Infinite Stratos - Volume 5, page 11
Taking the concentrated fire of the 8 cannons, I jumped up and dodged the cannons that were coming in from left and right.
At the same time, I wielded the [Yukihira Niigata] in my right hand and swung it down.
(Got you!)
"You're too naive!"
The opponent's 8 armored legs grabbed the blade of the [Yukihira Niggata] completely.
"Damn it!"
The blade was held on tight. No matter how much I tried, I still couldn't budge.
At this moment, a machine gun formed in Autumn's hand, and she shot at me.
"Guu!"
A few shots pierced through my armor, and the tremendous impact spread to my body.
My body has the protection of [Absolute Defense], but the pain didn't disappear just like that.
(It'll be bad if this keeps up!)
Thinking about this, I put my weapon down for the time being, shot the thrusters on the wings backwards and flipped backwards.
Dodging the bullet, I kicked the enemy's gun, and then grabbed the [Yukihira Niigata] back from the enemy's armor.
"Hahaha! Not bad, kid! You can actually pull some moves in front of this [Arachne]!"
"Shut up!"
There are a lot of obstacles in the changing room, but I used the delicate skills I learnt from Tatenashi-san to dodge the attacks and close in on the enemy.
Learning these skills really helped me a lot.
"UWWOOH!!"
"Ha! That was close, close, close, close...wow!"
I started to lose grasp on Autumn's movements, and I don't know how many times I was attacked.
It seemed that each armored leg that extend from the back could deploy [PIC], and the [Arachne]'s mobility was more nimble and complicated than any IS I've seen.
The movement was just like that of a spider.
(Uu, I can only predict her movements and use [Ignition Boost]!)
I used the surroundings to control my flight, dodged the bullets that were raining down on me, and waited for the chance to attack.
(Calm down. Just calm down. I'll just attack when it's time.)
"Oh yeah. Let me say this as well. We're the organization that kidnapped you during the second IS Mondo Grosso! This reunion sure is touching, hahaha!"
"--!!"
Her words really enraged me.
--If that's the case, that's the case. So...
"I'LL PAY YOU BACK FOR THAT TIME!"
"Kuku, you're still just a brat, using a frontal assault like that...huh!"
I noticed that she shot some rope-like things from her fingers at me.
The energy lump expanded in front of me, forming a huge web.
"Ku! This—!!"
If this is energy, I'll use [Setsura] to slash it.
But even though I intended to, the web extended all over me, and several seconds later, held me down.
"Hahaha! That was effortless! That's what happens when you underestimate a spider's web!"
Showing a cold smile, Autumn approached me, who's struggling, and took out a 4 legged equipment.
"Hm, well, it's party time!"
With the sound of activation, the four-legged thing that was about 40cm wide expanded.
"Are you going to say goodbye? KYAHAHAHA!!"
"Wha...?"
The enemy put the equipment on me. The four legs touched my chest and shrank as it stuck onto my body.
"To your IS, of course."
"WHAT?"
At this moment, energy that felt like electricity ran through my body.
"GYAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!"
A sharp pain that felt like it was going to rip through my entire body attacked me.
While in tremendous pain, the fact that Autumn was mocking me with her smile angered me all the more. Unexpectedly, I could still remain focused even under such pain. That was really unbelievable.
"Then, playtime's over."
The electricity vanished, and the lock disappeared. At the same time, I was released from the web.
(Now—!)
I try my best to punch her, but—
"You missed, brat! You don't have any IS!"
I got hit on the abdomen and got sent flying to the locker.
This pain made me realize that [Byakushiki] was gone.
"Wh-What's going on...[Byakushiki]! Hey!"
I was only left with the complete IS suit, as [Byakushiki]'s armor and armaments were all gone.
"Hehe, your important IS is right here."
"Wha-What?"
Autumn was holding a crystal in her hand....that's undoubtedly [Byakushiki]'s core. It was radiating even brighter than an ordinary core, proof that the core had advanced to the [Second Shift].
"The equipment just now was called the [Remover]! It's a secret weapon that can forcefully remove an IS, you know? You're really lucky to be able to see it while alive!"
She stepped on me twice.
Unable to get up due to the continuous pain, I glared at Autumn, and she stepped hard onto my head.
"Give it...back..."
"Ah? I can't hear you?"
"GIVE IT BACK, YOU BASTARD! STOP MESSING AROUND!"
Finally able to move, I leaped into action and attacked her back.
"I said that it's too late!"
This time, I got kicked on the side, and my back slammed into the wall, making me unable to breathe for the time being.
What's with her? Does she like to kick? I really want to say that 'This level of legs isn't much', I have a lot of beautiful legs around me.
(Ha-Haha...I really don't know, but people would be like this once they go crazy?)
I gave myself a self-mocking smile...nothing changed at all, nothing. I'm still as useless as ever.
However—
(However—I CAN'T FORGIVE THAT!)
I grabbed the leg Autumn kicked me over with, and closed in onto her body. At the same time, I reached out my arm for the core in her right hand.
"It's useless!"
The armor that hit my back sent me flying to the wall...damn it, damn it, damn it!
"Well brat, you're useless now. So let me kill you!"
Showing a sly smile, Autumn said that to me.
"Oh my, I'll be really troubled. I'm mindful of Ichika-kun you know?"
A delighted sound echoed in my ears, and that didn't match the current atmosphere. Looking over, I saw Tatenashi-san standing at the door, holding the fan in her hand like usual.
"Where did you appear from? All the systems here were locked down....well, I guess I'll just have to kill you!"
"Tatenashi-san!"
Autumn turned around, and the 8-legged armor attacked Tatenashi-san.
"I'm the student leader of this school, so I have to do this."
"Ah? What nonsense are you spouting?"
At this moment, Autumn's armor pierced through Tatenashi-san's body.
Chapter 4: Mysterious Lady
"Tatenashi-san! TATENASHI-SAN...YOU DID THAT TO HER!?"
"..."
Even though she got pierced by the armored leg, Tatenashi looked undisturbed. On a closer look, the spot the Arachne stabbed through didn't even leave a single bit of blood.
"What's with you...? I didn't feel like I hit you...?"
"Ufufu."
Tatenashi smiled, and at the next moment, her body collapsed.
Splash, the thing that turned into Tatenashi spread out.
"You bastard...is that water?"
"Good answer. It's called a water fake."
The casual voice rang from behind Autumn.
Tatenashi swung her spear at the shocked Autumn, who turned around her head in shock.
"Ku...!"
"Oh my? Did I cut you too thinly? That IS of yours is really mobile."
"What are you?"
"My name's Sarashiki Tatenashi, and my IS is the [Mysterious Lady]. You've got to remember that."
Tatenashi smiled. The IS on her is one Ichika never saw before.
The armor's narrow and small.
However, the parts that didn't have the armor form a transparent liquid-like thing. It felt just like a water veil.
The lady with a unique appearance that's surrounded in mist had crystal shaped items floating on both left and right sides, and they were really eye-catching.
The objects called Aqua Crystals activated the screens of water that covered Tatenashi like a huge windbreaker.[5D 1]
"Heh! I'll kill you now!"
"Ufufu. That's really some classic line from a villain, which means I'll definitely win."
After saying that, Tatenashi used the spear to attack.
In contrast to Autumn and her [Arachne] IS that managed to attack continuously with 8 legs and 2 hands, Tatenashi just used a spear to block them all.
"Damn you! Don't get cocky, kid!"
Drawing two daggers from her waist, Autumn turned all her armored legs on the back into firing mode to fight in long range.
"That painless attack of yours isn't going to break through my water shield."
The water veil blocked the live rounds of attacks that rained in like a storm, nullifying them.
The bullets immediately lost their speed on entering the water veil, and stopped as they were captured by the water.
"Isn't that just ordinary water?"
"Oh my, aren't you the alert one? This water's controlled by the nanomachines in the IS. Amazing, isn't it?"
Even though Tatenashi was saying that, she didn't stop moving her arms.
She used the spear to skillfully flick away the two knives in Autumn's hand, and even used her legs when necessary as she completely nullified the opponent's attacks.
"Who in the world are you!?"
"I won't introduce myself a second time. It's too troublesome."
"SHUT UP!!"
Seeing her attacks getting blocked perfectly, Autumn started to feel anxious.
Tatenashi completely ignored her reaction as she rushed the enemy's attack with precision and a cold face.
"Oh yeah. Do you know? The Student Council President in this academy is the strongest."
"HOW WOULD I KNOW!?"
Autumn threw the knife in her left hand and jumped forward to close her distance with Tatenashi.
She grasped the moment Tatenashi deflected the knife and kicked the spear up.
"Oh my."
"TAKE THIS!"
Four of Autumn's 8 armored legs were in shooting mode, and the rest were in close combat mode as a fierce attack was launched.
"It's really tough to handle so many legs."
"Hahaha! I'll see how long you can keep up that wretched mouth of yours!? The strongest? Don't make me laugh, kid!"
As what Tatenashi said, the 8 armored legs gradually held down Tatenashi.
Even though she had armor protection, the enemy's attack started to touch the IS' main body directly.
"Ta-Tatenashi-san!"
"Just rest there, Ichika-kun. Leave this to onee-san, so just pray and make a wish for me."
"Humph, kid! Weren't you being so calm just now?"
Autumn finally broke through the bronze wall-like defense as she used the armored leg to kick Tatenashi.
At the same time, she shot out spider web from both hands to rob Tatenashi of her mobility.
"Haa...haa...you're really hard to handle, kid!"
"Yup, seems like I can't move now."
"This is the end...!"
*KLANG!* The 8 legs got ready and slowly closed in on Tatenashi.
But Tatenashi didn't look anxious or scared.
"Hey, don't you find this room hot?"
"Ah?"
"I don't mean the temperature, but the human touch temperature."
"What are you talking about...?"
"The discomfort level is decided by humidity—hey, don't you find this room extremely hot?
"!"
Completely shocked, Autumn saw that the entire room was full of mist, and her body was covered with this thick mist.
"Yep, I wanted to see that look on your face. The look when you know you got outwitted."
Tatenashi smiled like a Goddess, but this expression should be more like a Deathscythe that clearly indicates the intention to kill.
"[Mysterious Lady]...'The Lady in the Mist', this machine can control water freely. Like I just said, they're nanomachines that can use the energy of the IS to control water, right?"
"Da-Damn it—"
"Too late."
*BAM!* Tatenashi made a gun with her fingers, and the next moment, Autumn's body got covered in explosions.
"Aha. I didn't just explain my ability to show off or make fun of others, you know? It's just that I won't be able to see your shocked look if I don't explain it."
The nanomachines that used the energy of the IS turned the mist into a heat source and blew up the target. This ability is called [Clear Passion].
Although, it might not be highly effective in limited space, this skill can be prepared while doing all other actions, so it's highly rated for being effective in practical battle.
"Gu...It's not over...no...not yet!"
"Nope, it's over—right, Ichika-kun?"
Feeling a bad premonition, Autumn turned her head around to see Ichika grabbing his right arm and concentrate.
"Come on out, [Byakushiki].
His entire body was covered in light, and then—
◆
(Tatenashi-san just told me to make a wish, which means that I can still summon [Byakushiki] at this moment.)
I never heard of such a nice thing before.
But I believed it.
([Byakushiki] will respond to me as long as I call for it, no matter how many times—no matter how many times!)
"Come out, [Byakushiki]!"
I gathered my concentration on my right arm, and through my tightly shut eyes I somehow saw the light in front.
Then...I let the core form, no, summon on my right hand.
"[Byakushiki], emergency summon! [Yukihira Niigata], maximum output!"
The core formed particles of light that covered me.
After feeling the hardness of the core that changed into my weapon, I opened my eyes.
(--I can do it!)
I synchronize the already materialized [Byakushiki] with my wavelength and attack Autumn.
Raising the blade above my head, I could strongly feel the activation of [Reiraku Byakuya].
"What? How-How did you—"
"Who knows? TAKE THIS!"
"Guu!!"
Autumn raised the 8 armored legs above her head to block my attack.
But I didn't stop as I sliced down forcefully.
"Wha..."
From between the armor bits that were sliced off by [Reiraku Byakuya], I could see Autumn moving in a somewhat slow manner...no, that's not it. It's not that she was too slow, but I was too fast.
"Guu!"
I used the thrusters that had the function of [Ignition Boost] to fly at Autumn and kicked her to the wall. Perhaps the force was too strong as this impact caused part of the wall to collapse, and I could see what was behind it.
"! Ichika-kun, get her!"
"Ye-Yes!"
"Da-Damn it...is that it...!?"
*Swoosh!* The sound of compressed air could be heard, and Autumn got away from her IS.
"What!?"
"Ichika-kun!!"
Autumn's IS glowed, and several seconds later, it self-destructed.
...Just when I was about to be caught in it, Tatenashi-san covered me with her body.
"Are you alright? Ichika-kun?"
Extending her water veil shields to the largest, she protected us. Even though I had the IS' [Absolute Defense], I would have been impossible to remain unscathed had I been caught in that explosion.
"Y-Yeeah, wait...ah! Where's that woman!?"
"She got away. She most likely took the core out before it self-destructed, leaving behind only the armaments and armor to self-destruct. Even so, that was reckless of her. She would have hurt herself had she failed."
Saying this in an unexpectedly stern tone, Tatenashi-san felt rather cool.
"Is-Is that so? Well...speaking of which, I guess..."
"Mn?"
"I-I would be really happy if you could move back a bit..."
Tatenashi-san hugged me to cover me with her back.
In other words, well...her breasts were stuck on my face. Soft and elastic.
"Ya. Ichika-kun no ecchi[5D 2]."
"No, no, that's not it! Well, that-that's because things were urgent..."
"Ahh—you're not man enough if you try to look for an excuse. How are onee-san's breasts?"
"..."
"Not talking? You're too much."
"Huh, no, well...it-it's really soft...I guess..."
"Ichika-kun."
"Ye-Yes."
"You're really perverted."
Having given up on arguing back, I weakly lowered my head.
Anyway, a lot of things happened today.
Right now, all I want to do is to take a bath.
"Oh yeah. What do you think this is?"
Saying this, Tatenashi-san played around with 'That Thing', swirling it around.
"...? The crown?"
"Yup, that's right. The one who gets this can stay in the same room as Ichika-kun. It's really a great item."
"What!?...Don-Don't tell me those girls were working so hard for that?"
"Yup."
"...What were you thinking...anyway, wouldn't living with me be quite an uninteresting thing?"
"Is that so? Well, anyway, I got it."
I have a bad feeling, but well, it's too late.
"I hope we can get along during this time, Ichika-kun♪"
Powerless, I fell backwards onto the floor.
◆
(Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!)
Autumn ran through the IS Academy grounds, cursing in her mind.
(What simple job! What kind of joke was that-that kid!)
Speaking of which, the attack for today's infiltration was meant to be carried out in the dorm room, but as there was suddenly a roommate, they had to modify the plan drastically.
(Speaking of which, I never liked that kid ever since she joined this organization...)
She remembered the girl who always looked so haughty, thinking that nobody could match her, and that everyone was inferior to her.
The girl herself took part in the creation of the [Remover] and the planning of the infiltration this time.
(Speaking of which, what sort of remover was that? Wouldn't it be meaningless if it can be summoned from such a far distance anyway?)
