Anime Unleashed Chapter 45: Your Roommate is a Young Blonde Nobleman, an anime x-overs fanfic

[Previously on Anime Unleashed]

"We're about to meet some new transfer students!"

"It's nice to meet you Ichika and Rai. You may call me Charles if you like."

"…How troublesome."

"You know, sometimes, I just don't get you."

"Why have you returned, Reaper?"

Ch. 45 Your Roommate is a Young, Blonde Nobleman!

The class focused on training for the day. In their IS units, they practiced combat techniques by swinging down in rhythm and raising swords over their heads.

"1, 2, 1, 2…" They repeated with each other. On the other side of the battlefield, three students were at a standstill; separated by a few yards in a three-way triangle formation. The man eyed the woman with bat wings on the left, and then the blonde wearing an IS on the right. His gaze shifted back and forth while controlling his breathing. His fingers lightly twitched as he waited for the first move.

"You ready for this...?" Kurumu yelled out. Rai nodded. Yami bent her legs.

WHOOOSH!

She charged at him.

Ka-ching!

Her long hair shifted into twin blades. They rushed forward to pierce his torso.

ZOOM!

Rai leapt into the sky above. Yami looked up as her target soared. Kurumu pulled out Rai's cellphone. "Remember to keep yourself steady when you hover." Rai listened through on the bluetooth. He wobbled a bit before finding a sturdy position. Yami lifted from the ground. She slipped her hair through her hands and recreated two katanas. She started picking up behind Rai as he tried to escape. "You can't just fly straight. Try losing her with some turns!" The other students paused their training to watch the two in their combat drill. Rai quickly dove down toward the ground. He skidded across the dirt and made a sharp, right turn zooming past Yami. She witnessed Rai's antics and stabbed the ground with her sword. In an instant, she made a full 180 spin and flew back on his trail. He formed random patterns in the sky to lose her. Yami was inches away when she brought out her left sword.

SLASH!

Yami swung at Rai barely grazing his robotic leg. She brought out her second sword.

CLANK!

He blocked her attack with his sword. He rolled in mid-air and positioned himself in a fighting stance. Yami drew her blades.

CLASH!

Yami's blades collided with Rai's single sword. The two struggled in strength.

"Well played..." She commented . The two pushed against each other and separated. They readied for their final duel.

"Raargh!" Rai charged.

Plump!

A yellow blur blocked his vision. "AH! I'm blind!" Rai flailed his sword around trying to shake off the unseen enemy. Yami watched his idiotic antic make him an easy target. She latched her hair by his leg and tossed him straight into the dirt.

BOOM!

Rai crashed. The small animal rolled off his face.

"Pika…" Jolt stuttered to his feet. Yami and Kurumu landed next to him.

"Looks like its Blondie: 1/ Rai: 0," Kurumu kept score. Rai rose to his feet.

"Come on," he disagreed. "He came out of nowhere!"

"Distractions can come at any time," Yami explained. "There are no excuses on the battlefield." From the sky came Charles in his second-generation type IS. His suit was less sleek than the other third-generations with its more bulky surface. However, the orange metal combined with the crafted specs looked to be effective as a self-sustaining unit. The chest plate and wing guards were white while the goggles on Charles head were yellow.

"Oh my gosh, Raimundo!" He flew in. "I'm so sorry! Your little friend wanted to fly with the rest of you, but he must have fallen off my machine!"

"Nah, it's all good," Rai assured. He checked his little buddy. "You alright, Jolt?" The mouse sat next to Kurumu waiting for the dizziness to settle. Rai stared up at the sky. "I thought you were training with Ichika?"

"I prepared to go one-on-one with the Byakushiki, cependant…" The two looked over at Ichika. He was in the middle of his session with the other girls.

"What I'm trying to say is you have to go like WHOOSH, and then CLANG, and then BANG!" Houki described with her gestures.

"You understand what she's getting at, right?" Rin added. "It's all about your feelings." She paused. "…Why don't you understand, you moron!?"

"For defense, tilt your right side forward at a 5 degree angle," Cecilia informed him. "When you maneuver, tilt your body backward at a 20 degree angle."

"You make a circle like WHIIIIIISH, and then go…"
"You don't think about it, but feel it!"
"For a remote attack, tilt is going to be at a 45 degree…"

The three girls continued overlapping their conversations. At this point, Ichika just hearing gibberish.

"Let me be honest with all of you…" He clarified. "I DON'T GET THIS!"

"Why don't you get it?" Houki asked.

"Yeah!" Rin argued. "Just pay attention like you're supposed to!"

"I'll explain it to you one more time!" Cecilia offered. "You tilt your body at a 5 degree angle forward, followed by…"

"Okay, that's enough," Rai intervened. The others followed him with Jolt recovering in Yami's arms. "At this rate, he'll be half asleep before he even gets a chance to practice." Charles stepped forward.

"Alright, Ichika," Charles proclaimed. "I'm here as promised. I hope you're ready for a match."

"Hey guys," Ichika agreed. "Sure!" He prepared for his match. "So, I'll see you guys later, alright?" The girls weren't too happy their time together was interrupted. Ichika and Charles both made their way to the center of the field. The other girls who finished practicing were gathering nearby to watch.

"Check it out! It looks like Orimura and Dunois are going to fight!"

"Wow!"

"Dunois's personal machine is called Rafale Revive, right? It's a second-generation type IS from France."

"Here we go, Ichika!" Charles declared.

"Yeah!" Ichika responded. "Let's go!" He drew his sword and went charging. Charles rushed in, but drew his shield over his arm to block the blade. He broke the connection and followed through with a right punch. Ichika blocked it with his own arm and stepped back. He swung his sword across, but Charles leapt over his head and went airborne. Ichika followed behind him. In his right hand, Charles summoned a machine gun and took aim below.

Bratatatatatat!

The bullets fired at Ichika.

Ping! Ping! Ping! Ping!

He blocked the shots with a small shield hovering by his left wrist. He circled around Charles as he imitated Ichika also. The students were in awe by their comparison of skill.

"Raimundo," Yami spoke. "Watch how she closes in on him…" Rai listened as the match continued.

"Bring it!" Ichika shouted. He went in for a downward swing.

Whish!

Charles avoided the hit. He flew back around and brought out a sniper cannon. He took aim from the zoom lens on top.

Poomb!

He returned to his regular stance and continued firing.

Poomb! Poomb!

Ping! Ping!

Ichika kept trying to deflect the strikes.

[SHEILD ENERGY]
[236]
Poomb!
[143]
Poomb!
[69]
Poomb!
[11]

Ichika closed his eyes for the last shot.

With the match ended, Ichika and the others regrouped to hear the final verdict.

"Basically," Charles explained, "the reason you cannot win is because you have very little understanding of the shooting weapons' characteristics."

"Since all I have to go on is theories, I'm screwed," Ichika thought out loud.

"That's right. The Byakushiki doesn't have an equalizer, does it?"

"What's an equalizer?" Rai asked.

"A source to keep storage of weapons that an IS is able to carry..." Yami lectured.

"In my case, it's saying something about not having a vacant bus slot." Ichika added.

"It's only speculation," Charles assumed. "But I would think it's using the space for its one-off ability."

"One off?" Kurumu tried to deduce. "...If one goes off, one comes on?" Charles tried brushing off the dirty joke.

"…In a way. It's an ability that naturally emerges when the IS and its pilot are in the best condition at the same time. In the Byakushiki's case, your Reiraku Byakuya may be it."

"Ichika's final attack, right?" Rai concluded.

"Oh..." Ichika felt more aware of the IS functionality. "Wow, you explain things very simply, don't you?" From the edge of the ramp were the three childhood friends spying on them.

"Hmph," Houki pouted. "And you don't listen to any of my advice."

"After I tried to teach you so kindly," Rin pouted.

"What was wrong with my very articulate explanations?" Cecilia questioned. Rai checked over the training IS he had on.

"Does this thing have one too?" Rai asked.

"Unfortunately, those are a more lower-standard type for training," Charles answered. "Only personal IS have extra storage for more than one equipment." Rai stroked his chin while coming up with a tactic.

"…I wonder if I could tape my phone to my arm and use that."

"A hammer and some screwdrivers aren't gonna take out the competition," Kurumu advised. "You're better off sticking to your scythe and keeping your head low."

"Pikachu?"

"She may be right…" Yami nodded. "…for once." Ichika pulled out a digital screen. It was the attack he performed at the first class league match.

"One last thing," Ichika noted. "The Reiraku Byakuya is an insane attack that even consumes the unit's shield energy."

"It's the same ability that Ms. Orimura's IS was using, n'est-ce pas?" Charles remembered. "...You are not supposed to deploy the same technique merely because the two of you are siblings…" Charles walked over the edge and leapt to the field below. "Why don't we try handling some long-range artillery?"

"Sounds like a great idea!" Ichika nodded. He jumped down beside Charles. He looked back up to Rai.

"Would you care to join us?"

"Oh, ok," Rai accepted the offer. He hurried off the bridge to the level below. Everyone gathered near the center of the arena. Dozens of hexagons virtualized yards away as rounded targets. They formed one blue in the center, a green inner ring, a yellow outer ring, and two red on each side. Charles summoned his rifle and held it to Ichika.

"D'accord, let us practice." Charles presented. "Shall we?"

"Hold on," Ichika paused. "I thought I couldn't use someone else's equipment."

"Normally, no. But, if the user unlocks it, anyone can use it as long as that person is a registered user."

"Oh…" Ichika was amazed. Rai stood by waiting for his turn. Ichika looked into the reticle until the cross was dead center in the middle. "Um, am I using the right stance?"

"Let's see…" Charles inched closer to Ichika from behind. He raised his left arm so it held the longer end of the sniper. "Keep your arms close to your side, and your left arm goes here. Easy, no?"

"Yeah…" The girls stood by as they watched this strange aura around the two. Charles looked to be holding Ichika from behind.

"Hey," Rin spoke out. "Doesn't it seem like those two are getting along just a little too well?" Ichika readied the sniper.

Poomb!

The bullet took off in a light burst.

CRACK!

The attack shattered one of the hexagons next to the bull's eye. He continued firing one shot per target.

Poomb!
CRACK!

[Total: 43]

"Whoa," Ichika was impressed.

"Well?" Charles smiled.

"Yeah, that was so cool!" Charles waved at Rai.

"Alright, Raimundo. You are next." Yami handed Jolt to Kurumu and walked up to him.

"...Are you ready, Raimundo?" She asked.

"Hmm?" Rai cocked an eyebrow. She leapt off the ground and settled on Rai's shoulders. "Hey! Whoa—!" Rai stuttered for a second, but regained his position.

"Hey, he's in the middle of training." Kurumu sweated. "Not giving piggy-back rides."

"Yami, I'm not sure how this…" The hair slinked through Rai's arms until they extended and rejoined together by his fingers.

"Decide on a weapon..." Yami ordered.

"Okay..." Rai tried recollecting one of the shooting games his brother played. "…How about an M9?" Yami closed her eyes. The golden strands interlocked to morph into a solid surface. It shaped itself into a long, black rifle with a bulky clip underneath just in front of the trigger. The handle morphed back into hair trailing to Yami, but the butt of the gun jerked out. Its impressive size made it usable for Rai's mech-arms. "…Whoa."

"I did not think that was possible!" Charles awed her skill.

"Yeah, it blew my mind, too," Ichika added.

"You should have seen her with split-end swords," Kurumu noted. Rai readied his weapon. He took aim from the tip of the gun. Yami eyed the targets.

"…Go!" Yami ordered. Rai aimed and fired.

Bratatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatat!

[Total: 6,300]

Rai cleared the inner and outer rings, but left the red markers and blue centers.

"You missed!" Kurumu shouted.

"The recoil's a pain in the ass!" Rai lowered the weapon to his side. The gun vaporized back to Yami's hair.

"That gun of yours is super-fast!" Ichika complimented. Yami jumped back over to the girls. They were amazed by her transformation.

"How exactly are you able to do that?" Cecilia asked.

"…It's nothing special." Yami replied. Rai stepped over to where the shots were fired. He looked at the bullets on the ground.

"What kind of bullets are these?" He picked up the small speck. "…They're…taiyaki beans?" The girls in class started whispering. Laura had just entered the field in her IS unit. It was coated black with red linings across her armor. Her plated armor on her knees and forearms were dark green and her latex suit was gray. It wasn't long before the others noticed her standing on the ramp.

"Hey, isn't that the German's third-generation?"

"I heard that it's still in its trial period here in this country."

She looked down at Ichika.

"Laura Bodewig!" Cecilia announced.

"What!" Rin stated. "Bodewig?"

"That little brat with a temper tantrum…?" Kurumu recalled.

"The German contender…" Yami stared her down. Houki stood her ground.

"Ichika Orimura…" Laura declared.

"Yeah," Ichika responded. "That's right." He handed Charles back his weapon.

"So, you also have a personal machine. That will make it much easier. Now, fight me!" Rai dropped the beans and stepped over by Ichika.

"No way." Ichika looked away. "There's no reason to."

"You might not have one, but I do."

"Ugh, it doesn't have to be right now, does it? The class league match is coming up soon, maybe then, alright?"

"…Well then..." She raised her massive cannon over her right shoulder.

PEW!

In a split second, a beam shot right at him.

"WAAH!"

"CRAP!" Rai jumped in front of the shot. He summoned his sword to deflect the blast.

[Shield Energy]
[600]

BAM!

Rai flew back.

BOOM!

He plowed straight into the wall. The missile went flying until it fell back down. What rolled across the ground was an empty metal canister. It split in two.

"Hmph." Laura scoffed. Jolt quickly rushed to Rai's side.

"Pika Pika!" Rai got to his feet.

[Shield Energy]
[165]

"Damn, that's some power," He rubbed his head.

"I can't believe she just challenged Ichika like that!" Charles intervened. "Of course, Germans do get hot and bothered easily." He summoned his rifles in both arms.

"How dare you block my way with some pathetic second-generation French machine?" Laura angrily commanded.

"A machine that works much better than your German third-generation type, which currently has no prospect for mass production!" Her red eye glared at the enemy. Rai stepped forward.

"Now that…" Rai spoke out, "…was a cheap shot."

"You should know where you stand, Reaper," Laura warned him. "It seems Americans still do not know when to get involved in conflicts."

"You're forgetting something." Rai raised his sword. "I'm only half-American." He pointed at her. "The rest is all Mexican." A teacher over the intercom interrupted the feud.

[Attention, students on the field. What are you doing down there?]

"...I have no reason to fight you..." Laura lowered her cannon. "I shall allow you to escape for today…" Laura's IS disintegrated as she fell to the ground. Her face turned in disgust from Ichika and left.

"...Okay, what was that all about, Ichika?" Houki demanded. "Spill it!"

"Yes," Cecilia agreed. "Did something happen between you and Laura sometime in the past?"

"…" Ichika didn't respond. Rai lowered his weapon. He dismissed the IS and regrouped with his team. Kurumu handed back his cellphone.

"Raimundo," Charles called to him. "What is this reaper she calls you by?"

"Sorry," Kurumu intervened. "But, that's something for us to worry about."

"Is that right?" Rin scowled at her. "And what exactly are you?"

"Who wants to know?"

"Considering both of you are able to fly when you don't need an IS," Houki pointed out. "That's pretty suspicious if you ask me." The three stared each other down.

"That's quite enough," Cecilia stepped in. "You are all behaving like little children!"

"Great, now the British wants to talk over some tea and cookies!" Kurumu lashed out.

"Why, I never…!" Everyone was getting in a massive dispute.

"STOP!" Rai ordered. Everyone became silent. "When you're done arguing with yourselves, go back to the locker room. We're done for today." He walked off towards the exit.

Rai changed from his IS pilot suit into his pants and buttoned shirt. Ichika walked in.

"Nē, Raimundo-san," Ichika spoke out. "Daijōbu?"

"Huh?" Rai replied. "Wait, hold on." Rai checked his pilot suit and found the translator underneath. He put it back on and activated the device. "Sorry about that." Ichika stared at the glowing gizmo.

"What's with the necklace?"

"This? It's my translator since I can't speak Japanese."

"Really? I'd never guess you couldn't talk so fluently. He pulled the towel from the locker. "How did you make something like that?"

"I…had a little help, hehe." Rai placed his pilot uniform inside his school bag.

"You sounded upset about earlier." Rai closed the locker. "Is there something bothering you?"

"…It's nothing," Rai answered. "I just got irritated when the girls started fighting."

"I see..." Ichika pondered. Rai settled his pack on the bench and fitted his blazer.

"How about you? Laura almost blasted your head off and now you're spacing out?"

"No, I'm fine. Thanks for saving me earlier, by the way." Ichika wrapped the towel around his neck. "Say, how did you guys get—?"

"Um, Ichika," Charles walked in. "Are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah, Charles." Ichika went back to grab his things from his locker. Charles took the coat from the bench and quickly put it on.

"Well, I'm heading back to the room, now."

"Alright," Rai replied. "Later, Charles."

"Hold it," Ichika stopped. He could see Charles only wearing his blazer with the pilot suit underneath. "Aren't you going to take a shower here?"

"Well..." Charles stuttered.

"Hey, how come you never do that?" Ichika became frustrated. "Do we being naked around you bother you that much?"

"Don't worry, dude," Rai offered. "No one's here to judge you."

"No, no!" Charles assured. "You being naked doesn't bother me at all."

"Oh, come on," Ichika didn't buy it. "I know it does." He grabbed Charles by the arm and pulled him back for a hold around his head. "Why don't we shower together for a change? We're bromates!"

"Yeah, you go do that," Rai said uninterested. Charles grew uncomfortable and flustered. "Now, where's my—?"

"AAAAAAAAHH!" Charles took his backpack and went running out of the locker room. "I HAVE TO GO!"

"Charles?" Ichika called him back.

"Now you've gone and scared the boy," Rai informed.

"Huh…?" Ichika didn't understand. Rai went to his backpack and searched through the books.

"...Where the hell is it?"

"Where's what?"

"My cell. I thought I left it in my pack, but it's not here." Rai dug through until he found something. "What the…?" Rai pulled out a thick roll of white, bandage tape. "…I don't remember having this…"

"It might be Charles's. He must have grabbed yours by mistake."

"Man, my cellphone's probably with him." He quickly gathered his things and ran out the locker room. "I'll see you later!"

Student Dormitory

Rai knocked on the door to room 2015.

"Hey, Charles," he called out. "You in here? I need to talk to you." Rai jiggled the doorknob.

Creek~!

The door opened. "…Huh, they should really put locks on these." Rai entered the room. He heard the water running in the bathroom. I guess he' showering. Rai looked around the room. I'll just grab my cell and go. He saw his pack resting on the chair by the desk. His right hand slid inside the front pockets until he felt his rectangular device. "Aha!" He double-checked the cell front and back. "Got it!" He swapped the bags and quickly made for the exit. When he reached the door, he caught a glimpse of a bath towel resting on the counter. "…Uh oh."

Creek!

The bathroom door opened to his right. Charles stepped out into the open. His long, blonde hair stretched behind his back. He paused. "Sorry, Charles. I just came to get my phone. You see, I…" Rai stopped. He stared at Charles for some time before realizing that he... "…I…" was "…I…I…" ...a she. "I-I-I –Aye-Aye-AYIIIIEEE!" Her voluptuous body was exposed. Rai looked down at her, and back up to her face. Charles blushed intensely.

"HYAAAA!" She shrieked. Charles tried covering her chest as well as her lower half. Her orange pendant rested within her cleavage. Her nervousness grew as she began to tremble. Rai slowly reached for the towel on the counter. He handed it over.

"…You, uh, need this, right?" Rai asked.

"Y-Yes…" She answered. Charles quickly wrapped her body. The two continued sharing their frozen stares.

"…Should I come back later?" Charles clenched her fist.

"…W-Would you please wait outside…?" Rai snapped out of his illusion.

"Oh, yeah, sure, of course!"

BONK!

Rai slammed his head into the door. He opened it and rushed out.

Ichika continued walking to his dorm room, but took the long way back. He was accompanied by Kurumu, Jolt, and Yami who decided to head back with him. The succubus stretched her arms behind her head.

"Man, what a pain in the ass," Kurumu sighed. "That German girl has some serious anger management issues."

"Pikapika." Jolt nodded. Yami only stared ahead as she watched Ichika remain oblivious to anything else around him.

SLAP!

"I do not approve. In fact, I will never approve...that you are her brother!"

Ichika could still feel the pain he received on his end.

"Please answer me, mentor!" Laura requested. Ichika heard the noise coming from up ahead. "Why are you in a place like this?" He quickly hid behind a nearby tree while Yami and Kurumu shifted around a bush. Jolt leapt behind Ichika's shoulder.

"Don't make me say the same thing over and over again," Chifuyu answered. The two were talking alone. "I have my own role to play. That's all you need to know."

"What kind of role could you possibly have to play here in the Far East? I'm begging you, mentor! Please come back to Germany and teach us once more! You can't exert even half of your ability at this wretched place!"

"Uh huh," Chifuyu listened.

"The students at this academy do not deserve to be taught by someone of your stature! They lack a sense of danger and mistaken the IS for some fabricant fashion accessory!" Kurumu sweat dropped. "I find it unbelievable that you could give the time of day to these people!"

"I think I heard more than enough, little girl." Laura stopped. "You've grown up quite a bit since I last saw you, but not enough to assume you are the chosen one when you're only fifteen."

"I was just…"

"I'm a busy woman, and you need to get back to your dorm, little girl." Laura was left speechless. She turned away and ran off. They weren't sure what to make of it. "…You three students over there, were you eavesdropping on us? Or were you indulging in adolescent sexual behavior?"

"How could you say that, Chifuyu!?" Ichika cried. "You're my sister for cripes sake!"

"At school, you will call me Miss Orimura."

"Ms. Orimura," Yami raised her hand. "…We were not indulging in adolescent sexual behavior." Ichika and Kurumu were not amused by her attempt for a comeback. Ms. Orimura blinked.

"…Very well. If you have time to be lurking in the bushes, you should be out there training. That goes for each and every one of you." She looked back to Ichika. "At the rate you're going, you'll be defeated within the first round at next month's tournament."

"I know that," Ichika replied.

"In that case; fine." She started walking off.

"Hang on," Kurumu stepped in front of Chifuyu. "What is it with you and the whiny brat? If you got nothing to hide, then at least tell us what's going on!" Chifuyu looked down at the student. She closed her eyes.

"I took in three unknown exchange students; two of which have abilities that go far beyond research and development of an IS along with a man who can exceed the limiter and core functions. You shouldn't be the one to be making any remarks." She walked passed Kurumu.

"Wait!" Ichika spoke out. "I wanted to ask you something about what Laura said in class earlier." She stopped. "She said...she doesn't approve of me being your brother. Was she talking about…the way you missed out on the chance to win the second championship because of me—?"

"That's all in the past kid. There's no need for you to worry about it now." She started heading back to the faculty office. "Later, okay?" Ichika and the others watched as Chifuyu left the area.

"…Second Championship?" Kurumu questioned. "Your sister has an IS?"

"…Yeah," Ichika responded. "It's the Byakushiki that I have now."

"Something must have happened to cause Laura to hate you now…" Yami assumed. "Was it that match she lost?"

"She didn't lose…she forfeited."

"Pika?" The three went to the bridge to hear Ichika's story.

"It was the 2nd Mondo Grosso, the second world IS championship. On the day the final match was supposed to take place, someone kidnapped me."

"What did they want?" Kurumu wondered.

"To this day, I still have no idea why they did it. All I know was that I was detained and imprisoned. My big sister, Chifuyu, abandoned the final match to come and rescue me. So, my sister lost the final match by default. Nobody had any doubts that she was going to win back-to-back victories, so it caused a controversy when she pulled out of the match. To top it off, in order to repay the German army for helping find information on my location of where I was being held, Chifuyu agreed to stay there to serve as an instructor for the German IS units for over a year."

"It wasn't your fault she lost…" Yami concurred.

"Nothing but cowards," Kurumu pouted.

"Still, I felt as though it was all my fault…like I was good for nothing. Like a totally pathetic excuse for a brother." Ichika looked at the sunset. "That's why; I can't let my big sister watch over me, anymore."

Room 2015

Creek!

Charles opened the door. She now wore blue sweat pants and a sweater with white, orange, and blue stripes. Rai stepped inside and settled on the bed. Charles sat across from him with a towel covering her face. They couldn't endure to look at each other.

"...So..." Rai stated. "...How are...things."

"Good..." Charles replied. "...They are good." The room was quiet. The only sound in the room was the ticking from the clock on the wall. Raimundo tapped his foot; unsure of what else to say.

"...Umm, why don't I get us something to drink?"

"Oh...sure, why not." Rai stood up and looked over at the kitchen ware. He found the glass tea set next to the sink and a box of Japanese green tea bags.

"You think they'd have something more potent like Gatorade." He took his time to properly make the tea. Rai poured the drink in small, brown cups and took them back to the beds. He handed one to Charles. "It's not the best, but give it a try."

"Thank you..." Charles reached for the cup. Her hand just touched Rai's fingers. "Ah!" She drew back her hand and tossed the cup in the air. Rai reached out to grab it.

PSSSSSSSS!

The hot liquid scorched Rai's hand at a burning rate.

"SHIT!" Rai cried. He dropped the cup as it splashed on the floor. "GOD FUCKING DAMNIT!"

"SORRY!" Charles apologized. Rai ran to the sink and blasted his hand with cold water.

"This is why I hate tea!" He calmed down as the water soothed the scalding.

"Are you alright!?" Charles hurried over to check on him. "Let me see it!" The back of his palm glowed bright from his thumb to his right ring finger just above his wrist. "Oh, it turned red! I'm so sorry!"

"It's fine. The burn's better now." Rai shifted his head towards the bathroom. "Can you see if there's a first aid kit?"

"Right!" Charles went in and searched the cabinet underneath the sink.

"Grab the burn ointment and some gauze." Charles came back with a blue box. They peeled open the package and poured the white cream on Rai's hand. She wrapped the hand until his fingers and thumb were exposed outside the white tape. His fingers were still flexible. "Okay, that should do it."

Creek!

The front door started opening.

"Hey," Ichika spoke. "I'm back."

Stomp!

Rai shoved his foot before Ichika could open the door.

"Hey, Ichika!" Rai answered back. "What's up?"

"Rai? When did you get here?"

"Not too long ago, actually!" He made sure Ichika couldn't enter. "What brings you here?"

"What do you mean? This is my room!"

"Really? You don't say!" Ichika tried peeking inside.

"Hey, is Charles there? I could have sworn I heard him just now."

"Charles?" Rai waved his burnt hand to Charles. He gestured her to go inside the bathroom. "Yeah, she—I mean he just went to the john." Charles hurried inside.

"Oh, okay."

"Yep, hehe." Rai and Ichika waited for a few seconds.

"…So, can I come in?"

"Oh, yeah!" Rai welcomed him in. He shoved his burned hand into his pocket. Ichika rested the suitcase on the desk and sat on the bed. He could see Charles uniform hanging by the chair. An idea came to mind.

"Oh, that's right!" Ichika sat up and walked to the pantry by the sink. He opened the door and grabbed a new bottle of body soap. Ichika went over to the bathroom.

"Whoa, Whoa, Whoa!" Rai stepped in his way. "Where are you going?"

"I'm just giving Charles some body soap. We might be out." He reached for the handle.

"Hold it!" Rai grabbed Ichika by the arm.

"Hey, what are you doing!?"

"Um, why don't you let me give it to him?"

"I think I can do it myself." Ichika was getting irritated. "First Charles and now you're acting weird. What's going on?" Rai was in a tight situation. He had to come up with some excuse or Ichika would find out.

"Well, you see…" Ichika was waiting. "…it's…that time. Yeah, that's it!" Charles pressed her ear against the door.

"That time? What are you talking about?"

"Come on, man. You seriously don't know?" He shook his head. "Listen, Ichika, a guy needs some time for himself. You know, after a hard day's work, we gotta unwind and just let out all our frustrations!" Charles's eyes began widening.

"…I'm not following." Rai placed his hand on Ichika's shoulder.

"Ichika, right now, it might be…" He tried finding the words. "…Charles's...Happy Time." Charles's face grew a bright red. "You know, with the thing and the hee-hoo!" He whistled as he gestured his hand around his lower half.

"Oh…" Ichika finally realized. "…OH!" Charles dropped to the floor and curled in a ball.

"Now, let's give the guy some time…" Rai took the bottle and placed it on the counter. "…and let him finish up."

"Uh…sure. Good idea." Ichika sweated.

I think Kurumu is rubbing off on me... Rai thought.

Knock-Knock-Knock-Knock!

Someone tapped on the door.

"Ichika," A voice spoke out. "Are you in there?"

"Cecilia?" Ichika recognized the voice.

"I noticed you haven't had dinner yet," she assumed. "Are you feeling ill?"

Creek!

Rai swung the door open.

"Hey, Cecilia!" Rai answered.

"Erm, Mr. Ortega?" She was surprised to see Rai answer. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, you know…"

"…No, I don't."

"How's it going, Cecilia?" Ichika interrupted. She regained her composer.

"Well, it just so happens that I haven't had my dinner either." Cecilia scuffled with her hands. "Would you care to dine with me?"

"He'd love to!" Rai jumped behind Ichika and shoved him by Cecilia. "Here, you can have him! I'll wait for Charles and meet you later!"

"Splendid!" Cecilia grasped Ichika by the arm and dragged him down the hallway. "Well, let's be off then!"

"Hey, wait!" He tried to break free from her grip.

"You two have fun!" Rai waved them off. He shut the door and leaned back. "Oh, dear god! That was close…" Rai looked down at the blonde pouting at him. "…What?"

"You're a pervert!" Charles exclaimed.

"Hey, at least he's sure you're a guy now." Rai and Charles went back to the bed to brush off their little escapade. "Why don't we start over? You wanna tell me why you're trying to pass off as one of us?" Charles felt embarrassed answering the question.

"…My family wanted me to do it."

"Your family? The Dunois Corporation?"

"Oui. My papa is the company C.E.O., and this whole plan was his direct order."

"…Yeah, I wouldn't really call him the world's greatest dad."

"…To be perfectly honest…I am not the child of his wife. I was separated from him for a very long time, but, two years ago, he took me in. That was right when my mama died... The people from the Dunois family came to pick me up. After various tests, they found out that I was exceptionally compatible with the IS. And though it was unofficial, they secretly made me a test pilot for the IS. But…I have only seen my father twice before…and we have only spoken for no more than an hour." Rai scratched his head. He was at a loss for words. "After that, the Dunois Corporation came across some financial difficulties."

"Financial difficulties? Didn't you say its market share ranks third world-wide?"

"That is correct, but the Rafale Revive is a second-generation type. Currently, IS research is focusing on developing the third-generation type. I think the reason Ms. Cecilia and Ms. Laura transferred to this school was because they needed to collect data for that development. The Dunois Corporation has already gone developing third-generation models, but progress has been slow. At this rate, their development permit is in danger of being withdrawn."

"Wow," Rai pinched his eyes together. "Even in school, countries are going at it to see who can get the best products first. But, what does dressing up like a guy have to do with anything? You could still come here as a girl, can't you?"

"It is simple. I am merely the advertising platform for attracting attention. As for this charade, they felt I had a better chance of meeting Ichika if I pretended to be a boy." Rai remembered the other day.

"Ichika did mention something about being the only guy to pilot an IS..."

"The hope was I could collect data on his machine as well as…him. Basically, what they asked me to do was to come here and steal his data by pretending that I was a boy named…Charles. That is, until I discovered you were a pilot as well."

"To be fair, I'm sort of an exception..."

"What do you mean?"

"The thing is…Me and the others: Kurumu, Yami, and Jolt. You can pretty much tell that we don't fit in, right?" Charles recollected the transformations and acquired skills they demonstrated in class and on the battlefield.

"…Are you saying you're some kind of machines?"

"Well, no…I mean Yami, maybe. We're here is because we just needed the tech from these IS units. Back where we're from, there's some serious business going on, and I think it's just going to lead into a war."

"A war?" Charles was intrigued, but frightened. "Who is it that you are fighting?"

"…That…I don't know…But, we're gonna need all the help we can get if we want to make it out alive. Once we have what we need, we'll be leaving." Rai chuckled. "...Guess we're no different than them..." Charles looked back to Rai.

"…Laura says you are a Reaper. What exactly is she talking about?" Rai leaned back on the bed.

"That's what I'm called when I'm on the job; make sure everyone's safe from certain enemies. But what's bugging me is I've never been here, and Laura thinks we've already met before."

"Is she sure it was you?"

"Who knows…it could have been someone else."

"Hey, Rai!" Kurumu called out behind the door. "You in here?"

"Pikachu?" Jolt strolled right behind.

"Shit!" Rai jumped from his seat. He noticed Charles's sweater exposing her breast. He quickly clutched her shirt and zippered it to the top.

"Kyaaa!" Charles shrieked. Kurumu rushed in.

"What was that?" She asked.

"…What was what?" Rai acted calm. He shoved Charles behind him. Kurumu approached Rai.

"Don't play dumb. Didn't you hear a girl just shout right now?"

"Really? I didn't hear anything. Did you hear something, Charles?"

"No, I *ahem* didn't hear anyone."

"There you go. No one heard anything."

"Pika?" Jolt scurried over behind Charles. "Pikapi?" He pointed to Rai's hand behind his back. "Pika!" Kurumu looked over.

"What did you do to your hand?" She pulled Rai's hand forward and noticed his hand wrapped in bandages.

"What, this?" Rai played off. "I got a little burned from the tea." He pointed to the cup on the floor.

"…That's it?"

"That's it. Now, I'm fine." Kurumu was still skeptical. She started looking over at Charles hiding behind Rai. Charles thought of a way to get them out. The first thing she noticed was Jolt smelling the tea on the carpet.

"I, uh, think he might be hungry," Charles spoke with anxiety. Rai looked at Charles. She nudged her head toward Jolt.

"Jolt, is this true?" Rai picked him up. "You know I worry about you!"

"...Pika?" Jolt tilted his head.

"Kurumu, how could you do this to my little buddy!?"

"Wait, what!?" Kurumu was confused.

"Just look at him; he's nothing but fur and bones!" Rai stretched Jolt's cheeks.

"Piiaaaayuuuu!?" Rai handed him to Kurumu and escorted her out.

"Quick, get him to the cafeteria and fill him up until he's plump and nourished!"

"But, what about you?"

"Nah, I already ate. I'll see you tonight. Bye!"

SLAM!

Jolt and Kurumu looked at each other outside the door.

"...That was weird."

"Pika." Jolt nodded. Kurumu took Jolt back down to the cafeteria.

"After all that, I didn't get to ask if he's seen the shrimp."

Rai let out a deep sigh as another crisis was averted. Charles sat back on the bed. Rai walked over to her.

"Hey," Rai looked at her. "What's gonna happen if they find out you're a chick?"

"What, you ask?" She looked away. "...Since you now know that I'm a girl, I'll surely be called back to my home country. I'm not sure what will happen after...Sent to jail, if I'm lucky."

"...Not if I don't say anything. You want to stay here, right?" Charles was happy to hear his approval.

"But, will it be alright?" Rai stopped to look at the view outside the balcony.

"I'm not sure..." Yami was staring up at him through the window. "..." Rai slowly gripped the curtain and covered the glass door.

"Is there something wrong?" Rai turned his head.

"That depends...did I just see Yami outside?" He pulled the curtain and saw Yami with her hair now shifted into blades. He closed the curtain.

Slice!

Yami cut her way through the cloth and stepped inside.

"Yami!?" Charles treaded back while Rai stepped in front of her.

"Listen, Yami, I can explain…" Yami looked back over to Charles.

"There's no need…" Yami reached into her pocket. "...Here." She held a small black book to Rai's face. He took the book and opened to where a small sticky note popped out.

"What, this?" Rai read the article.

|All students of the IS Academy are under its exclusive control. No nation, organization, or group can interfere with their attendance here.|

Rai was astounded. "You know what this means, right?"

"So long as Dunois stays within this academy for the next three years," Yami clarified, "she should be protected."

"Three years is enough time for you to come up with a plan before graduation." Rai smiled.

"That's amazing!" Charles said gratified. "I can't believe she remembered that. There are at least 55 of those rules to remember!"

"Well, Yami's the one with the book smarts." He nodded at Yami. "Thanks for the tip." She looked away quickly.

"It was nothing..." She responded. Charles rose from her seat.

"Raimundo..." She looked at him with her gentle, florid eyes. "...Thank you, for all that you've done for me."

"No problem..." Rai grinned. He noticed a breeze coming from the curtains. A large hole was cut clean through the window. Rai turned to Yami who was also staring at the whole. "…You are going to fix this, right?" Yami jumped through the hole. She placed the glass neatly into place and disappeared off the balcony. "...Thanks."

Creek~!

Ichika barged in with a tray in his hands. He was panting after his dinner with Cecilia.

"Hey, it's me!" He announced. "…I think."

"Hey, Ichika," Rai welcomed him. "You look beat. What happened?"

"Don't you worry about it…" He brought the tray over to the desk. "Hey Charles, I brought some food for you."

"Oh, thank you," Charles replied. "I am hungry." When Charles and Rai saw dinner, it wasn't much to boast about. There were two bowls for rice and miso soup. A little dish had green wasabi and little red peppers to the left. For the main course; a fried fish that seemed tortured to death before being served on the plate.

"…What's wrong?" Rai poked the fish with the chopsticks.

"…It never stood a chance," he joked.

"Well…" Charles decided to eat rather than starve, so she took the chopsticks and broke them into two pieces. He tried eating with his right hand, but held them clumsy and crossed incorrectly.

"Oh, you can't use chopsticks," Ichika realized.

"I have been practicing, but still…"

"No problem, I'll just run back and get you a fork."

"Here, Charles," Rai offered. He shifted Charles fingers with his left hand. "Mikan taught me this trick." He moved the first stick so it rested on her ring finger and thumb. "Now, pinch the other stick with your index and middle finger like your writing with a pencil. Add pressure to the bottom stick so it stays in place and focus on moving the one on top." Charles could feel more comfortable with the sticks.

"I think I've got the hang of this!" She fumbled for a minute.

"You know," Ichika lectured. "You're gonna have to learn to take advantage of others' kindness a little better. What is it that they say: He who hesitates is lost? So, you take advantage of us this time and we'll take advantage of you some other time, okay?" Charles blushed. "Alright, I'm gonna go use the shower." Ichika took his towel and pajamas before entering the bathroom.

"He's got a point," Rai agreed. "You need anything, just let us know."

"But, aren't you worried that he'll find out that I'm a girl?"

"I don't know about that." Rai brushed his chin. "This guy's not really 'bright' if you catch my drift." He stretched his back. "Anyway, it's getting late. I better be going."

"W-Wait!" Charles hesitated. "I was wondering…" Rai raised an eyebrow. "…Could you…please feed me?" An array of sparkling aura hovered over Charles's face.

"…Huh?" Rai sweated.

"You said if there was anything I needed, I could depend on you to help me, no?" Rai couldn't ignore the girl's glimmering stare.

"Uh…yeah, I did." Rai took the chopsticks in his burnt hand. He grabbed a small piece of fish. "Alright, ready for dinner?"

"Oui." Charles smiled.

"Okay, say 'ahh' for me."

"Ahh~." Rai placed the fish in her mouth as she delicately chewed.

"Is it good?"

"Oh, very~." She enjoyed it.

"Cool, guess it's safe to eat."

"Well, I think I want try the rice next."

"Sure thing." Rai pinched the rice on the menu. "Alright, another 'ahh' please."

"Ahh~." Charles couldn't help but giggle. A small grain landed near her lip.

"You, uh, got a little…"

"Oh!" Charles remembered. "Better get it~."

"…You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

The crescent moon illuminated over the battlefield. There was no one, except for Laura standing on the ramp. She looked out contemplating the situation.

"Mentor..." Laura spoke. "Your absolute and incomparable strength is the goal I seek, and the reason for my continuing existence." She unlatched the eye patch secured behind her head. When it came off, she revealed her left eye with chrome-like amber that gleamed brightly from the moon. "Ichika Orimura…the person who cast a stain upon my mentor's name..." Her right eye became engulfed in a shimmer of red light. "I swear that…I will get rid of you by any means necessary!"

The students in room 1963 were in their beds for the night. One had Kurumu drooling in her sleep and Jolt wheezing with his oversized belly. Rai stared at the ceiling trying to fall asleep in the other.

*Shine*

Rai's screen from his phone glowed a faint red. He took the phone and checked the menu screen. His scythe's silhouette shone red instead of black.

"…Laura." When he looked out to the balcony, Yami was sitting on the awning. She faced towards the arena.

-To Be Continued-

Alright guys, all together!

Cecilia: Must we do this over again!?

Rin: Yeah, my throat's sore!

Hime: Enough whining and be ready to perform.

Grey: Which part are we at again?

Mizore: We're on the last day.

Nana: Let's go, already! I'm freezing here!

Piplup!

Maestro! If you please…

*Piano plays in the background*

Everyone: On the 12th day of Christmas, this Fanfic gave to me!

Natsu & Grey: Twelve wizards fighting!
(Natsu: You started it!)
(Grey: No, you did!)

Hime: Eleven Corpses Burning…
(...Flandre, my blowtorch.)

(Flandre: Fuga!)

Ten thousand viewings!
(Just saying)

Rubi: Nine things that happened!
(Yes, many, many things happened~…)

Principal: Eight pairs of panties!

(Someone get him out of here!)

Dawn: Seven contest ribbons!

Momo: Six early mornings~!

(Rito: Momo!?)

Teddy: Five—Foreign Dates!

(Houki, Cecilia, Rin, Charles, & Laura: NO!)

Yosuke, Chie, Yukiko, Kanji, & Rise: Four Shadow Selves!

Sherwood: Three Androids.

Bryan, Richard, & Prowl: Two reaper arcs…

Everyone: And a pikachu on a pine tree!

Jolt: Pikachu!

Happy Holidays from Anime Unleashed! All right's reserved and material used thus far all belong to their respective owners. Be sure to leave a comment, review, and have a Merry Christmas!

Next Chapter: Blue Days ~ Red Switch

Honne, Shizune, and Kiyoka: But we didn't get to do our preview!

Sorry ladies, better luck next year.