I do not own Infinite Stratos nor do I own Rurouni Kenshin. All rights respectively go to Izuru Yumizuru, the author who created Infinite Stratos, and Nobuhiro Watsuki, the author of Rurouni Kenshin.
(Insert OP: A Cruel Angel's Thesis by Yoko Takahashi)
Zankoku na tenshi no you ni (After a drop of water hits the black screen, it brightens up to a red sky with clouds and stars as it shows the IS Academy symbol)
Shounen yo, shinwa ni nare... (Camera pans upwards as it shows the schematics of an Infinite Stratos before it shows its heart, the IS Core and then everything tuns white)
(Title of the show appears as Infinite Stratos)
Aoi kaze ga ima mune no doa wo tataitemo (Raiden is shown fully clothed and carrying the Sakabatō on his left hip)
Watashi dake wo tada mitsumete (As he watches the waters surrounding the IS Academy Island, the shadowy silhouettes of Akane Fujimoto and Miram Walker appear at the side of the screen going up and down respectively)
Hohoenderu Anata (As the silhouettes fade away, Raiden gives a small smile as if content with something of his life)
Sotto Fureru mono (A shadowy hand is shown pointing to the ground before an IS blueprint of Akatsubaki appears)
Motomeru koto ni muchuu de, (And then Houki is shown next as her image looks up at the sky)
Unmei sae mada shiranai itaike na hitomi (Houki's shadowy image sits on the ground with her arms around her knees as if crying before she looks up while Raiden is in the background and then Houki's image is replaced with that of Tabane, staring out of a window and her eyes blinking twice)
Dakedo itsuka kizuku deshou Sono senaka ni wa (Raiden is seen in his IS, looking upwards as he prepares himself for a fight, embracing his persona of Hitokiri Kingslayer. Four brief images of Hiko Seijuro XVIII, Akane Fujimoto, Miriam Walker, and Chifuyu Orimura are shown in order)
Haruka mirai mezasu tame no hane ga aru koto... (Raiden cannot contain the darkness he kept within himself any longer as Hitokiri Kingslayer emerges and the background is shrouded in flames of Kyoto)
Zankoku na tenshi no tēze (Ichika duels with Raiden, clashing his blade, Yukihira Nigata, against Raiden's Sakabatō, fighting on even ground)
Madobe kara yagate tobitatsu (Raiden and Ichika break away as Rin comes in to assist the latter against the former with her Souten Gagetsu. Brief images of the various cast of IS, including students of the Academy, Liu King-Sang and members of the Righteousness Union, and members of FEISAR, are shown in quick timeframes)
Hotobashiru atsui patosu de (Laura was next as she unleashes her cables at Hitokiri Kingslayer, but he dodges in the air and attempts to cut her down but is blocked by Charlotte's shield)
Omoide wo uragiru nara (Raiden backs away as Cecilia unleashes heavy firing onto Raiden, making him move and slice down her BIT drones. Brief images of the various cast of IS, mainly the main antagonists are shown in quick timeframes, in order of Udo Hina, Squall Meusel, Autumn, Madoka Orimura, and the shadowy form of the Dark Lady)
Kono sora wo daite kagayaku (Raiden in his IS takes a Battojutsu stance and charges forward as executes a Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu attack)
Shounen yo, shinwa ni nare (As Raiden comes in and slices at the camera, everything flashes white as the title of the story, Infinite Stratos Hitokiri Kingslayer, comes up on screen)
As classes resume for another day, the atmosphere was still a bit tense, at least for one student. Ichika could not concentrate at all in class, mainly because of the whole debacle yesterday.
'This is bad. Houki's mad at me for last night at our dorm room. I still don't have an IS, and I'll be forced to forfeit my match to Cecilia and Raiden… Although, now that I think about it, Raiden seems calm about the situation.'
*BONK*
"Stop dozing off, you imbecile!" Chifuyu said after punching Ichika straight on the head. "Of the boys, you're the one who least understands this stuff so you should focus more! Now, go read page 6 aloud."
"O-Okay.." Ichika turns to the page. "Currently, there are 467 IS machines in the world. While all of the cores have been developed by Professor Shinonono, she hasn't disclosed how to make them. At the moment, she refuses to make more. Because of that, countries, corporations, and organizations who own the cores put them to use for various reasons such as research and training."
Chifuyu took over from here. "Therefore, if the personal unit belongs to a country or corporation, then the pilot is affiliated with them. A good example would be the cadet representatives. However, for you Hataru and Orimura, you're considered exceptions. Thus, you'll each be given your own personal unit for the purpose of gathering data. Understood?"
Many of the girls in the class were surprised.
"Their own personal unit? They're just first years, not to mention this early!"
"How nice. I want one of my own too."
"Which means that the government's backing them up."
Cecilia, still bearing that smug attitude, then spoke to the boys, "That's good to hear. I wouldn't be able to call our match a fair duel if you two were forced to use a training IS to fight me. Although, I'm worried that the match is still way too much in my favor."
"What makes you say that?" asked Ichika. "We haven't even fought yet."
"Oh. You don't understand your situation, do you? Then let me shed more light on our differences. As you know, I am the cadet representative of England. You have just been assigned your IS. I, on the other hand, have been fighting in the honor of my country for quite some time. Also, there are only 465 IS units in existence. Those who actually owe them are truly elite amongst the elite. And I am one of those people."
"Actually, Cecilia-dono, I also have a personal IS," Raiden chimed in.
Upon hearing that though, the whole class went silent. All eyes turned to Raiden and somehow everyone seemed to believe it.
And in one collective voice, "EEEHHH?!
The only one not surprised is Chifuyu, but whether she kept silent because she already knew of that fact or that she felt Raiden was being an idiot for revealing such sensitive information is unknown.
"Oro?" asked Raiden.
"W-Wh-What? How do you—" A stunned Cecilia asked.
"This sword here is not just for show, that it is not," Raiden said, holding his blade.
Every girl then understood that Raiden's sword was his IS in its standby mode.
"That's his IS?"
"No way!"
"He already has one?"
Even Ichika was surprised, looking at his counterpart's sword. Although it was in its standby mode, he like the others were surprised to see Raiden have one already. He must have been given one before the school year began.
"Sensei!" asked one of the students. "Is Shinonono-san here related to Professor Shinonono?"
"Isn't Professor Shinonono the most brilliant researcher in the whole wide world?" asked Cecilia. "Which means, as a relative of that esteemed person, I believe that you—"
"I have nothing to do with her!" Houki shouted before retaining her cool. "I'm not Professor Shinonono. We're just sisters, that's all. Don't assume so much."
That made Cecilia and every other girl quiet down. Clearly, Houki looked uncomfortable talking about Tabane. Plus any further probing into the subject may earn them Chifuyu's wrath so they decide to back down for their sakes.
"A-Anyways, I still believe that I'm the one who is the most appropriate person to be the class representative," Cecilia said upon returning to her desk.
With that class resumed as normal, but the atmosphere around all became awkward to say the least.
By the time of lunch, Ichika sat with Houki. And Raiden joined in as well, invited by Ichika. While both Houki and Ichika ate the standard Japanese set, Raiden had something similar albeit in much smaller portions. Truth be told he was not much of a heavy eater.
Ichika was the first to take notice. "Your meal seems pretty light, Raiden."
"Oro? You think so?" asked Raiden.
"Yeah. You don't seem to eat much."
"At least I know what each dish is despite my lack of sight," Raiden said. "My enhanced senses allow me to know which is which and where they are, that they do."
Houki sat there and watched as the two boys talk. Every time Ichika was with Raiden, it was like she didn't exist in his sight. Not to mention that she is still feeling a bit mad of the fact that Raiden held her bra.
So she decides to take the direct approach. "You two are idiots. You've got the whole school talking about your upcoming battle."
"There's not much we can do about it, that we cannot do," Raiden shrugged his shoulders. "Besides, if Cecilia-dono wants to challenge us, we should at least accept it."
"By the way, Houki, I have a favor to ask," said Ichika.
"What is it?" asked Houki.
"Could you teach me about the IS? At this rate, I'm going to lose the match next week."
"It's your fault for getting provoked back then, you dummy," Houki reminded.
But Ichika pleaded with hands together. "That's why! Please!"
Houki knew that the situation was bad. Ichika was going up a cadet representative who has her own IS. Without an IS of his own, he does not stand a chance. And there is also Raiden who has a Personal IS but much of him still remains an unknown. Against him, Ichika may stand no chance.
The rumors were already circulating around the school about the class representative battle. In a matter of hours, everyone would know about it through the grape vine. And in the IS Academy, they say rumors travel faster than a speeding IS.
"Mind if we sit with you guys?" asked a trio of girls. They were the same ones peeking through Houki's destroyed door, noticeable by the one named Honne Nohotoke who was wearing her fox suit. She must really like foxes.
Ichika took notice of the lunches placed down when the girls sat with the trio. "Is that really all you girls are going to eat?"
"We eat a lot of snacks to get by!" Honne said cheerfully. "Snacks that we want to share with everybody, even Orimu and Hatata!"
Raiden got confused upon hearing his last name mispronounced by the fox pajama girl.
'Oro? Hatata?'
One of Honne's friends then asked, "So, Ichika, you seem pretty close to Shinonono-san."
While Houki was flabbergasted, Ichika merely replies, "Well, we are childhood friends."
"You two are childhood friends?" asked Honne. "That is so nice!"
A bashful Houki replied, "It's not really a big thing though. We just went to the same school, and we practiced Kendo in the same dojo."
"How nice to be his childhood friend!"
"Say Orimura-kun, any special memory from back then? I want to hear that!"
But before he could answer, another unfamiliar voice cropped up.
"Say, you guys are the ones talked about in the school rumors, right? The boys who can pilot an IS?"
Everyone turned to see another female student standing by their table. Based on her uniform, she looked to be a third year student.
"That would be us," Ichika confirmed.
"And I've heard you two are going to be fighting in a tournament with a representative candidate, is that right?" She asked.
"That we are," Raiden nodded.
"So, it is true. But you boys don't have the experience needed. I'm a third-year student, so how about I teach you everything you need to know?" She sat on the edge of the table stroking the bottom of Raiden's throat while giving him a wink. "About the IS that is."
In all honesty, Ichika really did need a coach if he wanted to stand a chance. But before he could answer, Houki cut him off.
"That will be enough. I'll be the one to train him."
The Third Year, oddly enough, didn't seem to mind. "Oh? I see. Then you don't mind that if I cannot train this one, I can perhaps take him then?"
The Third Year then wraps her arms around Raiden, catching him off-guard.
"Oro?" Raiden's face was comically confused of what just occurred.
"If what I heard is true that Orimura is your childhood friend, then perhaps you do not mind if I took his friend with me then?"
"Oro?" asked Raiden.
Raiden for some reason didn't know what was happening, hence his Oro. Normally, he would be okay with being trained in the IS by anyone to be honest. Whether that was a teacher or even a third year.
But for some reason, Houki felt conflicted. For a reason no one, not even her, could explain, she felt… uncomfortable of seeing Raiden trained by someone other than her. Maybe it was nothing, but it didn't feel right. She hardly knows of him and is too much of a mystery to discern who he really is. But still she hated this nagging feeling inside of herself.
"Forget it. I will teach Raiden as well," She said.
"But, you're also a first-year. Do you think you can teach better than a third-year like me? Tell me. Have you participated in a mock IS battle?" asked the Third Year.
Houki admitted, "…I have not."
"So, how can you be a better teacher than me then?"
That was when Houki played her trump card, albeit rather reluctantly.
"Because I am the sister of Tabane Shinonono."
"Shinonono? As in?"
"That's right!" Honne and her friends chimed in to confirm. "The great class 1-1 has the sister of Tabane Shinonono, and not only that. We have the little brother of Chifuyu Orimura, also known as Brunhilde, the grand champion of the first Mondo Grosso. And we have Hataru, a blind male who carries a sword."
"Oro?" asked a comical Raiden upon the titles.
"O-Oh… I see… I guess there's no use for me…" The third year backs away and leaves quickly.
Ichika looks to his childhood friend and smiles, "Thanks, Houki. I'm counting on you."
"Once today's classes are over, come to the kendo dojo," Houki suggested. "Let me see if you have grown dull or not."
Ichika replied. "Well, wasn't I asking for IS—"
"You will show me," A stern Houki said.
"O-Okay."
Houki soon felt she had no appetite, so she gets up and takes her plate away. So much conflict ran through her mind. What the Third Year student, along with Honne and her friends, said wasn't false either. She was a third-year student who has used the IS much longer than Houki did. There was no doubt that she would make one fine adviser to Ichika and Raiden. And now her childhood friend must fight Cecilia with his pride at stake. And Houki's own selfishness will be the sole reason why Ichika will be held back.
But then her next thought drifted to Raiden. Questions ran in her head of why she refused the third-year to help train Raiden. She didn't much care of the blind male student but something in her twisted her chest like a gnarled root. It was like a bad feeling just sprouted when the Third Year offered to take Raiden away to train him.
And she couldn't figure out why she stopped her from doing so.
"Houki-dono?" asked Raiden who accompanied her, much to her surprise when she turned to hear his voice.
But what she saw next was also perplexing for her, for despite having a blindfold, Raiden bore a concern look.
"Are you okay?" He asked. "I knew they threw a lot of fire at you, even before lunch, that they did."
"I-I'm fine…" Houki said turning around. "I don't give much thought to it anyway."
"If you say so, but if I may say something…" Raiden said. "You're not your sister. And you're not anyone else in this school. You should be you, that you should. Your past doesn't have to control you, that it should not."
"Hataru-san…" Houki called out.
But this made Raiden a bit sheepish. "You know, it feels weird of people just calling my by my last name, that it does. If it helps, you can just call me Raiden."
"Raiden… But we hardly know each other."
"True," Raiden said. "But I think it makes it easier for all of us, even me. Plus, I don't want Nohotoke-dono to call me Hatata to the point everyone does so. I'm not a hat."
This humor suddenly made Houki chuckle out of nowhere. When she heard the name Hatata, she couldn't help but laugh a bit. Of course she hid that laugh away upon realizing what she just did as she turns away bashfully.
And it earned an "Oro" from Raiden.
But in Houki's heart, she felt she needed that. After all, recent events have made her a little uneasy so perhaps she needed something to get the tension off of her mind.
In the kendo dojo of the Academy, Ichika and Houki were getting ready for the "special training" that Houki had planned for. They each stood a short distance from each other, donned in Kendo safety gear to protect their body. With a shinai in their hands, they assume position. But for Ichika, the nostalgia was slowly getting back to him, especially since it had been so long since he had practiced kendo.
"Are you all set, Ichika?" Houki asked, snapping Ichika back to the present.
"Y-Yeah. Ready when you are."
"Then let's do this!" Houki struck her sword with a yell, going downwards to strike his head.
Ichika blocks the attack as the shinai clash.
"Nicely done, Ichika," Houki praised.
"I won't be beaten so easily," Ichika exclaimed as he presses forward.
He throws another strike at Houki, hitting her shoulder guard which sends her to the ground, allowing Ichika a point.
"Sorry about that, Houki," Ichika said as he walks over and offers a hand. "Are you hurt?"
Houki smacks his hand away, but not without good reason.
"You idiot!" She said as she gets up and returns to her starting position. "What are you thinking showing your enemy sympathy in the middle of a match? Until the enemy is defeated, you need to always keep your guard up."
Ichika readies himself for another round, returning to his position. With one point, he thought he would be more than a match for his childhood friend. And it was in his kind nature to help someone in need, the enemy included.
Many however would call him naïve.
Houki attacks relentlessly, forcing Ichika on the defense. All he could do was block each strike that came, but it also made him step back as he loses ground.
On Houki's next strike, halfway into her swing, she switched from a vertical swing to a horizontal one, catching the Orimura boy off guard as her sword connects and lands a hit on Ichika, making the point hers. Now they were tied 1-1.
The two set themselves up to their starting positions again, up to their third and last round. Whoever scores the next point wins.
But like before, Houki goes all out in a relentless aggression. It was then that Ichika realized something, something he had totally forgotten. He was up against a national kendo champion. He had only held back because she was his childhood friend whom he had not seen for six years. A foolish move as her skill level was beyond his. Houki keeps pushing forward on the offensive, gaining ground quickly as Ichika struggles under pressure.
Realizing that this was his last defeat to his utter shame, he resorted to his last option.
"I give up!"
A few of the girls peaked through the door, watching the Kendo match.
"Shinonono-san's really strong," One girl said.
"Or maybe it's that Orimura-kun is weak. Shinonono really dominated him in that fight."
"I wonder how Hataru-san would fare in the fight."
Houki removed her headgear, wiping some of her sweat off of her forehead. But the next mood she was in was of disappointment. "Ichika. Explain yourself. In the six years since you last saw me, how have you managed to grow weaker? What club were you in during middle school?"
Ichika sheepishly said, "The go-straight-home club? Perfect attendance for three years in a row?"
Truth be told though, this was because Ichika was working part-time to help his sister just to financially sustain both he and his sister since their parents had abandoned them at a young age.
"Unacceptable," Houki said. "We're going to redo your training from the beginning. You have more problems besides the IS. I'll make sure to train you every day, no matter how long it takes."
"Shouldn't we be focusing more on the IS stuff?" Ichika asked.
"As a man, aren't you embarrassed to lose to a woman, not just in an IS but a kendo match as well?"
"Well yeah, I'm not happy about it."
"Then you don't have the time to sit around. Wait, don't tell me you're taking it easy because you enjoy being surrounded by women?"
"I wouldn't call being treated like a zoo animal 'enjoyment,' not to mention I'm forced to live with a girl so—"
Upon saying those words, Ichika covered his mouth by mistake. But it was too late as he sees a wooden bokken raised up and he uses his shinai to block it in time from Houki.
"So you don't like living with me? Is that it?!" Houki growled as she leans her sword closer to Ichika's head.
"Houki, put the sword down!" Ichika cried and pleaded. "You don't want to become a murderer, do you?"
Houki ceased her assault but still retained a foul mood. "You've really gotten weak, Ichika. I wanted to see your current state and as you are now, you leave a lot to be desired. We'll train again tomorrow to help you build up your strength and we'll keep doing that every day. Once you build up your strength, we can begin the IS training."
Ichika had no doubts on Houki's words. He really indeed was in need of training, especially for kendo. The way he was now, he couldn't protect nor save anyone. He could not let things stand the way they are, for his pride as a man would not allow it. He wondered how Raiden, assuming him to be a samurai as well for carrying a sword, managed to retain a sense of commitment to training.
And speaking of Raiden…
"Kamiya Kasshin-ryu, is that so?" A new voice spoke up, making the two turn heads. They looked to see Raiden enter the dojo, but not before taking his shoes off in the process. "Pardon me."
"Raiden," Ichika was surprised. "What are you doing here?"
"I heard there was a dojo, so I came to check it out," Raiden said before he walks around and looks at the walls.
And detects the tokonoma, where a calligraphic scroll hangs from a wall coupled with a ikebana flower arrangement.
"Katsujinken…" Raiden reads. "The sword that gives life."
"You know of it?" asked Ichika.
"Not really," Raiden confesses. "But I am intrigued by its philosophy. You could say I walk something of a similar path."
"That does not explain why you carry a sword around the school," Houki said. "In most places, it would be illegal to carry a weapon around like that."
"True," Raiden said. "But the government has allowed it since they know it is my Personal IS. For now I just tell people I am a Kendo student publicly so as to not compromise my identity, that I do. And before you say it, I do know how to wield a sword, that I do."
"Why aren't you more worried about the IS duel we have?" asked Ichika.
"I'd be lying if I said I am not worried, Ichika," Raiden said. "It's just that we have time to train and prepare, that we do. And when we go through our training, then we have no worries."
Raiden then decides to test Ichika and asks, "Tell me, Ichika. Do you remember what it was like holding a sword?"
"Huh? What brought this on?" asked Ichika.
"Call it curiosity, that you should," Raiden answered.
Ichika could then recall clearly when he held a real katana in front of Chifuyu. It was hard to carry, but as a young boy, it would make sense. However, he learned from Chifuyu that the weight of the sword is the exact same weight a person feels when they are killed by it.
"Well, the sword felt… heavy," Ichika answered.
"Heavy, huh? That's good. That's what it means to carry something like that, IS or otherwise."
"What are you getting at?"
"A sword is a weapon," Raiden said. "Swordsmanship is learning how to kill. No matter what ideals and names you use to cover it up, that is the truth of the world. Your sister told me that before."
"Chifuyu-nee did?" asked Ichika. Now he remembered something similar that his sister had told him that day when he held a real katana in his hand.
"The same is true of the IS," Raiden said. "It is still seen by many as a weapon. And it still has the power to kill someone. Even if your strikes are to be as light as possible, they can still kill someone. And no matter how you try to justify your actions, the fact that the IS is a weapon is the inevitable truth."
There was a bit of truth in those words. Words that make it hard for Ichika to swallow. He didn't like to fight unless it was necessary, but it is mostly out of personal insults to someone like his friends or his pride as a man. And he had to understand that the IS still is a weapon used for war and conflict despite the Alaska Treaty. And there will always be people who will undermine it.
"But, I do prefer the philosophy of Katsujinken over the truth, that I do," Raiden said.
Houki however wanted to ask something.
"If you really are a samurai…" Houki said. "Then will you fight me?"
"Houki!" A stunned Ichika said.
"You would duel me?" asked Raiden.
"Samurai in ancient times would always challenge someone to the death. It is tradition. So from one samurai to another, I ask you the same."
But Raiden declines respectfully, "I'm afraid I cannot accept your challenge, Houki-dono, that I cannot. I do not wish to follow the Satsujinken philosophy and revert to my past."
"Your past?" asked Houki confused.
"Let's just say that my path with a sword is a dark one," Raiden said. "And I do not wish to go back onto it, that I do not."
However, that answer immediately backlashed as Houki felt insulted that she had been rejected. As a samurai, anyone who declines a challenge will immediately have their honor insulted.
"You… You would refuse a duel? What kind of man are you to refuse one's challenge?"
Raiden, seeing how he had incurred Houki's wrath, smiles apologetically and bows.
"I am sorry, Houki-dono, I am," Raiden said. "I do not mean to insult your pride and honor. Nor do I mean to hide anything from you. It's just… I didn't want to tell you if it was not necessary."
That follow-up answer stunned Houki. A part of her felt foolish for letting her emotions get the better of her. Raiden wasn't trying to undermine her and declare her unworthy of his sword, but rather he didn't want to fight lest he go back to who he once was. All samurai throughout history were killers, each having committed murder in the name of their Bushido.
But Raiden was different. He still seemed like he retained Bushido but sought a different path to take. A path without killing. A path of Katsujinken.
"Well, take care…" Raiden bows as he makes his leave from the dojo.
But as Houki watches Raiden leave, she could see him slipping away from the dojo. She agreed to train him and Ichika and for him to just walk out on her like that may yet have been another insult.
Offended once more, she calls out to him.
"Idiot!" cried Houki to Raiden.
"Oro?!" responded a surprised Raiden in his trademark yell.
"Are you just going to walk away?" asked Houki. "How do you expect me to train Ichika without you? Can't you at least help me out a little? I don't know what happened in your past, but I very much don't care for it."
Raiden turns around. "However, with this tournament coming up, if you train both me and Ichika, it may look like we are allies against Cecilia instead of opponents. This is after all a three way battle."
"I'm not saying that you should fight with Ichika in the tournament," Houki clarified. "I want you, the second male IS pilot, to sta—"
But Houki stops herself before turning around, as if hiding her embarrassment of the fact that she wanted Raident to stay.
"If you insist on going away," Houki said. "At least tell me something. Are you from a samurai family?"
Raiden answers, "Yes. Raiden of the Hataru Family. From Yamanashi."
"Raiden…" Houki whispers his name before she next speaks aloud, "So why don't you be on your way now, Raiden?"
When Houki hears the door close, she sighs. But to Ichika, he was surprised to see an unexpected development. For despite the door closing, a blindfolded student did not leave.
"Perhaps, I've wandered a bit too long now," Raiden's voice was suddenly heard. This makes Houki turn around to see that while the doors closed, Raiden did not leave. "I don't even know when I'll wander away again."
A surprised if not relieved Houki turns and approaches Raiden, a bit fascinated of the fact that Raiden decides to stay and train with the two Kendo students.
"I'm a complete stranger to everyone," Raiden said.
"But you're also wise and caring," Houki replied otherwise.
"And there's no telling when I might stumble on a bra again."
"That's alright," Houki said cracking her knuckles. "If that happens, I'll just—"
Houki soon lands a punch, hoping that Raiden would sense it and dodge. But…
*POW*
"ORROOO!" Raiden yells as he falls to the ground, apparently having received the punch, much to Houki's surprise.
A bashful Houki reels back in shock. "Idiot! I thought you were going to dodge that!"
A dazed Raiden could only say, "Y-You got quite a powerful punch, that you do…"
The whole room was in shock, Ichika especially. Raiden may be able to see without eyes but if he could not sense a punch like Houki's, then it goes to show that he is either dumb or that he didn't see it coming. He couldn't tell which was worse.
The day of the duel came a week later. Houki, Raiden, and Ichika were outside in the hangar while Maya and Chifuyu were at the command center upstairs. Both the boys had worn there is elastic suits, which was required to pilot the IS anyway.
"Hey, Houki?" Ichika said.
"What?" said Houki as she seemed to pretend to not know anything about it.
"You were supposed to teach me about the IS, right?" Ichika asked, recalling the push-ups, sit-ups, kendo, and more calisthenics training.
Houki only grunted and averted eye contact with her childhood friend.
"Don't look away! We did nothing but practice Kendo this week."
"W-What could have we done? Your IS isn't here yet…"
"Even without the unit, isn't there theory or other basics we could have covered?" asked Ichika.
"How to operate an IS along with 'theories or other basics' are not all there is to it, Ichika." Raiden said. "Just remember your training and everything will work out well."
"If you say so…" Ichika said.
"Orimura-kun, Orimura-kun! Your IS has arrived!" said Yamada-sensei over the speaker.
A wall just next to Houki and Ichika slid open to reveal a silver IS unit with a large pair of metal wings, held to the armor by a blue metal holder. The structure was similar to Cecilia's unit, but with slight difference in wing shapes and color.
"This is your personal IS, Byakushiki!" Yamada-sensei identified.
"Suit it up now," Chifuyu ordered. "We don't have too much time in the arena, so format and fit it during the fight."
"Orimura-kun, are you alright?" asked Yamada-sensei.
"Y-Yeah." said Ichika. He then thought only to himself,
I remember feeling this before. I can understand it, feel it, hear it.
As Ichika marvels at his IS, he felt confident. Now that he has a personal IS of his own, he felt like he could finally fight. He soon gets into the IS, allowing it to format onto him.
"Lean back into it as you suit up." ordered Chifuyu. "As if you are sitting. The system will optimize the rest for you."
Ichika proceeded to do as instructed as the IS grappled onto him before it came online.
[Access…System start…]
"So this is Byakushiki…" said Ichika.
"IS come with a function called Absolute Defense. It's designed to at the very least save the pilot's life no matter what attack lands. However, when it activated, shield energy will be drained," Yamada-sensei explained.
"Orimura, you feeling alright?" Chifuyu asked.
Ichika responded confidently, "Yeah, I can do this!"
Chifuyu gave a smile and said, "I see."
She then ordered Raiden as she turns her attention to him. "Raiden, get ready for yours."
Raiden nods as he walks over to a more open area before he assumes a Battojutsu stance, clenching his katana before he commands it to activate.
"Draw your blade, Lion Heart!"
*SHIING*
As soon as Raiden pulls out his sword, a light emerges before it dies down. Then, to the surprise of everyone but Chifuyu in the room, they look to behold what looked like a Personal IS.
It appeared to be a custom made 2.5 Generation IS, shown with a color of silver white on the main body and a streak of black on its outline decorative design along with gold trimmings. Its appearance is given a more slim look and more agile, if not human, look. The helmet of the pilot is in the form of a lion's head that covers half of the face, leaving the jaw and neck unarmored with two fangs of a lion sticking out and razor teeth in between them. The leg armor has some slight telltale signs but is noticeably thinner and more well-rounded at the knee section, giving off a more sleek and aerodynamic look. The armor around the hands is slightly thicker than the leg sections and are angled in order to maximize deflection from small firearms. The waist armor pieces have shallower angles in order to guard the crotch and spinal section of the IS.
"Raiden, your—" Ichika was surprised.
"Save the admiration for later, that you should," Raiden said. "We got a tournament to compete. And from this point on you are my opponent. Good luck."
Raiden wastes no time as he heads on out into the arena, taking his place as one of the three opponents on the field.
Ichika then stepped onto the launch pad and locked the IS into it.
"Houki," called Ichika.
"W-What?" asked Houki who stuttered a bit in surprise.
"I'm off. Wish me luck!" he smiled.
"Y-Yeah. Go win this!" She gave a firm look of determination.
Ichika was off. The launch pad sent him across the inner barracks and out towards the arena. He meets up with Cecilia, donned in her IS, as well as Raiden who kept a hand on his sheathed katana.
Cecilia's IS, Blue Tears, is bright blue and has four unique rear fins on the back armor, making it look royal and knightly.
She was wielding a large, 2m long sniper rifle. Byakushiki's readout told Ichika it was identical to a six or seven caliber laser gun called Starlight Mark III. As the IS was originally developed for space activity, it can just float in the sky, so it's not strange for her to wield a weapon taller than she is.
The arena was 200 meters in diameter, and the time estimate for a shot to reach its target was only about 0.4 seconds. The bell indicating the start of the match had already rung, so an attack will come anytime now.
"I'll give you one last chance," Cecilia pointed at Ichika with the hand that was on her hip; her other hand casually held the muzzle of her rifle pointed downwards.
"Chance?" He asked.
"It's obvious that I'll defeat you two overwhelmingly. So if you don't want to find yourself battered to a pulp and pathetically begging for mercy, I may forgive you if you apologize now."
"You can't really call that a chance!" Ichika said.
"Oh, I can't? Well, too bad for you! Time to say goodbye!"
Cecilia then pulled out her rifle and scored a direct hit on Ichika, who only stood and held his hands up despite getting shot directly.
When Cecilia turns her guns onto Raiden though, she was surprised to see Raiden back away and move so quickly, dodging her shots. Nevertheless, she kept up her firing rate at the two boys, with one of them struggling and the other moving fast around the arena.
"Damn it! I can't keep up with Byakushiki's reactions!" Ichika said to himself.
"Just keep moving!" Raiden said over the comm.
In an IS battle, one contestant wins if their opponent's shield energy falls to 0. But if that happens, only the armor is left to protect the pilot. If the armor is pierced through, there'll be actual damage. This is different from shield strikes, where energy can be redistributed to shore up the damaged areas. Armor damage, no matter how big or small, will end up affecting the battle.
The IS has a last line of defense, called Absolute Defense, which is designed to keep the pilot alive at all costs. It can block any attack, but will drastically reduce the energy reserve.
Since Ichika was hit on the shoulder, the IS didn't activate its Absolute Defense, probably concluding that a shoulder isn't vital; it's all right if it's blown away. How comforting.
"Now, dance. Dance to the waltz that Cecilia Alcott and Blue Tears are playing!"
Shot after shot after shot, Cecilia's attacks continued to rain down on Ichika, and they were all so precise, it was impossible to dodge every one of them. The shield energy continued to drop, and Byakushiki continued to give off so many alerts.
Raiden had no problem dodging Cecilia's attacks with Lion Heart. The problem was he couldn't get close to Cecilia when she is bombarding him with that. And there was no cover for him to take in the arena. With no choice but to constantly move around, he had to find a way to get close.
"Weapon! Where are my weapons!?" cried Ichika since he was without one in the first place.
Immediately after asking this, a weapon checklist appeared before his eyes… with only one weapon?
"There's only one?!" He asked. "Well, at least it's better than nothing!"
Ichika chose the close combat sword and summoned it. With a high-pitched chime, his right shoulder released a ball of light, which shaped itself into a sword right in his hand. This 1.6 meter long "sword" is his weapon.
"So that's your plan? To challenge my long-range IS with a hand-to-hand weapon?" asked Cecilia. "What a joke!"
Cecilia launched another attack. Though Ichika managed to dodge it, the distance between his opponent and him was a staggering 27 meters. That might as well have been several kilometers. However…
"I will not give up!" He cried.
His shield energy was down to 67, and the actual damage assessment was at "medium." Though he is using his weapon, it's just barely. As for Raiden, he still had full energy at 100%. Though he could make his move on Ichika right now, Cecilia was the much greater threat.
"You two have lasted longer in an initial match against Blue Tears than anyone," Cecilia looked like she was praising a dog that had managed to chase down a Frisbee as she stroked the four independent mobile weapons that floated around her.
One of the mobile weapon things had a BT laser muzzle installed directly on it. In other words, this is the first IS to be equipped with the prototype armaments called Blue Tears, so they named the whole IS after them. Cecilia has been rattling on about her amazing third generation IS for the past 27 minutes - even though Ichika didn't ask. Got to remember to thank her for the explanation.
"But let's end this!" Cecilia chuckled and raised her right arm, commanding two of the BITS drones to emerge.
Suffice to say, two of the BIT lasers attacked Ichika simultaneously from different angles. And another two chased after Raiden. He had not pulled out his katana yet oddly enough/
The BITs boxed Ichika in from above and below, started to glow, and then fired high-intensity lasers. Regardless of whether he could block or dodge them, Cecilia will use the opportunity to fire on him with her rifle. She's already used the tactic several times.
"I'll take your left leg!"
With that shot fired, Cecilia has already penetrated the left leg's armor, so if she hits it again, the 'absolute defense' will definitely be activated and the shield energy will drop to 0, and Ichika will lose.
Sparks flew as metal scraped metal. Ichika pushed his acceleration to maximum and slammed into Cecilia's rifle, forcing it aside. Ichika finally managed to avoid being hit, at least once.
"What!? You're just messing around, but resistance is futile!"
Cecilia pulled away from him and swept her left hand across her body. In response, the 2 BITs that were on standby came flying at him.
'Now I get it. Dodge past the lasers – swing down with the sword – YES! I feel metal being sliced in half…'
Blue and white sparks danced on the BT that was sliced in half, and it exploded. Raiden too took one down, drawing out his blade before holstering it back into his sheath. With two BITS down, Cecilia was now at a near disadvantage.
"How did you…?" Cecilia was stunned, and Ichika pounced on the opportunity. He flanked behind her and swung the sword down hard.
"Ooooooh..."
Cecilia dodged the attack and waved her right hand. BITs 2 and 3 came after him.
"These weapons will only move on your command!" Ichika noted. "Also…"
After taking a moment to track their movements, Ichika destroyed the rear boosters on another BIT and it went down.
"…you can't launch any other attacks, because you have to concentrate on the BIT commands, right?"
Cecilia's right eyebrow twitched as Ichika seemed to have struck a nerve. There are only two BTs left, and Ichika can already guess where they're going. They'll attack him from an angle where his reaction will be the slowest.
The IS offers a complete field of vision, but the humans who use it can't "look" behind, below and above simultaneously. The brain need a moment to process the information, and Cecilia must be watching for that moment to launch her attack. On the other hand, it means that Ichika can lure the enemy to attack from where he wants. The logic is simple; he just need to create an opening, let the opponent attack from there, and launch his counterattack.
'This will work! I just need to concentrate.'
Ichika gripped the sword in his right hand. The training he did after school with Houki has been unexpectedly helpful. Kendo is basically about the strike, and Ichika hasn't lost the fighting sense he gained from his years of study, even though he was still pretty rusty.
'Is it just me, or is Byakushiki more agile? You'd expect an IS to perform worse the more damage it accumulates, but for some reason I feel like the response speed is a lot faster than it was at the beginning of the match. If I can close the distance, I'll have the advantage.'
Cecilia said it herself that her IS is a long-range type. At a distance suitable for close-range combat, that long rifle is completely useless, and from what Ichika see, she doesn't have any close range equipment.
She might have close-range equipment on "standby", but if Ichika could close the distance fast enough, she shouldn't be able to deploy it in time.
Ichika entered striking range of Cecilia and swung his sword to destroy another BIT. Thanks to the IS' zero gravity mechanism, he was able to kick the last BIT away.
She can't get a bead on him with her rifle, so this is the perfect time to land a hit on her.
"I've got you!"
Cecilia smirked as the skirt-shaped armor spread from Cecilia's abdomen, and two sections activated.
"I'm sorry, but there are six Blue Tears!"
Ichika can't dodge them in time! They're not the same as the laser-mounted BTs – they seem to be auto-tracking missiles. He was trapped in the center of a white-hot explosion.
"ICHIKA!" Houki cried out when she saw Ichika vanish behind Cecilia's attack.
Chifuyu and Yamada-sensei halted in the middle of their squabble and looked at the screen in alarm. A screen filled with nothing, but black smoke greeted them, and their squabble was forgotten.
"Humph," While the smoke cleared, Chifuyu let out a derisive snort, but the relief on her face was unmistakable. "The IS saved you, you fool."
The clearing smoke seemed like a curtain being pulled back to reveal a new and changed Byakushiki…
"Formatting and optimization complete," The voice sounded directly in his consciousness. "Please confirm."
A window appeared in front of Ichika, with a "confirm" button right in the middle. Ichika didn't know any better, so he pressed the button. After that, a wealth of information came flowing into me.
Somehow, he understood what was going on. He could feel the importance of this transformation. A high-frequency sound echoed in his head, but he could sense a gentleness within it.
At that moment, the IS was wrapped in light - no, the ball of light WAS Byakushiki, disappearing and then reshaping itself.
"Is this…?"
The newly-shaped IS glowed dimly, and all the damage from the match was erased in its newly refined appearance.
"Don't - Don't tell me that's your first shift? How could anyone last this long in a match with their IS in a default setting!?" Cecilia was, if possible, even more stunned.
So that's what the window displaying "Formatting complete" and "Settings optimized" meant: This IS has finally become his own.
Ichika looked at his suit. The harsh lines that were there in the beginning were gone, replaced by polished curves reminiscent of medieval armor.
What had changed the most was his weapon.
"Close range enhanced sword Yukihira Nigata."
The blade seemed more like a katana than a European longsword. There was a shallow groove on the blade itself, which glowed with a sense of expectation. It was so powerful and intricate; it could only be a sword for an IS.
Most important was its name: "Yukihira Nigata". That's what Chifuyu-'s weapon was called: "Yukihira". Apparently, this sword is an upgraded version of Chifuyu's weapon.
"I really do have the best sister in the world," He noted.
No matter how far Ichika looked back, whether it's three years, six years ago, or even fifteen years ago, Chifuyu had always been there for him. However, to him, it's about time to change the relationship. It's time for him to stop needing protection. From today onwards –
"I'll be the one to protect my family!" Ichika declared as he grasps his sword.
"What are you blabbering about?" asked Cecilia.
"I'm saying I'll defend Chifuyu-nee's name! It'll look lame if her brother's a weakling."
"Ahh! You're such a pain!"
The two BTs reloaded themselves with guided missiles, and Cecilia ordered them towards him. It's another multi-angle attack, trying to catch him in a crossfire, and they're faster than the laser-type BTs. However—
"Too late! I've already seen them!"
Ichika clenched his right hand. Yukihira Nigata seemed eager to commence the attack, as it vibrated with a deep mechanical hum. He already knew how to use it, since he watched a few of Chifuyu's matches without her knowing, and he remember how she used the Yukihira.
The blade split along its glowing line, and a blade of light stabbed outward. With a flick of his wrist, the new blade flashed, and the BTs speeding toward him were cut in half, and passed by harmlessly before exploding.
Ichika rode the shockwave from their explosion forward to attack Cecilia. The suit shot forward, and he could sense everything around him was so much clearer than before. Byakushiki seemed to know his thoughts, and it was much easier to control.
The energy pulsing through the sword hand became steadily more intense, and Yukihira's blade glowed brighter, eager to unleash its power.
"Yes! I CAN WIN THIS!"
*DIING*
Before Ichika could even make a strike, his sword was blocked by another sword. It was by Raiden, who held up katana to block Ichika's strike. But what was interesting or perhaps confusing was that his katana stopped Yukihira with the other side of the blade, not the sharp side.
But he was holding it correctly in his hand and he was able to block Ichika's strike easily.
"Raiden?" asked Ichika.
Raiden then had something to say. "Have you forgotten my words?"
"Huh?"
"A sword is a weapon," Raiden reminded. "Swordsmanship is learning how to kill. No matter what ideals and names you use to cover it up, that is the truth of the world. With you drawing your blade against Cecilia-dono in an attempt to strike her on the ideal of being Chifuyu-dono's little brother, you had disregarded Katsujinken, the sword that protects life, and adopted Satsujinken, the sword that kills."
This stuns Ichika so much that he backs away slowly. All that power that just rushed into his head, all that pride was instantly shattered by a reminder. Slowly, he floats away and lwoers his weapon, reeling in shock.
"What the—what happened?" asked Houki.
Chifuyu however was not surprised. "Hm. Leave it up to his fellow male student to remind him a lesson he nearly forgot."
Even Cecilia too was stunned of the fact that she had been saved by Raiden. And she saw Ichika's pride just break from something she did not understand.
"I-I commend you for saving me, but you just cost yourself a mistake having your back on me like that," Cecilia said as she points her Starlight rifle at Raiden.
But Raiden was unfazed, keeping a calm demeanor.
"Actually, Cecilia-dono…" Raiden said as he turns around. "You've already been defeated. Before I arrived, I took out your boosters with my sword."
"Huh?"
*BOOM*
One explosion from Cecilia later on her backside, and the next she was soon falling fast. Screams were heard from the audience as Cecilia was falling to the ground.
"CECILIA!" cried Ichika as he went for her.
He puts his boosters into overdrive as he catches her, holding her bridal style. But that just sent a big shock of people in the crowd, out of excitement like a knight just saved a princess in his shining armor.
"Eh-EEEHHHH!?" A stunned Cecilia cried, as did everyone else.
Houki was shocked and angered at that for some reason. Yamada-sensei was flustered, and Chifuyu just scoffed like she didn't care. Though at least both of her students were alright.
"Are you okay?" asked Ichika.
"Y-Yeah…" Cecilia blushingly said. But that is when she noticed Ichika's arm having a scratch. "Ah, Ichika-san, you're hurt."
"What?" Ichika looks over. "Oh, it's alright."
The pair soon land at the hangar where Cecilia deactivates her IS, still stunned and shaken by what had just happened.
"Ce-Cecilia Alcott has lost the match!" Yamada-sensei announced over the speaker.
Ichika soon gets back out there, leaving a bewildered Cecilia to look at him returning to the battlefield. Once Ichika lands on the ground, he hears Raiden.
"Looks like it is down to you and me," Raiden said as he gets on the ground, with a sword at the ready.
"Yeah, I guess so," Ichika said as he prepares his Yukihira Type-2 and assumes a stance with his sword forward. "Thanks… for stopping me. I guess I got nearly hung up on my pride."
"It is of no trouble," Raiden said as he prepares himself. "But now… let's finish this in one strike."
Ichika understood what that entailed. Recalling his Kendo review from Houki, he holds Yukihira Nigata with both hands while Raiden holds his sword. They stood still for a brief thirty seconds, waiting for one of them to make the first move.
"HAAAAH!" Ichika charges in, using what he learned in Kendo from before and from Houki's training. He swipes down hard onto Raiden, but the moment his sword reaches near Raiden, he was just gone.
Nobody knew where he was. But that is when Ichika heard a voice that was Raiden's coming from on high.
"Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū – Ryū Tsui Sen!"
Up above, Raiden comes down with sword in hand and strikes at Ichika right on the left shoulder.
*BAM*
And with one strike, Raiden cuts down on Ichika, making him lose whatever amount of shield energy he had left from battling Cecilia. He falls back to the ground, stunned and dazed. The whole audience was shocked, not knowing what had just happened.
"Orimura Ichika has lost the match!" Yamada-sensei announced. "Victory to Raiden Hataru and his IS, Lion Heart."
"I… lost?" Ichika said. But that is when he felt a sharp pain on his left shoulder. He clutches it with his right hand, feeling the pain. Raiden's attack must have cut through his shields to the point the sword made contact.
Raiden walks over to Ichika with a hand held open. "Are you okay?"
"Y-Yeah. AH! My shoulder!" Ichika grunted, feeling the pain.
"Yeah it will be sore for quite a bit, that it will," Raiden said. "But you'll get use to it."
As Ichika stands, he then asks, "Yeah but you hit me with your sword. But it felt… dull?"
"Not dull. I hit you with the correct side of it," Raiden gives Ichika his sword. Much to Ichika's surprise, he sees that the sharp side of the sword was on the back side and the dull side frontwards.
"What is this?" asked Ichika.
"It's a Sakabatō," Raiden said. "A reverse-blade sword. A sword designed not to kill but to incapacitate."
"I never heard of this blade before," Ichika said, marveling at the sword. "It feels heavier than a normal katana."
As the two boys were discussing Raiden's weapon, back at the bunker, Houki met up with Chifuyu and Yamada-sensei about the outcome of the duel.
"What was that?" asked a stunned Houki. "I've never seen a move like that before!"
"It was so fast I couldn't even see where he was," Yamada-sensei replied.
But Chifuyu, observant as ever, held the answer. "Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū, huh?"
Both Houki and Yamada-sensei look at Chifuyu, with the former asking, "Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū?"
"It's an ancient kenjutsu style from the Sengoku Period, developed to allow a single samurai to defeat numerous foes single-handedly. It is rooted in the concept of ichi no tachi, to strike in a single blow, which allow practitioners of this style to use a combination of immense speed, agility, battōjutsu, and acquired, observation-based pseudo-clairvoyance that permits a practitioner to anticipate an opponent's movements. Both offensive and defensive maneuvers are executed with minimal movement to increase a practitioner's ability to counter-attack and to conserve energy."
"It sounds like a rare style of kenjutsu," Yamada-sensei observed.
"It is," Chifuyu said. "It is only passed down from one person to another and never taught in the dojo, out of fear of abusing its power. If this was a real samurai fight without IS, Orimura would have been killed instantly."
Houki however was more concerned at the sword Raiden used as noticed by the screen when Ichika was holding it. "What the—Did he flip his sword around to strike with the blunt-end?"
Maya too saw the strange looking sword. "You're right. What kind of sword is that?"
Chifuyu once again though held the answer, to her surprise though as her eyes widen a bit. "I don't believe it. That's a Sakabatō."
"Sakabatō?" asked Yamada-sensei.
"It's a very rare katana discovered during the early days of the Meiji era. Instead of killing its opponent though, the blade is intentionally forged to use the blunt end, making it a sword ill-fit for killing."
"A sword that doesn't kill?" asked Maya. "Intentionally forged for the blade to be on the other side?"
"The books say there was a living swordsmith during the Bakumatsu who had the ability to create strange swords. Sadly, no records or artifacts of the swords he made are in existence."
Houki soon turns her gaze back at Raiden, her expression filled with curiousness yet also suspicion. Never had she heard of Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū before, and upon learning how rare this kenjutsu art is, she wonders how Raiden, a blind male IS pilot, knows of it. She was even more curious about the Sakabatō Raiden carried.
It was no wonder why he refused to duel Ichika in the dojo, especially with a weapon like that.
Chifuyu, Maya, and Houki met with Ichika and Raiden down at the hangar, their new IS deactivated.
"So…why did I lose?" asked Ichika dumbly.
"For starters, you lost because you didn't consider the impact your attack would have on your own IS," Chifuyu explained. "Not to mention that against Raiden, you stood no chance, even if you were the one to make the first move. By blindly charging in, you had just lost before the duel even began. That bruise on your shoulder proves it."
Ichika winced a bit, as evident that his shoulder is still quite a bit bruised from Raiden's sword.
"Now you've learned the hard way, haven't you? Starting tomorrow, I expect hard work out of you. Activate and control that IS every spare minute, got it?"
"...Yes." Ichika nodded.
'He had good form, that is for sure,' Raiden thought. 'He just has to learn how to not act arrogant when facing his opponent.'
"The IS is in standby mode right now, but if you call it, it'll deploy right away," Yamada-sensei said, pointing to Ichika's bracelet and Raiden's katana. "However, there are quite a few rules and regulations that go along with having your own IS, so please study this closely."
Yamada-sensei handed a book in front of Ichika as he took it, and it landed with a thud on his arms. A deep, ominous thud. The cover says it's about the IS, but it sure looks like a phone directory - for all of mainland China. Not only is it miserably thick, but the pages are also extra thin. How many pages are in there, anyway?
"That's it for today," Chifuyu said. "Head back to your room and rest."
As the teachers leave, Raiden comes over to Ichika and said, "You have good form, Ichika. You held your sword properly and swung very well, that you did. Continue training, and you'll perhaps be more than a match for me."
"Really?" asked Ichika.
"I said, perhaps, that I did," Raiden said. "I didn't say anything factual. Well, take care."
And with that, Raiden takes his leave, leaving Ichika alone with Houki as the former looks at the book given to him.
But to the latter, she watches Raiden leave with his back turned on them. And yet for some reason, a small part of her heart didn't want him to leave. She was tempted to reach out to stop him but for some reason she held back.
Houki and Ichika were walking back to the dormitory as soon as sunset had arrived. Raiden was at Arena 2 with private training in his IS.
"Ichika."
"Hm, what's up?"
Is she actually talking to him? Did she read his mind and know what he was thinking about her? That would be really convenient – way better than a cell phone, and Ichika wouldn't have to pay monthly bills. How alluring.
"It's just… well... Are you unhappy about losing?"
"Of course I am."
"Is, is that so? That's good...Then, s-starting tomorrow... um… you'll have to start some intensive IS training."
Why was she trying to sound so courteous? Is that a note of distress Ichika can hear beneath the courtesy...? Now he could really use Raiden as he was much better trained in his sense of hearing and smelling.
"So are you still gonna teach me how to control an IS?" He asked.
"I, I don't intend to force you! Wouldn't you prefer Orimura-sensei to teach you?"
"No, it would just annoy Chifuyu-nee, and I don't want people to misinterpret it as favoritism."
"How, how about getting a senpai to teach you? The seniors could teach you lots of things, and it's important for you to learn as quickly as possible."
Ichika thought Houki would try to change the subject, but these leading questions are just weird. And why does she keep glancing at him? It seems like she's waiting for something.
"Ok, I get it. Since you don't want to, I'll just look for someone…"
"I DIDN'T SAY I DIDN'T WANT TO!" She suddenly shouted.
She's scary, shouting out all of a sudden like that. Ichika kind of shrank back from her. Houki seemed to notice that she was too fierce, and immediately pulled herself together.
"Then... ahem*. I-Ichika, do you want me to teach you?"
"Of course I do! That's why I asked you to begin with. Plus, I figured we could also use Raiden. He seems to be knowledgeable on the IS."
It would be so much easier to learn from friends he is comfortable with instead of having other girls teach him. Besides Houki is Tabane Shinonono's little sister, so she should understand the IS pretty well, right?
As for Raiden, well given that he learns the IS much better than Ichika did, it wouldn't hurt for one boy to ask another boy for some help, would it?
"Oh, is that so? I see. I guess I have no choice then."
Houki started playing with her hair again, continually flicking her long ponytail with her fingers.
"All right, since these are special circumstances, I hereby agree to teach you about the IS."
For some reason, it felt like she emphasized the words "special circumstances" quite a bit.
Truthfully, Ichika really grateful for it, though. If he were to continue losing to girls, his male ego would shrivel and die. Though, honestly, it's already halfway there. How is Raiden able to handle this so much better than him anyway?
"Starting tomorrow, I want you to be waiting for me after school, okay?" She asked.
"Okay."
Since there are no clubs Ichika can join (they're all girls' clubs), this is perfect. Ichika can't stand smearing Chifuyu's reputation like that anyway. No matter what, Ichika has to get stronger.
Hot water flowed from the shower head, landed on her skin and flowed down the curves of her body. Her figure was unusually well-proportioned; a fact Cecilia was really proud of. Her long legs were silky and beautiful, so much so that they could compete with a model's, if not beat them outright in a beauty contest. Though her breasts were a little smaller than other white girls her age, they served to emphasize her figure. She had conflicted feelings about her breasts: both wishing they were larger, but also pleased at how they accentuated her other curves. But then, compared to most Japanese girls, they were more than enough; they could even be called big.
Cecilia let the water cascade down her breasts as she pondered, lost in thought.
'Today's match…'
She still didn't understand why Ichika's shield energy dropped to 0. However, if he had struck her with that last hit, she didn't know what would have happened. She went into the match so sure that she would win, and she fought her best. Yet, there was a real risk that she would have lost, and Ichika was so amazing, the bewilderment made it impossible for her to relax.
'I definitely won...'
Winning just didn't satisfy her; on the contrary, it made her uneasy.
Ichika Orimura…
The unrelenting look in his eyes haunted her. His determination contrasted with Cecilia's own father.
'Daddy would always give in to Mommy's whims...'
Having married into a wealthy family, her dad must have felt extremely inferior to her mother. Growing up, Cecilia always thought, "I don't want to marry such a useless man."
After the IS was introduced, her dad become increasingly depressed. Her mom must have been so disappointed in him that she eventually stopped talking to him.
Her mom was always an impressive woman. Even before society became "women-strong-men-weak", her mom had managed numerous companies, and was an accomplished businesswoman. Though she was extremely strict, Cecilia had always respected her a lot.
Yes - "had". Her parents were no longer alive. They had died in an accident three years previous.
Why were her parents together on that particular day? They had been working at their separate jobs, hardly seeing each other for weeks prior. To this day, she didn't know what had brought them together on that fateful day.
Though there were some conspiracy theories early on, the accident investigation concluded foul play was very unlikely. It was a cross-border railway accident with more than a hundred causalities. Just like that, her parents were torn from her, never to return. She would never see them again.
Time flew after that. Cecilia had a vast inheritance, and in order to protect the money from those who wanted to hoard, launder, or con her out of it, she threw herself into her studies. During an IS suitability test, which was part of her curriculum, she got top marks. Hoping to encourage loyalty to her country, the government made all sorts of generous concessions, and in order to protect her parents' inheritance, she agreed. Cecilia was chosen to be the first test pilot of the 3rd generation IS prototype, "Blue Tears". In order to get the best possible education and battle experience with the IS, she came to the IS Academy in Japan, and then…
…then she met Ichika Orimura. She met the ideal man, with those determined eyes.
"Ichika Orimura…"
She called out his name. Unbelievably, she felt a warmth swell in her chest.
Her heart was pounding, unbridled. Unconsciously, she reached up and gently stroked her lips. The pretty, moist lips that she was so proud of quivered with excitement, desiring to be touched: a feeling warm and sweet, saddening yet delighting.
'What is this feeling?'
Her chest was overwhelmed with this… longing.
'I want to know.'
She wants to know what's behind this feeling – to understand its true identity.
'I want to know. I want to know - about Ichika.'
So far Raiden is starting to get acclimatized with his new environment and is adapting rather well, more so than his other male IS pilot. And he has his first duel with both the other male IS pilot and the representative candidate from Britain. We also later learn that Chifuyu is knowledgeable in sword styles, especially Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū. Does that mean she knows of it and practices it? No. But you can bet with her vast intellifgence, she knows more things of it than usual.
Not to mention Raiden's weapon, the Sakabatō or the reverse blade sword just like in Rurouni Kenshin.
Since this story is heavily influenced by Rurouni Kenshin, I thought to add in Kamiya-Kasshin-ryū as the sword style for Houki Shinonono. After all, and in case anyone had forgotten in the title, She is paired up with Raiden. This if Raiden is the Himura Kenshin of the story, that makes Houki the Kaoru Kamiya of the story as well. I don't know if you've watched the anime but that punch Houki gave to Raiden is a nod to Kaoru punching Kenshin rather comically in the very first episode.
Up next is our favorite Chinese IS pilot. Stay tuned for more.
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