On Thursday night, a chill had seeped into the air in February, and it had only deepened as the days passed. There was no rainfall, but the temperature dropped 10 degrees Celsius. A mist-laced wind whipped and howled past the metro's high-rises, spreading a cold misery through the air. The street bustled with a steady stream of people going in and out of their businesses.
Behind the glass stood a young man in his crisp green shirt. His messy bangs covered his forehead. The man's residence was an example of style over simplicity. On his right, the living room contained a sofa, a wooden coffee table, and a TV. He sat on the couch, tapping his index finger on the table.
"You better uphold the end of your bargain!" His voice was just above a roar.
"You're talking to a genius," Tabane replied in a cheerful manner. "Do you know who you're dealing with, hmm?"
"I don't give two fucks of who you are!" The man's cheek twitched. His words echoed down the lounge.
"Why are you being pissy?" Tabane's expression turned stern. "Turn your frown upside down~"
"I'll do it if you stop being annoying." The man gritted his teeth.
"Fine, fine! You are a party pooper. Get your pilot ready if you don't mind. Time is the value of my essence~"
The man grabbed his lighter to smoke a cigarette, simmering his anger. "…All right, Tabane, I'll only say this once. I'm plotting a revenge for my guys that were killed by Chifuyu. I've been biding my time…waiting for the right moment to strike."
Tabane shook her head. "Look, I don't care about your honor or revenge. Can you keep your talk to yourself? You may never know who might be listening."
"Are you questioning my credentials? Please, I know what I'm doing."
"That's cute. Just so you should know, I'm the ultimate human being, Renürion. There's no need to hide our private conversation."
"Is this your flattery? Don't make me laugh, Tabane. You're pretending to be God."
"Thus, and thus," said Tabane, shrugging, "Whether if the world is in a sea of flames, I could care less."
Tabane stabbed at the digital keypad, ending the call. The rabbit came out through the doors as Chloe bowed. Tabane had left a shopping bag folded and Chloe dumped fruits inside, rolling the bag into a bundle and tucking it up under her arm, football-style. They walked together through the door towards the light.
Opening song: Leo Imai – Bite
(Camera pans downwards at the highway at excess speeds before it slowly moves up towards the dark)
ID wa mottenai wasureru kanrakugai (A closeup of Liu's shoulders and black tousle hair)
Kouya wo mezashite dorojiai (Liu does a pose to show off his muscular body at downtown streets)
Watashi wa houkai ashita wa mou nai (Liu walks on the sidewalk, admiring the lights shining from the signs above him)
Ikitemo shindemo kamawanai (Various IS blueprints and tattoos fall in slow motion)
Yukisaki mo nai yume nante kanchigai (From right to left, Three Dragons' weapons are on the table as Liu's clothes hang on the racks, flowing from the wind)
Guuguu naru hara no soko shika nai (Three Dragons walks with her arms in her pocket, being stoic)
Eriito no kaoiro touttara niramiai (Three Dragons and Liu's IS are covered in shadows)
Taimatsu no hi wo tada nomihoshitai (Liu stares in the night as it zooms closer to his face)
Kamitsukasero kamitsukasero! (A closeup of a speeding silver Porsche 911 on an empty road and IS flying in the sky that switches back-to-back every second)
Ishi wo kuichigiru (The IS booster ignites fuel before it bursts)
Kamitsukasero kamitsukasero! (Front closeup of a 911 traveling excess speed and IS expanding its wings)
Suna to tsuba wo haku (Scrap metal and blood littered the concrete)
Doa wo akero doa wo akero! (The IS dives down as the car drifts on a sharp right turn)
Gomi wa moyashi tsudzuketeru (A junkyard filled with worn out metal as Three Dragons' back is turned, showing off her tattoos)
Kamitsukasero kamitsukasero! (From the IS pilot's point of view, it's diving towards the light)
Makeinu wo kuruwashita wirusu (The driver gets out of the car, revealing to be Liu before he smirks)
Infinite Stratos Academy is the home of IS, where prospective students learn how to pilot an IS. The boarding school is populated with women. Ichika Orimura is the only male student. Some believed that it's paradise or hell, depending on how people interpret it.
Letting out a sigh, Liu rested his left elbow on the window, twirling a pen on his right hand. Chifuyu was his designated driver. Liu can never forget what had transpired with Three Dragons' betrayal, and he knew killing her was the only way to end his vengeance. Liu pondered if he made the right choice to work with the Brunhilde. He was worried that Chifuyu would turn him over if he outlived his usefulness or oust him for being unreliable.
"Thinking back, it was supposed to be the greatest day of my life. Maybe my fate was sealed the day I wanted an IS."
Chifuyu blinked. "What's this supposed to be?"
"Righteousness Union is technically family, but Three Dragons was the only person I could call my family."
Chifuyu rubbed the bridge of her nose. "There's nothing wrong with making friends, but you must be careful. Listen to what I say, Liu. It's not like I don't hear you, but your affiliation with Righteousness Union does not suit you to be a student at my Academy."
Liu shook his head. "I rather not be your student surrounded by women living in their own world. Let alone, having the first male student trying too hard to form his harem like a certain blue boy with the first letter 'I', ending with chika."
Chifuyu scowled at Liu's flippant attitude of his. "Your smart mouth will have a sorrowful parting if you run your lips again."
Liu glanced at the Brunhilde, not heeding her warning. "Chifuyu, let me buy you cranberry juice. You're on your period. I can't let you turn into Billy Costner losing his marbles being undercover for the Irish mob. Hell, the fatso boss is also an FBI informant giving information like candy."
Sticking true to her words, Chifuyu punched Liu in the jaw for his insolent tongue.
"Ow! Chifuyu! Can't you take a joke? You're too serious."
"Oh, I'm sorry, did I break your jaw?" Chifuyu said. "How about stopping for ice cream to fix your booboo. Better yet, I'll play doctor to fix your mouth to cover your insurance. How does that sound?"
"What am I, your girlfriend? Blow me, Chifuyu, but not literally."
The Brunhilde glared daggers at the dragon for not shutting up, on the brink of cracking his cranium. Chifuyu did not expect Liu to be a smart ass because she assumed that he's a lowly hooligan.
Liu let out an exaggerated sigh. "Fine, I'll bite. What do you want me in the long run?"
"You're not a pigeon stool or a pencil pusher, Liu," Chifuyu said, massaging her temples. "Remember, you came up to me to work together because we have a common goal of bringing down Three Dragons."
"Too late to back out from the deal I made. What do I have to offer?"
"You will give me everything you know about Three Dragons, including her finances, interests, and associates."
"What do I get in return?"
"I'll turn a blind eye to let you live without the law touching you. That is, if you follow my scripts."
It was too good to be true. Liu's expression was half exasperation at best. He stared at the rear-view mirror.
"I hope your script is written with your blood."
"Believe me, Liu," Chifuyu concluded. "No one can take your supporting role. Anyone can take the throne, but the hard part is keeping it."
"I'll follow your script, but I'll rewrite to my liking if it's shitty." Liu let out a short exhale. "I will not hold back to make it happen."
"I'll look forward to it. That is, if you have the balls to do the work."
The long drive made them hungry. Liu and Chifuyu stopped at an Italian yōshoku restaurant for lunch.
The Brunhilde muttered a short comment. "To be honest, I should have rejected your collaboration offer."
Liu did not understand what she meant. He looked over at Chifuyu, and the latter elaborated.
"I dealt bad guys like Phantom Task, but Three Dragons is rotten to the core. Three Dragons thinks she's a hero for her actions, but she's a walking natural disaster. The problem is, I don't have intel on her."
"Sounds about right. You could have used your connections with the law to pin her down."
"In a fairy tale, everyone lives happily after that, but this will put targets on our back," Chifuyu muttered. "Sooner or later, there will be someone taking her throne."
"I'm not her successor," Liu groaned. "Before you point your finger at me, I'm not aiming to be the king because you'll go after my head to get praises from your higher ups like an obedient dog."
"For an idiot, at least you know how to use your brain. The last thing I want is a gang war pandemic when Infinite Stratos has caused headaches around the world."
"Funny enough, I encountered Tabane before. For Alice in Wonderland rip-off, she is an elusive rabbit."
"How the hell did you meet her?" Chifuyu said.
Liu let out a frustrated groan under his breath. "Three Dragons and I met this weirdo after we talked about being pilots to be prestigious. At first, we were talking aspirations, but Tabane appeared out of nowhere, saying that she can make it happen."
Chifuyu found a small clue to solve the puzzle of her deceased students. Chifuyu wanted to know the motive behind the heist.
"Why did you and Three Dragons pull a heist? Were you aware of the consequences for dealing with the devil?"
Liu did not deny. "Everyone wants a piece of the pie. If your brother became a pilot, then so can I by any means necessary. Tabane reverse engineered it for me. Well, only Three Dragons got it before she cut me out of the deal."
"What did you do to her?"
"I did not expect her greed to fuck me over."
Chifuyu can blame Liu for being an accomplice, but Three Dragons benefitted the most for getting the duo exoskeletons by taking the life of Chifuyu's promising students.
"Tabane knows no boundaries," Chifuyu said, gripping her glass. "I ought to let you burn to ashes at the warehouse, but I'll pretend that this never happened. As step number one, I'm your direct point of contact. Don't reveal our partnership to anyone. I already have my hands full with students that can't keep their mouths to themselves."
Her concerns were legitimate. Now that the duo just started their collaboration, they will attract enemies, whether it be Three Dragons' followers, Phantom Task, or rival clans. This wasn't Chifuyu being rude, it's her genuinely pointing out a shortcoming they had as a team. The Brunhilde was aware of working with a person that seeks the power of Infinite Stratos. What's more, Chifuyu imagined Liu scoring body counts without flinching. Liu fought rival gangsters here and there. Truth be told, Liu has never killed a person. His personal code was either to end their suffering, or those who had earned his respect to be allowed to die by his hand. Liu has not done one of them.
Ichika Orimura dazed at the clouds drifting. His slumber was interrupted by Shirokishi hovering at his face.
"Chifuyu...?" Ichika walked towards Shirokishi. It released an ominous aura that turned light into darkness. Shiroshiki choked Ichika with tremendous strength as he struggled to break free.
"Time to meet your death, Ichika."
Tried as he might, Ichika could not escape the grasp of Shiroshiki.
"I will kill you..." Shiroshiki snarled, her fingers crushing Ichika's neck until he blacked out.
Ichika woke up lazily to find everything normal until a leg kicked him in the face. Ichika groaned in annoyance as a young girl with silver hair and eye patch revealed herself partially.
"Ugh...please tell me I woke up on time," the German girl yawned with her eyes closed.
Ichika removed his blanket, and he was not thrilled that she snuck into her room to sleep with him, again. Her name is Laura Bodewig, commander of Schwarzer Hase.
"Good morning…I checked that the bed is not covered in fecal matter when I snuck in your room."
Laura's remark was awfully like three certain middled aged Englishmen booking a shoddy hotel in Uganda. The reference did not sit well for Ichika because the first thing came to Ichika's mind was a half-naked girl not showing decency to cover herself for the second time.
"Oh, my God, Laura!" Ichika shouted.
Laura Bodewig stood motionless with a shallow smile plastered on her face, revealing her blue swimsuit proudly. "Don't fret, I'm not naked today!"
"What the hell are you wearing?"
"I can thank my brilliant Lieutenant's recommendation to attract a lover! I should have booked a love hotel to show our desires."
Ichika had a strong hunch that Laura sought advice from her instructor, the one that's not so perfect coming up with ideas.
"Laura, please fire your incompetent instructor. You're making yourself look stupider than the last."
Laura's Second Lieutenant, Clarissa Harfouch gave her terrible inaccurate advice about life, given the fact she's an avid fan of shojo manga. Clarissa's inability to tell the difference between fiction and reality screwed Laura's decision making because she believed every fact in manga, a worse way to translate fantasy facts into reality.
"My dear husband, I have a good reason why I waited for you to wake up," Laura said, pulling out a paper from her cleavage. "Please, take a look at this."
"What is this? Let's see..."
As Ichika read the paper, he jumped with excitement.
"Awesome! I've wanted to check out the End-of-the-Summer festival. I heard they opened the pool event at the amusement park this year."
Laura snuggled Ichika, smiling that she wanted to go with him, just the two of them.
"Is that right? Do you want to go?" said Laura, hopping.
"You can rent a yukata at the festival square."
"I've always wanted to wear a yukata with you." Laura blushed, shrugging her shoulders.
Just as Laura's wishes came true until Ichika said, "I'll call my friends to tag along with us-"
THONK!
A combat knife nailed against his bed, nearly killing him by a fraction of an inch. Laura stormed out of Ichika's room angrily, but Ichika frowned, confused at her attempted murder.
"Have you not learned how to be a proper husband?! You have dishonored your bloodline."
"Laura! I'm not your husband!"
Outside of the Academy, a white Rolls Royce Phantom came to a stop. A maid opened the doors for the British girl to step out. She was a beautiful voluptuous girl with blue eyes, long curly blonde hair, wearing a white sunhat and matching dress.
"Milady, may I express my gratitude for your service in England during your summer break, your country thanks you," Chelsea Blackett said. "As a member of the Alcott family, it's my duty to serve, but more importantly-"
"Ichika, I am here for my return because at the end of the day, I intend to be under the same sky with my special someone, my beloved..."
"Hey, Cecilia!" Ichika called.
"Ichika! We haven't seen each other for a week, I hope you're having a pleasant summer."
Days, weeks, or months, Cecilia would miss Ichika a lot, even though it's been one week. To her, not seeing him for one day felt like eternity.
Mhmhmhm, is it possible that he came out here just so he can greet me?
Cecilia apparently has delusions of being alone with Ichika when she imagined the blue boy running towards her with a bouquet of roses.
Oh, my giddy aunt! I couldn't wait that you were coming back to me.
Ichika, you naughty boy! We shouldn't do that out here where everyone can see!
Cecilia, in her happy dreams, didn't want to wake up until Ichika called her out. "Cecilia, Cecilia?"
Awaken by the second time Ichika said her name, Cecilia snapped back to reality, blinking twice.
"Oh? I'm all right, I'm just feeling little bit lightheaded that's all."
"I see, you're okay then," said Ichika, handing a paper to Cecilia. "By the way, would you like to go to this event?"
As Cecilia glanced at the End-of-the-Summer Date and Festival, she became thrilled. "Oh! Are you asking me to go out with you, Ichika? Yes! I shall make all the proper preparations."
Laura sat across a young French woman with purple eyes, and blonde hair in a ponytail as they eat lunch. Her name was Charlotte Dunois, the IS Representative Candidate of France. No one else occupied the cafeteria, except the two of them.
"He must be more aware of his duty as my bride," said Laura, chewing steak. "Ichika, why did you go soft?"
"It seems like something's bothering you."
Laura sliced a thin piece of steak as they talked about her problems, which she denied. "Ah? It's nothing, forget what I just said."
Charlotte is close friends with Laura like sisters, coming up with an idea to cheer her up. "I know, why don't we go do a little cloth shopping today if you have time."
"What for? The military supplies are my-"
"If you wore that out in public, your fellow Germans might not be too happy about it, right? You're not at a military base, and you lack colors."
Charlotte persuaded Laura to go shopping to fill in the space with colors because she is teaching Laura the proper social skills she didn't receive from her stint in the military.
"Come on, summer break is over. Let's go!"
"Hmm, I guess you got a point."
"So, can you be ready to leave around 10?"
"Yeah, that is fine."
Laura did not understand the meaning of clothing as she wore her IS uniform, much to Charlotte's confusion. The girls overheard a conversation between three classmates.
"Hey, have you heard the myth of the mixed berries crepe from the seaside park?"
"Yes, I have! Supposedly, if you share the mixed berries crepe with the person you like, they will fall for you!"
"I wanted it, but they always sold out in a flash."
"Mixed berries?" Charlotte turned to Laura. "Do you know this?"
Laura shook her head.
On the other side, a young girl with brown hair in twintails named Lingyin Huang, aka Rin laid on her bed, eating an orange popsicle before she said, "C-cold!"
Rin bit the top of her dessert that caused brain freeze. She lamented of summer vacation was coming to an end because Rin wanted to create memories with Ichika. Rin stayed at school instead of heading home just for Ichika.
Then, Rin heard a knock on the door.
"Hey, Rin! I'm coming in."
"What the-Ichika!?"
Rin did not expect Ichika to appear out of the blue moon. In a typical awkward moment, Rin wore a bikini and short jeans beyond revealing. Before Rin could change her clothes, Ichika entered her dorm. Ichika and Rin stared at each other.
"…"
The awkward tension grew so bad that Rin shook her head side to side as tears slowly built up in her eyes.
"AAAAAAH!"
Rin partially deployed her IS, and socked Ichika's face like a slugger. Once she calmed down, Rin snatched a flier about the water park.
"Is this what Ichika wanted to invite me?"
Charlotte took her to the New Fall Fashion Fair to try out many clothing. Laura was overwhelmed by the choices the mall had to offer, making her lightheaded.
"Laura, do you prefer pants or skirts?" Charlotte asked.
"Both of them are great," Laura replied. "Skirts are great to be sexy-"
"That answer is not good, Laura. You know, this side of yours reminds me of Ichika."
"Yes, it's a good thing for wife and husband to be similar."
Charlotte chuckled. "Anyways, let's check out fall clothes. What's your style preference?"
"That won't be necessary because I don't need them. Besides, it's summer."
"Girls typically buy new clothes ahead of season, Laura, not the other way around."
"You got a point. Once the war begins, it's too late to procure supplies and troops. I should have known!"
Charlotte was unsure what type of war Laura referred to. The French girl hoped that it does not involve violence. At Third Surface, Laura was not confident which clothing suited her, but Charlotte didn't give up until she found the right one to impress her lover or husband. Laura thought of wearing matching white clothes, but she did not try it on because she's conscious of her appearance in front of Ichika.
"What happened? You did not wear it?" Charlotte questioned.
"I want cuter clothes," Laura replied, fidgeting her shoulders. "Give me dark colors, not white. It stands out too much."
Soon enough, Laura stepped out of the dressing room. Laura resembled a cute gothic girl, attracting a crowd of onlookers. Next, Laura wore high heels to compliment her outfit. However, Laura has no experience wearing them, and she nearly rolled her ankles. Charlotte caught her in the nick of time, impressing everyone. Despite the crowd ogling their platinum and blonde hair, they didn't seem to be bothered like they were celebrities.
At the Academy gym, a Japanese girl in a keikogi kneeled with a katana on her right hand. She was Houki Shinonono with dark blue eyes, and long black hair in a ponytail tied with a white and red ribbon. Houki drew the katana in one swift.
I know not the way to triumph over others, I know the way to triumph for myself, I want to protect the one who's important to me.
Houki swung again, slicing through the air flawlessly. Houki took a deep breath, and swung swiftly, yet elegantly. After a couple of swings, Houki took a shower to release her long black hair touched to her butt as the hot water cleansed her soft, pale skin.
Houki sighed, looking at her breasts because she was not confident in her looks of being feminine. I don't believe it…I think my boobs got bigger again.
Just as Houki wished her breasts were a little bit smaller, a voice too recognizable echoed the dojo.
"Houki, are you in there?"
Houki knew right away it was Ichika, turning off the faucet as she hastily covered her curvaceous body. "Aah! U-um Ichika? What do you want?"
"I've been looking for you, Houki, can we talk?"
"Urgh…! J-just give me a second!"
Houki hastily wore a white buttoned shirt, and opened the door slightly as her right hand covered her big breasts. "Uh, what do you want?"
Ichika slightly blushed staring at her big cleavage, even though it was unintentional. "Uh sorry, I guess you were in the shower."
"Yeah, I was," said Houki derisively. "So, what do you want to talk about?"
"Would you go to this with me?"
Ichika gave Houki the same paper he did to Laura and Cecilia. However, her breasts were exposed as Houki read the paper, and Ichika accidentally stared it before looking away.
"I know it's kind of the last minute, so you don't have to go."
"Sure! I'm easy," said Houki. "Let me get ready, then we can go."
Laura and Charlotte wrapped up clothes shopping as they are at Cafe Cruise. Feeling parched, the girls had lobster omelette and clam chowder respectively.
"I'm tired," said Laura, yawning.
"You should have just kept it on."
"Well...I didn't want to get it dirty."
On the other side, the manager listened to the conversation between Laura and Charlotte. The manager wondered if Charlotte and Laura could fill the gap for short staff. Given the peak rush, the manager needed help badly.
"Oh, sure, Laura. Or are you saving it for Ichika to be the first person to see you wearing it?" Charlotte teased.
Laura slammed her hands on the table, blushing like mad.
"Nein! Th-that's not true at all! You're blowing smoke out of your ass."
"Excuse me, you two!" said the manager. "Would you like to work here part-time?"
A few minutes later...
"Can you explain why I'm dressed as a butler?" said Charlotte, unhappy with the choice of wardrobe.
"Because you're just much more handsome and better-looking than a lot of guys around here," The manager replied.
Charlotte sighed, looking at Laura in a maid serving customers left and right. Charlotte has a penchant for wearing maid outfits, but it's too late to ask her manager to change outfits.
"Sacre bleu…I want to wear a maid outfit. This is not what I want."
"Don't worry, darling, you look fabulous!"
Charlotte chuckled nervously at the manager's compliment before more customers showed up.
"Welcome to Cafe Cruise!"
Charlotte scooped a teaspoon of sugar from the cup as she poured it on the hot cocoa. Customers were dazzled by Charlotte's elegant appearance.
"Well then, please let me know if you will be needing anything else, Milady," said Charlotte, bowing to the customers.
Café Cruise is packed to the brim with a queue, eager to have the finest drinks it has to offer. Out of all the people waiting, there are three people clearly not here to dine. Three men wore black bandanas and beanies over their mouths. Each of them had a brown duffel bag as they glanced at the security guards. Without warning, they whipped out their batons, and landed three blows to their heads with the leader raising his Ruger GP100 at the customers.
"AAAHHH!" The manager screamed, raising her hands instinctively.
"This is a stick up!" Robber #1 shouted. "Everybody hands up, heads down!"
Patrons shrieked in terror at robber #2 lifted his Sig P226.
"Don't move! Don't fucking move!"
The pistol toting goon clobbered the security guard again for squirming until he was unconscious. The café was filled with the cries of the damned to the security guard covered in blood. While the robbers controlled the hostages, the manager tripped the silent alarm to notify police of a robbery in progress. It did not take long for a platoon of police cars surrounding Cafe Cruise.
"This is the police! We've sealed your escape routes! Drop your weapons to the ground with your hands-"
The third henchman shattered the window with his Mini Uzi. The submachine gun bucked as dozens of 9mm punched through the roof and engine blocks.
"We demand a getaway car if you want the hostages alive, not in body bags!"
"Clear the path, and don't even think about putting a tracking device on it!"
Charlotte hid behind the counter when the ringleader poked his head at the petrified manager. His eyes were full of greed to hit paydirt, even if it meant hurting some people.
"Give me the key to the safe," Robber #1 demanded.
"I-I don't know what you're talking about-" the manager yelped.
"KEY!"
The ringleader gave a heavy smack on the forehead with the back of his hand to defy his order, and she crumpled to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut. The key flung from her pocket while he snatched it.
"Stay there, let it bleed."
Charlotte felt butterflies in her stomach seeing the manager with a broken nose, along with Laura figuring out how to takedown the robbers. They can't risk activating their IS lest they get heat. Laura boiled with rage at the low-life thugs bullying the innocents for measly money. While the leader rummaged through the safe and cash registers, robber #2 spoke up.
"Maid! You work here? Give us three drinks at once."
"So what? It won't make a difference," Laura replied.
The hotheaded thug jammed his pistol at her forehead. "This nine can turn your brain into pig food, brat."
"You will regret calling me a brat."
Laura begrudgingly went to the kitchen before she returned with three cups filled with ice to the brim. Laura intended to provoke the thugs to throw them off their game for easy takedowns.
"I did not ask for ice," Robber #2 snarled. "Do you want to die for messing up a simple task?"
"Dummkopf, it's water," said Laura in derision. "Shut up and drink it. That is, if you can!"
Laura threw the cups and flicked ice cubes at Robber #2, disarming his weapon, and delivered a sidekick.
"Now you've done it, you little shit!" said Robber #3, firing his Uzi at Laura.
"This is what you get for fucking with us!"
Charlotte charged at robber #3, launching a roundhouse kick in his face.
"Sadly, she's not the only brat here!" said Charlotte. "Alpha has been apprehended, and you, mon ami?"
"No problem," Laura replied. "Beta is apprehended."
By the time the ringleader loaded his loot, he saw his deadbeats defeated by the maid and butler. He fired his revolver to get the drop on them.
"What the fuck is this? Those idiots lost to a maid and butler?!"
Laura bobbed and weaved, pistol whipping the last robber.
"Sloppy! All three targets have been apprehended."
The hostages were released from the crutches of the robbers.
"We're saved!"
"Thank you, maid and butler!"
Charlotte and Laura looked outside of the police cars, thinking about the next course of action.
"Laura," said Charlotte. "There might be some trouble if they find out we're the representative candidates. It'll look bad on the breaking news."
Laura nodded her head. "Let's make a break for it."
Before Laura and Charlotte make their escape route, the head honcho got to his feet, shooting at them blindly. The duo nearly got scalped by the .38 Special.
"AAAARRRGGHHH!" Robber #1 roared. "You took the lives of my men. I'll send you two to hell!"
The remaining robber should have taken his loot and beat it. Because he was too focused on revenge, he did not hear the dry sound of his revolver out of bullets. The wide opening gave Laura and Charlotte the opportunity to take him down effortlessly.
""Checkmate!"" said Laura and Charlotte in unison.
"Next time, I'll blow your arms off," said Laura.
Laura and Charlotte had a wild adventure, but all good things must end when they ditched their respective outfits back to plain clothes. Once they were clear from the heat, Laura and Charlotte stopped at a crepe truck to get the mixed berries crepes.
"I would like two mixed crepes please," said Laura.
However…
"I'm sorry, ladies," the cook apologized. "We're sold out today!"
Laura was dejected, but she would not back down that easily. After a brief thought, Laura was ready to make another order.
"Hmm, how about one with blueberries and another with strawberries?"
"Of course, thank you very much!"
This time, they weren't sold out as the cook made two crepes. Once Laura and Charlotte received their crepes, they dug in. It was Laura's first-time having crepes, and she was in cloud nine. Charlotte will invite Ichika for mixed crepes while she hummed of the thoughts. Laura leaned forward at Charlotte as if she wanted to kiss her.
"Laura!" Charlotte yelped. "Wh-wh…what…what are you doing?"
"You have cream on your right cheek."
"O-okay, but…"
"My hands are full, you're overreacting. Have a bite of my crepe."
Laura commented that the crepe truck does not sell mixed berries. Charlotte did not notice until she saw hers and Laura's crepes, which translate to mixed berries. The French girl could not help but chuckle at Laura's ingenuity and the myth.
At nightfall, the girls retreat to the dorm, and Charlotte wants to try new pajamas she bought with Laura vehemently objecting.
"Get this cat pajamas off of me, Charlotte…" Laura moaned. "I don't enjoy pretending to be a feline."
"Laura, I can't do that to you when you're so cute!" Charlotte hugged Laura. "Come now, say meow for me."
"Ridiculous! I'm not giving in."
Laura's pride refused to submit to cuteness, but Charlotte won't let up that easily. The French pilot wanted to show Laura that life is more than just going gung-ho and fighting when she must relax.
"Meow…" Charlotte nyaahs Laura's earlobe.
"M-meow…!" Laura yelped in displeasure.
"Yay! Do it again~"
The girls heard a knock, and the uninvited guest was Ichika holding the same flyers he had shown to Laura this morning. Charlotte tilted her head reading the flyer, but Laura fumed because Ichika did not understand her idea of just being the two of them.
"Ichika…" Laura growled like a feline, swishing her tail. "You dare to show yourself for not being husband material?"
Ichika ignored Laura acting like a brat while he explained in full details of the water park to the French girl. The blue boy's compliment of their cute pajamas may have made Charlotte blush, but Laura did not.
Unknown Base Facility
A small teenage girl in dark clothing walked down the corridor. Her appearance nearly resembled Chifuyu Orimura in her high school days. The young woman reeked of destruction in her path.
"Intruder detected in Area 6-D! I repeat, Intruder detected in Area 6-D! Lethal force is authorized!"
A platoon of soldiers scurried to intercept the intruder as the girl walked towards the exit.
"M, can you hear me?" said the female voice on her intercom. "Let me say this once again. Your body is equipped with supervisory nano-machines that track every movement you make. Therefore, you will carry out your mission as ordered. Don't think you can bail out on me."
Soldiers spotted the girl, aimed their M16A2, and fired with full prejudice.
"You cockroaches," said the girl. "Begone!"
The girl dual wielded M1911A1, firing at the soldiers' feet. No matter how hard they tried, their bullets did not hit her once. She somersaulted backwards, shooting the soldier's shoulders, and kicked him in the face.
"Too slow!" the girl taunted, launching a reverse roundhouse kick at the soldier's face.
"Good girl, M," said the caller. "I'll be looking forward to seeing more of it."
To her, this was child's play. Just as she was 20 ft away from the finish line, four green Raphael Revive IS surrounded M, rifles drawn at her face.
"Stop where you are, drop your weapons now!" the IS female pilot commanded.
"Fuck you!"
M remained defiant, extending her arms out with light shining in her hands. The opposing combatants did not have a good feeling about this, tightening their defenses to anticipate her.
"Is she going to fight us barehanded?"
"She has to be bluffing."
"I'm here to take a certain IS that's been sealed away in this base...the special Infinite Stratos that's mine. Arise!"
The light engulfed her before she was in blue and white airframe. From a full body view, it seemed to resemble a butterfly, but the IS she has was stolen from England, a more advanced version of Cecilia's Blue Tears.
"It can't be…! She stole Silent Zephyrs."
M raised her right arm, activating Star Breaker.
"No! That's Phantom Task!" The IS pilot exclaimed. "Open fire!"
M's cruel smile resembled a Grim Reaper that shook their spines momentarily before they let a barrage of firepower. M deflected the bullets effortlessly with her blade, and squeezed the trigger, turning half the base into barren wasteland.
Houki hummed happily of going to the water park with Ichika.
Ichika was surprisingly aggressive about it. I can't believe how nervous Ichika was when he asked me out on a date.
Houki believed that she and Ichika would go together, but the girls already beat her to it. By the time Houki saw their expressions, it says it all.
"Hey guys!" Ichika said. "I invited Dan and a few others, but they can't make it."
Ichika ran to the girls for the final head count. It turned out Ichika invited them all to the water park, pissing the girls off because it was supposed to be a one-on-one date, not a gathering. The girls gave Ichika the riot act for being dense.
"You are a nincompoop!"
"Why did I trust you in the first place? I should have known better than falling for your deceit."
I sort of expected something like this to happen, but…
Ichika defended his actions. "I can't have you guys alone! Besides, it's better with people."
"You're the worst toying with a maiden's heart! Shame on you, Ichika."
"You failed as a bride!"
"HMPH!"
"Girls, you can't be that serious," Ichika lamented.
Setting aside the trivial matter, Ichika and the girls arrived at the water park. Ichika was amazed by the roller coaster and the faux tropical trees. Ichika wore his plain swim trunks with a floatie in his right hand. Ichika believed he made the right choice to invite the girls, despite them wanting some one-on-one time.
"Ichika!" Cecilia charged at the blue boy. "Quick! Let's find a pool together."
Ichika did not object, but he felt that something was off. "Umm, Cecilia? Where are the others?"
Cecilia glanced to her left, clearly lying. "Urk! Th-they told me to go ahead without them."
"The girls really wanted to swim in the pool badly."
Houki and the others were not at the pool because Cecilia ditched them when she bought them floaties to buy time to have Ichika by herself. Once the girls found out, they went on a hunt to bring back Ichika.
Soon enough, Ichika was worried for the girls. "Cecilia, I don't see them at the pool. Are you sure that they are here?"
Cecilia's senses were tingling with Rin and Laura's presence approaching. Cecilia hid underwater with Ichika in tow. Ichika's head was on Cecilia's bust, muffling to get out. Cecilia and Ichika were in the clear, and they resurfaced.
"What the hell was that about!?" Ichika's eyes went wide with bewilderment. "Were you trying to drown me?"
"Close call," Cecilia laughed. "There were perverts after me."
"Orimura!" Honne shouted, rowing a banana boat with her friends in tow.
Ichika was happy to see students tagging along, but Cecilia frowned in displeasure as if paparazzi hounded her persistently.
Honne used her binoculars, observing the English girl. "Cecilia is bold wearing a swimsuit barely covering her skin."
"I'm not lewd!" Cecilia protested. "Go spy a bird or something."
Little did Cecilia and Ichika know the lazy river turned into adventure time. The alarm rang with the hatch open, releasing a great rush of water directly at Cecilia and Ichika. The force washed them back to the shore. Ichika got to his feet with Houki and Charlotte standing triumphantly.
"On your feet," Houki said. "There's a water slide for couples."
"Oh, that looks fun," Ichika replied briefly. "Hold on, there's three of us, and Cecilia disappeared."
"I guess I have no choice. I'm fine going with you, Ichika."
"That's not fair, Houki. We'll wager it with rock paper scissors."
Charlotte and Houki square off for first dibs with Ichika. Charlotte had paper, Houki had rock, and the winner was the French girl.
Charlotte laughed at Houki while the latter pouted like a brat.
"Sorry." She called out to Houki from behind. "But you'll have to wait for your turn."
The two of them were greeted by the safety instructor. "I'll explain how the couples' slide works. First, the guy sits here."
Ichika sat on the slide, awaiting further instructions.
"Then, the girl sits between his legs."
Charlotte blushed significantly. "O-okay!"
Ichika was embarrassed sitting behind Charlotte, even though they barely made skin contact.
"Finally, the guy hugs the girl from the back!"
Ichika reluctantly hugged Charlotte, but she yelped because she had never felt Ichika's rough hands. Houki fumed in jealousy at her childhood friend being too close to the transfer student. The instructor pushed the couple down.
Through windy turns and twists, the couple hang on for dear life from the speed increasing. Water splashed all over, and a sharp turn forced Ichika's hands onto Charlotte's breasts.
"Hey!" Charlotte cried. "Get your hands off of me!"
"I didn't mean to do that."
The couple splashed down at the end of the slide, catching their breaths momentarily. Ichika was fine, but Charlotte frowned at him, covering her boobs.
"…Sorry," Ichika apologized. "The water pressure was intense, which I lost control of my hands."
Charlotte did not buy his excuse. "You're a pervert, Ichika."
"I like his silver hair. It looks beautiful on you."
"Why don't you join us for fun?"
"I appreciate your offer, ladies," said the silver-haired man. "But I already have company, that I do."
He had long silver hair that spread out to the sides, a face with a black blindfold around his scarred eyes, and tall with a swimmer body. He wore dark blue swim shorts with a silver lion design on his right thigh. At present, he was hugging Houki by her waist. His name was Raiden Hataru, and he was Houki's girlfriend.
Raiden is a tall and scarred muscular man with long silver hair reaching to the tip of his shoulders.
At first, Houki had a crush on Ichika, but when Raiden transferred to the Academy, Houki was curious about him. Things changed the moment Raiden became Houki's dormmate, and she was enraptured not just by his appearance, but his upbringing. Raiden was a Hitokiri for Phantom Task, escaping the crutches of his former killing company, and wound up a wandering soul. What changed her feelings for Raiden was he saved her not once, but many times from danger. Notably, Raiden fought Laura that nearly killed him when she used VTS unintentionally. The Silver Gospel mission may have saved Natasha Fairs, the pilot of the said IS, but they were far from over.
Raiden rescued Houki from a fellow Hitokiri that wanted him to revive his killing instincts. Raiden succumbed to his old ways, nearly killing his opponent, but Houki's words stopped him just in time. Raiden vowed to not kill as he regretted his actions in the past. Raiden and Houki expressed love for each other at the festival, and they became a couple.
"Time to explain the couples' slide," said the instructor. "First, the guy sits here, followed by the girl between his legs, and finally, the guy hugs her by the waist."
Before Raiden sits down, he turned to Houki and said, "Houki, you're better off sitting behind me."
Houki tilted her head. "Hmm? What do you mean? Isn't it the other way around?"
"I was told by Ichika that the current is strong. I don't want your eyes to get caught by water. I can take the front."
Houki blushed significantly because she wanted to sit in front of Raiden. Houki recognized that Raiden looked out for her safety and nodded her head.
"You're right," said Houki. "It makes more sense."
Houki sat behind Raiden, wrapping her arms around his stomach. Her plump breasts pressed against his back without flinching Raiden. The instructor pushed the couple down, where Houki screamed in joy.
"ORO?!"
Raiden's scream was not for joy, but in terror as he was not used to the rapid descent. Raiden hoped that the ride would end soon while he began talking nonsense. At long last, Raiden and Houki made it to the end. Houki turned away, hiding her breasts away from Raiden as she looked down.
"Houki-dono," said Raiden. "Did you enjoy the ride?"
"Yeah…" Houki replied. "Can we go again?"
From the top of the slide, Rin spoke loudly and proudly. "Ichika! Hurry up! We're waiting for you."
"How many times do I have to do this!?"
Chifuyu kneaded her brow under the umbrella. "Jeezus, this is one of the places I did not expect to run into them, including Raiden…"
Maya Yamada frowned and grabbed her tropical juice. "Orimura-sensei, why don't you check up on your little brother and Raiden?"
"No way, Maya. My rare day off will be ruined if I have get involved with them. Raiden can take care of himself as long as the blue-haired woman does not go overboard."
"Sorry, who are you referring to?"
Chifuyu pointed over to the woman in question. "It's Akane Fujimoto, Raiden's guardian, and she's nothing but a headache every time I see her."
Chifuyu could not bring herself to make her little brother's vacation awkward being a chaperone, and she left them to it.
"Do you want a refill?" Maya asked Chifuyu.
The Brunhilde waved her hand. "No thanks. If you excuse me, I have some business to take care of."
While Ichika and the others were having fun, Liu, on the other hand, was not having a good time with Chifuyu. Liu rented a modest apartment for himself, but Chifuyu showed up on random days to check his progress on gathering intel of Three Dragons. Liu insisted that he only got a small meager, given that he barely had time to situate himself. Chifuyu was not the type for slow progress because she pressed on time.
To make things worse for Liu, he has no clue where Three Dragons went. Not even his network could give him sufficient lead, frustrating him. Liu wanted to knock Three Dragons' goons to make them talk, but the Brunhilde objected, fearing a gang war. Adding insult to injuries, Chifuyu ordered Liu to lay low.
"…What?" Liu frowned.
When Chifuyu handed a newspaper to Liu, he read the main headline.
Tokyo Police arrested 9 members of Righteousness Union for illegal exchanging of IS cores, violating Alaska Treaty.
Liu's eyes twitched. "You got to be kidding me," he exclaimed. "Who gives a rat's ass about a stupid treaty?"
"Now you see my reasoning. If I leave you unsupervised, you'll either be on gang intervention or dead on the front page," Chifuyu declared. "Make yourself useful by not going out until I say it's clear."
At an apartment, Liu stared at his HK P2000, contemplating his next move. What's supposed to be smooth sailing turned out to be the opposite because he's living under the crushing thumb of Chifuyu. He can't act freely with the Brunhilde on his short leash. The restricted lifestyle taxed on the dragon, testing his patience and bloodlust. Liu planned to storm Three Dragon's compound to steal the IS rightfully belonging to him.
Liu ate his protein bar, washing it down with water as he stared at the mirror. Liu received a text message from Chifuyu that she will come to his apartment within an hour. Liu did not respond because he reached his limit. Liu will pull off an unsanctioned move that will jeopardize his partnership with Chifuyu. Liu is a young man either with loose screws or being stupid. Liu holstered his pistol and leaves.
I do apologize for the two-year hiatus. Long story short, life has kept me busy. Even when I get the chance to write, I get writer's block, which is the bane of writing. If that's not bad enough, lack of inspiration was also holding me back. Looking back at my old story, I realize that it was not enjoyable because it's like watching a B-rated action flick movie or copy-paste stories. This is not an alternative universe nor OC protagonist. Ichika remains to be protagonist. What will Tabane do next in her misadventures? Will she continue to treat Earth like her personal playground or burn it to the ground?
Credit for the creation of OCs Raiden Hataru and Akane Fujimoto belongs to TalonAlpha, creator of Hitokiri Kingslayer: Infinite Stratos Swordsman Romantic Story. I gained permission from the author, and I expect further appearances in the future.