Back in the day, when the previous chapter was brand new, it seemed like a lot of readers preferred Chifuyu and the Silver Gospel. I wonder if those opinions have changed since then?

When Church finally awoke the day after the beach battle fiasco, he had a groggy, vague feeling that he had been in bed for a little too long. For some reason it felt like it was past noon already, though that may have just been the ambient light coming through his half closed blinds.

Ugh... no matter how much sleep I get, I always feel terrible when I first wake up... damn, what time is it anyway?

Though it had been a rhetorical question, Church was answered by Cerberus.

It is approximately 1:47 PM Operator. You have been asleep just long enough to qualify as a lazy bum.

Church groaned in frustration as he sat up on the edge of the bed and rubbed his eyes.

I'm not particularly bothered by that title. I don't suppose we got any communications from Marcus while I was sleeping?

Unfortunately not, Operator. Although, that is to be expected. It has only been a few days since we requested an investigation into Umbra Stratum. Performing such an investigation without arousing suspicion is not an easy task. I doubt we will receive results anytime soon.

Church frowned as he acknowledged the rationality of this assessment. Truly, he doubted there was any quick way to dig around a shadow organization. What with the multiple layers of security and clearance, and not even knowing what you were really looking for in the first place.

I know it's a longshot, but isn't there anything you could do on this front? I mean, you are connected to Umbra Stratum's databases, right?

While he had been somewhat hopeful with this line of questioning, Church unfortunately didn't get a reassuring answer.

Without being on site at an Umbra Stratum mainframe, I couldn't possibly investigate without being detected. Long distance hacking requires too many extra steps, all of which exponentially increase the odds of failure. Moreover, there is no guarantee that the information we are looking for is connected to a wider accessible network.

While he acknowledged the latter half of that statement, Church didn't focus on it outright. After all, if the critical information was hiding on some USB or on literal paper in a folder somewhere, there was well and truly nothing he could do about it on his end. It was best to focus on what he could contribute.

On site at a mainframe, huh...

Turning over a few ideas in his head, Church yawned, stretched, and headed towards the bathroom, wondering all the while if he was the only person to have slept this late. He honestly couldn't imagine Houki sleeping late, and he figured Cecilia and Charlotte weren't the type to laze around either. Laura may still have felt unwell, so she could possibly be sleeping still even though she wouldn't be under normal circumstances. As for Rin and Ichika, Church could easily see both of them sleeping into the afternoon, though the latter may have been denied that privilege by Houki.

Coming to rest in front of the bathroom mirror, Church briefly noted his lack of a shirt. Normally he wouldn't take notice of such a thing, but he had spotted an anomaly out of the corner of his eye. Taking a closer look, Church identified a rather thick trail of scar tissue running from a little above his hip to the small of his back. It was barely visible from the side, so he hadn't noticed it before.

Shit, how long has that been there?

Comparing Church's physical file from a few weeks ago to his current one, Cerberus had the answer.

It appears this wound was received during the Crucible detonation. It was likely caused by a piece of the suit being damaged. All things considered, you are quite lucky that it is the only permanent mark you received.

Really? I've got nothing else? I mean, I didn't even notice this one until now, are you sure there's nothing else?

You did suffer some electrical burns from the malfunctioning suit, but thankfully none of them scarred. Otherwise you would have a very difficult time with the opposite sex.

The hell does that mean?

Suffice to say these electrical burns came dangerously close to your pelvic area, and that few women would find that attractive.

The idea of permanent damage being done to such a sensitive area was enough for Church to feel very uncomfortable, though he did indeed feel grateful that he had escaped the worst of it.

OK, just going to bleach that idea from my mind, thank you very much...

Church grabbed a new toothbrush from beside the sink, not at all surprised that such amenities had been laid out by his hostess. As he began the process of maintaining his dental hygiene, the young man also pulled his phone out of his pocket, which he had kept on him during the night just in case Laura texted him with some sort of request.

A quick glance at incoming messages revealed that he had not received any such requests from the girl throughout the night, though Church was not surprised by this. Even if Laura had been troubled by something, he doubted that she would have elected to bother him with it. Aside from that, he had only one message at the moment. Ironically, the sole communique was from Chifuyu, and not any of the others Church had been spending a lot more time around the past few days.

Of course, that probably shouldn't have been a surprise. Church had figured that he would text Chifuyu and let her know that Laura wasn't feeling well before he went to bed last night. Aside from Ichika, Church imagined that Laura was the only student with a real personal connection to Chifuyu, so the woman may have wanted to know. Plus, if anyone would know whether or not Laura would put on a brave front to dismiss a serious problem, it would probably be Chifuyu.

That said, the message from the woman inquiring about Laura's current status had been sent hours earlier, at a much more reasonable time of the morning. Church could already foresee some sort of complaint about his sleeping habits as he responded to that message.

'Laura didn't ask for anything else throughout the night, so I guess she's fine. Or at least, she's feeling fine enough to not say anything about it.'

Honestly, Church didn't expect to get a response right away or even anytime within the hour. He imagined that Chifuyu was the type of person who was often busy throughout the day and hardly had time to look at her phone every time she got a text message. Even if she did look at it, it wasn't like said message was urgent, so what point was there in answering right away? That being the case, he was already putting his phone back into his pocket after sending the message. However, it vibrated before it could make it all the way there.

Surprised, Church glanced down at the screen, seeing that Chifuyu had in fact texted him again already. Her message was brief.

'You sleep too much.'

Needless to say, this was not the answer Church had been expecting, but it wasn't hard to come up with a suitable response right away.

'Jealous?'

Apparently, Chifuyu was looking for a break from her usual work, because her response was immediate, and a little surprising in its honesty.

'Perhaps. We're not all on a nice vacation, you know.'

Admittedly, that did make Church feel a little bad. Sure, he had work to do while he was out here, but not in the same regard as Chifuyu, who had so much on her plate that she likely had no time to travel in the first place.

'Sorry. I wish you could have come too. You probably need a vacation more than anyone.'

'It's fine. I wouldn't have wanted to infringe on everyone's downtime. I'm sure most of the girls wouldn't have wanted someone older present.'

Even though he knew she couldn't see him, Church couldn't help but cock an eyebrow as he texted a response to that.

'You say that like you're worried about being too out-of-touch with young people. You're not even that much older than us. I think you can still qualify for hanging with older teenagers.'

Whether or not she was convinced by his sentiment was difficult to judge, considering that this conversation was happening over text.

'If you say so. Regardless, keep an eye on Laura. She is the type to hide her ailments from others. I appreciate your concern for her. Also, allow me to apologize in advance for the lack of progress on your suit's repair thus far. Tabane is working on it, but she's definitely taking her time unnecessarily. I'll be sure to whip her into shape when I have the chance.'

'Thanks, but there's no rush. I know you're busy, so don't worry about it. Technically, Tabane's doing me a favor as it is, so I can't ask for much more than that.'

In the confines of his mind, Ceberus commented on this, not sounding very happy as it did so.

Operator, I'd like to advise against accepting a longer wait for Exeter's repair. Regardless of whether or not we will need it for combat, there are many beneficial features it possesses that would make our job a lot easier.

I know, but it's better to make it sound like no big deal. We don't want anyone to think we have any practical reason to need it back right now. It's a little paranoid, but playing it safe this far into the game is the best option.

Cerberus said nothing to that, which allowed Church to glance back down at his phone as it vibrated.

'You shouldn't cut her so much slack. Trust me when I say Tabane is doing this for her amusement above all else.'

With a thought occurring to him, Church started typing back immediately.

'You know, the more you talk about Tabane, the harder it is to see how you two ever became friends.'

Despite the relative frequency of the exchanges up to this point, there was a significant pause between Church's words and Chifuyu's response. He had enough time to finish brushing his teeth and get dressed for the day before Chifuyu actually answered him at all.

'I'm afraid I don't have enough free time to dive into that story. Maybe some other day. Sorry to cut this conversation short, but I should get to work. Look after Laura for me.'

Church cocked an eyebrow as he looked down at this text. Picking up subtle vibes and undertones over text was difficult to do, but he couldn't help but feel that Chifuyu had rushed this conversation to a swift conclusion with this response, like she wanted to shut down further questions before they could be asked. That was curious: what about her past with Tabane could be so uncomfortable to discuss? Then again, it was the creator of Infinite Stratos and the top pilot of the machine at one time. There was probably an interesting story there.

But then, maybe Church was just looking too far into it. For now he wouldn't press the issue, instead simply choosing to bid Chifuyu good luck with her day before pocketing the phone. Granted, he was a little curious now, especially when he recalled that there was next to no information about Chifuyu's life publicly available past a certain point, but it really was none of his business. Not yet, anyway.

For now, it would probably be best if he went downstairs so he could see what everyone else was up to. Hopefully he hadn't entirely missed a chance to eat.

Thankfully for Church, due to a number of factors, not limited to a pretty exhausting previous day, lunch was being collectively eaten pretty late, relatively speaking. That said, even though everyone was gathered together at the dining table, it was remarkably quiet. A little subdued, even. It didn't necessarily seem to be due to a bad mood from everyone: more just that no one had that much energy.

Laura, for instance, appeared to still be a little under the weather. Not in pain, but not feeling up to much conversation as she focused on her food. Church had half a mind to inquire how she was really feeling, but figured she wouldn't be here at all if she felt so bad that she'd have rather been in bed.

As for the others, there were various reasons no one was talking. Houki looked irate, as she was fuming in Ichika's general direction. That appeared to be due to the fact that the young man was dozing off at the table, with his head propped up on one hand. It did seem kind of unbecoming to do that at a table this nice, but no one was calling him out on it. That was kind of surprising, considering Houki was usually the type to berate him for poor behavior, but maybe she didn't want to make a scene while everyone else was being quiet.

As for Rin, she just seemed tired in general, barely stifling a yawn as she slowly munched on her food. She looked ready to doze off too, she was just managing to stay more awake than Ichika. Still, she didn't seem to be in the mood to start a conversation. That only left Charlotte and Cecilia, though the prior was just worriedly glancing around the table, probably wondering why it was so quiet, and the latter was focusing on eating as politely as possible. That probably included not talking with her mouth full.

That just left Church, but the reason he was quiet was pretty similar to Charlotte: he was observing all of this and trying to determine the situation before saying anything. It kind of seemed pointless to bother saying anything since everyone was either tired or focused on their meal. That said, even though the reason for this silence seemed pretty innocuous, it was nevertheless growing kind of awkward. Maybe it would be for the best if he could spark some sort of conversation.

"So, uh... do we have any plans for today? I mean, everyone looks a little a little out of it, so maybe not...?"

Church's voice got everyone's attention since it had been mostly quiet before. Only Ichika managed to remain unaware of his surroundings, though that was probably because Church hadn't talked that loudly. Being one of the few people who didn't seem much worse for wear, Cecilia lowered her utensils to speak.

"I believe everyone is simply tired from yesterday's exertions. We spent the entire day outside, after all. Speaking of which, I'm surprised that most of us weren't sunburned more badly..."

Rin, still looking tired, nevertheless commented on this. "Good. There's a reason I used half a tube of sunblock. After the last burn I suffered, there's no way I'm willing to get another one..."

Church looked around the table at his companions, noticing that the European girls, while not outright crimson, had all suffered some mild sunburn on their faces. This wasn't surprising though, as they all had rather pale skin.

His gaze settled on Laura, who still looked under the weather. He had decided not to ask before, but now that a conversation had started, he had no issue asking after her condition.

"What about you, Laura? Feeling OK?"

Slowly focusing her tired eyes on him, Church lamented the fact that the silver-haired girl had once again donned her eye-patch. He preferred her multicolored gaze by a mile, though she had provided him with plenty of reason already why she couldn't flaunt that at every hour of the day.

"I'm fine, just a little tired from the headache last night. It's gone now, don't worry. I imagine I'll feel better after being awake for a while."

Church couldn't help but notice the slight smile he received from the girl just for asking about her. Had she always been this cute?

"Alright, but if you need anything, just ask."

This time Laura simply nodded, though her smile widened just a bit. Rin did not miss the subtleties of this exchange, and for some reason, she found herself growing a little irritable. It was just a headache: Rin had been through a lot worse during the Crucible fiasco, and she hadn't gotten such gentle worry from him. There was a not altogether tiny desire to get upset, but Rin actually managed to quell the notion fairly quickly.

For one, Church had been unconscious for most of the time that Rin had been seriously recovering from her own injuries. Two, when he had regained consciousness, he had clearly been concerned for her.

With a subtle nod to herself, Rin dispelled that niggling irritation. She was positive that such petty, childish emotions presented a major barrier for her when it came to love, no matter who was in question. She wasn't able to control it all the time, but she honestly wanted to handle things somewhat more maturely when she could.

And yet, that didn't completely remove a small amount of jealousy. Even worse, she still couldn't quite determine why it bothered her at all.

Like Rin, Cecilia noticed the shared moment between Church and Laura as well, and wasted no time in trying to divert away from it. "Well then, back to the question of what we should do today. I assume the beach is out of the question, all things considered?"

In response to this question, Charlotte had half a mind to bring up the sparring match she and Laura never had, but ultimately, that seemed pointless. Aside from the fact that Laura didn't look like she would be up for it, it wasn't like the German's sentiments from yesterday had stopped being true already. There was little value in them sparring.

So, it was probably better to make a different suggestion. "M-maybe there's something to do in the city?"

The mention of going out earned a subdued groan from Ichika, who had awoken without anyone noticing. "Ugh, can we not today? Going out sounds like a lot of trouble..."

Houki was about to object, if only to counter Ichika's laziness, but surprisingly everyone seemed to agree with him, with Cecilia vocalizing their assent. "True, it's quite clear that everyone is somewhat spent today... besides, it is already past noon and it takes at least an hour to drive to the nearest city. If we were going to visit it one day I would prefer to do so at an earlier juncture."

Apparently Houki was the only one who disagreed. "Well, what should we do instead? It's not like we can just laze around all day."

Rin yawned at her end of the table, folding her arms behind her head as she reclined a little. "Why the hell not? Sounds perfect to me."

Though he said nothing, Church nodded in agreement. A lazy day didn't sound bad to him at all.

Seeing that Houki was miffed with the idea, Cecilia tried to assuage her. "It is not as though we have to sleep all day, Houki. I have an entire chamber dedicated to entertainment that can sustain us."

Rin rolled he eyes, making an assumption on what Cecilia considered an entertainment room. "Oh boy, tea and crumpets. How exciting..."

This remark earned a rather irate look from the blonde, but she nevertheless managed to answer somewhat calmly. "That's not what I meant, Rin. There are many entertaining options available. Billiards, darts, an assortment of board games, even some gaming consoles. Suffice to say I think everyone could find something to entertain themselves."

Frankly, Church was surprised to hear about all of the offerings of this entertainment room. "Well, I'm sold. This plan of action has my vote."

Laura, having perked up a bit, managed to look over at Cecilia from her resting position at the table. "I must admit, you do not strike me as the type of person to even own a video game console."

The blonde donned an insulted expression. "Oh, because I'm a rich, snobby woman I cannot have any interest in virtual entertainment, is it? That is a rude stereotype."

Church thought it was kind of funny that Cecilia labelled herself snobby without input from anyone, but said nothing of it. Besides, Houki had a comment to make regardless. "Stereotype or not, I'm surprised you engage in such frivolous hobbies. Video games are such a grievous misuse of time, they don't accomplish anything of any value."

It was Rin, surprisingly, who responded to that. "Whoa, tone it down you elitist. You wanna tell me that you don't do anything that could be considered a waste of time by someone?"

"Of course I don't. Name one thing!"

The Chinese brunette cocked an eyebrow at her. "Just one?"

Naturally, Houki looked a little agitated by this implication, but Cecilia moved to interrupt before the conversation could erupt into anything annoying. "Well, if no one is in disagreement... Dudley? Do bring in the maids for the mess, would you?"

Honestly, Church had forgotten that Dudley was standing quietly off to the side. The man was like a shadow with how well he hid his presence. With a nod, the graying butler headed off to round up some of Cecilia's many loyal employees, while the blonde herself rose from the table to lead her friends to the aforementioned entertainment room. Everyone followed her without dissent, or at least without verbal dissent, in Houki's case. As for Laura, she simply trailed behind because she was tired.

Upon entering Cecilia's fabled room, Church was admittedly impressed. Then again, maybe it was what he should have expected of a rich person. There was quite a large pool table, a state-of-the-art dartboard in one corner, a large table with plenty of space for a variety of board games that were no doubt stored around here, and a humongous TV that had plenty of electronics connected to it, including the flagship consoles of the only manufacturers that really mattered.

Frankly, he was kind of curious as to why Cecilia even had all of this considering she was the only member of the family and didn't often have guests over. But it wasn't hard to see why this was a bad question to ask. Either one, there had probably been a time when these things got more use, or two, she had simply been looking for ways to feel like she wasn't alone after her parents passed. Church could imagine many a game played with the maids to stave off a feeling of loneliness.

Damn, this is actually pretty sweet. Woah, she even has a pretty robust collection of games! This really isn't something I expected of her.

Apparently Cerberus did not share his enthusiasm.

While I loathe agreeing with Shinonono on this, do we not have more important things to do than waste time on frivolous entertainment?

Well yeah, but what are we supposed to do? Houki isn't going to bring out Akatsubaki in here. We can't gather any data as long as we're in this room.

Nonsense, Operator, we do not need Akatsubaki to be summoned to scan it. If you stand close enough to Shinonono, I can gather some limited data from Akatsubaki's standby mode.

Church raised a mental eyebrow.

Wait, really? Then shouldn't it have been super easy to get the Akatsubaki data this whole time?! Why didn't you tell me about this?

Operator, I said the data that could be gathered is limited. Suffice to say I cannot glean everything we need to know about Akatsubaki in its standby form. However, it would be better to acquire any possible information with this opportunity, would it not?

Yeah, I guess so. Still, I don't think I'll be able to stick to Houki the whole time without it being kind of weird. We really aren't that close.

Cerberus made a snarky reply at this.

Indeed, somehow you managed to ingratiate yourself with everyone more completely than you did our actual target. Good job.

Hey, that's just how it played out, alright?! I'm so sorry it wasn't Houki who fell out of a window on the first day!

Before the mental conversation could go any further, Church felt himself getting tugged towards the large, luxurious couch that faced the TV by Rin.

"You, me, fighting game! Come on!"

Not surprised that a girl with Rin's personality was into that genre, Church figured he would just roll with it, and wasted no time preparing the console. He'd have to find a good opportunity to be near Houki a little later. Maybe he could recommend a board game and just so happen to sit next to her?

Behind Rin and Church, the rest of the group had to decide what to do. Charlotte turned her attention to Laura first. "So, do you have a favorite board game, Laura?"

"Frankly, I'm partial to The Campaign for North Africa. It's arguably the most strategic board game of all time, even going so far as to ensure the Italian soldiers consume more water than other factions because they needed it to boil their pasta."

Even though he was doing something else, Church couldn't help but think about that.

Cerberus, she totally made that up, didn't she?

No, Operator. The Campaign for North Africa is real, and that is a mechanic. The game is so deep and convoluted that it takes an estimated 1,500 hours to play it to completion.

1,500 hours?!

Whether or not Charlotte knew about this was unclear, but Cecilia quickly asserted that she didn't have the game in question on hand. Laura only seemed mildly put out by this: if the game she had first mentioned really did take as long as Cerberus claimed, there was no way she could have been seriously suggesting it.

"Oh well. Perhaps a more banal game of strategy? Chess would be fine, I suppose."

Charlotte agreed to this, though she muttered to herself as she followed Laura over to the large table obviously meant for such games. "You find chess banal...?"

As for Cecilia, she challenged Ichika to a game of darts before Houki could think of what to do with him. Unfortunately for the Japanese girl, this left her with little to do other than watch everyone else enjoy themselves. Admittedly, watching people play chess or throw darts didn't appeal to her, so this left Houki with no other option than to watch Rin and Church's fighting game, ironically enough. With no alternative, she leaned against the couch, casting a disinterested gaze towards the screen.

Part of Church hoped she was close enough for Cerberus to do his thing, but whether or not that was the case, he couldn't do anything about it. This meant he had nothing to do other than pick a character. He wasted no time in going after a female character with a somewhat questionable mental state and personality, prompting Rin to judge him.

"Seriously? I didn't think you were into psychopaths. Guess Cecilia has a better chance than I thought."

The blonde's indignant voice was quick to carry over to them. "Just what are you trying to imply, Rin?!"

Both players ignored her, which gave Church room to respond. "Hey, maybe I just like her moves. Plus, games are a valid way to enjoy things you probably wouldn't in real life..."

Cerberus felt the need to chime in here.

Much like humans and porn.

Uh, yeah, I guess so. Kind of an uncanny similarity...

Choosing to ignore the tangent beyond that point, Church focused on the game, which allowed him to see Rin picking a character representative of her nation. How very original. But he didn't comment on that. Instead, as the match started, Church chose to focus on the way Rin played. He believed you could actually learn a lot about a person by the way they played a game. Of course, he also played competitively, so learning how someone played the game was crucial to winning in general.

As it turned out, Rin actually played quite well. With her brash personality, Church half expected the girl to rush in and fight sloppily, or to get annoyed when he cornered her with consistent pressure, but she was actually very patient, not to mention quick on her feet. Or thumbs, in this case.

"You're surprisingly good at this, Rin."

Despite enjoying the compliment, Rin didn't take her eyes off the screen. She wasn't going to let Church take advantage of a distraction, because she was sure he would. "That's what happens when you're a pilot. I mean, it doesn't matter where and how you train your reflexes right? Believe it or not I think playing a lot of games made me a better pilot than I used to be."

Leaning on the couch behind them, Houki frowned at the girl. "That's utterly ridiculous. There's no way something this mindless could correlate to skill in something as demanding as piloting an I.S."

To her surprise, it was actually Laura who voiced disagreement, even as the German kept her gaze pointedly on the chess board between her and Charlotte. The blonde she was facing looked a little alarmed that she could converse and focus on a strategic game at the same time.

"That's hardly true, Houki. All skills require baseline abilities to carry out, but how you hone those abilities can come in many forms. There are many things completely unrelated to piloting an I.S. that can improve your skill. You don't honestly think your experience in kendo has had no effect on your piloting abilities, do you?"

"Ah, well... that's completely different. Kendo is a physical activity that actually trains the body."

"And video games, among other things, are activities that train the mind. Anything that can improve your reflexes, your spatial awareness, or the way you tackle a problem makes you a better pilot. Just because it can be fun at the same time doesn't mean it isn't training. After all, you do find kendo fun, do you not?"

Unable to refute that, Houki sighed in defeat. "I guess you have a point..."

"I always have a point Houki."

Laura moved a piece as soon as she finished saying that. Charlotte immediately made some sort of dismayed sound, but Church was too focused to see what the reason for it was.

Now having her views on the matter sufficiently challenged, Houki actually gave some consideration to the game Church and Rin were playing. Could any of this really improve someone's abilities as a pilot? Maybe it really was a lot deeper than she gave it credit for.

In the interest of investigation, she started to ask questions. Needless to say, it sounded strange to hear interest in a video game coming from Houki of all people. "Church, why do you keep backing away so much? Why don't you just close in and attack?"

It was actually Rin who answered, though she maintained focus for the most part. Her insult was clearly in jest. "Because, he's an annoying, zoning coward!"

"Uh, zoning?"

"Y'know, keeping the opponent at a distance that's favorable to you and bad for them. Church has a stronger mid to long range fighter than I do, so he's constantly keeping me at a distance where he has the upper hand. Ya know, like me and Cecilia the other day. She tried to keep me at range where she was strong and I tried to get in close where she was weak."

For some reason, Houki was more impressed than she should have been. She had never had a very high impression of video games. Learning that there was any merit to them at all was a revelation for her. "Oh, I see! But if you are stronger in close range, why do you use such weak attacks when you finally get close enough? Don't you have stronger moves?"

"Of course I do. But stronger moves are easier to see coming, and if they get blocked, Church is good enough to counter and do major damage. We call that punishing. Unless you combo into it or the opponent is wide open, using a special move can be pretty risky."

"Like Ichika's One-Off ability..."

"Sure, I guess. And Church, your damn footsies are annoying as hell!"

More than confused with that term, Houki glanced down at the two players' feet, only to see that they were doing no such thing. "I'm... almost afraid to ask about that one..."

Eyes still glued to the screen, Church answered with a smirk. "It's when both players are outside of combo range, so they poke at each other with safer attacks to try and make the enemy slip up or otherwise control the flow of the match."

Rin glared at him from the corner of her eye. "It's also used excessively by people who are a super pain to play against."

Further intrigued, Houki nodded in earnest, now that she understood what was going on. "We have that in kendo too, just... with a less misleading name."

Actually, now that Houki was learning more about this, the overall concept wasn't that far removed from kendo. Maybe she'd actually be good at this...?

Leaning forward a little more to watch the game now that she was invested, Houki didn't notice her impressive bust practically pressing against the back of Church's head for a moment. Said man actually didn't identify what the sensation was immediately, but from her position next to him, Rin caught a huge eyeful of it. For some reason, the sight ticked her off immediately, and distracted her from the game for a few moments.

Church, while wondering what the presence at his back was, still took note of Rin's distraction, and used it to get in close and land a knockout strike on Rin's character. Surprisingly, the cry of the game announcer was enough to draw Rin's attention back to it entirely.

"Aw, what the hell Church?! That's not fair!"

"Sorry, Rin. Your amateur hour is not my problem. If it's not paused, the game's still on."

The defeated Chinese girl grumbled at him immediately. "You little... give me a rematch you damn cheater!"

Before Church could say anything to that, Houki snatched the controller out of Rin's hands, the motion of which also removed her breasts from the back of Church's neck. Now realizing what he had felt, Church couldn't help but stare at her as he rubbed the back of his neck.

Damn, that girl really has some huge boobs.

At any rate, Houki seemed oddly fired up. "I don't think so. It's my turn!"

Rin didn't seem persuaded by this. "Oh please, what's the point of a rookie like you competing with one of us?"

"That's not the point, I want to learn!"

Ichika shook his head as he watched the debacle from next to Cecilia. "Houki interested in a video game. Never thought I'd see the day..."

The blonde next to him shrugged after effortlessly landing a bullseye on the dart board. "Well, Houki does have quite the competitive spirit. I don't think it's that far-fetched."

Ichika eyed the dartboard and acknowledged that he had pretty much no chance of beating Cecilia at this point. It seemed like her precision extended to more than just rifles.

"I'm still surprised you play too, honestly..."

"Well, frankly I really only dabble from time to time. I certainly don't play as feverishly as those two. I'd rather play for entertainment than competition."

On the other end of the room, Charlotte heaved a sigh of defeat as Laura checkmated her, a process that didn't take nearly as long as she feel like it should have.

"Laura, you're way too good at this..."

"Oh? Perhaps you'd prefer to play something like checkers?"

"How about we play something based on luck, instead? Does anyone feel like Monopoly?"

For his part, Church was surprised that the French blonde would recommend something so destructive. Coming from the girl who almost always seemed interested in everyone getting along, how could she possibly suggest something that would turn everyone into the worst of enemies?

"Gonna have to pass on that one, Charlotte. Hear me out: is there a chance we have iMaginiff here?"

Hours later, Church felt a little strange as he watched Houki and Cecilia play each other in a fighting game. He and Rin had switched out with them awhile ago, so now he stood behind the couch to watch them play. Cecilia played a suitably posh and dandy fighter, as expected. Houki, on the other hand, had apparently taken a liking to the hulking, grappling type. Now that was unexpected.

In short, he just hadn't expected a situation quite like this to crop up at any point during his mission. Considering the clandestine setup, it was so weird to find himself in a mansion in England, watching the last two people he would have expected throwing down in a fighting game. Still, it was nice that everyone could relax like this and enjoy themselves. Was this the kind of casual friendship he had missed out on due to the travails of his youth? Having to care for an indisposed relative apparently required even more sacrifice than he had realized.

Church's musings were cut off as he was distracted by a victory cry from Houki, who had shot up from her seat as she KO'd Ceclia's avatar. "Whoo! That's right! Muscles conquer all!"

Being an experienced player herself, at least relative to someone who had only started playing a few hours ago, Cecilia simply hung her head in shame as Ichika stared at his childhood friend in both confusion and concern. "I really had no idea Houki would get so into this..."

Charlotte simply shrugged with a confused smile of her own as she played a simple game of cards with Ichika at the game table. Certainly much less taxing than her competitions with Laura, that was for sure. Speaking of the German, Laura seemed mildly amused by the situation, but was paying more attention to the game of pool she was playing with Rin. More specifically, she was paying attention to her opponent, who seemed very irritable about something. Her gaze was on Church's back as he watched Cecilia and Houki get into a rematch.

As she lined up a rather difficult shot, the silver-haired soldier thought to ask about it. "Rin, is something amiss? Surely you aren't so certain of your defeat in a game of pool? I assure you my skills in this game are not so great."

On the opposite side of the table, Rin turned to watch with folded arms as Laura messed up her shot and pocketed the cue ball. Apparently she wasn't lying about that. As for what she was upset about, she didn't feel like talking about it. Part of that was an acknowledgment that her irritation was kind of petty. Since she and Church had finished their first game on the console, they hadn't actually done anything else together over the past few hours. Somehow, he had consistently been roped into playing something with someone else before Rin could suggest another activity.

Even now, the problem was that she and Laura had been playing pool at the time that Church finished a game of cards with Charlotte, so she'd missed an opportunity to do anything with him. On top of that, she was kind of annoyed that he had gone to watch Cecilia and Houki instead of coming over here to talk with her. She could admit that being upset about these things was kind of silly, but at the same time, that didn't stop her from actually being upset. Of course, it wasn't like she was going to tell Laura all of this.

"It's nothing. Stomach just hurts a little bit."

Unfortunately for Rin, her opponent was not so easily fooled. In fact, she was already pretty sure what the problem was. "Oh? Are you the type to develop physical ills from jealousy?"

Rin's emerald gaze narrowed immediately at this, unsure of how Laura had pinpointed that reality so readily. "What?"

"Come now, you've been staring at Church's back every time you've had a moment since we started playing. And frankly, your expression looks quite similar to the one you'd level at Ichika when you were jealous for his attention in the past."

Even though Laura was right on the money, Rin felt embarrassed to have it called out so brazenly. "W-what the hell are you talking about? You're imagining things."

Amused by her statement, Laura cocked an eyebrow at her. "Truly? Well, all the better for me then. For a moment, I thought I'd have to compete with you again, just like before."

Now, Rin was just caught off-guard. She hadn't expected the conversation to take this turn. "Compete with me for what?"

"His affection, of course. I thought I made it clear before that my romantic pursuits have changed course. I was just somewhat worried that yours had done the same. Not that I would try to stop you, but objectively, competition doesn't improve my situation in any way."

Laura's implications weren't exactly subtle, so Rin couldn't help but blush as she considered them. "W-what the heck would give you that idea in the first place? It's obvious that I like Ichika."

"Obvious to you, perhaps. The staring, the irritation, the desire to snatch his time or attention before anyone else can: you haven't acted that way with Ichika in some time. I can't help but believe that you've come to feel as I do, and are now following suit. Though it seems you've yet to acknowledge it."

Though it was hard to determine why exactly, Rin couldn't help but get a little angry in the face of this. Maybe it was something about being told that her feelings were misplaced. Or maybe it was someone else having clearer grasp of her feelings than Rin herself had.

"D-don't be ridiculous! My feelings for Ichika aren't as shallow as yours were! I wouldn't... I wouldn't allow my love to be swayed that easily."

This earned quite the fierce glare from Laura, though her voice stayed level. "I don't think you have any right to judge my feelings. I promise you that what I felt for Ichika was not shallow. When he told me that the reason he wanted to be strong was to protect those he cared about, and that I would be among them... I truly did fall in love with him. But since that day, it's become more and more clear to me that I am his friend, and one of many: nothing more. And no matter how amazing of a man he may be, I will never be happy with him like that."

Rin was glad that everyone else was too busy to overhear their low conversation. "So what, Church is just the second backup option because your first choice didn't work out? That's not fair to him, he doesn't deserve that!"

Laura found it funny that Rin would get angry over this notion, since to her it made it obvious that she cared very much for the American she claimed to have zero romantic interest in.

"I didn't say that. I am only saying that my romantic feelings for Ichika have subsided due to the strictly platonic way he interacts with me. I did not say that I simply fell for the next man who came my way. If Church were a coward, or shallow, or cruel, I would not feel the way I do about him. He is brave, kind, selfless, quite witty, and...um..."

Laura blushed at this last part, since she was getting into the more flustering qualities that she liked. "He is also sweet... and... very handsome..."

Unable to keep the conversation going as she was reduced to a blushing mess, Rin couldn't convince herself that Laura's feelings were somehow more shallow than her own.

With the discussion brought to a close, Rin lowered her gaze to the green velvet of the pool table. She honestly didn't know what she felt anymore... both men had the ability to make her happy, and they both had things she admired... was it even possible to love two people at once? Or was she just confusing love with a strict adherence to status quo? She'd been in love with Ichika for so long, it was hard to even imagine feeling otherwise.

He'd defended her in middle school, been one of the only people willing to befriend a foreign exchange student from a country Japan didn't have great relations with. He'd eaten at her family's restaurant on a near weekly basis, played together with her even when others wouldn't. He'd promised to eat her cooking every day if she eventually became an amazing chef. Ichika had been the sole object of her romantic fantasies for several years now. Surely, losing that affection for him without even being aware of it was impossible.

And yet, ever since arriving at the I.S. Academy, she couldn't help but feel the pain of unrequited love. The promise he had made to her back in middle school had been a regular Tuesday for him, basically him just agreeing to free meals without considering anything deeper in it. Maybe she couldn't hold that against him since it wasn't like she'd been very clear about what she was really asking, but it was hardly like his misunderstanding of that promise was the only thing that weighed on her.

She always had to be the initiator when it came to hanging out. Most of the time, she had to be the one to start a conversation with him. Ichika never got flustered or nervous around her. She was never the first person he thought of when there was competition for his attention. And anytime it came up, she always got the special distinction of being the second childhood friend.

Rin was too stubborn to admit it most of the time, but while trying to take inventory of her own feelings, she knew, deep in her heart, that Ichika didn't love her the way she loved him. Not in middle school, not during their period of separation, and not now. And knowing that cut so deeply. Even when she pretended to be unaware of it, it stabbed at her every time she felt like a footnote in Ichika's life. Maybe, with all of those wounds adding up, it wasn't that far-fetched that she'd start to seek validation and satisfaction somewhere else. Especially if there really was a good guy who could offer her those things.

The brunette glanced back to put her eyes on Church, maybe to further consider the things Laura had said to her, but weirdly enough, the man was absent from the entire room. So were Cecilia and Houki, actually. A little miffed that the guy had the audacity to disappear on her when she was thinking good things about him, Rin had half a mind to investigate, but she didn't get very far with that thought.

"Rin, it is your turn, you know."

Sighing in exasperation, Rin focused on the game of pool with Laura. Thinking about this shit was tiring. She'd figure it out later when she was by herself.

Standing in a very nice elevator with real wooden paneling, Church glanced over at Cecilia beside him. "I have to admit, now I'm really curious. Are we visiting a bunker or something?"

Once Cecilia and Houki had finished their last game, the buxom Japanese girl had excused herself to go to the bathroom. Church had offered to play with Cecilia at that time, but the blonde had instead asserted that Houki's absence, and the fact that everybody else was busy, was a good opportunity to show him something. That something had included leaving the entertainment room, and some walking through a few halls. That had led them to this elevator, but Church still had no idea what he was being taken to see.

Cecilia seemed to find his question humorous. "Not quite. I suppose it could function as a bunker of sorts, but the infrastructure definitely isn't up to code on that front. Besides, it's what's in this level of the mansion that I'm sure you'll like. Well, at least I hope so..."

The blonde did look a little nervous, apparently due to her questioning whether or not Church would actually find all of this worthwhile. As for his part, Church wasn't actually sure if he would, mostly because he just had no idea what he was being taken to see. What did Cecilia have that required a pretty long elevator ride to get to? He was curious, but didn't really have any clue as to what to expect. Still, it just felt like good form to reassure his companion.

"Hey, I came from humble origins. I'm not sure if there's anything in this mansion that's incapable of impressing me."

Cecilia gave him a curious glance. "Indeed... if you don't mind my asking, what exactly are these humble origins of yours? Speaking of it now, I realize I don't actually know that much about you, Church. It feels quite rude to have not even asked prior to now."

Church did his best to keep a smile on his face as he contemplated how to best answer this. Simply put, the less he talked about his past to everyone, the better. The less they knew, the less questions they could ask, and the less anyone would investigate things they shouldn't. In hindsight, he probably shouldn't have said anything that would open up this line of conversation. Still, he was here now, so it wasn't like he could clam up without arousing suspicion.

"Oh, you know, just small town living. Not bad by any means, just not very exciting or anything like that."

"I see. How did you come to be in your position, then? Surely someone living an ordinary life would have an interesting tale as far as coming to operate a high-tech machine such as yours. Even most I.S. pilots were in positions of influential relevance just to be considered for it."

For this, Church could at least effectively tell the truth. He just had to be kind of vague with it. "There was a government testing site opened at a major city not far from where I lived. Figured it couldn't hurt to try: fair monetary compensation for my time, and even if it didn't work out it would be a unique experience. It turns out I was actually the best candidate out of all the people they tested. The rest is history, as they say."

If Cecilia picked up on the intentional lack of real meaningful details, it didn't show on her face or in her words. "How fortuitous. Aside from it allowing us to meet, I imagine your family must have been very proud!"

With a sad smile, Church elected to just agree. "Yeah..."

It may have been problematic if the conversation continued past that point, but thankfully, it didn't, thanks to the opening of the elevator doors before the two of them. It was easy to divert attention to this, as well as the large underground concrete garage they found themselves in.

"Oh, I think I've seen something like this in a few movies! This is where you keep fifty luxury cars, right?"

Cecilia lead him out of the elevator without delay. When Church stepped out, he saw that the garage was quite large, probably the size of the mansion itself. There were even a few tunnel exits that must have gone to different areas, though he naturally couldn't tell how long those were or how far they went. However, he also noted that the place was conspicuously empty. It certainly seemed like a place that would hold dozens of cars, but he couldn't actually see one right now. Odd.

Either way, the blonde beckoned for him to follow her. "Follow me. What I want to show you is a little further in."

Figuring that he could do little other than obey, Church came up to walk a little behind and beside his hostess as she moved throughout the garage. He followed her for a minute or two, continuing to note that the garage was conspicuously empty. Although, after a few minutes of walking they did finally stumble across one car. Considering that nothing else had been encountered thus far, Church just assumed this was what Cecilia had wanted to show him.

"Wow. I don't know much about cars, but even I can tell that this is real nice. Kind of looks like an old race car."

For a moment, Cecilia didn't realize that Church had stopped following her, mostly because she hadn't intended to stop here. "Oh...? Yes, I... suppose it is."

Church eyed the turquoise green, sleek car that looked like it belonged to the 50s, what with its bulbous headlight housings and ovular grill. Honestly, he wasn't really a car guy and didn't know much about them aside from fixing a few basic engine problems, but even he could tell this was something that would have gone for a crazy price at an auction.

"Speaking of cars, this is the only one down here. Kind of barren, isn't it?"

Cecilia came to stand beside him, looking at the car before her a bit forlornly. "Well, there used to be far more. However, I sold most of them once I was in charge of my family's assets. There just... wasn't much point in keeping them. As ironic as it sounds, it's not as though I can legally drive them. Plus, they were mostly just things my parents owned for the sake of owning. They were better off bringing happiness to other people that could appreciate them."

Not being entirely tone deaf, Church could tell that Cecilia was reflecting on something not entirely pleasant. But if she really had been against talking about it at all, surely she would've just avoided the conversation entirely.

"So... why keep this one?"

Cecilia clasped her hands behind her back as her gaze swept over the car. "This one? Well, this one was my father's favorite. Really, the only one he truly loved for what it was, rather than what it was valued. Not to say it isn't valuable. Quite the contrary: this 1956 Aston Martin DBR1 is but one of five ever manufactured. It won numerous important races, one of which was the performance that caught my father's heart. I won't bother you with the price; needless to say procuring it was astronomically expensive. But frankly, even if it had been as cheap as someone's old scrapper, Father would have bought it all the same. He tended to this car nearly every single day, when he could manage it. Despite the many things of value in this house, some of which far outstrip this vehicle, I've no doubt he valued it the most."

The blonde sighed, probably recalling something from days long past. "Like all the other cars, it's not like I have any need for this. But it's one of the strongest mementos of my father. I simply cannot bear to be rid of it. That is why it is the only automobile here."

Church had half a mind to ask if Cecilia had something similar for her mother, but he thought better of doing so. He wasn't that knowledgeable of Cecilia's background, but he did get the feeling she remembered her father more fondly than her mother. Instead, he asked Cerberus a question fueled by mere curiosity.

I know she intentionally didn't mention it, but how expensive actually is this car, Cerberus?

Based on records, it was purchased by Harry Alcott, the father, for $22.55 million USD in 1985. Suffice to say that, taking inflation into account, it's even more expensive in today's currency.

Holy shit, all of that for a car? Damn, so that's what it's like to be filthy rich, huh?

While he knew that it was hardly Cecilia's fault, Church couldn't help but feel a little bitter about knowing that such obscenely rich people existed, and spent their money on things such as this. The amount of money that had been spent on this car alone could have solved all of the problems that had landed him in Umbra Stratum's service in the first place. He wouldn't have had to worry about a damn thing with that kind of money. The housing, the food, the hospital bills...

Well, it wasn't like it would be right to accost Cecilia for being born to a rich family. Everyone drew a different hand at birth. And if she was to be believed, she did use a lot of her money for charitable causes. Besides, Church couldn't say with certainty that he wouldn't buy cool shit and live in a big, nice mansion too if he had the money to make it happen. For now, it was probably best to not leave Cecilia's last depressing statement hanging.

"Well, for both that reason and its own value, it's definitely worth keeping. But, uh... why exactly did you want to show me this?"

Cecilia cocked an eyebrow at him. "I didn't. It's just that you stopped to speak about it, so I assumed you had an interest... many men are quite invested in automobiles, are they not?"

"Oh, well, I guess so. Can't say I ever had a particular passion for them myself, though. Kinda just know about them due to necessity... either way, if this wasn't what you wanted to show me, what is?"

Perhaps glad to have an excuse to move away from the topic of her late father's car, Cecilia beckoned her guest to follow her once more. "You shall see soon enough. Come, it's not much further."

Resuming their trek through the underground garage, Church found that Cecilia wasn't lying on that front. They were only on the move for about two more minutes before they came across a very large set of metal doors that were very reminiscent of a hangar entrance. Heck, maybe they were actually just hangar doors. Hangar doors usually meant aircraft, something Church actually was pretty interested in, so he was actually quite eager to find out what was on the other side.

His excitement must have been noticeable enough, as Cecilia seemed pretty happy to hurry over to a control panel on the wall so she could press a button there. Upon doing so, the hangar doors began to slide open at a decent pace. On the other side was a very spacious chamber that certainly looked like a hangar to Church, but he ignored most of that in favor of what rested in the middle of said hanger: a sleek monoplane old-school fighter with elliptical wings and a single propeller, colored in a green and tan two-tone paint job. Oh yes, he knew what this was.

"Whoa, is this what I think it is?! This is a Spitfire, right?"

Seeing the excitement on his face, Cecilia quickly took the role of proud owner showing off her toys. "My dear Church, this is not just a Spitfire. This is the Spitfire: specifically, a Supermarine Spitfire Mark One-A. The Battle of Britain's hero. Eight .303 machine guns, a rate of climb that could compete with a homesick angel, and a water cooled Rolls-Royce Merlin-III engine, as both the Lord and the King intended. Truly a thing of beauty, is it not?"

Having always been partial to war machines, Church couldn't help but agree. "That's an understatement! Man, this thing looks like it was just rolled out of a factory. That said, it looks like the real deal, but how, y'know, real actually is it?"

"Church, I own Supermarine, remember? This Spitfire is as real as real gets. Er... well, mostly."

"Mostly?"

"Well, suffice to say, it's not actually legal to have the weapons on such a vehicle functional. The .303's have all been plugged, and it's not like I possess ammunition for them in the first place."

Church cocked an eyebrow at her. "What, really? That's only like, 7.7 millimeters, right? That's literally just rifle ammunition, that's barely worth having a law over."

For once, Cecilia was distinctly reminded that Church was an American. "Perhaps in your country, Church. This is the United Kingdom, owning firearms and ammunition is a bit more of a difficult proposition over here. Besides, you'd do well to remember that those rifle caliber rounds are still being used by a machine gun, and I think it's fairly reasonable that the government wouldn't want someone owning a plane that has machine guns on it."

"And yet, you own a far deadlier, far more destructive war machine, and they have no problem with that."

"Ah, well... to be technical, I don't actually own Blue Tears. But I do see the irony of your point..."

Dismissing that tangent, Church turned his attention back to what he really cared about. "Anyway, you made it sound like this thing is operational aside from the guns. Please tell me that's true."

Cecilia scoffed at this. "But of course. Why even own such a magnificent machine if it cannot theoretically fulfill its purpose? I made very sure this frame was restored to its full functionality when procuring it. If it didn't work for some reason, many individuals at Supermarine would find themselves unemployed posthaste."

To this, Church merely offered an excited and expectant look. Cecilia was not dense enough to miss the implication of his expression, despite his silence.

"Church, surely you don't think we can actually fly it..."

"Why not? You just said it should be able to."

"I said theoretically! I mean, of course the actual components should be in working order, I've ensured that they've been carefully maintained... but I don't actually have the proper fuel for the engine, nor do I know where to even begin with pre-flight checks. Most importantly, even ignoring those issues, neither of us knows how to operate such a vehicle! Unless you are hiding a very peculiar skill that I don't know about."

Despite knowing full well that Cecilia was right about that, he felt the need to bemoan reality anyway. "Aw, come on: we both fly very advanced war machines, I'm sure it will be fine."

"You can't honestly think operating an I.S. is in any way transferrable to piloting a monoplane aircraft from eighty years ago."

Church sighed, but quickly offered an internal question to Cerberus.

Hey, Cerb...

He didn't even manage to say anything else before his AI companion was onto him. Maybe the question he was going to ask was pretty obvious.

No, Operator. I could not guide you in the operation of this vehicle. Even if I could locate the operation manual, you cannot reasonably expect to safely operate this machine while listening to me verbally guide your every action within your head.

Come on, people have landed planes exactly like that before! You know, like when the captain and co-pilot are unconscious and some rando has to land the plane, and air traffic control guides them...

You watch too many movies, Operator.

Probably noticing the disappointment evident on his face, Cecilia tried to lift Church's spirits somewhat. "Well, flying it may be off the table, but perhaps you'd like to sit in the cockpit...?"

A smile returned to the young man's face immediately. "Yes! Awesome!"

It didn't take long to get the canopy open, or for the two of them to procure a ladder so Church could climb up into the cockpit. Soon enough, he was nestled fairly comfortably in the cockpit of a legendary fighter from decades gone by. It was just too bad that he could only use his imagination to see the clear skies around him. Although, it didn't take long to look at the actual contents of the cockpit, which was filled to the brim with various ways to control different functions.

"Whoa, sure are a lot of lights and switches up here..."

From the ground beside the aircraft, Cecilia called up to him. "Yet another reason neither of us could fly it. I.S. may be more advanced, but I think operating an analog vehicle is a bit more difficult than how simple things are today."

Church was going to respond to that comment, but Cerberus spoke up inside of his mind before he could do so.

Operator, I have a transmission from Headquarters. It seems the Commander forgot something he wished to say during your last communication.

This immediately filled Church with dread.

Oh great, now they're calling first. And at this hour? The nerve.

They wish to receive daily reports of your progress from now on to ensure you are staying on task.

Ordinarily, Church would have responded to this communication with deference and respect. These people signed his paychecks, after all. But the gall of the Commander irked him, as did their disruption of his time with this legendary bird he now occupied. So he was willing to get a little uppity with them. Besides, there was no way they'd fire him over a bit of lip: they had invested too much time and money into him, and he was already on mission. It just wouldn't be efficient.

Oh really? I have the perfect response for that. Transmit this word for word...

State-side, the Commander impatiently tapped his fingers on his desk as he waited for someone to report A2's response back to him. Fortunately, he did not need to wait long, as one of the communications officers opened the door to his office. Strangely enough, he thought he could hear a chorus of laughter from the communications center.

"Do you have his response, Lieutenant?"

The man in front of the Commander seemed uncomfortable for some reason. "Uh, yes sir..."

"Well? What does it say?"

"It's uh... it might be better if I just hand you the paper, sir..."

"You have a voice, Lieutenant, use it."

With a gulp of trepidation, the soldier did as he was told, doing his best to sound professional. "Word for word, his response was this: 'You bitch-ass incompetent fuckers can kiss my ass. I almost got vaporized because you can't keep your toys safe. You'll get a report when there is something to report. A2 out.' That's all, sir."

The Commander stared the officer dead in the face. Now he knew why everyone was chuckling out there. "Dismissed, Lieutenant."

Obviously relieved, the officer left the room in haste, leaving the Commander to pinch the bridge of his nose. "I hate that fucking kid."

So this was really kind of a filler chapter I guess, but personally I thought it was damn funny. Besides, there was some actual character development there, it was just subtle.

For anyone interested in discussing the story in particular or Infinite Stratos as a whole, don't forget about the Discord channel that you can find on my profile. I know I mention it frequently, but I try to leave a few chapters between doing so each time.