Sorry this chapter is pretty late, I have been doing a replay of the Last Raven via an emulator and let me tell you it's weird playing an old gen AC game after S ranking every mission in For Answer.
Also, Zinaida is bullshit.
As per usual, I don't own anything.
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It's been a few weeks, and Rin's mood was still foul. Or rather, it had gotten worse by the day. She never came up to him again ever since she left his room, even when Noa or Evan is present the two cannot help but pass a pitying gaze or one of disappointment.
Even if he met her in the hallway or cafeteria she would ignore him and instead take one of the three possible childhood friends with her all the time, It was clear to everyone in the circle of childhood friends that she was angry.
"The class league match is next week. Are you sure you are ready?"
He looked up and see Hari's concerned face where normally he would show a passive or cool expression but not this time, must be because of the black eye the Japanese teen have on his face courtesy of Zina this morning.
"Yeah, I can manage." Ichka shrugged careful not to touch his bruised eye. "Besides we still have one more chance to practice."
"If you say so," Hari leaned back on the sofa he and the others are sitting on, it's becoming a regular occurrence for the boys to find themselves gathering in Original Fantastique, a small respite away from the noise of the academy as for today assemble it's Ichika, Hari, and Mayotta.
There was Rhodie O'Neil that joined them for an hour before he leave for band practice back in the academy, Ichika admit the American exude the natural coolness of a laid-back, fairly humble pilot who pilots a GA-made IS named Feedback.
And leaving just a few minutes ago was their third-year senior: K.K, no one knew his real name beyond the odd acronym it's hidden behind, so far everyone has guessed all the Japanese names that started with the letter K but no one manage to guess the right one, not even after he left for club practice leaving the first years behind.
"Excuse me, did anyone here order a chocolate parfait?" the three looked at the source of the noise but it was Mayotta who is most excited because his order finally arrived.
The maid that arrived has very pale, almost white skin, long silver hair, a red right eye, and a black eye patch over her, not to mention how petite she is making her look like a doll or something holding a tray with the food.
"Ah, it's him over there." Ichika pointed at Mayotta who looked like a very excited kitten about to receive a treat, to which the maid nodded and placed the chocolate parfait contained in an ornate glass on the table, and before the maid could leave Hari asked for a refill for his tea to which she nodded and left.
"Quite the looker isn't she?" The redhead asked with a grin to Ichika who snapped out of his lapse of concentration.
"I-wh-wait! Hari, it isn't like that!" the pilot of Byakushiki sputtered in denial causing the Russian to snort in amusement, Mayotta would have laughed at Ichika if not for the fact he is busy eating the iced treat.
"So who is she anyway?" Mayotta asked while taking a small scoop sparing the fruits for last.
"She's the owner's daughter."
"Louis Berlioz's?" this time it was the black-haired teen's turn to be surprised after Hari mention the name. "Isn't he the Rayleonard's former ace pilot?"
"The very same."
While it's true Ichika might be ignorant to the wider IS history he at least knows who or rather what Reyleonard is, the corporation that pushed the advancement of IS technology with the creation of their most famous IS frame: the 03-AALIYAH that is still widely in use.
Shinkai is the first one to come up in Ichika's mind with his IS Split Moon and the second one was Hari's own red-colored IS Krasnaya.
"The world is pretty small," Ichika commented, naturally he concluded the reunion with his childhood friends and met Mayotta who might as well be his brother, then again that is quite the absurd line of thinking.
"True," Mayotta mumbled as he finish the last of the parfait. "Still are you sure you won't get into trouble leaving those two?"
"hehe…"
"Don't "hehe" me you idiot." Mayotta went and smacked Ichika on the back of his head. "Then again, your IS piloting has gotten a lot better compared to last time."
Well, calling it a vast improvement is an understatement despite Houki and Cecilia's unreasonable training schedule for the past weeks the two of them manage to hammer in the more advanced material and technique in preparation for the tournament.
His rate of learning is impressive, to say the least especially when under pressure especially in last week's practice where he learned how to control the over-boost without smashing into the arena wall.
Those wings are not for show.
"Still, I'm surprised that Shinonono can pilot an IS that well despite her C rank compatibility."
"Compatibility isn't everything Mr. Super high compatibility." Ichika snapped at the redhead who offered a wordless apology.
"Though I wonder what the two are doing?" the cat-like boy asked while finishing the rest of his parfait.
"didn't you get into a fight with the older Alcott?"
"Wynne?" Mayotta snorted at the question. "Nothing happens really besides her looking out for her sister."
"Cecilia has a sister?" Ichika asked while looking at Mayotta. "When did you meet her?"
"A day after the duel against Cecilia," the boy crossed his arms and leaned back his mood visibly soured. "More stuck up than her sister."
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By the time they returned to the academy, it was already late afternoon while Hari and Mayotta have both returned to their dorm Ichika find himself face-to-face with both Houki and Cecilia on his way to the arena for a quick practice.
To say the two of them didn't get along and are sending glares to the poor black-haired boy is a significant understatement. Ichika thinks to himself that he would never understand either Houki or Cecilia in this lifetime or the next.
The silver lining being the two have calmed down a lot over the last few weeks, and by the time the three of them manage to reach the arena, they heard the tell-tell sign of booster and gunfires.
'Is someone using the arena?' all of them thought at the same time, though Cecilia suddenly sports a worried look on her face, which is unusual considering her personality.
"let's go and check, I wonder who is using the arena this late," Ichika said as he led the two girls into the arena the moment he couldn't help himself from being a little curious, he have no problem sharing the arena with his seniors or classmates, unlike the two girls who always insisted on being alone.
This is weird, is it more effective if everyone just shares the same training space and trains together? Truly the mind of a girl is an incomprehensible mystery.
By the time they arrived after changing uniforms the sound of combat ceased except for a laser blade buzzing noise.
There the dueling IS stood in a stalemate, one is a pure white/silver colored 03-AALIYAH model IS pointing a 03-MOTORCOBRA machine gun at the opponent's head while the opponent is a brass-colored Y11-LATONA with its ELTANIN laser blade ignited and poised to cleave her opponent in half.
"Shinkai!"/"Wynne!"
Houki and Cecilia shouted at the same time and ran into the arena causing both combat to lower their weapons and looked at the running pair.
By the time the pilot of the Byakushiki catches up to the pair, their respective IS units have returned to their closed form.
He would have gone to greet Shinkai if not for the British cadet representative suddenly pulling him to her side.
"and Wynne this is Ichika that I told you." Cecilia introduces him to her sister,
"Oh, nice to meet you-" Ichika's words suddenly died but suddenly he was engulfed in a suffocating and oppressive presence It was only for a second before vanishing as he felt a cold sweat form on the back of his neck.
"I see, it's good to finally meet the boy that my sister is head over heels for," Wynne said in a friendly tone with a thin smile as she crossed her arms. "I trust none of you will do anything inappropriate?"
"Wynne!" the younger sister suddenly blushed as she is being teased. "We're not going to do anything like that!"
Wynne D Alcott, the Brass Maiden of the Academy looked nearly identical to her own sister, well perhaps it's the other way around as they shared the same hair and eye color with the difference that while her body may pass for that of a super-model she has an air of practicality with her shorter hair, then again he has to agree that the older Alcott overshadow her own sister in term of beauty and refinement.
Honestly, it scared Ichika that she reminded him in so many ways of Chifuyu, then again if the rumors are to be believed she is one of his older sister's many potential successors in the academy.
"Still, what are you doing here Wynne?" Cecilia asked, oblivious to the bloodlust her sister just exudes seconds ago. "I thought your staging in your room?"
"I was visiting our cousin other than that I was feeling particularly restless, thankfully Shinonono over there shares the same sentiment." the older sister explained. "Still, have you visited your cousin?"
"Eugene and Francisca? No, I haven't got the chance to see the two of them…wait are they-"
"Attending the academy? Yes, they are," she replied before looking at the wristwatch for a second. "It was nice talking to you, I'll see you at dinner."
She then walked away from the trio not before passing Ichika and whispering to his ear. "If you hurt Cecillia in any form, I will kill you do you understand?"
It wasn't an empty threat but it was a promise.
Just what on earth happened between Mayotta and Wynne?
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Somewhere in the pit, Lingyin Huard felt horrible, no she didn't regret slapping Ichika or the news that Zina gave him a black eye by punching him in the face, no it was the fact that Noa, the class representative gave his position in the class league match to her.
She was grateful yes but…She feels like she's forcibly robbing him out of pity.
"Are you still thinking about that?" she looked up to see Zina's face looking down on her, it was not her usual expression of self-confidence or arrogance, but something much softer as the tomboy plopped down beside her. "Look, Noa gave you his reasons didn't he?"
"I know…but…"
"Look, it would be boring if he fights in the class league." the Russian girl gave a wave as in trying to shoo the guilt away. "Besides, when will you ever get the chance to solve this problem? If you don't take this chance you might never get another."
The Chinese girl didn't say anything as she listened to her childhood friend's words, it's oddly comforting hearing those words from someone as confident as Zina, though somehow it sounded much more personal.
"But, if you need someone to knock some senses into that dense human you know who to call," she shot a grin at Rin sho cannot help but giggle at the idea even if it will cause some form of bodily harm in one way or another. "Besides it's good to have someone you can rely on, unlike my parents."
"Eh?"
"Nothing," Zina quickly ended the conversation as she stood up and took Rin's hand, and pulled her up. "One more match before dinner? I want to fight the class champion at least one more time."
"Now hold on-"
"Or are you too scared?"
Rin pouted as she huffed before materializing her IS and stepping into the launch pad with a loud thump as if the girl is stomping around when she is mad, it's oddly adorable thought the pilot of Fascinator as she blasted off into the arena before she followed with a laugh of her own.
It's nice having friends.
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The day of the match came the second arena is filled to the brim with spectators from the first-year to the third-year students to the point some of them had to stand between the aisles between the seats. All the students who weren't able to get in were apparently watching a live broadcast outside.
Naturally, everyone is curious about the fighters, one is the younger brother of Chifuyu Orimura and the other is the Cadet Representative of China but for some people, it's much more interesting due to her parentage.
"Is it starting yet?" Mayotta asked as he leaned back on his chair beside Hari who was busy with his phone.
"Not yet, though I heard there was a small delay."
"Eeh, I hope it starts soon."
"You sure are excited." the redhead commented looking up from his phone, it seem he was reading the latest Voice of War news.
"Well, considering who is her father."
"The BFF Hitman."
From the opposite side, a trio of childhood friends is being their rowdy selves, even more with Zina impatiently tapping her feet impatiently, or Noa who is slowly chewing the popcorn he bought before entering the Arena.
"Wonder who going to win?" Evan asked as he looked to his side and see his fellow Ravens, though he cannot help but notice some familiar faces from his previous life beside Zina and Noa.
"My bet is still on Rin." Zina confidently said.
"You only said that because you still have a crush on her," Noa mumbled as the Last Raven tilted his head sideways to avoid being hit by his rival.
"Shut it bird brain on I'm giving you brain damage."
Meanwhile outside the Arena Wynne D Alcott sat on a table in the cafeteria with a steaming cup of tea as she looked at the screen a scowl is apparent on her face as she crossed her arms as leaned back on her chair. "So she is his daughter?"
She asked her classmates who are sitting at the same table as her, or to be exact he owns cousins in the form of the twin Eugene and Francisca Wolcott to which the sister nodded as the brother looked intently as the two combatants finally leave the pit and stood opposite of each other.
"This could be a close match in my opinion, what do you think sis?" Eugene asked before taking his own cup of tea and sipping it.
"Naturally I am curious, though I wonder if she inherited any of his talents," Francisca replied before taking the tea pot and offering a refill to Wynne to which she accepted with a nod.
"You two seem to have a high expectation of her," Wynne commented as the black and white IS begin to clash against each other.
"Well, she is Wong Shao-Lung's daughter after all."
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Another shorter chapter because I'm starting to get busy with real-life obligations, but yes more people are getting revealed and the next chapter is where the fun really starts.
This chapter is named after a track in the Armored Core 20th special anniversary disk titled: Dive Into the Flame.