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.

Okunoin Cemetery. Mount Koya. It is the largest cemetery in all of Japan, housing thousands of dead that date back even centuries. Many of the graves contain both ancient and modern tombstones to house the dead. Such a cemetery lying upon a sacred mountain of Shingon Buddhism to the point of housing a mausoleum with the remains of its enlightened leader, Kukai. A massive forest complex surrounds this place, adding more to the stunning beauty and silence of such a sacred resting place of the dead.

And there, laying within the forest among so many graves that date back centuries, was Raiden. He had no idea how he found himself there, just laying amongst the dead. But it wasn't that he was buried among them. Rather, he was just found there.

'You have slain so many…'

'Not value your own life…'

He just laid there on the forest floor, surrounded by the many tombstones. But all he heard was the silence of the cemetery. The distorted voices and brief glimpses of visions he saw like they were quick time frames did little to distract his mind nor make him question where he was.

Outside in the real world, a unknown IS, shaped like a butterfly in a black silhouette with pink lighting, flies across the skies, leaving a trail of pixelated light wherever she flew. Whoever this unknown IS was, they were clearly hostile, their ominous aura very disturbing. But their expression could not be deciphered clearly.

Rin goes in for the strike at the IS. Whether she was blocked, countered, or she missed, is unknown.

"I'll attack from this side!" Cecilia cried as she fires her Starlight Mk. II rifle.

"Not yet! But we almost got it!" Charlotte informed as she fires her assault rifles.

A tear-jerking Houki, empowering the One-Off Ability of her IS called Kenran Butō, calls out to the one person she loves.

"Raiden! Raiden!"

But Raiden, despite being awake, could not hear Houki's voice. Trapped in the dream realm he found himself in, he could only behold the flames surrounding him, and a katana stuck to the ground behind him.

'The power of a hitokiri… protect those that you love or the weak…'

'A moment in… strands of time…'

Laura, taking an artillery position on the ground, fires her railgun.

"Fire!"

*BANG*

The unknown IS dodges all of Laura's shots, avoiding her artillery easily. Then it comes onto a stunned Ichika, in his 2nd Shift, as she pulls out a large, purple-colored energy two-handed sword called Fenrir Blow.

"I won't let you get away!" Ichika cried as he pulls out Yukihira Nigata.

*CLANG*

*BANG*

*CLASH*

Both swords strike blows at one another as Ichika lets loose his fury over the pilot. But his own power was not enough as the opponent IS pulls out a jousting pole-like hip-mounted cannon and fires at Ichika point blank range.

*BOOM*

Ichika screams as he is hit and sent far away, knocking him out of commission.

And still, there was no sign of Raiden. Still trapped in that dream realm. Still dreaming of himself in the cemetery, surrounded by the many graves.

But that is when he saw it. A straight road in Okunoin Cemetery that leads all the way to the temple and mausoleum of Kukai, an infamous Buddhist monk who achieved enlightenment. But it was not the temple that caught Raiden's eye, but the one who was in front of it and on that same road they were on.

Another samurai who looked exactly like him. But his clothes were dark in color, of black and grey, and blood was splattered across it, like he had slain many victims while arriving here. The monster who became infamous at Luxembourg ten years ago, slaying their king and queen.

Hitokiri Kingslayer.

'The will to live… is essential.'

Hitokiri Kingslayer soon draws out his sword and prepares himself against Raiden. Raiden in turn does the same, drawing out the Sakabatō as he prepares to go against his alter ego.

'Live on, Raiden… way you can use… as you please. And you… again lose… the hitokiri… side you…'

The broken up voice sounds again but the words are incoherent. Hitokiri Kingslayer soon takes off, as does Raiden, and their blades soon meet in the middle.

*CLANG*

And the Sakabatō then shatters into fragments to Raiden's shock.

OP song: Suara – Hikari (For reference, look up on YouTube Utawarerumono Futari no Hakuoro trailer)

Kimi e no omoi wasurenai you ni (The first scene begins with a pair of hands grasping a red and black ribbon divided by a white line adorned with a pair of gold and silver bells. The camera soon pans out to show the said person grasping that ribbon)

mune fukaku kizamikomu kara (The person holding the ribbon is revealed to be Houki, underwater and in her IS suit as she closes her eyes, keeping the ribbon, revealed to be Akatsubaki in its standby form, close to her heart before the bubbles cover the screen)

(Opening title is introduced as Infinite Stratos 2)

Arifureta hibi wo tobikoete yukeru (Chifuyu watches from the balcony of the IS Academy the sunrise before a gentle wind blows her hair.)

habataku yuuki wo motteru (The sun's ray hits her eyes before she adjusts her sight)

Mada minu sekai ni tobidashite yukeba (Tabane Shinonono travels via a carrot-shaped airplane, colored in orange with a green tip, as it travels across the skies and she heads towards the moon)

nanika ga kitto matteiru (The camera pans over to the moon before it shifts down to Houki in her IS Akatsubaki, facing forward as her hair is blown by the wind)

Tamerau hodo no kizu wo oottemo (A blue meteor-like object falls to the arena of the IS Academy, creating an explosion of water, before revealing Tatenashi Sarashiki in her IS, Mysterious Lady, as she twirls her spear as the lake water falls like rain)

akiramenaide subete ukeireyou (Kanzashi Sarashiki appears in a holographic world in her IS, Uchigane Nishiki, while holographic data surrounds her)

Kimi e no omoi wasurenai you ni (Camera zooms down to a battlefield just beginning between IS Golems and the gang. Laura is the first to attack as she descends and slices a Golem with her wrist blades before using her cables followed by her rail gun. Rin parries a Golem with her Souten Gagetsu before taking off its head in a spin)

mune no naka fukaku kizamitsukeru(Ichika appears to take out one Golem before he dodges an incoming attack and dismantles another. The next scene cuts to Charlotte and Cecilia prepping their sniper rifles to fire.)

mezasu mirai wo yasashiku terashite (Raiden and Madoka, without their IS, engage in a close quarters weapon combat, Raiden using the Sakabatō and Madoka using the Mugenjin. After a couple of hits, Raiden is thrown high into the air from another hit from Madoka before he backflips and deploys his IS and fires his ion blasters at Madoka. Madoka, in turn, dodges while activating her IS, Black Knight, and flies up to Raiden to engage him again with her fusion cannon on her right arm deployed)

hikari hanatsu hoshi no you ni (Madoka and Raiden clash, creating a violent explosion before the next scene switches over to Luxembourg ten years ago, where Hitokiri Kingslayer stands by the steps to the destroyed Royal Palace, his back to the camera as Luxembourg is enshrouded in flames by Phantom Task, with a massive warship looming overhead as its IS pilots are deployed like a squad of fighters)

(Miriam Walker is shown in front of the CIA headquarters building in Washington DC as the camera moves upwards. Akane Fujimoto is shown on Omega, overlooking one of the poor districts from her apartment, with a cigarette in her mouth. Squall Meusel is shown in her bath robe sitting on the edge of her bed smirking at the camera, with Autumn sleeping naked in the background. Edea Crownsworth, the Archon of Phantom Task, sits upon her throne overlooking the world within a spaceship. Chifuyu is then shown in the deep recesses of the Academy, looking at the White Knight IS kept in storage and locked down, her hand on the glass)

(Raiden is shown next as he turns around with his Sakabatō before sheathing it before he is replaced with the title of Infinite Stratos 2.)

The morning rays of the summer enter into the room as Raiden stirs from his sleep. But his head felt a little heavy from that dream he had. It was wild. One moment everyone was fighting some unknown IS, the next he sees Houki in tears calling out his name.

Then he saw himself, back in Luxembourg. The flames surrounding the city that day. The blood of all innocent men, women, and children piling on the streets. And in front of the royal palace that was a mess, the bodies of the Luxembourg Royal Family laid at his feet.

What Raiden felt in those moments were unknown, but they were neither of joy nor regret. More like acceptance of what has happened. But not everyone will have seen it that way, both past and present. After all, as a former hitokiri, the weight of all those slain by his blade still weighs heavily upon him. He did not give in to the lives lost nor did he hear any voices of the dead haunting him. He was taught after all to ignore such things when killing, as hitokiri are to bear no emotion when they kill. But neither are they to display pride at the accomplishment of their kill.

And yet, Raiden was told of the one thing at the end of his dream that he was to do.

To live.

The will to live is stronger than anything else. The will to live is essential.

He had wondered what that had meant.

Raiden then feels something on his chest, something big and heavy. From what he can tell, a couple of arms were snaked around his chest, along with a couple of legs around his. There was someone in bed with him, a girl to be exact as he could tell by the breasts pressing up against his chest. Pulling the blankets off for a bit, he gets a feel and smell of the hair and recognizes the lavishing scent.

He then realizes that it was Houki sleeping with him. Naked, without her pajamas on which was a big surprise for the blind boy. If he were Ichika, he'd freak out. But what was more surprising was of Houki. Never in a million years would she resort to something so perverted as getting naked and sleeping with Raiden. In fact, she pretty much did what Laura did last semester; sneaking in bed and sleeping naked.

But despite the temptation, it was morning. And they needed to spend their last days of summer fruitfully.

"Houki-dono," Raiden shakes a bit. "Houki-dono. It's morning, that it is."

When she felt shaking in her body, Houki's groans were heard, making her wake up and see Raiden before her.

"Raiden?" She asked before her eyes adjusted. After a yawn, she feels something odd about the bed. "Why does the bed feel… like there's some muscle mass?"

"That's because you're laying on top of me, that you are," Raiden said.

Houki's eyes widen upon hearing that. But that was when she feels her own chest touching Raiden's, bare and without any clothes. Not even her bra.

Then she remembered what had occurred, of how it led to her current predicament.

"Am I… naked in bed with you?" She asked. "And… we had sex last night again, didn't we?"

But that surprised Raiden. "Oro? I thought you'd be freaked out by now considering, you know…"

But instead of lashing out of embarrassment, Houki instead smiles and cuddles to Raiden. "Well, women are happy just doing this, so don't worry."

Raiden however wasn't so sure. "It still bugs me even if you say that…"

"Come on, it's true!" Houki said. "W-When you move it's… amazing… It's a different kind of feeling, it's… When we do it for a long time it can hurt, and coming is really fast…"

Houki then stops herself, realizing what she was saying. Her face turns red and bashful, and her jaw drops ajar. Now her pride was really sullied by saying such inappropriate things, shameful to her lineage as a shrine maiden. Then again, she was no longer pure in the eyes of the kami, having had sex with Raiden during the closing night summer festival.

Embarrassed by her outburst, she hides her red face away, but this makes Raiden wanting to tease her for a bit.

"Please tell me more about how it feels…" Raiden teases.

But a blushing Houki cries out, "Aaah! Stop it, you're embarrassing me!"

"That makes me want to ask even more."

But Houki was not having it. "Raiden, you baka!"

*POW*

With one head chop to the head, the blind lion gets knocked out.

"Oro?!"

And the samurai vixen swiftly gets out of bed and heads straight into the shower, wanting not only some alone time but also to wash herself. Even though she usually showers after her morning workout, she still felt dirty from sleeping in bed with her lion.

Hours later, with Houki going to the dojo for club practice and perhaps get her mind off of last night and this morning, Raiden was left alone. Everyone else was busy as well. Charlotte and Laura went shopping, Rin was with Liu, and Cecilia was flying back from England. Only Ichika was available, but Raiden had no clue as to where he was.

Luckily though, Raiden had some time to make use of his summer break, especially as a student of the IS Academy.

By Chifuyu's recommendation, Raiden was to have his IS, Lion Heart, be retrofitted with an Equalizer package. Like Byakushiki, Raiden's IS only had one weapon, the Sakabatō. Without a range weapon, Raiden could not hope to be a match for powerful range IS pilots like Cecilia or Charlotte. While his speed can compensate for that, it has its limits.

Installing Equalizers are not easy as every IS core is unique and each of them have their own individuality to the point of rejection. The good news was that Lion Heart had accepted the package as it was a 2.5 Generation IS.

The bad news is that the IS had become picky in terms of what weapons to be installed. Luckily, because Raiden knew his IS well, he asked for weapons that are only intended to hurt but not maim. Weapons that could focus on shield energy solely. Because his IS had accepted his vow to never kill again and the philosophy of Katsujinken, it had rejected any kind of additional weaponry that could spell lethal injury.

With his IS detained and undergoing retrofitting, Raiden needed to figure out what to do of how to spend the last remaining days of the summer break. He could go see Akane but she was busy on her bounty hunting job on Omega. Miriam was still back in America with the CIA. And Liu was with Rin.

Deciding to relax under the sun on the roof of the school, where he laid by the grassy area, Raiden takes out his kiseru, his Japanese pipe. Smoking at the Academy was indeed illegal but with only a few staff members at present, Raiden felt it was fine. Plus, Raiden was no abuser of smoking. He just needed something to take the edge off of him, and he despises cigarettes. Cigars are okay depending on the person, but Raiden prefers pipes.

After lightning a match and igniting the tobacco, Raiden takes a sip.

*PUFF PUFF*

And he lets off a puff of smoke from his mouth after exhaling. Holding his kiseru like a proper samurai, he basks in the smell and the sun's rays warming him up.

But his peace and quiet would be interrupted by another voice form behind. Luckily, it was not one of the teachers or staff members at the school.

"Yo, Raiden!" called a voice to the blind boy.

Raiden turns around to the sound of the voice. "Ichika? What are you doing here?"

"I came looking for you, actually," Ichika revealed. "And I couldn't find you in your room. Plus, you weren't at the dojo either. So I figured you'd be at the roof."

"Is that so?"

"And… you smoke?" Ichika asked. "You know that is illegal at the Academy."

"Just don't tell your sister," Raiden said. "I need to relax somehow, that I do."

"Still, you do look like a samurai the way you're holding that kiseru."

"I thank you for the compliment, that I do," Raiden thanked. "But why were you looking for me exactly?"

"This." Ichika holds up a piece of paper. "There's an opening of a new water park coming up, followed by a festival afterwards."

"I see," Raiden said as he takes a puff. "I'd be more than happy to come along. When is it exactly?"

"Tomorrow actually," Ichika said. "On our last day of summer break. So how about it? Wanna join in?"

"Sounds good to me, that is," said Raiden. "By the way, are you inviting the others?"

"Yeah," Ichika said nonchalantly. "Figured they want to come along as well. I was going to go to Houki to ask her if she wants to come."

Raiden takes one last puff before emptying his remaining tobacco in a bag and storing his keru away.

"Let me handle that, Ichika," Raiden said. "I'll go ask Houki, that I will."

"Okay," Ichika nods. "And please get rid of that smell. I don't think Houki will like the fact that a guy as her roommate was a smoker."

Raiden could only smile at Ichika's suggestion, not offended one bit by what he said. His words did ring true in that Raiden shouldn't smoke too much. And the blind boy did take them to heart.

AT THE DOJO…

*SHIING*

The sound of a sword being drawn echoes throughout the dojo ass the metal vibrates. Wielding that sword was Houki, doing her morning training.

'I am both aware and unaware of the way to win.'

She sheathes her sword away as she closes her eyes.

'I want to protect he who loves me.'

*SHIING*

With practice over, Houki heads for the showers, washing off the sweat on her body as she drowns herself in the waters. Today's practice oddly felt good as she was able to purge such impure thoughts from her mind. Even this morning's debacle of waking up naked with Raiden again.

As she looks down though, she notices something about her chest.

'I think my breasts grew again…'

But the moment she said it, her mind immediately flashes back to last night's session with Raiden. Instinctively, she holds her body in her arms, gritting her teeth and shaking bashfully as her face turns red. She then recounts the feelings of what Raiden did to her.

'Ambushing me in the middle of the night… hands over my hips and stomach, his lips on my neck as he kisses… we—we then... s-s-stripped off our clothes… Then he pushes me onto the bed and then he—then he—Kyaah! I can't think about it!'

A voice soon interrupts her from outside. "Houki-dono? Are you in there?"

"R-Raiden!" Houki was surprised. "What is it?"

"I've been looking for you, that I have," Raiden said. "Can I speak to you for a bit?"

Houki, red in the face and not from the hot water, stutters, "Uh, well… give me a moment!"

After turning the hot water off and putting a towel on, she slides open the door just ajar. Her form was still wet as she didn't have enough time to dry off.

"W-What's up?" She bashfully asks.

Raiden hands over the pamphlet for her to see. "Ichika informed me of a water park plus festival happening tomorrow. Want to go here with me?"

Houki takes the pamphlet as she reads it.

"If you have something else to do later today, I understand, that I do," Raiden said. "No pressure."

But Houki smiles. "Sounds good to me!"

"Oro?"

When opening day came at the new pool park, hundreds of people, including some students from the IS Academy, were already there. For a water park to open on the last day of summer was perhaps once in a lifetime opportunity and at this time for the year, it would be perfect for anyone to spend their last days.

Raiden leans against the entrance to the men's changing room as he applies sunscreen and finishes putting on his black tank top before putting on his sunglasses to replace his blindfold and stepping out into the sunlight, basking in the warmth of the summer rays as he does so. To Raiden's correct guess, Ichika had invited the girls to join him at the new water park that had opened up nearby... much to their disappointment when they found out he was just wanting to hang out as a group instead of wanting to date any of them... but subconsciously... they somehow knew that was what was going to happen.

The only ones not too bothered were Houki, and Rin. For Rin, she had surprisingly invited Liu King-sang out. The Triad had some free time on his hands and also wanted to try out the new water park and said he will meet her there. For Houki, she expected Ichika would invite everyone out, but she did not mind because she gets to be with Raiden.

Raiden could hear Ichika being dragged off by Cecilia to the lazy river, and could only chuckle as he assumed she was trying to get a head start on the others. Dressed in some dark blue board shots with a silver lion pouncing on his right thigh, Raiden checked himself out briefly to see the fine muscular and trimmed body he had... but it seemed to only add to his charm as a few girls passing by give him a whistle, gossiping to themselves how sexy he looked.

"Hey, Raiden!" A voice called out that ambushed him from behind.

*BOING*

And he felt his head in between a pair of breasts. Luckily though, he recognized whose they were.

(Author's note: Insert soundtrack - cigar & coffee from Grisaia no Meikyuu)

"Akane…" A surprised Raiden realized. "You're here on a break, too?"

"You guessed it," Akane said, wearing a purple bikini. "There's no bounties for me to undertake at Omega."

"How did you even know where I was?" asked Raiden.

"Come on, kid. You leave tracks everywhere you go. You're a lot easy for me to follow than you think."

"Ororo…" Raiden sighs, but then notices someone missing. "Hold on. Where's Miri?"

"Back in America," Akane revealed. "She's got loads of paperwork to do. Apparently she got the promotion she wanted as Deputy Director of Operations. President Kirkman pretty much appointed her after the incident with the Silver Gospel and how she worked alongside the Academy to solve it."

"No thanks to a little help from Omega," Raiden quipped. "If they ever learn they inadvertently helped a certain Pirate Queen…"

Akane laughs. "Ha! Trust me, in the CIA, plausible deniability is the backbone of their work. It was also another reason why I left. I couldn't stand lying when I am such a honest bitch at heart."

What Akane did say was true, according to Raiden. She never liked to lie, especially if it means covering her work. She didn't believe in any greater good crap propaganda, as the politicians did. She taught Raiden to be honest from the heart, even if the truth has to hurt a few people along the way. But that's what truth does. It is its nature.

"So, what brings you here?" asked Akane. "Taking a little R&R?"

"Ichika invited me out, that he did," Raiden said. "Along with the rest of our girl friends."

Akane could not help but roll her eyes. "With such beauties like that gunning for him, and the fact that he is so dense at other people's feelings, it's no wonder why he has such a hard time."

"Raiden? Where are you?" asked the voice of Houki.

When Houki arrives, she was wearing a red bikini suit with white stripes at the top. And carrying in her hand was an inflatable dolphin that Cecilia bought for her.

But when she arrives to find Raiden, she stops herself, seeing him with another woman.

*SNAP*

And a cross-pop vein appeared on her forehead.

"Raiden, who is that?" She asked rather threateningly.

Before Raiden could answer though, Akane lets go of Raiden and approaches the samurai girl. "My, my. Houki Shinonono. Ain't this a surprise?"

Houki was stunned next, her expression changed to surprise. "You know me?"

"Sure, I do. I grew up with your sister who talked a lot about you, the annoying rabbit she was. That, and I keep tabs on Raiden on whom he interacts with. Akane Fujimoto, by the way. Raiden's current guardian. Pleasure to meet you."

"Uh, y-you as well," Houki bowed quickly.

Akane then smirks as she wanted to ask Houki something. "So tell me, have you two had sex yet?"

*SNAP*

Houki felt her whole body contract immediately, stiffening up as her face goes red.

"Wha- tha—Huh… Geh…" She stutters over her words. "N-No! I-I mean, well we—"

Akane however laughs, realizing the truth. "Ahhaha! Relax, will ya? If you two did have sex, then that's okay. As long as it is consented between the two of you. If your sister were here though, she'd throw a massive tantrum over it."

Houki didn't know what to say after that. Still embarrassed of the question, she was left stiff as she clearly recalls last night's session, and their first night after the summer festival ended.

"Oh? Looks like they got a couple's slide," Akane saw. "Well, kids, shall we go on it?"

Raiden was down for it. "Sure thing. Wanna come, Houki-dono?"

Houki sighs. "You're really a lost cause. I'll slide with you if you ask me like that."

But Akane holds a finger wag in front of Houki's face. "No, no no. That's unfair, Houki. As his guardian, I get first dibs. Unless of course you want to challenge me to that on a wager of Rock Papers Scissors?"

"Fine with me."

Both the bounty hunter and the little sister to Tabane Shinonono square off, with the former smirking and the latter glaring, arming themselves with their choice of weapon in a classic rock-paper-scissors game.

"ROCK-PAPER-SCISSORS!"

Houki held up rock.

And Akane held up paper.

The winner was clear.

Akane laughs in victory like she just overpowered her drinking opponent while Houki pouts, cursing herself for underestimating the blue-haired woman.

"Now, I'll explain how the couples slide works," The safety instructor said as she kneels down. "First, the guy sits here."

"Understood," Raiden acknowledged as he sits first on the slide.

"Now, if the woman could sit between his legs."

Akane liked where this was going. "Right-o."

"And the boy must embrace the girl from behind. Embrace!"

Houki was stunned. "Huh? Huh!?"

"Is that so?" asked Raiden as his hands snake around Akane's waist. Houki grew clearly jealous, pouting cutely of seeing Raiden so close to his guardian. And worst of all, Akane didn't seem so bashful about it.

"Well then, enjoy the ride!" The safety instructor then pushes Raiden's back and makes the two go down.

"OOOORRROOOOOOO!" Raiden's yells were heard as they enter into the tunnel.

But Akane was laughing. "YEEEEHAAAAWWW!"

Throughout the twists and turns of the slide do both Akane and Raiden slide down, with the blind boy holding on tightly to Akane. But with so much water splashing and going down such fast speeds, it was hard to keep up.

And somehow after one particular turn, Raiden's hands got caught up and embraced Akane's breasts.

*BOING*

"Ah, hey!" Akane said. "Raiden, get your hands off me!"

"Not intentional, that it wasn't," Raiden said.

*SPLOOSH*

The two soon make it to the end of the slide, splashing down upon entry.

Raiden soon pops up and shakes his hair like a dog, expelling water out.

"Oro? Akane?" asked Raiden, wondering where she was.

*BANG*

"Oro?!"

A fist from behind made Raiden sink into the water.

"Good grief, kid," A rather annoyed Akane said with a shaking fist. "Since when did I ever tell you to use a woman's breasts as a handle to hold on?"

"Sorry, Akane," Raiden apologizes.

"What's the holdup, Raiden?" Houki called from above. "What are you doing?"

"Coming!" Raiden said.

"I'll wait here at the bottom. Go see your girlfriend," Akane said.

Once Raiden makes it back to the top, he rallies up to Houki, ready to slide down with her.

"Alright, I'll explain the couple's slide again," The safety instructor said. "First, the boy will sit down, then the girl sits between his legs, and the guy embraces her tight!"

Just as Raiden sits in, he suddenly had an idea as he turns around to the samurai girl and asks, "Hey, Houki. Would you mind sitting behind me?"

"Huh?" asked the girl with a confusion mark over her head. "Isn't it the other way around?"

Raiden then quickly explained, "The water from the slide is quite strong, that it is, and a lot of it will be sprayed out towards us as we descend. I hate for it to get it in your eyes."

That last comment made Houki blush as her cheeks turned red. Even though she wanted to ride in front of Raiden, she realized that he was merely looking out for her safety and didn't want her to get hurt in any sort of way. In fact, over the course of the first semester with him, he had saved her a few times and each time, it made them more memorable to her memory. Even though a few of saving grace events nearly killed him, any man would come to do that sort of thing for the woman he loves.

Seeing Raiden's logic, she agrees, "I see. That's okay."

As Houki joins in with Raiden, she positions herself behind him and gets adjusted, seeing his muscular back. She wraps her hands and locks them around Raiden's chest underneath his arms, holding tight.

"There we go," She said as she presses herself into Raiden's back, her breasts touching his. But Raiden didn't mind it and neither did she.

When Houki's breasts made contacts with Raiden's back, he blushed faintly yet was undeterred in terms of shame and embarrassment. Houki, however, was not having it any better as the feeling of coursed through her like wildfire. Sure she has had worse than this but it still makes her bashful.

"Does this work?" The blushing samurai asks.

"Yes, that it does," Raiden nods.

"Then, enjoy the ride!" The safety instructor pushes them and they descend down the couple's slide.

Houki felt scared yet as the two descended rapidly yet saw that Raiden was taking the full impact of the water being sprayed in front of him. It looked like Raiden was facing the brunt of a thunderstorm and protecting Houki. She felt secure in the back as she wrapped her arms around Raiden's chest to feel safe.

*SPLOOSH*

Once the two hit the bottom, they pope up from the water, where Houki turned away and looked at her own breasts, contemplating on the fact that Raiden felt them on his back.

"Well that was fun," Raiden said. "Houki-dono, did you enjoy it?"

"Y-Yeah…" A bashful Houki agreed.

"Oro? Are you okay? Did you get hurt somewhere?"

"No… um, I was just thinking about how your back's gotten bigger…"

"Well that was fun, right kiddos?" Akane barged in, her breasts trapping Raiden's head from behind.

"Oro?"

"Ah, wai- Akane! Raiden is—"

"Oh don't worry. Unless you want to have a chance to have him be between your breasts?"

"Wai—I would never!"

Akane laughs as Houki pouts. The samurai girl really couldn't figure out the blue-haired woman.

Meanwhile, underneath an umbrella and laying on a reclining chair, Chifuyu Orimura, with her sunglasses on and wearing a black bikini, twitches her eyebrow of seeing Akane with Raiden.

"Good grief, I didn't think I'd end up running into her here of all places," Chifuyu said. "That's the third time she has gotten too close to him."

Yamada-sensei asks, "Orimura-sensei, are you sure you don't want to be where Ichika-kun is? Or even go help Raiden? You value those two pretty closely, if I must say."

"Ichika is fine," Chifuyu waves off. "But Raiden…" She growls a bit of seeing Akane shove her breasts in Raiden's face while adjusting her sunglasses. "I'll ruin my rare day off if I have to deal with her."

"Then I suppose we best avoid her then?" asked a smiling Yamada-sensei.

Chifuyu sighs. "As much as I don't want to, you're right. Curse you, Akane."

Yamada-sensei could only chuckle to herself, careful to keep her laughter hidden as a fiery flame emerges from Chifuyu of seeing her rival too close to Raiden. Again.

When it was nighttime, the festival had begun. After their time together at the water park, everyone decided that they wanted to head for the festival to spend the last night of their summer break. While the girls were trying on their rental kimonos, the boys plus Liu were waiting for them.

Raiden was wearing a yukata while Ichika and Liu maintained their casual look.

"The girls are taking a while," Ichika said.

"That they are," Raiden concurred. "They must be having a hard time putting on their kimonos."

"Makes sense," Liu said. "Your British, French, and German friend have never tried one before at least."

It seemed though that the waiting period was over.

"Guys!" The girls' voices make the three guys turn around to behold five girls in beautiful kimonos.

"Hey, Liu," Rin approached the Chinese in her yellow kimono. "How do I look?"

"Fantastic, I say," Liu said. "A kimono suits you."

Houki soon approaches Raiden to request something, blushing a bit as she twiddles her fingers. "Raiden, do you… want to use my arm as support? You are blind with those glasses on."

Raiden understood what Houki was implying. Since they were in a public place, it makes sense if they pretended Houki was helping a blind person like Raiden. After all, walking around with a blindfold wasn't exactly an option.

"Sure, Houki-dono," Raiden smiles as he wraps an arm around Houki's surprising her before she recollects.

When the gang approach a goldfish scooping booth, Charlotte looks over at the fish in the water.

"Wow, so pretty!" Charlotte exclaimed. "What are those?"

"Is this your first time seeing them?" Houki asked curiously.

"It's called goldfish scooping," Ichika answered.

"You can use this to scoop up the goldfish," Rin explained to Liu.

"With a thin piece of paper?" Liu asked, a bit confused.

"Sounds fun!" Charlotte understood the game. "Ichika, teach me how to do it."

"Yeah, sure," Ichika accepted.

"Teach me as well!" Cecilia requested.

"Yeah yeah, in order though."

Ichika soon dips his scooper into the water, carefully under the goldfish. "You do this, and…"

Once he brings it out of the water, the fish starts flailing around before easily breaking through the piece of paper, going back into the water.

"Game over if this happens."

"I-Is that right?" asked Cecilia.

"I-I got it now," Charlotte nodded.

Raiden then hears Laura looking at the fish, gazing at them. "What a beauty…"

"Um, Laura-dono, they are not for eating, that they aren't," Raiden said. "Are you looking at them like a cat?"

Throughout the festival that the group explored, all kinds of food were being sold from takoyaki to cotton candy. Casual conversations took place in between, and sometimes Cecilia and Charlotte were shown of the various stalls put in place.

Apart from the gang, Liu and Raiden stood out the most. As Raiden wore his black sunglasses considering the fact that he was blind, he stuck close to Houki with one arm wrapped around hers. Houki didn't mind it despite being in a sea of people and luckily for her, the gossiped voices she heard were commenting on how caring she was for helping a blind person move around.

For Liu, because he didn't wear a yukata, and instead wore a light grey two piece suit and a maroon dress shirt with a popped collar. He also wore white snakeskin loafers with a snakeskin pattern, and his belt is black leather with a silver buckle.

Soon they head for a shooting gallery. Plain and simple, take a shot with a corked gun and claim a prize. No tricks or loopholes involved. No scamming either.

"Sniping is my pride and joy!" Cecilia declared as she takes aim.

"That's a toy gun," Ichika reminded.

*BANG*

One shot is all it took for Cecilia to knock down a blue penguin plushie.

Ichika was amazed. "Wow, you're good!"

Charlotte also took a sniping position while kneeling. "I think I might have a shot at this."

*BANG*

And down goes another plushie. A dog plushie.

Next it was Rin's turn. "I did my share of shooting practice in the military too."

*BANG*

A large bear plushie is also shot down.

"Wow, Rin," Liu was impressed. "You got sharp skills."

The only girl not participating was Houki. And for good reason.

"Houki-dono?" asked Raiden.

"What?"

'Have you improved your shooting at all?"

Houki asked the same question in return. "What about you? I know you're more of a close combat fighter like Ichika."

"True," Raiden said. "But my IS at the moment is being retrofitted a bit to add some additional weaponry, on the condition that it is safe and does not cause harm to pilots."

"I see," Houki said. "But I too am a close combat fighter."

"It's fine to be bad at shooting, that it is," Raiden said. "Even I was not so accurate when Akane took me out for hunting lessons."

"Really?" asked Houki.

Laura meanwhile was struggling to down a prize. And the reason for that was because was that it was very big. A life-sized Maneki-neko statue, or beckoning cat as translated.

"That may be a bit of a stretch, that is," Raiden realized.

But Laura was undeterred. "No, I'll take him down at least."

*BANG*

Laura fires her shot but the cork just bounces off the head. Her aim was accurate at least.

"We'll provide support fire, Laura," Charlotte suggested.

Cecilia smiles. "Can't be helped, now can it?"

Rin concurred. "Just this time, okay? Hey, Liu. Wanna help?"

"Sure thing," Liu said, armed and ready.

"T-Then I'll join too!" Houki chimed in.

This surprised everyone, especially since Houki mentioned that she was not a range fighter. But they figured it was alright for her to join in as well.

All the girls and guys sans Ichika, armed with their toy guns, take aim at the Maneki-neko.

Liu calls the shots. "Aim! A simultaneous attack… Fire!"

*BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG*

All cork shots hit the statue. And down goes the cat. The prize was theirs.

The end of summer had come but it was well worth the break. Tomorrow is a new day, a start of the new semester at the IS Academy. And with it, the new adventure that awaits them.

Start off season 2 with some foreshadowing of events, a dream that will perhaps come true one way or another. And then we get that infamous water park scene and the festival afterwards. There really is not much to say of this episode since it was more so focused on Laura and Charlotte's bonding. And Ichika was also asking everyone out to the water park. So Raiden didn't really have much to do other than spend time with his secretive yet official girlfriend.

My plan for season 2 is to incorporate the Kyoto Arc from Rurouni Kenshin once we deal with the whole Kanzashi Sarashiki arc. Since the group goes to Kyoto during the last two episodes, I figured it was fine to emrge the two together, which means introducing some OCs based on Rurouni Kenshin characters and who have had a history with Raiden. For now though, episodes 1-10 of the second season of Infinite Stratos have to be written out first, along with some improvements I think since the second season of IS was, while enjoyable, not the best compared to the first season.

As for Phantom Task, they will be explored more throughout this season compared to the previous one. Since we do not know much about the organization and how I plan to make them similar to the Decepticons from Transformers Prime, both in personality and in hierarchy structure, expect to see heavy elements from the show. Along with some OCs made by my hand that are influenced by certain Decepticons.

Next episode we introduce everyone's favorite student council president of the show.

Like, favorite, follow, and review at your leisure. If you have any questions, please feel free to PM me.