. He fell dead bleeding.

"Ahhh!"

For the third, she sliced his abdomen horizontally. Blood and some visors did not take long to come out; it was an agonizing death.

"…"

The fourth he just beheaded him with one cut.

Many more attacked, but all fell like flies.

UNKNOWN WAREHOUSE (RIGHT NOW)

Through the roof of that decrepit structure, a boy has just entered the building where a massacre was currently taking place. Unlike the Japanese, this young man preferred to use stealth. He climbed on the wall and looked down.

He drew a throwing knife from his robes and threw it with extreme skill at the neck of a guard, ending his life in a fraction of a second. Then he went on his way, repeating that process as many times as necessary, without missing a single time and without fluctuating the rhythm for an instant. He took out as many guards as Chifuyu, with the extraordinary difference that they never knew the end of him was near.

Now he was in a perfect location where he could watch her fight. He took an interest in her and his eyes were fixed on her splendid movements and her extreme brutality. A magnificent and almost impossible mix between a professional dancer and a fierce warrior from the ancient kingdoms and empires of this world.

But she had made it.

"Man, die piloot geeft geen genade. Niet dat ik het haar kwalijk neem. Die klojo's verdienen niks beter{Man, that pilot really gives no quarters. Not that I care. Those bastards deserve nothing more}" He whispered to himself in his native language. Unnoticeable to anyone, even him, his tone was laden with a neat admiration for the black-haired pilot.

Out of the corner of his right eye, he saw a sniper standing and pointing at Chifuyu.

A modified Zastava M93 Black Arrow. Identifying the weapon that man was carrying, the young man quickly began to do calculations in his head and did not like the result. By itself, that weapon is powerful enough to kill an adult elephant with a single shot to the skull. After the modifications, it is now intended to kill pilots. A shot aimed at the head, without helmet protection and even with energy shields, there is a 60% chance of death from head injury. I better act immediately.

He began to move in the direction of the sniper. He leapt through iron bars with the dexterity of a monkey and continued to pass unnoticed with the stealth of a panther. For anyone else this would have been impossible but it is because this strange young man was using Parkour, the French art of fast and fluid movement on the space.

An art where he had become a master.

With his agile and precise movements, this young man managed to jump up to 10 meters between one point and another. Even doing a twist jump to show off (not that anyone has seen that, but even the best ones tend to reinforce his own egos). However, before he could get to the sniper, the distance was too much to jump right into the last stretch.

He quickly scanned the area for any help to achieve the goal. The black-haired woman would finish off those wretches in no time and when he stopped moving, the sniper would have his precious opportunity to take her life.

It was then that he saw a hanging metal shelf, perfect for swinging.

A smile appeared on his face. With a simple command from his mind, the strange young man activated his Nanites and they began to deform his right arm. Every cell that made it up, from bone and muscle cells to adipose and dermal cells, through blood cells and many other unnamed cells, changed. They changed in their location, in their own structure and in the functions they performed.

And what was more important: they changed in their material. What was once a limb made up of flesh, blood, and bone, was now made up of nothing less than solid but naturally moving metal. The result ended up resembling a prosthesis, but hundreds of times better. Something that was far beyond the comprehension of ordinary people.

But not for him.

"Gallic fury" he spoke, jumping onto the ledge, from which he held on with his modified arm.

He didn't stop for an instant: taking advantage of the physics, but especially the empowered capabilities of his limb, he spun himself in the direction of his target with impressive force.

PUNCH!

"Agh!"

The soles of his feet hit the sniper in the chest causing him to fall. The 2 broken ribs it produced soon doubled when the man lost his balance and fell several feet to the ground.

"Shit!" It was the rudeness that came from his lips the moment he slammed, drawing Chifuyu's attention. By a miracle, the sniper was still alive.

Unfortunately, he too was still holding his rifle in his hands.

"See you in hell, bitch" and he pointed this at the pilot.

When Chifuyu's eyes fell on the rifle, she caught her breath. The black-haired woman had also recognized that weapon and the capabilities that she possessed. From the distance and the shock, the Brunhild could not even react in time to evade the shot or use one of her arms as a shield.

Even if he didn't kill her instantly, the Orimura woman was aware of what her fate would be once that man pulled the trigger.

NO! She exclaimed desperately in her mind.

PUM!

CRACK!

Luckily for her, the shot was never fired. From the top of a structure, the boy jumped and landed on the sniper's back, horribly breaking many of his remaining ribs and producing intense agony for the man.

But he didn't stop there.

Chifuyu could have sworn that a sword suddenly appeared in the boy's left hand, who raised that entire limb only to bring it down with great rapidity...

SLASH!

Right in the middle of the target's skull.

The sniper's eyes widened and he made his last futile fighting attempts. Just a few seconds later, he fell, and this time forever.

The pilot analyzed the scene carefully and discovered that her eyes had not betrayed her: under the boy's hand a knife was present, stained with blood on one side of it. The bladed weapon disappeared as soon as it had emerged when the mysterious young man's right hand (now normal again) snapped his fingers.

The boy got off the back of his latest victim and stood next to his worthless corpse.

She looked at him paying special attention to his clothes. While the pilot was fully armored with the exception of her face and her hair in an upright ponytail that was split in two at her back, the boy, on the other hand, was more dressed for stealth, as he wore light brown pants and a dark sweater with a hood that covered his eyes.

She thought he took his outfit from a video game and frankly found it a bit stupid to do so. But he saved her life and she preferred to reserve her opinions.

"It's been a while, Chifuyu Orimura" the boy spoke as if it was the most natural thing in the world to refer to her in such a causal way considering the situation.

"How do you know my name?" And just because of the aforementioned, Chifuyu couldn't help but get defensive.

He smiled "I'm bad with names and faces, but yours isn't something you'll soon forget. It's only been a year since we met, but maybe my outfit is responsible for that. Let me show you"

He pulled off his hood and she recognized his face the moment she saw him.

Despite having a new scar next to his left eye, his gray-green eyes were one of thousands.

"Kerlongsj Orlejov. What are you doing here?" asked the Orimura woman in a hybrid tone between so many emotions.

She was surprised by discovering the true identity of the stranger. She was glad to see the young man who saved her life so long ago. And fear of what might happen.

After all, they were technically still enemies.

The boy smiled, but it was more like an excuse "I'll tell you, but can I get close without you killing me as you did with those guys?" He pointed a finger at the carnage that Chifuyu had caused recently.

Hell, some mutilated bodies were still dripping blood.

Brunhild considered it carefully. The IS pilots and the Nanite Hackers were 2 enemy sides both for objectives and for the use of their respective machinery to obtain power. The truth was that she should be capturing Kerlongsj or better yet: killing him.

However, she sent those rules to hell. The young man in front of her had saved her life twice and that made him worthy of earning her respect. If the higher-ups ruled it, she would have to go after young Orlejov and neutralize him by any means possible.

But not for today.

For today, the pilot and the hacker were only 2 warriors who were on the same battlefield without the word ―enemies― involved.

Chifuyu nodded and this made him walk towards her. She kept the Katana from her right hand and, even though she was Japanese, she greeted him in the western style by giving each other a hand.

"Man, no wonder you were first on the Hackers' threat list. I've never seen someone so strong. Even Azalof would have a very difficult opponent in you"

Chifuyu's mood changed after hearing the Gaul's words.

"Threat list?" asked the genuinely curious brunette.

"The biggest threat, which goes from people to organizations. They are on the list of the danger they pose to the cause. You were our number one"

"Oh, why am I not at the top anymore?" Chifuyu asked again with the same curiosity.

It was an established fact that she was the most powerful woman and pilot in the world. Being at the top of the threat list of an organization as strong and dangerous as the Hackers was just one of many ways that reinforced that fact. The fact that he was no longer at the top could only mean 2 things:

The first is that she had been lowering her performance and they no longer considered her a threat (somewhat humiliating in a way).

Or the second, and it was a much more alarming prospect, something had overcome her.

Well. That was something she would find out very soon from young Orlejov.

"After meeting you, my mentor told me to reveal everything about you… and I only did it after he removed you from that list"

"Hmph, I don't think that's a good idea" Apparently Chifuyu also had an ego that he needed to feed. And if the hackers felt that she no longer deserved to be at the top of their threat list then she would prove them wrong.

"You saved my life. If you wanted to stop us, you would have killed me back then"

Oh, so that was it. Chifuyu relaxed after finally finding out.

If she was getting it right, Kerlongsj had convinced the Hackers to remove her from the top of their list because she had saved his life. If Chifuyu were one of the so-called ―Government Dogs― that only carried out orders without question, she would have killed the Hacker just the moment she discovered his identity, even if that meant putting her own life, that of her loved ones, at risk, or worse yet, sacrifice them.

Maybe there were things the government (and especially her) had yet to find out about hackers.

But that's something for another time.

"It's true. Why are you here?" She asked, taking control of the conversation.

He smiled, but now it was more of a grimace.

"I can ask you the same. But wait, I know. It's about your brother"

She tensed every last one of her muscles and for a couple of seconds her lungs had refused to breathe.

That was supposed to be super-secret. Something hidden meters and meters underground and wrapped in the thickest tungsten plates.

"How do you know that?" Chifuyu Orimura didn't ask.

She demanded it.

Her left arm, the one still holding a katana, began to vibrate with the anger that from one second to the next had been born from the user of it. Her right arm, she was slowly making her way to her holster where she had kept the other cold weapon with the aim of removing it from her and reuniting it with her twin.

Kerlongsj's face became serious and he was searching for the right words both to convey precise information and so that they were not the trigger that made him a victim of the fury of the Japanese woman.

For multiple reasons, fighting the Orimura woman was the last thing he wanted to do.

"Chifuyu, I told you. That's my job. Information is everything. But I have to say, you know your priorities"

The brunette's gaze changed; it fulminates at him with her deep dark eyes.

"What do you mean?" And her voice became several levels more threatening and intimidating.

In normal situations, those 2 things would be more than enough for anyone to be terribly terrified and start shaking, or if one was still conscious enough, flee in terror.

Kerlongsj however, remained calm.

"You lost the final match of the Mondo Grosso championship despite winning the first with just a weapon. Congratulations on winning the first one, chapeau for stopping this one."

Chifuyu became a little, just a little, softer in her physical and verbal expression.

"I guess you know everything" she had to admit in a slightly defeated tone.

Just as Kerlongsj had told her before, one of the Hackers' greatest strengths was not their versatility (which by itself was tremendously high), but their unimaginable ability to obtain information.

If she had to bet, Chifuyu could ask any Hacker Nanite to search for information on some small, remote and very little known company and within a few minutes (if not seconds) he would get a highly detailed list of their production numbers, raw materials, lifetime income, incidents, machinery, as well as information from their employees, family members, lovers, and the hereditary diseases of their pets and the veterinarians who care for them.

And the Brunhild knew that even exaggerating, she was falling too short.

"We know many secrets and we know things before they are published" he replied simply, but his attitude had also changed to a more serious one "You are actually indebted to me for saving your life, but that is something I don't care about. I'll tell you why I'm here"

Chifuyu arched an eyebrow at that statement. While she was not surprised that Kerlongsj was charging her for that past event (she would have played that same card if the opportunity arose) the pilot was surprised that the Gaul was about to tell her the background of his mission.

She was here for personal reasons. He was here for the orders of a superior.

"A child that caught Azalof's attention disappeared. His name is Anaton. He knows nothing about hackers, Infinite Stratos or our secret world. He's not even one for the program" Quite simply, Kerlongsj shook his head before speaking again: "I wouldn't frankly give a damn about the guy, but Azalof ordered me to find him. He's the only one who can give me orders, so I did what he asked; I traced Anaton to this site. But I had my suspicions, now confirmed, that I would find you here"

"Why?" the Japanese woman asked with real doubt.

Unexpected for her, Kerlongsj took a huge step backward as he lifted both of his arms as a sign of keeping her calm.

Most likely, what young Orlejov was about to tell her was not going to like:

"When I was preparing to leave for my mission, I received the news of the kidnapping of someone named Ichika" his tone became devoid of emotion, even more so he maintained a remarkable solidity "Believe me when I tell you that I couldn't care less. And before you think I was being indifferent to someone else's life! I want you to know that our organization has to deal with much bigger shit on a daily basis than saving anyone who has nothing to do with it. Doing this type of mission represents a waste of valuable time and is a risk that no one is willing to take. The destiny of one life is incomparable to the destiny of thousands"

The Hacker was very confident in his good eyesight, so the fact of not seeing the slightest change in the tension of the pilot's muscles was an indication that his words and the truth they carried had not managed to trigger her fury.

Well, was that or the pilot had known how to hide it perfectly well.

Kerlongsj knew better not to risk so he continued:

"That was until we found out that Ichika is your brother. As soon as we found out about that, the operation was canceled. We all knew you were going to save him and nothing and no one was going to stop you. In the words of Azalof himself: The mission is personal for her. We can rescue Anaton when she is gone"

The green-eyed young man put a subtle smile on his face.

"But I insisted. I told Azalof to let me come and rescue our target even with you on the battlefield. He asked why I intend to go on a mission where I would possibly have to face someone so dangerous and I replied: I know how to deal with that woman" that smile got a little, just a little, bigger "And so far I don't understand how it was possible, but he accepted my words and… well… here I am"

Chifuyu was shocked. Was there anyone in this world who did not fear her?

"You think I'm not strong enough to tell your boss that you can deal with me?" And No. Chifuyu made no effort to hide the threatening and challenging tone from him.

Neither the most pussycat.

The young Gaul's face was surprised, but he was quick to reply, "On the contrary. You've done things a long way from my league. I have a lot of respect for you. I just don't fear you"

Something refreshing for her. Chifuyu had a cold and strict aura around her that caused all people to avoid her and even get out of her way even when she had no intention of doing so.

Tabane was her only friend at school. She found those Chifuyu qualities amusing rather than repulsive. And while the Orimura woman couldn't say that having the mad scientist as a friend was enjoyable 100% of the time, she was truly grateful for the existence of that emotional connection.

If they weren't who the two of them were now, the Japanese and the Gaul could have been very good friends.

"That's a new way of looking at me" the pilot spoke with an almost amused tone and expression.

The same ones that were shared by the Hacker "I know how you feel. You are too scared to make friends. It sucks, but I'm not the one to speak of. Besides Azalof and my four gang members, I have nothing to call friends" Kerlongsj snorted through his nose with an attitude that was a hybrid between exhaustion and resignation "But enough of the useless talk. Let's get back to the topic"

When the last word left his lips, the young Orlejov captured on his scarred face a look of unprecedented professionalism, while Chifuyu returned to adopt the icy expression and absolute seriousness that so characterized her.

"I found out where our targets are: Ichika is to the left of here while Anaton is to the right of here, but the qualities of his confinements make this situation really suck"

Chifuyu looked at him "What do you mean?" She had frankly failed to understand what he said.

He sighed and looked back at her before answering: "Anaton is a normal cell but heavily guarded by those bastards. On the other hand, Ichika is in a high-tech electronic cell with an extremely difficult encryption program. They put our respective targets in a cell that is practically impossible to access taking into account our capabilities but..." a mischievous smile anticipated what would undoubtedly be the definitive answer "which is terribly simple for us if our targets changed"

The Brunhilde arched an eyebrow, fully grasping the idea that the Hacker wanted to convey to her.

"I understand. Taking down an entire army is a walk in the park for me. But why not for you? Based on what little we have discovered, you are the next leader of the Nanite Hackers"

When the Gaul dared to reply, his voice sounded a bit arrogant:

"I'm a Support on the battlefield. It means that I am destined to heal my companions in combat. My brute strength is not fully developed yet. I can tear a city apart like it's nothing by taking out the power grid, but I'm not good at fighting with my bare hands" he said those words while he looked at her annoyed. The Japanese woman thought that, deep inside his mind, Kerlongsj was berating himself for lacking such an important capacity for the position that he was supposed to own in the future.

However, that was not a subject that should be pondered at this time, or what is more, that she cared.

"Then we agree. I will save Anaton while you save Ichika. We meet outside and we will change our objectives"

"That's just what I was going to say," the green-eyed young man said simply.

"However" the black-haired woman suddenly pronounced "Even with that difficult cell you mention, I don't think they left Ichika without guards"

She had planned to start criticizing his plan and the need to rephrase it, but she stopped when she saw his fierce gaze.

"I can fight, you don't have to think so damn humble of me. I can easily take five or six soldiers for my part and reduce them to corpses. Also, admit it Chifuyu: I'm countless times better at stealth than you"

Chifuyu was surprised by the harsh reply. Was the scorn of hackers the reason they fought? Couldn't the pilots act differently? They could be valuable allies.

"Well. I will trust your words" in the eyes of the Orimura woman, the fury that until recently had only shone for an instant, had returned once more "But you better bring Ichika alive" her voice was the millimeter reflection of that fury. The IS pilot was totally serious.

Undeterred, the Gaul replied: "As long as you do the same for Anaton" he offered her a hand "Good luck"

She nodded and left after shaking him.

ROAD TO ANATON'S CELL

Kerlongsj did not lie, although Chifuyu from the beginning did not expect him to.

Hidden behind a corner, the Orimura woman saw the presence of a large number of guards guarding the cell. Without exception, the arms of each held high-caliber rifles, clearly capable of automatic fire, at their waists a wide range of pistols and knives waited to be drawn. Shells of ammunition in their vests were ready to take the place of their previous brothers.

She had identified no less than 30 enemies...

And her target.

Chifuyu could see a small, blond figure sitting in a fetal position inside a dirty cell. His head was buried in his legs and his slender arms encircled them. Maybe it was because of the distance, but the black-haired woman couldn't see an iota of movement from the boy.

Was he crying? It was the impression that came from the mind of the pilot. She first thought of the weakness, but she reminded herself that this was a normal boy who knew nothing about Hackers or pilots.

Anyone would be scared, and whoever didn't, was a weird guy or an asshole.

Abandoning her cover, she walked calmly and steadily toward the guards.

"Oh, look what we have here" one of them spoke, drawing the attention of his companions. Whistles and screams of lust were also part of the noise.

Disgusting. She thought with total disgust That's why I hate men.

The alleged leader of the group approached her.

"Why a beauty like you in a place like this? It's dangerous, you know, but we can protect you" he said as he put his arm around her. From the laughs, Chifuyu knew that many agreed.

She smiled.

"I don't think I need protection"

Faster than the human eye could see and the brain could process, the Orimura woman kicked the man into his jewelry.

"It is you who should protect yourself from me"

Slash!

As natural reaction took over and the man bowed in pain, she activated the partial deployment of her IS and with a single slash, she sliced the man with her Katana right in the middle of the thorax.

Both parts of the corpse fell to the ground without pain or glory.

"Is she one of these pilots?!" one of the guards asked in amazement and fear, pointing his gun at the pilot.

"What is she doing here?!" Another had repeated the same actions as his partner.

"That brat is a hacker's business" she smiled "I think your friend was right about something: I'm lost" Without saying another word, Chifuyu fully deployed Kurazakura.

A spectacle of lights born from the gunpowder began to glow, each one a prelude to a series of countless blasts of lead which impacted against the shields of their target.

Shields that resisted with gallantry and solemnity the fatal attack altogether that would have shattered any other solid and especially organic target.

It was not the case with Chifuyu, not even close. Like a savage and ruthless storm, she began to push her way through the men. The number of rifles that blared thunderously dwindled, and she did so in an inverse proportion to the screams of pain, moans of death, and last breaths.

The smell of the burned gunpowder was gradually being replaced by the iron essence that emanated from the pools of blood that spread under the piles and piles of the dead.

On the other side of the massacre, the blond boy saw it all and was shaking.

ROAD TO THE ICHIKA CELL

Kerlongsj calmly walked towards his destination. As she had investigated, there weren't many guards, and the few that did exist were easily eliminated.

Which, of course, gave him the opportunity to lose himself in much less professional thoughts:

Unbelievable, I saw Chifuyu again here.

That was true: seeing the powerful black-haired woman again was something that made him very happy.

The last meeting he had with her was (for lack of better words) sour. He wished that his second meeting wasn't in the current circumstances, but he wasn't going to fool himself. He had seen and lived through enough shit to know that things never happened the way one wanted them, but that it was one's actions in combination with those of others that allowed everything to happen.

And to be frank: the current situation could have been much worse in multiple ways. Therefore, the young Hacker was grateful.

As he continued on his way, the green-eyed young man saw two guards standing by the side of the road. Without making the slightest noise, the Hacker deftly ducked into the shadows.

They may have something interesting to say. I better listen to them before delete them. And luckily, those idiots spoke loud enough.

This was going to be too easy.

"We already locked up this brat. Do you really think that Japan will deliver all its units?" questioned the first one clearly with doubt.

"Of course not" the other replied simply "but Chifuyu Orimura will make sure that happens. She really loves her brother. She would do anything for him"

"I see. Still, can you believe it? Finally we will have enough units, they even promised to do some research so that men like us can pilot them"

"That would be a man's ultimate dream. Become one of the few men who can pilot a unit. We could build a harem" they both laughed at their own jokes.

"You both told me quite a bit, guys" Kerlongsj stood in front of them as they turned around.

"What the hell..."

He never finished that sentence. Like his friend, a hidden blade cut their throats. They both fell to the ground, making their last desperate moves.

Ignoring the dead guards, Kerlongsj kept walking and could see that he was on the upper level of the warehouse. It was not long before he saw how the place was almost collapsing because of everything that lived in it. There were enough shelves to hide or climb on.

"Come on man! This is too easy for me"

It was then that he realized something important.

"Oh shit. I don't know where EXACTLY they are hiding Ichika" young Orlejov chided himself for his foolish carelessness.

Hackers were powerful in many ways, and the act of obtaining, collecting, and discovering information could be considered the greatest of them.

But powerful does not equal perfect. Much less when human carelessness is included in the equation.

In preliminary preparations before carrying out his mission, Kerlongsj had discovered the location of both Anaton and Ichika. However, since Anaton was HIS TARGET, he knew where he was located in great detail, but in Ichika's case (except for the complexity of his cell) he only had a hint of where he could be.

"I should have asked Chifuyu for his biological code" another of the almost miraculous virtues of possessing Nanites. With just a small DNA sample, one could trace any life form to its location or another closely related one, as in the case of a certain sister and brother Orimura "Well, then only the old and difficult way"

He saw two guards standing at the end of a shelf. It was dark and their bodies couldn't be noticed too quickly "Seriously, they're really stupid"

With his eyes fixed on his target, Kerlongsj leaped on one of the guards as he slashed through his throat with his hidden blade. The sharp steel blade passed neatly through the flesh of its victim who fell dead instantly and without being able to think, for the slightest moment, that his life had come to an end thanks to the hands of another.

Of course, the few milliseconds it took to end the life of the first guard were enough for the second to become aware of his presence and where the situation would go if he did not act quickly. He brought one of his hands to the radio that was located on his vest in order to raise the alarm and alert everyone on-site to the presence of the enemy.

That, in theory, was the plan. Plan that was thwarted when the mysterious assassin pushed him against the wall and all subsequent action was stopped thanks to the presence of a knife located a very short distance from his throat.

"Please forgive me. I have a wife and children!"

Seriously? The Gaul thought almost incredulously. He gave him a quick look. The man was not three years older than Kerlongsj, and his sweat fell mixed with tears.

"You have one chance to save your life. Where is he?"

"Who?" The man asked.

Kerlongsj didn't feel like putting up with doubts or nonsense. He hit the man in the face hard enough to make him spit out some teeth

"The Japanese boy. Ichika Orimura" although his tone charged with fury, he responded as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

The man winced and coughed up blood.

"In the center up there. He was there a few hours ago. That's all I know. Please do not kill me"

The hacker was overwhelmed by a dilemma. This man was a bastard, but no one lies at the time of his death (or at least he was expected not to). He gave Kerlongsj the answer he was looking for but he should kill him for the deeds he committed even though he did not know them.

He looked at it a little more closely. That guard was a boy, perhaps barely crossing the nineteen-year-old line. Young Orlejov finally closed his eyes and withdrew the blade, but at no point did he withdraw his hand.

"I won't kill you, but I can't allow you to walk around"

With a bored look, Kerlongsj activated his Nanites. A mist of celestial brilliance made an appearance, moving with the grace of the waters of a lagoon.

The man was surprised by the spectacle that took possession of his sight, forgetting for an instant that the individual in front of him was capable of killing him. His mind had returned to the reality of the situation when, in just an instant, the mist enveloped his head like a carnivorous plant trapping his next meal. The guard tried to fight but his efforts were less than fruitless.

2 seconds later, the subject had fallen asleep. There was not the slightest trace, mark or hint on his skin that would indicate to one that he had suffered harm, because the act that the green-eyed youth did not seek to cause the slightest harm.

Just sleep his target.

"In four hours, you'll be back" he said to the now asleep subject, although he obviously didn't expect him to reply "Well, I've lost enough time. It's time to save you, Ichika"

Bam! Bam! Bam!

Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam!

Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam!

The sound of multiple weapons firing in unison was all it took for young Orlejov to know that Chifuyu was having her blissful walk in the park.

"...And, I better hurry" without saying more, he went back up to the shelves.

WITH CHIFUYU (MINUTES LATER)

Chifuyu was killing the last of the mercenaries. She had taken their lives cutting them in half one by one. There were a few mutilated limbs here and there, but only because their owners let their instincts of self-preservation kick in when they saw their impending doom before them in the form of the most powerful pilot who ever lived.

The Orimura woman wielded her swords like second nature; it was not just a tool for combat, they were an extension of herself.

"Is that all they have?" she took pleasure in asking out of both defiance and arrogance.

But in the universe, every action corresponds to a reaction.

PUM!

Something heavy jumped down. Even she who was wearing huge armor was able to feel the vibrations that it produced.

"What?" was the new question that emerged from her lips when she saw what now had in front of her.

What was in front of her was at least 5 meters high. Its body was covered by thick steel plates and that same metal constituted its skeleton, same elements that were supported and combined thanks to huge screws, nuts, rivets, cables and complex mechanisms located here and there.

The center of the entire structure had an almost cubic shape with multiple cameras and sensors that resembled the eyes of a beast. At the rear, there were powerful thrusters that gave the machine tremendous speed. 2 powerful hydraulic legs acted as its means of getting around. And what would be arms in an organic being were replaced by a series of huge cylinders that made up the barrels of two M61 Vulcan.

A War Golem. Chifuyu was quickly able to identify what she was facing.

The RKM-7400 All Terrain Assault Machine, roughly known as the ―War Golem―, was one of the most advanced military projects designed after the birth of the Infinite Stratos. Its nickname comes from the mundane fact that its design resembles the creature from medieval folklore and Jewish mythology, a personification of an animate being created and born from inanimate matter.

There was no doubt in the slightest doubt that the robotic being did him a complete honor to his nickname: he was huge, robust, powerful and made of pure metal. With powerful defense and deadly attack power, the War Golem was a machine that anyone who saw it would think twice about attacking.

And in these moments...

CHK-CHK!

…Chifuyu was it target.

BAMBAMBAMBAMBAMBAMBAMBAMBAMBAMBAMBAMBAMBAMBAMBAMBAMBAMBAMBAM!

The robot took aim at her and the bullets flew through the air. The Japanese woman ran in a circle before the robot that micrometrically followed her movements.

She was not stupid. The IS was the largest and most powerful weapon ever built, but it was far from being a 100% invincible weapon and armor. Even with its shields almost full, the power of the cannons and the type of ammunition the Golem carried were enough to reduce them to 0 in around 10 seconds.

She just needed a small chance to defeat that thing.

Now!

And she got it.

Taking advantage of the difference in height, she ducked under the stream of bullets and delivered a powerful kick to a box that was there, which was sent flying right in front of its cameras and sensors. The robot's programming had it shoot and eliminate anything that was between its field of vision and its target.

That was it mistake.

BOOOM!

When she fired at the box, it detonated in a powerful explosion. The box contained flammable material, a fact that the robot's artificial intelligence had never noticed even with the multiple markings and signals that adorned it. The Golem had an amazing defense, but it was worthless when such a strong attack occurred so few centimeters from its main body and the rest of its mechanisms.

"Haaaaa!"

SLASH!

In less than a blink, the Orimura woman flew towards the machine and using her 2 katanas, she performed a powerful X-cut that knocked the robot down.

"If you fall for such an easy trick, you will not survive a second on the battlefield" were her words before quickly leaving the site.

BOOOOOM!

A new explosion larger than the previous one had happened the moment the robot exploded, taking another handful of mercenaries to the grave with it. Those who remained, four men, were terrified.

"As I told you: I think it is you who need protection" she said with a voice as solid as steel as she brandished her swords again.

"Aaaaahh!"

Slash!

"Noooo!"

Slash!

"Aaaaahh!"

Slash!

"Shit...!"

Slash!

Four seconds, four cuts, and four slags left this planet.

Without the presence of any enemy in the vicinity, Chifuyu walked to the cell that imprisoned the little boy.

"Anaton?" she asked as kindly as the situation and her own way of being allowed. The boy looked up.

If she hadn't spoken in a softer, more friendly tone, he wouldn't even think to look.

"Ja? {Yes?}"answered/asked the boy who was shaking. Something inside him told him that this woman was not a bad person, but the one-sided massacre that he witnessed a few seconds ago together with what he had experienced until now made fear of everything and everyone the predominant emotion of him.

"Ik ben Chifuyu Orimura. Je hoeft niet bang voor me te zijn {I am Chifuyu Orimura. You don't have to be afraid for me}"Chifuyu spoke in the boy's native language guessing that due to his age and origin, he should not have knowledge of Japanese. She kept her tone soft and friendly, an event whose occurrence was so rare that even her closest friends could barely count on the fingers of one hand "Ik ben hier om je te redden. Geef me een seconde om {I'm going to save you. Give me a second to...}"

"Miss, achter je! {Miss, behind you!}" the boy pointed and she jumped out of the way of a fireball.

When the pilot regained her position, she was relieved to see that the attack had failed to hurt Anaton. His cell was a pigsty, but it was solid enough to withstand that attack.

At the far end, she saw two standing robots. However, unlike the previous Golem, these had men inside.

"You could have defeated the prototype, congratulations" said the first, taking a threatening step with his machine.

"But no one will look at you when we're done with you" finished the second imitating the other's actions.

RKM-8000 All Terrain Assault Machine, also called ―War Golem Mk II―. Its design was almost a neat reflection of its predecessor, with the difference that it employed the type of weaponry that one would find in ISs and that could be piloted by one person.

Chifuyu Orimura's beautiful face showed a confident and triumphant smile.

"You are really looking down on me"

3 powerful machines were about to face off.

"Maybe they could defeat a normal person..."

And only one of them would come out standing.

"But it's stupid that they think they could do the same to me"

WITH KERLONGSJ

Kerlongsj ran freely into the cell, using the structures to move and the darkness to hide. Such was his mastery of stealth and parkour that the guards never suspected him of being there. Already in the center, he could see the cell and confirmed that the guy whose life he spared was not lying.

Ichika was there, but even within a low number range, there were too many guards to eliminate. He saw that in addition to them there were also scientists, and although at first glance they were the types that one had the least to worry about, they were counted as extra numbers of enemies with whom there was also the possibility of fighting.

He patiently waited for a good opportunity, but after a while it never came.

He then noticed that there were two women walking towards the place.

What are they doing there? It was the question that crossed the mind of the Gaul. But as soon as he saw the men bow their heads to them, he realized they were pilots.

Just to be safe, he largely refrained from using his Nanites. Although they couldn't notice him, he never took a chance when the lives of others were at stake.

However, he used them to break into the warehouse machinery and eavesdrop on the conversation. Lifting one of his fingers and emanating a few Nanites from it, Kerlongsj connected to the cables that made up the warehouse's sound system. Once done, he was able to hear the conversation as clearly as if he were right next to the speaker. It was not necessary for the Hacker to use headphones or to build them using his Nanites, as these immediately transmitted the sound to his brain.

Really, the Nanites were fantastic.

"Chifuyu Orimura is here. We have orders to take the child with us. Are you done with the experiments"

Kerlongsj shrugged.

Experiments? Even the Hackers didn't use prisoners for that.

"Yes, my lady. It's done, we have all the data we could use. He is truly extraordinary. You should see what we got"

One of the women had raised her hand.

"That, Professor Orzaf, is for another time. Can he take us with him?

"Yes, of course"

Seconds later Kerlongsj saw a huge, thick steel door swing open. The same door that connected to a long corridor and in which at the end of it resided the male Orimura prison.

However, rather than calling it a prison, it could be called a container: this place was as small as a broom closet; one did not know whether to attribute it to the dimensions of the design itself with which it was built or to the thick solid metal walls that formed it. The occupant of it, in fact, did not even have the pleasure of having his feet in contact with the ground: Ichika was hung from the wall by a huge gripping mechanism that supported and immobilized him from shoulders to feet.

I hope that boy didn't feel like going to the bathroom. It was the quick thought of the young Hacker imagining the awkward situation.

"We must do this quickly and carefully" said another of the women "Hackers are here too and they could use this information to great advantage"

Kerlongsj swallowed hard at the discovery. Hackers went underground for decades. Except for some senior politicians and Chifuyu and Tabane, no person within the ―normal― category knew about them.

The information must be valuable; it was valuable to them. The world's greatest treasures were not hidden in ancient structures or elegant museums, but between thousands upon thousands of lines of code.

If the Infinite Stratos pilots said that, it meant a lot. He could capture the data and use it for the cause, but what about Ichika? He promised Chifuyu that he would bring him back. Rescuing him was a small thing, but many small things make one great. Peace was a better long-term solution, so he ultimately made the decision. He waited until the women left and he followed them closely.

After so many simple things, the Gaul would finally face some difficulties.

WITH CHIFUYU

Chifuyu looked at the soldiers.

"What were they trying? Copy Infinite Stratos and use them to counter us? Pathetic"

That set off a trigger.

"You, disgusting" one of the two Golems fired laser bullets at the woman. She jumped, easily avoiding them

"Even the Hackers Nanites would pose a much greater threat" the black-haired girl jumped at them "Learn to fight before facing the Brunhild!"

She activated her Yukihira and flew towards the first robot.

SLASH!

She cut it cleanly from end to end. Its pilot only had time to gasp one last time.

BOOM!

And then it exploded.

The other also attacked, launching himself in a brutal onslaught. The Japanese woman just got out of the way and the robot crashed into a shelf. The huge bookcase collapsed and although it was not enough to damage the Golem, managed to limit its movements. The Orimura woman threw her sword with extreme precision at the damaged robot and after a few sparks (and the wet sound of her pilot being pierced), it died away.

"As I said: I think they underestimated me"

She walked back to the boy, who gulped just looking at her.

"Maak je maar geen zorgen. Zoals ik zei, ik ben geen vijand {Please, do not worry. Like I said, I'm not your enemy}"

Slash!

She cut the door open. The boy covered his face with his arms. She walked up to him and offered him a hand to get him up.

"Kom je mee? {Are you coming with me?}" The boy nodded and they left the hangar.

Chifuyu had followed through on her part of the deal. It was better for Kerlongsj to fulfill his.

WITH KERLONGSJ

The Gaul continued to follow the pilots down the long corridor. They were confident enough to speak out loud after everything that happened

"Do you really think Chifuyu Orimura is here?" The first pilot spoke.

"Yes, but in the wrong place" she replied to her partner and then looked at Ichika "Too bad for you, boy" she finished her words with a smug smile.

"Let me go! I have nothing to do with Infinite Stratos!" the young Japanese shouted vehemently. His tone lacked any hint of fear, but that didn't mean the situation didn't scare him.

He knew how to hide it very well. His sister would be disappointed if he gave criminals the pleasure of seeing him or hearing him feel afraid.

The first pilot reacted "You don't, but your sister does, she said, exuding pride and confidence "We want to get as many units as possible to be able to defeat Japan in a war against the IS"

Just hearing those words, Kerlongsj couldn't help but smile, and it almost burst into laughter.

No one could defeat her, pilot or not. Even when she was facing an IS, she could end it without using her. She was above Azalof's level.

And that meant A LOT.

Azalof was the best hacker in the world. He developed a completely new fighting style for short-range fighters. Thanks to this style he could defeat any other fighter in the world. Actually, it was no exaggeration to say that someone who had been trained in that could use a wooden stick against a katana and win with demonic ease.

Kerlongsj himself had been trained to fight like this, but he wasn't as good as Denzel or Sander, the two close-range fighters from his gang. He was a support type: he could fight and thanks to his natural ability, he was still a serious adversary to Infinite Stratos even if his abilities were focused on healing his companions.

Actually, he wanted to take his gang with him, but Azalof refused even before they knew that Ichika was in the same warehouse as Anaton. The boys received training from Azalof and the leader of the Nanite Hackers was looking to see if such training paid off.

For young Orlejov, this was really his first solo mission. For him, that was a serious task.

"Why did we kidnap the other brat?" Asked the second.

"Hackers were interested in him" answered the first pilot "If we get the units, we will use it to get what we wanted a year ago"

"Have you heard the rumor? They say that a punk member of the Hackers escaped helping Chifuyu and Tabane"

"Yes, of course I heard it. Never mind. We'll get what we want, thanks to that guy"

Now everything makes sense. Kerlongsj now understood why Anaton caught Azalof's attention.

The boy in question was something that Hackers called Chancer. Someone whose body could adapt to Nanites.

In his tender and ignorant impression, each new recruit to the cause viewed the capabilities the Nanites possessed as a miracle and not as a product of the most advanced science.

Even if that were the case, they would sooner or later realize that even miracles are fickle.

While the number of cores in Infinite Stratos was limited to 467, the number of Hackers was a number that could potentially grow. Comparing both sides, the Hackers had a numerical advantage, since on average there were 15 Hackers for each pilot.

At first glance, it seems that being a Hacker was tremendously easier than being a pilot.

A complete fallacy that was very far from the clear reality.

The virtue of being an IS pilot was limited to the female sex, the number of cores and the level of synchronization that each individual had with one of these.

Instead, the virtue of being a Hacker was limited to a simple and final question:

Was your body capable of adapting to Nanites?

If the answer was yes, then the candidate would be infused with his own ration of Nanites. Which, in just an instant, would create a most unlikely symbiosis with its host, with its owner. Resulting in one of the potentially greatest warriors that the texts of history never had the honor of capturing.

On the contrary, if the answer was no, then the aforementioned candidate would have his memory erased everything that had happened in recent times so that he could never reveal anything about the Hackers and would continue with his normal life as if such an event had never happened.

The simple act of ―trying― to introduce the Nanites into a candidate who insisted and begged for the opportunity but lacked the ability to adapt to them was ABSOLUTELY out of the question. The very few recorded cases of these events ended with the fool on duty lying down for a good number of weeks in the intensive care room of a hospital at best... and with such horrible and hideous deformities all over his body and whose description is best left to the imagination, at worst.

It was not an exaggeration to say that the selection of candidates and the introduction of Nanites in their organisms was an event whose level of caution and danger surpassed those that were implemented in nuclear power plants.

"I really don't know why we would use those Nanites for it. I mean, Infinite Stratos is strong enough. Nothing can harm us" one of the pilots had spoken again.

"Yeah, those hackers are worth nothing. Lots of barks and no bites. Typical of a man's thinking: refusing to see that women are the divine gender"

After hearing those words, Kerlongsj got angry.

"Then maybe I should show how wrong you are"

Now was the time to act.

The 2 cocky pilots looked up and saw him at the end of the ledge. Despite the words that just left her lips, fear hit them a bit.

The Hacker looked completely terrifying with his hood up.

Graa! Graa!

A non-human sound echoed through the air. It did not take them long to realize that it was the sound of an animal, but neither the jailers nor the prisoner could identify which animal it belonged to.

However, that was going to be resolved shortly, when by orders of his master and friend, the animal finally made an appearance.

Kerlongsj scowled at both pilots when a jackdaw landed on his shoulder.

"Jack, laa shay'a waqi'un moutlaq bale kouloun moumkine" he said a few words in a foreign language, which were incomprehensible to all who were below him.

But not for his faithful companion.

The bird reacted and celestial energy began to flow throughout the Hacker's body. Kerlongsj jumped as his bird took flight to safety.

Before the pilots could get away, he landed, surviving a fall that would undoubtedly have fractured his legs or even killed anyone else. He raised his head and gazed with deep, fierce eyes at his targets.

A wolf was about to eat some sheep.

"Haaa!"

The first attacked with a huge Claymore sword that she carried as a personal weapon. The woman attacked using simply surprising force and speed, but not enough to overcome the Hacker.

Kerlongsj only needed to bend down using his legs and immediately responded with a counterattack.

Punch!

"Agh!"

That was how his fist smashed into the woman's stomach, causing her terrible pain.

After seeing and feeling the power of the Gaul, the 2 pilots lamented enormously. They may be some of the users of the most powerful war machine ever built by mankind, but today they were the victims of what could be considered the greatest Achilles heel of all weapons ever dreamed, devised, manufactured and used no matter what it is.

For a weapon to work, this first had to interact with a user.

And by interacting, it meant that a person had to carry it on them, in their hands, or in any other way in which those weapons in question were intended to be used.

Simply put: the 2 pilots currently lacked their IS units.

Although even with them, their fate was sealed.

"Go to hell" said young Orlejov before acting.

The first blow to her stomach served to disorient and weaken his target.

Sling!

But it was the second with which he decided to take her life.

"Gah!"

Kerlongsj had transformed his other hand into a long, very sharp spear with which he ruthlessly pierced the pilot's rib cage. A skewer of the sternum bone, the heart and a vertebra had formed for an instant before the green-eyed man abruptly withdrew his limb, leaving his most recent victim to fall gracelessly to the ground and whose last and pathetic action was to bleed from a huge hole that now it was on her chest.

"Dead!"

BamBamBamBamBamBamBamBamBamBamBamBam!

The second pilot had barely screamed a curse and immediately began to attack. Unlike her now-dead partner, she used a firearm as her weapon of choice, a machine gun to be more precise. It was common sense that lead projectiles were dizzyingly faster and more deadly than the edge of a sword, and the woman hoped it would take no more than one magazine to take out the killer.

That would be her last mistake.

The young Orlejov effectively evaded the first bullets at the same time that he sent a new order to his Nanites. The small but powerful machines obeyed instantly and were again modified at a microscopic level allowing the reconstruction of one of the Hacker's arms which had now become a quadrangular shield. The bullets hit the defensive structure without making a dent in it. Each of the bullets hit and fell without causing the Hacker the slightest discomfort.

With powerful momentum, Kerlongsj lunged toward his target. She quickly ducked down, letting her survival instincts guide her in order to avoid losing her life or at least avoiding harm, but he was faster and with his free hand grabbed her face while deactivating his Nanites to have the other functional again and to hold the machine gun in such a way that it prevented the pilot from pressing the trigger.

"Let go of me!" She demanded angrily, but Kerlongsj was far from obeying that order.

With a simple movement, the Gaul took the weapon from her hands and then used it against her.

Bam!

He fired a bullet in the head and gravity took care of the rest of her.

"Fuck off" he said as he looked at the body of his prey. Blood came out of the hole in her forehead and her eyes were now empty and lifeless "You should know better to mess with us" to finish his words, and add more humiliation, he threw the machine gun straight at her to her face. Her corpse got a broken nose and it was the last damage she was going to receive from the mighty Hacker.

Hacker who, by the way, turned to young Orimura.

"Hey boy. So, are you Ichika?" he asked him with a reassuring smile.

"Who are you?" asked the Japanese boy, who did not seem terrified or disturbed by what he had just witnessed.

Something inside him told him that this stranger was someone he could trust who was not going to hurt him.

"Normally, you'd be grateful first for saving your life. I am Kerlongsj Orlejov. Your sister asked me to take care of you"

"Chifuyu-nee did do it?" Ichika asked almost incredulously.

His sister asking someone for a favor? That was crazy.

"I don't know why you added ―nee―, but yes, she asked me to do that" was Gaul's simple reply. Ichika definitely didn't need to know the details of her true mission.

"Oh, sorry, she's my older sister, so I call her Chifuyu-nee. That means big sister"

"Well, you always learn something. Let's get you out of there" and with that said, Kerlongsj put one of his hands on a control panel, which emanating its celestial glow began to hack into the system "Hell, this is complicated, but nothing that I can't overcome" was his comment at the few seconds, 15 to be more specific (which for a hacker was an eternity) so he decided to have a conversation with the black-haired boy to distract himself a bit "Hey, a question: what do you call a big brother in that case?"

"Well, then you add ―nii― at the end. Why do you ask?"

"Just curious, that's all and" he waited a few more seconds "We're done"

After some computational and mechanical sounds, Ichika's cell opened and the mechanism that held him did the same, inevitably causing the young man to fall.

"Oh no. I can't move my legs" the Japanese boy told his rescuer with considerable regret.

"You don't have to be depressed. You were inside that thing for a long time and it will be a while before you regain the sensation" Kerlongsj said as if nothing, guessing the feeling behind Ichika's tone "Let me help you" He offered a hand to Ichika who, although he did not know Kerlongsj, his aura calmed him down and he humbly accepted his help.

With a little jerk, young Orlejov helped young Orimura to his feet.

"You really are Chifuyu's little brother. You look a lot like her" was the new comment that came out of the Hacker's mouth.

Ichika had a silly look in his eyes "How do you know Chifuyu-nee?"

"I met her once, yeah, about a year ago"

From one moment to the next, Kerlongsj took the boy into his arms. He modified the Nanites under his feet, who in the glow of a celestial light regrouped to form a small but powerful and sturdy hovercraft.

In just a blink, both men flew out of that place.

"Don't you think they'll see us?" Ichika asked, more excited than scared by the experience he was living.

"There is no need to be afraid. I've turned off the alarms. Otherwise, they would have killed you hours ago"

"How?" The boy asked with a goofy look.

Had he really just asked him that question? I mean… didn't the ability to transform his limbs into weapons and the futuristic skateboard they were riding on offer him some indication of the very obvious answer?

"You are as smart as your sister is stealthy"

"What do you mean?"

The green-eyed closed his eyes and shook his head.

"Never mind"

WAREHOUSE EXTERIOR

Once out of the warehouse, the Gaul put his machines to use again and called Chifuyu.

"Hey Chifuyu. I have Ichika. You got Anaton, right?" He spoke with a bored tone, because he asked that question more out of courtesy than out of necessity.

It was undeniably obvious that the Orimura woman would fulfill the part of er.

"Kerlongsj? How did you get access to my communication system? You know what: don't answer me. Sometimes I forget that hacker is the right word for you. And yes: I have Anaton. He trusted that you also have Ichika"

Again: the Nanites provided Kerlongsj with unprecedented audio quality, a quality that even the biggest companies with a modicum of relation with sound would kill for.

But even without the aforementioned audio quality, young Orlejov caught the lowly perceptible menacing tone that came from Chifuyu Orimura's vocal cords.

"What do you take me for? Of course I have your brother!" replied the Hacker proudly "I'll send you the coordinates of the place where we meet"

"Good"

A few minutes later, Kerlongsj flew to the spot he had designated and found her in the middle of the forest.

"I'm sorry if I'm late" was Gaul's comment.

"Don't worry, I arrived a few minutes ago"

Ichika looked at the pilot "Chifuyu-nee?"

Kerlongsj saw a strange look in the dark-haired woman's eyes when they made contact with her little brother.

Even he, who had met her once before, knew that she was excited.

"Ichika, I'm glad you're okay" she hugged the boy when Kerlongsj handed her Ichika.

"Where is Anaton?" Asked Kerlongsj.

Still hugging her brother, Chifuyu turned her head back "Hey, jongen. Je kunt nu tevoorschijn komen {Hey boy. You can go out now}"she spoked in the native language of Gaul, which earned her a raised eyebrow from the green-eyed man and made him wonder when the pilot had decided to learn it and for what reason.

"Goed. {Good}" A soft voice emerged from behind the black-haired woman.

The Hacker raised an eyebrow. Anaton looked a lot like him, except his eyes were blue and his hair was not as dark blond as Kerlongsj. Being only six years old, it was normal that he was much smaller than Kerlongsj.

Taking a few steps, Anaton walked until he was right in front of the young Orlejov.

"Wie ben jij? Ben jij ook een piloot zoals zij? Ze zei me dat je me zou ophalen.{Who are you? Do you are also pilot like her? She told me that you would pick me up}"

Kerlongsj smiled. Chifuyu didn't say too much to him and that was the right thing to do.

He ran his hand through the boy's hair before offering an answer:

"Ik ben Kerlongsj Orlejov. Ik ben geen piloot zoals zij. Alleen vrouwen kunnen een piloot zijn. Ik ben een Hacker Nanite, het gelijke van een piloot maar anders. {I am Kerlongsj Orlejov. I'm not a pilot like her, only women can be a pilot. I'm a Hacker Nanite, the equivalent of a pilot, just different}" the boy looked puzzled and the Gaul couldn't blame him "Daar moet je geen zorgen over maken, kleintje{That's something you don't have to worry about, little one}" Kerlongsj leaned in, so his faces and Anaton were at the same height "Azalof heeft me gestuurd om jou op te halen {Azalof sent me to pick you up}"

"Grote broer {My older brother?}" The boy asked.

Now that was a surprise.

"Ik wist niet dat Azalof een broer had. Maar de details zijn voor later. We gaan naar huis ok? {I didn't know that Azalof had a brother. But hey, I'll find out all the details. We're going home, okay?}"

The boy nodded and positioned himself behind the Hacker, beginning to follow each of his footsteps.

Graa! Graa!

A very familiar sound took over the air again. 3 of the 4 people present looked everywhere looking for their owner.

And Chifuyu the first to identify it. She did so the instant a little extra weight was accentuated on her left shoulder.

"Jack?" she asked the jackdaw, obviously not waiting for an answer.

Graa! or at least not one that she was able to understand and translate.

"It seems like Jack still remembers you, Chifuyu" was the Hacker's comment when he saw his little friend on the pilot's shoulder.

Graa!

"And it seems that he also missed me" was the response of the black-haired woman when the ball of obsidian colored feathers began to rub against her face. She refrained from saying any rude or hurtful comments when she heard Anaton and Ichika chuckling.

"Jack, zo is het genoeg. Laat Chifuyu met rust. We moeten naar huis {Jack, that's enough. Leave Chifuyu alone. We have to go home}"

Hearing the words of his friend, the bird flew off the Orimura woman's shoulder and now landed on the young Orlejov's shoulder.

Kerlongsj walked towards Chifuyu. There was one last thing he wanted to do:

"Thanks for the help, Chifuyu. You really helped me"

"Same here" she holds Ichika tightly, the lesser Orimura does not resist the warm embrace of his sister.

"Chifuyu" the Hacker caught the pilot's attention. He had undoubtedly ruined the emotional moment, but the sensitive information he had for the woman couldn't wait "I heard that they experimented with Ichika when he was there. I don't know all the details. My Nanites didn't tell me something that was too serious, but I don't have a complete picture of the situation"

She looked worried and scared, at least Kerlongsj guessed it, and so he spoke again:

"Chifuyu, I can say that you are thinking of the worst possible situation, but trust me: my duty in the field is to help and heal my companions. Thus, a quick scan is usually sufficient to rule out any damage or disorder. From what I can see, there's nothing wrong with your brother, but they'd better visit a hospital, it doesn't hurt to be cautious"

Young Orlejov would swear he saw a tiny part of the Orimura woman's lips curl into what could be defined as a smile.

"That's a relief" were the words of the black-haired woman "I hope to see you again. Sayonara Kerlongsj" re-activating her IS, she took off into the sky with Ichika.

"Saluut, Chifuyu!" He yelled after her "Ik hoop je snel terug te zien {I hope to see you again}" he said in a lower tone, just to himself.

"Zij was aardig {She was a nice lady}"was the little boy's comment, drawing the attention of Gaul.

Kerlongsj smiled "Dat hoef je me niet te vertellen. Laten we naar huis gaan {You don't have to tell me. Let's go home}"the boy nodded.

With another command to the Nanites from him, they re-formed the hovercraft.

"Cool! {Cool!}" Anaton exclaimed upon witnessing the flying board. One of the many wonders of science fiction movies had formed in front of his eyes and it was inevitable that his thoughts would somehow come out.

"Cool inderdaad {Cool indeed}" Kerlongsj said simply. That skateboard was very little compared to the other implausible wonders that Nanites were capable of, but for a child it was undoubtedly the best in the world "Blijf je daar staan of kom je op dit coole bord? {Will you just stand there or will you get on this cool board?}" He asked jokingly.

The blond boy didn't need to be told twice. He with a jump he positioned himself on the skateboard and then the owner of the same climbed.

"Hey, ik heb wel een vraag {Hey, I have a question}" Anaton spoke again.

"Ja?{Yes?}"

"Waarom worden ze piloten genoemd? Vliegen ze dan in een vliegtuig? {Why are they called pilots? Aren't they piloting a plane?}"

The Hacker Nanite laughed "Ze zijn piloten van een IS. Daarom worden ze zo genoemd{They pilot an IS. That's why they are called like that}" he answered the question, happy to hear it.

The tender ignorance of the children made horrible situations like the ones he had just experienced (and those that he would have to live in the future) much more tolerable.

"Nu hou je vast. We gaan naar huis {Now get ready. Let's go home}"were his last words.

Accelerating over the futuristic vehicle, he flew west to Flanders.

IN SKY WITH THE ORIMURA SIBLINGS

Chifuyu flew with a fast but calm speed. Not too hasty to overload her little brother's senses, not too slow to avoid ending this day as soon as possible.

Because she still had to tie up some loose ends, her current trajectory would lead her towards the Championship that had ended several hours ago.

"Chifuyu-nee" Ichika spoke calling his sister's attention "I'm sorry for the match"

The Orimura male's words were totally laden with guilt, something the Orimura female was not surprised by.

That was her little brother: the size of his humility was the only thing comparable to his will.

She wouldn't like him any other way neither in dreams.

"It was not your fault. I should have taken more precautions to keep you safe. Let's just forget everything that happened, okay?" she received a nod from her little brother.

"But who was that guy? He said he met you a year ago"

She smiled "A Hacker Nanite. I'll tell you all about him and the hackers in another time. He helped me escape from a very troublesome situation. All I can say is that he's a good guy"

"You are in love with him?"

Not a second after hearing those words be spoken, Chifuyu Orimura's face had turned totally red.

"Because, why…. WHY DO YOU ASK?! MORON!"

Punch!

Without warning, she butted him so hard that she sent her beloved little brother into the world of dreams.

When she flew further, her thoughts continued:

This fool is the second person to tell me that about Kerlongsj.

Chifuyu captured on her beautiful face an expression of uncertainty that that world had very few opportunities to contemplate.

But I don't know what it is to me.

Maybe… I should seek contact with him.

Putting an end to her thoughts, the Orimura woman dedicated herself solely to piloting her IS, which would take them to their home country in a short time.

---

Parody: Too many Ichikas.

Kerlongsj had disposed of both pilots and proceeded to open the cell containing Ichika.

"Curious" the Hacker spoke "It's still a high-tech cell, but wouldn't a barred one instead of a solid door have been cheaper?"

That comment was the result of what his eyes were witnessing. The cell that contained Ichika was sealed not with the stereotypical barred door but a solid metal door.

"Well. I guess it doesn't matter"

After all, since when has the world not seemed like it was turned into a weird thing? Mecha armors, Nanobots that allow their user to mutate their arms into different weapons and tools… certainly the young Orlejov was not one to complain.

"Here I go" said the Hacker decrypting the door that kept the young Orimura trapped in the dark cell "Hello Bo..."

Punch!

"Schijt!" Kerlongsj blasphemed with intensity in his native language (word translatable to ―Shit―) when a metal piece had hit him squarely against his nose. Closing his eyes, he reached out with both hands to that part of his anatomy.

Chifuyu didn't say anything about her brother being violent. Thought the green-eyed men as he held back his tears.

Punch!

Punch!

Punch!

"Ichika, wait! I'm not who you think!" The Hacker shouted again upon feeling new blows with some metal object on his head.

"Liar! Let me go this instant!"

It was then that Kerlongsj knew something was wrong.

Because even though he didn't know Ichika in person, he certainly knew he was a boy.

And the voice he had just heard was DEFINITELY female.

Dodging the most recent of the blows, Hacker Nanite used his fighting skills to grab his attacker by the arms to stop him, make him drop the weapon, and lead him into the light for questioning.

"Where's Ichika?!"

"I am Ichika!"

"Eh?!" was the bewildered reply asked by the Gaul when he finally saw who he was holding.

And like every man with 2 damn eyes stuck in his skull and connected to his brain, he could only think of one thing:

She's… beautiful.

She was wearing a white shirt and over it a dark blue jacket, both with long sleeves, a lime green mini skirt, and black school shoes with white socks. Thanks to the type of clothing, one was able to see that the girl possessed skin as white and neat as the finest porcelain.

As for her body, she was the owner of long, beautiful legs of adequate thickness. Wide hips that gave rise to a most sensual waist and a firm and good size bust that created a strong sexual appeal without these being the only thing that stood out.

A face with fine features devoid of the slightest imperfection. Lips of a beautiful and vivid pink color that seemed like a powerful magnet towards others of the opposite sex. Eyes of a deep-sea blue color, that even upset in a look of fury, seemed like a sublime ocean where others could gladly sink. And short pink hair that fell to her neck but whose strands were so well-groomed and of such a brilliant color that they shone like a jewel.

She was definitely a girl with sensual and attractive measurements and attributes.

She definitely wasn't Ichika.

"I'm going to ask you one more time" said the Gaul, trying to hide his blush and cursing himself because the light from the hallway would surely (and despite his fury) allow the girl to see him "Where's Ichika?!"

"I already told you that I'm Ichika and that you let me go!" the woman answered angrily and trying to free herself from his grip.

"If that's true, your sister lied to me. She said that you are a boy" Kerlongsj commented mockingly.

"My sister? Which of the 4?"

The 4?

"The 4?" repeated Kerlongsj with a puzzled look. The girl just continued unsuccessfully to escape from his grasp but the Hacker had already had enough "ENOUGH!", he shouted much angrier than the girl in question who, surprised and scared, had stopped fighting. The young Orlejov pronounced his next words with absolute seriousness: "I need all the information possible to solve this mess, so I'm going to let you go and you have my promise that I won't hurt you... but if you attack me again, I'm going to hit you on the head and put you back in that cell. Have I been clear?"

Victim of fear, the stranger could only nod once in response.

Releasing the girl, young Orlejov looked directly into her eyes. Avoiding a further blush, he asked her the ultimate question:

"What is your name?"

"My name is Nakano Ichika."

Kerlongsj's eyes widened in surprise at such a revelation.

"That explains it" he said, bringing a hand to his face.

"Explain what? I still don't understand what is happening here. Who are you?" the female Ichika asked.

Swallowing a sigh, the Hacker replied more calmly: "My name is Kerlongsj Orlejov"

"It's a weird name. Your accent is also weird" was the comment of the blue-eyed girl.

"I suppose it is for a Japanese. I am from Flanders, a region located in Belgium" Kerlongsj told the girl his homeland to lighten the situation.

"Belgium... so you're American?"

The green-eyed young man twisted his face into a confused grimace "No! I'm European!" He exclaimed, shocked that the girl was wrong in the location of his country. My God. That's basic world geography.

"Sorry, sorry" said the girl with an apologetic smile "I'm not very good at studies"

"Okay" Kerlongsj preferred not to investigate further. Something told him that the girl's incredible beauty was inversely proportional to her academic performance.

"You still can't tell me why you came looking for me" was Ichika's comment.

"Well, I didn't exactly come looking for you"

"But you said that was one of my sisters who send you. Was Nino, Miku, Yotsuba, or Itsuki?

"I wasn't referring to..." Hacker cutting off his words when he realized something "Why do all their names including yours refer to a sequence of numbers in Japanese?"

"Ara! Didn't I tell you?" she exclaimed, putting a hand to her mouth "We are quintuplets"

"Goeie God! {Mother of God}" Kerlongsj said genuinely surprised.

"What did you say?" The girl asked when she heard him speak his native language.

"Nothing important" said the young Orlejov, regaining his composure "I came looking for another person, a boy, who happens to have the same name as you: Orimura Ichika"

"Wow! This is a surprise"

"Believe me: no one is as surprised as I am" Because how the hell can these guys be mistaken for a target?

"So... Aren't you coming to get me out of here?" she asked with a sorrowful look.

And this time Kerlongsj couldn't help but sigh "Listen Nakano-san" the Gaul spoke using the corresponding honorific "I am... what in a certain way you would call a ―Secret Agent―"

"Like the ones in spy movies?"

"Something like that" He wouldn't even talk about the Nanite Hackers organization, but that was an acceptable enough analogy.

"That's great! My sister Yotsuba would love to meet you!" the girl exclaimed with joy.

"The problem, Nakano-san, is that I was sent to find ORIMURA Ichika. Not you" he firmly said his last name, trusting that the girl (silly as she seemed) would at least get the message.

From the sad expression on her face, it was safe to say that she got it.

"Please help me out! I promise I won't say anything to anyone; I just want to go back to my sisters" her eyes began to water "We were educated to always share and be 5 parts of a whole. If something happens to me and they think I died, that whole thing will be broken forever and they will be devastated. I don't want to imagine them that way. Help me get back to them" looking at him pleadingly, she finished with one last sentence: "I beg you"

Kerlongsj was at a real crossroads. On the one hand, he had no reason to help this girl, and on the other hand, he really didn't want to destroy a family like that. There were several orphans among the Hackers and those who still had parents or siblings had to cut all ties with them under the deception of having suffered fatal accidents or being killed in order to abandon them to join the fight for the cause.

In the end, he made a decision.

"It's fine. I'll help you" said the Gaul with a smile.

!

"Ugh!" which changed when the blue-eyed girl unexpectedly threw herself at him, hugging him completely.

"Thank you very much" she spoke softly, putting her head on his left shoulder "Really, thank you very much."

"Control yourself a little, girl!" exclaimed the aforementioned, pushing aside the female Ichika "Remember that I have a goal and I can't waste time on hugs"

"Ara! Ara!" said the pink head amused "So it is true that secret agents cannot fall in love?"

"When did I say I fell in love with you?!" Now Kerlongsj yelled in surprise.

"Well, I saw you blush when you held me in your arms. It's a hint, isn't it?" although Nakano was clearly joking, her tone could also be heard as if she was serious.

"Don't say things that can be misunderstood!" Gaul pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Sorry, sorry" the girl had smiled again, a smile that the Hacker had preferred not to see in order to prevent his cheeks from turning red again "I know we already said our names, but I think we should introduce ourselves properly: I'm Nakano Ichika, the eldest of 5 quintuplets and a high school student"

"Nice to meet you. I am Kerlongsj Orlejov, a secret agent" the Hacker a little simpler in his presentation.

"I'm sorry for attacking you and I'm sorry for the way I behaved"

"There's no need to apologize: I understand that you were scared and it's normal that you tried to defend yourself" Kerlongsj spoke calmly and wisely. Then he realized something "What did you attack me with by the way?"

The green-eyed young man found it very strange that the blue-eyed girl was now the one who dyed her cheeks red "N-n-not important…" she spoke softly and quite low.

However, Kerlongsj was able to hear her "Of course it's important. If you have something that works as a weapon, you're going to need it"

"But you're going to be protecting me! It's not like that?"

"Yes. But even then, you have to use something as a weapon for further protection. It doesn't matter if it's weak, it's better than going totally unarmed" Hacker Nanite said with a tone of wisdom and experience "Well then, what was that?"

"Nothing!" she exclaimed with a frightened tone and covering Kerlongsj's eyes with her hands.

"How nothing? Don't be silly and let me see!" It didn't take much effort for the Gaul to push them away, although the female Ichika was quite insistent.

"No! Please! Don't look!" Nakano yelled with a frightened tone.

"Not look at what?" he asked finally pushing the woman out of his way. It was then that he saw what she had used as a weapon to attack him "Really? It's just a bucket, Nakano-san. An unorthodox weapon if I may say so. Why didn't you want me to look the bu...? Oh God"

And it was there that Kerlongsj Orlejov again realized something VERY IMPORTANT.

The girl's cell possessed nothing but its own occupant.

There were no light bulbs, chairs, tables, beds...

Toilets.

Therefore, by pure damn common sense, that metal bucket was the place where the girl had to fulfill the most human and most humble basic needs of her as a living being.

"Nakano-san" Kerlongsj could count all the times he was deeply ashamed of his own actions... and this was added to the list "Forgive me"

"Let's just go, please" the tone she used was that of someone absolutely embarrassed.

"Of course" said the Gaul and they both left that cell, never to return in their lives. However, one last doubt had arisen from the Hacker's mind "Hey, Nakano san"

"Yes?"

"When you attacked me... the bucket was totally clean, right?"

SLAP!

ATTACHED HALLWAY (MINUTES LATER)

"I still don't understand why I'm still taking care of you after that" the Hacker spoke annoyed with the girl (and with himself, why deny it) while rubbing his face that now showed the pretty, red and quite clear mark of a slap.

"Because you told me you would and now you're paying for asking me such an unseemly question!" was the answer of the embarrassed Nakano Ichika as she grumbled behind Kerlongsj. They were both walking towards Ichika Orimura's cell.

"Oh, sure. That's why" Kerlongsj said emotionlessly.

"I withdraw my offer to introduce you to my sister. Did you understand?"

"Do not worry. If she is half as bad as the one who turns out to be the least bad of the 5, then I don't want to meet her" the young Orlejov replied with his words injected with sarcasm.

"You should change your attitude so you'll never get a woman to fall in love with you"

"Just wait for the next chapters"

"The what?"

"Alright, we're here!" Kerlongsj yelled, definitively cutting off that conversation.

The same type of cell was in front of him with the same type of console. Activating his Nanites from his hand, and ignoring Nakano Ichika's gasp of surprise when he saw the light blue glow emanating from his limb, he began hacking the system to open the cell door to rescue one Ichika (and possibly trade him in for another).

When the door opened Kerlongsj was the first to enter.

"Okay, Orimura Ichika, it's time to…" he stopped abruptly "Oh god!" he yelled at what he saw inside.

"Kerlongsj-san, why yelled…? Oh god! " Nakano did the exact same thing when she saw what was in there.

A girl convulsing.

"Kerlongsj-san, we must do something!" was the pink-haired girl's exclamation.

We must not… I must.

Running straight towards the girl, Hacker Nanite placed both hands on the body of his now patient and activated his machines again. In a single instant, the light blue glow took over the girl's entire body while his miraculous machines ran through each and every one of her cells.

At the same time that the Nanites were beginning to heal whatever was causing the seizures, Kerlongsj did a quick diagnosis of the young woman and found her to have a very high cortisol level.

The stress hormone. I guess I can't blame her.

Using his Nanites to remove the necessary amount of that substance from her blood, the girl had finally stopped convulsing.

Kerlongsj exhaled in relief.

"So... are you a secret agent and also a magician?" That question, conveyed by words full of innocence, came from the female Ichika.

Looking over her shoulder at her, the Hacker replied in the most terrifying tone he could muster:

"If I tell you, I'll have to kill you" and with that Ichika took a step back and didn't question him again.

"Tomo-kun"

They both turned to see the now conscious girl, who was slowly opening her eyes.

She was a tall girl though not as tall as Nakano, with cream-colored skin. Her clothes consisted of a school uniform made up of a white undershirt and a pale yellow long-sleeved shirt, a dark green miniskirt, black socks with a brown school shoe.

Her expression was…flat to say the least. Her eyes were red in color, she possessed rosy cheeks and her mouth seemed to be perpetually in a triangular shape, however her facial expression in general was very, very flat.

"Hey girl! Are you okay?! Kerlongsj asked unceremoniously in a high tone.

"Hey! Kerlongsj-san, you shouldn't talk so loudly to a girl who just had a seizure. Also, from what I suppose, you already cured her" was the girl's comment when she saw what had just happened.

"That doesn't mean I shouldn't be careful" answered the Gaul firmly "This girl was under too much stress and that caused the convulsions; I have to make sure she's okay anyway or they'll happen to her again. Do you want that to happen?" Having no way to contradict those words, Nakano chose to remain silent. Kerlongsj turned to the new mysterious young girl "Answer me girl: Are you feeling alright?"

Seconds seemed to last forever as they waited for the girl to respond. At a certain moment, she set her sights on Kerlongsj and the Hacker felt that he was going to get the long-awaited answer from her.

!

"HEY?!"

It was not so.

"Tomo-kun!" The mysterious girl repeated that name again as she hugged a very confused and stunned green-eyed Gaul by the neck "I will never let you go again, my beloved Tomo-kun"

"But what are you saying?!" was Kerlongsj's exclamation.

"I won't let you go again, Tomo-kun," the girl repeated her same words again with a warm and loving tone.

Perhaps, too loving.

"Hey girl: I have no idea who this Tomo-kun is but I assure you it's not him" Kerlongsj pronounced his words with a very clear tone of anger in an attempt to make them reach the head of his captor.

He smirked when the girl ended her bear hug to look him up and down.

SLAP!

"Verdomme!" Kerlongsj moaned in his native language (Word translatable to "Dammit!").

"You're not Tomo-kun!" the girl shouted energetically and with some fury after slapping poor Gaul, right on his missing cheek. She then quickly walked away from him.

"I told you that you shouldn't talk to a girl like that, Kerlongsj-san" Nakano said with total innocence as she subtly brought a hand to her mouth to hide him not at all subtle smile.

"Don't bother me" the young Orlejov pronounced those words with a certain dose of venom.

Ignoring the angry European man, Ichika Nakano decided to talk to the unknown girl:

"Hey, I'm sorry for Kerlongsj's actions. He's not very good at dealing with girls"

"It was her fault!" the annoyed young man exclaimed but was completely ignored by the pink-haired girl.

"But don't hold a grudge against him, okay?" Nakano said with a kind smile.

"Okay" was the response of the black-haired girl "Thank you for helping me"

"The one who helped you was me. You know?" was the sarcastic comment Kerlongsj.

"Kerlongsj-san, don't start" said Nakano looking at him hard, but the Gaul didn't flinch "But why were you like that to begin with?" he asked the girl with a questioning look.

She answered simply: "I was very stressed"

"I told you"

"Kerlongsj-san…" Nakano looked at him harshly again, but quickly turned back to the stranger at whom she smiled, "Don't worry, you're safe now. Those guys won't hurt you again"

"I wasn't stressed because those guys kidnapped me"

Nakano and young Orlejov raised an eyebrow after hearing those words.

"Oh, then why was it?" asked the pink-headed girl.

"It was because I didn't see my Tomo-kun" answered the mysterious girl with her flat tone, but with very clear indications of infatuation.

"Is it your…pet or something?" he ventured to ask the Hacker Nanite.

He got a bad feeling when the raven-haired girl hugged herself.

"He's my beloved and beautiful little brother" she replied with her flat tone but now with clear signs of infatuation "If I don't see or hug my Tomo-kun once a day, I start having convulsions and I feel like I'm going to die"

Oh God. It was the thought that crossed the minds of those who heard that.

"But is he your…foster brother?" he ventured back to ask the Hacker.

"Yes"

Thanks God. Again, Kerlongsj and Nakano shared the same thought again.

"By the way, who are you two?" Asked the black-haired woman, tilting her head.

"Oh it's true. With everything that happened we couldn't introduce ourselves" was the comment of the blue-eyed girl as she put a sweet smile on her lips "This is Kerlongsj Oreljab"

"ORLEJOV!"

"Don't let his grumpy attitude scare you. He's a good boy when he puts his mind to it, and he's a secret agent too! But don't tell anyone" she said, whispering that last part, making the dark-haired man shake his head "My name is Nakano Ichika, what is yours?"

It was then that the mystery girl finally introduced herself:

"Nice to meet you, my name is Mizuhara Ichika"

And in an instant, both Kerlongsj and Nakano's eyes widened in shock.

"What... what did you say your name is?" For the third time that day, Kerlongsj ventured to ask.

"Mizuhara Ichika" the dark-haired woman answered again with her monotonous tone "How curious: we have the same name, Nakano-san" she said, looking at her with her flat gaze.

"I see" was the somewhat petrified response of the aforementioned, then she turned to look at the Hacker "Hey Kerlongsj-san, do you think that..."

"DON'T SAY IT" her words were overwhelmingly cut off by a dark-haired man who was breathing hard "Don't you dare even bring it up" he finished his words turning around and starting to leave that room.

"What's going on?" Mizuhara asked Nakano.

"It's a bit difficult to explain" she said while she herself tried not to lose her composure "It all started when…"

2 MINUTES AND 6 CORRIDORS LATER

"Then: Kerlongsj-san is a secret agent sent here to retrieve a boy named Orimura Ichika, but on the way he has met us, who are also named Ichika. And now he has an obligation to protect us both until we get out of here"

"You know, I really don't have an obligation to protect you both" the Gaul commented sarcastically when Mizuhara summarized everything Nakano had told her (who, by the way, had added the part where Kerlongsj had to protect them both).

"Come on Kerlongsj-san, don't be like that with us. It is gentlemen to save and protect damsels in distress" were the words of the blue-eyed girl as she smiled.

"Whatever" replied the black-haired man as he stared at another cell "Please God, let this be the real one"

Making use of his Nanites again, the hacker opened the cell to this new cell.

"Ichika Orimura, are you here?"

However, remembering his previous experiences with the wrong Ichika's, Kerlongsj carefully entered the cell while shielding his face with both arms.

!

"Whoa!"

Which prevented him from evading what happened next.

"Please! Save me from those bad men!"

The voice of the one who had said those words possessed a very sweet and high-pitched tone. Together with the feeling of small arms wrapping around his legs, it was what gave young Orlejov the idea that the person in that cell was only in early childhood.

As he pulled his own arms away from his face, Kerlongsj found that his thoughts were correct.

The girl in question could not have been more than 5 years old; a rounded and childish face in conjunction with a height of less than one meter and 20 cm supported that fact. She wore a little black trapeze dress with a light blue undershirt, long socks, and black children's shoes.

The girl had a strange combination of colors in the strands that made up her hair (which is saying a lot for the color spectrum that is usually seen in that world) because her medium-long hair was a light color with roots darker at crown. Complementing her chromatic diversity, she was the owner of large and expressive violet eyes.

Eyes which in these moments could only express the deepest of fears.

"AWWWW!" A sharp and quite loud expression had caught Hacker Nanite's attention, who turned his head back only to see Nakano bring both hands to his cheeks as she gazed (bright with emotion) at the mysterious girl "She's so cute!"

In fact. Kerlongsj himself could say that the childish features of the girl and that unusual color combination of hers made her look cute, but that matter was a trifle considering the situation that was taking place.

"What happened to you little girl?" was Nakano's question, getting closer to the girl with black and white hair.

Still holding Kerlongsj's legs, the girl replied:

"I was in the park playing with my parents' friends when suddenly I smelled something delicious. I went to get the food and some bad men took me with them" it seemed that at any moment, tears would well up in her eyes "I don't want to be here. I want to see my parents"

"Poor thing" said the beautiful girl with pink hair as she stroked the girl's head, reassuring her a bit "Don't worry: Nakano-onee-chan is going to protect you from those bad men and take you to your parents"

"Oh? So always you know how to fight?" Kerlongsj injected those words with a lot of sarcasm.

"Obviously you will continue to protect us, Kerlongsj" said the girl simply.

"So you won't take care of her at all?"

"I will take care of her in the most important way of all"

"And that's?"

"The emotional one"

"Loop naar de hel {Go to hell}"

"What did you say?"

"Nothing important. Let's get out of here" were Kerlongsj's words as he very simply separated the girl from his legs, who immediately ran to hug Nakano's legs.

"Don't judge Kerlongsj-san by his words. He is a good person, although many times he needs someone to guide him in the right direction" was the comment of the beautiful blue-eyed girl.

"We just met less than 15 minutes ago, Nakano-san. Don't talk as if we were lifelong friends" the Gaul commented with annoyance, but was ignored by the aforementioned.

"Thank you, Nakano-onee-chan" replied the violet-eyed girl with a happier tone.

GROOOOOOOOAAA!

An unexpected and deep sound made everyone turn their heads towards the only infant present, whose face, it is worth mentioning, did not have the crimson coloration of tomato until less than 5 seconds ago.

"I'm sorry" she said in a rather low and rather embarrassed voice "I haven't eaten in a long time" she finished her words by bringing her hands to her stomach.

Young Orlejov didn't say anything, but the Nakano girl started to laugh lightly before commenting:

"You remind me of my sister Itsuki"

"Really?" asked the girl.

"Yes. She's also weak from food and when she's hungry, her stomach sounds exactly the same" Nakano's words weren't meant to cause depression in the slightest, but rather to empathize with the little girl.

"I'd like to meet her" were her words.

"Perhaps one day if we meet again. In the meantime, do you think you can stand your hunger for a bit?"

"Of course, Nakano-onee-chan!" the girl with black and white hair answered happily. That was the first smile she had shown since Kerlongsj and company had found her.

"Ara! I just realized we never ask your name, little one. Sorry about that" Nakano said, clasping his hands apologetically.

"Don't worry, Nakano-onee-chan" was the answer of the mysterious girl implying that she wasn't angry with her new ―Onee-chan― (who, by the way, was more than happy to be called that way) "My name is…"

Long before the girl's words came out of her mouth, the Hacker Nanite had already sent a huge prayer to god; imploring him that his worst fear not come true:

…please… please… please… please…

"...Kaneki Ichika"

"Nondeju!" Kerlongsj exclaimed, almost devastated, patting his forehead with one of his hands.

Nakano did not even need to understand the Gaul's mother tongue to know that he had blasphemed (and whose precise translation was "Damn!")

"Oh. Another Ichika" was Mizuhara's comment, who hadn't mentioned a word in a long time, and the last ones were pronounced with her usual flat tone.

"How another Ichika?" asked the now girl now known as Kaneki Ichika with a very confused tone.

"W-w-well you see, Kaneki-chan..." Nakano began to speak without really knowing what to say, she quickly turned to the Gaul "Kerlongsj-san..."

"Don't get me into this" but the aforementioned cut off her words immediately as he mechanically turned around and began to walk "You take care of the emotional, did you forget?" and walked away with nothing more what to say.

"Nakano-onee-chan…" Ichika Kaneki had that worried look in her eyes again.

Nakano had no idea what to do.

OTHER MINUTES AND CORRIDORS LATER

"So Kerlongsj-san is a secret agent and he's looking for a boy with the same name as us?" The younger Ichika asked innocently after Nakano had summarized the situation for her.

"Basically" replied the pink-headed.

"That's cool!" Kaneki exclaimed with her childish joy.

This isn't cool in the slightest. It was the bitter thought of young Orlejov who was already getting fed up with this ridiculous situation.

Suddenly, the Hacker stopped his footsteps. All the Ichika's imitated his action.

"Kerlongsj-san, why did you...?"

"Shh!" The green-eyed man had silenced the blue-eyed Ichika "There are enemies nearby"

The group was hidden around the corner of one of the corridors. Apparently there were 3 enemies and Kerlongsj was sure that each one of them was armed.

Turning towards the girls, Kerlongsj whispered as low and clear as he could:

"I'm going to neutralize them. Stay hidden at all times and don't come out for anything" the 3 girls nodded.

"Be careful, Kerlongsj-san" were Nakano's words.

Nodding once, Hacker Nanite used his amazing machines to create 2 retractable tonfas. He might kill those targets using his knives, but he didn't want to traumatize his current companions.

Therefore his best option was a fast, accurate and non-lethal attack.

Now!

Coming out of the corner at high speed, Kerlongsj ambushed his targets in the blink of an eye.

Smack!

Smack!

Smack!

The thugs didn't even have time to aim their rifles or utter a word as the Hacker used his weapons on their skulls, leaving them unconscious.

He deactivated his machines before calling the girls "All clear. You can go out now"

The 3 Ichika's emerged from the corner to see Kerlongsj surrounded by a pile of armed but unconscious men.

"Wow! You really are very good, Kerlongsj-san" was Ichika Nakano's praise.

"Years of practice" was the simple response of the green-eyed man who after that looked to his right and there he found another cell like the previous ones.

He immediately got to thinking:

Unlike the previous cells, this one was protected by armed security guards. If these idiots are here… Ichika Orimura must be here for sure!

With a big smile on his face, Hacker Nanite activated his machines on the cell again causing it to open.

He was finally going to finish this ridiculous mission.

"Hello Ichika, I came to…"

"HAAAAAAA!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!"

There were 2 screams: one of anger and the other of fear. It all happened quickly when a spear emerged from the cell´s darkness and nearly pierced young Orlejov's head like a toothpick through an olive.

"Damned! I'll make you pay for locking me in this place!"

"Calm down a bit, woman!" was the shout uttered by Kerlongsj.

Yes. It was about another girl.

From an appearance of 15 to 17 years old, her clothing consisted of a black long-sleeved jacket over a white undershirt (which clearly showed the good size of her bust), black pants and red shoes.

In physical appearance, the angry girl had long black hair with red highlights, with an ahoge at the end. She kept her hair up in a small ponytail and wore a cross-shaped clip in her hair. Her eyes were ruby red, with dark circles beneath them. Her skin looked pale and she wore a stern expression that reflected her current mood.

"Don't you dare tell me to calm down! I'll kill you for what you did to me!" She yelled again at the stranger as she attacked Kerlongsj with her spear. To defend himself and deflect attacks, the latter had created 2 short swords with his Nanites.

"Verdomme {Dammit}, woman! Take a good look at me, I'm not one of those idiots who kidnapped you and brought you here!" That I'm surprised they got it in the first place. Commented the Gaul in his mind seeing how well the girl fought with her spear.

Those words seemed to have an effect on the violent girl, who stopped her frenzied attack before looking the only man present from head to foot.

Fortunately, she seemed to have finally calmed down.

"You are right. You don't look like those bastards who brought me here"

"I told you" Kerlongsj spoke defeated and with his arms down.

"But then, tell me who you are and why you have that man-eating demon traveling with you!" she yelled again with a menacing look.

"I'm Kerlongsj Orlejov and I'm a secret agent" said the Gaul, already getting used to that lie. Then he smiled amusedly "By the way, man-eating demon? That's an interesting way of referring to you" he turned his head back from him "Right, Nakano-saaaaaaaa...?" Kerlongsj could never complete his words.

Not with the scene in front of him.

Ichika Kaneki, a tender girl of less than one meter and twenty, was eating the body of one of the men that the Hacker had just knocked out recently.

And from the smile on her face, it was obvious that she was enjoying the taste.

Such a sight caused fear in Nakano; even her skin had lost several shades of color until it became as white as the violent girl's.

"Then answer me: why are you with that demon?!" the red-eyed woman asked again.

"I didn't even know that girl was a cannibal!" exclaimed Kerlongsj desperately, putting both hands to his hair.

Gulp! "I'm not a cannibal" Ichika Kaneki replied innocently as she delicately wiped the blood from her lips with a napkin (only God knows where the hell she got it from) and looked at the frightened people "I'm just feeding myself. I'm a Ghoul" she answered again in the same way.

"Ghoul? Do you mean those beings that consume human flesh as food?" the young Orlejov ventured to ask. Even among Hackers, the existence of Ghouls was still debated (and that was saying a lot).

"Yes" Kaneki-chan replied simply "Although I was born different and I can also eat human food"

"And why didn't you tell us that you were a Ghoul and why didn't you wait for us to get human food?" the Hacker questioned again.

"You never asked me" The extreme innocence with which she had said those words almost caused Kerlongsj to slap his forehead hard "And I was hungry. But my parents taught me to only eat bad people and if they tried to attack you, Kerlongsj-san, and locked up the black lady" she said pointing at the girl with the spear "in these ugly prisons, then they must be bad people. So, I broke the neck of this one here and started eating him"

"Oh. That's why he didn't scream when you started devouring his abdomen" Ichika Mizuhara had spoken again after a long time of remaining silent, with the same characteristic flat tone and without caring about the bloody and grotesque scene in front of her.

"Well, I don't care! I, Ichika Saotome, the Valkyrie of the Spear, will end your damn life!" the violent girl shouted, introducing herself as...

Another Ichika

"Nondeju Schijt! {Dammit! Shit!}" Kerlongsj yelled in his native language upon discovering that he would have to continue dealing with the same stupid situation.

Saotome pointed her spear right at Kaneki-chan's heart (who had started to shed tears) and was about to dash through it.

"Wait!" when suddenly, Ichika Nakano stood in front of the smaller Ichika with her arms outstretched, protecting her from any attack.

"Who the hell are you?" Saotome asked still with her spear held high above her.

"I'm Nakano Ichika" she answered firmly.

"Is your name like mine?" was Valkyrie's question.

"We all have the same name" that comment came from the girl with a monotonous voice "I am Mizuhara Ichika and this is Kaneki Ichika" she said pointing to the little Ghoul who was hiding behind her Onee-chan's legs.

"..." Saotome Ichika now wore a stunned expression "This is very strange"

"Welcome to my world" was the sarcastic comment of the Gaul.

"Whatever. Nakano! Why are you protecting that abomination?!" Saotome yelled.

"I'm not going to let you hurt an innocent girl" she answered with as much firmness and determination as she could.

"She's a demon that feeds on human flesh, your flesh. She is not an innocent child in the slightest. Even you were scared of her when you saw her eat that man, whom by the way she also killed without hesitation" Valkyrie's argument seemed to be impossible to destroy.

But Nakano tried:

"She could have attacked me, Kerlongsj-san or Mizuhara-san when we met to eat us and she didn't. She killed that man so he wouldn't suffer when she ate him, and she ate him only because she knew he was one of the bad guys who brought her, me and you to this place. None of us would be here if we hadn't been kidnapped"

The blue-eyed girl still maintained a determination and firmness that not even she herself knew she was capable of possessing.

"You're right that I felt scared, very scared, when I discovered the truth about Kaneki-chan... but she is still an innocent girl who only wants to return to her family and who can differentiate right from wrong, and that makes her human for me... So I won't let you lay a finger on her!"

All was silent for what seemed like endless seconds. Only the faint sound of their own breaths could barely be heard.

It was then that Ichika Saotome spoke:

"Damn. I'm not going to deal with this shit" She finally lowered her weapon "Do what you want then, but if you turn into her lunch don't expect me to come save you" She turned away avoiding and didn't say another word.

Nakano let out a huge breath that she didn't know she was holding.

"Thank you... Nakano-onee-chan" said little Kaneki.

The pink-head smiled before replying "Don't worry, Kaneki-chan. We won't let anything bad happen to you, right Kerlongsj-san?" She asked, turning towards the aforementioned.

"Yes, of course" said the Gaul as if he had no choice. Although he was a little impressed by Nakano's will, he was truly fed up with the situation he was experiencing "Let's just continue on our way please" he said as he started to move.

The blue-eyed girl gently took the violet-eyed girl's hand. It was then that she asked her a question:

"This...Nakano-onee-chan?"

"Yes, Kaneki-chan?"

Groooooo!

"I can take a piece of the bad man on the way, I'm still hungry"

"..." Nakano didn't know what to answer to that.

Kerlongsj began to quicken his pace.

SEVERAL MINUTES AND CORRIDORS LATER

Okay. I knew that these guys were stupid, but I never imagined that they would be so BEAST to kidnap countless people who don't even share the same-sex...

Crunch!

…or species with their target. It was the thought that crossed the Kerlongsj's mind as he listened to the little Ghoul eating one of her victim's arms as if it were a caramel apple while the Valkyrie looked at her with disgust and caution.

Nakano was holding her other hand, doing her best to ignore the sight and sounds of her.

Mizuhara… was Mizuhara.

They had reached another cell.

"God, laten we hier een einde aan maken" words translatable to ―God, let's fucking end this― Kerlongsj activated his machines again to open the cell already imagining what he was going to find.

But he had to try anyway.

"Are you Ichika Orimura?"

"No. I'm Ichika Takatsuki, a high school student. By the way, I'm an alien girl"

"Schijt!"

OTHER CORRIDORS AFTER

"Are you Ichika Orimura?"

"No. I'm Ichika Abarai. A Shinigami girl in training"

"Verdomme!"

OTHER CORRIDORS AFTER

"Are you Ichika Orimura?!"

"No. I'm Ichika Arima. I'm a high school student girl"

"Nondeju! {Darn!}"

OTHER CORRIDORS AFTER

"ARE YOU ICHIKA ORIMURA?!"

"No. I'm Ichika Usami. I'm a high school student and I can transform into a magical girl to fight evil"

"SCHIJT!"

OTHER CORRIDORS AFTER

"Schijt, schijt, schijt, schijt, schijt, schijt, schijt, schijt, schijt, schijt..." Kerlongsj found himself repeating that blasphemy non-stop, while his face contorted into indescribable grimaces and suffered rapid muscle spasms.

The rest of the Ichika's had made the wise decision to stay well away from him.

High school students, Ghouls, Valkyries, Aliens and Magical Girls… And they are all women! I don't know who is more stupid: the guys who kidnapped them or those who chose the guys to kidnap them. The Hacker produced so many negative feelings that he could feel how they slowly poisoned his body to such a level that not even his Nanites could cure him.

Just then, they had reached another cell.

I swear to god almighty if the next person/Ichika who walks through that door doesn't have a dick and balls then I'm going to tell Chifuyu that she can go to the shit and I will go find Anaton to get us out of this place. Kerlongsj's thoughts were so negative that they could alter the polarity of the magnets.

He once again activated his machines and proceeded to open the cell door.

"Godzijdank" {Thank God}

And luckily for him, his prayers were answered.

"Hey? Who's there?" From inside the cell, a MALE voice emerged.

It was a man, it was definitely a man. His complexion gave him away as masculine and his clothes matched those expected of someone of the masculine sex.

He had finally found Ichika Orimura.

"Ichika, I finally found you!"

"Do I know you?" Ichika asked with bewilderment.

"No, but I know you. I am Kerlongsj Orlejov, a secret agent and I have been looking for you for a long time to get you out of this place"

Hearing those words, Kerlongsj's face lit up.

"Thank you very much really. I never thought I'd be kidnapped on my way home"

"Don't worry about it anymore. The important thing is that you are well" the young Orlejov spoke with simplicity and joy.

"Is everything alright, Kerlongsj-san?" was Nakano's question. She along with the rest of the female Ichikas still kept a considerable distance from the Hacker.

"Better than good, girl. Couldn't be better" replied Kerlongsj still happy and mentally relieved.

"Is there anyone else with you?" the male Ichika asked curiously.

Kerlongsj sighed before replying "It's a very long and stupid story that's beside the point" Just hearing those words, Ichika knew he shouldn't dig any further "Let's just get out of here"

"Okay, but first I have to do something"

"Fine, but don't be late. Your sister must be waiting to see you" the Hacker said crossing his shoulders and turning around to give Ichika privacy. He probably wants to go to the bathroom or something.

"I don't have a sister"

CRACK!

Kerlongsj Orlejov's eyes widened and his head turn so fast that an ugly snap had sounded from his neck (although it might as well have been his mental sanity shattering).

Ichika took a step back in fear at the sight.

"What did you say?" Kerlongsj asked in a very low tone and almost hissing.

Ichika gulped before replying "I don't have a sister, Kerlongsj-san. I am an only child" there was not the slightest trace of lies in the young man's words.

And that's what the Hacker Nanite was most worried about.

"By any chance... what is your full name and what do you do for a living?"

By this point, Kerlongsj's every word was charged with the most intense pain.

"Ichika Nito, I'm a guitarist"

.

.

.

.

.

"Hey, are you okay?" was Nito's question.

But young Orlejov was not well at all.

"Hey! What's wrong with you?!" Ichika Nito's new question was totally understandable considering what he was witnessing.

Kerlongsj Orlejov contorted his face into the most contorted shape he had ever formed, multiple tics occurring at the same time in all the muscles that made it up. Every second, the entire skin on his body turned redder and redder until it reached scarlet. His breathing became rapid and heavy, blood vessels beginning to be noticeable in it from the large amount of blood he was now carrying.

His mouth showed his sharp teeth. The pieces of calcium and phosphorous screeched against each other, producing the terrifying sound of an ancient rusty hinge, at the same time that copious amounts of saliva and foam bubbles gushed forth. All of the above, complemented by a growl that bordered on the inhuman, ended up giving him the terrifying appearance of a rabid beast.

The muscles of the rest of his body were now in uncontrollable spasms and convulsions to the point of appearing to be the victim of an epileptic seizure. From one second to another, he raised both hands to his skull and pressed them against it with such force that it seemed that he was going to pierce his skull at any moment.

And that's when it happened:

"OTVERDOMMESEKREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET!"

For the safety of this world...

For the peace among all nations...

For the soul of all innocent humans...

For the life of all species of plants and animals that exist...

For the sake of universal balance...

For the conservation of the 4 fundamental forces...

For all that was good in this life...

That word, born and raised in the Flemish language, SHOULD NEVER FIND ITS TRANSLATION.

"Nito-san, what just happened? I heard someone yell"

Kerlongsj Orlejov stopped being a victim of rage for an instant when another man's voice filled the room.

"I don't know, Orimura-san"

Orimura.

"A guy just walked in the door saying he was coming to save me but when I told him my name he started getting mad and then…hey!"

Without waiting for Ichika Nito to finish his sentence, the young and still angry Orlejov strode towards another Japanese boy who was currently lying in one of the corners of that room.

"Ooh!"

And he took it with both arms of the collar of the shirt before beginning to ask him endless questions:

"Is your name Orimura Ichika?!"

"This... yes"

"Orimura Chifuyu's brother?!"

"Do you know Chifuyu-nee?"

"REPLY!"

"Yes!"

"Are you 17 years old?!"

"Yes"

"You are a man?! 100% male!"

"Yes"

"You are a simpleton student with nothing special in particular"

"Yes?"

"Are you a human being?!"

"As far as I know, yes"

"Don't you have a mother or a father, or grandparents or uncles, or any other family member to comfort and support you besides your sister?!"

"That's hurtful, but yes"

"Is your hair naturally black?!"

"Yes"

"Did you practice Kendo when you were a child?!"

"Yes"

"You will be nominated and will win the title for the greatest asshole and dense protagonist of any light novel, manga and harem anime of all time?!"

"Yes... wait, what?"

"One last question: Do you know how Shinonono Houki feels about you?!"

"Houki-san? She is my friend. What else should she feel for me other than friendship?

As the last word finished his response, Ichika Orimura was released from the green-eyed youth's grasp.

Even as he got down on his knees and joined his hands intertwining his fingers.

"Godzijdank, Godzijdank, Godzijdank. {Thank you god... thank you god... thank you god...}" he kept thanking the highest deity in his native language for several seconds.

"Nito-san, do you understand what's going on?" Ichika Orimura asked the other man.

"I have no idea. I was just going to wake you up so we could go together when this guy went crazy. I think it's better that we don't go with him" Nito looked very suspicious at the Gaul.

"NO"

Who by this point had decided to get back on his feet.

"You 2 bastards will come with me and we're going to leave this place once and for all" a psychotic look prostrated itself on his face, not giving rise to objections or denials against his words.

"Yes sir" both male Ichika's pronounced in unison.

The 3 left that cell and were surprised by the sight of the female Ichikas cornering in a corner. Nakano protected little Kaneki-chan. Mizuhara, Arima and Takatsuki were hugging each other. Saotome and Abarai were pointing their spear and sword at him respectively while Usami was in a fighting stance dressed in her magical girl outfit.

"I take back what I said: you are more dangerous than the ghoul devour-men" was the Valkyrie's comment.

"Fuck it! We're out of here!" he yelled furiously and began to walk quickly towards the exit "Ichika…"

"Yes?" 10 voices answered him.

"ORIMURA!"

"Ah" 9 voices exclaimed.

"What's wrong?" the correct Ichika asked.

"I am currently working alongside your sister to get you out of here. I'll contact her to tell her where to meet" immediately, he used her Nanites to create a small communicator with which to contact the Orimura woman.

*Hello Chifuyu. I have good news: I found your brother*

*You took a long time, Kerlongsj*

*You're welcome. How are you doing with Anaton?*

*He is with me. Do you want to establish the meeting place?*

*You read my mind. Let's meet east of the warehouse about 50 meters from the beginning of the forest. They won't be able to see us there.*

*Received*

*By the way… I'm bringing some unexpected guests. You won't believe what I found*

*How curious: I was about to tell you the same thing*

The communication had been cut off, but the last words said by the Brunilda caused the Hacker raise an eyebrow in bewilderment...

And that his stomach began to ache.

Ik heb een naar gevoegl. {I have a bad feeling}

EAST OF WAREHOUSE, MINUTES LATER

The group of 10 Ichika's and a Gaul were entering the thick of the Forest. In the short time that the Ichika's had been together, they got to know each other, told a small part of their past and generally became good friends.

"Kerlongsj"

A voice from outside the group caught everyone's attention. Turning towards their origin they met the black-haired woman named Orimura Chifuyu

"Hello Chifuyu" the young Orlejov greeted the Japanese.

"Chifuyu-nee! " Without wasting a second, the male Orimura ran towards his dear sister to whom he gave a huge and warm hug.

Under normal circumstances, the black-haired woman would have rebuffed such a display of public affection with a smack to the head of her little brother. But the strong and desperate emotions that she felt knowing that he was kidnapped and the joy of meeting him again, made Chifuyu discard that idea and instead return that same gesture to her little brother.

Just for this time.

"Are you alright, Chifuyu-nee?" was Ichika's question, charged with genuine concern.

"Fool... I'm the one who should ask you that" Brunilda's response was immediate. A small smile graced her beautiful face.

"Chifuyu, I hate to ruin this beautiful reunion but..." the young Orlejov spoke to both Orimura brothers "Where is Anaton?"

Instead of answering, Chifuyu look to a specific tree: "Anaton, je kunt je nu laten zien. {Anaton, you can go out now}" she said in the boy's native language and therefore also Kerlongsj's.

Anaton had come out from behind that tree and was heading towards the Orimura woman.

"Dit is Kerlongsj Orlejov. Hij is degene waar ik je over vertelde. Hij zal je naar huis brengen. {This is Kerlongsj Orlejov. He is the one I told you about; he will take you home}"

Nodding his head, the little boy walked towards the Gaul who received him with a big hug. The two quickly met and Kerlongsj discovered his relationship with Azalof.

"Hey! You are forgetting about us"

Another voice interrupted the warm moment again. Which caused the 2 Orimuras and the 2 residents of Flanders to turn back.

"Who are they?" Chifuyu asked, surprised to see the large number of girls (and a boy) that seemed to be accompanying Kerlongsj.

The latter sighed sadly:

"Remember I told you I'd bring unexpected company?" A brief nod from the Japanese woman answered his question "I'll let them introduce themselves" was Kerlongsj's last comment, loaded with a VERY pained tone.

And so… the show began:

"I am Nakano Ichika. High school student and actress"

"I am Mizuhara Ichika. High school student"

"I am Kaneki Ichika. I'm a Ghoul and I don't currently go to school"

"I am Saotome Ichika. I am a Valkyrie"

"I am Takatsuki Ichika. High school student and I'm an alien"

"I am Abarai Ichika. I am a Shinigami in training"

"I am Arima Ichika. High school student"

"I am. Usami Ichika. High school student and I transform into a magical girl"

"I am Nito Ichika. Independent guitarist and composer"

With each individual that was presenting themselves and granting her current occupation (and their species in some cases) the Brunilda's face slowly and painfully went from surprise to disbelief.

And when the last of the ―Ichika's― showed up, Chifuyu's face was the living image of the Poker Face meme.

"Chifuyu-nee, are you alright?"

Ichika's question, HER TRUE ICHIKA, brought her back to reality.

"I'm fine Ichika" she replied heavily "I just contemplate the level of stupidity of the world we live in... and how someone suffered the same as me"

Those last words strongly called the attention of the Gaul.

"Chifuyu... what do you mean ―same as me―?"

Instead of granting his answer to the Hacker, the Japanese only turned her head back before exclaiming a few simple words:

"You can go out!"

Within seconds, figures began to emerge from the bushes and trees. Varying in build, height, and gender, the figures presented themselves as another group of people who were now the center of attention for Chifuyu and company.

"Don't be afraid and introduce yourself"

Following the woman's invitation, the first of all was a girl with an appearance somewhere between American and Japanese. Her hair was blonde and was styled in 2 twin ponytails; she also wore fashionable clothes.

"I am Takamaki Ann. High school student and part-time model"

Kerlongsj Orlejov felt his stomach acid begin to creep up his throat.

An.

The next was a young man with long brown hair with an unfriendly look and wearing a black robe:

"I am Anakin Skywalker. Member of the Jedi Knights, an order of warriors who protect the Galaxy from the forces of the dark side"

An.

Next up was a little girl barely 7 years old with black hair and wearing a pretty red dress:

"I'm Ann Magnolia. I'm a country girl and I like to play with insects"

An!

The next was a very young person with a slim build who possessed long green hair and eyes of the same color. One would think that she was a woman, but upon hearing her voice they realized that she was an androgynous man:

"I am Shun of Andromeda. I am a Bronze Knight in the service of the goddess Athena"

An!

And the last of all was an older man dressed in a business suit:

"I am Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. And in the future, I will be president of Mexico"

AN!

"Kerlongsj, gaat het een beetje?{Kerlongsj, are you alright?}", Anaton asked the Hacker, worried after seeing how the latter had started to tremble.

But once again on that day, Kerlongsj Orlejov was not well at all.

"Grrrrrrrr…" An almost inhuman growl was coming out of Hacker Nanite's throat.

"Oh, no... here it comes again" was Nito Ichika's comment since it was he who was the closest spectator when the Gaul lost control.

"Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!" Kerlongsj continued to growl as his body exhibited the same signs of uncontrollable fury as before.

"Anaton! Hier komen! {Anaton! Come to my side!}" The little boy didn't think twice before quickly running towards the black-haired woman who had saved him and taking cover behind her.

After all, Kerlongsj was becoming more and more terrifying.

"GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!"

By this point, Chifuyu had turned her IS back on to protect the Ichika and Anaton. Anakin had activated his lightsaber while Shun raised his cosmos to protect both girls and Andres from Hacker's fury.

On the opposite side, Nakano had hugged little Kaneki again while Saotome, Abarai and Usami brandished their spear, sword and transformed respectively, protecting the rest of the remaining Ichikas.

"GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!"

Kerlongsj's fury had reached its peak and it seemed that the inevitable was about to happen.

Taking a powerful breath… the Gaul finally did:

"...fuck it" he declared in a tone so flat and emotionless that it even surpassed Mizuhara's "I won't deal with this shit again" he fixed his gaze on the little boy from his mission "We gaan naar huis, Anaton! {Let's get out of here, Anaton!}"

The little boy get-out after Chifuyu´s legs seeing that the danger had finally passed and rejoined the Hacker Nanite.

"Do you have any idea how we are going to get all these people back to their place... country... world of origin?" was Chifuyu's question to Kerlongsj.

"No, and to be honest I don't care" that final statement served as an answer.

"Kerlongsj…"

"Chifuyu, I've been through enough shit this day to last me the rest of my life. Also: there is no way for us to get all these people to their proper place. Neither your IS can adequately load and protect them all during flight, nor can my Nanites create a platform large enough to serve as a transport while protecting them during flight" Kerlongsj let his words stay for a few seconds "We would need of a miracle to accomplish this task"

"FOR THAT I AM HERE!"

A sudden voice filled the air. They all turned in various directions to identify their owner.

It was then that they saw a small, very small, PRETTY SMALL kite flying over Kerlongsj's head and leaving trails on its way.

"What the fuck?"

Then that comet settled on his right forearm and that's when young Orlejov got a better look at it.

"Against evil... THE ATOMIC ANT!"

It was nothing more and nothing less than a small red ant with an orange sweater with a huge letter "A" and a white helmet. Its morphology was quite far from its insect relatives and instead had a body structure closer to the human.

"Who... are you... you?" was Kerlongsj's new question.

"I just introduced myself. I am the Atomic Ant!

"Another ―An―, of course" Kerlongsj resisted the urge to slap his own forehead (mostly because his arm was currently occupied by this little creature) Let me guess: you are an Ant that received enormous amounts of radiation and thanks to that you obtained incredible powers"

"You hit the mark, boy! I can lift tons of weight, move at high speed, fly, and receive radio signals through my antennae"

"And how is it that someone as powerful as you were kidnapped by those people?" was Kerlongsj's question, a little less stupefied.

"They caught me using my greatest weakness" the atomic ant answered with a heavy and gloomy tone.

"Insecticide?"

"Sugar cubes"

"Oh. That makes more sense"

"Kerlongsj!" Chifuyu Orimura called the Gaul's attention "I'm sorry to interrupt you and your new... little friend. But we still have to get everyone to their house"

"Don't worry Chifuyu-san. Thanks to the Atomic Ant now I have the perfect plan to get rid of all of you… I mean! Take everyone home" the young Orlejov took a deep breath before continuing "This is what we'll do…"

Following Kerlongsj's instructions, Brunhilde had cut down a few trees of similar size and thickness with her IS Katanas.

Then, the Hacker Nanite was in charge of using his machines to clean, polish and cut those logs more finely until they were given the right shape so that some would fit with others in a similar way to the Okuriari technique where the wood is mechanized giving shapes that then fit like a puzzle and thus do not need to be joined with nails or screws.

Finally, with a little help from everyone, they fit the logs together in such a way that in the end they had built a kind of ship where everyone fit perfectly.

"It looks very pretty" was Kaneki-chan's comment.

"Kerlongsj, this is still too big for me to lift and handle properly" Chifuyu caught the Gaul's attention.

"You're not going to pick it up, Chifuyu-san" in response, he received a puzzled look "Our little friend here is going to pick it up" he said, referring to the Atomic Ant "you'll be in charge of the direction and I'll guide both of you through communicator"

"I'll capture everything with my antennae!" said the insect, moving its small appendages.

"Sounds like a plan" said the Japanese woman already resigned "Everyone go!"

And so, the huge group boarded the ship and sat comfortably inside it. The Atomic Ant lifted it with extreme ease while Chifuyu pushed it to maneuver it.

In less than a minute, they were in heaven.

"WAAAAAHOOOO!" was the cry of joy that almost everyone presents uttered.

"It's an amazing ship!" Was Usami's cry.

"It's the first time I get on one!" This time it was the Shinigami.

"Hey. What's the ship's name? " Ann Magnolia suddenly asked.

"What are you talking about Ann-chan?" the older Ann (Takamaki) asked the smaller one.

"They say that if you don't name a ship, it runs the risk of sinking" the young Magnolia gave her reason.

"I don't think that applies here, child" was the Valkyrie's harsh comment.

"Easy there, Saotome-san. Ann-chan only gave a small comment" Arima tried to appease the spear girl.

"But she´s right" this time it was Anakin who spoke "Where I come from, it's also customary to name ships. Even if we won't use it for a long time, this ship doesn't have an official name"

"Yes, it has one" the comment of nothing more and nothing less than Kerlongsj, caught everyone's attention.

"And what is the name, boy?" asked the future president Andres.

"Ik haat mijn leven" (I hate my life) was the response of the Gaul in his native language.

"And does that mean something?" asked Takatsuki, the alien girl.

"It's an inspiring phrase from my homeland" Hacker's new response was accompanied by a cheerful smile.

"Great!" answered the rest of the people in unison.

Yes. Kerlongsj has already lost his mind. It was Chifuyu's thought as she steered the boat; she was the only one who understood his words. A shame. I thought about asking him out on a date.

The group continued chatting and living together in different ways:

Anakin and Andres had a pleasant conversation about politics and political conflicts.

Nakano and Tamaki became friends almost instantly when they discovered that their jobs were very similar and that they both had great like in fashion (and that they were both airheads in studies). Somehow, they dragged Arima with them.

Nito and Mizuhara were talking about how to compose songs (particularly because the girl said that she had a desire to compose a song for her little brother where she declared her unconditional love for him).

Ichika and Shun were approached by Saotome, Ann Magnolia, Usami, Takatsuki, and Abarai. Somehow, they had decided that they were both the prettiest and/or strongest boys in the group and immediately started clinging to them.

Kerlongsj laughed at how things turned out for the pair of men.

He stopped laughing when he saw that Kaneki Ichika began to feel attracted to Anaton… and that it was reciprocal.

The group moved to a place where Takatsuki had left her spaceship and, thanks to some contacts, was able to get Anakin's friends to come for him as well.

They left Shun in Greece where he was greeted by his cranky brother in Phoenix armor and Saotome in Norway where she was greeted by her strange Valkyrie sisters.

They arrived at the small field in a distant region of Europe where Ann Magnolia returned to her house to hug her mother, who from a comment by the girl, they learned that she had a terminal illness. Forced by Nakano (and the rest of those present) Kerlongsj used his Nanites to heal her to the point where she would live for many more years and preventing a certain Auto-Memori Doll from fulfilling one of her saddest errands (I curse you chapter 10).

Going around the world, they left López Obrador at the door of his house just at the moment when the hitmen hired by his political enemies showed up to kill him. Chifuyu and (an obligated) Kerlongsj took it upon themselves to kill them (And that explains why they haven't killed my president until now).

Returning to Japan, Takamaki was dropped off very close to Cafe Leblanc, where she was spotted by her thieving friends. Futaba, a tech geek, attempted to climb onto Chifuyu's armor while Ryuji, a short-tempered blonde athlete, attempted to flirt with Chifuyu and the remaining girls.

Guess which one of them ended up with a smack on the head and which one with a broken heart?

Nakano was left on the balcony of the penthouse of the building where she and her sisters lived, much to their surprise along with her tutor Uesugi. She and Takamaki had exchanged numbers so they would see each other again in the future.

Abarai and Kaneki were dropped off at a park just as their parents were passing by (and just in time because the little Ghoul was getting hungry again).

Usagi was dropped off at her doorstep where she was warmly greeted by the rest of her friends who were also magical girls, while Mizuhara was taken home (before she had another seizure) where she threw herself into a hug towards his beloved little brother Tomo-kun with all her might.

They would swear they heard profanity coming from the little boy.

Arima was dropped off at her doorstep just as a lovely-looking blond boy arrived with a rose and chocolates. She asked them to leave her somewhere else and only gave up when Kerlongsj threatened to kick her off the ship.

Nito was left at the door of his house. He promised that he would use his lived experience and everyone he knew to compose a new song.

Chifuyu Orimura and Ichika Orimura were left at the door of their house. They thanked Kerlongsj for his help and invited the Atomic Ant in for a bowl of curry and a cube of sugar. The insect accepted without hesitation.

Ultimately, Kerlongsj launched the ship into the Sea of Japan before activating his nanites to form a flight platform with which he and Anaton flew in the direction of Flanders. He didn't leave the little boy with his older brother right off the bat because he didn't want to compromise the Hackers and the boy wanted to say goodbye to all the interesting people he had just met (especially Kaneki).

And they all lived happily ever after...

Until soon as it occurs to me to publish the next chapter.

End.

SUPER IMPORTANT INFORMATION!

Hello everyone, here the author VIRUS-GO bringing once and for all the next chapter of this renewed fanfic…

And also some messages:

First of all, I can't find the right words to apologize enough for taking so long to post this chapter. I know I said that this fanfic would be a substitute for my main story "Zero´s Wrath" to rewrite it and publish it more often due to the time and energy that boarding school consumes me.

Sooner than later I discovered that not even with this little fanfic am I able to support myself.

From the medical internship I have learned many things. Many good, many bad… many atrocious… but no matter what it is, in the end this one takes my life. It is as if it stole life from us doctors to give it to patients (which, looking at it carefully, is what actually happens).

However, I cannot blame everything on the internship because I have also enjoyed some of its benefits.

Every half month they give us a check with which to pay for some of our needs. Because I still depend financially on my father to live and he pays me for practically everything, a part of my money has gone to some things that I always wanted to buy, mostly video games.

On the other hand, my computer has been giving me problems when starting it up and I am sure that one of these days it will stop working for good. Luckily I always make a backup of all my stories up to the last chapter in many USB memories, so I can continue writing and posting on another device if I get the chance.

Also, very soon my father is going to buy me a new, more modern computer, so for now things are going well for my ideas and projects.

So the big question is: What is going to happen next with both my main fanfic and this secondary one?

Answer: The already established.

I will continue to use this fanfic as a substitute for the publication of my main fanfic, but I am not going to promise you that one or the other will have a fixed date for the publication of the new chapter due to, as I said, the time and energy that my internship and my worldly pleasures that I have earned with my effort.

In closing, again and as always, I wish each and every one of you and your families good health and well-being. There is very little left to get out of this pandemic once and for all.

With nothing more to add, see you in the next update.

END OF SUPER IMPORTANT INFORMATION!

This chapter was published on April 2, 2022.