Infinite Stratos - Volume 8, page 10
(This is…what Tabane-sama said…)
She whispered as she looks at that huge ice book.
(The core of Orimura Chifuyu’s personal unit, the ‘Kurazakura’…”
◇
“Then, let’s have a battle. Come.”
“Come.”
I—Shinonono Houki—and Ichika are dressed in kendo gear, and we stand up nimbly.
Our bamboo swords are pointed at each other, and we wait for each other to take action.
“…”
“…”
A quiet yet tense atmosphere occupies this place.
Basically, in kendo, the one who strikes first is at the disadvantage.
It’s a basic in kendo to wait for the opponent to move.
However, there is a unique trait in kendo, in that the side that takes action first can continue the flow of the battle.
In this silent stareoff, we grasp each other’s breathing, footwork, and rhythm.
These can allow us to determine when the opponent will take action, and retaliating is easier.
However—
(The breathing isn’t erratic at all…you’ve gotten strong, Ichika—in this case!)
I put the bamboo sword at my hands, and bring my body to charge forward.
I then suppress the Ichika’s momentum backwards, take a step back, and dodge the counter.
“Hah!”
In an instant moment, we strike. Ichika and I pass by each other.
“…I lost.”
I declared.
I was hit by Ichika right in the front the moment I was about to beat him.
His reaction was fast and without doubt.
““Thank you very much!””
After greeting each other, we keep the bamboo swords.
Then, we head outside the dojo, sit down in seize positions, and face outside.
“Fuu.”
I lost, but I do feel relieved.
Just when I was looking at Ichika in a satisfied manner, our stares met.
“…”
It has been 3 months since the day when Ichika came to live in the Shinonono Shrine so that he can attend High School.
He quickly got back his sense of kendo that had dulled, and now he’s able to challenge me in a duel.
“Houki, I’ll change my clothes now, and then I’ll sweep the shrine grounds.”
“Ahh, I get it. I’ll take a quick bath to wash off the sweat on my body then.”
For an instant, I had a thought ‘what if he’s going to peep at me’, but as far as I know, Ichika’s not that kind of guy.
He has the outstanding traits of a Japanese man.
(Hm, if-if possible, I can have Ichika enter the Shinonono Shrine as a son-in-law, and then we’ll spend our free lives raising children, and then we can have a steady retirement.)
—Huh?
“Ahem, ahem. I can talk about such things later.”
I just need to have Ichika with me. As long as I can continue to look at Ichika from as close as possible…
“Detecting anomaly in World Purge, foreign object intruded. Beginning elimination.n”
“…Hm?”
After clearing up the kendo gear, I stood up, and saw a man dressed in white hakama at the entrance of the dojo.
I can’t see his face as it’s hidden. However, why is an unrelated person standing there dressed in complete gear?
“The dojo’s closed for today.”
“Ah—erm…I’m here to challenge the dojo!”
“What?”
“I heard that I…no, Orimura Ichika’s here. Please allow me to challenge him!”
“Oh?”
He certainly have the guts to challenge my Ichika, but…
“There’s no need to compete to see who the winner is.”
“You’ll know about it once the contest’s over, Houki.”
Hm? Why does he know my name…?
“An-anyway, I hope to have a match against Orimura Ichika!”
“Oh, since you’re so insistent, I’ll call him then.”
I say this with a proud look, and then head into the shrine to call Ichika.
◇
“Ichika…that just now, was dangerous…”
“U…m-my mistake. I didn’t think through it. Sorry.”
Kanzashi reminds me through the communicator.
I nearly revealed my identity due to carelessness, so I apologized earnestly.
“Be careful. I guess, Houki’s Ichika…is the strongest…”
“? Why is that?”
“…You blockhead.”
Gak. She cut the line.
At the same time, the fake Ichika appeared in the dojo.
“Let me say this here. Ichika here is like me as a senior, and has equal ability as I do. He’s not someone who’s going to lose to a person like you planning to take the dojo down.”
(Seriously, you’re really praising me to high heavens…)
“Isn’t it, Ichika?”
Houki gives the fake a smile, and I do feel a little enraged by the expression that fake me’s showing.
“Isn’t that right, Houki?”
(This bastard’s skin’s thicker than a castle wall…)
The fake gives a smiling face in response, and Houki’s stare is fixtated on that smiling face.
(What’s with Houki’s guy? She never showed me such a smile before.)
I just feel annoyed for some reason, and suppress the rage that rises in me as I ready the bamboo sword.
The fake too gets into position as he faces me, and looks rather happy because of Houki’s support.
(I better get rid of this guy soon—)
SPAAAKKK!
“Eh…?”
My mind takes a hit that’s about to break me as the sound of a bamboo sword hit echoed.
“Match!”
Houki’s voice clearly indicates my defeat more than anything else.
(Wh-what kind of joke is this, oi…this guy…he’s super strong here!?)
That’s not…at Houki’s level.
He’s clearly stronger than her.
To be honest, that might even be at Chifuyu-nee’s level .
He’s fast, and there’s no unnecessary movement. His muscles are flowing as smoothly as flowing water, and he has the insight to read into his opponent’s actions. All of these aspects are clearly top class.
“Nice going, Ichika!”
Houki says this with a smile on her face.
“Of course, Houki.”
The fake answers sleazily.
“…”
I feel a sense of unhappy filling my heart for some reason, to a point where I have difficulty breathing.
“Another round!”
I instinctively call out.
“Humph, the outcome will be the same regardless.”
She gives me a cold look with these words.
I resist the urge to argue back and raise my bamboo sword again.
“I’ll be your opponent then.”
“You’re kind, Ichika.”
—*Pops veins*
“That’s expected of a man.”
“Fufu.”
—*Pops veins* *Pops veins*
“HURRY UP AND START!”
I roar out, unable to look at this incompatible pair anymore.
As for why I’m this unhappy, even I don’t know.
But I really hate having such a situation continue on.
“Begin!”
Houki’s voice acts as a declaration, and I quickly swing a strike at the opponent’s wrist. The opponent didn’t back off, but pushes me back.
Because of the opposing pressure, I lose my balance, and he hits my face in a fluid action.
“Match!”
Houki clearly declares the outcome with a proud voice.
But I—
“Not, not yet!”
I again stood up and faced the fake.
◇
(What’s with this guy…?)
The challenger has already taken 27 straight losses from Ichika, but has shown no signs of giving up.
However, his breathing is completely erratic, and his concentration has clearly weakened.
(Trying to beat Ichika in this state is…)
Clearly impossble.
…But there seems to be something I’m concerned with.
Right, what?
(That unwillingness to lose, that look of him continued to challenge even after defeat—)
Who exactly is it?
It seems similar to someone else.
Who…who…
“Oh, waah!?”
“—!?”
Lost in deep thought, I didn’t notice the proceedings of the match.
The man swatted away by Ichika tumbles and charges at me.
—Mnnn.
“Ah……”
I got into defensive position, but that guy’s hands were groping my breasts.
“Ah, no, this, that!”
“Y-yo-you…”
s—
—He has always been like this.
“That’s unforgivable, Ichika!”
—Eh?
“Wait, you’re…Ichika…? Then, the one there is…”
“Eh!? Ah, that…”
This man’s stammering at this point—no, this guy’s Ichika! He’s undoubtedly Ichika!
“Remove the helm!”
“Wahh, don’t do it! I said stop, Houki!”
He called out my name! Of course, this guy’s!
“You’re Ichika, right!? You’re always doing such indecent things—”
“Houki, I’m Ichika.”
“Shut up! Disappear!”
The fake Ichika disappears with a forceful call, and the surrounding scenery changes from the dojo to the forest in the computer world.
“E-erm, Houki…are you, hurt anywhere?”
Ichika’s standing there while dressed in a butler outfit.
“Wh-what do you mean by I’m alright!? Ichika, you…gr-gro-groped my, breasts…”
I immediately recovered, and was trembling all over in anger.
“Take your punishment!”
I open part of my IS, and summon ‘Karaware’.
“WA-WAIT WAIT WAIT! THAT’S MORE DANGEROUS THAN A KATANA—OWAHH!?”
“DON’T YOU RUN AWAY, YOU LECHER!?”
I chase after Ichika, who’s running away for some reason.
—Why is it that I feel happy in times like this?
More than those sweet dreams…
◇
“…Then, we’re fooled by the ability of that ‘World Purge’? And it was just a delaying tactic—it really infuriates me.”
Houki, who returned to the real world, finally accepted what was going on after hearing Kanzashi’s explanation.
“But…why is it that Houki’s about to break free so easily…it’s a mystery.”
Upon hearing Kanzashi say this, Cecilia, Rin, Charlotte and Laura shuddered.
“Because, everyone else—uhm!”
The quartet’s hands quickly cover Kanzashi’s mouth.
“Re-really, Kanzashi-san!”
“Ye-yeah, because we’re…right?”
“Y-yes! That’s right!”
“G-goodness!”
Kanzashi looks at the quartet that were anxious out of a sudden in a perplexed manner.
And then, she looks at Ichika, who hasn’t returned from the computer world.
(Let’s just hope nothing bad happens…)
◇
“Finally made it.”
I pass through the forest, and find a pure white beach and an endless azure blue sea.
(Is this the system core?)
I feel that I’ve seen this somewhere before, but also the feeling that this is the first time I’m here.
It’s a sense of nostalgia here, but also a sense of unfamiliarity, something really inexplicable.
“That’s…?”
A girl is standing on the beach alone there.
It was a girl with long silver hair.
(Huh? I feel like I met her somewhere before…and yet not…)
Anyway, I approached her first, and felt that I did have an impression on that silver hair.
“Laura…is it?”
I call out to her, and she slowly turns around.
Her eyes are shut.
“Nice to meet you for the first time. My name’s Chloe Chronicle, and I’ll make my departure here.”
After saying that, the the girl’s profile slowly disappears in the shadow.
“O-oi, wait!”
But my call is met only with an empty echo, and the girl leaves just like this.
“What do I do now, this…”
I can’t connect my communicator.”
Unable to do anything, I walk along the beach, and I find a woman standing at the coast.
“Ah…”
That beautiful lady with black hair is my—
◇
“Speaking of which, that Ichika hasn’t woken up yet.”
Rin sighs as she looks down at Ichika, who’s lying on the bed.
“Maybe he got caught in the same trap as us?”
Cecilia said, but Kanzashi stammered,
“I guess not…the system, has already been restored…”
“Then why hasn’t he woken up yet?”
Charlotte says with doubt, and Laura then lets slip a line with a serious look.
“—A kiss then.”
It was a very determined voice.
“HAAAAHHH!?”
Everyone other than Laura exclaimed in shock…and even Kanzashi cried out in a slightly loud manner.
“A kiss!? What exactly are you thinking?”
“Hm? You don’t know, foolish people? Hasn’t it always been a kiss that makes a sleeping beauty wake up since olden days…that’s what my First Officer says.”
“Hurry up and fire that First Officer of yours…”
In contrast to Rin’s lethargic retort, Cecilia poked her body forward, wanting to try,
“Please hold on! I do think that it’s not right to deny this possibility when we haven’t tested it!”
“Huh!? Cecilia, what nonsense are you—”
“In that case, I, Cecilia Alcott of the famous nobility with a long history, will be the perfect choice to wake up the prince Ichika-kun.”
Cecilia insisted as she panted.
“Eh!? Th-that’s too sneaky!! In that case, even I have the right to be chosen, right?”
Charlotte reaches her hand, not wanting to lose.
“Ah-ahem! Well, that’s, just like CPR anyway, just like CPR…”
Houki raises her hand quietly, her stare turning to Ichika from time to time.
“In that case, me too! Hai hai hai!”
Rin too raises her hand angrily.
“Oi, you people! Don’t steal the idea I raised! It’s my idea!”
Laura protests unhappily, and Kanzashi uses this opening to sneak her way towards Ichika.
“…”
““Hold it.””
Kanzashi was grabbed before she could react, on the right arm by Houki, and her left arm by Laura.
“What are you doing?”
“Are you trying to get a headstart?”
“No, I-I definitely don’t have that thought it’s just that based on the current situation I wonder if I should take a forceful method to break this current deadlock but my views shouldn’t be added in and this is something I considered out of morality and responsibility in other words—”
“STOPPPP!!! That’s too long! It’s long and is a one huge line of arguments! Don’t beat around the bush and go around like Cecilia’s locks hair. It’s annoying!”
“Right right! …Eh, Rin-san? What did you just say?”
Just when the yapping was going on, Charlotte, who was left aside, suddenly had an idea.
“Huh? Isn’t this a good chance now!?”
Pikon! The light bulb on her head lit up.
“DO YOU THINK I’LL LET YOU!!?”
Don’t you dare! Just when Rin exclaimed this and let out a flying kick,
Charlotte duck aside to evade.
And so, the door opened at where the flying kick was directed.
“Oi, brats, what are you fussing over—hoo?”
Pak, Rin’s flying kick landed right at Chifuyu’s abdomen—of course, there’s no damage.
“Rin, I knew you’ll do this one of these days…yes.”
“Ah-ah-ah…”
Everyone look at Rin, who’s trembling in fear, and see her off with pale smiling faces.
After that, the girls say,
※ To protect their privacies, all visuals and voices have been edited.
“At that moment, we really knew that we won’t be seeing Rin-san’s smiling face again.”
“I thought I saw the devil’s version of the Hyakuretsuki[11]”
“Maybe this is the fate for her. ”
“This is deserved punishment for defying the instructor…but it’s certainly pitiful.”
“She’s, a very reliable friend…a warm-hearted mother…an outstanding teacher…and, what else should I carve…on the tombstone?”
—Huang Lingyin’s death confirmed.
Chapter 4: The Tea Party at the Secret Garden
“WAAHH!?”
I wipe the dripping sweat off my body and got up.
“I-I dreamt that Rin died…”
Eh, huh? Where is this?
“The infirmary—no, the treatment room, is it?”
This is a place with equipment at the same level as that of an elite hospital, and I guess it’s a corner of IS Academy.
(Hm~, I get the feeling that I’ve been coming here recently.)
I remember I used this bed during the attack on the Academy recently.
“…You woke up?”
Eh, huh? Somebody’s on the bed next to me.
“…”
I opened the curtain without hesitation, and saw Tatenashi-san, putting on her shirt without wearing a bra.
Boing, the busts are still as nicely curved as before—
“WAAAAHHH!? I’M SORRY! I’M SORRY!”
I hurriedly pull the curtain back, but it’s too late. The lance of the IS ‘Mysterious Lady’ immediately stabs over.
“I, chi, ka, kun~? This onee-san won’t allow for anything like this, you know…”
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry! Tell me to do whatever you want me to do, so please forgive me!”
The lance immediately stops.
