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)
Raiden and Rin now faced each other in the air with their IS activated. The tension was pretty high between the two but neither bore any hatred for one another. In fact for Rin, she just wants to let off some steam, and by that it meant she would not hold back. While a part of her could understand Raiden defending Ichika from her attack that would have seriously injured him, a majority was still mad that she was, in her mind, trying to defend his honor.
Raiden on the other hand had no such intention to defend Ichika of his actions and words. He only defended him from an injury that could have cost him his legs and make Rin earn Chifuyu's wrath. He knew what Ichika said to her was just plain wrong, but violence is not always the answer to everything.
But that didn't matter anymore. Now they needed to focus on the here and now. Once it was over, Raiden would want to give Ichika a lecture about people's hearts.
"If you apologize now for what you did, I won't hurt you too badly," said Rin.
"If I did that, then this wouldn't have been a proper duel for a tournament in the first place," Raiden said.
"Just so you know, the Absolute Defense System isn't perfect. With a power that overwhelms the shield, you can hurt the opponent without killing them."
"Thanks for the information," Raiden thanked. "But there may not be any need for concern, that there shouldn't be."
With that said, Raiden draws out his Sakabatō.
"Begin match," The announcer spoke over the mic. Rin drew out her scimitar and the two opponents charged at each other and made contact with their weapons, with sparks flying all over.
The two break off as Raiden goes up in the air.
"Huh…" Rin was surprised. "Your melee skills aren't half bad. Oh yeah that reminds me. I saw the video of your last fight. From what I observed, you use a sword whose blade is on the wrong side. It looked strong. However, even without you weapon, there are other ways that an IS with a high power rating can deal damage directly to an enemy's body. Like Shenlong here for example."
Rin decides to bring her two scimitars together to make a double-bladed weapon. She gave it a couple of swings before rotating them around her hands fast. She then charged towards Raiden to stab him which Raiden simply moved out of the way with each slash she struck. She struck again and again, and Raiden just kept dodging before he went on to block.
'He's even good at dodging.' Rin thought. 'I can't even tell whether he is enjoying this or taking it seriously. Ah mou! We just started this fight. There's no need to monologue.'
'She's good.' Raiden thought. 'Her attacking speed is much quicker than Ichika's obviously but it can be a bit hard to read her movements. At this rate, it will be a fight of attrition. I need to end this as soon as possible.'
After another dodge, Raiden charged forward and attempted to strike head on which Rin manage to block but got pushed back pretty far. Rin broke off the stance and made a 360 spin to strike Raiden which he blocked before she came underneath by swinging upwards. Raiden barely managed to dodge it as it left merely a very small minuscule scratch on the helmet.
He soon jumps high into the air with his sword over his head, executing his infamous attack that he used against Ichika.
"Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū – Ryū Tsui Sen!"
*SLICE*
With the Sakabatō, Raiden manages to cut through Rin's weapon. However…
"Idiot…" Chifuyu grumbled back at the command center, watching it on live television. "Her blade can split in two."
Rin, with weapons in hand, twirls them and goes for a diagonal slash at Raiden. Thinking fast, Raiden backs away but sees that his shield took a rather bad hit.
"So that is your Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū," Rin noted. "I'm impressed. But it won't be enough."
Raiden then took off with Rin in hot pursuit in order to get away for a bit. But for the representative of China, that was enough close combat for her. She decided to take out her trump card.
"I got you!" She cried.
The hovering spheres on each of her shoulders shifted to open, and a light shined from them before being released into a shot directed at Raiden. The projectiles flew fast, much faster than even Cecilia's rifle.
But Raiden, sensing something coming at him fast, pulls up just in time as the shots barely grazed him and hit the ground.
"That was just a jab," Rin said as she fully maximizes the power of her cannons to shoot at Raiden. Raiden stood his ground and dodged one shot before repelling off the other.
'She finally pulled her trump card, huh? I need to get in fast to take out those cannons. That'll take the pressure off of me.'
"What was that?" asked Houki.
Yamada-sensei answered "It must be an Impact Cannon. They're a weapon that compacts and pressurizes space to create the rounds which fire off as shells. They cannot be seen when fired and it seems there are no restrictions on the angle the bullet is fired."
"Just like my Blue Tears, a third generation model," said Cecilia.
"But it looked like Raiden was well aware of it," said Ichika.
"He was," said Chifuyu. "He figured out that his hindrance will be those cannons, hence how he was able to dodge the first shot."
Houki however was in deep thought. For despite Raiden's overwhelming strength and speed and the fact that he was able to sense the Impact Cannons firing on him, she was concerned as he couldn't run forever.
'An invisible attack from a third generation model… Raiden's fighting a one-sided battle. Even though I wanted him to help Ichika for the class league match, all I did was nothing, not helping Ichika properly. And Raiden was the one to fill in for me. Was I really of no use? What kind of woman am I to fail where the other succeeded.'
She keeps a close eye on Raiden on the screen, as the next words in her mind soon spoke.
'Raiden… I don't care if you don't win, but please… make it back safely.'
Raiden was on the run. At this point, he was getting pinned down by those cannons as their speed was pretty darn fast.
"Good job dodging," Rin complimented. "And to think that the invisible barrel and ammunition is supposed to be Ryuuhou's features."
Raiden knew that despite being blind, he didn't need to predict the projectiles of the Impact Cannons since they were invisible. But if he could sense the path of where the projectiles would hit, he has an easier time dodging, faster than the hyper sensor packaging on his IS that can only pick up atmospheric strains and movements. But he couldn't keep it up forever.
'I need to get in close. She'll keep me pinned down like this for a while. I have to act fast and make a surprise.'
Raiden needed time and time he found at this right opportunity. Using his full thrusters, he took off so fast that Rin was unable to track him. She looked around but saw no sign of him. Then, she realized that if Raiden was not around her, then that meant he was...
"Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū – Ryū Tsui Sen Zan!"
Coming down from on high was Raiden with the Sakabatō used in a stabbing position instead of a downward swing like before.
*CHIING*
With one stab straight into Rin's right Impact Cannon, Raiden then moves the Sakabatō upwards for the blade side to cut the cannon.
*BOOM*
An explosion occurs from Rin, sending her back to the ground tumbling a bit.
"Gahaah!" Rin cried as she takes a tumble. Once she stops she looks up to see Raiden landing and at the ready. Sitting up, Rin saw her shields plummet to 65%.
'What!? Just that one attack, he managed to take out a good portion of my shields.'
Rin then looked to her right and saw her Impact Cannon in shambles. Electricity sparked from the ruined cannon, and she gritted in anger.
"You're going to pay for that!" said Rin as she charged again to Raiden.
"He managed to take out an Impact Cannon!?" asked Cecilia in disbelief. Everyone was shocked, except for Chifuyu, who finally understood what he just did.
"He must've used the Ignition Boost," She said.
"Ignition Boost?" asked Ichika.
"I taught him that. As well as you," said Chifuyu. "It's a high velocity charge followed by a critical blow enabled by his Sakabatō. It increases his speed temporarily, allowing him to make the surprise attack from behind. Combined with Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū, a sword style that focuses on speed through taking out multiple opponents, it can prove useful to his advantage in a fight like this."
"Which was why Huang was not able to see it coming," said Cecilia who understood how he was able to take out the Impact Cannon.
"Unfortunately, the ability can only be used once," Chifuyu noted. But she did not seem too bothered by it as Raiden seems to have gained the advantage of the fight back again with one Impact Cannon gone.
As Raiden prepares himself against Rin, he calls out to her.
"Rin-dono."
"What is it?" She asked.
Raiden then got serious. "One more push, one last strike. Let's see whose blade lands first and wins."
Rin, perhaps understanding what he meant, responded, "Agreed."
*CLING*
Placing her Souten Gagetsu blades together, she prepares herself, ready to charge in at Raiden for one last strike. Whatever attack he had using Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū, he was going to hit her with everything he's got. And she was going to do the same.
Just as Raiden was about to land a hit on Rin, the barrier surrounding the arena was suddenly penetrated from above and down came something that made direct contact with Raiden, bringing him to the ground along with an explosion.
*BOOM*
Everyone at the stands wondered what had happened, thinking of it to be a misfire or an earthquake. Back at the command room, they picked up something.
"An unknown anomaly has appeared. The barrier has been penetrated!" said Yamada.
Chifuyu then picked up the mic and said "Match canceled. Level D Alert! All students, evacuate from the stands immediately!"
The doors to the stands were suddenly closed as everyone retreated back to the doors. Screams of panic were heard as the lockdown was initiated.
"Can we establish a comm link to Hataru?" asked Chifuyu.
"Setting it up now," said Yamada as the screen showed up.
"Raiden, can you hear me?" asked Chifuyu, only to hear a grunt of pain in response. Chifuyu gasped at the response and once the smoke cleared, everyone saw Raiden on the screen. And it was not good.
Raiden was pinned down hard on the ground by the strange object as it slowly crushed his body. It looked like a foot of something large and mechanical pinning him down. He was struggling to get the foot off of him, but his shields were giving away fast.
"Fan, get that thing off of him! Now!" ordered Chifuyu.
Rin goes in and fires her remaining Impact Cannon at the anomaly, hitting it and making it stagger backwards.
The foot was relieved, and Raiden uses his thrusters just in time to get out before he lands awkwardly and crashes onto the floor. His left shoulder armor was almost gone, and his IS was badly burnt but it at least remained functional, with only 45% of his shields remaining.
As Raiden stands up and shakes his head, the screen showing Rin appears before him.
"Raiden, the match is cancelled. Our orders are to get back to the hangars immediately."
"Understood," said Raiden as he took off and reunited with Rin. Together, the two of them attempted to return to the hangar before,
"Wait!" said Chifuyu over the comm. "Our systems have been hacked and the students are still stuck in the spectating area."
"What of the teachers?" asked Raiden.
"They're trapped in storage," answered Chifuyu.
"Scrap!" Raiden then turned around and said, "Rin-dono, provide back up for me. We need to take this thing out fast."
"Huh? Since when are you giving—" but before Rin could say anything, a purple energy beam was flying towards her. Raiden managed to grab her in time, bridal style, much to her shock.
'That was a beam weapon.' Raiden observed. 'And it has a higher power output than Cecilia-dono's IS.'
Rin however grabs and shoves her hands on Raiden's face.
"Oro?!"
"C-Com on now, you jerk!" She said before she started comically hitting him on the head. "Let go of me!"
"S-Sorry, that I am," Raiden lets go but Rin was still mad and red in the face. But before they could even relax or argue, they saw the IS powering up. "Watch it!"
The unknown IS continues firing at their position, making the two dodge from its laser beams at high speeds. It was powerful enough to break through the arena's barrier, which means that there is a chance it will attack the student spectators that were watching. Without the teachers, it would be all up to the two to subdue it.
"Raiden, you should go head-to-head with it while I cover you with my blade and my remaining Impact Cannon," Rin suggested. "Your katana is your only weapon, right? You can use that same attack you did on me onto it."
Raiden nods. "Just be sure to give me that opening."
Back at the control room, Yamada-sensei was trying to establish a secure link to both Raiden and Rin, but with communications down, all she got was silence on her end. Still she kept on trying.
"Hataru-kun! Huang-san! Do you read me? You need to evacuate now! Do you read me?!"
"Yamada, that's enough," Chifuyu stated. "There's nothing we can do so let them handle it."
Yamada-sensei was shocked. "W-What?! How can you say that, Orimura-sensei?"
"Calm down and have some coffee," Chifuyu said as she put some sugar in her coffee. "You're only stressing out because your body's running low on sugar. Every path in the arena has been blocked right now because of the unknown machine. So, we'll have to count on those two to defeat it."
Yamada-sensei then noticed what Chifuyu had put in her coffee was not sugar. "Umm, that was the salt."
"And what's the salt doing here?!" Chifuyu asked.
"I see! You were so worried about your student that you committed a simple mistake—"
That right there was Yamada-sensei's mistake, especially because the next face she saw of her fellow teacher was a rather scary one. "Oh, what I meant by that—"
But Chifuyu handed over the salted coffee and said, "Here, Yamada-sensei. Have some coffee."
That was when Cecilia became desperate. "Sensei! Please give me authorization to use my IS! I can move out right away!"
Ichika concurred as well. "Agreed! Please Chifu—Orimura-sensei! Let us join Raiden and Rin!"
"I wish I can do that but look at this."
Chifuyu then shows the video footage of the current situation. And it was not good.
"The arena's barrier is currently at level 4," Cecilia noted. "Not to mention all the doors are locked. Did that IS cause this?"
"It seems so," Chifuyu answered. "As things stand, we can neither evacuate nor stage a rescue. Besides, once the barrier has been shut down, we have squads on standby ready to attack."
"Then, please. Allow Ichika-san and I to join in with those squads!" Cecilia pleaded.
But Chifuyu denied them. "No. You will not join them or rather, you'll just be in the way."
"What?!" cried the two before Ichika asked. "We would never!"
"Have you had your squad-based training before?" Chifuyu asked. "What position did you assume? You're both my students. It would be quite troubling if I send someone I haven't taught anything yet. Not to mention, there so many ways you two would fail. And if I send you two out right now, the situation would get worser than it already is now."
This made Cecilia stand down. "I, I understand."
Ichika wanted to complain more, stubborn as he was, but the last thing he wanted was to get into an argument with his sister. "…Very well."
"Good then," Chifuyu said. "I, too don't want to lose any of my students."
As Chifuyu turns around and continues to watch the screen, she narrows her eyes on Raiden fighting the Golem.
'Raiden… even though you are strong, at some point you may revert back to who you once were. Can you still retain who you are now and not fall back to who you were before?'
Unbeknownst to everyone in the room asides Cecilia, Houki Shinonono was not there with them.
Back at the fight, Raiden was executing attacks with his Sakabatō. With Rin providing distraction and backup, it gave Raiden the chance to push back against the IS. But so far no luck as the IS was too aware. While damaged thanks to Raiden's Sakabatō, it was not enough. The thruster output on that IS was abnormally powerful.
The two kept dodging all the shots before they stopped, and Raiden came to the ground.
He then said, "Rin, there's something odd about this thing."
"Huh?" asked Rin as she rallied to Raiden's position. "What do you mean?"
Raiden pointed towards the smoke from where the shots were coming from. As the smoke cleared, it showed what appears to be an IS, but for some reason, there was no human pilot.
"An IS?!" asked a shocked Rin.
"Without a human pilot. Is that even possible?" asked Raiden.
"No. IS are robots and they need a human pilot in order to be directed."
"But it's weird how it doesn't attack us when we are talking. You think its fully sentient, aware or even listening to us?"
Rin could only look on and say "Huh. Now that you mention it, it does look as if it is. But like I said, IS need human pilots to be piloted."
Raiden was thinking briefly to himself before he said, "Say there is no human pilot, hypothetically speaking. If there is none, we don't need to hold back."
"What do you mean?" asked Rin.
"If I can get in close enough with my Sakabato, I should be able to breach into its core and take it out."
"What? That's suicide! You'll get yourself killed!"
"Wouldn't be the first time I heard those words," Raiden then checked his shield energy and saw he was down by 100. So he asks his partner, "Rin, how much shield energy do you have left?"
"About 180. With that thing's firepower, it can completely deplete our shield energy, leaving our IS immobile. We've got less than a 10% chance of taking that thing down."
"Better than nothing I suppose," Raiden said.
"You have a plan in mind?" asked Rin.
"When I give the signal, you hit that thing with your last Impact Cannon at full blast. Unload however much you can on it."
"And if I miss?"
"Leave that part to me."
"Oh…Alright! But don't blame me for getting yourself injured out there!" said Rin.
Rin fires upon the Golem IS to get its attention with her one Shock Cannon. She keeps dodging the shots being fired from it and was able to deflect some with her Souten Getsu blade.
Raiden then charged into the IS where he attempted to swing his Sakabato at the IS while reversing the blade but only made a small mark. He had to back off before getting punched at from the Golem.
"Hey it worked!" said Rin.
"It's not enough though. I need to really get in there. But it's too self-aware," said Raiden.
"Got a better idea?" asked Rin.
"No. Stick to the plan. Just get me that opening."
"Raiden!"
Raiden heard a voice to his left and saw Houki out in the open by the edge of the hangar.
"If you truly are a man, you can defeat that thing!"
The Golem IS takes notice of Houki and decides to fire a blast at her. The beam fires straight towards the barracks and was coming for her.
"Houki-dono!" cried Raiden.
Houki saw the blast come after her and could not move in shock. She thought that she could escape it, but it was coming too fast. She closes her eyes and takes cover with her hands until she heard the sound of the blast hitting something.
*BOOM*
Houki, after a few moments, slowly opens her eyes and sees a lion head looming over her. Stuttering in shock and in disbelief, it hunched itself over her, almost as if protecting her.
"R-Raiden?"
"Guuh…" The blind boy grunted, with his arms wrapped around Houki.
To her shock, Houki saw that Raiden had used himself as a shield to protect her. But his back took a rather nasty hit from the blast, enough to blast away the back armor pieces and leave some marks on his back.
And to make matters worse, his IS shield energy had depleted down to zero, making his IS inoperable. Thus he was forced to deactivate it and fall unconscious into Houki's arms as he caught him.
"Raiden? Raiden!" She cried.
Rin, upon seeing that act of selflessness, turned her attention to the IS. "That's it. Eat this!"
But that is when she sees a familiar white IS appear right in front of her. And she recognized its pilot.
"Rin, do it now!" Ichika cried in Byakushiki.
But he was in the way.
"Hey, you stupid jerk! What do you think you're doing? Out of the way!" She cried.
But Ichika was in no mood for a lecture. "Just shoot, dammit!"
Rin gave in, "Argh, fine! Just don't blame me afterwards!"
With that, Rin fires at Ichika's back. If Ichika relied solely on Ignition Boost, the Golem IS would take notice of him and dodge. He would have to go even faster. With both the Ignition Boost and Rin's impact cannon, he can propel himself forward faster than even a jet.
When Ichika came out, he saw what Raiden did to protect Houki. That selfless sacrifice which costed him his life made Ichika boil in rage as he wanted to make that IS pay. If Raiden was going to protect everyone, then Ichika would want to do the same. He wants to protect them. Chifuyu, Houki, Rin, Raiden, Cecilia. Everyone.
He will definitely protect them all.
With him being propelled forward and with Reiraku Byakuya activated, Ichika comes down onto the IS Golem with Yukihira Nigata in hand and slices down on the arm of the IS, severing it.
But that was not enough.
*POW*
With the other arm still available, the Golem bashes Ichika away and makes him hit the side of the crater.
"Ichika!" cried Rin.
The Golem soon approaches Ichika and readies to fire onto him.
But Ichika smirks, as he spots a familiar blue IS with a sniper rifle out. He then asks, "How's the target?"
Only one word was needed. "Perfect."
BITS from Blue Tears soon emerge and rain heavy fire onto the Golem IS, staggering it. Cecilia gets into position in the air as she makes her target.
"Finish it, Cecilia!" cried Ihcika.
"Copy."
*BAM*
And with one full powered shot of her Starlight Mk. II rifle straight to the chest of the enemy IS, it falls back to the ground, defeated and depowered.
But the victory was short-lived.
"Raiden? Raiden, speak to me!" cried Houki as she held an unconscious Raiden in her arms. "Raiden, wake up!"
The other IS pilots rally over to Houki to check up on Raiden. But he was not waking up.
The rays of the sunset shone upon the infirmary later that day. On one of the beds, a weary Raiden begins to stir. Despite being blind with a blindfold, his eyes were definitely closed, and his senses relaxed so that he could properly sleep. After all, blind people need to find a way to rest.
He groans a bit as he sits up, wondering what had happened.
"You awake yet?" asked Chifuyu standing over by the window.
Raiden turns over and hears Chifuyu's voice. "Chifuyu-dono?"
"You weren't seriously wounded," Chifuyu informed. "But your body is covered in severe bruises and a few bits of stitching. I imagine your body feels like it's on fire, but I'm afraid you'll have to get used to it."
Raiden, despite feeling dazed, only replied, "Could've been a lot worse, that it could."
"That IS put all its power into the blast that hit you, but it is a wonder you survived considering how your IS doesn't have the Absolute Defense system." Chifuyu next bore a smile of relief, which was a surprise. "Anyway, it's good to see that you're safe. It would be hard to go on if I lost you."
"No offense, Chifuyu-dono, but I think your brother takes precedence over me considering that he is your only family and that you worry for him."
Chifuyu chuckles, "Heh. I'm not too worried about him. He knows how to take care of himself. But with you, let's just say that you were always unpredictable. Both before and now."
Raiden could only smile and say, "Sorry to worry you, that I am."
Chifuyu then took her leave, smiling in the process.
"Well, I have other matters to attend to, so I'm going back to work. You can go back to your room as soon as you feel up to it."
Raiden then asks, "You haven't given up on me?"
Chifuyu only looked back with a smile and with one word. "Never."
With that Chifuyu takes her leave, closing the doors behind her as Raiden rests on the infirmary bed. Getting sleepy once again, he allows his senses to relax as sleep takes over.
AN HOUR LATER…
A familiar twin-tailed Chinese girl with two yellow ribbons in her hair stood over where Raiden was, hearing him sleep.
'What's with you, blockhead? You took that rather nasty blow back there and you sleep comfortably like today is now nothing? You really don't think much, do you? Raiden Hataru… who exactly are you?'
Unconsciously, Rin leans into Raiden's face with her eyes closed. Bashful and red in the face, her lips drew closer and closer.
"Oro?" Raiden wakes up and smells Rin's perfume. "Rin-dono?"
"AH!" Rin freaks out. "R-R-R-Raiden!?"
"ORO?!" Raiden too freaks out, having smelled Rin so close. But that is when he feels a sharp pain in his back, causing him to arch a bit and this made Rin realize that he has not fully recovered.
"Ah! Don't move just yet," She said. "Your injuries are not healed."
Raiden is slowly lowered back onto the bed by Rin before she puts the sheets back over him.
"Rin?" asked Raiden. "You came to check on me?"
"W-What makes you say that?" asked a very embarrassed Rin. "What a ridiculous thing to say! Mou!"
"How bad were my injuries?" asked Raiden.
Rin, after calming down once she sits at the side of the bed, replies, "They weren't too bad. You got some nasty scars but nothing too damaging to your body. And your IS is undergoing major repairs."
"And the unknown IS?" asked Raiden.
"Ichika took care of it," Rin answered. "It's being salvaged and analyzed at the moment."
"I see…" Raiden then looks out at the beautiful sunset, wondering how many hours it had been when he lost consciousness.
"Hey…" said Rin as Raiden turned his head, with the Chinese girl giving a somber look. "I…I'm sorry for what I said to you. It's just… Ichika, he—"
"I don't blame you for being insulted by him, Rin-dono," Raiden said. "I just didn't want to see him injured and you earning Chifuyu's anger."
"Still, I was wrong. And… I'm sorry. I don't hold a grudge anymore. I was just upset that time."
"Has Ichika said sorry to you?" asked Raiden.
"Yeah. We talked a bit afterwards while you were still recovering. He apologized but then he started to ask about the meaning of that promise."
"Oro? How so if I may ask?"
"It's just that when you cook for someone else, your cooking improves. Y-Yeah, that is all to it!"
"I see," Raiden acknowledged.
The two were quiet as they simply enjoy the silence, especially with the sunset over the horizon by the water's edge. It was a beautiful sight to behold.
"Ichika told me that your family had run a restaurant business, that I heard," Raiden said. "Is it still around?"
Rin however looked somber. "Well… you see, we're no longer in business."
"Hm? What happened?"
"Thing is, my parents got a divorce. That's why I returned to China."
Raiden felt pity for her. "I'm sorry, Rin. But who do you live with now?"
"Basically, my mom got custody of me. Well, women are so dominant in today's society, you know. I haven't seen my dad in about a year now. I guess he's still okay. Families are such a complicated matter."
Raiden smiles as he says no more. While he wanted to go further, he felt he went in far enough. After all, it would be an insult to pry further into one's privacy. He does not know Rin very well, other than what Ichika told him, but he dare not go into personal details other than the fact that her parents divorced, and she is Ichika's 2nd childhood friend.
Still, it could have been worse.
"Hey, Raiden…" Rin called out. "What are you exactly? You are indeed another male IS pilot but why are you even here?"
Raiden, not willing to tell his story yet, merely said back "I'm a rurouni."
"Rurouni?" asked Rin.
"A wanderer," Raiden clarified. "It's a metaphor. I got a lot of things cooped up in me that I am not ready to speak about them, that I am not."
Rin was a bit ticked and she wanted to know more. But it was perhaps unwise to speak to a patient who has been cooped up for the rest of the day in the infirmary. So she buries it for now until anything related to Raiden pops up again.
"You know…" Rin spoke up. "I have to admit. You're a good person, Raiden. You seem to be someone who understands things more so than others."
"Well, when one loses their eyesight and trains their other senses, they see the world in a different view than most. And it changes their perception on everything."
"So, you really are blind?" asked Rin.
"That I am," Raiden confirmed. "And you don't want to know how. It's not a pretty picture, that it isn't."
The door to the infirmary opened and Cecilia and Ichika came in and saw Raiden and Rin.
"Raiden! Are you okay?" asked Ichika.
"Don't worry," said Raiden with a reassuring smile. "I'm alright, that I am."
Cecilia then spotted Rin by surprise. "Oh? Rin-san. What are you doing here?"
"I was just checking in on Raiden here," Rin said nonchalantly. "Felt it was appropriate from one opponent to another after the fine display he showed. Plus, I got interested in seeing his Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū after that fight and figured I could be his special coach for close combat. Him and Ichika."
"Oro?" asked a surprised Raiden.
"What?" asked Ichika.
"I see. It's just so happens that all of us are power types. But, rest assured that I, Cecilia Alcott, will best serve the role of special coach despite the fact that I'm a mid-ranged type. Now then, Ichika-san, shall we analyze the battle today? Just you and me while Raiden works with Rin?"
"Huh? Uh, sure?" asked a confused Ichika.
Rin however didn't like the sound of that. "Just what are you saying, you bimbo? The one who should have been teamed up with me was Ichika. So both he and Raiden should do it with me!"
"What?!" cried Cecilia. "And this is why I don't want to deal with people with no matters!"
"Better than pretentious people, I'd say."
"Care to repeat that again?"
"What was that?"
Ichika was trying to calm the girls down but to no avail. Raiden however could only smile calmly. Seems like Rin and Cecilia will become best friends from now on. Despite the clash of personalities, they may have more in common with one another than they think.
After being discharged from the infirmary, and after seeing the other three leave with two of the girls still bickering and fighting, Raiden makes his way back to his dorm room of 1030. He could not wait to get back inside his dorm room and simply sleep. After all, today has been a very arduous day.
From having a duel with the representative candidate of China to battling a mysterious IS intruder to ending up in the infirmary due to his wounds, Raiden deserved some rest. Not to mention he is a bit famish and hasn't eaten anything today.
Once he opens the door, he was ready to be met with silence of him being the only occupant in the room.
"You're late, Raiden!"
Raiden however was surprised by what he heard. "Oro? Houki-dono?"
"What have you been doing all this time? Seriously, I'm about to starve waiting for you!"
"Waiting for me? Last I heard, I had no roommate, that I did not. So what brings you here?"
"Yamada-sensei asked me to transfer rooms immediately. She didn't say why, just that I had to be your roommate from now on."
"I see. Well, if you haven't eaten yet, shall we head to the cafeteria, that we should?"
"H-hold on!" She said. But then she turns red in the face as she looks away a bit. "Umm… How should I say this… I…"
Raiden's sense of smell however picks up something in the air. "Oro? Do I smell food, that it is?"
Houki was surprised as he follows the direction of the sense of his nose. And based on what he could distinguish, he guess correctly what it is.
"Is that fried rice?" asked Raiden. "I haven't had this in a while, that I have not."
"W-Well… you see… I… I cooked it. A-As thanks… for saving me."
Raiden was moderately surprised. First he heard he got a roommate in the form of Ichika's first childhood friend and former roommate. Now she cooked for him as a token of gratitude for saving her from the IS Golem.
"Well, hurry up and eat," She said. "The food's going to get cold."
"Guess I'll dig in, that I will," Raiden said as he sat down and broke out the chopsticks.
"Yes, eat as much as you want," She said as she watches from behind.
Raiden soon takes a bite of the fried rice. But the taste of it felt pretty off. Houki doesn't know any Chinese cuisine, frankly speaking. Still, it at least tasted like fried rice and not like something else. After all, growing up with Akane as his guardian… well, let's just say she couldn't cook at all, not even make a simple fried egg or fried rice.
"Oro?" Raiden spoke. "It tastes… bland, that it does."
"What!?" She asked.
Houki then tastes a sample with her spoon and regains composure. "…You're right."
"Oro? Did you forget to add flavor, that you did?"
"T-That was just an accident. T-That's right! Usually I would never forget to add flavor!"
"Is that so?" asked Raiden. "It's no wonder it tasted bland, that it did."
"You're too noisy!" Houki said as she swipes the bowl away. "If you don't want it, I'll just eat it all! You don't have to force yourself to eat it."
"No, no. It's okay, that it is," Raiden reassured. "And I am not forcing myself. Besides, I've eaten worse fried rice."
"D-Don't get the wrong idea! I never make a mistake like that normally! That was just an accident," She said. "Plus it was for saving my life. But… I won't mind… if you ask me to cook for you again."
"That's alright, that it is," responded Raiden. "I heard from Ichika that you make good food. I'm curious to try it, that I am."
"Oh…" She blushed. "Th-thank you. I'm glad you enjoy it."
"Ororo? Houki-dono?" asked a confused Raiden. "Something wrong?"
"Well… about your battle today…" She said. "It… It wasn't counted due to the incident so that is a given. But… what were you thinking?! I said I wanted you to win, but why could you not have left that rogue IS to the teachers?"
"Our security systems were hacked," Raiden answered. "The teachers and their IS were stuck inside. Rin-dono and I had little choice."
Houki could not argue with that. But truth be told that was not what she wanted to ask. "I… ugh, you're right. But why did you shield me? You took a bad blow to the back and your IS is now in major repair!"
"Houki-dono…"
"I just… I can't help but worry about you. The fact that I was powerless during this whole ordeal and you charging into battle by yourself and getting injured didn't help. I can't even be of help to you… that all I can do is watch… As someone who doesn't have her own personal IS, if only I could be like those who can fight by your side."
As she says this, she is haunted by the image of Cecilia, Rin, and Ichika in their IS. Then the next image came of her being protected by Raiden from the Golem. The feeling within her chest was like a gnarling thorny root that was slowly encompassing around her heart, gripping tighter and tighter each time.
"Houki-dono…" Raiden called out. "You shouldn't have to worry about not being in fights you could not partake in, that you should not. I don't enter into battle on a whim unless it is absolutely necessary to protect the people around me. Including you, that is."
"But I should have—"
Raiden shakes his head while smiling, cutting her off. "You being there and cheering me on was enough for me to keep moving, that it was. Even if you weren't there at that moment, I could succeed knowing that you kept faith in me, that you did."
Now Houki understood with wide eyes. Raiden really was a samurai at heart, just like her. Feeling some amount of relief on her heart, she could not help but turn around bashfully and smile a bit. She was thinking to herself of Raiden's words, of how much it held wisdom.
'That's right. Even if I don't have my own IS, Raiden will always be there to protect me. Now… now I understand who he is at heart. He really is just like me: a samurai. One who is grateful to me for being alive. It's like he too wants me to be by his side. That way, he won't have to leave and wander again. Yes, I should be happy with things as they are.'
"Thanks for the meal," Raiden said. "A good meal, that it was."
"I-I'm glad you like it," Houki blushed as she takes the bowl to put into the sink.
Just as Houki cleans up though, she could not help but feel that her heart was wanting something more. Whether it was a woman's curiosity or the fact that a part of her didn't want the blind swordsman to wander again, she turns to face him, catching his attention but also playing her fingers together.
"Houki-dono?" asked Raiden.
Houki fidgets more as she tries to find the right words and calm down her mind. "Umm… In regards to the individual tournament next month…"
"Hmm?" asked Raiden.
Without anyway to calm the butterflies in her stomach, she musters up one brash yet embarrassing statement. "I-If I win the tournament… y-you have to go out with me!"
And as usual, only one word came out of Raiden's mouth of that declaration, to his great surprise.
"Oro?"
At an underground research facility underneath the IS Academy, both Maya and Chifuyu were examining the remains of the IS that attacked them. Maya was working hard on the computer as Chifuyu watches the IS being slowly taken apart by robotic arms and analyzed.
But what they came across so far was most disturbing.
"So this thing was unmanned?" Chifuyu asked Maya as she typed on the computer.
"Yes," confirmed Yamada-sensei. "And no one was able to determine who was sending the commands. Not to mention that the core of this IS was unregistered. Although it seems to be either remote-controlled or has an autonomous movement, that kind of system shouldn't have been implemented yet by now. Orimura-kun's last attack burned out the core, and it's unlikely that we can repair it."
"I see," Chifuyu said, grunting quietly since the Golem remains were now useless. And without the core, there would be no trace as to who it was that sent it in the first place. But Chifuyu believed, to herself, that there may be some theories.
Yamada-sensei then asked in concern, "Any inklings?"
Chifuyu shook her head. "No, nothing. Not yet."
She could only think to herself of possibilities.
'Someone can replicate a core. This is not good. If it is her that did it…'
Oh boy. The duel between lion and tiger ends in a draw with the arrival of an unknown IS that both take out, along with Ichika and Cecilia helping out. Truth be told this battle scene could have ben imagined better but like I said I am salvaging much from my first IS story into this one, albeit making a lot of modifications along the way and doing a lot of spell check. The story may have some rough edges, I do not deny that, but I feel like this story is going to be much, much better than the first.
Some people may now wonder what is Rin's status regarding Ichika and Raiden, one being a childhood friend who had forgotten her promise and earned her anger, and another whom she dueled and has now earned her respect. Well, let's just say that while she still maintains her friendship with Ichika, she is more comfortable around Raiden as he is someone who understands her more. Plus, it is possible I may have her hooked on with someone else.
Next, Houki is now Raiden's roommate, having been ordered to move out of Ichika's. I made this move early not just to introduce Charlotte into the mix later on but also to start and cement Raiden and Houki's relationship throughout the story. After all they are the mirror images of Himura Kenshin and Kaoru Kamiya respectively and that one of the focal points of Rurouni Kenshin was the love story between the two. Now she makes food for him not only as compensation for saving her life but also asks him out on a date.
That alone deserves an Oro? from Raiden.
Now for the next chapter, we're going to switch over to something more related to Rurouni Kenshin, introducing an OC whose permission I obtained from a Fanfic author and we get to see more of Raiden's fight using Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū. Simply put, it will derive off of episodes 4 and 5 of Rurouni Kenshin. And to sum up the OC, he is this story's version of Sagara Sanosuke but with a lot of twists so as to not make a blatant copy.
Like, favorite, follow, and review at your leisure. If you have any questions, please feel free to PM me.