Infinite Stratos, Volume 7, page 1
Chapter I: Sisters
Bang!
“Wha—?!” Gunfire?! C’mon, we’re in Japan! “Ugh!”
The bullet shot toward me. Somehow, I could see it clearly.
“Tch!”
The attacker in front of me—Orimura Madoka—clicked her tongue. In the next instant, the bullet shooting at me stopped in midair. It hung there in stasis. This was... That must be Laura’s AIC!
“Ichika! Get down!”
I dove to the ground as a knife flew just over my head. The cans tumbled from my arms and rattled down the pavement.
“I thought you’d try to interfere.” Surprisingly, she chose to block the knife aimed at her right eye with her palm.
“What in the—”
Madoka tightened her grip on the knife piercing her hand.
“You can have this back.”
She flung it back at Laura. However, with Laura’s Wodan-Auge system enhancing her motion tracking and visual acuity, it took almost no effort to stop the knife with her AIC as well. Her golden left eye darted from the knife back to Madoka, but Madoka had already deployed her IS and faded into the shadows.
“Hmph.”
“Wait!”
Dodging the grip of the AIC, she disappeared into the night, gone as suddenly as she had appeared.
“Ugh...”
“Are you okay, Laura?!”
“Who do you think I am? What about you?”
“Yeah. You saved me there. Thanks.”
“Don’t even mention it.” As she spoke, she picked up her knife and resheathed it, then pulled her eyepatch back down. I dusted the dirt off my clothes and began to pick up the scattered cans.
“Ah...”
“Hm? What?”
“Your left eye really is pretty. It looks almost like a jewel.”
“W-What?”
“It wasn’t fun getting attacked, but I guess getting to see that made it all worthwhile.”
“What do you mean ‘worthwhile,’ you idiot!” Laura walked right up to me and deliberately stomped on my foot.
“Oww!”
“Hmph! I’m heading back!”
“Hey! Hey, wait. Can you at least help me carry the cans?”
“That’s not my problem!” shouted Laura as she stalked off angrily.
“You know, now that I think of it, how were you even there to help me when I was attacked?”
“Well...”
“Well?”
“...Do I even have to say it? I thought it would be a good chance for us to be alone together...”
“Huh? What was that, Laura?”
“Nothing! You idiot!”
“Hey, wait! Don’t stomp on my foot, you moron!”
“Who are you calling a moron?!”
Laura, her face red all the way up to the ears, hit me with a haymaker punch.
◇
“You were attacked?!” It was Monday night at the dinner table, and Houki and Rin reacted in unison.
“Yeah, yesterday night.”
I ran down the sequence of events, leaving Orimura Madoka’s name out of it. Oh, I hadn’t mentioned it the night before because I didn’t want to put a damper on the festivities.
“Silent Zephyrus’s pilot... I wonder what she’s after. Any ideas, Ichika?”
“Beats me.”
I kept my answer to Charl short and simple, so she wouldn’t realize I wasn’t telling the whole story. I should probably ask Chifuyu about this first. But talking about our family... Rather, talking about our parents had always been pretty taboo between us. Even if I asked her, I probably wouldn’t get very far... Nor did I really want to.
“Oh, Ichika, could you perhaps feed me the omelette next?”
“Got it. Here.”
I was feeding Cecilia, the wounded hero. I felt sorry for her losing the use of her right arm.
“Ahh....”
Nom. She chewed with a hand covering her mouth, blushing at the unwanted attention she’d attracted. Well, I guess it’s pretty embarrassing to be hand-fed at our age...
“...That’s no fair, Cecilia, picking something you eat with chopsticks.”
“You could’ve had the pasta or something you could eat one-handed...”
Cecilia cleared her throat as if to fend off Rin and Houki’s glares. Speaking of which: the menu was salt-grilled salmon rolled in savory omelettes, spinach greens with sesame seeds, miso soup with potatoes, and savory shellfish custard. Every item on the list was a ‘chopsticks food.’
“Ichika, she can have the custard with a spoon, right? Think you’re up to it, Cecilia?” Charl said while giving a forced smile.
“I, well... I don’t believe I’d do that well with my left hand.”
“I see. Then I suppose I’ll feed you.”
“Laura?! Wait, at least let it cool— Ah! Hot! Hot, hot, hot!”
Laura crammed the spoon of steaming custard into Laura’s mouth. Come on, it’s not nice to tease the injured like that.
“Well, it certainly looks like you’re all having fun this evening.”
“Oh, Ms. Yamada. And—” Chifuyu—Ms. Orimura—was with her. Each of them was carrying a dinner tray.
“Quiet it down, you dunces.”
“I-I’m wounded, so...”
“Alcott. Don’t get the wrong impression just because we chose not to enforce your suspension for fighting in the city.”
“Understood...”
I’d gotten raked over the coals all day for going after the Silent Zephyrus, too. My body and soul both ached after that two-hour lecture.
“Do you all normally eat together like this?”
“Ah, yeah. Pretty much all the time.”
“Really.”
“Oh my. Ms. Orimura, are you worried about your little brother?”
“Ms. Yamada. Care for some melee sparring after dinner?”
“I-I was just joking! Ahaha, haha...”
It seemed like every time Ms. Yamada tried to tease Chifuyu, it backfired. She should learn her lesson...
“Keep it quiet. Well... I guess for teenaged girls that’s going to go in one ear and out the other. At least try to, okay?”
With that, Chifuyu led Ms. Yamada toward a table in the back of the room. With everyone around, there was no way I could ask about Madoka. I’d have to bring it up later. We whiled away the rest of the evening.
◇
“So, uh, why are you all following me?” I asked the clump of girls sticking close on my way back to my dorm room.
“I... Well, it’s not because I’m worried about you or anything!” That was Rin.
“Well, uh, just... It’s nice to have a chat in your room from time to time.” Charl chimed in.
“Yes! It’s important to keep lines of communication open.” Houki nodded, apparently unsatisfied with all the communication we’d done at dinner. Ah well, it’s not like I had a problem with it.
“Um, Ichika? Could you help me change my dressings?”
“Sure.”
Cecilia’s face lit up as I answered. Seeing that made me feel lucky to have been born a man.
“Ichika! You’re going way too soft on her. What kind of national cadet can’t even care for their own wounds?” came Laura with the snark. “I’ve heard that in this country, they treat wounds using saliva. That sounds good, why don’t you try that.”
“Er... Laura... ‘Licking your wounds’ isn’t supposed to be that literal...” Though it wasn’t really metaphorical, either?
“Really? My saliva contains medical nanomachines.”
Ugh, really? I felt like it was a lot better to just let that one go. Right, she was a test tube baby born at a Bundeswehr lab. A being given life only to fight... Well, it was easy to criticize on ethical grounds, but rejecting it meant rejecting Laura herself. And since she didn’t seem to mind too much, it’s not like we can really say much... Plus, I wanted to think that since she’d come to Japan—since she’d made these new friends—there was now something else in her life.
“Are you even listening to me? Sometimes I wonder whether you even deserve to be my bride.”
“Yeah, yeah. Sorry.” Every time she calls me ‘bride,’ I remember that kiss, but I probably shouldn’t tell her that. Just thinking about it makes my face heat up.
“Mm? What is it?”
“Oh, nothing.” I nonchalantly ducked back from Laura, who had leaned in close, and opened my door. “So, what are we doing for chairs? Should I go borrow a couple?”
“I think the bed’s fine. Right, everyone?” Charl made the suggestion to the other girls. Sometimes I really appreciated her.
“As long as I have somewhere to sit, I’m fine.”
“Yeah. And the dorm beds are pretty good.”
“I’d prefer my own bed, naturally. But it will suffice.”
“I’m fine.”
Rin, Houki, Cecilia, and Laura answered, and we walked in.
“Should I go get some drinks?”
“It’s fine, Charl. Don’t worry about it. Plus, if anyone does, it should be—”
“C’mon! What if you get attacked again?!”
“Ah, right...” Surprised by how insistent she suddenly got, I automatically apologized. When I did, she suddenly snapped back to her usual self, cringing in embarrassment.
“Sorry.”
“Nah, it’s fine.”
“Just... I mean, you’re a guy. Does it bother you being protected by girls?”
“Nah, not really. I mean, it’d be kinda
“Really? That’s good...”
“Yeah...”
A few seconds went by in silence as we both awkwardly looked away. I couldn’t really tell if my heart was pounding or not.
“Staaaaaare.”
“Whaa?!” From the doorway, Rin and Houki and Cecilia and Laura—everyone but Charl—was glaring at me.
“Up to your usual tricks, Charlotte?”
“Ichika, you...!”
“That’s cheating, Charlotte!”
“Hmph!”
Ah, crap. Laura was sulking already. Once she got mad, it usually took forever and a day to clear things up.
“Ah, uh... Laura?”
“Why are you only apologizing to Laura?!”
“Is she the only one you care about?!”
“I-Ichika?!”
Welp. I’d really stepped in it now. I could see a lot of apologizing on my knees in my near future.
◇
“Phew...” Two hours later, I’d finally escaped from the girls and was lying on my bed. “I should take a shower.”
Just as I got up, the door to my room opened.
“Ta-dah! Tatenashi steals the limelight!”
“Please go.”
I slammed my door shut. As soon as I did, I could hear the sound of running water from the other side.
“Whaaa?!”
A blade of water sliced my door in half. On the other side was Tatenashi, her chain sword, Rusty Nail, pulled tight in her grip. “Now, now. Can’t have you ignoring me.”
I give up. I slumped my shoulders.
“May I come in?”
“Go right ahead...”
Tatenashi had already swapped Rusty Nail back to her usual fan. On it was written the words ‘sad plight.’ Could she have been—nah, she had to have been punning with ‘limelight.’ And wait, it was her own damn fault it was a sad plight!
“What did you want? Make it quick, I was about to shower.”
“Oh? Then why don’t we talk in the shower? I didn’t bring my swimsuit this time, but that’s okay.”
“Gah, no! Why does it have to be like that?! Just say what it is now!”
“Well, well. You’re all fired up. That’s absolutely adorable.”
“Whatever.” Feeling completely ground down, I made tea for her.
“Ooh, gyokuro. A good choice. But you’ve still got a lot to learn before you take over for the student council.”
Um. I thought my role was vice-president.
“Tatenashi.”
“Ye-es?”
“I’m kicking you out.”
“Aww.”
I let out one final sigh. I couldn’t fight with this. She was going to have me wrapped around her finger permanently, and there was nothing I could do about it. Farewell, sighs.
“So, what did you want?”
“You were attacked, right, Ichika? Shall I assign you some of my bodyguards?”
“Thanks for the offer, but I’ll have to pass.”
My enemy had an IS. I didn’t want to think about it, but a normal person could well end up dead if they got involved.
“I thought you’d say so.”
“I see.” I guess she was right.
“Then, there was one other thing...”
“Yeah?”
For once, Tatenashi was reluctantly grimacing before saying, “...Please!”
Smack! Her hands clapped together as she bowed her head.
“Huh? What?”
“Take care of my sister!”
“Your sister?!”
I had no idea what was going on.
◇
“So, uh. Your little sister? She must be a first year?”
“Yes. Her name is Sarashiki Kanzashi. Here, here’s a picture.” Tatenashi opened up her phone, showing me a photo of a girl who looked a little bit tired of life.
So this is Tatenashi’s little sister. She seems kinda...
“But... Please don’t ever tell her I asked you to.”
Normally, Tatenashi would never lead in with that kind of thing.
“Your sister looks a bit, uhh...” For some reason, I felt like I had to be cautious with how I phrased it.
“Gloomy, yes.”
“I see...”
“She’s talented, though. That’s why she has her own IS, but...”
“But?”
“She doesn’t have it yet.”
“Huh?” Does she have it, or doesn’t she?
“She’s a Japanese National Cadet, so her IS isn’t ready yet. That’s why she doesn’t have it.”
“Huh?”
“What do you mean, ‘huh?’ It’s your fault.”
“Eh?!” How’d I get involved in this?
“Kanzashi’s personal IS was being developed by Kuramochi Engineering, so...”
“Oh... The same lab as Byakushiki?”
“Yes. Byakushiki was an all-hands-on-deck effort, so it’s not finished yet.”
“I see...”
“So— It’s your fault!”
“Sorry, ma’am...” So that’s why when they lined us all up with our personal IS, Class D’s pilot was always absent. It must be pretty embarrassing to be a national cadet and still not have your own. “So, what did you want me to do for her?”
“Well, after the attack that happened at Cannonball Fast, they’re planning an all-years tag-team tournament to help get pilots with their personal IS up to speed fast.”
“Oh, really?”
“So please! Team up with Kanzashi!” Snapping her fan shut and setting it down beside her, she clasped her hands together again.
“Hey, come on, you know I’d be good for it even if you didn’t beg me.”
“So... So, you will?” she asked again, hesitantly. The difference from her usual attitude made her seem tiny, almost fragile.
What a mess... For some reason, when someone who was normally so carefree suddenly asked so politely, it made me feel like I absolutely had to see it through.
“Then, uh... What was her name? Kanzashi, right? Should I go up to her about it?”
“Yes. But if there’s any way you can avoid it, please don’t tell her I asked you to.”
“Huh? Why?”
“She... Well, she’s kind of always felt that I’ve overshadowed her... So...”
Tatenashi was being evasive. I could tell that there were issues between them.
“So you don’t get along with your sister?”
“Ahh...” Her sigh just confirmed that I was right. Sisters who don’t see eye to eye, with the big sister trying in her own way to patch things up and the little sister rebelling... It made me think of another family I knew.
It almost seems like Houki and Tabane’s relationship... Even with Houki getting an IS from her sister, things had still been a bit tense. We hadn’t seen Tabane again since then, so they probably hadn’t improved any. Anyway, if it was like that, I really had to go through with it.
“I’ll do my best to make it seem like it was all my idea.”
“Thanks. Oh, and try to be careful with how you phrase things. She can be a bit prickly.”
“Right...” I mentally jotted down what she’d told me about Kanzashi.
“Thanks again. But really, don’t go overboard. If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work.”
“This really isn’t like you, Tatenashi. I’d expect you to be more like ‘And if you do it, I’ll wash your back,’ or something.”
“Really? Ahahah... Well, if you really want me to...”
She really wasn’t herself today.
“You sound like you need a back rub.”
“Mm? Ichika?”
“C’mon.”
“Okay...”
I walked around behind Tatenashi, then climbed up on the bed on my knees and began to massage.
“Wow, you’re really tense. Have you been up late working a lot recently?”
“Yeah, a bit... Ow!”
“Your neck muscles are so stiff. You should do some stretching, and then take a nice long bath.”
“I know. Mmm...”
“Should I help out with the work?”
“C’mon, don’t get too full of yourself. You have your work with the clubs to take care of.”
“Well, yeah, but...”
“Jeez. You can’t just drop everything. I won’t like you anymore if you do that.”
“I know, I know.” I spent another half-hour or so massaging Tatenashi, who was finally back to being herself.
“Mmm! That felt good. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of things with your sister.”
“Yeah. Good luck.” She bowed one last time before leaving, with all the grace you’d expect from a big sister.
