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.

In the maintenance room, Kanzashi Sarashiki was working on her IS once again, and alone as usual. This has become quite the routine for her every day and every night. No friends to make, no meals to eat with, and certainly no time to spend with family. All she does is work on her own Personal IS, Uchigane Nishiki. As the representative candidate of Japan, she needed a Personal IS of hers but with hers scrapped from the company that was suppose to make it, she decides to build one alone.

Her eyes squint a little as she analyzes her data on the screen of the console.

'It's not there yet. It's nowhere near good enough. Nee-san would've gotten far more done.'

But soon she gets an "Error" message to her surprise, indicating that whatever formula she procured for the data of her IS, it was incompatible and as a result, it resulted in a failure. She hangs her head as the console shuts down.

"If it weren't for Byakushiki, I would've already caught up," She said.

But the moment she did, she catches on what she said and shakes her head in denial.

Technically she was not wrong. Indeed, Kuromochi Machinery Development, the same company that was supposed to make her Personal IS, had instead decided to scrap hers and focus on making Byakushiki for its first male IS pilot. Had this not happened, she could've already had her Personal IS without having her taking an Uchigane and modifying it. But now, with frustration after frustration of various failures while working on her IS, she felt hopeless.

Feeling exhausted and seeing it was already late, Kanzashi walks out of the maintenance room but runs into a familiar face. A face she does not want to see ever again, not now and not ever.

"Hey!" Ichika waved.

But Kanzashi, now in a foul mood, simply ignores him and takes off.

Still Ichika was persistent as he walks behind her. "About the upcoming tag-match tournament, team up with me!"

Kanzashi though blocks it out.

"Kanzashi-san!" Ichika called out.

"Don't call me by my first name," She demanded as she continues walking.

Ichika then tries a different tactic. "Sarashiki-san!"

"Not by my last name either," She also demanded. She seems to be relaying a message of 'I do not want to talk to you or anybody else.'

Ichika crosses his arms as he thinks, "Uh, in that case… You, girl over there!"

That seemed to make her stop in her tracks. But her fists look ready to turn and punch him. And as she turns around, she looked more foul than ever.

"What was that?" She asked.

"You told me not to call you by your name," Ichika said, relaying her words.

"I'd rather be called by my name than that," She said. How very ironic.

"I see," Ichika said. "Then I'll stick with Kanzashi—" He gets a glare from her. "—san."

"Why do you want to team up with me in the first place?" She asked.

"Huh? Well…"

Ichika could not say that it was by her sister's request as any mention of her name to Kanzashi would only make the situation worse. After all, according to Tatenashi, the sisters were not on good terms as of late. He recalls what Tatenashi requested of him to say.

'But don't mention my name.'

"Oh yeah!" Ichika had an idea to say. "I wanted to check out your Personal IS—"

Wrong choice of words as he sees a hand from Kanzashi coming up to him, ready to slap him on the face.

But soon another hand appears, stopping her hand from hitting Ichika. Both the Orimura and the Sarashiki were shocked to see that it was Raiden who stopped it.

Raiden slowly lets go of her hand, whom Kanzashi slowly retracts back to herself, realizing what she was about to do. Had Raiden arrive a bit too late, either he or Ichika would've taken the full force of the slap.

"Kanzashi-dono…" Raiden said calmly. "I'm sorry for intervening, that I am, but violence won't solve anything, that it will not. Slapping Ichika for something he unintentionally did to you will not bring you any measure of peace."

But Kanzashi was not amused as she glares at Raiden. "What do you know of me, Hitokiri Kingslayer?"

Ichika was stunned to hear Kanzashi call Raiden by that name but the blind boy in question did not seem surprised.

"I know that you have every right to feel angry and frustrated, that you do," Raiden said. "But will hitting him at the mere mention of a Personal IS will not solve anything. It will not even make you feel better in the long run, that it will not."

Kanzashi though was not convinced. "Spare me your lecture. I don't need to hear it from one such as you."

Kanzashi then takes off in a hurry, leaving the two boys alone. Ichika was about to go after her but Raiden holds up a hand to block him.

"She'll be alright," Raiden said. "She just needs time."

"R-Right…" Ichika nodded. "If you say so. By the way, Raiden, how'd you get here so fast?"

But Raiden only looked at Ichika with one word. "Oro?"

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.)

Back in Room 1025, Ichika sat by his computer looking up the various first year girls who were part of the maintenance crew. That incident with Kanzashi was too close for comfort. If not for Raiden, he would've taken the full brunt of the slap. He was not however going to give up on helping Kanzashi, even if this was by the request of the student council president.

Mentioning the word 'Personal IS' must have been a bad move on his part, but he would fail to recognize that. Either he had forgotten that her IS was scrapped and his was built in her stead or that he was curious to see what Personal IS she was building in secret like her sister before her. Either way, this small incident was not something worth getting angry over, especially when he is trying to help her.

"Hmmm…" The voice of Tatenahsi interrupted his thoughts as she appears at his right.

Ichika was surprised. "When did you…"

"Do you need the maintenance folks' help with something?" Tatenashi asked.

"Not for my unit," He said. "I was thinking I'd ask them to help with Kanzashi-san's Personal IS."

Tatenashi crosses her arms as she walks over and sits on her bed. "I don't think it'll be that simple. Kanzashi-chan is probably trying to put an IS together herself."

This surprises Ichika. "What?"

A melancholic Tatenashi then reveals, "That's what I did, so she must feel pressured to live up to that. She's making things harder for herself."

"You put it together yourself?" Ichika asked.

"Yeah, with advice from the students in the maintenance program like Kaoruko-chan. Anyway, what did Kanzashi-chan say?"

"Well…" Ichika said, remembering what had happened recently. "She nearly hit me."

Tatenashi though was shocked. "What?! She rarely expends energy on anything pointless like that."

Ichika sighs. "But Raiden stopped before her hand hit my face. He tried to give her a bit of a lecture but she stormed off. So…"

"Really? Well, I think I might give him a reward for that," Tatenashi said before she smirks. "Hey, did you try to cop a feel or something?"

"Of course not!" Ichika denied.

A laughing Tatenashi exclaimed, "Just messing with you. But wow, I didn't expect Kanzashi-chan to react that way. Ichika-kun, I think you have a chance!"

Ichika had no comment on that. But he was not going to give up that easily. He wanted to do this not by the request of Tatenashi but because he wanted to have some part in trying to mend things for the sisters. He couldn't exactly stand by and watch them get further and further away from one another.

The Tag Team Tournament was coming up in a few days. Everyone, with their assigned partners or partners of their own choosing, were already working hard on getting ready for the event. Especially the girls with the Personal IS. Ichika though was too busy trying to get his partner Kanzashi to team up with him, which basically left this hands tied up as is.

For Raiden, he was training as well but with Honne as his partner, things were already somewhat of a mess. With Honne's personality as someone who is lax free and sometimes an airhead, it was kind of hard to communicate with her. There were even a few times where Honne had repeated Raiden's infamous catchphrase of "Oro." Utsuho Nohotoke, Honne's older sister by one year, simply gave Raiden advice to bear with her little sister's air headedness, having heard by Tatenashi that her little sister is paired up with the 2nd male IS pilot.

As for the other girls who are involved with Raiden and Ichika, they were on their own.

WITH CECILIA ALCOTT…

Out in the air at the arena, Cecilia prepares herself for a time trial with her IS, training herself for the tournament to come. Either that or she is venting some frustrations over a recent turn of events.

"Ichika-san…" Cecilia said to herself as she takes aim. "I'll make you regret not teaming up with me!"

Firing away her Starlight Mk. II rifle and her BIT drones at the targets, she scores bullseye after bullseye. But while doing so, she begins to giggle in a rather disturbing way. One that would send chills down the spines of even the toughest of men.

After she finishes, she comes up with a perfect score of 1300 points. Perfect enough for her to act all haughty as usual.

"Tremble in fear before me, Cecilia Alcott, and my Blue Tears as we perform a requiem!"

WITH HUANG LINGYIN…

In the hangar, Rin, in her Personal IS Shenlong, was on the call with her maintenance team, and she was not in a happy mood.

"I told you already!" She said. "Get me new package data with my right shoulder unit swapped to a diffusive impact cannon! I'll give you three days to get it done."

But after a repeat from her maintenance team on the other side of the call, she felt even more mad.

"What?" She cried. "Don't tell me you can't! You just do it!"

She then disconnects the call and prepares herself to take flight to begin her solo training.

"Just you watch, Liu!" Rin said. "You're gonna regret not being a student here at the IS Academy. I won't forgive you even if you beg for forgiveness in tears!"

WITH CHARLOTTE DUNOIS…

Charlotte was standing on top of the IS Academy Island tower, right near the tip of it, while in her IS, Rafale Revive Custom II. After taking a deep breath, she falls backwards and lets gravity do the rest for her free fall. Then, three sets of target holograms, forming downwards like they were showing a DNA diagram, emerge and follow her.

"Let's go, Revive!"

Turning around, she opens fire with her assault rifle in her right hand, scoring a bullseye on each target before she conjures up her knife.

*SLICE*

*SLING*

*SHIING*

And with three miraculously and stunning swings of her knife against three more targets, she lands and skids across the arena.

She felt confident as she scored a perfect score. "I'll be a tough opponent, Ichika."

WITH LAURA BODEWIG…

Meanwhile in the locker room, with all the lights dim and dark, Laura Bodewig sits on her bench sharpening her knife.

After she finishes sharpening and looks at it, she smirks of seeing her reflection on the blade.

"I shall show you true terror," Laura said before she points the knife at the locker. "I'll carve it over your entire body, Kingslayer!"

In that moment, she saw an image of the Kingslayer appear on the locker, which was enough for her to act and throw her knife at the image.

*DING*

She hit the target dead on.

But then she gasps, realizing what she had just done to her locker. Opening it, she fines a picture of Raiden now punctured due to the knife that was thrown at it.

"I-I can fix it with some tape," Laura said as she scrummages through her locker room for some.

But as she looks around, from above, a whole shelve of knives falls onto her, burying her in it. At least all the knives were sheathed.

"Medic, Medic!" She cried.

Or were they?

WITH HOUKI SHINONONO…

In the dojo, Houki stood alone in a battōjutsu stance, ready to draw out her katana. Unlike the others, she was not practicing in her IS. Instead, she opted to train her body and mind in the one place she was most comfortable in. And the one place where she can clear her head.

'I shall be merciful. I'll give you the least pain by finishing you in an instant, Raiden!'

Her mind flashes back to seeing Raiden's battōjutsu, back when she was kidnapped last semester by Udō Hina. How he combined both battōjutsu and Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryū to finish off his opponent in one blow. But at the time he executed it, he was already reverted back to his identity as Hitokiri Kingslayer.

In Houki's mind, she wants to try and imitate the battōjutsu Raiden performed. It was something she saw as powerful. Houki had learned the consequences of acquiring power last semester, but she needs to keep her skills sharp and get stronger if she were to have any chance to win. She wasn't arrogant, but she was a samurai. And samurai are both honorable yet prideful, in a good way so to speak.

Drawing her katana and taking a stance, she readies herself for her workout, raising the blade above her head.

"Houki-chan, caught you!" The voice of Tatenashsi interrupted while simultaneously grabbing her breasts from behind.

The samurai was surprised, having been caught off-guard. "Tatenashi-senpai?!"

After Tatenashi lets go, she notices the katana drawn. "Oh? Practicing with a real sword, eh?"

"I suppose I am," Houki said while lowering it.

"So, Houki-chan… Team up with me!"

Houki was surprised. "Huh?"

AT THE SCANNER ROOM…

With Tatenashi in the control room overseeing the scans and Houki in the machine and in her IS suit, they first needed to do an analysis of Houki's stats and abilities as an IS pilot. Since she is the most recent girl to have a Personal IS, especially one created by her sister, they needed to know just how far she has come since last semester.

"Let me analyze your physical data first," Tatenashi said behind the console.

Houki though was not sure. "Well… go ahead."

"Okay, all ready. Let's begin."

As the ring moves upwards, Houki's physical data is scanned and delivered over to Tatenashi. But that is when she gasps.

"No way…" She went wide eyed.

"Is something the matter?" asked a concerned Houki.

"Your boobs are big," Tatenashi replied while looking at her own. "Maybe even slightly bigger than mine. No wonder Dear Raiden likes them."

That sent a big shock to Houki, especially when the name of her boyfriend got mentioned. "Wh-What exactly are you analyzing?! Please take this seriously!"

Tatenashi giggles, "My bad."

In the showers stood a naked Kanzashi, alone and thinking on a lot of things as of late. But one thought remained a constant source of pain and agony within her mind.

'How long has being a Sarashiki been a source of pain? How long, exactly, have I not been able to face her?'

Kanzashi didn't know as all she could hear was the water pouring down her face. She sighs and looks down, concerned about one thing she is working on right now.

'If the flight test tomorrow goes well, I'll…'

MEANWHILE…

Back at the scanner room, Tatenashi was still analyzing Houki's physical data. It was already dark, and she had the room all to herself. Opening several display screens to compare the data, her expression became extremely serious.

"How is this possible?" She asked herself.

On the left side, Houki's personal biometrics from when she entered the Academy were displayed. Her physical ability was top-notch, but the most important 'IS compatibility' was rated at C. Tatenashi then turned to the display screen on the right side, seeing the latest biometrics she just got, and over there, the 'IS compatibility' was rated with the letter S.

The biggest factor in the compatibility was that the pilot had to be born with it. Of course, the compatibility would naturally increase through training and synchronizing with the IS...

"I've never seen someone go from C to S in such a short time," Tatenashi noted.

The only ones who have the IS compatibility S are people like 'Brunhilde' who won the Mondo Grosso, and Raiden as Hitokiri Kingslayer. In terms of compatibility, Houki was equal to the three strongest pilots in the world. This sort of thing shouldn't be possible at all—logically, it should be like that.

"Is Shinonono Tabane the key here?" She asked.

Tatenashi again gazed at the screen seriously. A sharp glint could be seen from the eyes that belonged to the Sarashiki's.

In one part of the IS Academy stood the maintenance room where all IS were treated either for repairs or modifications. Cecilia and Rin were there with their respective mechanics, going over the specs of what mods to place and/or what need replacing.

"To improve rotation ability, I'd like to get the booster output beefed up," Cecilia suggested.

"We could, but it'll be harder to control overall," Her mechanic said in concern. "It'll compromise safety too."

"I'll take the risk!" Cecilia exclaimed. "This is one match I can't afford to lose!"

A male voice soon interrupts them, in the form of Raiden. "Cecilia-dono! Rin-dono!"

"Huh? Oh, Raiden! You're here?" asked Rin.

"Have any of you seen Ichika lately?" asked Raiden. "I've been looking all over for him around the Academy."

The mere mention of Ichika was enough for both Cecilia and Rin to turn sour in their moods, knowing that the Orimura is paired up with someone else and it was not among the other girls. But with him not asking the question, they decide to hide their anger in front of Raiden and give a simple response.

"We haven't, no," Rin said.

"If we do spot him, we'll report to you!" Cecilia concurred.

"Excuse me, Raiden," Charlotte said from behind, who was accompanied by Laura. "Laura and I need to get to our IS."

"Oh, sorry," Raiden said, moving to the side.

Charlotte and Laura soon enter in with their supplies, and in a hurry. That was quite odd of the two though. Either they were trying to prepare themselves for the tournament or it was something else, something Raiden perhaps doesn't want to know.

'Hmm, I checked everywhere around the Academy. If I know Ichika, he is still looking for Kanzashi. Perhaps… he is at the arena?'

Meanwhile at the arena in the launch bay, Kanzashi prepared herself. After a deep breath to empty her nerves, she calls forth her IS, Uchigane Nishiki, whose standby mode was a ring on her middle finger on her right hand.

"Come forth, Uchigane Nishiki!" Kanzashi commands.

Extending her hand out as the light emanated from her ring, Kanzashi's IS activates. She was already in the process of typing out on a holographic keyboard.

"It'll work today for sure," She said to herself with hope. While there may be repairs to make for adjustments, she is hoping that there will not be any form of catastrophic failure. The only way to find out was to test the IS she built herself.

Given the green light, she takes off from the arena and uses the thrusters on the legs of her IS to fly upwards. Already she was climbing high in altitude and was continuing to type on her keyboard while monitoring her IS for any signs of trouble.

"The controls are fine," She observed as she types. "Onto Hyper Sensor linking. Connect!"

Increasing the thrusters, she makes a few round trips around the sky and climbs even higher.

"Posture support thruster, no issues. Adjusting point for expansion. Adjusting the gravity head to six centimeters in front of the main frame away from the PIC interference zone."

Parts of her IS started to shift in order to increase efficiency and capacity.

"Re-igniting with leg booster balance at -4."

Her leg boosters stopped momentarily before increasing once again to maximum speed. A flip later and she was already circling the IS tower.

BACK ON THE GROUND…

Ichika arrives at the IS arena but finds it empty. No IS in sight, at least on ground level.

"She's not here either?" asked Ichika himself.

He then hears another voice to his left. "Ichika, there you are."

"Raiden?" Ichika turns his head. "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you, that I was. What of you?"

"I'm looking for Kanzashi-san. You see her anywhere?"

Raiden then heard something in the air, using his ears to detect the sound of an IS.

"Ichika, you hear that?" He asked. "Sounds like an IS in the air."

"Huh?" Ichika looks up and sees Kanzashi in her IS flying all over.

"Kanzashi-san! Oh, that must be her IS!" said Ichika. Raiden had a different expression as he was thinking to himself and analyzing her situation.

'At that speed and height, even with an Uchigane heavily modified, her thrusters won't take that much pressure.'

Raiden was right though as the right leg thruster on Uchigane Nishiki was starting to lose power. Like fuel from a jet engine, it was already spewing out fumes, using what it can to reach maximum height under pressure.

*BOOM*

Suddenly, a stabilizer blows out near the thrusters. Kanzashi is thrown off balance, like a jet fighter whose wing has been clipped. And she begins free falling with no way to control her fall. At the height she was at in the air, she'll hit the ground hard and it will not be survivable even with the Absolute Defense system. If she survived though, Uchigane Nishiki would be beyond salvageable.

"Reaction control isn't working! What's going on?!" asked Kanzashi as she was trying to override her commands but to no avail with all the error messages popping up. Already she could see that she was falling to the ground fast.

"Ichika, get her!" cried Raiden. Ichika nods as he jumps over the arena stand and wastes no time at all activating his IS and going after a falling Kanzashi.

"Come forth, Byakushiki!" He cried.

Ichika's IS activates as he flies immediately towards Kanzashi, taking off at full speed just to catch up to her.

Kanzashi already had tears coming forth from her eyes. She could already see the image of her sister looking back at her.

"Onee-chan…" She whispered.

That same image that continued to haunt her turned to her with that smile of confidence, or perhaps arrogance in her eyes, before she started to walk away into the light.

'No…no…You're still that far ahead of me?'

"I'm…hopeless," She said as she closes her eyes, accepting her fate.

"Kanzashi!" cried Ichika as he hurried over to the falling girl. He manages to catch her just in time before she hit the ground but through a rough tumble that sends them into a wall that crashes. When the dust clears, Ichika was holding Kanzashi bridal style with his back against a wall and in pain.

Kanzashi opens her eyes to look at her savior and was shocked as she held her hands to herself.

As Kanzashi opens her eyes to find herself alive and unharmed, she is shocked to see who it was that just saved her.

"O-Orimura-kun!"

Ichika opens his eyes, chuckling while in pain. "I really felt that one."

"U-Um…" Kanzashi tried to speak but she was then interrupted by another voice.

"You two alright?" asked Raiden as he lands in his IS Lion Heart.

"Ah, yes. We're alright, Raiden," said Ichika.

"Good to hear. Kanzashi-dono? Are you hurt?"

"Ah...no. I'm good," said Kanzashi.

Ichika soon smiles, "That's good to hear."

LATER…

Back at the hangar, the three reconvene regarding what had just happened. Ichika looks at a screen that looked like some sort of form before he closes it.

"Well, it doesn't really come as a surprise, but we'll have to submit a written explanation," Ichika said.

"I can take care of that, Ichika, that I will," Raiden reassured. "What's more important is that we just averted total disaster, that we did."

A hesitant Kanzashi slightly bows. "Um… It was my fault."

"Don't worry about it," Ichika said. "It was your IS malfunctioning. Not your fault."

Kanzashi though was still hesitant as she squeezes her hands together. "U-Um… Th-Thank you."

"Huh?" asked a confused Ichika.

"Um, for saving me earlier," Kanzashi clarified.

"Oh, that. I just did what was right." But then he notices Kanzashi still looking down. "What's the matter, Kanzashi-san?"

She gasps and looks away, "Nothing."

"Anyway, aren't you hungry? Let's go grab something to eat!" Ichika then looks at Raiden. "You coming with, Raiden?"

"Actually, I will have to decline," Raiden said. "I need to do some maintenance work on my IS. There's a few chinks and bugs in it that need working."

When class had resumed, Kanzashi was back at Class 1-4, in the corner of her room on her seat, contemplating about what had happened during lunch time with Ichika.

'That was more than him feeding me. W-We indirectly kissed!'

Having that flashback of Ichika feeding her at lunch time caused Kanzashi to gasp and hide her red face in her booklet.

'Wh-What am I doing? What's happening to me?'

She then heard a familiar voice. "If you're not sure, just try it out."

Looking up with a gasp, she was surprised to see Ichika before her.

"Team up with me, Kanzashi-san," Ichika requested.

Kanzashi though was not sure as she turns her head to the right and looks down. "B-But… I don't know. I just don't know."

"You'll never get anywhere if you never start."

"You have a point, but…"

"There nothing to worry about," Ichika said as he points to his own chest with confidence. "Leave everything to me!"

As if seeing an illusion, she see Ichika as the same person as the hero from her favorite anime series.

He then holds a hand out to her. "Come on! Let's team up, Kanzashi!"

Once she clings back to reality though, she realized the position she was in which startles her. "Wait… huh?"

"I did it!" Ichika jumps for joy. "You agreed, right?"

"W-Well…"

"Awesome!" Ichika said while grabbing her hand. "Let's run to the faculty room! We're signing up as partners!"

LATER…

At night, both Ichika and Kanzashi were overlooking Uchigane Nishiki in the maintenance room.

"How far along are you with your IS?" asked Ichika.

"The armament still needs work," Kanzashi answered. "Plus, I haven't really been able to test it, so it's not ready for actual battles yet."

"I see," Ichika said before turning to face her. "By the way, what do you mean by armaments?"

"High-performance guided missiles based on a multi lock-on system. The charged particle cannon isn't ready yet either."

"Charged particle cannon?" asked Ichika, realizing that it was the same weapon he has for range. "You could use Byakushiki's data!"

Ichika then pulls up a screen detailing his IS then starts scrolling through the armaments. "Let's see… This is Yukihira Nigata's, so… There it is! We can fetch the operation data later. For now… let's do what we can."

This makes Kanzashi blush of what he said. "Okay."

Meanwhile in the arena, Houki and Tatenashi had finished with their training as partners for the tournament.

"Thank you so much!" Houki bows to her senpai, thanking for the training.

"Don't worry about it!" Tatenashi exclaimed. "All right, let's go shower!"

This makes Houki turn red out of embarrassment as she stands upright. "Huh? Wai—"

But Tatenashi grabs her left arm and begins to drag her along. "Nothing wrong with it, right?"

"Please don't pull me!" Houki pleaded but was otherwise forced to go along. "I can walk on my own!"

But as Houki is continuously dragged on, she looks to see Tatenashi's hand pulling hers and instantly her mind flashes back to her childhood, long before the Infinite Stratos was ever made. Back to a time when she and Tabane were just children. Just little girls having fun and being curious.

'She used to pull my hand like this.'

But then another image flashes to one of two IS pilots fighting one another. Their faces and IS were hard to make out.

'Yet I hurt her.'

By the time Tatenashi and Houki were in the showers, the latter was thinking a lot regarding her sister. And of her past. Houki was never one to reminisce on the past and if she did, it would only be the ones with Ichika in it or at least events that were related to him on some way. Moving away from him and not seeing him for six years was hard for her, especially at a boy she once had feelings for. Now though it was nothing more than a simple memory from a more simpler time, not with someone like Raiden as her boyfriend.

Exhaling, Tatenashi exclaims, "This feels great! Don't you agree, Houki-chan?"

Houki though doesn't answer as she clears her head, feeling the hot water overwhelm her body.

"Thinking about something?" Tatenashi asked.

This interrupts Houki's thoughts. "Yeah, I was just thinking… about my sister."

"Houki-chan, do you keep a distance from your big sister, Dr. Tabane?" asked Tatenashi.

"I don't hate her, Houki revealed. "I am grateful for her giving me a Personal IS."

"I see. That's good to hear," A smiling Tatenashi said. "Family members gotta get along!" But then her voice turns melancholy. "Though I'm not the one to talk."

Tatenashi's mood was a bit melancholic, still thinking so much of her little sister.

"But I can never tell what she's thinking," Houki said about her sister

Tatenashi turns off her shower and rests herself on top of the shower door. "Are you afraid because you can't tell?"

No answer was given but Tatenashi figured out that the silence meant a yes. "Of course you are. I feel the same way."

Houki was surprised as she turns to face the student council president.

"It's all right," Tatenashi reassured. "Don't worry. I'm sure your big sister loves you."

Houki was not so certain. Her sister has always been eccentric if not crazy. She only asked for a Personal IS from her simply because she wanted to catch up with the others and fight alongside Raiden. And she nearly became drunk on power when she acquired it, if not for Ichika snapping her out of it and Raiden saving her from the kidnapping led by Udō Hina.

But speaking of Raiden, Tatenashi had something she wanted to ask her partner,

"Hey, Houki-chan," Tatenashi decides to switch subjects. "How has Dear Raiden been lately?"

This surprises Houki. "Eh? Wh-What do you mean?"

"Well, you're his roommate, aren't you?" She asked. "And aren't you guys very close?"

Houki didn't respond as she remembers the relationship she was in with the blind boy. She was still a little ticked off that Raiden had told Kaoruko Mayuzumi during the interview that the two of them were in a relationship even if the question was an unofficial one. Her face becomes red remembering the kiss and the picture taken with it.

"Hitokiri Kingslayer, huh?" Tatenashi wondered aloud. "You have to wonder who created such an infamous hitokiri in the first place."

"Who created?" asked Houki, her mind snapped out of her more bashful moments with Raiden.

"Well… someone must've been involved in it. It can't have just been the fact that he slew the King and Queen of Luxembourg ten years ago. Somebody planned for that to happen. And Raiden was the tool used for the job. The question is who and how?"

It was something to consider. For Houki, she really doesn't know much. She did say that she doesn't care about one's past, especially Raiden's. But as his girlfriend secretly, a part of her does wonder about what Raiden's childhood was like.

All that she knows is that Raiden is the infamous Hitokiri Kingslayer, someone who murdered the king and queen of Luxembourg ten years ago. She also knows that Akane Fujimoto is his guardian and caretaker, along with Miriam Walker, but neither of them taught Raiden Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryū.

And who gave him the order to assassinate the royalty of Luxembourg is unknown. During her kidnapping by Udō Hina, she only heard that the hitokiri was a member of Phantom Task and called Raiden the same. But Houki did not want to believe in the words of a madwoman.

Now though, with the recent events by the group she first heard of, Houki wonders what Raiden's connections to them are. Not to mention that against Silent Zephyrus, he revealed the pilot was a hitokiri like him. Now she wonders what Raiden's past is like, having initially not cared for it before when the two first met.

It was a thought that made her scared.

Back in the maintenance area, as night had fallen, Ichika and Kanzashi realized it was late. But the progress they made on Uchigane Nishiki was slow. Thankfully, with the data shared by Byakushiki, its performance was improved but there were still too many parts that needed fixing, mostly on the construction itself.

"Hey, let's ask the maintenance students for help tomorrow," Ichika suggested. "We don't have much time until the tag matches. That'll be the safest way."

Kanzashi gasped a bit, realizing it was the best plan. But that would also involve a certain childhood friend of hers who is also Raiden's partner for the tag matches.

"Y-Yeah, we can do that," She agreed.

Ichika smiles as he stands up. "Shall we go home now, Kanzashi-san?"

Kanzashi though doesn't answer, keeping silent but this makes Ichika catch on to it.

"What's the matter?" He asked.

A bashful and meek Kanzashi stands up but was now hesitant in front of the boy she once hated and who saved her.

"Y-You can drop the '-san,'" She said.

"What?"

"Just…" She muttered before she next spoke in a loud voice. "Just call me Kanzashi!"

And with that, she takes off like a rabbit, leaving Ichika alone and confused as usual of what she just said and did.

Once she makes it back to her room, she closes the door and leans her back into it, breathing like she just ran a triathlon.

"I… I said it!" She whispered as she holds her hands to her heart. "I'm… acting strange. I might be in love."

THE NEXT DAY…

"Ichika!" Raiden called out to him and Kanzashi. "I brought the maintenance team you requested for."

And behind him were a couple of familiar faces, Kaoruko Mayuzumi and Honne Nohotoke. The other two were unknown to them but one sported long black hair with four hair pins at the front while the other had short blue hair that was somewhat messy.

"Hey!" Kaoruko called out.

Honne giggles. "We're here to help out!"

"Thanks for coming!" Ichika thanked and bowed.

"You're gonna go out with me for a day in return for this!" Kaoruko teased which startles Ichika.

Meanwhile, Honne runs up happily to her childhood friend. "Kan-chan!"

"Kan-chan?" asked a bewildered Raiden.

"Honne, sorry about the short notice," Kanzashi apologizes.

"Why are you apologizing? I'll do my best to help you today!"

"Thanks," Kanzashi thanks with Honne giggling.

Everyone soon looks at the incomplete Uchigane Nishiki. It needed some work, but they felt like they could get it done within the day.

"All right!" Kaoruko said. "We don't have much time, so let's get to work!"

Soon, the entire maintenance crew gets to work on Uchigane Nishiki. With the girls working on repairing parts of the IS physically, Kanzashi was behind her console as usual working on the data and software of her IS. As for the boys, they were assigned to assistant duty to give the girls anything they need for the IS, mostly spare parts and maintenance tools. Since Ichika was mechanically inept and Raiden is somewhat a mechanic but not a perfect one, the role they were in as delivery boys was rather fitting for them. Sure they would get pushed around but they trusted the girls who knew how to engineer an IS.

"Orimura-kun, bring me the jumbo spanner and the high-frequency cutter!" Kaoruko requested.

"O-Okay!" Ichika said, bringing the two pieces of equipment over, if he knows what they look like.

"Data scanner and ultrasonic wave checker, please!" The girl with the black hair requested, with Raiden taking care of that.

"Right away!" Raiden said.

"Orimura, get me something to drink," The blue haired requested.

"Okay!" Ichika said, bringing the juice.

Honne then asked her partner, "Hatata, grab a cookie for me!"

Raiden then tosses the cookie from the snack bag, "Catch!"

Honne catches it easily in her mouth and chews on it cutely while still working on the thrusters of Uchigane Nishiki. Let's hope she doesn't get crumbs in the machine.

Kaoruko then came with the most odd request of items. "Get me a bottle of shampoo from the student store!"

"That has nothing to do with this!" Ichika cried.

LATER AT NIGHTFALL…

Kaoruko wipes the sweat off of her forehead as she and everyone else look at the complete Uchigane Nishiki.

"That should do," She said.

Honne high fives the black haired girl. "Yay!"

"Th-Thank you so much," Kanzashi bows to the girls. "I-I couldn't do it by myself. Really… Thank you so much!"

"No worries!" Kaoruko replied. "We're all friends and classmates! All right, we'll be on our way, then!"

"Orimu, please take care of the clean-up!" Honne requested. "Come with us, Hatata!"

Soon Raiden and the maintenance crew departed, turning in for the night. And Honne for some reason clings to Raiden wanting head pats from him like she was a fox.

"That worked out," Ichika complimented.

"Yeah, thanks to them," Kanzashi agreed.

"Let's give our best in the tournament, Kanzashi."

"Y-Yeah!"

LATER THAT NIGHT…

As Ichika finishes his bath, he steps out of the bathroom with a towel around his neck while wiping his head. With his pajamas of a shirt and short pants,hHe was ready to turn in for bed but his current roommate had other ideas.

"Ciao," called out Tatenashi while sitting on the bed, near naked and wearing only her panties and a white shirt.

Ichika though was not impressed. "You broke in again?"

She then lays herself on the bed on her stomach and asks, "Ichika-kun, give me a massage!"

Sighing in reluctance, Ichika walks over and massages Tatenashi's back. If there was ever one thing he was good at, it was giving massages to girls who somehow elicit strange noises upon being touched.

"You're on good terms with your sister, aren't you?" Tatenashi asked.

Ichika found the question to be strange. "Why do you ask?"

Tatenashi turns her head to face him. "I mean, Orimura-sensei is especially strict on you."

"How is that being on good terms?"

But Tatenashi could only be flabbergasted. "Man, you're so clueless." She then then looks away, as if thinking about her own little sister. "You're so important, so special to her. That's why she's hard on you. She doesn't want you to die."

Ichika did not really understand what Tatenashi meant. It was if they were words he already knew and understood, at least in his mind. It's just another trait of his dense mind. He knows Chifuyu is family to him, the only family he needs, but he doesn't understand just how far family goes for one another.

A simple truth yet something to consider very important.

"Well, in case a war breaks out or something, of course!" Tatenashi flips back to her usual self, and kills the mood. "All right, Ichika-kun, massage my butt!"

That freaks him out. "Why do I have to?!"

Tatenashi giggles, "I just wanted to see your reaction!"

MEANWHILE…

Kanzashi was walking down the dorm hallway with a bag of muffins. Baked by herself, they were a treat to give to Ichika.

"I wonder if Orimura-kun will eat these," She said to herself.

Just as she turns around the corner where Ichika's room was, she hears and sees the door to his room open, which makes her hide.

"Please. Let me go," Ichika said as he was being dragged out by Tatenashi.

"Oh, come on," Tatenashi playfully teased before she switches topics. "So how are things going with Kanzashi-chan's IS? Did you get it working?"

Kanzashi was shocked as she turns back into the corner, wondering what it was that she just heard.

"What is going on?" She asked herself as she listens more.

"Well, I guess you could say that," Ichika replied to Tatenashi.

"My IS data came in handy, didn't it?"

That was the big drop bomb on the little sister, realizing that the data shared to her IS came directly from her older sister. The one whom she is estranged with.

"It was all Nee-san," Kanzashi said to herself.

Now she understood the reason why Ichika wanted to pair up with her in the first place. Why he shared his data with her. Why he requested the maintenance crew to help with her IS. Why her maid and childhood friend Honne Nohotoke was paired up with Raiden for the tournament.

It was because Tatenashi requested him to do so.

*PLOP*

She drops the bags of muffins that crumbled within the bag, breaking apart.

"N-No…" A despaired Kanzashi soon runs, retreating back to her dorm room and falling to the floor.

The room was dark but Kanzashi did not bother turning on the lights for despair all but gripped her heart like a gnarled root constricting around it. In that moment of realizing her older sister was behind everything, she could only feel the pressure once more, crushing her like she was being stepped on by an elephant's foot.

And throughout the rest of the night in her room, she only cried and shed tears, spilling them on the floor. In her mind, she had been played with by her sister, not knowing that Tatenashi did all this for her little sister's sake. But Kanzashi would not be able to realize that.

CHIFUYU'S OFFICE…

Chifuyu sat in her office, leaning back into her chair like she just completed a workout at the gym. Asides from the usual work she got as a teacher of the IS Academy, there was still a lot on her mind of what she had uncovered regarding Phantom Task. Thankfully during the day, she could store those thoughts away and focus on her job at hand.

But come nightfall when she is alone and has time for herself, she adopts a rather different face. One that even Ichika does not know of. Try to break it or humor her, and it'll be like adding eight ounces of water to a grease fire.

Her mind was still on Phantom Task. She was waiting for their next move to show up. The game she was forced to play was like a chessboard. She already made her move with the Tag Team tournament. Now, it was up to the enemy, Phantom Task's leader, to make theirs.

Unfortunately, she cannot do anything against the terrorist organization. Mainly because her hands are tied as they are. With Ichika being her student here, she has to look after him and the myriad of other students in the Academy. And with very few people knowing of what really happened in Germany five years ago at the 2nd Mondo Grosso, it felt like the past was catching up to her. Already she can feel the wound on her left side throbbing, a wound that never healed physically despite the many medical trials she undertook to heal it.

This felt hopeless for her. She felt like she will have to be on a one-man army mission. She wasn't going to risk her students to fight but it seems like she may have no choice in the long run. With her incapacitated in secret and prioritizing the safety of the students, she would have to leave it to Raiden to keep everything together and lead the fight with Ichika and the girls.

There was however one person who knows of her secret regarding the 2nd Mondo Grosso five years ago. Someone she can talk to, a former IS pilot and former Navy petty officer who was, at one time, Chifuyu's IS maintenance chief during her IS pilot days up to the 2nd Mondo Grosso.

'What time is it in Mexico right now?'

Chifuyu then looks up the time and sees that is midafternoon. But this makes her smirk a little.

'Of course. Cocktail time.'

Feeling that she needs some answers, she picks up her phone and dials an international foreign number. Holding the phone to her ear, she waits for a moment as all she hears was the ringtone, waiting for that someone to pick up.

Soon, she stops hearing the ringing as someone did pick up the phone on the other side, while dressed in her bikini and laying on one of the beach lawn chairs with a large hat, sunglasses, and a fruit cocktail on the side.

This woman had long and wavy blond hair, blue eyes, full lips, and a beauty mark located under the right side of her mouth. She is well known for her curvaceous figure; of which her most distinctive trait is her very large breasts. She also wore a thin golden necklace tucked between her cleavage and a long pink transparent scarf over her shoulders. As for the bikini she wore, it was Hawaiian colors of orange for the background and adorned with a Hawaiian flower of pink on each pad.

(Author's Note: For appearance, she is modeled after Rangiku Matsumoto from Bleach, but imagine her in a bikini)

And for anyone wondering where this beautiful woman was, she was in Mexico. Specifically on the island of Cozumel. A paradise for those who want to get away from normal society, especially for this contact of Chifuyu's.

"Only one person in Japan knows where to find me at this time of year," The woman said as she holds the phone to her ear with a smirk. "How are you doing, Chifuyu?"

"Well, I'm surviving, Himari," Chifuyu said spinning her chair around. "You?"

"Sun's hot, beer's cold, weather's nice," The woman named Himari said. "Got no complaints. You changed your mind in wanting to come here?"

"Every day," Chifuyu admits as she pours herself some scotch with ice. "But then something stops me."

"What's stopping you this time?" Himari asked.

Chifuyu then answered, "Phantom Task."

Himari then knew that the subject was serious, as was the call as she sits up in her lawn chair. "Haven't heard that name in years. They're back, aren't they?"

"We had a couple of scuffles with them over here," Chifuyu said as she heads over to her couch in her office, while carrying and setting down a cup of scotch on the table.

"Yeah, I know," Himari said as she drinks her fruit cocktail. "I heard the news, but I wasn't so certain. Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that. I got the report regarding the remains of the Seekers and of their creation thanks to some contacts of mine in the Navy. And what I beheld shook me. I've never felt this disturbed in a long time."

Chifuyu was a bit surprised. "What scared you, Himari? What was it about the Seekers you discovered and of Phantom Task?"

"It probably stems from their construction, of their design to both assault and kill IS pilots. The way they were created from the ground up, composed of IS parts, retrofitted and redesigned. I'm not trying to admire Phantom Task's methods or anything, but it does bear something of a similarity to your first IS, the White Knight. The only IS in the world that Tabane had extensively modified and retrofitted."

"What do you mean?" asked Chifuyu.

"To put it simply, both you and Phantom Task possess IS that have been modified to an extent where they are deemed world threatening. As news of Phantom Task's attacks on the Academy continue, fear will spread across the media regarding this terrorist group. While many may treat it as just a low-key threat, they do not know of the real horrors of who they are, especially if they are in possession of the IS. Everyone will want to know their motives; the age we live in, for better or for worse, is one of suppression. There will be people across the globe who are influenced by these new ideas."

Chifuyu then replies, "If that's true, there could be an increase in crime. But the criminals could strike out on their own and the security forces piloting the IS would stop them."

"But that is where Phantom Task comes in at the forefront," Himari then revealed as she takes her sunglasses off. "The attack during the festival suggest that Phantom Task was merely there to spread terror and steal IS, not declare an all-out war. But in these repeated attempts, it will make Phantom Task more than just a terrorist organization. It will go from a group of like-minded terrorists that attacked the Academy to being recognized as a group with an ideology, especially with the kind of firepower they are bringing. In other words, these new converts will seek them out."

This startles Chifuyu dearly, making her gasp a bit which is very rare from the Brunhilde. But that was not the worst of it as Himari continues on with her theory regarding Phantom Task.

"Even if each individual is insignificant, pilot or not, if that evil gathers under one banner it could swell to unstoppable proportions. If the enemy general knew that this would happen from the beginning, then this leader of this organization is a brilliant strategist. She is slowly getting rid of any and all obstacles one by one that would make the Alaska Treaty useless in order to enact a full scale war, a purpose with which these conditions give her the green light to blow up the powder keg."

Chifuyu grits her teeth, realizing what Himari was on to. She then grips her hand resting on her thigh, realizing who this enemy general in charge of Phantom Task might be.

"When I heard from Miriam Walker of the CIA that the Seekers were created from retrofitted parts of the IS, and of learning who Kikiyo Inazumi and Nobuo Iwasaki really follow, I had a bad feeling…"

Himari knew then what Chifuyu was talking about. "The IS pilot who planned the abduction of your brother in Germany during the 2nd Mondo Grosso, one of the thirteen original pilots chosen by Tabane who opened that hole in your stomach…"

Chifuyu's worst fears were soon confirmed.

"Edea Crownsworth, Archon of Phantom Task, must be starting to move again."

Anger and hate grip Chifuyu like a gnarled root as she grits and grinds her teeth. She knew of that name. A name she never wanted to hear ever again. A name best forgotten and wiped away from history.

A name she thought had died five years ago during the 2nd Mondo Grosso incident. During which she thrusted her sword through her heart, supposedly killing her. Even if Edea gave Chifuyu that wound in her stomach in return.

"For her to survive from that injury I gave her…" Chifuyu growled lowly as she grips her phone. "I can't believe that is even possible."

Himari sympathized with Chifuyu, understanding her anger and wrath. If Chifuyu's old enemy was back, then that would mean Edea is looking for vengeance. With her most likely incapacitated, Edea would have to send out her forces of Phantom Task to do the things she cannot do, like Ichika's near assassination. And Himari knew that Chifuyu, wounded as she was, will not be able to keep such a secret about what happened during the 2nd Mondo Grosso for long.

"Chifuyu, your little brother admires you so bravely," Himari noted. "You should find the time to tell him properly about everything concerning the 2nd Mondo Grosso five years ago. Be honest; he deserves the truth."

Chifuyu had no reply, but she listened her former maintenance crew's words of wisdom. But even so, the atmosphere in her office was tense. She still bore that face of fury, of the fact that her most hated rival whom she thought died five years ago was still alive somehow. The image from that rainy night of when she thrusted her blade onto Edea's heart was a memory she had never forgotten. The only other person in the Academy who knows the truth is Raiden, but he has kept his word of silence. For her sake and for Ichika's.

But Chifuyu knew Himari was right. It was time to tell Ichika the truth. The sooner the better, and Chifuyu hopes that what her little brother will hear will not somehow make him reckless and foolish as to go after the enemy without preparation.

There is really not much to say for this chapter, other than everyone preparing for the Tag Team Tournament individually and Ichika trying to convince Kanzashi to be his partner. Granted there were parts where Raiden offered his assistance but it was again hard for me to fit him into this chapter because it focused so much on Ichika and Kanzashi. Hopefully though next chapter I have a better idea of how to use him.

All we know so gar is that the girls are training in their own time, Ichika is trying to help Kanzashi, and her older sister Tatenashi is paired up with Houki, who grows close considering the situation with their own respective sisters. And that they both feel something for Raiden. For those wondering of Tatenashi's relationship status with Raiden, they are NOT a pair. She is just very flirty with him. But other than that, again, they are NOT a pair.

And now Kanzashi is back to her old self and slump again upon realizing her older sister was behind everything regarding her and her IS. But I have a plan to rectify that with Raiden in it, long before the IS fight.

Finally, this chapter ends with Chifuyu calling someone of her past regarding Phantom Task and the events of the 2nd Monod Grosso tournament five years ago. The OC I made for that scene is one I made of my own. She is not a canon character. I just want to make that clear in this author's note. But back to the scene. We all know canonically Phantom Task was the one who sabotaged Chifuyu's win at the 2nd Mondo Grosso by kidnapping her brother and robbing her of the title of Brunhilde but we do not know for what purpose and who ordered it. Now we do: none other than someone of Chifuyu's past i.e. her most hated enemy who did all of this just to spite her. Someone she thought she killed long ago during the events of that day. A secret she has kept for herself that only she, Raiden, and a few others outside the Academy know of.

Edea Crownsworth, the name of the Archon of Phantom Task. Madoka Orimura's teacher, and Chifuyu Orimura's enemy who opened that hole in her stomach.

Next chapter will be the final chapter of the Kanzashi Sarashiki arc. Asides from being one of the more refreshing episodes of seeing an IS fight against some Golems, it will again be another difficult battle one to make Raiden fit in. But I do plan to change up the ending of the fight, especially with Olrun the Valkyrie IS pilot who was mentioned in the previous chapter coming in.

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