Infinite Stratos, Volume 3, page 12
“I... Ah......”
The world spun upside down. No, that wasn’t right. I was the one who was upside down. Falling down, down toward the sea. I used the last of my strength to wrap my arms around Houki’s head to protect her. The shock tore through my body as we landed with a massive splash. Looking up at Silverio Gospel, I passed out.
Chapter IV: Dressy White
Long before, when Ichika was in second grade, he’d been practicing kendo for a year, originally enrolling alongside Chifuyu, and had developed some level of experience. Jeez. She’s just too tough. No matter how he tried, he couldn’t defeat the dojo master’s daughter, a girl his own age.
At practice that morning, a squabble had turned into sparring, and she’d sent him down with a single slash to the side. Dammit... I never win... I wish I could win for once... Ichika’s disappointment was visible in his sullen expression as he cleaned the classroom. The glare of the afternoon sun filled the room. His other classmates had ditched to go play, but he didn’t care. Someone had to clean, and it may as well have been him.
“Hey, tomboy! What happened to your bokken?”
“It’s a shinai...”
“Either way, a tomboy like you needs a weapon.”
“.........”
“You talk funny, too.”
The girl didn’t answer. Three boys had surrounded one girl and were teasing her. Yet she refused to yield a single step, and glared at them with clear eyes. The girl’s name was Houki.
“Look at the tomboy!”
“Knock it off, guys. If you don’t have anything to do, either go home or help clean, okay?”
Frustrated by their pointless mocking, Ichika snapped at the boys.
“Oh, you’re on her side, Orimura?”
“I bet she’s his girlfriend.”
The childish teasing had always been harsh, and always would be. Even though they were the same age, Ichika had no time for it.
“Get out of the way, I’m trying to sweep. Go bother someone else.”
“Huh? What kind of dummy actually likes cleaning?”
Suddenly, Houki grabbed one of the boys by his shirt. She may have only been in second grade, but she still trained every day. If it had turned into a real fight, she would have been more than a match for the three of them. Still, apart from that, she responded with only words, “What’s dumb about taking things seriously? It’s better than what you’re doing, at least.”
“What’re you so mad about? Lemme go!”
The two boys who weren’t grabbed broke out in nasty grins.
“I knew it! They really are a couple! They’ve been kissy-kissy all day!”
Ugh, that again. Calling people a couple is their favorite insult. I’m sick of this. Ever since Ichika had started to go to Houki’s dojo, the other boys wouldn’t shut up with that. Not that it really mattered to him. With no parents, he didn’t really even know what it meant.
“Totally. Maybe he’s why the tomboy started wearing a ribbon! Hahaha— Gwah!”
Ichika’s anger finally broke through to the surface, and he punched the boy clean across the nose. Ignoring the others, he yanked the boy back upright.
“What’s so funny? What are you laughing at? There’s nothing wrong with her wearing a ribbon! She looks great in it! Well?! What’s your problem, jerk?!”
“I’m telling the teacher!”
“Go ahead and do it! I’ll get you all before you can!”
Eventually, a teacher noticed the commotion and stopped the fight. Ichika, who’d learned martial arts from Chifuyu in addition to practicing kendo, was able to take on all three without a scratch. But this just made it worse for him. Snotty children usually had self-centered parents, and behind the three brats were three adults threatening to go to the police, or even sue. Ichika didn’t care, but he did care that Chifuyu ended up having to go apologize to each of them.
If I cause trouble, Chifuyu will be stuck dealing with it. Ichika learned his lesson about dealing with the brats using peaceful methods.
“You’re an idiot.”
“Me? What about you?”
Several days later, while Ichika was washing his face after after-school practice, Houki struck up a conversation.
“Weren’t you thinking about what would happen after you did that?”
“Huh? Oh, then? Nope, not at all. They needed a punching.”
Even though Chifuyu had scolded him harshly, it didn’t change his mind. That was one thing young Ichika was firm on.
“They were ganging up on you. I hate that. You don’t gang up on people, that’s not right.”
“.........”
“So I don’t mind. Plus, that ribbon really did look good on you. You should keep wearing it.”
“Hmph. I don’t need to be told how to dress.”
Houki crossed her arms and turned away, and Ichika muttered ‘oh well’ while he went back to washing his face. The coolness of the fresh water from the well wiping away his sweat was one of his favorite things.
“I’m heading home now. See you later, Shinonono.”
“Ho— Houki...”
“Huh?”
“My name is Houki. Remember it. My dad’s Shinonono. My mom’s Shinonono. My sister’s Shinonono. It’s too confusing. Call me Houki, okay?”
“Sure. I guess it’s the same for me, too. You can call me Ichika.”
“Wh-What?!”
“It’s my name. There are two Orimuras, but I’m the only Ichika!”
“O-Okay...”
“Okay, Houki!”
“Yeah, sure, fine! I-I-Ichika! Are you happy now?”
“Perfect. If you need me for something, just say that, don’t point at me.”
“Hmph!”
He watched Houki try to take the last word and storm off, thinking about how silly she was. It was June. The time for summer was near.
◆
In a room at the resort, the clock on the wall pointed to just before four. Ichika had been out cold in bed for more than three hours. Houki had been waiting by his side the whole time. Her hair, drooping low without its usual ribbon, was a reflection of her emotions.
It’s my fault... Memories of Ichika smiling welled up within her, uninvited. But now, that smile was gone from his face. All he could do was lie there lifelessly. The scorching heat from the explosions had pierced his IS’ shields, then its armor, and now he was wrapped in bandages. If I had taken things more seriously, this wouldn’t have happened to him! She clutched her skirt until her fingers turned white from the pressure, as if she was admonishing herself. The more she thought, the harder her grip tightened.
“The mission was a failure. If the situation changes, you’ll be called for. Until then, remain on alert.”
That was the debriefing waiting for Houki after she was pulled from the sea and returned to the resort. After ordering that Ichika be given first aid, Chifuyu returned to the briefing room. The lack of a scolding made Houki even more miserable. Why... Why do I always... As soon as she grasped power, she let it go to her head. The desire was too strong. There was always a moment when bloodthirst took over. What have I been training for? For Houki, fencing had always been not just an exercise, but a discipline—it was a limiter. A way to control her own bloodthirstiness.
She knew it was a dangerous line, though. Like thin ice on a stream, the slightest pressure would cause it to break. I... I’m done with— Just as Houki was about to make a crucial decision, the door suddenly slammed open. The bang shocked her, but she couldn’t even gather up the energy to turn and see who entered.
“Knew you’d be here.”
The girl who barged in walked up next to Houki, slouched in her chair. The voice was... Ling’s.
“.........”
“Listen.”
Houki didn’t respond. She couldn’t respond.
“You think Ichika’s like this because of you, don’t you?”
The IS’ defensive systems held Ichika in an induced coma. It had burned almost all its energy to save his life, placing him directly on life support. So until it regained energy, he wouldn’t awaken.
“.........”
“Is that why you’re slouched over like that? Gimme a break!” Ling’s rage boiled over, and she yanked Houki to her feet by her collar. “You have responsibilities! Why aren’t you out there fighting?!”
“I... I can’t... I can’t pilot an IS anymore...”
“YOU—”
Smack! The slap on the cheek, along with the removal of support, sent Houki sprawling to the floor. Again, Ling pulled Houki up.
“You spoiled little brat! You have your own IS! We can’t afford to have you moping around like this! Or are you just—” For a moment, Ling’s eyes met Houki’s. They burned with determination like they might burn with rage. “Are you just too much of a coward to fight when you need to?”
Her words sparked the same determination welling up in Houki’s eyes.
“What...” The soft mumble only lasted a word before it turned into an angered shout. “WHAT DO YOU EXPECT ME TO DO?! We don’t even know where the enemy is! If there’s a fight, I’ll fight it, but—”
Rin let out a quiet sigh as she watched Houki’s determination return.
“That’s a lot more like you. Ugh... I hated having to do that.”
“What?!”
“We know where it is. Laura will—” As she spoke, the door opened again. Standing there was Laura, in a jet-black uniform.
“We’ve found it. Thirty klicks away, over the open ocean. It’s in stealth mode, but it doesn’t appear to have optical cloaking. A satellite was able to pick it out.”
As Laura stepped into the room, holding a digital reader in one hand, Ling was visibly impressed.
“So this is what German special forces are capable of. Not bad.”
“Hmph. And what about you? Are you ready?”
“Of course. Shenlong’s assault package is installed and ready. What about Charlotte and Cecilia?”
“They...”
Laura turned toward the door, and seconds later, it opened.
“Finished a moment ago.”
“All systems online. We’re ready to go.”
The squad of pilots with personal IS had gathered, and turned their collective gaze onto Houki.
“So what are you going to do?”
“I-I’m...” Houki’s hands clutched tight. Not with regret, but with determination. “I’m going to fight, and I’m going to win! This time, I won’t lose!”
“It’s decided, then.” Rin crossed her arms, and cracked a fearless smile.
“Very well! Let’s head to the briefing room. This time we’ll take it down!”
“Yeah!”
◇
Whoosh, fshoosh.
Where am I? Led along by the sound of the sea, I walked alone on an unfamiliar beach. With every step I took, sand crunched under my feet. I could feel its heat on my soles. The air was redolent with the smell of saltwater. The breeze was cool, and the sun was warm. Is this summer? Is it summer now? I didn’t know where I was, or when it was. Just that, for some reason, I was walking along a beach barefoot in my uniform. I carried my shoes in my hand.
“Hmm~ Hmm-hmmmm~♪”
There was a singing voice. A beautiful and vibrant one. My curiosity piqued, I walked toward it.
Tip, tap.
Tip, tap, tip.
With every step, the sand ground beneath my feet.
“La-la~ Lalala~♪”
In front of me was a girl. She sang and danced at the water’s edge, only her toes dampened slightly by the waves. As she did, her pale white hair swayed. Not a dull white, but a dazzling shine. Her skirt, the same color, swayed and billowed in the sea breeze as she danced.
Hmm... For some reason, rather than thinking to call out to her, I simply rested my hips on a driftwood log. It must have washed up long ago, as its bark was stripped and its wood was bleached. As I sat on my warped white sofa, I watched the girl blankly. The rushing of the waves echoed in my ears. Soothed by the gentle breeze, I simply watched, languidly.
◆
“.........”
200 meters above sea level. Silverio Gospel hung silently, curled into a fetal position. As it hugged its knees, its wings curled around it as if it was shielding itself.
[—?]
Reflexively, it raised its face. An instant later, a supersonic bullet struck its head and exploded.
“Direct hit. Commencing bombardment!”
Five kilometers away, the IS Schwarzer Regen and Laura floated, firing more shots before the Gospel could begin its counterattack. Unlike its normal loadout, it now mounted an .80-caliber ‘Blitz’ railgun on each shoulder. Four added shields, each guarding its front and sides, completed its adaption to bombardment and sniping. This was the Schwarzer Regen’s ‘Panzer Kanonier’ package.
Enemy closing... 4,000... 3,000... Ugh! It’s faster than I expected! In the blink of an eye, Silverio Gospel had closed range to 1,000 meters. Even as Laura had continued firing, the energy bullets from its wings had intercepted over half of Laura’s shots.
“Tch!”
A focus on dampening recoil was hard to couple with mobility. Meanwhile, the mobility-focused ‘Gospel’ had closed to within 300 meters, and then extended its right hand toward Laura. There was no time to escape. Still though, Laura’s mouth twisted into a grin.
“Cecilia!”
Fire crashed into the extended arms as an IS dove from above. The pure-blue IS Blue Tears made a full-force assault from stealth mode. Its six bits, unlike its standard loadout, were folded into a skirt around its waist. While this blocked their barrels, it made them usable as thrusters.
The BT laser rifle ‘Stardust Shooter’ which it cradled in its arms, a full two meters in length, made up for the firepower lost by repurposing the bits. Cecilia, equipped with the high mobility assault package ‘Strike Gunner,’ wore ‘Brilliant Clearance,’ a visor-style ultra-high-performance hypersensor designed to enhance her senses for battle at over 500 kilometers per hour, over her face. Sensing the information it fed her, she suddenly flipped around and aimed for the Gospel itself.
[Target B confirmed. Proceeding to eliminate.]
“Too slow!” As the Gospel evaded Cecilia’s fire, another IS attacked it directly from the rear. It was Charlotte, who’d been riding on Cecilia’s back in stealth mode. Blasts from her akimbo shotguns smashed into the Gospel’s back, sending it sprawling. But only a moment later, it began to counterattack the three IS with its Silver Bell. “Sorry, but you’re not punching through my ‘Garden Curtain’ that easily!”
The Revive’s defensive package boasted combined energy and physical shields, off which the Gospel’s fire rolled like rain. Even though it looked like a normal Revive, pairs of both types of shield covered its front like a curtain. Even while defending, Charlotte used her Rabbit Switch to equip an assault cannon and squeeze off shots when there was an opening. Meanwhile, Cecilia darted around the Gospel firing, while Laura kept up the bombardment from afar. The Gospel quickly began to show damage from the three-pronged assault.
[Change in mission priority— Prioritizing withdrawal from combat zone.]
Firing shots in all directions, it readied a breakthrough charge.
“Can’t let you do that!”
The waves rose up, and then the surface of the sea exploded. The crimson Akatsubaki rocketed forth, with Shenlong perched on its back.
“We’ll take you down before you can escape!”
Akatsubaki dove toward the Gospel. Rin, who had leapt from its back, shifted her FAST pack ‘Bengshan’ into combat mode. The impact cannon emplacements on her shoulders opened, revealing two barrels in each. All four burst forth in flame.
[—!]
Houki dove away from close combat as a hail of fire swept from behind her. Rather than the usual invisible bullets, each was wrapped in a red flame. The torrent of bullets was enough to even blot out the Gospel’s fire. Such was the power of the enhanced impact cannon—no, the thermokinetic dispersion impact cannon.
“Did that get it?”
“Not yet!”
Even as it took a direct blast from the dispersion impact cannon, the Gospel continued.
[Silver Bell maximum power... Activated.] Spreading its arms as if to embrace the whole world, it threw its wings outward as well. In an instant, the battlefield was bathed in an unearthly glow, as waves of fire spread in all directions.
“Tch!”
“Houki! Get behind me!”
After her failure on the earlier sortie, Houki’s Akatsubaki was in ‘limited mode.’ To prevent draining its energy by overuse of the variable-sweep armor, it was configured to not function automatically even in defensive mode. Of course, the only reason this was done was because Charlotte could handle defense. Each member of the squad was contributing what they were best at, to take advantage of their varied roles.
“This still isn’t exactly a walk in the park, though,” said Charlotte. Even with a defensive package equipped, she wouldn’t be able to hold out forever against the Gospel’s relentless fire. One of her physical shields had already been completely destroyed. “Laura! Cecilia! Your turn!”
“Why, you don’t even need to ask!”
“Leave it to us!”
As Charlotte fell back, Laura and Cecilia swooped in from the sides, firing. Cecilia used her speed to make a series of precise shots at its openings, while Laura kept up the blistering rate of fire her artillery package allowed.
“Once they pin you down, you’re mine!”
Meanwhile, Ling rose up from below. After a slash with the Souten Gagetsu, she let loose a close-range deluge of fire from the dispersion impact cannon. Her target was the Silver Bell multithruster attached to the Gospel’s head.
“Got you!” Even as energy bullets raked over her, Ling kept carving away. Her own impact cannon fire was inflicting just as much critical damage on its own, and soon, she managed to slice off one of the Gospel’s wings. “Ha— How... How about— Ugh!”
Even with only one wing, the Gospel sprang back upright and spun around, kicking at Ling’s left arm. Accelerated by its leg thrusters, the kick crushed through Ling’s armor and sent her spiraling down toward the sea.
