Good day, my dear readers.
Can any of you believe that we started this chapter five years ago? Holy Crap. Just like I can't believe that I have been on this site for nearly ten years.
Or that I'm turning 30 in November. Time flies, use it well and regret the things you have done, not the ones you haven't done. I sound like an old fart.
It's also serendipity that this chapter is the 26th chapter of this fic as we are updating this fic on the anniversary date, which is the 26th of January.
While I am happy that I am updating this fast and that I have some new followers, I would have hoped for more reviews. For all the numbers, this boasts, it'd be nice to get a few new ones.
I'm back home. Got myself a few weeks from work but I had my own plans for those. Namely, catching up with the Division Two.
We're getting into more Light Novel territory and I'm not sure how that would go down. What I can think of though, is that this fic is nearing its climax. But that is neither here nor there.
The chapter after this one will be in July most likely.
Started on 02/01/2025
Ended on 23/01/2025
Posted on 26/01/2025
Openings song. Five Finger Death Punch. When the seasons change
"Talking"
'Thinking'
[Telepathic conversation]
[Phone call]
Ichika was barely able to open the door before he stumbled inside. His little sister wasn't much better for it as she swung onto the wall.
For both twins, physical exhaustion was not met with disdain but rejoiced as it indicated growth. But it was rarely doubled with mental exhaustion. While it usually was something both disliked, they had learned to deal with the other demon as they had studied in Tabane's lab.
This time, it was both of their effects.
Unleashing the Beast in pure fury was something that both twins had done but keeping it under control was another matter. Falling on his bed, Ichika couldn't even think of changing out of his clothes.
They were sweaty, sticky, and grimy but he was too exhausted to even consider peeling those off.
Twisting his head, Ichika noticed how his younger sister came through and landed on the opposite side of the room.
In the weird twist of fate, Madoka fell into a mirrored position as she could look into her brother's eyes.
"Fucking hell."
"Say that again, Ichi-nii."
Both wanted to move to do something but for the first time in years, both of them were too exhausted to move.
"You know. You said you wanted to spend time with me. I wouldn't think this would be a good way." Ichika was reminded of that conversation when he was fishing in the river, with his mind fully set on something else.
There was the sparest chuckle when he got reminded of it. Who would have thought that in two days, their entire lives would be turned upside down? Again.
Prepping himself further on the bed, Ichika moved, wanting to get further on the bed. Madoka followed his example.
"I had a few other ideas. Hanging out in the city." There came a wry smile over his sister's face as she knew how that would turn out. The thought of them having some fun alone time would be close to zero in the foreseeable future.
The girl was the first to drop out like a light and before long, her brother joined along with her. Too exhausted to care. Too tired to worry.
This would just be the start of mastering their horrifying power.
Scene skip
While Ichika and Madoka were too tired of nightmares, some were too shaken up to consider sleeping. Joel Pearce was one of them. Despite the fact it was three in the middle of the morning, he couldn't sleep.
There was always something to do. A machine to work on, a weapon to improve, a design to perfect.
When sleep proved elusive, it was his only way to relax.
To work himself to complete exhaustion and crash in hopefully a place that was well suited for it. Or hope that Mattheus picked him up and tucked him in.
Either would be better as he knew that he couldn't close his eyes. Shutting them would only cause him to think back on the truth.
And just when he tried, a piece of equipment, or just his brain, would cause him to think back on the Orimura siblings.
'I wonder how the others are.' Joel wouldn't think of calling them up. Not at this hour. He would wait three more hours and see who would turn up at his bay. Before long, his phone buzzed.
There was a grin on his face as heavy riffs and drums hit the empty bay with high and fine voices, sang through it.
[Auntie, don't you know what time it is?] Joel answered, masking his internal turmoil with the usual confident banter. It would be nothing more than just an attempt to hide whatever he was feeling.
[Time where you'd be sleeping. You don't have to say anything, Joel-kun. I already know everything that has been going on. And the outcome of what would happen.]
Wiping his eyes, Joel was so damn tired but not sleepy. Insomnia was a bitch to deal with.
[You are not calling me to comfort me.]
[I am not good at that. If I was, I think that much would be prevented. Besides, you have others for that. I call for you for another reason. Do you know Chi-chan's Personal Infinite Stratos unit?]
Joel got out of the machine and swung himself in a seat. In the few seconds that was required, he began to think. He hadn't seen Chifuyu ever using an Infinite Stratos but everyone who didn't live under a rock knew how damn good of a Pilot she was.
[She has a unit?] Joel asked as his mind began to race about it.
[Oh, she does. The Kurezakura. It's one hell of a unit. Take all the good parts of the last few Shiki Units and strap Chi-chan in. You got the World's Superweapon right at the ISA.]
There was a brief shudder coming down Joel's spine as he began to envision an Infinite Stratos like that. In the hands of Chifuyu Orimura.
Joel was glad that Mattheus made it clear that they would not go hunting for Chifuyu. Even if she might have been a part of Phantom Task and there was no doubt that blood stained her hands
, it wasn't the blood from Joel's parents or Mattheus' sister.
[You call me for what reason, Tabane.] Joel knew damn well this was a social call. The faster she got to the point, the faster Joel could worry about that. And fall asleep with that knowledge. He knew himself well enough.
[The core of Kurezakura is locked beneath the ISA. With all that has happened, Chi-chan knows that she can't sit by the sidelines. Phantom Task will throw all it has against you. The invasions, the golems, Kyoto, the World Purge. They are nothing compared to what is to come.]
Usually, that line was reserved for a war movie or a shitty drama. In real life, Joel found that it was much more impacting. But that would be because he wasn't prepared for this.
Tough as nails, foul-mouthed, fearless, and a horrible attitude. But despite his genius, his thinking, and his character, Joel remained a twelve-year-old. His limit was close to be reached.
[What do you want me to do, Tabane?]
[Joel-kun, Kurezakura isn't operational.]
Normally, one would be shocked to hear Tabane Shinonono ask anyone to take care of an Infinite Stratos matter. Too prideful, too arrogant, too cocky to think that anyone else could lay hands on her machines.
To think that she'd ask Joel for that, showed that things were too serious that she couldn't afford to lose. This would go too far. Even for her.
[I can watch over from afar but I need hands on the machine to work it over. I don't trust anyone for this. You're Lizzy's son. I have to put my trust in you.]
Joel cursed the fatigue as his head was hammering for ten as he began to realize the implications.
[Does Orimura-sensei know that you intend this?]
[I called Chi-chan. To offer moral support. But she told me what her plans were.]
Joel's curses were soft enough that Tabane couldn't hear them. Still, she expected him to be angry with the current events.
[That's just fucking great. You have figured out more, didn't you, great genius?] Joel was already feeling more exhausted. Reclining on the chair, the eyes began to droop.
[If we repair the unit at another time, there would be too many eyes, focused on it. We'll need a distraction. Luckily for you, one is coming up. The ISA Field Day. The perfect distraction. Hiding in plain sight.]
Joel didn't even bother covering his mouth, a long and loud yawn covering the entire bay.
[Great, Tabane. Send me the details. I think that I have reached my limit. Good night.]
Closing the call and shutting his phone off, Joel closed his eyes. His hands fell to the side, the phone falling out. There was one thing he'd thank Tabane for.
At least, he would get some sleep.
Scene skip
The sun shone in the room, causing Ichika to wake up from his dreams. His body ached at all different points, his clothes didn't just stink, they reeked, and he felt himself still exhausted from the training that he received.
Looking up, he found himself looking at his sister who had stirred, like her older brother. Just like Ichika, Madoka felt disgusted, exhausted, and spent, even after waking up.
It took them longer than they would have expected, to get their bodies to move and look up.
"You look like shit, Ichi-nii," Madoka spoke as she sat up, mirrored by Ichika who wasn't even saying anything back. Madoka knew that she couldn't look much better like him.
Finding footing, Ichika got up from his spot and stumbled to the bathroom. Madoka collapsed back on the bed.
Long used to physical exhaustion and fatigue, this was on a whole other level. Rolling onto her back, she stared at the roof.
'How much more crap do we get to deal with?'
In the shower, Ichika hissed that even lukewarm water was setting his muscles on fire. Knowing his body well enough, there was no way that he could ask for another training.
There were times when he didn't believe in too much training but he knew that nothing would come well from this.
There was nothing that he could give. The shower didn't take long and before long, he made his way out of the bathroom. Madoka was getting up and made her own way to the shower.
Exhausted wasn't even cutting close to what he was feeling. It hadn't taken long before Madoka was out of the shower and walked back to the bed.
"We message our friends."
"Let just one know and tell them the rest." Madoka collapsed back on the sheets. Despite the grime, she was too tired. Fatigue outweighed hunger.
Closing her eyes, Madoka was fast asleep. Ichika barely had the energy to send a message to Chifuyu telling them to inform their friends that he was up. Just too tired to move from their room.
Then, like his sister, he collapsed on the bed, feeling too tired to wake up.
It had taken fifteen minutes before the door opened and Chifuyu slipped in. Her usually stern expression melted into a soft expression as she watched the two sleep. She knew how hard those War God Modes were on her.
The hardest part was to keep that under control. Bottling energy up wasn't usually how it worked for them.
Grabbing Madoka, she placed her on Ichika's bed while taking her seat in the middle. Her hands began to massage their scalps, assuring they would get a blissful sleep.
'You won't have to worry about me. I'll be sure that I'll help you out.' Her eyes shifted to Madoka who was nuzzling in her.
'You'll be sure to see what your big sister can do.'
Scene skip
"Ichika, do you have a moment?" The male twin found himself looking up at Laura. They had gathered in the cafeteria. At least, Ichika, Madoka, Houki, Rin, Cecilia, and Chelsea were gathered in the room.
Charlotte was currently getting her machine worked on by Dan, while Kanzashi decided to do her own thing in the meantime. Mattheus was screwing with Natasha in their room so Joel was back on the tech bay.
Tatenashi had to take care of Student Council Business, which suited the majority of them just fine. Airis and Djbril were running an errand so they were also gone.
"Sure. What's up, Laura?" The Knight asked, surprised at why he got asked.
"It seems that a delivery for materials for the Field Day has gotten lost. It is in a store in the city. Yukimura-sensei has asked me to bring it in but it's a bit too much to be carried alone. Could you be so kind?"
They didn't have to ask for permission but in the last events, they were always equipped with their Units. Turning his head to Houki and Madoka, the two gave him a nod.
"Alright. Let's go. The sooner we have this done, the better. The Field Trip is in two days." Seeing them leave, Cecilia found herself amazed by Houki's composure.
"You have him trained well." The Brit had her usual antics around, causing Madoka and Houki to glare back at her while Rin cackled.
"It's only polite to ask for that. I'd do the same if I was asked." Houki calmly responded as she sipped from her tea.
"Be sure to keep his leash long enough, Houki. Ichi-nii won't be fun if you are overbearing." Madoka lamented, making Houki glare at her future sister-in-law.
"Like you are one to talk. You and Chifuyu-san are quite strong in your personality."
The youngest Orimura gave her a grin that made everyone spine's shiver in all the right ways.
"Oh, believe me. Ichi-nii got enough bite to let me know to stay on his good side and Chifuyu-nee learned that he can bite back even harder at her. Then again."
Leaning back in her seat, Madoka looked up to the ceiling.
"I was there to divide attention from her so she wouldn't be suffocating him. We'd make an interesting case study." Those were all that needed to be said before they started to talk about more fun stuff.
Like the teams they would play in, the games on the Field Day, and who was going to win this.
Scene skip
Sitting on the train, Ichika and Laura chatted as they were trying not to talk about what they had learned two days ago. They could never wipe it from their memories, the images etched on their brains but they didn't want to think about it.
Laura watched how Ichika talked about the training. How strenuous and hard it was. In it, Laura could see that the fondness for Ichika hadn't dissipated. Neither what she felt for his sister. But it had changed in form.
It was no longer a burning love that she felt but more a warm fire that had morphed into something else. Something that made it clear that she would take care of Ichika and Madoka. She'd protect them as the good friends they were.
They were the ones who broke the cycle from her and for that, Laura Bodewig would be eternally grateful for the twins. But they made their choice and so, she made her own.
Scene skip
The Field Day usually was one of celebration. But in this, Ichika was cursing inwardly as he had figured out what Tatenashi had done.
"Does she never learn?" Ichika lamented as he found himself put on the spot by Tatenashi. The Field Day was a headache to deal with but it appeared that she had found ways to get around the fact that Ichika was in an established relationship.
It was a competition for Ichika's affection. Madoka stood next to her brother as she was just as annoyed.
"At least, some have learned to keep their distance. The World Purge had done a number on them and they can learn from that. But others haven't on that."
Ichika was grateful that he had Madoka to watch his back.
"I can attest. Houki is in the lead for one. Charlotte and Laura, you won't have to worry about it. Cecilia and Rin, I think they are coming around. The ones we have to worry about are Rorentsuine and Airis. That former is going to be on your ass." Mattheus came back around. He wasn't allowed to attend.
Something about his age getting in the way. It made it easy for him to move around the place and see how it'd go.
"That is better news than I would have hoped for. And I won't have to worry about the latter." Ichika's eyes were circling around on the stages.
The place was packed with the second and third years watching the scenes while the school was empty. It might be for the best.
Airis had been able to use some special privilege as a princess so she was exempt from participation. It wasn't just for show either.
She was an even more dangerous target compared to the others. In this game, accidents could happen and they could be covered up. Plus, the opponents were all much stronger than her.
There was too high a risk for injuries. Hence why she could watch from the tribune.
Which suited her and Djbril just fine.
"Don't bother looking for Chifuyu-nee. She has gone silent. Weirdly enough, I can't seem to find Dan either in the school." Mattheus was also on the lookout for Joel.
"My boy has also been missing." The three collected their thoughts and figured out that something was going on.
"I'll try to get Yukimura-sensei to come around. Madoka, you can watch over him." The youngest nodded as Ichika got on the stage. It looked more like a man who was heading to the guillotine.
[You're still there?]
[I'm right where I'm standing, Ichi-nii. I'm not anywhere else.] That answer was all he needed as Ichika straightened his back.
The field across were all girls in bloomers, showing off their beautiful legs. But there was only one girl that he liked to see.
Houki was leading the red team and he was all too happy that she didn't hold any grudges against it.
"The Pledge of Fair Play. We pledge to play fair and play hard!" Ichika shouted over the field as he knew that there were more eyes on him.
He found Mattheus who had made his way to the seat next to Itsuka. The doctor was still miffed but whatever the two were talking about, it appeared that something was working.
Meanwhile, there were other girls staring at him but he could deal with that.
It was weird but Ichika wished that he had his big sister around.
'Dan, Chifuyu-nee, and Joel aren't here. Whatever you are doing, I hope it's worth the silence.'
Scene skip
"Are you sure that this is going to work, Pearce?" Chifuyu had led Dan and Joel to the deepest parts of the ISA.
The school was empty for a change, causing the entire place to be quiet. It sent chills on their spines as they couldn't hear a single sound. Even as they were as deep in the school, it was even more quiet down there. Their voices echoed and bounced over the empty walls.
"That is more something I should be asking of you, Orimura-sensei. Are you sure that you want to go back in the spotlights?" Dan hadn't interfered in the conversations. Before he was able to even come along, he was sworn in by Chifuyu and Joel. Whatever he saw behind those walls, was something he could never repeat again.
The choice to involve him to break out of the Kurezakura was not because of his capabilities. There were many technicians who were heads above him.
But Joel and Chifuyu didn't trust anyone else with this job and his disappearance was easier to hide than Madoka or Ichika.
"May I ask what we are doing exactly?" Dan asked, his curiosity spiking as he wasn't closer to figuring out what they wanted him to do.
"Gotanda, do you know what unit I used to win the Mondo-Grosso championship?"
The young man began to think about it. It had been years since he watched the shows but it was hard to miss what Chifuyu had done.
"Wasn't it called the Kurezakura? Madoka might have mentioned it a few times. But Chifuyu-san, I heard that you retired."
Chifuyu wasn't wrong that he assumed that he had. After all, she had found herself better off not going along and being pulled in. Teaching the next generation was more important than fighting. But now, with the enemy at their doorstep, it was time that she hit them with everything they had.
"You are right. And it's time that we tell you what we are doing here. The unit got some serious damage, years ago. It's been sealed down here. Pearce and you have been summoned to repair the unit. With help from Tabane."
"Auntie sent me the entire schedule but it's too much for me to handle. You won't have to worry. Follow my instructions to the exact letter, which you have proven yourself quite adept at, and we can make Orimura-sensei the strongest Pilot ever."
Dan understood where they were coming from. Still, it was a shame that he couldn't see Madoka perform. Maybe, he had to ask her to come by later. The image of her in bloomers, especially with how she had been developing her figure.
"That's a tall order, Joel. But that doesn't explain something else." His attention shifted to Chifuyu who met his gaze with an unwavering strictness.
"Orimura-sensei. You're here not just to test out the unit."
Chifuyu knew there were reasons why she liked the guy so much. He was sharper than he let on.
"You're right. I'm here to make sure that Pearce and you remain safe in this endeavor. No one should be down here. Anyone who is,…"
Her voice trailed off, causing Dan to let out an audible gulp. His life had turned upside down in the last four months since he started dating Madoka.
He had even climbed on a train to disarm a bomb without even thinking of safety. He just slid into the role of hero.
Then again, it was adding to the adventure and if he wanted to support Madoka, he had to find ways to make sure that she would never regret the fact that she began a relationship with him.
"That's why you're here." The youngest spoke with finality.
"No matter what is coming down, it's unlikely it can defeat me. And when you two make the unit work."
With that said, they continued their descent downwards.
To the secrets that awaited them down there.
Scene skip
On the field, the people were buzzing with badly contained energy. The competitors were ready to show off their skill and speed.
Ichika started at the starting line, watching over the groups. The leaders of the teams were the ones with Personal Units.
Houki, Cecilia, Rin, Rorentsuine, Kanzashi, Charlotte, and Laura. There were actually more users than teams that could be made so Ichika and Mattheus had been opted out.
And Airis just waved from the stages.
For the latter, it had been entirely voluntary. Despite his excellent physique, Mattheus had a complete hatred towards these sorts of events. He would be sitting from afar and watch over the place to keep things safe.
Ichika was barren to lead due to the fact of a male pilot and Madoka due to their stronger bodies. A bullshit of reasons. They would make up their own teams on it.
Ichika was glad that he could see Houki who was adjusting her hair with the ribbon he gifted her. But she wasn't the only one who was preparing for the race.
Rin was practically bouncing on her toes while Cecilia rolled her shoulders. Charlotte and Laura exchanged a look. They would try their hardest.
It appeared that Mattheus was out of talking to Itsuka and was watching over the scenes. His eyes had found Rorentsuine who was vibrating with energy. Her eyes were focused on the twins who felt a stare going down their backs.
"Madoka! You should be joining us for this match!" The youngest Orimura regarded her like she was a bug.
"No thanks. I'll let Ichi-nii take this one!"
The Dutch Cadette threw her hands up in the air.
"You're wasting your talent, girl!" The twins inched closer to each other, hoping to avoid anything from her.
"Stop yelling, Rorentsuine! You're embarrassing yourself!" Madoka deadpanned but Ichika knew that she was still smiling about this whole encounter.
Somewhere, it felt good though. This event was making them all forget about the horrible truth they had learned about.
But then the referee, a younger teacher with long brown hair, tied up in a ponytail and a cap on her head, stepped forward, raising a flag to signal the start.
Crouching in their position, Ichika was right next to Houki. The two would have their fun later as they continued to ogle each other a bit.
"You better keep up," she muttered, just loud enough for him to hear.
He wanted to answer but found that the whistle blew. Like the others, they took off like bats out of hell.
Rin was the fastest to run forward, her feet pounding on the track like a blur. Cecilia was close behind her but as usual, her form remained graceful, gaining ground. The third was Ichika who did his best to keep up. Houki was right behind him.
[Faster, Ichi-nii.] Madoka sent him through their link, making Ichika grateful that she was there to watch over him.
Joining his surrogate sister, Mattheus had a grin on his face.
"Ruthless, aren't you?"
"Always," Madoka replied, her eyes glued to Ichika as Houki struggled to keep up with him. It could be said that the two were trying to keep up with Rin who had been leading in the race. It would be impossible to even get close to her at this point.
She was the first one to pass the finish line, with Cecilia right behind her. The third was Ichika who came through but was reeling.
Despite his better physique, running really wasn't his thing.
"Not bad, Ichi-nii," Madoka said as she offered her older brother a bottle of water. Instead of drinking it, the young man poured it all out over his scalp, feeling the relieving freshness.
"Not bad? I am third."
"With your heavy body, that is actually better than I had guessed." Her teasing lacked any real bite.
Unfortunately, an annoying presence made herself known as she skipped over to the twins.
"Madoka, why didn't you race? You could have defeated them." The youngest twin sighed as she looked the Dutch woman over.
"I wasn't into it, Rorentsuine. Calm down."
"It's not just a race. It's a chance to."
"Ok, dat is genoeg. [That's enough.] Mattheus interrupted as he got in between the twins and the woman. Pushing back the white-haired girl, she was digging her heels in the sand.
"Bemoei je er niet mee." [Don't get involved]
Rorentsuine bit back as she glared back at the Flemish man.
"Can you two please speak in a language we all understand?" Madoka asked, making the two sigh.
"Will do, Madoka. I told her to back off."
Rorentsuine knew that she wasn't going to get in between Mattheus and the two others. Turning on her step, she walked away.
"Thanks." Ichika was wheezing as she got up and shot the Hunter a grateful look.
"Don't thank me yet, little brother. You're the one who has to survive the rest of this day."
Ichika groaned. "Don't remind me."
Scene skip
The three had finally reached the room where the core of Kurezakura lay buried. It was a dimly lit room that was bathed in the glow of countless monitors, displaying lines of code, encrypted protocol, and schematics.
Both Joel and Dan were awed by the construction of how the Kurezakura was buried inside the ISA. There was no denying the fact that they had never seen anything like it.
"I would advise you to start working on it. I think that the sooner I can strap myself in the machine, the better it is for everyone." Snapping out of their daze, Joel nodded.
"You're up for some heavy lifting, Dan?"
"I'm yours to command." The young man answered. Before long, he was setting out the heavy boxes and linking cables. There was no denying the fact that he was glad that Joel knew what he was doing.
Before long, the boy had been setting out the devices and when his device was connected, he began to work away to make sure that he was ready to make this work for all of them.
Dan was standing back as he was done with all his instructions. Then Joel opened a second laptop, showing Dan what was required. Cracking his knuckles, he plopped down next to Joel. There was no way that he was as good as the boy but he was picking up fast.
Chifuyu stood behind them, watching them work. Her arms were crossed, the gaze unyielding on them.
"Status?" Chifuyu's voice was low, calm but there was an edge of impatience. Yet, that virtue had to be practiced.
Joel didn't even look up from his laptop.
"Working through the firewalls. We can't force this. Even with my aunties instructions, I have trouble making anything work. I'll need more time on this."
Dan nodded as he was taking care of a layer of inscriptions.
"How long will you need?" Chifuyu asked, making the punk hesitate.
"As long as I'll need. The slower we do this, the better chances we have. Frankly, we have time for this. So you'll have to give me that.
Chifuyu relented. He was right after all. She looked at the core behind the glass.
'Soon, old friend. Soon.'
Scene skip
Outside, the sun was shining, but it was nowhere near warm enough. On the open field, brightly colored balloons were floating in the air, all attached to a string of varying lights.
It was quite an easy goal to reach. They all had to pop as many balloons as possible. But unlike the normal one, the participants had to shoot them down, using their IS units. That meant there was no stopping the chaos from enveloping.
"Remember" Tatenashi's voice had a cheerful edge that put most of the Personal Users on high alert, "it's all about precision, teamwork, and strategy!"
Madoka didn't buy the act for one second.
"Meaning, she has planned something insane."
She would have loved to join in for this match. With her experience, she would have easily snatched victory.
"Can't argue with that, zus." They watched the others take off in their units.
"If Laurent gets near Ichi-nii, that will just pour gas on an open flame."
When the whistle blew, the units took off and they started to shoot.
Houki and Ichika worked together in a team.
Ugachi was one weapon that she learned to work with. The Blaster Crossbow had been a recent addition but she hadn't found a good reason to use it yet. Despite the larger size, she was doing excellent work on it.
Ichika, on the other hand, was using a wholly different technique. Summoning Izanami and Izanagi, he simply blasted. What good would aiming do if he had fully automatic pistols that did the work for him?
There was no need to bother himself with that. He could simply spray and pray as he unloaded his guns.
"That is your solution, Ichika?" His girlfriend asked in disbelief.
"Whatever works, works. We are not in the position to complain." They weren't the only ones who were doing well in getting points.
Charlotte and Laura worked together as a well-versed team. The experience they had for months working together, paid off. Laura went in while Charlotte covered her with the longer-range weapons.
The precision shots were done on smaller targets while Laura got in closer.
"Laura, two o'clock!" Following her orders, she was right away.
Not everyone was doing it as well as the other pairings. Rin and Cecilia made up for their lack of cooperation with their bickering. It gave the whole event a humorous style of this part. Cecilia insisted on firing with style while Rin dove in straight on the action.
The bickering could be heard through a screen, causing even Madoka and Mattheus to crack up from that.
"Must you be so uncivilized?" Cecilia barked at Rin who slashed through the battle.
"I'm scoring more points than you though." Rin shot back as she got another batch done. At least, they had a strategy, somewhat to get things done. Compared to Rorentsuine, she was just looking around as she was thinking about Madoka.
"Madoka, where is Madoka?" The shouts came out all over the place.
Nearly crashing into Ichika, made the Knight shout back at her.
"Lady, focus on the fights here. Not what you have done there." On the ground, Madoka and Mattheus were watching with dry amusement and genuine worry.
"I should have brought popcorn," Madoka muttered, making her surrogate older brother chuckle.
"That and booze. Lots of booze."
Rorentsuine had earned her stripes though, making sure that she was popping balloons in a frenzy. Still, it was evident that she didn't care so much about winning and more about showing off in front of the twins.
Ichika wasn't paying attention to her though. When he could go back, it showed what he was doing, burning through bullets as he was getting as many done as he possibly could.
"This is awesome!"
Houki hoped that he could have stayed a lot more serious but she wasn't one to complain or make many comments on the way how Ichika fought.
From the ground, his younger sister was looking in amusement.
"He is not exactly marksman material."
"Not all of us have to be like that, Madoka." Still, he couldn't fault Ichika. This was a good way to play around.
No reason to reload and he could just spew bullets. It made things work for him.
"Don't worry, Madoka! I am leading the charge for your family!" Rorentsuine shouted, making Madoka wish that she could crawl into a hole and never come out. That was after she was done getting stares from everyone around her.
"Can someone pop her balloon?"
"Can I?" Mattheus asked as he had summoned his Chasseur. The Hunter was aiming at the Dutch, making Madoka sigh as she shook her head.
"I wish that I could say yes but we both know better. Put your rifle away, Nii-chan." Usually, Mattheus would not listen to orders from a woman but with Madoka, he was just messing around. So he followed orders and his rifle was dissolved.
Cecilia noticed how Rorentsuine was trying to show off. Would this girl never learn? Or did Cecilia's time in the World Purge change her view on how she should act around Ichika and Madoka?
When she saw an opportunity, she took it with grace.
"Ichika! Watch this!" Rorentsuine called out before a sudden energy blast caught the balloon that Rorentsuine was aiming at.
"Oh, my bad. A misfire can always happen." That was the biggest load of bull that Rorentsuine had ever heard of but with no time to prove.
"That was aimed at me!"
Placing a hand on her hips, Cecilia could win an Oscar in acting.
"Nonsense, Rorentsuine. I was aiming for that balloon. But misfires can happen."
Rorentsuine scowled, having no proof of what was going on but Ichika knew better. Giving the blonde a two-fingered salute, Cecilia couldn't keep the blush out of her face.
Some things would never change.
"Thank you, Cecilia." Houki came in close. It was nice to be recognized.
Before long, the whistle went off, signaling the end of the game. The winners of the game were Charlotte and Laura who took in the victories with quiet pride.
"The MVPs of this game are Charlotte Dunois and Laura Bodewig!" Ichika and Houki stood next to each other, satisfied smiles on their faces.
"We had fun."
"That we did."
Ichika wrapped his arms around his girlfriend's waist and gave her a big sideways hug.
Scene skip
Minutes were ticking by, with the tension growing in the room. It was just as thick as the stale air that kept circulating in the room. Joel's fingers were a blur over the keyboard. His eyes read lines of code that filled over the monitors. His assault was leading through but it was going faster than he had guessed before.
There was no telling how much that was passing by. With every firewall down, it was getting new challenges up. There were so many things going on that Joel was feeling dizzy. It was like traps, false redundancies and he had to be damn careful that he didn't shut anything down.
If the system collapsed, he would never be able to bring it back on. He had to be damn careful on what he was doing.
Still, he was up for a challenge. Dan was watching the streams of information, paying attention and hoping for something that would come through.
Joel leaned in closer, his brows were furrowing as the toughness of the next few sequences was beyond what he usually saw. Despite the warnings that he received from Tabane, he still was unsure of how things were working for them.
But he wasn't going to let up.
"They weren't kidding. Whoever made this, they were damn sure on keeping this thing under lock and key."
Dan's eyes shifted towards the monitors. "Who even designed this?"
"Someone who wanted to make sure that we wouldn't get in. Or to prevent this from being taken by hostile factors." There was no way anyone could do this unnoticed.
Another layer of protection was undone but Joel couldn't afford to let up. A different firewall than before got up.
A jagged and chaotic structure, functioning with unnerving efficiency.
"What the hell?" Joel softly murmured, with hesitation setting in. Tapping a few keys experimentally, he watched the screen flickering and reconfiguring itself. It seemed that this encryption was shifting in real-time.
Dan let out a whistle. "That's showing off. Maze without an exit. There is something strange with those algorithms." Chifuyu stepped in closer, her eyes set on the monitor.
"Define strange."
Joel answered, trying to make sure that what he was saying was the truth.
"It's adapting. Like someone is watching us work over this. Or something." Joel frowned, trying to recognize whatever it was.
He could see the lines of codes, and something buried beneath it. Whatever it was, it was seriously screwing around with them.
"It's smart though. The security of this machine is adaptive. We're not just cracking security here. It's fighting back."
Dan's hands began to tremble.
"It's rewriting itself again. Joel, if we don't keep up." The punk didn't mean to snap at his pupil but there was no hiding his growing frustration.
He began to try and keep up with the troubles ahead. Tension began to grow to the point that it suffocated the room.
Chifuyu's low voice cut through it. "Can you beat it?"
"Let's hope we can. If we don't, we are not walking out with your unit."
Scene skip
The next course was a sprawling mess of challenges. A climbing wall, a narrow balance beam, hung over muddy water, tunnels they would need to crawl through, and a shooting gallery to finish it up. It was more at home on a military training course than a real school show-off.
Intimidating, to say the least, but it gave the participants a reason to be motivated. Or try to look like that.
Tatenashi stood at the starting line. "Ladies and gentlemen, prepare yourselves. This is where the champions are made.. or hilariously fall in the mud."
Ichika felt his jaw clench as he looked at the first challenge. A rope climb that looked way too high to make a safe fall.
"This isn't a good idea."
Houki stood next to him, smirking as she heard him.
"Don't tell me that after all we have been through, you're afraid of that, Ichika."
"I'm not scared, Houki. I have just learned better than to take unnecessary risks." Behind them stood Laura and Charlotte who were discussing strategies, quietly.
Cecilia was fixing her gloves while Rin cracked her knuckles. The latter was practically vibrating with excitement.
Madoka was leaning against the railing as she watched the lineup. She felt a comforting presence next to her, a smile was unable to fall from her lips as she felt Mattheus next to her.
"You think that he'll make it?"
Madoka titled her head, looking it over.
"I have no clue how he'll do it."
The Hunter shrugged as he began to think about it.
"We'll just wait and see for it.
The two had then a sudden third person who was quite unwelcome. Rorentsuine joined up with them, her attire clinging tightly.
"Madoka, why aren't you competing?"
"Not in the mood for it."
"Ridiculous! You could outshine them all!" Rolling her eyes, Madoka didn't even bother looking up.
"You go and do that."
Before long, a whistle blew, causing every participant to take off like a rocket. The robe climb was the first one.
Ichika didn't have the nimbleness the others had but relied on his sheer raw strength to pull himself up. Houki had her usual grace, making it all too easy for them to get through it.
They weren't alone on that. Rin practically flew past them like it was a ladder, passing by Houki.
"You're not winning this one!" Her shout echoed over the balustrade.
Laura and Charlotte climbed side by side, precisely and efficiently.
Cecilia was last, trying her best to keep up with the others but it proved quite a hazard for her. Luckily, she reached the next section.
The next section was the balancing beam, over a muddy pit. That alone would be a hazard but it seemed that contestants had to dodge foam obstacles. It seemed that Tatenashi would have manipulated those if she wasn't being choked out by Mattheus.
Normally, she would have broken free from that but with Madoka's guns under her nose, she knew better than to try that. It seemed that they had gotten permission from Itsuka.
Houki had gracefully gone first while Ichika had another tactic. He simply swung underneath the beam. It might look incredibly ridiculous but as long it worked, who would complain about that?
"That's one way," Houki commented when Ichika reached his end. Helping him out, she was rewarded with a kiss.
Further on the back, Rorentsuine barreled through, focused on impressing the twins. Unfortunately for her, Rin had seen her coming and they ended up at the same beam. So focused on Madoka, Rorentsuine had missed Rin on the same course.
When they collided, Rin was prepared and kept herself on the beams while Rorentsuine slipped and fell. Her arms flailed wildly before she plummeted right into the mud.
"Noooo!" Madoka made the wise decision to look away from the scenes.
And the last challenge was when they crept through the tunnels. Ichika's bulk proved to be a real hindrance there. Nothing like Houki or Rin who slipped through them with ease. The shooting gallery was next where they had to assemble the rifles first.
There was some basic training on how they had learned to assemble those rifles. It took Houki slightly longer than Rin to figure out but with her patience, she was able to make that work out easily enough.
Laura and Charlotte were right next to each other and the blonde got some help from her newfound girlfriend, making it easier to assemble those rifles.
Ichika was coming in later.
He had hated those sorts of training in Tabane's lab, wondering where it would be good for but now, he was all too happy that Houki's older sister had pestered him to learn about those things.
It paid off as he was able to make more hits than he had previously expected. But Ichika was nowhere near as good as his sister.
Cecilia was the last to come through but as a rifle user of the IS Pilots, she managed to put the rifle together fast though.
Unfortunately, she was too late to make a decent dent in the points. The whistle blew just a moment later.
With the winners announced, it didn't come as a surprise.
"The winners of the obstacle course are Laura Bodewig and Charlotte Dunois! Their teamwork is second to none.
Ichika and Houki shared a look with each other.
"We are not made out for this." Houki lamented as she put the assault rifle down.
"You and I both prefer swords. And there is nothing wrong with that." Walking back on the grounds, he collapsed on the grass, finding his younger sister looking down at him.
There was that familiar smirk on her face as Ichika felt exhaustion setting in.
"How did I do?"
"You survived" Madoka added.
"Barely." Mattheus had wrapped an arm around Madoka's shoulders as he grinned back at Ichika.
From the mud pit, Rorentsuine climbed out, with a fierce expression. "Next time, I'll win."
Madoka patted Mattheus hand and he let her go. Then she grabbed Ichika and in a shoulder carry, hoisted him off the terrain.
"Sure you will."
Tatenashi was leaning against the railing, with the same incorrigible grin on her face. It appeared that Mattheus hadn't gone far enough during the choking.
"That was fun, don't you think?"
Ichika's glare came in harsh but Madoka just turned over to Mattheus.
"Nii-chan, if you could." Summoning Chasseur, the Hunter leveled his rifle. Tatenashi had to duck before a giant bullet came her way.
Scene skip
"No visitors, just yet. But I would advise you to continue on this." Chifuyu remained the stalwart guardian, watching over the two tech boys.
Joel's fingers continued to work through the files, his focus was unwavering. The adaptative firewalls were continuing to shift but he wasn't giving up as he tried to work through. Dan did his best to keep up with the countermeasures.
"We're almost through on this," Joel muttered. "I need a little bit more."
Their concertation was broken by a sharp noise in the room. The monitors flickered as the security layers went off. There was a single message on the screen, that made Joel fear for the worst.
[External threat detected.]
Chifuyu straightened up as she knew that it was her turn to shine. There was no reason for anyone to come here.
"Keep working, I'll be taking care of this."
An explosion set off, rocking the entire underground chamber. Dust and debris came off the ceiling and a moment later, the heavy door to the security chamber was torn apart by sheer force.
Stepping in the threshold was a woman in a sleek Infinite Stratos unit, with a golden shine all over the place. Long, blonde hair fell over her shoulders and the sharp eyes locked on the group. A cruel smile came over her face.
"It seems that I have gotten myself on the right side." Chifuyu kept her same stance, with an unreadable expression.
"Squall Meusel, I presume. You're quite busy for a dead woman." Titling her head, Squall found herself looking over the scene with quiet amusement.
"Chifuyu Orimura. It's good to finally see the finished product. Now, if you could be so kind as to hand over what is rightfully mine."
The eyes shifted back to the technicians. "Keep working, kids. I'll keep this woman off your back."
The Brunhilde had a tone that shifted when she spoke to Squall.
"You should not get in my way. You're just wasting my time."
Squall chuckled as she stepped further into the room. The wings of her unit expanded, giving a violet glow against the walls.
"Confident, aren't we? I have an Infinite Stratos Unit. You do not." There was the purr in her voice that made it quite clear to Joel and Dan that if Chifuyu fell, the two boys could consider their lives forfeit.
"Orimura-sensei," Joel's voice was quite strained.
"Keep working, kids. I'll handle this."
Squall didn't hesitate another second, lunging at the woman.
But for Chifuyu, it wouldn't be the first time that she would fight an Infinite Stratos while she didn't have one herself.
Squall's energy blade swung downward, but Chifuyu easily sidestepped, her movement was impossibly fast. The weapon found itself embedded into the ground with a burst of heat and force.
The Phantom Task Agent gritted her teeth, adjusting mid-strike, already following up with a second attack. Chifuyu barely moved, her body twisted just enough so the next strike whistled past her, with the heat barely touching her skin.
"You're too slow."
Those words were worse than any slap and Squall snarled when she heard those words. Her thrusters ignited, launching her backward to gain distance. She raised her left hand to make sure that a volley of plasma rifles was going to fire.
Chifuyu didn't flinch.
At the last moment, Chifuyu bolted forward, going through the barrage with inhuman precision. Squall couldn't risk blasting on the boys. If she damaged the unit, her chances of getting her hands on the Kurezakura were forever gone.
Pulling out a sword, Chifuyu prepared herself for this fight.
She knew exactly why she had taken one along.
Squall's lips curled into a scowl as she swung her blade forward. Chifuyu easily parried it, making the blonde woman grit her teeth as she felt the power that Chifuyu had.
"You arrogant."
Chifuyu moved her blade upwards, leaving Squall open for an attack. The only way the enemy pilot avoided it, was by boosting backward as Chifuyu got in closer.
Unfortunately for her, Chifuyu was right behind her tail, getting in close.
The katana came down hard, slamming the Pilot right into the metal floor. The impact of that was enough to shake the entire room.
With the wind knocked out of her, Squall gasped and her unit briefly flickered from the sheer force.
Pressing the katana underneath her throat, Chifuyu had her completely pinned.
"For the likes of you, I don't need an IS."
Squall gritted her teeth as she glared up to Chifuyu. There was still power that she possessed, she could get out of this. She was ready to reactivate her thrusters and have her next ready.
The blade got just a little bit closer to the point that the cold steel was right on her throat.
"You really want to try that?"
For a few tense seconds, no sound came out, except for Joel's typing.
"We're nearly through." No one missed the slight strain in her voice.
"Damn you," Squall said before a flashbang went off, blinding Chifuyu and making it so she could get out of the room. Chifuyu wanted to chase after Squall but she knew better than to leave.
"Did she get away?" Dan asked from behind the computer, making Chifuyu smirk.
"She knew she lost and that is why she decided to leave."
"Core extraction at 96%. A few more seconds now." Joel announced, making them all exhale.
"Way too freaking close." Chifuyu sheathed her katana before she looked upon the technicians.
"Not really. Keep it up, Joel. I am ready to meet this old friend."
Scene skip
The middle sun kept beating down on the field as the teams were gathered for the next event. There was a general good mood in the place. Next up was the Cavalry Battle. And all the extra mayhem and trouble that would bring that along.
Tatenashi stood on an elevated platform, with her megaphone in hand and a complete grin. The fact that Mattheus had aimed an anti-tank round her way, didn't diminish her spirit.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the moment that you all have been waiting for! The Cavalry Battle!" She announced with her voice floating over the crowd.
"Protect your captain's headband while stealing those of your opponent! Remember, no flying, no serious injuries, and no holding back! See who wins this fight!"
"That's an oxymoron in a sentence if I ever heard one." Mattheus sat back with Itsuka who wasn't exactly thrilled to see the fight.
"In this setting, I tend to agree, Adjzof. And no doubt that I'm the one who will have to put in a lot of overtime to heal the broken bones."
The Hunter grinned back at him.
"If you want me to, I can shoot her down."
"I prefer not to have a deafening bang right next to me. How do you keep your eardrums intact?"
Mattheus tapped his ears and showcased his earplugs.
"How long have you been wearing those?"
"Long enough to make them comfy."
On the field, Ichika adjusted the helmet on his head. He was having already regrets about this but well, he could have gotten worse teammates for this.
"I feel like I'm about to get thrown around."
Madoka stood next to him with the same old smirk on her face.
"That is most likely going to happen."
Houki rolled her shoulders and stretched out. "Don't worry. We'll keep you safe."
Ichika had to relent. If he was honest, his teammates were his girlfriend and little sister. There were no better teammates that he could wish for.
On the other end of the field, Rorentsuine was too gleefully happy for this.
"Ichika! Madoka! Prepare yourself for me! I'm going to!"
She was cut off by Cecilia who stepped in front of her.
"Oh, dear Laurent. Are you sure about being up there? You should mind your place."
Rorentsuine's eyes became dangerous slits.
"What are you implying?"
Cecilia didn't have to answer. Rin stood next to her friend, her arms crossed.
"Focus on your place. Don't fall from it."
Then the teams took their positions. Ichika was on top of Madoka and Houki. They could hold him easily.
Laura and Charlotte had agreed to keep Kanzashi on top. They worked well as the lower one.
Cecilia and Rin agreed. Rorentsuine couldn't do any more damage.
Tatenashi raised her flag.
"Ready? Begin!"
The moment that the whistle blew, teams charged forward. Ichika was secure in his position. Laura's team advanced quickly while Kanzashi did her part in grabbing and avoiding.
For Rorentsuine, she had chosen the worst position as she relied on Rin and Cecilia who were doing her best to avoid problems.
Rin made a subtle change as she prevented Rorentsuine from getting on Ichika.
For a split second, Rorentsuine lost her balance, which was all that Cecilia needed to follow suit.
The base from the rider shifted, making her tumble down.
"Oh, dear. That was unfortunate."
The collapse was inevitable as she landed on the ground.
Madoka watched the scene with quiet amusement and admiration.
Eventually, though, the match went on to the point that just two teams were left. Ichika's team and Laura's team.
The Knight braced himself as Laura charged at him, her eyes focused on his headband. But right when Kanzashi could grab it, the whistle went off.
Tatenashi raised her hand, a mischievous grin on her face.
"Draw! No winners this round!"
There came a groan from the grounds but Ichika was glad that it was over. He got off the girls while he wobbled.
"Glad this is over!"
"You and me both!"
"Yep!"
The three were ready for their lunch.
But they weren't aware of what was going on from the sidelines.
Rin and Cecilia were sitting down, not giving a hoot while Rorentsuine stood before them like a hissing cat.
"You two."
Tilting her head, the blonde looked completely unbothered.
"Yes?"
Rin grinned as she slapped her hands together, dusting off.
"Problem, Laurent?"
Their latest addition to the classroom was seething.
She realized what they had done. Something had changed in the position. Their views with the twins. What happened during her absence?
As the competitors gathered their things, Cecilia and Rin exchanged one final victorious glance.
Mission accomplished.
Scene skip
"It's close to lunch now." Dan lamented as his stomach growled.
"Too bad. This takes precedence over your empty stomach." Chifuyu simply announced.
"You won't have to wait too long before we can eat, Dan."
The final firewall came down, and a hum resonated over the control room.
The central monitor showed an icon. A pulsing, glowing symbol. The rhythm was the same as a heartbeat.
Joel let out a shaky breath as if he couldn't make that noise.
"We're in."
Dan, on the other hand, hesitated as he saw the design.
"That's. Is that normal? Is that really there?"
Chifuyu stepped forward as her eyes narrowed at the screen.
"Explain."
The redhead pointed at the symbol that had started to shift into a humanoid silhouette. It was a woman's form, a serene face but with an unnerving blank outlook.
"That's the core," Joel whispered.
The air in the room began to grow heavier as they stared at the screen. The figure's eyes opened, with an unnatural glow behind them. A voice, soft but mechanical came from the speakers.
"Identify verification required."
Chifuyu stepped up as she looked at the eerie display. But hidden beneath, was the relief. The indescribable feeling that she was experiencing, was similar to meeting an old friend.
"Chifuyu Orimura. Authorization Alpha-One-Nine."
A pause lasted and then the figure's head tilted slightly.
"Verification accepted. Welcome, Operator."
With that, the room became quiet as the screen shifted, this time with a schematic of the Kurezakura. The core pulsed with energy, making Joel and Dan exchange a glance.
"Beautiful thing," Dan muttered softly.
"Focus," the Brunhilde snapped. "Can you extract it?"
There was a terse nod from Joel whose hands moved over the keyboard. "I can but it'll take some time. One wrong move and we destabilize the core.
Scene skip
The sun had let up a bit with clouds rolling over the skies. The weather change was met with gratitude. Students were gathering in small groups, across the fields, making laughter and chatting lift up from the place. Lunchboxes had been opened and water bottles went around.
Ichika sat under the shade of a large oak tree, with a sandwich in one hand and an exhausted expression on his face. Madoka was sitting next to him.
"What a day this has been."
"No shit."
Houki came a moment later, dropping next to him with a faint smirk.
"So far, you're holding up. That's good to have, Ichika."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence." Ichika simply muttered as he was glad those two were around him. No better deterrent against those girls.
It only took a bit before Charlotte and Laura approached the three.
"Mind if we join you," Charlotte asked, sitting down before she had a reply.
"Like we have a choice." Madoka calmy said as her expression had gotten soft. With Charlotte and Laura, she wouldn't have to worry about interventions from others.
Laura remained on her feet as she watched at Ichika.
"Impressive how you have done so far, Ichika."
"I aim to please." The Knight simply answered.
At another site, Cecilia and Rin had decided not to join the Orimura siblings. They kept glancing at the group of friends but they decided to let things cool down for a bit.
Kanzashi meanwhile sat by her sister, Tatenashi, focused on her meal instead of the chaos that was engulfing them.
Mattheus had decided to sit further away from the chaos, with Natasha. For the occasion, she had tied her long, blonde hair into a ponytail, with sharp blue eyes scanning the crowd while her boyfriend devoured the lunch she made him.
His usual relaxed attitude was replaced by a tense posture and distant gaze.
"Joel's not here." Natasha quietly said as they broke the silence.
Mattheus nodded, with his jaw tightening.
"I have noticed. The only thing I know is that he was summoned by Orimura-sensei. I haven't heard from him since then."
"He's not the type of kid that runs off without a good reason."
Mattheus sighed as he knew better.
"If he's with Orimura-sensei, I know that he is fine. But I'll be sure to ask him where he has been and what he has done so far."
Natasha felt that it wasn't her place to ask about the stuff but she couldn't help it. Ever since she started to date Mattheus, it came with Joel attached. The Ace had grown attached to the young boy.
"He'll turn up sooner or later. I have done the same at Graspop. He is old enough to be fine."
Which was the truth though. In a place like that, a cat wouldn't find her young. Joel was perfectly fine to go by himself and look around.
Scene skip
The chamber had been buzzing up with activity. The core had been finally extracted but that was half of the job. Now, they had to outfit the unit.
Luckily for Dan and Joel, the unit was not exactly unfamiliar. Much of the Byakushiki and Kuroshiki was inspired by the Kurezakura.
The heart of the underground facility pulsed with lights, illuminating rows of consoles, maintenance platforms, and a massive frame where the body stood.
Joel had been standing on the central console. With the main job over, he would no longer require Dan to work things over.
Dan had rolled up his sleeves, adjusted his gloves, and was ready to link components together. Joel could have done it but with the major amount of data to sift through, he couldn't be on the two places.
So it was up to the student to outmatch the teacher for this part.
Chifuyu stood between them as she eyed the motions of the two. It would have been an exhausting day but she didn't let it show.
It wasn't just the fact that she restored a machine. She took up a mantle of a piece that she had buried ages ago. Now, it was time to join her brother and sister on the battlefield.
Letting out a shaky breath, Joel worked things over. The interface had accepted his authority and he was working over the Kurezakura's skeletal framework and integrated systems.
"Aight, first things first. I need to stabilize the core before we can install it."
Dan whistled on the projection, his eyes darting over the massive output of the machine.
"One hell of a machine. Fitting you pilot it, Chifuyu-san."
The aforementioned teacher stepped forward, her fingers on the metal. The power that hummed beneath the surface. Soon, it would be hers again.
"We can't afford to wait before you adjust it, Pearce. This unit has to be combat-ready when you have it out."
Joel dragged his fingers across his face. "Sure, you'd like something else with that? It's been quite a day already."
The Core was still engulfed in the crystalline containment, carefully lifted by a series of mechanical arms, guiding it to the empty heart of the machine. It took Joel a few more minutes before he synced the power regulators.
"Dan, I need the coolant stabilizers injected before we insert the core. If this overloads the chamber, we are going to be in an oven."
The student didn't reply. Acting on orders, he ripped open coolant ports and got them secured in the stabilizers. The hiss of the system adjusted on the room, with the heat going out of place.
Wiping his forehead, Joel enjoyed the brief coolness of the room. "Good, now let's see if this machine still functions well."
Initiating the reactivation sequence, the chamber came to life but the hum that resonated was the good sort. It made everyone relax.
Then a voice returned. The same mechanical voice that as before.
"Primary system rebooting. Initialization complete. Recognizing Operator."
Holograms flickered as the figure was reformed. Her eyes opened with a sharp awareness.
"Kurezakura awakened."
Dan took a step back. "It's actually alive."
Joel let out a shaky breath, "Not alive. Waiting."
Chifuyu took one more step forward and placed her hand on the armored plating.
"It's been a long time, old friend." Then she broke from her musing and looked over at the boys.
"How long before the machine is fully operational." Joel checked the numbers.
"We need to run two more optimization sequences if you want this machine to be combat-ready. But so far, it looks good. Need about half an hour."
When those minutes had passed, Dan and Joel began to equip Chifuyu inside the machine.
Secured the armor, making sure that the motor alignments worked fine, and calibrated the targeting interfaces.
Dan whistled as he attached the weapon racks. "This machine is a walking arsenal."
"It's what I have used. I'll be fine on fighting again."
Joel stepped back as the last belt came through.
"Chifuyu Orimura's personal Infinite Stratos Unit. Kurezakura restored.
Inside the machine, Chifuyu felt completely ready and able.
Even after all the years, Chifuyu managed to walk with the unit. It was like things hadn't changed one bit.
But there was one last thing to do.
"Activate Pilot." The system engaged and the machine sealed around her.
Kneeling in, she felt the energy. Beyond relieved and as if she welcomed the friend. Chifuyu Orimura was now ready to face whatever Phantom Task would throw their way.
I think this is well where we end it. I had fun writing this chapter but I thank the fact that I had some more help. It has been one hell of a ride.
Job has been on the opposite end and dad left for Turkey, leaving me home alone. Work throughout the day, think on what to eat and drive for your own groceries. Things work out and I have a car ready.
The Division Two has been calling me in the weekend and we're working on the rest of it.
I thank you all for the support again and hope to have more in this year.
Next chapter will be in June or July. We'll see then.
Saluut.