Opening song: A$AP Ferg - Yammy Gang Ft. A$AP Mob, Tatiana Palino
Time: 8:50PM – Room 1025
Ichika was doing a research on the classmates' profile until Tatenashi crept up behind him. He was startled by her unexpected appearance that nearly fell off his chair.
"Agghh! When did you get here?"
"Hey! You're not thinking about asking the maintenance department for help, are you?"
"Maybe, but not for me. I thought I ask them a favor for Kanzashi's personal IS."
Tatenashi folded her arms as she sat on his bed.
"That might turn out to be more difficult than you think. I'm pretty sure Kanzashi's determined to assemble her unit by herself." She slightly sulked at her little sister's rejection for help. "She's hung up about it as I did mine that way, but I really wish she wouldn't worry about it."
Ichika was amazed how much Kanzashi would do to accomplish her goal, even if it cost her social life to dissipate. "You assembled your own IS?"
"Mmhmm, with a little help in advice from Karuko and the maintenance department."
Tatenashi playfully leaned forward to change the subject.
"More importantly, how's it coming along with Kanzashi?"
Ichika chuckled nervously he didn't want to bring up. "Actually…your sister slapped me."
"What?! But that's so unlike her! Normally, Kanzashi wouldn't want to waste her energy on something so totally unproductive." Ichika sighed to admit Kanzashi truly smacked him silly for not leaving her alone.
Tatenashi chuckled and said, "Did you touch her butt or something?"
"Now why would I do something like that?"
"Ahahaha! I'm just yanking your chain." Tatenashi laid her finger on her chin, "In any case, I can't believe Kanzashi would do that. Now I get it, you have a crush on her!" Ichika was bewildered from Tatenashi's crazy accusation he likes Kanzashi that was out of his belief.
Kanzashi laid on her bed, watching her favorite anime, wondering why she slapped Ichika, even though she didn't want to use unwanted violence.
Time: 9:18AM – Stadium
Two days away from the tag team tournament, classmates couldn't stop talking about which representative will take first place prize. They're not the only ones that were excited, those with personal IS are the captain of their boat to lead the way. Word around the town Ichika has been constantly asking Kanzashi to be his tag team partner; his friends were definitely not amused that will pay him back in due time.
"Oh, Ichika! You don't know yet, but I'll make you regret not pairing with me!" Cecilia in Blue Tears arose above the ground with multiple targets scattered her vision. She laughed shooting down the targets with her drones firing separately, and all were hit bullseye.
"Trembling fear as I, the legendary Cecilia Alcott and my Blue Tears lay your sad requiem!" Cecilia triumphed proudly at her scoreboard: 1300 points.
Rin in Shenlong barked over her interface like a general ordering his soldiers. "I just told you, dammit! I need you to get that package data on that Widespread Impact Cannon for the right shoulder unit, and I need it yesterday. You have three days to finish it, and I don't want to hear that you can't do it!"
She was mad Ichika had the nerve to go after Kanzashi, after what she did for him back in their childhood. Now that's been broken, the greet might end up in a bloody finale.
"And as for you, Ichika, you can cry, beg for forgiveness, but you're getting none from me!"
Charlotte in her personal IS freefall from the IS Academy statue as targets lined up like a centipede. She dual wielded Garm and fired at the targets. She used her Bread Slicer to hack and slash the remaining targets. "I will be your worst nightmare, Ichika!"
While everyone else trained vigorously, Laura sharpened her combat knife, grinning at the reflection of the refined blade. "I'm going to show you my true terror really is in fact…" She pointed her combat knife at the locker. "I will carve your very flesh, Ichika!"
Laura hallucinated Ichika was there as she threw her knife at the illusion. Suddenly, Laura opened her locker, and the knife dislodged a picture of her 'husband' on the forehead. If that were to happen in real life, there's no other way to fix it. Laura scurried through to repair her lover until an avalanche of combat knifes buried her.
"I need a medic! Get me a medic!"
Houki wasn't taking any chances to win the tag team tournament because Ichika didn't pick her. Liu slowly drew his katana he borrowed from Houki. She has a way to show her gratitude with tough love.
Showing you some mercy is the least that I can do. Houki prepared to draw her katana, unusual for her to train with a steel blade rather than her shinai. I'll make it quick so you won't suffer much, Ichika. She raised her katana above her head as Liu followed her, and were about to spar until a pair of hands grabbed Houki's breasts.
"Gotcha, Houki!" Tatenashi surprised Houki, which she blushed at her presence. Luckily, it was not a guy that groped Houki, but if that were the case, his head would be split open like a cantaloupe.
"W-what are you doing, Tatenashi?" Liu did not like Tatenashi show up inappropriately every time, looking at them aloof. Houki, however, was appalled at Liu not looking away.
"Don't look!" Liu raised an eyebrow, but that made the situation more awkward, and Houki attacked for disobeying her. Liu deflected the overhead strike as Houki tried to wear him down. Liu's bored face didn't match Houki's embarrassed, angry expression.
"Easy there, Liu won't fluster." Tatenashi giggled at them, Liu shook his head at her nonchalant teasing. Houki, still blushing sighed he did not react seeing her groped and settled down.
"So I've noticed you're training with a live blade."
"Well yeah, of course I am."
"Hey, there's a crazy idea! You and Liu should hook up!" Houki and Liu were shocked she would make them tag team partners. Initially, he was supposed to be with Tatenashi, but at the last minute, she changed the idea.
Time: 10:04AM – Facility
Houki and Liu stepped inside the full-body scanner as Tatenashi set up the databases.
"First things first, I'm going to check your physical data."
"Nothing creepy about that? Ok, whatever." Houki said, unsure of the body test.
"Sure thing, as long as you know what you're doing." Liu was confused why Tatenashi made him pair up with Houki. Perhaps it could be the chemistry that would fit them.
"Everything's all set, so let's get down to business!" The machine scanned their bodies from bottom to top for 5 seconds. Tatenashi observed the data from Houki and Liu, but had a different mindset after she saw her body.
"Oh my goodness!" Tatenashi exclaimed, looking at Houki's body, which she was supposed to input the results, not her physique.
"I-is there something wrong?"
"You got some really big boobs," said Tatenashi, comparing her chest size. "As a matter of fact, I think your dirty pillow might be bigger than mine."
"Hey! Is this what you want to look in there? This is serious business!"
Tatenashi laughed, and saw Liu's results.
"With your athletic body, you should -"
"Not in a million chance!" Liu interrupted Tatenashi before she could make another rude comment. She continued to laugh as she left the facility. Given the opposite personalities and fighting style, they're not exactly the right duo, but they'll have to resolve their obstacles.
"So that's her final saying to make us partners, whether if we like it or not," said Liu, shrugged. "Might as well plan out our strategies."
Houki waited, squirmed in her seat. "I can fight head on while you can provide suppressive fire in any direction."
Liu nodded. "The suppressive fire can prevent them to reach you. While they get distracted, they're vulnerable, depending where I hit them."
"Flank on the sides, front or back, they'll have less time to react, that is where I strike."
"Agreed, but I'm bad at taking hits," said Liu, looking around for something to say to her. "Sockdolager is pretty fragile, along with my poor defense capabilities, so I can't rely too much for you to cover me."
"Suppressive fire won't be enough either to keep opponents getting distracted, you'll have to stick with me if they overwhelm you."
"I hate to admit it, but you might be right that I'll have to fight up close, even though I don't like it. We'll figure it out somehow, there's a new weapon I want to test if our plan goes together."
"A new weapon? What is it?"
"I'll show you."
Houki and Liu walked to his personal IS, Sockdolager with a foreign weapon lay flat on the table.
"I'm not familiar with guns, so what kind of gun is this?"
"This is Fortissimo, a light machine gun made in China. I had the Russian Buzzsaw, but thing is too heavy that decreased my mobility, so I went for a smaller size."
Liu adjusted the bipod as he test out the new toy.
"I can definitely move faster thanks to its lightness, although it doesn't hold that much rounds, and only has iron sight, no scope attached. Furthermore, it shares the same .55 cartridges as Venom Slug, but in heavy rounds."
Houki didn't understand gun language Liu babbled, but she understood to know his reasons for smaller weapons. Observing the unfamiliar weapon, Houki wanted to feel what it's like having a firearm.
"I never held one before, mind if I test it out?"
Liu handed to Houki as she shouldered the Fortissimo, feeling the metal and wood that made up the gun. While inexperienced with firearms, Houki knows to keep her finger off the trigger when not intending to shoot. A target appeared as Liu gave the approval to fire the gun. Houki aimed down the iron sight, and fired. The smaller cartridges don't have potent as the .62 cal, but its heavy rounds are strong enough to expand damage. The recoil pushed Houki back slightly she did not expect, definitely more comfortable with her katanas.
"I'll stick to my weapons, thank you very much." Houki returned the gun back to Liu as he burst fire to decrease expansion of the crossfire. After firing his new toy, Liu dematerialized Fortissimo.
"Handles much better than my previous machine gun."
Houki scratched her head. "I admit it's impressive, but be on your toes because we don't know who we'll face. Come on, let's train to pinpoint what we need to work on, and tune our IS."
Houki and Liu presume training nonstop to sort out fighting tactics and weaknesses. While it may have been strenuous from Houki's strict training routine, Liu eventually got used to it thanks to Tatenashi that shaped him. Kanzashi couldn't stop thinking why she couldn't keep up with Tatenashi, despite being the Sarashiki family. She was determined to beat her older sister.
Tatenashi compared the data from Houki. "What's going on here? Advancing from C to S in such a short period of time? That's unheard of; I bet the key here is Tabane Shinonono."
Rin and Cecilia with their maintenance team worked on their personal IS, tuning its weapons systems and package databases.
"So I like to raise the booster output in order to improve my tuning ability."
"That's fine, but it's going to make the control unit more difficult, and you'll lose stability."
"I don't care about stability, I can't afford to lose this next battle no matter what it takes!"
"Hey!" said Ichika at Rin and Cecilia, much to their happiness, but not for long until he revealed a name they don't like.
"Have any of you seen Kanzashi?"
Rin and Cecilia were angry in zero to hundred because Ichika still doesn't understand their feelings to be his tag team; his desire for Kanzashi ruined their mood.
"You need to get out of here right now."
"That's right, we're going to have to report you!"
Both turned their backs away, but Ichika didn't understand why.
"I wonder what they're mad about this time?"
"Ahem! Would you please, Orimura?" Charlotte and Laura scowled; clearly displeased they didn't have Ichika as their tag team partner.
"Oh now I get it, everyone's probably feeling nervous because of the competition, then I better get a move on too!" Ichika thought they were mad because of the tournament. However, that's not the case because his blockheadedness prevented him to understand the girls' feelings.
Kanzashi raised her right hand to materialize her IS, Uchigane Nishiki.
"This is the day that I'm going to make this work."
Kanzashi flew towards the sky, typing codes on a holographic keyboard to test its functions.
"Unit control is good, hyper sensor connectivity interlock verified."
The IS flew higher to increase speed. "Posture control thrusters functioning. Adjusting deployment hard points, shifting out PFIC interference region, adjusting the center of gravity 6 centimeters forward, and re-igniting leg booster balancers, minus 4."
The leg booster increased its speed from Kanzashi's command. Kanzashi flew around the Stadium elegantly without a single mistake as Ichika appeared from the bleachers, looking for Kanzashi.
"She's not here either, what's that?" Ichika looked up at the Uchigane Nishiki flying in the spectacle.
"Hey that's Kanzashi! So that's what her IS looks like."
The test run was about to be a success when suddenly, her right leg stuttered out of booster, and exploded. Kanzashi did not expect a malfunction as she tried to fight for control.
"The recoil controls offline! But why?" Error messages popped all over her surroundings to no end. Kanzashi tried hard to get Uchigane Nishiki back on its feet, but her IS died out. Smoke trailed its broken right leg, falling down like a fighter jet shot down from a dogfight.
Ichika quickly activated Byakushiki to save Kanzashi from her demise. Kanzashi felt no hope to escape, tears bubbled up her eyelids.
"Big sister…there's no way that I'll ever…be able to catch up with her, there's no way..."
Kanzashi imagined Tatenashi smiled briefly, walking away into the light. She sadly smiled to accept her fate, closing her eyes to not see herself smothered into road rash.
"In the end…I'm just no good."
Kanzashi was falling down dangerously close to the ground, nearly killing herself, but Ichika caught her in the niche of time. However, the impact sent them tumbling to the wall, slightly injured thanks to the IS exoskeleton that protected the fall.
The dust cleared, Ichika holding Kanzashi like Prince Charming saved his lover from a villain.
"O-Orimura! Are you okay?"
Ichika winced the pain, smiling. "You know what? This really hurts like hell."
"I'm so, so sorry!"
"Hm? Are you okay?"
Kanzashi gasped she let her true emotions revealed. "Yes, I'm fine."
"Well, I'm really glad to hear that!"
Kanzashi and Ichika deactivated their personal IS, organizing the damage report from Uchigane Nishiki.
"So the way I see it, we're going to have to file a crapload of damage reports for all this."
"Um, but it's…really all my fault…" said Kanzashi in her somber tone.
"Don't worry about it, no one will blame you for malfunctioning unit."
Kanzashi hesitated every time she opened her mouth. "Um, I just…um, wanted…to say thank you!"
Ichika was confused the way Kanzashi apologized.
"You know…for saving me earlier."
"Oh that's all right! You don't have to thank me for that, just doing my job." Ichika was honest he didn't act like Super Macho Man; he did what's necessary to protect everyone. Kanzashi looked down as if she caught a cold.
"Is something the matter, ?"
"Oh no, nothing at all!" said Kanzashi, looking at the opposite direction.
"Anyway, I bet you're hungry, wanna grab some chow?"
Kanzashi initially resented Ichika due to his IS gaining priority over her personal IS, but she began developing feelings for Ichika when he saved her from a failed test flight of her IS. The weird feeling of falling in love with an enemy turned ally was something Kanzashi never felt. She couldn't stop having thoughts of Ichika, just one action changed her life upside down like a beam of light shined down her dark heart.
If you don't know what you want, you need to try something. Kanzashi slipped into a trance, dreaming Ichika speaking to her.
So, would you like to be my partner?
No, I mean I…maybe…I just don't know. I'm sorry, but I'm not sure.
But if you don't try, then you'll never know, will you?
It's just that…I'm scared.
There's no need to be afraid, just leave it to me!
Ichika posed like an anime superhero Kanzashi liked to watch, her eyes widened in loss of her words.
Come on! Just give it a shot, teammate. Kanzashi hesitated briefly when Ichika held his hand to shake it, and she held his hand. Once she shook his hand, Kanzashi thought it was all a dream until it turned into a reality. Unable to say a word, Kanzashi couldn't believe the entire time, Ichika waited for her to shake his hand to be his tag team partner.
"Oh yeah! That was a yes, was it?" Ichika jumped happily he finally got to have Kanzashi.
"Well um…I uh –-"
"All right, we got to hurry to the faculty room, we have to register our partnership!"
Ichika grabbed Kanzashi by her hand as they ran to have their names registered for the tag team tournament. They looked at Uchigane Nishiki, the weapons systems are not ready, and the operational data was not available either. Ichika had an idea to ask the maintenance department to help finish Uchigane Nishiki, which Kanzashi has never done before. Her loneliness slowly subsided, feeling grateful her classmates are willing to help her.
Time: 10:42PM – Stadium
Houki and Liu concluded their training, huffing and wheezing from the rigorous exercises.
Liu bowed to Houki. "I…thank you for everything that you offer."
"Oh, don't need to worry about that, we did it together. You finally know how to defend properly, and tuned Sockdolager's defense mechanisms."
"Yeah, I never thought of defense, all I cared about was having the best offense until I realize I looked like a trigger happy ga…"
Liu stopped briefly before he could finish his sentence, realizing he might accidentally expose furthermore about his identity.
"You were saying?" Houki wondered at Liu, slightly hesitant.
"Um…I was meant to say…Tatenashi is looking for you!" Liu pointed at Tatenashi, walking away to avoid Tatenashi's lewd comments.
"There you are! Why don't we go hop in the shower together? Hey Liu, there's always room for one more!"
"No way in hell I'll allow a boy to shower with us! Wait, what?!"
"I'm joking about Liu, silly! Come on don't be like that! I mean, where's the fun?"
Tatenashi grabbed Houki by the hand, reminisce of Tabane did the same thing back in the old days. Sadly, as time flew by, Tabane isolated Houki away to develop IS, and Houki felt hurt that she left her.
Houki and Tatenashi took a hot shower, enjoying the steaming water cleansing their soft, creamy skin.
"Ahh, this feels so good, don't you think, Houki?"
Houki looked at the ceiling, not answering Tatenashi's question.
"So…what you're thinking about?"
"I was…thinking…about my sister."
"I guess you been trying to keep your distance huh? From your big sister I mean, ?"
"No, it's not that I dislike her, I'm grateful she gave me a personal IS, but…"
"I see that's really good to know. After all, it's best to get along with your family, not that I have room to talk about."
Houki sighed. "The thing is I can never figure out what she's thinking."
Tatenashi turned the water off, her voluptuous body pressed against the foggy glass door. "And you're scared because you don't know? Yeah I get it, I feel the exact same way. Though I wouldn't worry about it, from what I can tell, your sister must have cared about you a lot."
Time: 11:14PM – Rin's Dorm
Liu played hip hop music on his laptop as the speakers blared snare roll with profanity, derogatory violent contents. He likes his music uncensored, nodding his head at the beats.
"When I was young had that chopper cock it
Project Pat was robbing
Like the Grinch, bitch, taking shit filling up my stocking
Cap on my skull, nigga, better wipe up that mud
Nigga like Pat don't give no fuck
Busting that thumpa' screaming "Thug Life!"
Rin wished Liu played something more upbeat, less swearing, and groaned after hearing the next set of lyrics.
"White and gold Guiseppe, nigga, that a be a G
Got your bitch riding with me shoulda never never let her leave
I'm a dog ass nigga, and you know I play for keeps
Got your ho popping molly smoking medicated weed
Got your ho giving me sloppy while I estimate my cheese"
Rin cupped her forehead at the offensive lyrics towards women and the violence portrayed. Liu sat on his chair with a small box of strawberry Pocky on his right hand, eating the strawberry coated biscuit stick. He needed a rest from today's training, the day was tiring, his body begged him to stop.
"You suck at your music choice, you ain't go no fuckin' Cantopop in your serato?"
"You ain't got no Rin on the track, ho?"
"Bite me! At least I can understand what the singers are saying, what is this rapper saying? I hear a bunch of mumbling."
"Not your language then. Step away before you turn into a crazed fan-girl with no sense of directions."
A short trade of insults over music was to talk whatever came into their mind. Rin liked Cantopop for its catchy beats, voice, and soulful lyrics. On the other hand, Liu preferred hip hop music for 'medicine' to start his day.
"Since day one, I didn't know what an IS was, I searched for answers everyday, came up nothing until now."
Rin leaned on her seat, grabbing a strawberry Pocky. "What do you mean?"
"I should have known what they are, I thought it was a dangerous computer virus worth millions of dollars."
Rin's left eye slightly twitched, disgusted to hear something so stupid.
"Jeez, where the hell have you been living, under a rock? Even Ichika knows before a freak accident occurred that let him operate it."
"Heh?"
Rin was close to slap Liu for his ignorance, but she thought about it, and let it slide because of lack of knowledge. "Of course you wouldn't know Ichika's the first male IS pilot, considering the fact only women can use it."
"That I didn't know, but once I touched Sockdolager, I was in it."
"Freak accident number two," said Rin, twirling her pen. "No one knows your true identity?"
Liu nearly said 'gangster' in front of Houki, so he slightly lied. "Not at all."
"I see you living the underworld of China, how's that treating you?"
"Has ups and downs. Righteousness Union treat me like their kinfolk, very welcomed to have a family, though I can't be a pussy in public, it's do or die."
"Uh huh, that's what molded you into this?"
"Pretty much, no rules, no problem."
Not much was known about his early life. Liu joined Righteousness Union in search of his identity. He thought back when he and his friends were low-level members, they would hang out, do petty crimes, and pull cruel pranks. Years of living in the underworld, they rise up to be full pledge Righteousness Union, where they engaged serious crimes to 'better' themselves. Funny enough, guns were out of their reach, they use crude made weapons or fists to do the talking. The first, final unforgettable heist involved with guns they used the first time that separated them, unknown of their last appearances.
Liu bumped heads with Three Dragons over many things, ranging from territorial disputes, respect, and the IS took the tipping point where they won't rest until one of them dies. Every time he hears the name Three Dragons made him want to kill him no matter what. Despite its perks living in the underworld, Liu sometimes questioned himself why he became a crook. Money, respect, or identity could be the factors that made him a crook. Although Liu gained some appreciation in life living at IS Academy, especially Rin guiding him, Liu still had thoughts if Righteousness Union would still recognize him if he return.
"There's a lot of choices to be make, not all of them will be pretty," said Rin. "What more do you want to talk about?"
"What if I never operate an IS? You would do your own thing, me residing in the underworld paradise."
Rin and Liu were silent, picturing the scenario she would not have to save him from making a scene.
"I suppose so, what happened when you operate an IS?" Rin questioned.
"Mind blowing, don't know where to start, and the next thing I knew, I saw Three Dragons' guys, so I went guns blazing, though they had a few female IS pilots that put up a good fight."
"And that's how I met you because you made a mess, used up all your energy, and nearly died."
"The power of IS. Do I ever regret operating an IS?" Liu asked himself. "At first, I did, but I don't because I can't turn back once I made my choice to get Three Dragons."
"I don't know the full extent of your intense hatred of Three Dragons, but killing him won't solve all your problems."
"Why's that?"
Rin sighed. "There's always to have replacements, and your habitual violence will make you stuck in the loop, you won't get anywhere from that."
"Who will stop him from getting me? I can't put that aside, especially his crazy ass now that he knows I operate an IS."
"Leave it to Chifuyu, you'll be safe with me."
They grab another box of strawberry Pocky, munching on their favorite Japanese snack, getting ready for the tag team tournament tomorrow.
Kanzashi had a small bag of homemade cupcakes made for Ichika as a token of gratification for helping her IS.
"I wonder if Orimura's going to like these." Kanzashi was a few feet away to meet Ichika until she saw Tatenashi clinging onto him, and she hid.
"Jeez, come on, give me a break."
"Hey, ok just relax! By the way, how did it go with Kanzashi's unit today? Is it done?"
Kanzashi was dismayed at Tatenashi's remark. "Don't assume the worst, maybe he's…"
"Well, it's coming together."
Kanzashi gripped the present, still not assuming the inevitable.
"Hehe, I bet my unit's data came in handy, right?"
Of all this time, Tatenashi planned this out to secretly help Kanzashi behind her back. Even with Ichika's lending hand, Kanzashi felt like he was a puppet to Tatenashi pulling the strings. Beyond shocked, disheartened, Kanzashi dropped her present, and ran to her room. Kanzashi fell to her knees, quietly sobbing she did not fully accomplish to beat Tatenashi. Teardrops dripped, and she collapsed, crying uncontrollably.