In the spirit of Armored Core VI that hopefully will be released in the coming months. I've made this crossover fic of Armored Core(first gen to fifth) x Infinite Stratos which features the pilots from Armored Core reincarnated into the world of Infinite Stratos after their death.
This is the first time I have written for both fandom so please be gentle in the lore mistakes.
With all that said and done please enjoy Armored Core: Shining Memories.
Disclaimer: I do not own Armored Core and Infinite Stratos as both belong to their respective owners.
God is Force.
Feed the Fire.
Pray for answer.
"Everyone is present, I see. Well, then. Time to start the short homeroom period..."
The vice-homeroom teacher who introduced herself as Maya Yamada stood in front of the class smiling earnestly.
She was fairly small, petite even, about as tall as a student. However her choice of clothes made her seem even smaller in comparison to the other faculty members seeing as they are a little too big for her and made it seem quite loose additionally, her black glasses were pretty big and looked out of place. It almost feels like a child wearing adult clothes or the other way around.
To say that Ichika Orimura feels like a fish out of water would be a major understatement, how could he not feel like one?
It was because of one very simple reason: excluding Ichika, all of his classmates are girls.
"Everyone, let us all get along with each other over the next year."
"..."
However the entire classroom was filled with an awkward mood, and not a single response was uttered.
"O-Okay. Please introduce yourselves. Um... The same sequence as the class roster, please." it's not hard to feel pity or sorry for the flustered vice homeroom teacher one way or another before she tapped her tablet a few times. "O-Oh, it seems we have some late students, um…we can continue while we wait for them."
Late students?
It was the collective thought for everyone in the room. Ichika himself was praying for a small miracle or even mercy that one of these late students is male, even if he knew that such a wish was impossible.
It was the day of the opening ceremony, and for the first day it felt like a whole new world had opened up for everyone and the beginning of a whole new life and the black haired teen could only hope that he was overthinking this but: everyone was looking at him. The seating arrangement he had been assigned was part of the problem.
It sat in the front-middle of the room. Whether he wanted to or not, Ichika drew attention like hell there in the middle, though why are the seats on his sides empty? Are those for the students that are running late?
He looked to the window, looking at the blue sky outside at the same time he sent a pleading look begging to be rescued
Ah, there he saw her, his childhood friend, Houki Shinonono, was gazing out the window instead. Ichika could physically feel his hope die.
'When did she become this heartless?' quickly followed by a line of thought 'Maybe she hates me now?'
Ichika cannot help but to feel the encroaching dread of a certain Shinkai Shinonono brandishing his wooden sword that he nicknamed Moonlight.
"...ra."
"Orimura Ichika."
"Y-Yes?!"
Ichika was startled to hear his name spoken so loudly. Predictably, the others giggled. It became harder and harder for him to calm down from the blunder before Ichika could speak. The class door suddenly slid open and two people burst with one of them stumbling behind short on breath into the room which startled the teacher more than the students.
The entire class was filled with a tense mood as everyone tried to process what just happened.
Ichika was the first to realize that the pair are all wearing similar uniforms as him. In that moment Ichika felt a great weight suddenly vanished from his shoulders, poor miss Yamada though, she looked ready to faint.
"U-um, are you two students in this class?" she asked politely, a bit still visibly shaken, one of them who everyone saw taking a deep breath, he looked quite pale and a little sickly?
"Y-yes miss, the two of us are students in class 1-1" he said before giving a bow despite looking like he was struggling to breathe. "Forgive me for coming to class late but we took the wrong turn and ended up on the other side of the academy."
"O-oh. it's fine the academy can be quite confusing for a first timer."
With that said and done all two quickly find their seats and unsurprisingly they are stuck in the middle alongside Ichika, one on his left and another on his right, the one on the right tried to start a conversation but was cut off when one of the late students stood up for his introduction.
"I'm Hari Kinovar. Pleased to make your acquaintance," he introduced himself followed by a polite bow, it's hard not to stare at Hari for his features are clearly foreigner, if Ichika had to make a wild guess and judging from the name Hari would be Russian? Especially with his ruby-like eyes and fiery red hairs, he quickly sat down beside Ichika on the left once more and why is he sweating like crazy? Must be nervous introducing himself in front of everyone.
Still his introduction felt a tad bit cold? Ah well he always heard that people from that side of the world are a bit cold by default.
The introductions continue one by one and Ichika feels he lost track after Houki introduces herself to everyone, then the person behind Ichika stood up, the moment Ichika turned around to look and he felt….a sense of nostalgia and why does he feel familiar?
"I'm Mayotta Sumika. I hope we can get along," he introduced himself to the class but for Ichika and Houki, Mayotta Sumika looked…eerily similar in terms of appearance from the face to the eye to Ichika save for the fact that Mayotta is a little shorter than Ichika and spikier.
It's…cold, if not straight up frigid in terms of introduction compared to Hari's Introduction.
"I-if i may ask Mayotta-kun, are you related to Kasumi Sumika?" Miss Yamada asked, which caused Mayota to tilt his head sideways in confusion at the question before answering bluntly.
"She's my mother."
"..."
There was a silent shock from Miss Yamada as she blinked a few times trying to process what she just heard before quickly sputtering, "oh, um..you can sit down now."
The dark haired teen then sat down and frankly speaking, Ichika cannot help but to compare Mayotta to a cat in attitude, not the cute cat but more of the feral stray cat that will maul other cats over food.
Still doesn't his name literally mean strayed?
Ichika didn't have time to continue the intrusive line of thought before the vice-homeroom teacher said "Um... I'm sorry if I startled you before... A-Are you upset? Are you... I'm sorry. Really sorry. But... We started the introductions from A and now it's O a-and it's your turn now."
"Oh, it's alright. miss Yamada, i'll introduce myself right away, please calm down miss Yamada." Ichika said, the teacher sure is quite enthusiastic as Ichika realises he is at the centre of attention once more.
Why does it feel like he is being judged by his fellow male more than his female classmate? Peer pressure sure is a terrifying thing from the same gender.
Ichika Orimura decides to take the leap of faith and introduces himself to his entire class trying to ignore the cold sweat on his back slowly trickling down.
"Well, I'm Ichika Orimura. I'll be in your care" he introduced himself with an awkward smile while bowing courteously-now wait a second why their expressions didn't change and those that changed did generate some weird energy.
Today was supposed to be his first day in high school yet right now he is standing in front of 27 girls and w boys in a classroom filled with an awkward air because of his rather bare boned self introductions, who can blame him when the previous males also had bare bone introductions as well?
Yet his self introductions haven't ended when everyone expression, especially the girls pretty much screams 'please tell us about yourself even more', Ichika gave Houki a pleading glance but alas his own childhood friend ignored him. she looked away again. The cold broad. Was this a touching reunion? He guessed it really wasn't.
Still that's…..rather cruel even for her to just abandon him in this hour of need.
He held his breath for a few seconds before silently inhaling and with eyes full of determinations he said.
"That's all."
Around the classrooms some of the girls were disappointed with few even collapsed onto the floor, honestly what were they expecting? From a plain person like him?
"B-but that…" Ichika could hear someone speak to him, her voice was teary. Suddenly he felt something strike him in the back of the head.
"Ow!" his body flashed with pains but those are secondary concerns as everything about the sudden attack reminded him painfully of someone he knew. Slowly and full of caution he turned his head toward his attacker, he caught a glimpse of the redhead russian leaning back in shock of the sudden attack, maybe also to avoid getting hit.
There she stood looming over Ichika and his fellow male students, a fit, tall woman in a black suit and skirt. Her arms were crossed, and she had a glare very reminiscent of a demon. "Whoa! It's Guan Yu!"
Another hit, this time he could hear a faint 'Blyad' from Hari as he saw Ichika getting hit and Mayotta couldn't help but wince at the sight and some of the girls in the class even jumped back at the sound.
"There's no hero from the three kingdoms here, you idiot."
That voice- the younger Orimura quickly snapped straight and looked at his assailant in disbelief.
What was Chifuyu doing there? There's a million other questions regarding his older sister's presence in the IS academy because she was always busy with work save for a day or two but the biggest question is what is she doing in his class?
"Oh, Ms. Orimura. Is the meeting already over." miss Yamada greeted her colleague
"Yes, Yamada. Sorry that you had to greet the class," she replied, tenderly.
That was quite the shock, who is this imposter and where is his warlord of an older sister that could rival Guan Yu in terms of might and strictness?
"No, it's nothing. I'm their vice-homeroom teacher after all." her crying tone disappeared and she looked a little more confident compared to several minutes ago and is she blushing?
"Everyone, my name is Orimura Chifuyu. It's my job to turn you greenhorns into useful pilots in a year. Listen to what I say and remember it. If you can't do something, I'll help you until you can. My job is training you from the age of fifteen to sixteen. Hate me all you want, but listen to what I say. Got it?"
This felt like a declaration of war to Ichika that quickly washed away any doubts of his homeroom teacher being a lookalike as it's undoubtedly his older sister: Chifuyu Orimura then the entire class exploded into squeals and shrieks of adoration instead of the expected gasps of fear in the classroom.
Kyaa! Chifuyu! It's really Chifuyu!"
"I'm a long-time fan of yours!"
"I enrolled here because of you! I came all the way from southern Hokkaidou!"
Everyone save for Hari and Strayed that are both flanked him the former just looked shocked and the latter looked…uninterested? Ichika secretly envied Mayotta's bravery to show that kind of expression in front of his sister.
"I'm so happy you'll be giving me orders, Chifuyu!"
"I'll die for you!"
It kept going, honestly Ichika never knew his older sister was this famous.
"Every year we get all these idiots, what a surprise. Is there any particular reason why all these idiots get assigned to me?" said Chifuyu, while giving the ecstatic girls an annoyed look, yet there is also a hint of disappointment in her words.
The younger Orimura pities his older sister's position, she was clearly uncomfortable with the current arrangements, 'Chifuyu, my sister... You can't buy popularity. Be nicer to them…' Ichika thought that maybe her sister's words might hurt his classmates.
He was wrong, oh he was so very wrong about their reactions.
"Hahh! Chifuyu! Scold me! Abuse me! Please scold us more!"
""But be gentle with us from time to time!"
"Discipline me so I don't get spoiled!"
"And be extremely elegant while doing that!"
Ichika, while appreciating how energetic his female classmates are, can now really appreciate both Hari and Mayotta for being beside him in this whole ordeal. He somehow managed to calm down in the middle of the girls screeching for someone else because emotional turmoil tends to help someone cool down.
It also helps to wash away the awkward atmosphere from earlier.
"So? Are you going to introduce yourself properly or are you going to keep standing there gawking after failing to make a proper self introduction?"
The edge in her voice could slice through concrete bricks if those words are swords, not to mention that tone of hers….extreme sarcasm, was this the meaning of being strict? Then again that's just how his sister spoke with him back home.
"But, Chifuyu, I—" Ichika recoiled at the third strike, he really hoped he wouldn't be seeing stars after the third strike to the head.
"That's Ms. Orimura to you."
"Yes... Ms. Orimura."
That….really hurt Ichika manly pride, honestly he felt that pride of his have been torn to shreds and tossed into the incinerator, and so he repeat his self introduction properly this time around, thus the entire class now know that he was Chifuyu Orimura's brother.
It did spawn some…reactions from his classmates.
"Really? That guy is her brother?"
"Ahh, that must be nice... I wish I could be him..."
Ichika felt a shiver run down his spine at the last comment.
The same happens to Hari and Mayotta as both are forced to repeat their self introductions this time in a much less cold mannerism.
"As for the things I like: I like doing tongue twisters and collecting books." As Mayotta finished up his self introductions and on the way to sit back down the homeroom bell rang.
"Okay, the short homeroom is over. I'll have all of you learn all the IS fundamentals in half a month. After that, training begins. Basic movements will take you another two weeks. Got that? Sound off if you do. And even if you don't. I want to hear from you."
What a terrifying Tyrant of a teacher, that's Chifuyu Orimura for you, the former Japanese first-gen IS pilot. She was unbeaten in official competitions. One day, she retired from international scenes and disappeared—or rather, she became a teacher. Ichika felt a little betrayed that his sister would hide such facts from him. Then again it's his sister he shouldn't really worry much.
Though isn't there another first-generation pilot beside his sister? Someone who never appeared in international competitions like Mondo Grosso and prefers to be anonymous most of the time?.
"Sit down you fool!"
And so the fool sat.
Ichika could feel his head threatening to split apart, and it's only the first period of studying and trying his best to understand the "Basics of IS Theory" and the weird atmosphere of the entire class didn't help after the grand reveal that he is Chifuyu Orimura's younger brother.
On the flip side he did befriend Hari who despite his cold first impression have proven to be a rather reliable and kind person, he was a god-sent in the eyes of Ichika while Mayotta was a little harder.
Good god he was more cat like than he ever imagined.
But the trio did find solace away from the prying eyes of the girls in the hallways and to Ichika surprise he saw some male students from the 2nd and 3rd years pass through the hallways.
Ichika swears he saw Shinkai Shinonono just around the corner a few seconds ago carrying some boxes alongside several other male students.
"-and that's how i find myself here in the Academy." Hari finished telling how his time back in Russia is, apparently the redhead russian came from a family of hunters, helping to keep the populations of wild boars in his hometown in check.
Ichika could only nod as Hari coughed a few times to his sleeve, naturally Ichika was worried after being told about his conditions, something about being born with a weak constitution but Hari quickly gave a dismissal wave telling it's alright.
"Can I have a word with you?"
"Hm?"
Someone actually won the tournament among the girls to talk with the boys? Ichika looked up and saw her.
"Houki?"
"..."
Mayotta looked between both of them and sensed that something was about to happen before he quickly walked away while taking Hari with him while saying. "Ichika, I'm going to visit the cafeteria."
Ichika could do nothing as his doppelganger(?) took the redhead away leaving him and Houki together alone in the hallways, not exactly alone as he saw some of his female classmates are looking intently at the pair.
Ichika didn't really say anything as how could he? It's been six long years since the last time they met and she really has grown a lot during those times yet at the same time she is still the same old Houki to him, disciplined, unwavering and certainly stubborn, till being stoic as ever almost like a samurai.
"So, by the way..." Ichika asked while leaning back on the wall, having Houki here does ease him up in the strange new environment he finds himself in.
"Yeah?"
Ichika can't help but smile as a sense of nostalgia washed over him.
"I heard you won the national kendo tournament last year. Congrats."
"..."
Houki suddenly turned red at the mention of her winning the tournament. Was she upset? Why the hell would she? Ichika was confused by her reaction.
"H-How do you know that?"
"I read it in the newspapers..."
"Why are you looking at the newspapers?!"
Still despite her being a bit more snappy for some odd reasons, despite not really understanding what Houki is talking about, suddenly Houki looked uncomfortable now. Maybe she was trying to glare less during the entire conversation. At the same time she looked worked up, though. She was weird.
Much weirder than six years ago that is.
"Oh, by the way how's Shinkai?" he asked while scratching the back of his head and before he could continue the bell rang to signal the beginning of the second period.
'Ah guess I won't get that one answered.' he thought to himself.
"Shin-nii actually attended the academy as a second year." she replied, which caused Ichika's entire thought process to halt.
Shinkai Shinonono is an IS pilot? Since when?
"S-Since when?"
"I-i'll tell you later, for now let's head back to class." quickly the both of them find themself walking at the same brisk pace and not long after the two entered the class, Ichika saw both Mayotta and Hari already in the class first.
"Talk again later?"
"S-sure."
Honestly Houki is acting strange today, he hoped she isn't having a stomach ache or anything-
"Sit down, Orimura." his sister glared at him with the fury of a thousand suns as Ichika gently rubbed his newly bruised head.
"Thank you for your guidance... Ms. Orimura..."
It's not even lunch yet and Ichika felt that today is going to be a very long day though it definitely can't get worse from here on out right?.
Well, that was a long ass first chapter, a pretty slow one too but i can promise the next few chapters would be more action packed.