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.

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 school anniversary's finally here. As the school anniversary's not opened to everyone, there won't be any opening fireworks, but the students' excitement was enough to fight against enemies, and everyone's feeling really pumped up.

"You're lying, right? You'll be greeted by that Orimura-kun and Hataru-sama if you go to class one?"

"And they'll will be wearing a tuxedo too?"

"And you can take photos with one of them if you win! A two-people photo! A two-people photo! We must go!"

And, in front of the 'Service Café' of class 1-1, everyone had been working their backs out since early in the morning. Even so, if Ichika had to put it, he and Raiden were the only ones who were really busy because he and Raiden were too popular and the latter had a lot of work to do on the Student Council, according to Tatenashi. The other people are all enjoying it as per normal.

"Welcome. Please walk here, ojou-sama."

Charlotte in the maid outfit looked really happy as she had been smiling since morning. On a side note, the attendants outside (the cosplayers) are Ichika, Charlotte, Cecilia, and unexpectedly, Houki and Laura. Raiden was kept inside to show the ladies to their table, with each girl falling under his "influence" as they would call it, but it is mostly his charm.

Houki kept up a frontal face but on the inside, her mood was a bit sour as she observes Raiden being "too friendly" with the girls. But she did not want to do anything to embarrass herself and make a mess of things so she will let it slide. At least for now.

That really surprised Ichika. But she would sulk when Ichika told her to invite the customers in, so it didn't look like she would fit in anyway. She would look especially frustrated when the customers asked Raiden when he would be serving them...is it because she lacks calcium?

Seeing the girls in maid outfits running in and out, Ichika's heart fluttered for some reason. His old friend, Dan Rotanda, used to say "maid outfit, school swimsuit and bloomers! No guy will be unmoved by these three outfit!" or something like that.

Leaving that aside, the remaining classmates are divided into two groups. One's the cooking staff in the kitchen, and the other is the miscellaneous stuff. The miscellaneous stuff group's busy with the refilling of the food that's used up, the clearing of the tables, and controlling the crowds who're queuing up on the corridor, which would be the toughest for them. Giving the orders was Raiden, who sued a commanding voice for the cooks to get motivated and work their bones to the ground to ensure that every customer be satisfied.

'Would it really be alright to have a longer queue than in the morning...?'

Thinking about this, he uses the gap between the attendants to look outside the classroom.

"Ah, there's a signboard for the last in line."

"Huh? What kind of games do they have?"

"I heard that there's janken, memory match, and dart shooting. It seemed that they designed these choices for the people who aren't good with certain games."

"Huh? Can't we go in yet?"

The crowd outside seem to flood the entire first year corridor, and there's people, people, and more people everywhere. Ichika did think that the maids in his class would be suffering trying to serve so many people yet on the contrary, they worked hard just to serve with Raiden keeping them on their feet as they worked hard.

"Ah, it's Orimura-kun!"

"And Hataru-sama! They look so cool."

And things were just going crazy as Ichika was pushed back into the classroom to assist Raiden as the whole classroom now filled up on guests and students attending the café.

"Hey, the butler over there!" A familiar voice called out to Raiden. "Why won't you take me to my table?"

A familiar and slightly crude voice caught the blind boy's attention. Raiden turns around, and as expected, it's Rin, who was dressed in a Chinese cheongsam, a one piece dress for Chinese women, standing there as well.

"Oro?" asked Raiden. "Rin-dono? A cheongsam?"

"Sh-Shut up!" Rin bashfully said. "We're doing a Chinese café in Class 2."

"Is it me or is your hairstyle a bit different today?" asked Raiden.

"Oh, this?" Rin asked about her buns. "It's called a chignon."

"Ahh. It looks good on you," Raiden approved. "I bet Liu would love to see it."

Rin blushes upon imagining Liu's reaction. "W-Well, it's nothing special, really… And Liu couldn't make it unfortunately. Said he had some work to do. N-Never mind that. Bring me to my table!"

"Right away, milady," Raiden gets into character. "Right this way please."

Once Rin takes her seat, Raiden presents the menu. "What would you like to order today?"

Rin looks at the menu. "Well, let's see… What is this 'Treat your Butler' set?"

"That is exclusive to me and Ichika, that it is," Raiden said. "Simply put, the customer is allowed to feed the butler Pocky sticks. It's a limited edition."

"Hey, you're trying to pull a fast one on me, aren't you?" asked a suspicious Rin.

"Not at all," Raiden seemed unfazed.

"Then give me this set," Rin ordered.

"As you wish."

Officially when it comes to the Butler Special, the two butlers, Raiden and Ichika, don't have to head to the kitchen when they take the order, as the voice will be passed through the brooch-shaped mic when they repeat the order.

"Thank you for waiting, milady," Raiden returns with the set.

Returning to the bar counter, Rin took the 'Treat Your Butler' set. The contents of the set meal includes iced tea and Pocky. The customers' smiles are treasures, but even then, Raiden needed to hold back the reluctant feeling to serve the customers as he walked back to the table with Rin waiting there.

Rin and Raiden are now facing each other at the two people table. One's dressed in a tuxedo while the other one's in a cheongsam with Ichika mostly embarrassed and shaking a little uncontrollably...what's with this scene?

"So what kind of set meal is this again?" asked Rin.

"You get to feed me, that you do," Raiden responded.

"What?"

"I'm saying that you can feed the butler with this set. That's the purpose of the Butler Set."

"Wh-What kind of set is that?" asked a bashful Rin. "A customer has to feed you sweets?"

Raiden then said, "You don't have to do it if you don't want to."

"I-I mean…" Rin looks at the Pocky. "It's already here and everything. So I might as well… take the chance to treat you!"

Rin soon takes a Pocky in her hand. "Okay! Say, 'Ah!'"

Raiden soon opens and is fed the Pocky and like a chipmunk or a squirrel, he consumes the Pocky in a rather amusing way.

Rin blushes. "I-I fed you, so now it's your turn to…"

Suddenly, a serving pan comes to Rin's face in front of her.

"Milady…" Houki greeted, apparently irritated that her boyfriend was too close. "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid that's not a part of our services."

Houki then walks away with a 'Hmph'. And a rather pouty Rin takes one more Pocky in her mouth and stress eats it. Although it looked rather cute the way she did it.

"Rin-dono."

"Hm?"

"You're rather cute when you eat like that."

Rin spat out the Pocky in her mouth, and then coughed non-stop.

"Hey, are you alright?" asked Raiden.

Rin then drinks the iced tea just to clear her throat. And all of it in one big gulp.

"Wh-Wha-What...Where the hell did that come from?" asked a stuttering Rin in embarrassment.

"Nothing, it's just that the way you ate the Pocky's really cute."

"Cu-Cute...?"

"Yeah," Raiden nodded. "Has Liu ever seen you eat like that?"

Bad choice of words there.

*CHOP*

"Oro?!" Raiden falls to the ground with swirls in his eyes.

Raiden just got a karate chop on the head, sending him rolling back on his back.

"D-Don't bring Liu into this!" She said. "If you tell him this, I will be mad!"

She then walks away rather bashfully with a 'Hmph!'.

As Raiden stands up and recovers from the blow, he hears Ichika speaking to a young woman with long orange hair and red-brawn eyes and wearing a formal suit. She seemed nice and friendly to the naked eye but when Raiden heard her voice, he was stunned.

'Autumn… I recognize that voice anywhere. How did she get here?'

Realizing that Ichika was in danger of this threat, he swiftly yet professionally approaches the two at their table. And just before Ichika could consider the disguise Autumn's proposal of offering his IS to be upgraded, Raiden quickly saves him,

"I'm sorry, ma'am," Raiden interrupts the conversation. "But the next customer is waiting for him."

Ichika, apparently getting back to his workstation, replies, "I'm sorry, but I have to go."

Autumn grits her hands and teeth as the boys walk away and get back to work. But she directs most of that rage at Raiden, whom apparently she apparently holds great disdain for. For Raiden though, despite acting like he didn't know who the person was, he knew better. He just made his move, so now it is Autumn's turn next.

What would be the next course of action now that her initial plan failed?

"Thank you, Raiden," Ichika thanked. "You're a lifesaver. Lately, people have been trying to recommend different equipment loads for my Byakushiki."

"That woman though, Ichika…" Raiden said with a serious face looking out to the sitting area. "She looked like a scammer. You should take a break while you're at it, explore the school a bit. I can finish up here, that I will."

"Are you sure?" asked Ichika.

"Just be ready back here in half an hour. That's how long of a break we have anyway."

"If you say so."

Ichika then feels his left arm wrapped around by a certain British blonde. "Well, Ichika-san, I'll accompany you."

"Hey!" Charlotte called out. "That's not fair, Cecilia!"

Charlotte too clung to his right arm, apparently wanting to go.

"Uh, girls, would it not be alright to settle this with rock-paper-scissors?" asked Raiden.

That sparked a good idea between the French girl and the British blonde as they engage in a duel.

LATER…

With Ichika preoccupied with Cecilia, having won the duel, he was the sole butler left to handle the café, especially with the Butler special requests he has been getting. Granted he would not be able to fulfill all the requests, but he was able to entertain a few guests with his charm. Though on occasion he would get the sharp glare from Houki every time he was with a girl. And it would send shivers up his spine.

But Raiden's mind was not of the work nor Houki but rather the woman Reiko Makigami. Truth be told, Raiden's smell could sense who that woman was. A Phantom Task agent. He knows this because he knows the voice of that woman before.

'Autumn… If she is here then we are already compromised. The school needs to be warned but not so recklessly. And with Autumn here, she is either after me or Ichika for his IS. Unfortunately, we need to let her show her hand. And it is highly likely she remembers who I am.'

"Whew…" Raiden sighs. "Long day at work. Though not sure if Akane would approve of what I am doing."

"Ara, I wonder about that?" asked a familiar voice.

"Oro?"

Raiden then beheld Tatenashi, also wearing a maid uniform. Her fan folded out to say the word Elusive.

"Ta-da!"

"T-Tatenashi-dono?" asked a bewildered Raiden.

She giggles in response. "Raiden, I need your and Ichika-kun's help for the student council's action-packed interactive play!"

"Play?"

"Just come with me!" Tatenashi implored as she wraps her arms around Raiden's left and drags him.

And along the way, Raiden can sense a certain fox angry and in a bad mood, especially as she unconsciously slams her customer's drink on the table.

LATER…

At the locker room, both Ichika and Raiden were then given their outfits for the so-called action-packed interactive play orchestrated by the Student Council.

"Just put these on, you two, and come to the stage," Tatenashi said as she hands the outfits over.

"What?" Ichika was confused.

"Oro?"

"And these… are very important. The crowns!" Tatenashi then hands over two crowns, one of traditional royal type and the other bearing an uncanny resemblance of the Japanese Imperial Family's.

"Um, I've never even seen the script," Ichika informed.

"Don't worry about that!" Tatenahsi reassured. "This play is all improvised anyway. We'll give you all the directions necessary. You two just od your thing. Okay, Ichika-kun? Dear Raiden?"

Tatenashi then walks away, leaving the boys clueless and bewildered of what was now forced upon them.

"Oro…" Raiden sighs.

It was now time for the main attraction, a play that would be performed by the students of the Academy. Many of the girls and guests were gathered at the stadium to watch the performance start, all the seats taken up. Even Makigami herself stood at top, keeping a stoic face as she watches the play begin.

"Now, let's get this started!" Tatenashi announced as the dome closes and the spotlight turns on to show the two boys dressed up as princes.

While Ichika wore a typical British royal outfit, Raiden's was more imperial-esque, a nod to Japanese tradition as evidenced by the sokutai, which was a traditional outfit worn by courtiers, aristocrats, and imperial members of the Imperial Family. It came with a ho, the outer robe; the shaku, a flat ritual baton or scepter which was Raiden's sword; and a kanmuri, a cap-shaped black lacquered silk hat with an upright pennon decorated with the imperial chrysanthemum crest.

As they stood there amongst the spotlight, they watch above of the montage as Tatenashi begins the Cinderella story.

"Once upon a time, there was a girl named Cinderella. No… it's no longer a name. Those who gleefully brought down swarms of enemy soldiers across countless balls. The most powerful warriors of the world… those who revel in utter destruction."

"What?" asked Ichika.

"This is a rather interesting tale, that it is," Raiden was somewhat intrigued.

"The most appropriate title for those girls… That's 'Cinderella'!"

"What?!" Ichika was further confused.

The next image showed the crown and kanmuri, "Girls dance around, targeting the confidential data hidden inside the princes' crowns!"

The next image showed the word Cinderella in kanji, making the girls squeal.

The lights suddenly turn on to reveal the playset of a castle.

"Once again, tonight, the night of the bloodthirsty Cinderellas begins," Tatenashi calls out.

To Raiden's senses, he hears someone up top on the balcony.

"That's mine!" called Rin as she jumps down in a wedding dress and carrying a Chinese broadsword, a Dao.

"Ichika, get back!" Raiden pushes Ichika out of the way before he pulls out his Sakabatō.

*CLANG*

Both the Dao and the Sakabatō make contact briefly before both Raiden and Rin back off from one another. They take their fighting stances to prepare for another clash of blades.

"Give me that crown, Raiden!" Rin demanded with her hand out.

"What's it to you?" asked the blind boy in question.

Without getting an answer from her, Rin instead throws out three kunai at Raiden, but the blind lion deflects and parries them all out.

*DING*

With one of them nearly hitting Ichika in the head as it embeds itself into the pillar behind him. A stunned Ichika sees that these kunai were lethal enough to pierce the concrete.

"Hey!" He shouted. "What would you do if I really died?!"

"Don't worry. It's made from safe materials," Tatenashi informed over the comm.

"I doubt that!" He retorted.

Rin and Raiden go at it again, with the former throwing her kunai but also using her Dao against Raiden.

*DING*

But at the final clash, both of their blades were flung out of each other's hands. But when Raiden was distracted, Rin used this chance to tackle him in an effort to seize his crown.

"Haah!"

"Oro!?"

With the lion on the ground struggling against a tiger, the two cats struggle as the latter tries to take the crown from the former. Their hands are locked with each other as they both grit their teeth. But there is a reason why lions are kings of the jungle as Raiden rolls over with him on top of Rin.

"Get… off of me!" Rin cried as she brings her heel up to aim Raiden.

Raiden sense this and backs away but notices something about the heels.

"Glass slippers, Rin-dono?" asked Raiden. "That's bold, that it is."

"Don't worry. It's made from tempered glass," Rin informed.

With a couple more kicks, Rin assaults Raiden with her glass slippers, but the lion parries and backs away, with Ichika right behind him.

"You idiot!" Ichika shouts to Rin. "That's dangerous!"

*BAM*

A gunshot was heard that hits the concrete wall.

"Uwah!?"

"Sniper!" cried Raiden as he grabs Ichika with him and hides away. They barely dodge the next shot as they take cover behind the staircase.

"Does that mean it's Cecilia?" asked Ichika.

"Most likely," The blind boy nods. "And from what I hear, she isn't far."

*DING*

A bullet grazes off of Ichika's crown, to his shock. Their position compromised, they head out to the balcony and close the door.

"What the heck is wrong with this play?!" Ichika wanted to know.

"Cut the chatter, Ichika," Raiden said as he grabs his Sakabatō on the floor and sheathes it. "It's no use complaining about it now."

Raiden was correct in that Cecilia took a sniping position nearby on top of one of the castle walls. She checks to see their original position but finds they are no longer there.

"They got away…" She said. "I swear I will win this no matter what!"

And on her own pride as an Alcott, she indeed swore it. With Tatenashi having conveyed to the girls that she has the authority and power to give the right to live with either one of the boys in their dorm room, she was not going to let a chance like this slip by.

Checking through her scope, she checks to see where they are yet finds Ichika behind a pillar with half of his body out in the open.

Smirking, she sinisterly says, "I have you now."

*BAM*

With one shot fired, it grazes the pillar Ichika was hiding behind just above his head. Another hits the pillar as Ichika bends down but that is when the wooden door gets shot.

"Scrap," Raiden cursed. "At this rate, we'll be done in."

Luckily for the boys, hope still seemed to be with them. The voice of another girl calls out below them.

"Ichika, Raiden! This way!" Charlotte calls out.

"Charl?" A surprised Ichika saw.

But without waste and just in the nick of time, the boys jump down as the wooden door is shot to bits. Once the boys land, Charlotte comes over with a shield and covers the boys from the incoming fire.

"Charl… You saved me!" Ichika thanked.

"Thank you, Charlotte-dono," Raiden said. Soon however, he had an idea. "Ichika, split up. We can disperse their fire."

"Ehh? But why? We should stick together!"

"Too risky, that it is," Raiden said as he takes off. "Just keep running until the timer runs out."

"Ah, Raiden wait—"

But Raiden disappears into the forest, leaving Ichika alone with Charlotte.

"I'm sure Rin and Cecilia are right behind you, ichika, so go ahead and run!" Charlotte advised.

"Thanks!" Ichika thanked as he was about to leave.

But Charlotte stops him. "Oh, just wait."

"What is it?" asked Ichika as he turns around to face her.

"Well, it'd be great if you could leave the crown here," Charlotte asked gently as she bends down to Ichika's level.

"Y-Yeah. I can do that."

But just as Ichika was about to take the crown off his head, Tatenashi speaks over the comm, "For the prince, his country means all. So if he ever loses his crown, which contains the confidential data…"

"What?"

Just as Ichika removes the crown from his head…

*ZAAP*

And instantly, Ichika gets electrocuted ad falls on his back, forced to wear the crown to stop being electrocuted again.

"Ichika!" cried Charlotte.

"He gets electrically shocked by his own remorse," Tatenashi reveals dramatically. "Oh bless his heart! Is the prince's love for his country that great? But all we can do is to watch over him. How agonizing!"

"You don't have to say that twice," Ichika says getting up. "So you heard, right? Sorry, I can't give you the crown, Charl."

Charlotte was stunned. "What? That's a problem!"

And with diplomacy out of the way, next came force in the form of Rin and Cecilia.

"This is it for you!" Cecilia cried with Rin right next to her as they appeared at the balcony. "Behave yourself!"

"Give it up!" Rin cried as she throws her kunai, prompting Ichika to grab the shield to defend not only himself, but also Charlotte.

"Watch out!"

But like any true prince in a play, he kept Charlotte close to him. And Charlotte was flustered at the bold action.

Rin and Cecilia though flipped out and unloaded both bullets and kunai at the two in pure fury. Ichika struggles to hold his crown against the onslaught of fire power.

Finally, Rin throws her Dao. "Get away from him!"

The Dao makes contact with the shield, breaking it and Ichika loses his footing, falling down screaming with Charlotte down the cliff.

By the time the two reach the bottom, Charlotte recovers but as she looks around for Ichika, he was nowhere to be found.

"Ichika? Where are you?" She asked.

Unbeknownst to her, Ichika was there.

"It's dark…" He whispered. "I can't see. Where am I? Did I die?"

As he reaches a hand up, he grabs onto something. Something round and soft. "What's this? It's soft."

Charlotte then realized to her embarrassment where Ichika was, right under her dress.

"Hyaah?!" She leaps away. "I-Ichika! I didn't realize you were there."

Ichika sits up and adjusts his head and mind but then hears a gunshot from Cecilia's sniper rifle zoom past him.

"Oh yeah! I'd better run!"

Ichika runs just as Charlotte realizes, "What? Wait up!"

MEANWHILE…

Raiden runs far up one of the towers leading to the top. So far Ichika seemed to be distracted by Rin, Charlotte, and Cecilia bearing down on him. That just leaves Laura and Houki, which he ahs not detected with his senses yet.

"This should be far enough," Raiden said as he reaches the top to catch his breath. "Wait. Someone is here."

And he was correct as the overhead lights turned on to reveal Laura, also in a wedding dress and wielding two army knives.

"I've been waiting for you, Kingslayer," Laura greeted before she prepares herself. "Your crown is mine."

She charges in and tries to slash at Raiden, but he pulls out his Sakabatō and blocks the knives, their metal blades clanging as the lion is on the defensive from Laura's swift offense. After a bit of a scuffle, both back off and prepare themselves.

Laura then points a knife over to Raiden and says, "You're the Kingslayer, so give it up already!"

Back up top, Tatenashi smirks, "Love is no fun without obstacles!"

After pressing a button, a howitzer back at the castle takes aim at where Raiden and Laura are and fires.

*BAM*

"Scrap!" Raiden said as he jumps over to his opponent. "Laura-dono!"

*BOOM*

The shot misses Raiden but he knew that at this rate he is now a live target for the howitzer, and he needed to get far away from it.

"Sorry, Laura-dono, but between you and the howitzer, the latter is more dangerous, that it is."

With that said, Raiden takes off just as the howitzer fires again. Now ordinarily he would leave no man behind but if he took Laura with her, surprised as she was by the fact she was saved by the first shot, she would take his crown in the commotion. So like it or not, he had to abandon her.

Seeing a rope that leads down to the castle floor, Raiden sheathes his Sakabatō and uses it as a handlebar to slide down the rope. Just as the howitzer made impact at the castle.

'Laura should be alright. She wouldn't die that easily from a howitzer impact.'

Raiden soon touches the ground with a roll and takes off, hopeful that throughout the commotion he shook Laura off. He then stays hidden in the shadows before he hears a voice from the other side.

"Raiden!" Houki called out, also dressed in a Cinderella outfit. Raiden turns to hear her voice. "Raiden, this way!"

"Houki-dono…" Raiden rushes over to her. By then the two came upon a metal ladder.

"Climb this. You'll be safe," Houki suggested.

Raiden nods as Houki goes first climbing up, with Raiden following behind.

"Raiden, don't you look up!" Houki warned.

"Oro?"

*FWISSH*

Just then the wind blows, and it exposes Houki's white panties underneath.

"D-Don't look!" Houki bashfully cried as she starts kicking his head.

*BAM BAM BAM*

"Oro?! H-Houki-dono! That hurts, that it does! Stop, you're gonna make me fall, that you will!"

With that debacle over, the two soon made it to the top. And they were exhausted. Not just cause of how long the climb was to reach to the top, but the fact that all the heavy clothing was wearing them down.

"W-We made it," Raiden said.

Houki then clears her throat. "Well, now hand over the crown to me."

"Oro?"

But back at the command center, Tatenashi smirks. "It's not going to be that easy, little girl!"

Just then, she pushes a button, and a large door behind Raiden and Houki opens. Revealing a large boulder. And just like a certain movie involving an archaeologist with a whip, it starts rolling towards them.

Raiden only had one word to say. "RUUNN!"

He soon grabs Houki's hand, knowing that in high heels, she was having a hard time running. "Let's get out of here, Houki!"

The two run from the boulder like they were Indiana Jones in the Mayan Temple. If one could play the theme song, then the play would be all the more entertaining.

Raiden soon spots an opening in the corridor of the castle. "Over there!"

Taking Houki with him, the two cuddle and narrowly miss the boulder as it rolls pass by them.

Raiden sighs in relief. "Whew. That was close."

"Can you move your hand?" asked Houki.

"Oro?" Raiden sees where it was and removes it. "Sorry."

The two then step outside as soon it was all clear.

Raiden then sighs in exhaustion. "I wonder why everyone is so desperate to be my roommate when I already have you?"

Houki answers, "That's because… Well, umm…"

But before she could finish her answer, they were ambushed from behind.

"You're mine, Kingslayer!" Laura cried from above.

But Houki came prepared, with a weapon of her own in the form of a katana that she draws. "Not so fast!"

*CLANG*

"What do you think you're doing?" Laura asked.

"Don't you interrupt, Laura!" Houki retorted.

"That's my line!"

As the two back away from each other, Raiden is called out by Ichika who had somehow managed to get away from Cecilia, Charlotte, and Rin.

"Raiden!" Ichika rallied to. "Wha—Houki and Laura? Why are they-"

"They want to be my roommate, that they do," Raiden said.

"H-Hey, you guys stop it!" Ichika implored the girls, trying to get them to stop.

But the girls ignored him and head out to the rooftop to continue their fight.

"It's no use, Ichika," Raiden said. "There's no way we can stop this, that we can't."

"But, Raiden—"

"If we intervened now, we'd be dead and our crowns will be taken, that they will. For now, we just got to keep our distance from this."

Laura declares to her opponent, "I'll take care of you first!"

"I dare you!" Houki retorted.

The two soon charge in, clashing blades at one another. A German soldier versus a samurai. And all Raiden and Ichika could do was sit back and watch. They could have taken this chance to flee while the girls are distracted but they didn't really have any place to go. Not with Rin, Cecilia, and Charlotte looking for them.

*SLISH*

*SLASH*

Soon their dresses were cut and sliced, exposing Laura's leg and arm while Houki's stomach and chest were seen.

"Huh?" Ichika looked dumbfounded.

"Oro?" Raiden was surprised.

A rather bashful Houki, holding her chest with her left arm, asks, "You saw, didn't you?"

She then charges in and tries to slice down on the boys.

*CLANG*

But she was blocked by Laura's knife.

"Get your hands off the Kingslayer!" Laura cried.

*BOOM*

Just then, an explosion was heard from the rolling boulder that made it all the way down the tower and crashing into one of the other spires from far away.

And one big "What" was said by all four members at the same time, seeing the tower fall to its side.

The gates soon roll down, leading into the entrance of the play.

"Now, it's time for the walk-in contestants to participate!" Tatenashi announced. "Good luck in getting the princes' crowns!"

"Huh?" asked Ichika.

"Oro?" asked Raiden.

Then, a swarm of female contestants, still wearing there is Academy uniforms, barge into the play, going after the princes.

"Orimura, stay still!"

"Let's make it 'Happily Ever After' with me, my prince!"

"Give me that crown, Hataru!"

"Ichika, run!" Raiden cried as he takes off.

"R-Right!" Ichika follows him as they jump off the stage and down into the forest.

"Orimu! Hatata! Wait up!" Honne cried.

Both Ichika and Raiden quickly make a run for it within the forest. Thanks to the darkness, they were able to avoid being sighted by the girls.

But suddenly, a trap door on the floor opens up. Raiden senses it and jumps over, but Ichika's ankle is caught by the hand. And he is promptly dragged down. Raiden turns too late to see that Ichika was gone.

But he already knew who it was.

"Autumn…" He growled a bit, heading down underground. He just hopes he can make it time to Ichika.

Once he was dragged underground, Ichika found himself in the locker room, panting from all the running. And he was not alone.

"They won't find you here," A voice told him.

Ichika takes a second to catch his breath. "Th-Thanks. Wait, what are you doing here, Makigami-san?"

It was here that Makigami revealed her intentions as she turns around. "Well, I thought I'd use this opportunity to take your Byakushiki."

"What?"

"Just give it to me already!" Makigami yelled before she raises a leg.

*POW*

"Uwagh!"

Ichika is kicked roughly and his back hits the lockers, air leaving his lungs briefly before he recovers.

"Wh-Who are you?" He asked.

"Me? A mysterious beauty… in the guise of a saleswoman!"

Makigami's back suddenly warps and changes before six spider-like appendages pop out.

"Happy now?" She asked.

In response, Ichika activates his IS. "Byakushiki!"

"I've been waiting for you to do that!" Autumn cried out.

Trapped underground, coming face to face with this threat, Ichika will have to battle alone. Hopefully though, someone will take notice of the commotion and send aid. Until then, he is on his own.

There is really not much to say of this episode other than the fact that it was the Academy's festival. And that Cinderella play. And because there was not much to say of the episode, especially of the lack of character development and just comedic fun, this chapter is not one of my best ones of the story. Granted, it could likewise be skipped over and ignored since it would lead to a battle later on.

I will however sum up what happens. Raiden feeds Rin some Pocky, courtesy of the Treat Your Butler set. He then saves Ichika from Reiko Makigami who is none other than the infamous Autumn that we all know of. Then came the Cinderella play, with Raiden being more of a prince ho stands his ground rather than Ichika running away and trying to stop the fight with his words. And now finally, with Raiden on his way to the locker room, Ichika must now contend with the Phantom Task agent Autumn, and everyone else is unaware of what is going on.

I did leave out the tuba scene since that was exclusive for Cecilia and Ichika. Besides, I didn't see the point of Raiden replacing Ichika for that scene since Cecilia does not have any feelings for him. As for Rin and Raiden, I want to clarify that those two are NOT in any way in a secret relationship. They are just good friends who have a mutual acquaintance. And we get to learn that Rin starting to see Liu in a new light. And again I do not own the OC Liu King-sang as that OC belongs to PearlTapioca, my close friend whose permission I have gained to use his OC for.

Next chapter will be the infamous battle at the Academy with some twists here and there.

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