"You can't be serious!"
"No way...I mean, it had auxiliary sights attached right?"
"That's right! I've never heard of a general purpose device shaped like a rifle either!"
Masaki crossed his arms and sat back in his chair, eyes closed, trying to drown out the buzz of the rest of the first-years around the conference room table. He would have liked to move on to other topics, but he suspected that this announcement was enough to excite, and maybe even panic the students. He cast a glance in Airi's direction, but she didn't make eye contact; he would have to check with her on how Shiori was doing.
Masaki cleared his throat, and the noise gradually abated, all eyes turning towards him.
"...certainly, something like that has never commercially appeared. However, examples of general devices with integrated sighting aids do indeed exist."
The murmuring picked up once again.
"You gotta be kidding..."
"It's new technology, only just announced in Dusseldorf last summer."
George added his comment, silencing the room, before it exploded in the highest fervor yet.
"Just last summer!? That's freakin' state of the art!"
"How did they get ahold of this information!"
That's what I would like to know as well…
Masaki spoke up in response to the last comment.
"Yeah, I didn't know either until I looked into it for this thing."
An uncomfortable silence followed. Surprise, anxiety, doubt...and awe.
"Not even Ichijou knew, there's no way we would..."
"However."
The somber mood in the room seemed to swirl at that single ominous word.
"The prototype unveiled in Dusseldorf was not meant to be a practical model. The operation was sluggish, accuracy was low — from a technical standpoint it was simply an experiment that had been cast aside."
George knotted his eyebrows, his tone annoyed, tingeing on acrid. Sensing other things on his friend's mind, Masaki continued where he left off.
"The device the winner First High's Kitayama-san used however fully combined the strengths of the speed and accuracy of a specialized type with the versatility of a general type. If that was all the work of one engineer...that's not the level of a high school student anymore. It's almost monstrous."
"Competitions that guy is responsible for in the future are likely to be beastly. It's very likely our devices will be handicapped by at least two or three generations."
No one dared to say anything in response. There was almost nothing that could be said.
At times like these, leaders need to step up.
"But we can't let this stand in our way. No matter what the obstacle, we will overcome it. That just means we all need to work harder. We're behind in terms of tech. So what? These competitions are not about the tech. They're about the magician. You and me. All of us. Together we can defeat First High."
The tension in the room was still palpable, but was slowly ebbing. Students whispered to those sitting next to each other. Masaki's gaze went around the table; each face sent different messages, some of defeat and worry, but in it there was hope as well.
"I believe-"
Masaki stood up, hands in the table, and looked into the eyes of each student around the table, his eyes finally coming to meet Airi's, which he held for a moment longer.
"I believe in all of you. In us. We'll win this for sure. So let's go out there and conquer this competition."
Airi hung back as the other first year students filed out of the room, leaning against the back wall of the conference room. Events were over for the day; most would be returning to their rooms to rest or hanging out around the premises. Some competitors would be getting more CAD calibration in or some exercise to keep them on their toes.
Masaki was finishing up his conversation with one of the other first year boys concerning some strategy in the Ice Break competition; as the boy left the room the last ones inside were herself, Masaki and Shinkurou.
Silence permeated the room.
Shinkurou stood at the window, staring outside. Masaki was seated again at the head of the table, fingers laced and brows knotted, seemingly lost in thought.
"How is she?"
She looked up, her eyes meeting his, before turning away again.
"She hasn't left her room since the match. Mizuo-senpai hasn't gone into their room to give her some space."
The air hung heavy around the three.
"Will you be alright?...Airi?...Isshiki-san!"
"Ah!"
She hadn't realized he was talking to her.
"Crowd Ball starts first thing tomorrow morning...will you be ok?"
His eyes had hardened slightly. In the place of the boy with the easy smile and the amicable personality was a leader, cold and calculating.
"Y-Yes. I'll be fine."
She turned to leave the room; he was right, she should be getting ready for her own match.
"Airi."
She turned back towards Masaki.
"She'll be alright."
His face had softened, the boy peeking through the mask of the leader.
"Win this one for her."
"Ichijou!"
He had barely taken a step into the Third High tent before a loud voice called him, one that he had gotten used to in the past few months.
"Soshiroda-senpai."
The Public Morals chairman stood in front of one of the large monitors each the school had been loaned for the event. It was evident he had something to say to him.
"Ah! Kichijouji-san. An excellent showing this afternoon in the male's division of Speed Shooting, beating that Morisaki boy. A feat of magical strength, to beat out a member of the Hundred. What was that spell you used? It looked like a sustained Weight-type magic along with some other things I couldn't quite pick out. Oscillation perhaps."
George inclined his head slightly before the senior.
"Thank you, senpai. You're right, it was a combination of weight and oscillation. I simply tagged each of my shells to be drawn into the center of the scoring field and tagged each of the opponents shells to be pushed out. It was a simple matter of sustaining oscillation in the concentration of the shells to shatter them, a variation of the 'Invisible Bullet.'"
"Ohohohoho, not bad, not bad. And to be working as an engineer for that right before your match. Did you tune your CAD yourself?"
"No, Masaki helped me with that part."
Soshiroda Hayato raised a single eyebrow.
"I didn't know you were proficient in CAD maintenance, Ichijou. I may have to get you to take a look at the Public Morals Committee's CADs, see if you can clean them up a bit."
Masaki let out a chuckle.
"I know the basics, maybe slightly more. If you want good tuning, George is your man."
"Eh? Hey! Nako-chan! You mind if I borrow your secretary for a bit after we get back?"
Hayato's loud call was answered with a piece of paper flying across the tent, directed with magic. Hayato let out a yelp as it struck him square between the eyes.
"I TOLD YOU NOT TO CALL ME THAT IN PUBLIC! AND NO, YOU CANNOT USE MY SECRETARY!"
Hayato nursed the welt that was beginning to form on his forehead.
"Jeez, that woman is making me rethink my life choices; can't she lighten up a little?"
"Congratulations to you as well, Soshiroda-san. That Battle Board competition was close, and hard fought. I thought First High was going to beat you for a moment, but that was excellent."
A genuine smile graced Masaki's face.
"Haha, indeed. That Hattori fellow was no pushover. I would have like to have a duel with him sometime, but I'm glad I won't be his opponent during Monolith Code. Not with Juumonji on their side…"
The chairman stopped rubbing his bruise and turned back to Masaki. His expression had made a complete change, his face losing its humor, replacing it with solemnity.
"Shiori-san. Will she be able to compete in Icicle Destruction?"
Masaki hesitated in his response. George shifted slightly next to him.
"...To be honest, we aren't sure. But we will do our best to check in on her in the next few hours and I'll prepare a contingency plan in the case she has to withdraw. But I believe that she'll be fine."
Hayato's shoulders relaxed slightly.
"That's good news. We'll need all the help we can get."
Masaki's eyes were drawn to the score table up on the monitor. Third High had a goodly number of points, ahead of almost every other high school. Except one.
First High.
While the margin of lead wasn't much, it was still there.
"We managed to take Battle Board for both male and female, as well as Crowd Ball for male. First High edged us out in Ice Pillars, but that was to be expected with Juumonji and all. Other than Speed Shooting, we're distributed about the same, with us scoring slightly lower than First on average. We'll try our best with Mirage Bat, but that's no guarantee and for Monolith Code, we're almost guaranteed Second, since the Juumonji heir will be competing."
Nanako had walked over to the three of them, commenting on the situation. She threw an ice pack towards her fiance, but otherwise didn't look in his direction, obviously still annoyed. Hayato fumbled trying to catch the slippery pack, finally managing to not drop it.
"The Newcomers events might just be the deciding factor for this one."
...WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO NOW?...
"Shut up."
...THERE'S NOWHERE FOR YOU TO GO…
"Go away."
...COME BACK TO US SHIORI…AFTER ALL...YOU'RE NOT A 'KANOU'...
"GO AWAY!"
Shiori shrieked and covered her ears. The voices that she had left so long ago had come back. She had defied their wishes, and in doing so, thought she would never have to hear them again.
Why? Why are you back? I left that memory long ago...why won't you leave me be?
She pulled her legs up onto the bed and curled her body into her knees.
Help me...
A sharp rap at the door pulled her out of her thoughts momentarily, the shock causing her to pull her legs in tighter.
"Shiori? Are you still in there?"
She could recognize Airi's muffled voice through the door.
"...Go away…"
"Shiori, you have to come out. This isn't good for you."
"I just want to be alone."
"You've locked yourself in there for five hours now; you need to come out."
"Please, just leave me a-"
"How long are you going to just sit in there! You know we're here for you, I'm here for you! Whatever you're dealing with, we can help! So why are you so determined to cut yourself off from us!?"
Shiori shut her eyes, attempting to block everything out again.
"...Please...just go away."
"...Please...just go away."
Airi could barely make out Shiori's soft words, but that final plea was her final straw. Shiori was stronger than this, she wouldn't just sit there. So why wouldn't she let her in?
Anger laced Airi's words
"Fine! If you just want to sit in there and sulk, do it! Whoever you are in there, it isn't the Shiori I know! My Shiori wouldn't let this get her down! What happened to the Shiori I met all those years ago at that fencing tournament? The one, who despite everything that happened, decided to come with me to Third High? Because you aren't her!"
Airi raised a fist to pound the door, but decided against it. Spinning on her heels, she stalked away. Some of her anger faded as she walked, and she regretted her words. She knew what her friend had gone through to get to where she was now. Once the competitions were over, she would have to make it up to her somehow.
She made her way over to the Third High, unaware of the third presence in their proximity.
Shiori rested her head against the headboard of the bed, eyes still closed. She just wanted to be left alone.
Another knock came at the door, this one softer than Airi's.
"Kanou-san? I'm coming in, ok?"
She heard the bolt unlock and someone walk in.
"Mizuo-senpai…"
Mizuo Saho, a Third Year student in Class 1-A, and her roommate for the duration of the competition. She had chin length hair and a headband over her forehead. It seemed no matter she went, she had a cheeky smile on her face, as if she knew a joke no one else did.
"Ah, have you been here the entire time? We all missed you at dinner. I met this cute boy from Fifth High but…"
Saho relayed the events of the night, and Shiori attempted to at least listen to her senior's ramblings.
"Isshiki-san stopped by earlier didn't she."
Shiori looked up at the sudden change of subject.
"Mm."
Saho had removed her school uniform and began pulling on nightclothes.
"I guess I should apologize about that."
She began as she pulled on a track jacket.
"I was listening in on you two earlier. She sounded pretty upset."
"Mm."
Shiori pulled her legs in again and hugged them to her chest.
"She's really worried about you, you know. I'm sure you know how she operates, but she's just frustrated she doesn't know how to help."
Shiori's memory briefly flashed back to when the two of them had first met. She had lost to her in a fencing match in junior high, and that had started them down the road to their enrollment at Third.
"I'm sure you know Airi pretty well, but I knew her as well, before she got to where she is now."
Shiori looked at her senior, surprised.
"You knew Airi?"
"Yeah. You know, she went through a lot of the stuff that you seem to be going through rights now. You know she's an only child, and the heir to one of the 18 Assistant Houses to boot. Growing up alone, with all the high expectations along with it...it does things to a person."
Saho seated herself on her own bed, still facing Shiori.
"I know it's not my place to say anything, as I'm not even a member of the 100 families, but knowing what I do about the clans, she turned out alright. And I know you will as well. I don't presume to know your past, or what you're going through, but whatever it is, you'll get through it. And if you can't shoulder the entire burden yourself, look around. You have wonderful friends to help you carry your load. So don't be afraid. Go to her. It's ok if you need some space for now, but talk to her."
Saho glanced at the clock sitting on the table between their two beds. She flopped onto her bed and pulled the sheets up to her chin, eyes closed and that cheeky smile back on her face.
"Well, that's what your senpai has to say, but take it what you will. It's been a long day and I need to look nice and fresh if I see that Fifth High boy again. Good night!"
With the lights off, Shiori sat under her sheets, looking up at the ceiling.
"...Airi…"
Sitting up, she pulled out her terminal, and tapped it, the screen blazing to life and illuminating a small sphere around Shiori's face. She stared at the background on it for a while, a picture of the two of them at a recent fencing competition.
She thought about Saho's words. It was true, Airi had a lonely childhood, one of expectation and fear of not being good enough. But she had become strong, a leader at Third High.
And it was true, she knew. She did care for her friends. Everything Airi did, was not just for herself, but for Touko and her. She would have to go talk to her tomorrow morning, to see her off to her Crowd Ball match.
August 8, 2095; Third Day of Newcomers Division
Two more hours until Crowd Ball elimination matches….three hours until Ice Pillar Break preliminaries...
Airi stood in front of the Third High prep tent. She would have to make her way to the stadium soon for her match. Masaki and Shinkurou had already left to go to the Ice Pillars venue, but she still lingered outside.
In her hand was her terminal. A picture of herself and Shiori at a recent fencing competition, one that matched the background on Shiori's own terminal.
Footsteps approached, but she didn't look up to see the owner of those footsteps. She knew.
"Took your time, didn't you Shiori?"
Her friend smiled at her.
"Sorry I made you worry."
a/n
sigh, how does one character development?
hey all, a short chapter i managed to write during spring break. not much action going on here, but hopefully well get some of that soon. edited some parts of the previous chapter to make the interaction between airi and miyuki less cold.
also forgot that george competed in speed shooting on the first day, whoops. i think im going to try to take the focus off the girls and put it more on george and masaki more
im also thinking about putting together a character index, due to the OCs, and just the fact that the third high characters aren't really expanded upon a lot
as always, id love to hear feedback on how you think the plot is moving, and ideas i could include. the next chapter won't be up for a while, so itll give me time to think.
once again, thanks for reading!