Ch. 43 The Class League Match
The soft clouds progressed over the dimmed sun as the ray of orange shadowed overhead. The ocean below was calm and gentle without any large waves. Located in the open water, an island had mountains and green trees spreading near the shoreline. It seemed untouched as though it retained its ecosystem from mankind.
*Shine!*
A flash of light came from the highest point on the island. Two energy balls were dancing around and colliding with one another.
Ka-chink! Ka-chink! Ka-chink!
Every crash caused a screech of metal pounding against metal. As the white light flew farther away, its glow vanished and revealed the silver machine with a human exterior. It had two mechanical arms and legs with a bulky torso. Its face remained hidden by a black visor across its eyes. The metallic wings on its back enabled it to maneuver faster than its opponent. The red suit chased it around the island.
Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew!
The silver suit fired off a stream of bullets around the girl. She swerved upward and avoided the lasers as they blasted the side of the mountain. She went diving in and swinging her sword at the suit. It dove toward the ocean and back into the sky. The girl followed behind and continued to clash with the enemy. They were back into a standstill.
Ka-chink! Ka-chink! Ka-chink!
The suit blocked her swords with its bare hands. Knocking her swords back would only force her to swing harder.
"Ichika!" Houki cried. "Now!" He came rushing in with his battle suit. As he sheathed his sword, the blue energy escaped the blade and coated the metal.
"AAAAAAAARGGGHHH!" Ichika yelled. The suit glared at him.
"0101001101101111001011000010000001111001011011110111010100100000011000010111001001100101001000000110000100100000011001000110010101100011011011110111100100111111," It spoke.
"What the—!?" Houki was thrown off guard. The suit raised its wings.
Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew!
"Kyaaa!"Missiles fired into Houki's IS. It kicked her into a backflip and switched over to Ichika.
Ka-chink! Ka-chink! Ka-chink!
The two struck against each other and kept flying. Now, it was Ichika who was trailing behind the rogue machine. It released another round of projectiles.
Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew!
Ichika flew back from the blasts and dropped over the water's surface. The missiles lagged behind him until he made a U-turn back around. He readied in position.
"Laura, Yami!" He directed. "Now!"
"Wir haben es!" Laura shouted. Yami nodded. She wrapped her hair around Laura's cannon. In a matter of seconds, her gun was now twice the normal size with three barrels ready to fire.
KA-BOOM! KA-BOOM! KA-BOOM!
Rays of purple shots zipped straight at the machine. The suit turned and swerved around each attack. From behind, a yellow machine started diving from above.
"Coming through!" Rai shouted. Rai drew back his two iron fists. His scythe's blade became coated in a bright, green light and extending outward.
Whoosh!
The suit dove straight down until it came back around. It summoned its reticles and fired its missiles on the island. Laura and Yami were its targets. "Take cover!" Yami's hair transformed in front of the two. A huge, silver shield stood before the wave of lasers.
BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!
Four small blades closed in on the suit.
Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew!
They fired quick beams damaging it from the back. The suit looked up at the attacker.
"Don't worry, Ichika," Cecilia assured. "I'm right her!" The suit charged in at her.
Whoosh!
A blue sphere flew by the suit. It noticed Kurumu aiming her second attack.
Boom!
The second strike was deflected by the suit's barrier shield.
"What are you waiting for?" Kurumu shouted.
"Ichika!" Rin added. "Give it one more try!" The suit zoomed straight into the air. In a sudden spin, it released a rain of lasers at Rin and Kurumu. The projectiles reached outward until they swarmed in the center.
"Pikachu!" Jolt cried. He held on as Charlotte rushed in to take them both out of range.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The lasers bombarded the ocean's surface.
"Hurry, Raimundo!" She cried. "We can't hold on much longer!"
"PIKA!"
The suit floated at attention; waiting for the enemy to make the next move. The area looked empty.
"Gotcha!" Rai slammed into the machine and pulled his arms under and around the suit. He locked his hands behind its head and his legs around its waist. "DO IT!" The suit glanced up as Ichika summoned a red light in his right hand.
"He won't get away this time!" Ichika declared. Rai kept the suit on hold. Its right hand drew out a white light just before impact. The two forces collided into a devastating explosion.
Two Months Earlier…
Donk!
"Ow!" Rai felt the pain from Kurumu clobbering his head. The group was parked in the open grass near a small pond and pathway. Tall trees and bushes scattered around the campus. Rai had the car hood opened while Kurumu stood behind him. Yami leaned against the vehicle while she read her book. Jolt stared at the stone path as cybernetic arrows pointed to the buildings up ahead. "The hell was that for?"
"FOR THROWING US IN THAT EYE OF A STORM, GENIUS!" Kurumu argued. "WAS THAT YOUR PLAN TO BEGIN WITH!?" Rai rubbed his sore head.
"…Yeah, why?" Kurumu pulled the hammer from his belt. She raised it over to hit him upside the head. "Easy!" Rai shifted to the side as Kurumu brought it down. She missed. "That's not what I meant!"
"Then what did you mean!" She readied for another swing.
"To put it simply…" Yami closed her book. "Raimundo planned on using that lightning storm to serve as an access point to transport us across another dimension. The location of this place must have been identified in the center of the sea of Japan." Kurumu stared until she found the important parts of her explanation.
"…We could have just flown in your stupid rocket!"
"My spaceship was designed for interstellar travel; not for intersecting between universes."
"Which is why I had Lala put a warp drive on the car after I picked it up," Rai interrupted. "It's the same as one of her other gadgets."
"Pika?" Jolt slowly pressed his foot against the stone path. The arrow bent around his foot. "Pikachu!"
"If I recall," Yami noted. "Lala's warp device could only warp short distances, and it requires a significant amount of time to recharge."
"Not if we override it," Rai took the cellphone from his pocket. When he touched the screen, the Devilukian symbol appeared and vanished behind the main display. Rai scrolled to the right until he showed a silhouette of a weapon.
"Your scythe?" Kurumu recognized the picture.
"Yep. I jacked it into the front dashboard so it'd linked back to the warp drive. The antennas then transmitted the power to set off the jump. So, the scythe was a compass while the lightning provided the power."
"...And it didn't occur to you that you could have just opened a portal without using a car?"
"That was my first thought, until Lala said my scythe wasn't strong enough. The catch is it won't work until I find a new source of power to pull off another jump."
"The soul…" Yami concurred.
"Bingo." Rai looked around the open scenery. There were clouds passing overhead and a fresh estate feel to the environment. "But, looks like hacking around it did the trick." Rai closed the hood. He took the keys from his pockets and clicked the alarm.
Beep—Beep!
"So, ready to go?"
"Yeah, sure," Kurumu sighed and started walking. Yami followed right behind.
"Pika?" Jolt quickly scurried after the others. They toured the area watching all the buildings they passed. Some had at least three levels with glass windows going around the entire structure. They read the signs on the ground pointing at a stadium resting along the far side of the island. There were awnings on each end and what looked to be two large covers over the arena that parted in the center.
"What's with this place?" Kurumu questioned.
"Looks pretty advanced," Rai commented. "Ms. Mikado wasn't kidding when she said this would be up my alley."
"You sure these are the right directions?" Rai asked. He adjusted the phone on his shoulder and looked over the information from the envelope. "Looks pretty reckless if you ask me."
"The information should be very helpful~!" Ms. Mikado answered. "Ever since Deviluke reported an intruder, they've ensured that nothing can enter or exit their home planet. That also refers to any shipments that were planned for interception or to be carried out. Any communication from outside sources is prohibited until further notice."
"I see…"
"I know you said you wanted some special equipment, but I'm surprised you'd want something like this for just a visit."
"I've got a hunch there's something happening on Deviluke, and it we'll need to be ready."
"For technology this advanced, I'm afraid there's nothing like this in nearby space markets. Even if there were, they wouldn't want to go starting a war."
"That's a good point…"
"However…there might be a place that will have the kind of equipment you're looking for."
"And it's on the reports, right?"
"That's right~."
Rai, Kurumu, Jolt, and Yami had entered through the stairs into the aligned bleachers. The four walked up to the guard rail. The stadium was filled with students anticipating the class league match.
"Whoa," Rai oversaw the arena. "Check it out!" The stadium had a brown field with white chalk over the ground. Near the oval corners were open docks large enough to fit an airplane.
"Pika!" Jolt awed at the sight before them.
"It looks like the game's about to start," Kurumu noted. Yami could sense the stares coming from the other spectators.
"Is this why we're here?" Yami asked.
"Nope…" Rai pointed ahead. "That is." Standing in the center of the field was a young girl in a purple mech-suit with massive leg exteriors and robotic arms. Two large orbs floated near her head, and a high-tech banner wrapped around her forehead. On her back were two floating panels and a large blade strapped on. Her two separate pigtails ran down both sides of her head.
"What is that?" Kurumu asked.
"Her IS is called Shenlong," the teacher explained. "This model is a close-combat type just like your Byakushiki." The screen panned out.
"This match is not going to be the same as the one between you and me, so don't let your guard down," The English woman advised. She had long, blonde hair with her extensions twirling at the ends. Her uniform was a white blazer and a long dress extending past her knees. Her wrists were cupped with red sleeves as a blue necktie tucked underneath her white shirt. She wore a blue banner over her forehead. Next to her was a Japanese girl with the same uniform, but her skirt was shorter with white knee socks. Her brown hair was tied by a green handkerchief and had two pony-tails trail down her back.
"Don't get too stressed out," the other girl noted. "You can win as long as you fight like you would during practice." The boy nodded. He had short, blue hair and had on a black, tight jumpsuit. His body was protected by a white mech-suit over his abdomen, legs and forearms. Two large wings separated from his back and two white brackets rested on both sides of his head. He stared at the girl waiting for him to appear.
"Geez," the boy sighed. "I bet it would really hurt to get hit by that thing." The speakers echoed throughout the stadium.
[Will both contestants, please move to the designated positions at this time.]
The boy leaned forward. A pathway lit up with lights streaming out of the pit.
VRRRRRRRRRRMMM!
The boy moved at high speed. As the runway shortened, he jumped into the open field. He flew upward as the spectators cheered for him.
"Let me get this straight," Kurumu halted. "You expect us…to ride in those!?" Rai stepped away from the rail and walked in the direction of the runway. "Where are you going!?"
"What does it look like?" Rai explained. "I'm getting one of those suits."
"Pika?" Jolt hurried after him. Yami walked over to the jaw-dropped Kurumu.
"Are his methods this effective?" She asked.
"I try not to question it…" Kurumu sighed stressfully as the two girls followed him.
The two combatants flew in front of each other.
"If you apologize right now," the girl offered, "I'll lower the intensity of the pain you're about to endure!"
"I don't need any favors from you!" He shouted. "Hit me with your best shot!"
"Fine, but for your information, the absolute defense isn't so perfect. If your attack is powerful enough to rip through the shield, it's possible for you to damage the opponent badly, but not kill them."
"Ugh, I know that."
[Both contestants, you may commence the match at this time.]
The two drew their swords. The girl's saber had etchings of purple streaks along the blade. The boy had his blade summoned in a ray of blue light. He charged in.
"HYAAAAAA!" He cried out.
Rai and the others arrived at the pit. They observed the open interior where the people might store other mech-suits in the facility. Large cylinders were lined up against the walls. Walking in, they saw two doors on separate sides of the room. Above them was a long, glass window leading inside the observation deck.
"You guys see any lying around?" Rai asked.
"Nope," Kurumu answered. "Just some crappy interior decorating."
"Pika," Jolt checked the corners of the room.
"This area seems empty," Yami pointed out. "Although, there may be someone inside the upper level." The others looked up to the women on the second floor.
"Yeah, let's try not to disturb them…" Rai suggested.
The two flew upwards; clashing their swords every chance they got.
Ka-Chink!
They separated high in the air.
"Not bad," The girl complimented. "You were actually able to stop my first attack." From her right hand, she summoned another sword just like the first. "But, that won't last." She swung both in her hands and went straight into a charge. "HYAAAAAAAAAAA!" The boy blocked her strike. The electric shock released from his blade. The crowd was cheering. The woman with black hair and black formal attire stood behind the other women monitoring the fight on a green, holographic display. Next to her were the other two students.
"Ichika…" the pig-tail girl whispered.
"Come on!" The English girl shouted. "What on earth is he doing out there!?" She shoved the teacher aside to reach the monitor. "You should be using the cross-grid turn I taught you! Have you forgotten how to do it?" The woman stared at the screen.
The girl spun the blades in her hands.
Klunk!
She joined them at the hilt, creating a long spear with blades on opposite ends. She twirled the javelin around her suit until she brought it to her right hand. She then charged at Ichika full-speed.
Whoosh!
He swerved over the girl as she brought her spear in his direction. He continued to evade her advances.
At this rate, the match is going to be pretty grueling, Ichika assumed. I need to create some distance. He zoomed away from his opponent. She continued to tail him.
"You're so naive!" She declared. Her right cannon began glowing.
"It's gotta be behind this door," Kurumu suggested. The group looked at the iron gate.
"How do we open it?" Rai asked. He inspected the outer edge hoping for a key grid or pass code.
"We'll just make our own door!" Kurumu smiled as she drew her claws.
*Twitch*
Jolt's ears jerked.
"Pika?"
PEW!
A yellow laser fired from the sphere. It flied right through Ichika's right wing.
"…?" Yami turned around. A laser came zipping into the pit. "Look out!"
"Huh?" Rai heard her warning.
WHOOSH!
Yami's hair shoved the others away in a flurry of hands. She quickly summoned her wings and soared upward.
KA-BOOM!
The explosion blasted through the steel doors. Kurumu got to her feet.
"Owww!" Kurumu rubbed her rear. "Nice aim, Shrimp!" She descended back to the floor.
"Would you prefer to be vaporized?" Yami asserted. Rai fanned away the smoke.
"You could at least give us a warning!"
"…I did…" Rai stepped between the girls. His eyes were fixated on the large equipment stored inside. The girls finally noticed Rai's attention grabber.
"Pika…" Jolt looked up in awe. The machines had large green armor with a lower garb around the waist. It had mechanical arm sleeves floating in mid-air along with a headgear resting on the leg support. Once the smoke cleared, the woman in black checked the lower deck.
"Hey!" She noticed the four. "What do you think you're doing?" They immediately turned to the woman high above them. "This sector is closed during battles!"
"Crap!" Kurumu paused.
"Pika!" Jolt flailed in a panic.
"Hold on, guys," Rai calmed them down. "I got this." He stepped forward and looked at the woman. He took a deep breath. "Lo siento, señorita, pero me estaba lavando cuando aparecieron las chicas." Rai spoke in his native tongue. "Yo puedo ayudar ellas a sus sillas despues no limpiando tu cosas." The woman glared at him.
"¡Cabrón!" She answered back. "¿Crees que soy idiota?" The woman pressed a button on the control panel.
"…She's good."
"What did she say?" Yami asked.
"Yeah, she didn't buy it." Red lights began flashing around the area.
"Security breach!" She called on the phone. "Requesting all officers' report to the pit immediately."
"…This isn't what I expected," Yami said unamused.
PEW! PEW!
The girl fired another round of lasers at the boy.
DOOSH!
He skidded across the battleground until he came to a complete stop. His body remained motionless.
[SHEILD ENERGY]
[145]
[134]
[127]
[115]
The girls changed their focus back on the fight.
"What the hell kind of attack did she use!?" The pig-tail girl asked.
"That weapon she used was a shock cannon," A teacher answered. She had a yellow dress and brown boots reaching to her thighs. Green, short hair and blue frames for glasses were her most noticeable features. "It's a weapon that manipulates the barometric pressure of the surrounding atmosphere."
"That's right," the English girl exclaimed. "The Shenlong is a third-generation model IS, just like my own Blue Tears."
The boy tried getting to his feet. The girl didn't hesitate as she took aim at Ichika with her eye reticle.
PEW!
She fired a beam. He rolled to the right.
PEW! PEW! PEW!
She blasted a rapid amount as it trailed behind him. He came to a stop and stared up at her.
"You're dodging pretty well," she complimented him. "I thought the invisible barrel and ammunition were supposedly Ms. Ryuho's best features, however…"
"Not only that," the teacher continued, "it looks like the shock cannon is capable of shooting at any angle without any limitations due to the barrel's angle of skew."
"So, what you're saying is…" The English woman deduced. "…it doesn't have a blind spot."
"I'm afraid so."
It didn't take long for the faculty of teachers to arrive at the pit. They were all armed with the same mech-suits as the ones in storage.
"Don't move!" A teacher declared. "You are under arrest and will be brought in for questioning!" The group put their hands up.
"Rai, any ideas?" Kurumu whispered.
"Just one…" He answered. "Jolt! Dig!"
"Pika!"
Thud!
Jolt punctured the steel surface with his tail and buried through the flooring.
"What the…?" Another teacher stuttered.
"Where did it—?"
Boom!
"Pika!" Jolt appeared from behind.
Whoosh!
Yami brought her hair around the other side. She latched to one of the units and tossed her into the other.
"Hey, you!" The last teacher drew her sword at Yami.
Ka-chink!
Kurumu's claws blocked her blade.
"Don't even try it!" Kurumu yelled. She pushed the blade away. "Rai!" She ordered. "Grab that thing and let's go!"
"Oh, right!" Rai agreed. He turned around and ran for the mech-suit. He pulled out his hammer. He leapt onto the surface and latched over the garb. He jumped over to the center and tried matching the appendages. "Right arm, right leg, left leg…"
If I don't make some kind of preemptive strike, I'm going to lose! Ichika rationalized. He continued swerving around the girl's strikes on the ground. I have to get it together! I'm using the exact same machine that Chifuyu uses. He flew into the air and sheathed his sword.
The girls were backed to a corner. Jolt stared down his opponents.
"Pi…" Sparks escaped its cheeks.
"The students are enclosed," the teacher called in.
"Excellent," Chifuyu noted. "Make sure to bring them here."
"Understood." Two teachers readied with the girls while the other two approached Rai in the suit.
"Come on!" Rai demanded. If they take us in now, it's over! The suit stood immobile. "Why won't this thing work?"
Slam!
He pounded his head on the right shoulder guard.
"Rin…!" Ichika shouted.
"What?" She replied.
"Look, I'm warning you! I'm not gonna hold back!"
"What's that mean? That's what you're supposed to do!" She brought her spear around. "Besides, I'll show you that we're not in the same league!" Rin went dashing after Ichika.
"It looks like Orimura is thinking about trying something," Ms. Yamada assumed.
"My guess is he's probably gonna use the ignition boost." Chifuyu spoke out. "Just like I taught him."
*SHINE*
"Dios mio…" Rai stared as the suit glowed a bright red. He stood up as the suit adjusted to his physical body. It reacted to his movements. "Whoa boy…" The teachers stepped back at the discovery.
"No way!" One exclaimed.
"That's impossible!" Rai felt a weapon appear in his right hand.
Swish!
A large samurai sword digitized. He looked over at the extreme length it had. The other teachers drew their swords.
"…Uh," Rai hadn't thought this far ahead. "…En garde?"
"Hold on, what is this Ignition boost?" The English woman asked.
"It's a form of surprise attack in which you close in on your opponent at a maximum rate of speed. As long as he can ignite it at just the right moment, he can even go toe-to-toe with a representative contender. Unfortunately…this is his only chance because it just works once."
Ichika zoomed out over the field with Rin following right behind. She continued to fire her lasers in his path, but failed with each progression. The more Ichika flew in the air, the more his path confused her.
Ka-Chink!
He knocked Rin away with his sword and continued flying faster. She lost sight of him in a flash. Ichika reappeared from behind. He found her opening.
"HYAAAAAAA!" He flew in for a strike.
"WAAAAAH!?"
CRASH!
The outer barrier of the arena shattered from a beams strike. It pierced the battlefield.
KA-BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
The force caused a shockwave to expand outward. Smoke rose into the air.
Everyone tumbled in their mech-suit and fell to the ground. Kurumu and Yami dashed over by Rai as he stumbled to get up.
The crowd was in a worry. They wondered if it was part of the battle or if it was an earthquake.
"What in the devil just happened out there?" The English woman questioned.
"Ichika!" the pig-tail girl panicked. The teacher tried operating the terminal.
"The system is damaged!" She reported. "An unidentified object appears to have penetrated the arena's deflection shield." Chifuyu picked up the radio talkie.
"Suspend the match!" She ordered. "Orimura, Fran, get out of there immediately!"
"Any idea what just happened?" Rai asked. Jolt squeezed through the toppled teachers. He quickly rejoined with the others. One teacher tried regaining her footing. She grabbed Jolt by the tail.
"Pika!?"
"Jolt!" Kurumu cried. "Use Thunderbolt!"
"Pika…"
"Wait, No!" Rai tried to stop him.
"CHUUUUUU!"
BZZZZZZZZZT!
The electricity discharged around the entire pit.
"Kyaaaaa!" Static surged through each teacher as well as there IS. Lightning thrashed about until one bolt hit Rai's mech-suit.
BZZTT!
The suit's turbines began activating.
"…Uh-Oh."
BWOOOOSH!
Rai went soaring straight out of the pit.
The outside seats started locking down. Giant, iron clamps blocked the spectating view to protect the students.
Yami went flying after Rai.
CLAMP!
The pit was locked down.
"Hey!" Kurumu shouted. "Wait for us!"
"Pika!" The two went running after them.
Grab!
The teachers grabbed Kurumu along with Jolt.
Thud!
Rai crashed into the dirt.
Thud! Thud!
He skipped until he came to a stop.
"…Ouch…" Rai moaned.
"Ms. Orimura," A teacher called in. "We secured two of the intruders."
"Bring them to the observation deck," she ordered.
"Yes, but two had just escaped. And I think a male appears to be operating one of the IS!"
"What!?"
"W-What's happening?" Ichika asked in the confusion. "What in the hell's going on?" A monitor appeared near Ichika's face.
"Ichika, the match is cancelled," Rin announced. "Get back to the pit now!" A screen appeared before Ichika's face.
[-WARNING-]
[HEAT SOURCE DETECTED IN STAGE CENTER]
[UNIDENTIFIED IS]
"Unidentified IS?" The flames spewed in front of him. "There's no identification on it. Is it locking me out somehow? How can it be locked!?"
"What are you doing? Get back to the pit!"
"Get back? And what are you going to do?"
Yami flew over Rai.
"Did you break anything?" She asked.
"Nope," Rai replied. "Not yet." He stood up and saw the burning battlefield in the center. "Whoa…so that's where that earthquake came from."
PEW!
A purple laser fired from the black smoke. It went shooting at Rin.
"KYAAAA!" She screamed.
"Look out!" Ichika shouted.
DASH!
He swiped Rin at the last minute. He flew her away from its range attack.
"Now that was close," Rai examined.
"Let's go," she ordered. She went soaring high above the battlefield.
"Wait—hold on!" Rai followed Yami to the large hole in the barrier. Yami was the first to exit. Rai stopped just before the hole. He turned back to the battle. "We can't just leave like this!"
"You stole a militarized weapon and are insisting on going back?" Rai sweated.
"I know...but…"
"Someone else is going to fix the problem. This matter resides in their world. We shouldn't interfere." Rai hesitated.
PEW!
Another large beam took aim at Ichika. He flew out of range with Rin in her arms. The giant mech-armor slowly crawled out from the smoke. Its five red eyes were the first to be noticed. Once revealed, it was a standing, black figure with two massive arms with tubes expanding to the shoulder guards. The human figure had its own small arms and legs attached to the lower appendages. Its red eyes were covering the head of the suit.
"Just what is that damn thing?" Ichika asked. "It's not any IS I ever heard of."
Rai summoned his sword.
"Yami…" He requested. "Head back to the car." Yami paused. "When the coast is clear, get Jolt and Kurumu out of here. I'll meet up with you guys later." He looked back to her and nodded. Yami watched him zoom toward the battlefield. Yami watched Rai took off.
"Who are you?" Ichika ordered. "Identify yourself! What are you doing here?" A small signal appeared near his face.
"Orimura, Fran!" Ms. Yamada spoke. "You need to vacate the arena at once! The teachers will be there in their IS units and neutralize the situation."
"No, we gotta keep it occupied until everyone evacuates!"
"I understand how you must feel about this, but you just can't do that!" Some of the other teachers reached the deck with Jolt and Kurumu. Their IS units were removed as they escorted them to Chifuyu.
"Alright," she ordered. "I want names, your cooperation, and a reason why I shouldn't hand you to the authorities." The two looked at the girl. Jolt sweat dropped.
"Pikapika…" The woman turned to the mouse. Her stare frightened Jolt. He jumped behind Kurumu.
"We have a major issue, Ms. Orimura!" One of the teachers announced.
"What is it?" Chifuyu responded.
"It looks like our IS units suffered a major electrical outpour and we can't operate them appropriately." She sighed heavily.
"This just keeps getting better, doesn't it?" She turned to Kurumu. "I'm assuming you're behind this attack?"
"Hey, don't look at us!" She replied. "You were the one who hired them to attack us!"
"Without the teacher's IS functioning," Ms. Yamada suggested. "There's no one to secure the unidentified IS!" The other girls grew to a panic.
"Ichika, run!" The English woman declared.
"Ichika!" The pig-tail girl worried. Chifuyu was fixated on the situation.
"Are you okay with this?" Ichika asked.
"Are you talking to me, you jerk?" Rin blushed. "Can't you see I just want you to let me go!?" She flailed in his arms. "I can't even move with you holding me!"
"Oh, my bad!" He released her.
PEW!
A purple laser shot between the two. The dark machine leaned forward and released steam from its back. It took off into the sky and charged ahead. Its left fist swung at Ichika. He swerved around the foe. The machine brought around his arms for another blazing strike.
BAM!
Another fighter rammed the dark machine toward the ground.
Ka-Boom!
It crash landed while firing across the walls of the field.
"Okay...Whoa!" Rai flipped forward. "I think I got the hang of it." Ichika and Rin saw the new IS in the freight.
"Who is that?" Rin asked.
"He's not a teacher," Ichika deduced.
"He!?" Rai waved at the others.
"Hey!" He yelled. "You guys need a hand?"
"What are you doing!? Are you trying to kill yourself!?"
"I just saved your ass, woman!" The machine rose from the dirt. It flew toward Rai. "Here it comes!" Rai zipped backwards until he positioned near Rin and Ichika. Its lasers fired at the three. Rin swung away the shot with her staff. Rai deflected it with his sword. "Man, I need my scythe; big time." Rin fired her cancan. The machine zipped between the two before making a collision. It soared out higher into the sky. The three immediately trailed after it inside the dark smog. Lights and sparks came out of the fluffy shadows.
"Orimura, please come in!" Ms. Yamada requested.
…No response.
"If you can hear me, please respond! Are either of you listening to me?" Chifuyu picked herself away from the monitor. "Fran, Orimura!"
"They said they can handle the situation, didn't they?" She stated. "So, I say we let them go for it."
"What? Please say you're not serious? How can you say something like that at a time like this?"
"Oh, calm down." She walked over to a small tea cup with a box of sugar and salt nearby. "Come have a cup of coffee or something. You're bodies stressing because it's running low on sugar." She poured the white powder in her drink.
"…You do know that's salt, right?" Kurumu corrected. Chifuyu blushed for a moment. She placed the cup down. "You need to get us in there!"
"Pikapika!"
"And why should I do that?" Chifuyu demanded. "You two, along with your stowaways, are in a lot of trouble for pulling off that stunt earlier."
"Rai is the only one who might be able to stop him. And he needs us to back him up!"
"Rai?" The English woman asked. "You mean the person operating that IS is another man?"
"Why does that even matter!?"
"Because nobody but women have the capability to operate an IS," Chifuyu explained. "…It looks like your friend happens to be the second-to-only guy who can operate one." The girls watched the monitor as the four dueled in the sky. "Without the proper operation of an IS, he's a sitting duck."
"Screw this!" Kurumu stormed over to the door.
"Where do you think you're going?"
"I'm going out there! What does it look like? If you're not gonna to do anything, then I will!"
"We'd like to, but…" Everyone turned to the blinking monitor.
[SECOND ARENA STATUS CHECK]
[GATE DEFLECTION SHEILD]
[LEVEL 4]
[ALL GATES: LOCKED]
"The arena's deflection shield setting is currently at Level 4," The pig-tail girl read.
"On top of that," The English woman continued. "All the doors have been automatically sealed." She pondered. "Did that IS cause this?" Chifuyu stared intently on the black mech-suit.
"It seems so…"
"Pikapika…" Jolt shivered.
"As things stand, we can't evacuate…and we don't have anyone to help control the situation."
Ichika held his sword. He stood quietly on the ground waiting for the foe to strike.
POW!
The suit punched him while he shielded his face. The forced sent him launching farther up.
The rest of the students were trying to evacuate the stands. The security doors remained shut and sirens flashed over the awnings: EMERGENCY.
"Very well!" The English woman announced. "Deem this as an emergency and ask for government support!"
"We've done that," Chifuyu explained. "The senior police are trying their best to crack the system even as we speak." A monitor displayed camera's from outside the stadium. "As soon as the barrier shields are shut down, we can send in our troops."
"So...in the end, all we can do is wait?"
"That's right. But you couldn't help the shock troops in any case, so there's no reason for you to worry about it." The English woman was shocked.
"W-What? Exactly what are you trying to say!?"
"The equipment on your Blue Tears is designed for fighting multiple opponents by itself. This means, If you joined the troops, you'd just be getting in everyone's way."
"No, I won't be! How could I do something like that?"
"So, have you had group training? If so, what was your position on the team? Who were your teammates?" Kurumu followed through with each question. "What was the level of the enemy you trained against? How long was the duration of the operation?"
"Alright then!" The English woman gave up. "Fine!"
"...I have." Kurumu spoke out. Everyone turned to her. She walked over to the exit. "I'm an ace when it comes to flying." Wings shot from her back. "My team has been Rai, Jolt, and now little Miss Hairy Knuckles." She drew out her razor claws. "The past enemy we took on was a level 100 witch bitch. So, don't think I don't know how to handle this!" Kurumu flew at the door.
Slice! Slice! Slice!
She grazed at the metallic steel until her claws scratched the surface. "Alright Jolt, you're next!"
"Pika!" Jolt jumped back as he charged at the door. "Pikapikapika…!" His body became absorbed in electricity. "PIKA!"
BAM!
Jolt formed a large indent on the door. It bent outward.
"Impressive..." Chifuyu watched.
"How did she do that!?" The English woman asked.
"No way..." the pig-tail girl whispered. Kurumu readied for another charge.
"Hyaaaaa!" She brought her leg up.
KA-BOOM!
Rin's missile-shot missed the swerving mech-suit. She tried to make the mark, but it would easily sway out of reach.
PEW!
She landed a hit.
"Ichika!" She shouted. "Do it now!" He flew in from above with his sword.
SWISH!
The suit dodged the blade. He came back and tried punching Ichika behind his back.
SWISH!
Rai intervened and slashed him away. It flew back as it attacked him instead. Rai spun to his left and continued swinging at the bulky target. "Ichika, you idiot! Aim that thing like you're supposed to! That was your fourth time already!"
"It might be the fifth..." Rai corrected. He flew over by the two.
"I am aiming it, damn it!" Ichika shouted back. He checked his shield energy.
[SHEILD ENERGY]
[60]
Rai tried getting into his side pocket, but his larger arm wouldn't go above his right thigh.
"Shit...Hey! Someone wanna grab my cellphone?"
"Your cellphone?" Rin asked.
"I can't reach it!" He shifted his hip towards her.
"W-What are you doing!?"
"It's in my front pocket. Just try and grab it!"
"Can't you see we're in the middle of something here!?"
"How can I fight without my scythe?" Rai held his sword to her. "This thing isn't going to cut it."
"How can a sword be useless!?"
"It's just my style of fighting."
Pew! Pew! Pew!
The black machine fired its lasers.
"Break away!" Rin ordered.
"Good call." Rai followed behind her. Beams continued spewing at the three. The machine rolled over the surface of the field while firing. Rin spun away and avoided each attack.
"What are we going to do?"
"Maybe if you grabbed my cellphone, we'll have a better chance!" Rai swerved left and right from the oncoming missiles.
"AAAAHHH! FINE!" Rin dashed to Rai. She jumped onto his machine and started digging through his side pocket. She ripped a hole in his jeans and tore away the leather. The cell dropped in the air. Ichika soared underneath and grabbed it.
"I got it!" Ichika shouted.
"Hang on, I'm coming!" Rai dove in at Ichika.
BAM!
The suit knocked into him.
POW!
Rai smashed against the side of the stadium's wall. "…Never mind." He slid to the ground leaving the outline of his body. Ichika and Rin flew near each other.
"We'll never beat her without some kind of strategy," she noted.
"You can still run if you want to," Ichika smiled.
"Who says I want to run away?" Rin brought her blades ahead of her. "You might not believe it, but I'm still a representative contender!"
"Fine, then how does this sound. You take the south point and I'll cover your rear!" Rin blushed from his bold statement. His expression remained stern and focused.
"…Thanks…"
[-WARNING-]
PEW!
A laser passed over Rin without her noticing. Ichika moved away.
"Stay focused!"
"Yeah, tell me something I don't know!" She swerved away back into the sky. Rai stood up and shook away the impact.
"I'm okay…" He assured. His screen appeared before his face.
[SHEILD ENERGY]
[12]
The lights flashed red. "That's not a good sign." Rai hurried over to Rin and Ichika. As the three regrouped, the enemy stopped shooting.
"Hey guys," Ichika stated. "…Don't you think her movements seem a little too mechanical?"
"What do you mean?" Rin asked.
"It's a robot, right?" Rai examined. "Don't they come like that, too? You know, with or without someone controlling it?"
"No…An IS won't work without a pilot…" Rin paused. "…Now that you mention it, I've noticed that she hasn't attacked us much when we're talking to each other."
"…Is it eavesdropping?"
"Either way, it can't be unmanned. Someone has to be inside an IS or it won't move. That's just the way it is."
"Yeah, but think about it…" Ichika interrupted. The red eyes appeared from the smoke. "What if…what if there is no one in there?"
"Wait…"
"This means…" Rai grinned. "We can beat it if we go all out." Rai cracked his robotic knuckles.
"Yeah…" Ichika nodded. He tossed the cell to him. Rai unlocked his screen. In a bright flash, his scythe digitized before him. He grabbed it and spun it in his right hand. "If there's no one in there, we can literally pound it with everything we've got, and it will be fine."
The pig-tail girl ran through the hall past the locked doors. Kurumu and Jolt hurried behind.
"Everything we got, huh?" Rin asked.
"Which means we'll need a one-hit knockout," Rai suggested.
"...Reiraku Byakuya..." Ichika answered. "That's Yukihira Nigata's all-out attack." The screen opened before Ichika's face.
[CLOSE COMBAT SPECIFIC BLADE]
[YUKIHIRA NIGATA]
[ONE-OFF ABILITY]
+REIRAKU BYAKUYA+
"The full strength of Yukihira Nigata is normally too powerful. So, you can't go all out with it during training, or in a class match for that matter." He shifted his sword back and forth. "However, you could if your opponent is unmanned."
"Look, I don't know anything about your Reiraku or whatever," Rin said. "But you can't even hit anything with it!"
"Oh, I'll hit it next time!" Rai noticed the serious look on his face.
"Alright," he nodded. "In that case, I'll buy you guys some time."
"You can't even drive that IS," Rin explained. "Let alone fight with it."
"I just need to get its attention for a while until he pulls off that attack." Rin sighed.
"You guys sound so determined." She smiled. "Alright, let's give it a shot!" Rai swerved downward toward the machine. The suit watched as he descended in his direction.
"Hey, Mr. Roboto!" Rai bent over and shook his money maker. "Bite my shiny, metal ass!" The machine raised its arms and started firing its lasers. Rai swerved around the field dodging each assault. As the lasers flew at him, he spun his scythe so he could deflect the oncoming strikes. "Much better!" Ichika and Rin flew over the battle.
"Okay Rin," Ichika explained. "You shoot it with the cannon at full blast, but only when I give the signal."
"Sure," Rin agreed. "But it will miss it."
"That's fine, even if it misses." His wings expanded. "All right, ready?"
"ICHIKA!" A voice cried. Everyone turned to the pit area. A girl was standing on the docking bay. She stood out of breath. "If you're a man…" She exclaimed. "IF YOU'RE A MAN, YOU'D BETTER BEAT THE ENEMY ON THAT LEVEL!" The machine shifted its attention from Rai to the girl.
"Hey!" Rai panicked. "I'm over here!" The machine locked onto her.
"This isn't good!" Ichika shouted. "Houki, run!" The machine raised its arms. It readied to fire. "Rin, do it!"
"Okay!" Rin began charging.
PEW!
The lasers fired from the enemy's barrels.
"AH!?" She gasped.
KA-BOOM!
Smoke covered the pit entrance.
"Houki!" Ichika cried. The smoke quickly vanished. The girl was gone. "Huh?"
"Great timing!" Rai shouted. He gave a thumb up at the sky. The others turned to the dark angel carrying Houki over the battlefield.
"It was nothing…" Yami assured. Houki was trembling by the fact that a small girl with wings was carrying her over the stadium without an IS.
"W-W-What the hell are you?!" She cried.
"…I'm an assassin…"
"…Eh?"
"Ichika, are you ready?" Rin shouted. Her shock cannons were at full power.
Whoosh!
He flew right in front of Rin. "H…Hey, you idiot! What are you doing? Get out of my line of fire!"
"Just shoot it!" Ichika ordered. Rai stood in the open. The machine readied another round. Rin hesitated.
"You crazy jerk! No matter what happens, It's not my fault!"
PEW!
The cannons fired at full capacity.
SKA-DOOSH!
Ichika absorbed the laser through the back of his suit. The force pressed against him as he tried to maintain is aerial stance. The unit power on his suit shot immediately to 100%. Screens and data all flashed about as the suit charged to its limit.
[REIRAKU BYAKUYA]
[AVAILABLE FOR USE]
[ENERGY CONVERSION RATE]
[ABOVE 90%]
Ichika's blade grew longer as his armor radiated a gold light. He charged right at the foe with his newfound power. "HYAAAAAAAAAAA!" The enemy brought his fist out for a punch.
SLIIIIIIIICE!
The bright blade sliced apart the arm. Red fluids escaped the pumps and flew away from the suit.
BAM!
Its second arm pounded Ichika into the wall of the crater.
"Ichika!" Rin cried.
"Ichika!" Houki shouted. The robot walked over to his body. It raised its fist for a strike.
"Ichika, get up!" Ichika smiled.
"…How's your aim?" He asked.
"Perfect, of course!" The English woman spoke. Five flying disks soared from behind the suit. They spewed out lasers from the tips.
PEW! PEW! PEW! PEW!
They rained down on the unsuspecting target. Houki looked over at the stands to see her friend in her IS suit. It had a dark, blue color with four wing shafts and a rifle in her right hand. She bore a green jewel and white headband on her forehead.
"Cecilia!" Houki noted.
"When did you…?" Rin asked.
"Pika Pika!" Jolt waved from Kurumu's shoulders as they flew near Yami.
"Sorry we're late for the party!" Kurumu said.
"Another one!?" Houki cried as she saw Kurumu's bat wings.
"Cecilia, take it out!" Ichika cheered.
"Roger that!" She aimed her sniper. "I'm on it!"
PEW!
In one blast, a blue streak zoomed right at the machine. It pierced through the center as it fell back and landed on the ground.
"Whoo," Rai let out a breath of relief. "Just made it by a hair."
"I knew Cecilia would come through in time," Ichika predicted.
"R...Really?" She flustered. "Still...That's to be expected, right?"
"Well, it's over now…If anything—" A screen shot in Rai's face.
"Huh?" He blinked.
[-WARNING-]
[DETECTING ENEMY IS REACTIVATING]
[LOCKED]
"Ah, Crap!"
"Ichika!" Rin cried. "It's still moving!" Rai rushed in.
"Oh, you're kidding me!" He yelled. The machine brought out its arm from the smoke. It charged its blaster.
WHOOSH!
Rai zipped in front of the boy.
"What the!?"
"SOUL—"
PEW!
The cannon dismissed a large ray in one shot.
"BREAKER!"
*SHINE*
KA-BOOOOOOOM!
A giant spectacle of light blasted straight up. It penetrated through the barrier shield until it was seen as a light pillar on the island. Everyone watched as the light washed over the battlefield.
"What is that!?" Ms. Yamada watched in awe. Chifuyu eyed the source coming from the crater.
"What is this!?" Cecilia asked.
"I can't see a thing!" Rin argued. Kurumu, Yami, Jolt, and Houki watched as a tornado of fire erupted from the light. The area was now visible. Standing before Ichika was a new ally in the same IS, except the paint job now had searing red with yellow braces. The pilot had his metal guard over his mouth, a protective torso with shoulder guards, and a headband with a yellow jewel on his forehead. Ichika gazed before the mighty warrior. In his right hand, he wielded a large saber with embers emitting from the blade's tip. The hero eyed the enemy before him.
"Foolish adversary of steel," he spoke. "Your ne'er-do-well behavior ends here!" He brought about his left hand. The katana's hilt digitized in his palm while the blade became shrouded in a coat of flames. He overlapped the razorblades until they formed an X. "ISOLATING CROSSFIRE!"
FWOOSH!
A blazing X released from the swords. They flew straight into the weakened machine.
KA-FWOOSH!
A burst of fire exploded into a burning orb surrounding the machine. From the smoke flew parts and appendages scattered across the battlefield. The katana dissipated. "The enemy is vanquished. Now, you may rejoice."
"T-Thanks for the help…" Ichika spoke.
Bzzzt
"Hmm?" Rai noticed a small screen appear in front of him.
[-WARNING-]
[UNIT POWER: OVERLOADING]
[SHEILD ENERGY]
[CRITICAL MASS]
BZZZZTTTTT!
His energy began overflowing from his blade back over his mech-armor. The IS glowed a bright light until…"…Oh bollocks."
KA-BOOOOOOOM!
Rai's IS exploded and dispersed into a massive flame.
"Raimundo!" Kurumu cried.
The sun finally sat on the long day. The school became quiet and peaceful after the commotion that occurred earlier. Inside the nurse's office were two beds with a curtain dividing them. Each one had a small end table near the head of the loft. As the sun peaked over, Rai felt the light hitting his eyes.
…Great, he thought, I passed out…again…When he heard whispers coming from the other end of the room; he remained quiet and overheard the conversation.
"So, what happened to the IS?" Ichika asked.
"It got shut down," Rin answered.
"I see…" Ichika whispered. Rai peeked over the bed. He saw Jolt and Kurumu sleeping by the edge. Jolt was a small ball curled in his legs, and Kurumu sat on a chair with her head resting by the bed-side. Yami stood by the window watching the clouds pass by. "Hey...while we were in grade school, it was during a sunset like this when we had the talk about sweet and sour pork, wasn't it?"
"Huh?" Rin didn't think Ichika would remember their promise long before.
"So, about that promise…was it really about something else, Rin? Because I thought you were going to treat me to free meals every day."
"That's not wrong!" Rin flailed her hands in assurance. "It's not...It's just when you cook for someone else, your cooking improves! Hehehe!" Rai sweat dropped.
"Although, I'd love to eat your sweet and sour pork! It'd be tough to top your father's cooking." Ichika smiled. "Man, I'd like to eat it again."
"Oh, umm..." Rin looked away. "He doesn't work there anymore."
"Huh? Why not?"
"My parents…got a divorce. That's one of the reasons why I decided to move back to China." The room grew silent.
"...Hey, Rin..."
"Huh?"
"Do you want to go hang out sometime…?"
"Huh? …You mean like a date?" Rin's face lit with excitement. The doors flew open.
"Surprise; Ichika, dear!" Cecilia barged into the room. "How are you doing? I came to check on our patie—" Her performance was cut short when she saw Rin standing by. "…What is this?" She marched forward. "Just what are you doing here? Remember, we decided not to make a move until that man woke up."
"And what about you?" Houki interrupted. "From my view of your fat ass, it sure looks like you were getting ahead of me."
"Well, that's..." Rin was getting furious.
"Get out of here!" She demanded. "Both of you! Don't you understand that Ichika is my childhood friend?"
"That applies to me too," Houki added.
"People from Class 2 shouldn't be involved whatsoever," Cecilia argued. The room became noisy as the girls continued their argument.
"This is troublesome…" Yami noted.
"Do you girls have to be loud?" Rai interrupted. The group turned to the man. He had risen with a bandage on his cheek and wraps on his forearm. "Making it hard for a guy to get any sleep." Yami approached Rai from the side.
"Have you recovered?"
"Yep." He stretched his arms. "I'm good." Jolt perked his ears as he woke up.
"Chaaa~" He yawned. Kurumu stirred until she woke up after.
"Mmm?" She rubbed her eye. "Man, what time is it?"
"...It's late," Rai replied. "And here I thought you were worried about me."
"Don't get cocky with me. This was all your idea from the start."
"Ah..." Rai paused. "Yeah, that's true."
"So, are you feeling better?" Ichika asked.
"Yeah, I'm used to it," Rai chuckled. "No one got hurt, right?"
"You were the only one who was injured after the attack," Yami answered.
"That was some power you had going on," said Ichika.
"A regular IS could never pull off something like that," Rin noted.
"One must truly be an expert if they managed to perform such a fate in mere seconds," Cecilia praised.
"Well..." Rai scratched his cheek. "To tell you the truth, that was actually a first."
"…WHAT!?" Everyone chimed.
"And you still managed to win in the end," Kurumu spoke out.
"That was truly luck..." Yami added.
"Whatever it was, it worked," said Houki. "You want to introduce yourselves to us?"
"Sure, why not," he stated. "I'm Raimundo Ortega. America's Mexican." He presented his friends on the other side of the bed. "That's Yami, Kurumu, and Jolt."
"Pikachu!" Jolt waved.
"Then allow me to be the first for introductions." She praised herself. "I'm Cecilia Alcott, a representative contender of—"
"I'm Lingyin Huang!" She interrupted. "And I'm China's Representative!"
"How absurd! To interrupt a woman of high standard when she's—"
"Houki Shinonono," she said. Cecilia gave up.
"I'm Ichika Orimura," he concluded. "Great to meet ya." Kurumu looked around the room.
"Hey," she pondered, "What happened to Ms. Tall, Dark, and Annoying?"
"Chifuyu?" Ichika replied. "Come to think of it, I didn't get to talk with her." The other girls looked at each other.
"Now that you mention it…" Cecilia noticed.
"Where do you think she went?" Rin questioned.
"She was right there with us just a few minutes ago," Houki added.
Deep within the facility of the IS Academy, Chifuyu and Ms. Yamada were examining the leftover components of the rogue IS on a large table. Large machines filled the room while robotic arms and lighting hovered over the pieces. The teacher was sitting in front of a terminal with three separate screens displaying the data collected. Chifuyu stood back as she read the data.
"…So, it really was unmanned," Ms. Yamada said astonished. "And it seems the core was unregistered."
"I see…" Chifuyu studied. The left screen displayed the blueprints, the center had the shield energy readings, and the right screen had an image of Earth.
"There are only 467 known IS cores in the world. And yet, somehow, this IS was equipped with a core we knew nothing about."
"Is there any ties to our new visitors?" Ms. Yamada typed on the keyboard. The screens changed into images shown from the recorded battle the same day. Yami was on the right, Jolt in the center, and Kurumu on the left.
"It doesn't appear that they're linked in any way. What's surprising is that their abilities and skills are nothing we've ever seen before. Girls who can project tangible wings and fly without mechanisms, capable of shape-shifting their bodies for combat, and animals that can generate electricity with self-producing energy."
"…And then…" Ms. Yamada tapped another key. Each monitor displayed Rai in different angles. "There's him…" The right displayed him wagging his behind at the robot, the left showed him using the training sword to deflect the lasers, and the center showed him using two swords to destroy the rogue IS.
"…I don't know what to call this…" They both stared at the remaining scrap next to the keyboard. A metal sheet and a few bolts were scorched and twisted. "A power like that strong enough to incinerate and overload an IS…it's unimaginable…"
"…and impossible." Chifuyu stared intently on the powerful, new fighter.
-To Be Continued-
Alright, let's call this one a night for All Hollow's Eve, am I right? Well, all right's reserved and characters, plus material, all belong to their respective owners. Believe me, I appreciate the feedback and opinions you guys post. It gives me some creative ideas, but I do need to add a little bit of my twist in the fray, hehe. So, what's in store for next time?
Shizune: Well, I heard we're getting a new boy transferred into our class!
Yatatatatatata! No spoilers!
Kiyoka: Oooo, where's he from?
Shizune: He's from France, and his name is Charles Dunois!
Oh…that's ok, then.
Honne: He's not only good looking, but he's nice, strong, and smart too!
Shizune: Yeah, and he seems to be perfect in so many ways~!
…We get it, he's a pretty boy. But, something's a little odd about this guy. Kinda like he's hiding something. I wonder…?
Next Chapter: Boys Will Be Boys
Kiyoka: Orimura and Dunois are such dreamy boys, and now they're both at the IS Academy…
Together: And we're so glad~~!
…I can already see the fan-art pouring in.