Opening Song: Ice Cube - The Wrong Nigga to Fuck With

Time: 5:54PM – Command Booth

Tatenashi coordinated a school play called 'Cinderella' with Ichika as the lead role. The play has gone hectic because it turns out she set this up to the girls; whoever snatches Ichika's crown gets a privilege to be his roommate. Ichika was in a fiasco with the girls that are after him; on the other hand, Liu was ordered by Chifuyu on guard duty should anything occur during the play.

"Liu, I don't want anything happen to Ichika and the students at the festival. Fun time will have to be put aside." Chifuyu gave instructions to Liu on patrol duty. "This is an important job, you're on lookout until the festival subsides."

"Can you explain the reason for security? It's not like someone will barge in to steal something." questioned Liu.

Chifuyu slapped Liu with her clipboard. "Don't question the obvious. Pay attention to what I said earlier, and don't open your mouth again until I'm done."

"All right, all right, where do you want me to patrol?"

"Investigate the assembly, then the entire facility. Report back to me when you finish patrol the campus."

Liu nearly objected, but he rather go along to not get hit in the clipboard again. He was about to leave, but Chifuyu handed Liu a neatly packaged clothes. "This comes with a earpiece, so wear this, you might need them in the future."

He didn't understand the purpose of wearing the suit, but he begrudgingly accepts it. Liu was in a forest green business suit as he oversees the play that appeared normal with the audience sat still. He checked every classroom, cafeteria, bathroom and the locker room, no signs of danger. Still, Liu felt like the tight security was not a good idea for a mere school play. He did not enjoy walking the entire campus because his black dress shoes made his feet tiring, and had to go back up to return.

"Orimura-sensei, no signs of danger on the campus, I double checked to be sure." said Liu on the earpiece.

"Very well then, return and assist Maya with the security monitors." Liu groaned that he was not in the clear to take a break. While the play settled down for a while, Chifuyu sensed something's not right because Ichika was nowhere to be found in the play.

Time: 6:00PM - Locker Room

Ichika came face to face with a woman in a dark brown business suit, not knowing what's going to happen.

"Thanks for saving me back there." said Ichika, adjusting his crown.

The woman turned around and said, "Yeah, but I thought I should use this opportunity to take your Byakushiki away from you."

"Heh?" Ichika was dumbstruck of the woman's demand.

Her formal smile quickly changed into an evil grin. "I said, JUST GIVE IT TO ME ALREADY!" she kicked him, and smirked.

"So, w-who are you really?"

"Who am I, you ask? A mysterious beauty disguised as…a corporate business woman!" Her back bulged that revealed spider legs, each having blade tips.

Ichika raised his right arm to activate Byakushiki, materializing the exo-skeleton armor.

"I've been waiting for so long for you to SUMMON THAT!" Her long narrow eyes appear disoriented because of its evil aura. Like a predator ready to pounce, the tips of the legs revealed cannons to fire, and Ichika quickly dodged.

"Ooh, not too shabby!" said the woman, grinning sadistically.

"Obviously, you're not , so what's going on?"

"Haha, I called myself Makagami Ayako as an alias because that's not my real name!" Her clothes tore apart before a bright light illuminated the locker room. An ominous black, yellow 8-legged spider armor appeared that doubled the size of Byakushiki.

"An IS?" Ichika couldn't believe seeing an IS that menacing.

"That's right, the name is Arachne! You'll find its name venomous rather…potent." Ichika was not going to get beaten by Arachne, and took a battle stance.

"Here's a sample!" She raised her arms and fired lasers blindly, taking pleasure of the mindless destruction. Ichika dodged the projectiles whizzed past him.

"Damn…who are you?" Ichika demanded.

"What?! Don't you know? You could say I'm from an evil organization."

"You're kidding!"

Liu was about to return back to the assembly, but he heard the commotion in the locker room. He instinctively materialized Sockdolager, taking a cover behind a wall.

"Liu to Chifuyu! A fight broke out north side of the locker room! Multiple gunshot fire."

Chifuyu saw the fight unfold on the security monitor with Ichika defending his life.

"Backup Ichika and neutralize that IS right away!" Chifuyu commanded.

Liu ran towards the locker room, his Rattler materialized into his left hand, and fired one-handed. It caught the attention of Arachne, and unleashed a barrage of lasers in retaliation.

"Are you playing hero? Get out of here before I kill you!" said the woman.

"I find you ugly as hell whatever that thing is." Liu pointed out. Undeterred from the insult, she leaped onto a wall, hugging its cornered ledges.

She laid her attention towards Ichika. "What if I told you that I'm lady Autumn from the evil organization, Phantom Task. Does that ring a bell?"

Hearing the words Autumn, and Phantom Task send a cold chill down Liu's spine.

"Don't tell me you're working with those shitheads in suits!" said Liu in disbelief.

"Phantom Task?" Ichika wondered.

"Answer me this question, who is your boss?" Liu demanded at the woman.

"That doesn't matter to you, but why don't you give him a background of me and Phantom Task."

"Autumn…is an agent of the Phantom Task, an underground organization not to mess with. They're made to steal IS from all over the world, armed with deadly IS pilots to kill others as weapons of mass-destruction." Liu felt uncomfortable explaining Phantom Task to Ichika.

"Good boy! As a reward, you'll get to witness me sending this brat to hell, that is, if you're still standing!" She fired a rain of lasers as they find cover.

Ichika charged with an overhead swing, but Autumn blocked the attack easily. Ichika exchanged blows with Autumn as the two collided. Liu stands on his ground to give support fire while Ichika tries to break her defense. Its 8 legs allowed Autumn block every attack without breaking a sweat.

She's got too many arms, and her armor's too thick. Ichika came up an idea to destroy her line of defense.

"Flank from the right side, don't give her room to breathe!" Ichika yelled out to Liu. He flanked at her from the side that took some hits.

"You little-!" The distraction Liu provided gave Ichika time to slice Autumn's arm blade into pieces.

"What the-?!" Liu didn't stop firing at Autumn in his sight, and Ichika went on the offensive.

"Yeah, there's no stopping now!" said Ichika, giving his best to wear her down, but Autumn counterattacked with an overhead kick. She materialized an AK-style bullpup rifle, and shot live rounds at Liu. Because he was out of cover, he took some damage. Few bullets scored severe hits, and Liu staggered to find cover. Autumn pinned Ichika down, pointing her rifle at his forehead.

"Huh! You really thought you could take me on, eh?" Her shots pierced through his armor, and the tremendous impact spread to his body, dangerously depleting his energy shield.

"Oh no, this can't go on!" His thrust boosters ignited, reeling her back, and attack. His strikes only pushed her back, but sustain some damage.

"Not bad, you little brat!" said Autumn sarcastically.

"Shut up!" Ichika had enough of Autumn's sarcasm.

"Heh, that was kind of getting in too close." Autumn fired shots again that made Ichika find cover.

Time: 6:02PM – Command Booth

"Chifuyu! There's an unidentified IS detected in the locker room!" Maya said, watching Arachne attacking Ichika and Liu. Chifuyu folded her arms, thinking of a solution. "I knew they were going to attack from the day of the school festival, but how could there be just one?"

Maya waited for Chifuyu's further orders to take action.

"Maya, scan for enemy backup, order all general students to evacuate."

Time: 6:05PM - Assembly

Out of the bloom, Laura, Charlotte, Houki, Cecilia and Rin stood in the middle of the wrecked play, wondering where Ichika went.

"Come on, where the heck could Ichika had gone?" said Rin.

"Well, it's hard to say, but given that he runs like a gazelle, and we're hyenas."

"Hmph, this is because you had tried to come between me and my bride."

"Laura's right, Charlotte, none of this would happen if you hadn't interfered!" Cecilia scolded at Charlotte.

"For sure, blame the French." A siren blared over the intercom.

"Attention, an unknown IS detected in the locker room is currently engaging battle with Byakushiki and Sockdolager. All students with personal IS are ordered to deploy. Standby for orders."

They materialized their personal IS in less than 2 seconds while waiting further directions.

"Alcott and Huang, you're on patrol." Rin and Cecilia flew towards the sky to patrol.

"Shinonono, Dunois, Bodewig, support Orimura and Liu. Get down to the locker room on the double!"

Time: 6:07PM – Locker Room

Liu and Ichika were having a hard time dealing with Autumn that overpowered them.

"This crackhead's out of her rocker!" Liu said, crouching. "How are we going to take down that overgrown bug?"

"Follow my lead, Liu!" Ichika ventured, zigzagging around the room. Their perfect formation managed them to slip through the bullets like a shark cutting through water.

"You little brats, stay still!" She tried to shoot them, but the bullets damaged the lighting systems, and the locker room blacked out, leaving an aura blue dimly lit the floor. Eventually, her rifle ran out of bullets, much to her confusion.

This gave them a surprise attack Autumn can't escape.

"I got the front, you take the back!" Ichika commanded. Liu positioned to shoot her in the back.

"Ignition Boost!"

"Got you now!" What it looks like they got her, Autumn wanted them to land for her trap. She grinned, and sprouted spider-silk that wrapped Ichika in his tracks.

"Fucking shit!" Liu saw Ichika tied up, and tried to retaliate. However, Autumn slams his face with a devastating blow, strong enough to send him flying outside of the room, and crash-landed.

"That chump gave me a headache, but now he's out of the picture, my prey is ready to be served." Autumn said, glancing at the collateral damages she caused, ignoring Liu's major injuries inflicted.

"Liu!" Ichika yelled out to Liu, but no response.

"Aww, too bad he's permanently grounded, you're just a brat after all, and you came at me head on!" Autumn wrapped her hands to make a spider web, and Ichika was wrapped like a cocoon. He tried to break free, but it didn't do anything.

Autumn took in pleasure watching him squirm in her traps. "Hahahaha! This is a piece of cake! But that's what you get for underestimating the spider's web." Ichika gritted his teeth in anger that Liu was knocked out of the room, nowhere to be found.

"Finally, it's time to get this party started!" Autumn said, revealing a six-legged octopus-like device, and shrunk as it attached onto his body.

"Now it's the time to take your Byakushiki away." A surge of energy electrified his body.

"GYAAAAHHHH!" Ichika screamed from the insensible pain ripped through his body like he was strapped to an electric chair.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHA! I'll tell you something else while we're here! We're the ones who kidnapped you during the second Monde Grosso round, Phantom Task." Autumn mocked at Ichika's pain with her smile that angered him more.

"D-damn you.." Another dose of energy shocked his body, inflicting more pain.

"AAAAAAHHHHHH!" Autumn methodically tortured Ichika, nearly succeeding to steal Byakushiki.

"Ok, your usefulness has been expired, so I'll just kill you right now!"

A charming sound echoed the room that didn't match the current atmosphere with Autumn close to end Ichika's life. It was Tatenashi standing on the rubble, casually holding her fan in her right hand.

"Oh my, that would be a problem because Ichika happens to be my favorite."

"Where the hell did you come from? I thought all the systems were locked down." Autumn turned around, and attacked Tatenashi.

"Tatenashi.." Ichika saw her standing proudly as if she wasn't afraid of being killed for interfering.

"I'm the IS Academy's Student Council President, and I shall conduct this accordingly."

Autumn wastes no time to hear another word from Tatenashi, and pierced through her body.

"TATENASHI!" Ichika watched in horror. Something wasn't right because she did not flinch.

"What's going on, you didn't react at all?" Autumn questioned, and "Tatenashi" melted into water in Autumn's surprise.

"Water?!"

"You figured it out, that was a decoy I made from water." Tatenashi giggled in her IS, and strikes Autumn with her Heavy Rain lance.

"Liu is missing out, it appears he underestimated your mobility, and got blasted there." Tatenashi pointed at the fractured walls.

"Who the fuck are you?"

"My name is Tatenashi Sarashiki, and this is my IS called the Mysterious Lady, remember the name, beyotch!" Water slowly spiraled on Heavy Rain that turned into a circular motion resembling a windbreaker.

"I'm going to kill you…RIGHT NOW!" Autumn fired lasers at Tatenashi, but the water veil blocked the projectiles, nullifying them.

"This isn't normal water, what is this?"

"Just found out? My water is quite unique because nanobots control it that's being transmitted to IS energy, pretty sweet, huh?" Tatenashi proudly explained the water.

"Who the hell cares?!" Autumn yelled, materializing twin daggers to stab her only to be deflected by Tatenashi. Their weapons grinded, sparks emitted, and Tatenashi revealed her triumph card.

"Do you feel hot in here?" Tatenashi smiled.

"What?"

"I don't mean just the temperature, I mean the heat index."

"What are you talking about…?"

"As in, the humidity level makes the temperature feel hotter, and mist can penetrate through your armor."

"!" Autumn's eyes widened when thick mist covered the area, leaving her shocked.

"That's the expression I was looking for! The moment when your plan is crumbled into ashes." Tatenashi grinned, but more like a Grim Reaper intended to steal a soul.

BOOM! Tatenashi snapped her finger, and the next moment, multiple explosions covered Autumn. The joints paralyzed Autumn, rendering her vulnerable.

"I'm still standing!" Autumn shouted.

"Not for long, finish her off, Ichika." Tatenashi gave an approval nod to Ichika as he maximized his Yukihara Nagata and slammed Autumn through the wall.

"After her, Ichika!" They pursue Autumn, crippling away from her pursuers.

Time: 6:07PM - Academy Grounds

Liu was unconscious from Autumn's knockout blow, but he recovered only to find out the rubble blocked the entire locker room. His earpiece received a message from Chifuyu.

"What's the status report?"

"Major damage on the grounds, Autumn tried to steal Byakushiki from Ichika, and knocked me out cold. I'm going back in to save him." Liu tried to dig back through the locker room, but Autumn came crashing through the rubble, struggling to get away.

"Correction, Chifuyu, she's being chased by Ichika and Tatenashi." Liu fires, but his Rattler ran out of bullets.

"I'm not through with you!" Liu materialized his knife and lunges in to attack, but she does flurry of stabs to keep him at bay.

"You should have been dead by now." Autumn snarled, firing beams of lasers. Liu leaped far back to materialize Venom Slug and fires back. They did not take cover to hit their mark, but Autumn's laser shot Liu in the right shin.

Liu lost his balance, but steadies his aim to fire at Autumn. She evaded the attack, and punched him towards the tower prop. He tried to get back up, but his energy shield depleted.

"I don't have time for you." Autumn scoffed, walking away until an AIC confined her movements.

"There shall be no escape for you." Laura projected the AIC around Autumn.

Charlotte and Houki pointed their weapons, but purple drones blasted lasers upon them. A purple, butterfly-like enemy IS descended to rescue Autumn, not before slicing the AIC like butter. Laura could not take her eyes off from a simple swipe that destroyed her AIC.

"Is that the best you got, German Uber Soldier?" the pilot questioned Laura.

"Damn you…how did you know that?" Laura asked the pilot, but she didn't answer her question until she received a message.

"Yes, Squall, understood." The pilot turned towards Autumn.

"I'm here to get you, Autumn."

"Damn you, you will address me with respect I deserve." Autumn did not like the presence of the pilot because she didn't give her respect.

"There's too many combat ready units, we'll have to fall back." They take off, not before Autumn took her IS Core, and set Arachne self-destruct towards Charlotte, Laura, and Houki.

"EVERYONE! GET OUT!" Ichika storms in as Arachne exploded. Luckily, Tatenashi had water veil that protected the explosion. Their personal IS de-materialized, but appear fine without injuries.

Cecilia and Rin help Liu back to his feet. "Did they get away?" Liu said.

"Yeah they did, are you okay?"

"A little bit, fucking psycho bitch got me, but you should thank Ichika and Tatenashi that saved us all."

They regroup to take a rest from the fight as Chifuyu and Maya examined the stolen Infinite Stratos that attempted to steal Byakushiki.

"They extracted the core from the Arachne IS and detonated," Maya said, looking at the specs on Arachne and Silent Zephyrus. "The other one appeared to be Silent Zephyrus, or Blue Tears II, which was stolen from Britain."

Chifuyu folded her arms to recollect the events occurred at IS Academy. "This was the work of Phantom Task, correct?"

"Yes, their target appeared to be Byakushiki, especially since there's so much that we don't understand about Byakushiki as well."

"Right, then that's why I had Sarashiki train and safeguard Orimura, but..."

"I know, you were worried the whole time," Maya smiled, knowing Chifuyu had a good reason to have Ichika trained by Tatenashi. "And wishing you could take your place, right, ma'am?"

"Don't be ridiculous! And anyway, it's Sarashiki's job," said Chifuyu, frowning. "However, I need to keep an eye out on Liu as well. He told me something's bothering him that won't go away, and I have a bad feeling about it."

"Who could it be, ma'am?"

"Three Dragons."

Maya was puzzled of the unfamiliar name. "I'm sorry, who?"

"Three Dragons, also known as Guo Kwong-yiu," said Chifuyu. "A vicious teen associated with Righteousness Union. He and Liu have a bad relationship over many disputes, but fighting over an IS took the cake."

"I heard about Righteousness Union when they tried to sell an IS to Tabane, and she sent them to a hospital."

Still the poker face. "Somehow, Liu was able to operate an IS. Three Dragons saw the opportunity to get it whatever it takes. Not too long ago, he teamed up with an IS pilot named Kaori Saito."

"Who is Kaori Saito, and how did they know each other?"

"Three Dragons unexpectedly bumped into Kaori at a restaurant. They shared mutual interests of IS, breaking the rules, and that's how he became Kaori's handler. They committed high profile heists for profit and most of all, weapons."

Maya frowned. "Three Dragons can't pilot an IS, but he has committed heinous crimes with his partner! He must be stopped right away!"

"Three Dragons has extensive connections that makes him a threat, and I have a bad feeling what they're going to do next."

10:33 PM – Phantom Task Hideout

Autumn was beyond pissed off that she failed to steal Byakushiki, and the pilot helped her, which she didn't take it kindly.

"I didn't want your help, you need to stay out of my way!" Autumn grabbed the pilot's collar, and shoved her back against the window. "Stop interfering with my life!" The pilot kept her mouth shut when she indirectly embarrassed her.

"Say something, you stinking little bitch!" Again, the pilot remained defiant, and responded with a smirk.

"Damn you…!" Autumn's boiling point exploded, and brandished her knife.

"Put it down, Autumn." said Squall in her bathing robe. "You're making too much noise."

"Ahh, Squall!" Autumn blushed like a schoolgirl hearing her soothing voice.

"You need to calm down, it ruins your beautiful face." The pilot walked away to head to her room.

This is ridiculous…it's just stupid. The pilot wanted out of the nonsense.

"M, I want you to return Silent Zephyrs to maintenance when you get back." Squall instructed. "It obviously needs some adjustments."

"Yes, ma'am."

Squall pulled out her iPhone 6 to make an important call.

"You're not going to enjoy hearing the bad news, the mission was a failure."

M laid on her bed, staring at the ceiling. "Soon, very soon…I will begin to get my vengeance." M opened her locket that showed a picture of Chifuyu. "Yes, then we shall finally meet."

M smiled, having meticulous thoughts to accomplish her goals.

Time: 10:34PM – City Streets

A Marino Blue BMW M6 Gran Coupe cruised down the road with Three Dragons in the passenger seat.

"Tsk…the IS Academy students managed to repel Autumn, despite her effort. If it's a war they want, then we'll give it to them."

"Meet me in person to talk further about the partnership, Squall out."

Shen minded her own business to speak only when necessary, her eyes focused on driving. Three Dragons gazed at the window filled with luminous city lights before he turned his attention at Shen.

"Shen, set course to Autumn's residence."

"Yes, Three Dragons." The grand tourer car roared its twin-turbo V8 that echoed through the night.