One week. Seven days. One hundred and sixty-eight hours.

That was the time I had at my disposal to use before the match.

Right now, I have only about five minutes.

"Okay Houki, let's go over this one more time."

After my rather tough demand of her, Houki shaped up and really did provide me with some good help. We spent more than half the time I had working together. Houki was a great help. While I couldn't use a training machine due to the fact I was getting my own personal unit, Houki managed to secure one and described the feeling of it to me. While I found her little sound effects endearing and cute, I actually got a good look at how the machine moved and kind of worked. Coupled with some really interesting extra tutoring with Chifuyu-nee and Yamada-sensei and I think I got the main gist of it. Of course, something like hands on experience would have been the best and an incomparable teaching experience but seeing something up front and close and coupled with reading about it did indeed help. The time us childhood friends spent jointly also repaired some of the damage to our relationship and now we're back to acting like real friends instead of hostile acquaintances.

"Do you think you'll remember it during the match?"

"I'll have too. Thank you again."

"Ichika..."

"Yeah?"

"Um..."

"Hey, what's with the averting of eyes? It's not like you planned to use the week to train me in kendo without once touching on the subject of IS right?"

"..."

"See? There's nothing to hide between us Houki. We're all good friends here.'

I folded my arms across my chest and looked up at the display screen. Outside, Cecilia was waiting for my arrival in her own personal IS. The power suit was a nice dark shade of blue with three pointed 'wings' on each side. The British pomp also carried a heavy and abnormally sized rifle that I could guarantee would look right at home in my house. The damn firearm had a scope and fired lasers. The scary thing was, Chifuyu-nee took the time to explain it to me that her weapon of choice was only mid-range and Cecilia was fairly proficient with range attacks. In other words, she probably had other tricks in her arsenal that would be very troublesome for me because I have no taste for anything that fried projectiles. I preferred to get up close and personal and maybe whack you in the face with a stick if I could.

Houki and I remained waiting as I couldn't leave the launch area until my personal IS arrived. Seeing as it took a good two weeks to deliver, I swear it better be a damn good one or else I'm going to introduce those delivering slowpokes the infamous 'Orimura' revenge scheme! It'll begin with a truck load of ramen and wasabi, followed by lots of apple syrup and cereal, accompanied by a whole nest of rabid critters who have been starved for a week, and topped off by a huge vat of lima bean soup with lots and lots of starch...

...I need to stop spending time with Kenshin Arisato. That crazy bastard is rubbing off on me with his crazy evil genius schemes that involve petty revenge.

"O-Orimura-kun, Orimura-kun, Orimura-kun!"

Huh? Oh, hello there loudspeaker. Yes what is it that you want?

"I don't know if you can hear me Sensei but please calm down! Repeating my name three times is only allowed if I'm not paying attention with a five minute interval for each one!"

"~Uwah," The loudspeaker said, "Uh, um, I was just going to tell you that your personal IS has just arrived!"

"Bout time!" I called jovially up towards the speaker.

It was then I felt a sharp prickly sensation travel up my spine.

"Respect your seniors!" My sis yelled through the loudspeaker, "And it's Orimura-sensei!"

Tch, spend a decade with someone under my condition and of course she's bound to somehow gain the magically ability to read whatever you're thinking no matter where you are.

Big Sis, why are you so nosy sometimes?

"Orimura, stop wasting time and get ready. The arena doesn't have a big time limit and we already wasted enough of it so go out there and make this match yours."

"All right Sensei!" I called upwards, "Don't worry about me. I'll take this on with the same determination I take on any fight!"

I felt a funny sensation. Like...warmth. Huh. Empathy. Even here and separated by such a distance, I can still feel her reach out to me. Tch, maybe being her younger brother isn't all bad.

"The task lay before you is just a minor level obstacle. If you're truly a man like you say, then you should get past it easily Ichika."

Thanks for the vote of confidence. I quickly strip off my white uniform to my blue IS operation clothes as the large cargo doors before me whine up and start to open.

The door ground against the floor as it slowly opened. I crossed my arms over my chest and let my eyes target and latch onto the slowly widening gap of darkness, shooting to and fro, trying to catch the sight of what was supposedly to be my partner in the upcoming conflict.

Emptiness. The cargo doors of the base opened, letting out a blunt sound. The slanted, patterned fireproof doors let out a heavy opening sound. On the other side of the entrance, it gradually appeared in front of me.

It was...dull.

A sickly greyish color. It looked bulky and over-sized, like armor on a skinny man. The blue trimming did little to assuage my taste for the machine. I felt frustration bubble up as I realized that I had to fight in this hulking suit.

"So this is mine."

"That is correct! This is Orimura-kun's personal IS, the Byakushiki!"

I felt a pulse and a longing in my chest. Despite its metallic appearance and sickly color, I could feel it call out for me. It was stored away, gathering dust as it waited. And waited. Waited for the day that it would be called upon once more and used like it was meant to be. This moment, this one present time frame. I felt my breath hitch in my throat and my body started to tremble. I felt the eagerness and lust overtake me. Somehow, despite my initial distaste for it, the machine penetrated my heart and filled it with affection…a friendship that it longs to share with me.

I have spent a countless amount of time preparing my skills and honing my body to a fine edge point. I have trained with many teachers, learned their trades, and specialized my physique to be malleable, to be able to touch all forms of combat and use it effectively. I have been told numerous stories about conflicts, ranging form the mundane to the epic, and absorbed it all. The weapons used, the people who fought, and the setting of such battles.

I too have partaken in my fair share of skirmishes, utilizing all I have learned to be the best fighter I could ever be. It is not the path a normal boy would choose nor is the path that any normal father would want his son to choose. Yet, it is the path that someone like me chose. It is the path that my nee-san wanted me to stray from but could not deny me forever. It is the path that my forerunner chose to lead me down, to help understand that this was the only way.

It was this path that my father figure chose for me to follow, for me to control the dark impulses that plagued me since I was naught but a child of five years.

This IS machine. I would make it mine. I would free it and then together, we would be one.

"Stop gawking and get your butt moving! There isn't much time left so you have to take everything from your memory and format in all the settings during the battle. If you can't even do this then you're obviously not going to win," It was here my Sis paused before I could feel her face crease into a bemused half-smile, "So this begs the question, can you do it?"

I grinned at my sister's pep talk. She knows me so well and asks the right questions to get me fired up. To anyone else, you would think she was questioning my abilities. To everyone who knows our relationship, she basically just gave me the zestiest and most encouraging questions ever.

I saluted the speaker and grinned cheekily. Saying something like that, it's obviously what she expects out of me.

And I would be damned if I let her down for even less than a fraction!

"...Hmm."

The sound of steel being drawn and the electric tingling I got when I first touched an IS was absent. It didn't conjoin to my system nor did it give any noise or indication that it acknowledged me as an unique individual instead of just another person. The familiar flood of information and understanding was thankfully still there so I didn't have to worry like some cram student trying to recall all the study material right before the actual test.

Still, the earlier feeling of thirst for battle and the demand to be used was present. I ran a quick nimble rub over it, resisting the urge to coo to the suit. In due time. The battles we will fight in together and the slaughter we shall unleash will be the stuff of legends. Oh yes it will, my friend. Yes it will.

I jumped up and started the process of fitting the suit onto my body.

"Lean backwards and settle into it. Get the right feel for the suit. It's a familiar sensation to sitting down. Now wait a quick moment as the system optimizes itself for you."

I await with abated breath as the suit molds itself into me. I feel like one of the samurais of old that spent time to equip their armor for battle. The panoply of machinery slowly conforms to my body and fits into my measurements. Strangely, I get the feeling of someone riding upon my shoulders, like a winged angel that acts like a guardian.

I huff mentally at such a thought. Someone as dark as me to be protected by angels? Not unless they're the special Blood Knight kind. I doubt any real pure soul would ever want to be near someone as tainted as me.

Byakushiki…what a strange name. To someone like me, I am anything BUT white. I feel more partial to red really. Still, this power suit is willing to work with me so I should extend the same courtesy.

The connection was established with the suit and I breathed deeply as our 'souls' connected.

My vision seemed to enhance, granting me a cleaner and more resolute view of the world around me. The feeling of augmentation didn't stop at my sight and started to spread through my body like a wildfire. I could feel classifications and labels hit anything I turned my stare at. The walls, the intercom, even the floor itself.

…Oh wow, Houki's measurements are even included? Whoa…

I suddenly feel a shiver run up my spine and the angry stare of a scorned woman directed at my being. Okay, better look elsewhere.

"Hmm," I narrow my eyes and stare at the new information.

Apparently I can also sense other IS machines close by. It appears I have some specs from 'Blue Tears', the IS that Cecilia is piloting. I scan through the information with a careful eye, mindful to see if I can find anything to exploit or use to my advantage.

Oh dear, it looks like all I managed to find is DIS-advantages. I fancy myself a swordsman so this is troublesome for me. Cecilia's suit is a sniper unit that was made with the intention of either overwhelming a single opponent or taking down a group of them. Her weapons include a huge sniper rifle, optical drones, and missiles.

Long range capabilities. Unique durable armor. Drones that can be commanded at a distance. Heck, the missiles are no joke either.

The more I read, the more I feel like this is an uphill battle.

…

Bah, when have I ever let such small details bog me down? I'm a warrior at heart damn it! Even if I'm tasked with charging the enemy line with naught but a stick and harsh words, then I'll do it and win!

"I take it from the look on your face that you just experienced what using the IS sensor is like, right? Will you be fine, Ichika?"

During my assessment of the enemy, it appears that my older sister has decided to grace me with her presence. I sniff at her words but can sense the emotion behind them.

Usually it's not so rare to hear the concern in her voice ever since what happened so long ago but this time, it's also laced with something else. I think it might be fear really…or maybe regret. It's hard to say sometimes with my sister. My mouth creases into a neutral smile before I speak.

"I'll be fine Chifuyu-nee-chan," I say happily to in order to reassure her.

Instead of reacting with her typical response, she instead returned it with a half-smile, "That's good."

Houki is staring at the two of us with her mouth agape. I don't blame her, it's not everyday that you see us act like this. For that matter, it's a rare thing to see us like this at all. Public affection was never high on my sister's list but she still had her moments.

Using the hi-spec sensors, I can actually look deeper into a person's visage and see their feelings. Not wanting to embarrass myself any further, I avert my stare from anything that resembles a number that comes from a human as I stare intently at my sister. I neutrally regard this one blazing emotion of hers, the one that almost makes her want to rip me out of this suit and lock me up in a furnished dungeon cell with child padding before flooding me with whatever I want.

My sister's love is like a wildfire of fury and just barely controlled by the ice of appearance. Still, the sentiment is nice to see that she rather have me sheltered for the rest of my life then face it head on like I want to.

Even then, she called me by my name and allowed me do so also. Even without this machine telling me, I would have spotted such telltale signals right away.

My eyes wander away from my sister's grim neutral expression and latch onto Houki again. I decide to ignore anything told to me and instead tried to see if I could understand the feelings she was experiencing right now without the aid of a super suit.

"..."

No words or sounds come out of her mouth but her jaw keeps parting and closing. It's like the classic tongue-tied case where the speaker cannot 'spit it out'. I hope that Houki understands that no matter what she tells or says to me, I'll actually still care for her on a deeper level. I still have limits on my patience but I would never wish any misfortune upon her.

"Houki," I state loudly.

"Wh-What?" She stutters in response, not expecting me to say anything.

"I'm about to go out there and fight," I give her a small smile.

For some reason, her face turned a bit red. I'm not dense enough to not know what it means but I'm dense enough to not know what triggers it.

"Baka, you already have a sister who worries about you. I already know what to expect from this battle. I just wanted to say," Here, she pauses for a bit before giving me a resolute look, "Make sure you win."

"Hah," I bark out suddenly, causing her to jump, "It would look bad on the both of us if I failed this wouldn't it?" I say with a leer, "Don't worry, I'll kick her ass."

I had been walking forward as I spoke and gave the two females behind me one last look before turning ahead to the gateway. I bent down slightly and felt my whole body be lifted up into the air.

With a cry of 'KIA', I flew onward, shooting out into the bright open outdoors and ready to face the incoming enemy. Still, I feel as if I had been too hasty in my eagerness to get out of the control room. My suit continues to make noises as it shifts and reforms to my body. Values run past extents that I have never even thought to dream of while the suit shifts itself into my personal liking. I wonder if I should have waited and let Byakushiki format itself completely before leaving.

"Oh my, I applaud you for showing yourself."

I'm snapped out of my musings by that annoying voice that seemed especially tailored to sound as snobby and arrogant as possible.

There she was, Ms. Princess. Hand on hip and look of contempt that like I was nothing more than an insect, yup, it's Cecilia all right.

A message popped up to my side which my sensor was asking if it should scan for any potential 'future' over-confident opponents that could be humiliated in battle. I gave it a blank look before tapping no. What a strange thing to ask for. I swear, this machine just loves messing with me.

Still, the sensor does its job and examines Cecilia's machine for me. The bright blue suit called 'Blue Tears' is apparently a long range machine that has four rear fin armors on the back.

The bright blue machine 'Blue Tears' has the unique characteristic of four rear fin armors on the back, making it look as royal as a knight.

The pilot, Cecilia, was wielding the large 2m long gun—a search indicated that it was identical to a six or seven caliber unique laser gun 'Starlight MkIII'. As the IS was originally developed for space activity, in principle, it'll float in the sky. Thus, it was not strange for her to wield a weapon that was taller than she is.

The arena was 200m in diameter, and the estimated time for a fired shot to reach the target was about 0.4 seconds. The bell indicating the start of the match has already rung, so it was not strange for an attack to come anytime now.

"It's only fair that I say this but I'll give you one last chance to surrender."

Cecilia shifted her rifle hand so that it was jutted downwards and pointed at me with the hand that was previously on her hip. I wasn't fooled, her current position allowed her to quickly shift back into a firing mode and hit me so I should be ready to dodge.

Oh...she's waiting for a response.

"Hmph. As if. I came this far right? I mind as well make you see why you don't screw with me."

Cecilia frowned at me then turned her nose up, arm shifting once more and her rifle was set at an even closer angle.

"Bold words from someone who doesn't even have more than five hours of log in time," She sniffed daintily, "It's obvious that I'll be the one to win this bout, no matter how much of your pride or determination you shove into it. I'm only being kind to you this one last time because I don't want everyone to complain and say I beat you up for no good reason when they see your battered and bruised body," Her frown turned into a ladylike sneer, "If you apologize now, I'll even forgive you and leave you alone."

That was when my sensor notified me that she was locked into firing mode. The safety lock had been removed and I was probably a breath away from getting shot. I growled under my breath, anger flaring up at her prim and proper attitude. If she thinks she's going to intimidate me, then she better try harder because all it did was make me angry. I subtly shift my left leg, ready to push off and dodge to the side.

"You want an apology? Fine then, I'm sorry."

"That's more like it. Now just say it into your speaker that you surrender too and we can leave."

"You misunderstand," I say as my mouth pulls back into a snarl and bares my teeth, "I'm sorry that I'm about to kick your ass."

Cecilia's mouth hung open at my response before she snapped it close and glared at me with all the fury of a girl in a robotic suit could muster before swinging her rifle to bear and pulling the trigger.

If I hadn't been paying attention or ignoring her posture, I would have been hit. Seeing as I was not doing something so dangerous, I had dodged to the right as soon as she twitched.

The flash from the muzzle of her rifle flew by me.

"Hmph. You dodged one. But you won't get out of this unscathed! Now, let us dance!"

Her eyes narrowed and a screen popped up in my face with a blaring exclamation mark.

"Prepare yourself to waltz to the symphony conducted by the Noble Cecilia Alcott and Blue Tears!"

With that one cry, the battle had come to bear.

*BAM* *BAM*

Left! Down!

*BAM* *BAM*

Damn it!

I stayed calm and hissed out air through clenched teeth. I had overestimated how experienced Cecilia was in manning her IS and shooting a moving target. I had assumed that her posh attitude and style dictated her just a simple target. A snooty rich girl who had the money to get things done no matter the price. Instead, what I faced was someone who knew what she was doing and how exactly to play the field. It appears her arrogance wasn't completely for show. She had the advantage in this fight from the get-go and I went and pissed her off too.

I was losing.

Despite receiving many warning signs, I could only dodge a fraction of what was fired at me. While I assumed she would be slow on the reload, it turns out that a combination of my horrible controlling and her calculated shots made it so that she could predict where my IS would end up. Some of her blows at first were just glances but as the battle wore on, she grew more confident in reading my movements and managed to start hitting closer to home. My shield energy plummeted as I took hit after hit.

I growled, trying to make sense of my machine.

"Unless it was planned for me to attack her with just my fists and harsh words, I better have some damn weapons on this thing!"

I must have said a keyword or secret passcode or something because a monitor appeared with a check list of available arms.

"…Only one?"

A close combat sword to be exact. I sighed. Being specialized with blades could be so troublesome sometimes but I was too well versed in the art of swordplay for anything else to be any great use.

"No matter. So long as it slices and dices, it's a weapon for me!"

I called forth the weapon. The system assented and a whirring noise was heard in my right shoulder before it started to shift open. A ball made of pure light shot out and seemed to gravitate towards my open palm. When it touched the metallic claw of my IS, it contorted and budged into a shape I was all too familiar with.

One-point sixteen meters long. It looks like an ordinary metal oversized sword.

"How foolish are you? Fighting a long range type suit with a close range weapon? Are you trying to lose intentionally?"

I remain quiet and measure the distance between us two. I'm currently about thirty meters away from her. She has the advantage in weapons fire and experience. I'm armed now so it shouldn't be too difficult to charge and attack but I have to be mindful of my energy shield. I push too hard and I'll end up losing like an idiot.

"No mercy! No retreat! No survival! We shall fight to the end!" I roar out.

With that, I pushed forward like a soldier in a field of battle where it only rained death.

"—Bold words for someone about to fail! I commend you for lasting for so long but it ends now!"

"That's my line!"

Shield integrity is down forty percent. Damage received is considered 'medium' and dealing constant rate of fire. Currently, she's firing like crazy at me but I'm prepared with a blade this time. I swing left and right, reflecting her shots with some ease. Seeing her shocked face is worth all the damage she has dealt out on me and now I get to return the favor.

"Hmph," Somehow, I can still hear her sniff of disdain through the communicator, "Maybe your earlier words weren't hot air after all. You actually managed to hold on this long against my symphony."

Her tone of voice aggravates me to no end. Even as the distance between us closes and I zero in on her suit, she still talks down upon me.

I'll show her!

*BAM*

Gah! Damn it! I veered off my intended course sharply to avoid any more rapid fire damage.

So now she decides to use them. The mobile flying weapons circling around Cecilia look like flat boards with mounted laser muzzles. Those deadly pieces of equipment could easily surround someone and riddle them with hot lasers beams if they were too careless.

They're called Blue Tears. I don't even know how the name was derived but I do know that if I don't deal with them soon, I'm going to lose.

"Time for the finale!"

As she said that, Cecilia raised her hand and sent a signal to two of her armaments. The floating weapons received their orders graciously and then zoomed in on me like a predator upon a wounded prey. I growl at them in anger and frustration.

If it weren't for these damned controls! I would be doing fine!

The barrage of lasers that arrive from all sides is annoying. More than annoying. It's downright deadly! But I preserve and dodge and block to the best of my ability. To retreat would be a slight upon my honor as a warrior and dignity as a man. My shield energy has decreased to the mid-300s but I managed to weather the storm.

"I'm taking your left leg!"

I barely managed to deflect her rifle blast with my sword. Instinct saved me there.

"My, you still have some fight in you?"

I bare my teeth at her not unlike an animal. I grow tired of her voice, of hearing her speak.

"SHUT UP!" With that mighty roar, I again push forward to close the distance between us.

Cecilia, either expecting such a charge from earlier or just general experience, had her BIT's come at me again. I forgo dodging in placement of slashing. Miss Alcott wasn't the only one who can read movements in a battle. My opponent suspected my bum rush to be linear and I kept it exactly like that because then it would allow me proximity to those damn mobile weapons of hers!

The first one skims below me in an attempt to attack from the rear. I counteract this by diving down upon its very structure and cleaving it in two. Without looking to see, another one on my flank fires off a blast that I managed to block before zipping forward and giving it a similar fate to its fellow machine.

"Come and get some!" I yell at her shocked face. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to last as she brings her rifle to bear as a guard.

My sword clashes with her rifle and a screeching noise emits from the collision. I attempted to rid her of her weapon by either knocking it out of her hands or destroying it but apparently the noble English girl anticipated my plan and kicked at me with the thrusters on the bottom of her legs, widening the distance between us.

"Che, don't think just because you got close once means I'll let you do it again!"

With a wave of her hands, Cecilia sends her remaining two Blue Tears at me.

I make a 'tsk' sound before engaging the two armaments in a simple dance of left and right movement. I make simple flight actions and leave myself with plenty of openings. She transfers predictable patterns to the BIT's and I take advantage with use of my boosters and cripple her by ridding myself of those last two annoying flying weapons.

"How…How did you do that!" She demanded over her comm.

"You're not the only one who studies the enemy Miss Alcott," I ground out flatly, "From the combined use of my IS's scanner and my own previous battle experience, I managed to deduce that not only do you need to keep constant attention to those damn BIT's, you couldn't do anything else!"

I hover in place, glaring at her, "If you were at a level where you could keep constant unwavering responsiveness to moving yourself, firing your rifle, and commanding your Blue Tears, I would have been fucked!"

A shiver travels half-way up my spine due to how I just broadcasted the last word but I'm so wound up right now that I couldn't bring myself to care.

"So as things currently are, I have the advantage. You no longer have any real way to keep the gap between us. Thus, I can just keep charging at you and whittle you down. You could push me back a few more times but that rifle of yours can only last so long! What's more, your rifle itself has probably been damaged from my earlier attack and possibly can't unleash the same powerful charges as before! Unless I leave myself open to your attacks, which I will undoubtly not freaking do, the only way you could win is by time out! Something that wasn't implemented for this match!"

"Grr…"

Cecilia's right eyebrow twitched a bit as I gave her a rather rueful grin. Right now, she knows I'm right. My scanners show that she has grown frustrated by the progress of this match, letting her become more emotional and thus, prone to mistakes. In addition, I surprisingly found that unladylike noise emitting from her mouth slightly arousing.

I'm still a (conditional) full blooded teenage male, sue me.

Anyways, going back to the fight. The process of which I went about eliminating one set of her weapons was really simplistic in nature. She tried to play me with flanking, I played her back by directing said flanking just the way I wanted it to be by leaving openings and finally, with her thinking she outmaneuvered me when it was in fact me who outmaneuvered her, I struck.

Not my most complex plan of attack but in the wisdom imparted to me by several crazy and strong brutish men who fancied themselves fighters, no plan can be too simple or too complex. There is only the plan that is just downright too stupid or too smart. Moral of the story. Don't under-plan but also don't over-plan.

Which is why now I choose to press the attack in a rather straight forward charge. With hands gripping my metal sword, I pushed forward and zeroed in on Cecilia's position. My intention was to just keep coming and keep swinging. Either her rifle broke first or her shield would. Being a long range attack type, Cecilia only had the advantage in battle so long as I permitted the distance to remain as such. She didn't possess any close range weaponry to my knowledge so the only choice left for her was to hold out.

In addition to all this, I think my body has finally acclimated itself to the IS. My flight is much more fluid, I can make sense of nearly everything shown to me and the rather bulky and uncomfortable feeling of new armor was gone. In short, I had effectively 'broken in' my Infinite Stratos.

Chifuyu-nee, eat your heart out! Your little brother isn't completely hopeless! He has mastered something you too share an interest in! Rejoice! I'm normal enough for this! I'm normal enough for here! Don't worry about me! In this place, I'll never sn-

"—I got you."

I'm torn out of my thoughts by the rather sinister tone of voice Cecilia just employed when I entered close range. Wait, that's not right. Why would she be so happy when I'm close to winning? She didn't even put her rifle into a firing position and what's more, her smirk.

It's pure evil. She's completely assured of the fact that I just-

"—You've danced right into my trap!"

TRAP!

*PAM*—

The skirt-shaped like armor spread from Cecilia's abdomen and raised up to greet me. I was staring down the twin barrels of her IS with wide eyes.

"I apologize, but there are actually SIX Blue Tears!"

With that, she launched two missiles at me while simultaneously boosting backwards.

Stupid, stupid, STUPID!

How could I forget?! She had THREE weapon sets.

Belatedly, my machine produces a warning that I have two auto tracking missiles coming straight for me.

Even if I knew that beforehand, I had put so much boost on that going straight would be the only option.

In short, I'm—

*BAM*—!

The last thing I'm aware of before being engulfed by smoky white and fiery red is someone screaming my name.

=I=N=F=I=N=I=T=E=

FOOL.

Wha? Who…who are you?

YOU DARE?

…No…no, not this again. Please.

AWAKEN.

I WILL NOT.

YOU, SERVANT OF MINE, SHALL OBEY.

You have no control over me!

OBEY.

GAH!

AWAKEN. AND FINISH IT.

=S=T=R=A=T=O=S=

The heady black smoke remained encompassing the position of Ichika. With the aid of the motion sensing recordings set up all around the arena, it had been shown on tape the look of horror and surprise on his face before he was engulfed. As breezes blew by and started to slowly but surely remove the blinding smog, everyone was on edge. The call for the end of the match hadn't been sounded yet so that meant the male was still in the running. Of course, depending on the state he was in would determine if the match would continue regardless of how much of his shield energy remained. As the smoke continued to drift apart, it final cleared to reveal…

…Something.

Blood red armor glinted in the sun as it stood motionless in air.

Ichika remained with his head down, body limp and twitching.

The previous dull grey had been painted and reshaped. Parts of the arms and legs had been thinned, white and red adorning the plates. Splashes of crimson, reminiscent of speckles fit the new center piece of the machine as no longer was the pilot's bared midriff and blue jumpsuit clad torso bare but instead covered by a brilliant white plate with the aforementioned specks of red. The biggest and most noticeable change though would have been the wings. They were smooth and slender metallic extensions that peeked out from over his shoulder pads with the inner shapes curving downwards in a fashion reminiscent of feathers. With fine polish to a magnificent shine and a lovely guard against the glare of the sun, the Byakushiki had been reformed.

Three voices spoke out at once.

"Wha-what?"

"He was only in First Shift?!"

"What? What…what is that thing!"

There was small grinding noise, like metal against metal, as the pilot of the machine looked up.

Ichika stared at her.

Well, technically, it was supposed to be Ichika.

Where was once flesh, now was guarded by smooth white. The facial mask was pale bleached and covered his entire face. His unmistakable blue hair peeked out from where the top of the mask stopped at his forehead. Still, it was quite unnerving to see the empty white glow where his eyes were or how twin streaks of crimson seemed to flow from the sockets and course down his flat cheeks.

"N-no matter," Cecilia continued on bravely, realizing now that their entire battle had been fought with him handicapped, "Just because you changed shifts doesn't mean you'll be capable of utilizing it!"

There was no response.

The grinding noise permeated the air and persisted as the pilot slowly tilted his head to the left and then to the right.

Cecilia felt, in addition to a chill, like she was being inspected like a slab of meat at the butcher store.

"Hmph!"

Without a moment's hesitation, the opulent British girl swung her rifle around and opened fire. Remaining motionless had allowed her own hi-spec scanner to observe her target and pinpoint a weak point. With a quick but weakened blast at the right leg, the laser should have allowed enough damage done to the armor to end the match.

Still, regardless of the sudden loud bang, Ichika remained motionless.

"Looks like even with First Shift, you're still too dazed by my last attack."

Only now do I realize

Just as the beam was about to impact, a flash of bright light blinded everyone watching.

Now has this IS decided to become one with me

"Wha-what?"

And with it

Cecilia gulped without realizing it. The previously dull metal sword now was shining with a blue blade and running an examination over revealed something she didn't know her opponent could use to its fullest potential.

The Yukihira Type 2. And it was activated.

I SHALL REND FLESH FROM BONE

I SHALL DRINK THE BLOOD OF MINE ENEMIES

I SHALL CREATE A THRONE OUT OF THE CORPSES OF THOSE WHO DARE OPPOSE ME

A red aura manifested itself from the wings before dispersing into the air. Floating around like little speckles of red light, the Yukihira seemed to purr and hungrily absorb the light. Orbs of crimson continued to enter into the blue energy the sword was spouting and slowly, the weapon's hue started to darken.

When the long sword had turned completely red, it started to reshape itself. Noises churned from the glowing red pulse that was reminiscent of hammer blows. With each non-existent strike, the blade jumped and moved. When the process was done, the weapon Ichika held no longer resembled anything like the famous Yukihira.

The design of the tsuka (hilt) had been slimmed and molded into an intricate model of what appeared to be a stone faced angel about to deliver divine retribution upon an unholy sinning soul. The tsuba (guard) had been crafted into silvery wings that matched the level of the head of the angel, whose face was the center of the whole weapon. The length of the sword itself now reached eight feet long with a flat curved blade that had red running along the base.

Ironic

The one who seeks to protect me supplies me with such a thing

No matter, this shall be a glorious tool to use

"Cecilia…" Ichika's voice droned out. It should have been muffled with how attached the mask was to his face but it was clear over the comms.

"W-what?"

"Won't you be so kind," The bland tone of voice morphed into something else. Cecilia realized with growing horror that the comm link had been privatized and secured solely so she could only hear.

"AS TO DIE FOR ME!"

Ichika flashed forward, his speed several notches higher than before. Cecilia barely had time to reload and fire her remaining two BITs at him before he was nearly upon her. The male pilot wasn't even deterred from his set course. The missiles were cleanly bisected even before they reached ten feet of their target, the smoke and explosions only causing a rising panic in Cecilia as she realized she could no longer see him.

The British girl screamed as her sensor told her one second AFTER he was descending upon her. In the time span between it took her to react and for Ichika to react, she found herself flying away.

"AH!"

Somehow, her shield integrity had been diminished to a mere one hundred! She reached for her rifle only to find that she was clutching two very small parts of her cut up weapon. In addition, she looked down and realized that somehow during their exchange, her opponent had sliced through the connection between her commands and her remaining BIT's.

"WHEN DID YOU DO ALL THIS?!" She screamed at him.

Ichika ignored her. He was staring intently at his sword and then at his shield integrity. Before, he gained an additional three hundred points to bolster his dismal remaining one hundred eighty after his last charge against his opponent. After his recent exchange, where he slashed at her nearly fifteen times in an eye blink before kicking her away, his shields were now back down to one hundred eighty.

The price for power is life

"I shall finish this now," Ichika intoned.

Cecilia could only watch with her mouth agape as she saw her opponent start to charge the reformed Yukihira.

"ENJOY THE ENDING TO IT ALL!" Ichika roared with bloodlust and mad glee.

The blue haired youth charged at her, sword in hand still collecting energy as he traveled, face set in maniacal euphoria that only he could see as he felt his weapon purr and speak to him. He purposely traveled slower than possible, letting the Yukihira gather energy and to relish the growing fear in his opponent. The hum of the sword spoke volumes, telling him of how it would all end and this disrespectful little upstart would never bother him again.

His opponent, whether an act of desperation or stupidity, pulled out her own close range weapon and clumsily held it in front of her as if it would defend her.

It was when he had reached the halfway point between their distances that a buzzer rang loudly.

"Ending the match. Winner—Cecilia Alcott."

Ichika didn't care for it nor did he even once think to heed the call. Deciding that Yukihira had enough, he urged the remaining energy into his boosters and sped at the British girl.

Cecilia, seeing him still moving despite the call for the end, realized too late that he wasn't going to stop and that her scanners were blaring warning sirens right in her face.

"Wait! What are you doing?!"

=I=N=F=I=N=I=T=E=

IT IS DONE

No

COME, WE SHALL RISE ONCE MORE

No

WHAT?

I SAID NO DAMN IT!

=S=T=R=A=T=O=S=

I banked sharply to the left, flowing with my momentum. Realizing that my new path wasn't any better than my old one, especially with a blade that could slice through and absorb energy like a hot knife through butter, I decided that best course of action instead was to dive.

I killed my boosters and then directed my entire being downwards with my arms to my side. A hoarse roar tore itself from my throat as I sped face first into the ground.

*VHOOM!*

The impact I made into the earth threw up a heavy cloud of dust and I left a rather noticeable imprint on the floor. I had unintentionally jammed my charged up weapon into the base of the arena and thus unleashed all of its pent up charge into the very foundation of the place. Luckily, the creators of IS academy probably accounted for such heavy impacts in case of natural disasters or self-caused incidents by IS users so I'm pretty sure that I just rocked the whole place around instead of destroying something important.

When the ringing in my ears finally died down and I realized I had been surrounded by a few other IS's, I felt myself relax just a tad bit. The worst of it all was over and I could honestly say I didn't mind the outcome. Sure I lost the match but I really would have hated to also possibly end up doing something I would regret.

Yukihira had dismissed into white light at my command while the facial mask I had on crumbled to pieces and dropped to the floor. I hissed a bit at the biting sensation of having sunlight suddenly directed into my eyes and face once more. I gingerly shielded my face with a mechanical hand.

I looked up to see if I could see my sister's disapproving face on the arena's monitor but I instead saw Cecilia looking down at me. Not in a 'superior' way either. It seemed that she had genuine curiosity and possibly a little fear regarding me now. I blew out a sigh. Of course she would, after the shit I just pulled.

I looked down and let my hair fall over my eyes as my thoughts become dark.

I better go see Sis.

=I=N=F=I=N=I=T=E=

After the end of the match and a rather sluggish return back to the hanger, I was met with my elder sis, Houki, Yamada-sensei, a few other females, and surprisingly Cecilia stuck around.

"So…" I begin listlessly at all the people directing their attention at me.

"Ichika what was that!?" Houki blurted out.

"Er…"

"IS's aren't supposed to do something like that! Even with cases like First Shift! And Yukihira! How or what were you-"

*Bonk*

"Miss Shinonono, please refrain from asking questions you have no right to be asking."

Houki was rubbing her head with one hand while she had frown/pout on her face. It was almost adorable.

"Are you all right?" My sister suddenly asked me.

"Fine."

"Do you know why you lost?"

"…"

I say nothing. I didn't want to reveal anything I wasn't ready too. Instead, I just look her in the eyes and convey my message through that.

"…Do you know about the special capabilities of the weapon you were using?"

"Kind of. It's supposed to be a real life definition of double edged sword I believe."

"Yes, it is," Chifuyu's eyes narrowed, "Who told you that?"

"…"

Again, she receives the message.

"Well then, I guess that concludes that," My sis remarked off-handly, "There's just one more matter to settle then you can go okay?"

"…Sure."

I dreaded the feeling I was experiencing when my sister grabbed me by the arm and whisked me away to a private corner of the room. She shot her patented glare at anyone who even considered looking over in our direction.

"Do you know what happened?"

"Yes."

"Were you aware it was happening?"

"Yes."

"Do you know how it happened?"

"…"

"…"

She searched my face for answers before shedding her public façade and showing me a rare thing. It was her tender loving Big Sis face, one that was full of warmth, love, and protection. I could count on one hand the number of times I've seen this face. All of them…were…well they were similar to this case.

"Do you think it'll happen again?"

"…"

"Relax. You can tell me," She whispered.

"I don't know," I managed to choke out, "I don't know and it scares me."

She gave me a small smile as she wiped away a tear I didn't know I had shed.

"I'll be here, if you ever want to talk about it. Remember, you aren't alone in this."

I gave her a shaky smile in return as I struggled not to let what happened get to me.

This condition of mine…this…this perverse excuse of trauma that seems to pop up at the most inopportune times, it will always cause me to be afraid. I am fearful of many things and this is one of them.

I am afraid of snapping.

*SLAP*

My head veers to the left as a sharp stinging sensation tells me that my cheek was ground zero for the arrival of pain.

"That's for the tears," My sister whispered to me with one last smile before she adopted back her façade.

"That's Orimura-sensei to you," She intoned loudly for everyone to hear, "Get it right and stop complaining. Now that you experienced everything, you can't make excuses anymore. Starting tomorrow, I want you to be hard at work to understand all things IS-related. You are to practice on-hand while learning everything there is. Don't fail me, got it?"

I answer with a tentative 'yes' as we walk back to the others. Yamada-sensei is staring at me with face of worry as she notices the smarting red handprint on my face and the tears in my eyes. Houki is torn between a look of worry and pity as she nurses her own wound. Everyone else either shoots me a look that combines the two or is single in either pity or concern.

After a rather awkward moment of silence, Yamada-sensei walked up to me and explained a few other key things I needed to know now before dropping yet ANOTHER text book in my hands.

"Orimura-kun, make sure you read this in its entirety okay?"

"Aw man…"

"What was that?"

"Nothing! Thank you very much Chi- I mean Orimura-sensei and Yamada-sensei!"

The look she sent me could have melted ice and freeze fire. I also got more looks of pity in turn.

"You can go now. Make sure you head back and rest easy."

I nod at the dismissal and turn towards the exit. It was during my little pivot that I saw Cecilia out of the corner of my eye.

Aw damn, that's right. The bet…

Gah, I shouldn't be worrying about that. I should be worrying about something else!

My trek over to Cecilia garners the attention of everyone present. I hear a few people hold their breath as I stop right in front of Cecilia who is looking at me with an unreadable expression on her face.

"Alcott," I greet.

"Orimura," She returns with a bland voice.

"Are you hurt?"

"No," Judging by her short clipped response, I could assume she was either expecting something more out of me or wished for me to disappear from her sight.

I couldn't find it in myself to blame her. Still, this was important and had to be done.

Whatever Cecilia was supposing I was going to do, she wasn't expecting me to suddenly bow and remain with my head down if her squeak of surprise was anything to go by.

"I, Orimura Ichika, am deeply sorry for all trouble, damage, and insults I have given you. I apologize in the hopes that what happened today will be nothing but in the past and that maybe sometime in the future, we may be possibly friends."

To her credit, Cecilia recovered quite quickly.

"I accept your apology," She managed to say with a rather polite tone, "And too hope that we may start again with a clean slate. "

"I thank you very much for this mercy," I get up from my stance and give her a small smile.

For some reason, a tinge of red colors her cheeks. I raise an eyebrow at that but decide not to comment.

"Hey," An irritated voice to my side said, "Let's go."

"Right. Good bye everyone," I proclaim loudly as I follow my childhood friend out of the hanger.

I got about four steps out before collapsing.

"AHH! Ichika! What's wrong?!"

I open my mouth to say something but instead could only spit out a wad of blood. Everyone else heard Houki's scream and rushed outside just in time to see me with trembling bloody hands.

"Wha-What?"

"How did this happen!"

My vision starts to blur and my eyes close, the wound on my torso finally registering that yes, I am suffering blood loss.

=S=T=R=A=T=O=S=

"Ugh, I feel like crap," I mumbled after waking up in one of the beds in the infirmary with the same nurse last time.

"As you should," The head nurse said, "Not many wake up so soon after suffering such an injury."

"…Was I supposed to be out for an extended period of time?"

"With the amount of drugs pumped into you upon your sister's orders, you should be."

"Oh."

Awkward silence.

"Anything stopping me from just jumping out of bed and going back to my room?"

"If Ms. Orimura clears it, I'll allow it. But if she doesn't, you'll get to spend the night with me," The nurse chirped happily.

I gulped.

I got to get out of here.

=I=N=F=I=N=I=T=E=

I glanced left and right as I sneaked along the hallway. Lights out was about two hours ago and I didn't want to be caught by anyone who could possibly be patrolling right now. What's more, I was dressed only in a patient's smock. My blue jumpsuit had a gaping hole in it plus a new red paint job so it was considered best to just dump it and replace it with fresh clean one. It would be a pain to get sent back to the infirmary or worse, to my sister right now. A sleepy and angry Chifuyu is not something I would ever wish to deal with.

Employing the use of the stealth training imparted upon me by my teachers, I managed to scurry my way through the shadows back into my room. When I reached the door, I fumbled around for a short while trying to find the key I had before remembering that I left it with my white uniform in the boy's locker room. Swearing under my breath, I decide to hell with everything and start to pick the lock.

"Ichika."

I nearly let out an unmanly shriek. I whirl around with about twenty different excuses on the tip of my tongue but stop when Houki just stares at me with a deadpan look.

"Um…uh…hey Houki."

"You don't have your room keys do you?"

"Nope."

"Move aside."

I siddle to the left and wait patiently as Houki unlocks the door. When the wooden barrier opens, I quickly slip in between the gap and grab a change of clothes from my bunk before rushing into the bathroom as Houki just sits in one of the available chairs and watches me with a face that expresses 'idiot' at me.

"So where were you?" I ask through the bathroom door as I remove my shirt.

"Looking for you."

"I was laid up in the infirmary," I remark with a sarcastic tone.

"And you were supposed to stay there too."

"Point. So why were you visiting me so late?"

"…"

I check my back in the mirror and make sure none of the body paint was removed accidently. My torso, thankfully, had a more resilient coat that stayed on despite the blood and possibly cleansing drugs applied to it.

"Why didn't you say you were hurt?"

Ignoring how she dodged the question, "It didn't register to me. I guess I was still winding down from the battle high and just realized that doing a head dive into the arena floor with a blade of charged energy while also having a non-existent shield protect me was possibly one of the dumber things I could have done in my life."

Houki mulls over my answer as I pull up my pants and button them. I dump the smock into a hamper I brought along before starting the process of brushing my teeth.

"Hey Houki," I say with a toothbrush in my mouth, "You still awake out there?"

"Y-yes."

"How'd you know I'll be back here?"

Spit. Rinse. Gargle.

"Where'd else would you go?"

"Plenty of places. I could have gone with to my sister, could have camped out in the forest, hell, I probably could have set up a mini tent in homeroom and slept there."

I say all this with the upmost seriousness.

"Well, I guess it's because I knew what you would do."

I pause in my flossing and raise an unseen eyebrow at the door. Houki knows my routines?

Hmm…

It's true I guess. I mean, I do remember some of our shared late night adventures. I was a bit of an insomniac as a kid and kept an active night life. Went exploring around the house, sometimes the backyard, hell I even managed to sneak into bed with Nee-chan a few times without her realizing I've done so. The times I spent staying over at Houki's place, few as they were, also had me exploring the night in her house.

The surprising thing was how she sometimes joined me.

Just the two of us, running around in the shadows. We would sneak around like ninjas through the night or scurry like mice whenever we heard a noise. Sometimes there were three of us. Sometimes just one. Never did we ever go alone if we had the chance or choice.

It was one of the most prominent and treasured portions of my childhood…

"Hey Ichika."

I spit out the frothy paste in my mouth into the sink and rinse one final time before speaking.

"Yes Houki?"

"Are you…are you unhappy about losing?"

I slide my cup and toothbrush back into its reserved spot and then unlock the door.

"A little of yes, thank you, and a little of no," I say as I receive the cup of steaming tea from her.

"I see. S-so does that mean that you'll still want to learn about the IS?"

"Of course. But where am I ever going to find a teacher who would devote their precious time to train me, a bumbling brute of a male, in the special instructions of piloting?"

Houki gave me a deadpan stare as I used the cup to hide my smirk.

"If you don't want to…" Sip.

"Hey! I never said I wouldn't!"

I cringe and look around fearfully, "Keep your voice down or you'll bring the wrath of the mighty older sister down upon us."

Houki clams up and the two of us sit in companionable silence while enjoying our tea. Finally, Houki finishes off what's left in her cup before looking at me.

"You'll have to make free time after school."

"Understandable."

"You must also be willing to listen to whatever I have to say."

"Unless it's a stupid ass thing that you tell me, I'll obey."

Her eyebrow twitched at that last remark, "You'll also be sparring with me on a regular basis so I can gauge your learning levels."

I just stare at her.

She coughs then averts her gaze.

"I'll agree to a match only if it's while in our suits and we don't get too 'excited' and cause a lot of property damage."

"That's fair…"

"Damn straight it is. Still," I down the rest of my own cup and then bring the dishes to the sink we have. Houki lets out a little yawn the same time I do and we share a silent agreement to head for the beds, "I thank you Houki. Even if the initial part of getting you to teach me was difficult, it was still fun and something I would gladly have conceded to if the situation allowed it."

Houki doesn't respond with a coherent sentence, eyelids drooping and body slowly shutting down as she lies in her bed. I hit the lights and then turn over in my own mattress.

"Good night…"

"Good night."

Sleep surprisingly came easy.

=S=T=R=A=T=O=S=

When morning rolled around the next day, I got up extra early and started preparing. The clothes were cleaned and pressed, the style insured and checked, and the finishing touches were embellished with flourishes. All in all, I made good time. All of this because I had made a deal and I had rightfully lost. Thus, I had to uphold my end of the bargain. Houki was waking up just as I finished putting on some last touches. Before her groggy mind could catch up and see me, I swiftly snuck out the door with practiced ease.

Deciding that I should keep things as a surprise and ensure that no one tells Cecilia before I formally greet her, I decide to forgo breakfast in the cafeteria and instead take a bland mealtime of wrapped bread and a bottle of water on the roof in a secluded spot. When my watch beeps to signal it was time for SHR, I straighten my posture, suck in my chest and spat out my dignity.

I pull out a small personal handheld mirror, checked my hair, checked my face and practiced a few simple lines. I took some steps forward, backwards, sideways, and diagonally.

Making sure everything was set and perfect, I disembarked.

Look out Student Homeroom, Orimura Ichika coming your way!

Of course, I forget that seeing as I'm on the roof, I'm more than likely to be late as hell if I don't haul ass.

Damn it!

=I=N=F=I=N=I=T=E=

"Then, the class representative of 1-1 will be Orimura Ichika-kun. Ah, it sure is nice to have a '1'[1B 5] for everything!"

The class cheered and all eyes shot to the seat in the front.

"Huh? Where's Orimura-kun?"

"Waah! Is he late?"

"Oh no, Chifuyu-sensei will kill him!"

Up in front, Chifuyu stewed in her thoughts. Her brother was late for homeroom. Something that she considered punishable by attendance book to the face…but he did have an intense match yesterday. An even more intense relapse. And possibly suffered some trauma to both mind and body. Could he be justified for being late for today? Oh should she just hold back on hitting him too hard? These thoughts rolled around in her head as she debated whether to go with her gut feeling or her heart.

Strangely, both still involved hitting him.

"Shinonono, have you seen Orimura?" Chifuyu decided to ask.

"N-no Sensei." Houki stuttered out. She hadn't seen Ichika when she had awakened this morning and it worried her. Maybe she had missed something yesterday when they were both alone. His posture didn't indicate anything out of the ordinary and he sounded like himself when they went to bed.

Cecilia Alcott contemplated this new bit of information. She had wanted to visit this new man of interest to her last night but alas, he had disappeared before she could reach him. Deciding that tomorrow morning would be better, she realized that currently her plans had been ruined before they were even put into action.

*Whoosh*

All noise in the classroom stilled when the door at to the front of the classroom opened. All eyes in the schoolroom widened and stayed that way when they got an eyeful of who came in.

=S=T=R=A=T=O=S=

Oh man I knew it. I freaking knew this would happen. Why did I have to make that bet? This is Houki's fault! She should have been a better teacher! And Chifuyu-nee too! If she had told me what to expect when I drew her weapon, maybe I wouldn't have lost!

Sigh.

Well, it's too late to back out and I'm already going through with this. Mind as well see it to the end.

Taking a silent deep breath, I stalk forward into the class head for my target.

My posture is straight, my hair is combed, and I'm dressed so finely that it almost seems gaudy.

Which it is.

I mean, I'm wearing an expensive black set of trousers, a tailcoat, and a white vest. For crying out loud, I'm even wearing silk gloves. My eyes are unseen beneath the dark shades I sport but I like to think that enhances the whole 'mysterious' affect I see so many women swoon over. And the finishing touch is that I styled my hair back in a refined manner.

I feel sexy~

Nevertheless, I have a duty to fulfill for a certain someone.

And of course, the lucky madam of the day is...

"Good morning Miss Alcott," I say in a polite clipped tone, voice low and even.

"I-Ichika-kun?"

Hmm, that's new. Oh well, wonder about it later when you're not dressed like a hot man servant and must remain so for possibly the whole day.

"As per the terms of the agreement we had before our match, I am to be your servant for one day. Ask anything of me and I'll do my best to fulfill your wishes. Short of murder and self-inflicted injury, I shall serve."

I then gave her the dazzling smile that just shows off perfect white teeth with the added effect of having the sun reflect upon it thus making a small audible ting sound.

My vision is limited to only the back of the classroom really but I can tell that everyone watching this (and me) possibly is sporting big red cherry blushes. I know Cecilia, right in front of me, is one of them. I find myself admitting that while I never did have any patience for those uptight noble types, I find the blush spreading across her face to be really adorable.

"BRAT."

Of course, the effect was ruined by a certain older sister.

Via book to the back of the skull.

I pitch forward with a yelp, the back of my head throbbing and my glasses jumbled from their place hiding my eyes.

"Sit. Down. Now," The voice of pain and damnation says.

A lot of the girls surrounding us groan out loud but shut up when the infamous Ms. Chifuyu-sensi levels a glare at them. I sigh and fix the placement of my sunglasses with a delicate push of my fingers.

"Alcott, you are to tell Orimura why he was released from his obligation right this instant. I don't care if you too had an agreement; it was informal and thus can be declared moot by a reasonable authority figure, aka me. Thus, I decree that this current situation is an impediment to the learning environment and thus must be fixed immediately by you because you are one of the persons who took part in this."

I see a flash of a pout crease the British girl's mouth before she is cowed by the glare.

"Ichika-san, I apologize for having you go through all this but I must admit that I submitted the position of the class representative to you."

Those words are worse than the wound I inflicted upon myself.

"Wait," I ground out, persona dropped, "You mean to tell me I got up early, dressed and preened myself to an extreme extent, and then came in here like an unsuspecting schmuck for NOTHING?"

I feel like there would be someone to blame for this. I really do. I want to curse Kami but he's heard me do it so many times before that he's probably tuned me out long ago.

"Orimura, sit your butt down now. Seeing as you decided to be such a nuisance, your punishment for disturbance of the peace of the classroom will be that you must remain in your current attire. For the rest of the day."

I don't have to look closely or use a hi-spec optical scan to see the mischievous smirk my sister is holding back.

That evil conniving wench. She would pull something like this on me.

I palm my face, mindful of my glasses.

Okay, hopeful plan to possibly mitigate and distract everyone long enough to slip away.

"Wait, this doesn't make sense. Cecilia won the match so she got the position. She can't just give it away…can she?"

"If you had read the manual I gave you," I suppressed a wince, "Then you would know the answer to that."

"B-besides!" Cecilia manages to squeak out suddenly, "It was to be expected when you were fighting against me, Cecilia Alcott! The outcome was decided but I admired your cause and decided that it would be great to see you reach a higher level by having you fight more! So as our class representative, your task is now to fight many battles!"

Sounds like a cop out…

"Yes! We shall all rally under the banner of Ichika-san!"

"Being the only male pilot in the world, he has to have interesting adventures!"

"And when we get a lot of information on him, we can sell it to others and get rich quick!"

"Oi!" I bark, causing some people to jump, "I'm not a commodity you can just use and sell as you please! Especially if I don't get a cut of the action! If you want pay dirt, then you better 'pay' for the 'dirt'!"

"Oh! If it's going to be like that, then how about this? What was with that strange transformation you did yesterday?"

Aaaand just like that, I'm desolate and in despair now.

I really, really, REALLY do not want to be answering something like that right now.

"Ahem."

Huh? Oh what's this? Nee-san, did you exert your dominance and influence over these girls and make them swear never to bother me about yesterday? Oh yes you did! You really do care!

"H-how about this then? Is there anything embarrassing that we can know about Chifuyu-sensei?"

Hmm...fair enough. I open my mouth to report some dirty dealings to get revenge when-

*BAM*

"Why haven't you sat down yet?"

I remain motionless, attendance book firmly lodged in my face.

"Damn you and your mind reading," My muffled voice carries through the thick wrapped bundle of parchment.

=I=N=F=I=N=I=T=E=

I eased into my seat and tried to stifle any groans or noises I would make. The bandages on my chest were wound tight and were done in the one place where the slightest twitch of my torso sent my nerves screaming. It was homeroom time and things were just recently getting back to normal. Rumors about the match spread like wildfire and I got a few curious glances and even some stares of disbelief. I couldn't blame them but I also didn't say anything even if they had the courage to come up and ask me. I felt that it was better to try and sweep such information under a rug and leave it undisturbed.

That…and being dressed the way I am, I felt that it was better for myself to suffer now than suffer questions later.

"Kyaa~ Can we take a photo with you please?"

"I want to touch his hair!"

"Ooh, can you do something for me Butler-kun?"

"No fair, I want him to do something for me first!"

"I want to see if he can play his part too!"

Sigh. It's going to be one of those days.

Somewhere out there, my friends are laughing at my misfortune.

Someday, in the future, I'm going to kick their asses in revenge.

A/N: This took way longer than it should...but at least I finished it! Check back to the first chapter soon! I'm going to update it sometime with a new and improved version!