Infinite Stratos, Volume 2, page 7
Rin and Cecilia immediately squeezed up next to me. What was up with them?!
“Here!”
Each of them pushed some food toward me, as if prompting me to open wide.
“W-Wait. Hold on a minute. I already have some sweet-and-sour pork, and I’d honestly rather save the sandwich for last.”
“.........”
Ah, dammit. A silent insistence meant no counterargument, or room for negotiations. If these two had been around for Romance of the Three Kingdoms, they’d have made great strategists. Perhaps we’d be reading Romance of the Five Kingdoms instead? Yeah, probably not...
“T-Thanks.”
Why can’t men ever win an argument with women? I know it has been like that since around 2000. Probably for all of history. That sounded about right. Anyway, first up was Rin’s sweet-and-sour pork.
“It’s good. But Rin. Why’s your sweet-and-sour pork warm?”
“I heated it up in the microwave when I went and got rice.”
It would’ve been nice if she heated mine, too. Ah well, it was still tasty.
“Ahem. Then, next are my handmade sandwiches?”
“Uh... Thanks.”
Unable to refuse Cecilia’s bashful insistence, I took a bite of the sandwich she offered.
“......?!”
Urk... It was too damn sweet. How?! What did she put in it! There was definitely some vanilla extract, but something else, too. Whatever it was, it was abnormally sweet. It looked like a BLT! Why was it so sweet?! For argument’s sake, I could maybe accept this much sweetness from an egg sandwich, but...
“How is it?”
—Ugh. What can I even possibly say...
“You should be up-front about it.”
Rin spoke nonchalantly as she shoveled sweet-and-sour pork into her mouth. That made sense. Honestly, she was right. But, well. It was hard to tell a girl that her cooking was bad.
“Uh... Err, it’s... it’s not bad. I-I like it.”
There I go again, choosing to just be polite. I was a bit taken aback at my own lack of courage.
“Oh, really? Feel free to have them all, then!”
Cecilia’s face lit up as she pushed the basket of sandwiches at me. I suppose if I thought of them as dessert I could make it work.
“Idiot.”
Rin said as she sipped from a box of Oolong tea.
She must have bought it at the same time as the rice. Whatever, maybe she was right, maybe I am an idiot.
“You know, I feel like a baby bird doing this.”
I was glad there were no other students on the roof. If there had been anyone else, I never would have done this. There was no reason someone in high school should ever have to be hand-fed by anyone. Houki didn’t seem to mind, though. Maybe it was only embarrassing for men.
“I guess. But there’s nothing wrong with that.”
“Yeah, that’s right. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
Rin and Cecilia nodded in unison. I wasn’t sure, but it seemed like both were blushing.
—Don’t decide now that getting fed is embarrassing! Especially since I’m the one getting fed!
“Ichika. Is there anything else you’d like to eat?” Houki said suddenly. “I mean, I guess I have to feed you something too.”
“It’s fine. Plus, we have the same things other than the chicken, so you’d end up with nothing left.”
“Oh... I guess you’re right...”
“Anyway, let’s finish eating. I don’t want to have to run after a meal, but Charles and I have to go all the way out to the arena locker room again.”
The hangars were on the close side of the athletic fields, but the locker room we could use was in Arena #1, while the hangars were in #4. It ended up being a pretty long walk. If we spent too long, we’d be doing track and field immediately after lunch. I’d really prefer to avoid that.
“Huh? Wait, do you take off your suit after every practice?” asked Rin.
“What? Aren’t you supposed to?” I questioned in return.
Wait, did they—
“Around half of us girls just keep ours on. It’s too much of a pain to change.”
Wow, really? That made sense. They were sweat-wicking and easy to move around in, so there was nothing wrong with keeping them on.
“Meaning...”
Houki and Cecilia probably had theirs on, along with Rin. It wasn’t like you could tell through their clothes. It was so much easier to be a girl. Mine went all the way down to my ankles, so it would feel weird to wear under my pants. It’d be too restricting... Well, probably not, but it seems like it’d be a bit warm.
“I told you, stop staring at girls’ bodies like that! You creep!”
“What? No, I didn’t mean—”
“It doesn’t matter what you mean, that still isn’t gentlemanly!”
“I was just gazing off—”
“Oh, so you’re gazing at us now? How insolent!”
Insolent? Really? Why did they always have to gang up on me, anyway? I let out a sigh as I gave up on arguing. Anyway, I wanted to finish my lunch. All of the food—sorry, except Cecilia’s—was good, so we ate quickly as we turned back to our meals.
“.........”
“What’s wrong, Ichika?”
Charles was, somehow, facing opposite the girls. Naturally, Charles didn’t accuse me of anything. He didn’t stare at me angrily. He even went out of his way to show genuine concern for me.
“It’s great to have another guy around.”
It really was. From today on, I had someone battling for the same team as me. It was wonderful. They might even set up a time where we could use the dorm baths. For a variety of reasons, as a man, I couldn’t currently use the baths. At first I was supposed to be able to use it as long as I went at a different time, but apparently a large number of students objected.
“How are we supposed to take a bath when a boy’s going to be in there after?!”
—Uh, by sitting down in the water? Is there something wrong with that?
And it seemed like even more protested when it was suggested that I go before the girls.
“How are we supposed to take a bath after a boy’s been in there?!”
—By sitting down? Wait, didn’t I already say that?
Anyway, it was obviously too much trouble to set up a time for just one person, so I hadn’t been able to take a bath even once. As a bath-lover, it was almost torture.
“Oh, really? I’m not really sure about that, but I’m glad it makes you happy,” said Charles.
Was he just being shy? For some reason, that came out a little awkward.
“Great to have another guy, huh.”
“How unwholesome.”
“That idiot manages to be the last one to realize...”
The three spoke among themselves in hushed voices. I couldn’t quite make out what they were saying, but it was probably for the best. For the rest of the day, I endured their disgusted looks. What was up with that? I really didn’t understand what women thought.
◇
“Again, I hope we get along well.”
“Sure. You too, Ichika.”
It was night. After dinner, Charles and I returned to our room. At the cafeteria, we were hemmed in and interrogated by an army of girls curious about the new boy, but we’d managed to cut them off before it started to drag on. As expected, or as was a given, Charles was to share my room. There, I poured him some Japanese tea.
“It’s quite different from black tea. I can’t quite put my finger on how. It’s good, though.”
“I’m glad you enjoy it. Let’s have some matcha sometime, too.”
Cecilia, on the other hand, didn’t like Japanese tea at all. Apparently she couldn’t stand the color. Was green really that strange?
“Matcha? You mean the stuff you kneel on bamboo mats to drink? I’d heard there was an elaborate ritual. Do you know how to brew it?”
“Matcha’s prepared, not brewed. I’ve only had the quick stuff, though. There’s a place near the station that makes it their specialty. You can go there and enjoy it like you would a coffee.”
“Oh! Sounds interesting. I’m up for it whenever, I’ve always wanted to try some.”
“All right. We’ve got plenty to talk about, too. How about this Sunday?”
“Really? That sounds great. Thanks, Ichika.”
The subtle smile which sprang to Charles’s face sent my heart aflutter for a moment, even though I knew he was a guy. Maybe it was because of his androgynous look and style, but something inside me was deeply confused when he turned that gentle smile my way.
“I’ve been wanting to have some matcha for a while too, so no big deal.”
“Thanks anyway.”
Charles, perhaps noticing my embarrassment, gave a somewhat kindly smile. I’d lived with just Chifuyu as far back as I could remember, so I didn’t have any way to tell, but maybe this was what a “domestic smile” was? While it was meant to calm me, it only made my mind race more, so I changed the subject.
“So, should we pick an order to shower in? Or I don’t mind going day-by-day, either.”
“Oh, I’m fine going second. You go first, Ichika.”
“Eh? Honestly, saying it like that makes me not want to. Don’t you ever want a shower right after practice?”
“Nah, I’ll be fine. I don’t really sweat much, so I’m not that concerned about showering right away.”
“Oh? Anyway, thanks a ton. Don’t hesitate to insist sometimes, though. After all, we’re both guys.”
“Sure. Thanks.”
He grinned at me again. Ah, that must have been it. Charles was extremely natural and unforced when thanking people. Seeing a smile like that at exactly the right moment must be what was making my heart skip a beat.
“Speaking of which, I’d heard you always practice after school. Is that true?”
“Yeah. I’m behind everyone else, so I’ve gotta keep on putting in extra practice every day.”
Today was the day Charles moved in—if you could call it that, since he arrived with no luggage and no boxes—so I had skipped practice. However, I had to start back up tomorrow. After all, this month was the tournament.
“Mind if I join in? I owe you one, and besides, it’d probably be helpful since I have my own IS.”
“Oh, that’d be awesome. Thanks.”
“Sure. It’s a deal, then.”
I slept well that night, secure in the knowledge that I’d gained a reassuring ally in both public... and private matters.
Chapter III: Blue Days/Red Switch
“It looks like you have so much trouble against Alcott and Huang just because you don’t really understand how guns work.”
“Oh, really? I thought I had a decent grasp, but...”
It was Saturday, five days after Charles had arrived. At IS Academy, Saturday mornings were for book classes, while the afternoons were free. Meaning, the arenas were completely open, so most students went for practice. I was no different, and today, after a quick spar with Charles, I listened to him lecture on IS combat.
“Well, it seems like you have the theory down, but not the technique. You weren’t able to close in on me at all, right?”
“Ugh, yeah. You saw right through my Ignition Boost...”
“Ichika, your IS is built for melee combat only, so if you don’t get a better grasp on how ranged weapons work you’ll never be able to win. Especially your Ignition Boost. It goes in a straight line, so I don’t even need reflexes to hit you during it, I just need to lead you.”
“A straight line... Hmm...”
“It’s still better if you don’t change course quickly during it, though. The forces that drag would put on your IS might even be enough to break your bones.”
“I see...”
I paid close attention to Charles, nodding when appropriate. After all, he was a good explainer. A very good explainer.
My previous self-described coaches had been more like...
“You whoosh in like this, and then bang! Bash!”
“It’s easy, see? Just do it by feel. Huh...? Why don’t you get it, you idiot?”
“When guarding, tilt the right side of your body five degrees upward and forward. To evade, turn 20 degrees toward the rear.”
Yet when I thought I’d reached a dead—literally—end, before me appeared my savior: Charles Dunois. I’d never in a million years be able to say just how grateful I was. So it was perfect that he was a guy and I didn’t have to. IS suits always showed off too much skin. It wouldn’t matter in a real fight, but practice was practice. Honestly, I always ended up looking somewhere I shouldn’t, and it sucked.
“Hmph. It’s because you didn’t pay any attention to my advice.”
“What’s your problem? I explained it so simply!”
“Oh, and were you perhaps dissatisfied with my logical advice?”
Ah... Those three self-described coaches were grumbling behind me.
As I mentioned, the arenas were open for use on Saturday afternoons, and each, including the third arena we were in, was packed with practicing students. However, maybe because it had both of the only two male students, It was honestly pretty crowded. Other groups had been crashing into us or hitting us with stray fire all afternoon. I’d crashed into three people myself.
“Ichika, your Byakushiki can’t mount an equalizer, right?”
Ah, a lecture from Professor Charles. I’d better listen well. Perhaps because I was hearing it from another man, I was soaking up the knowledge like a sponge soaked up water.
“Yeah. I’ve looked into it, and it seems it doesn’t have any expansion slots free. So there’s no way I could install one, supposedly.”
“I’m guessing they’re all used up on a one-off ability.”
“One-off ability? What’s that?”
“Just like it says, unique special abilities. They manifest automatically when an IS is in perfect sync with its pilot.”
Charles’s ability to smoothly deliver such a complex explanation showed how brilliant he really was.
“However, normally they only activate when an IS is in Second Shift. The vast majority of IS don’t manifest them at all, so third-generation IS were developed to make special abilities available to a wider range of pilots. Think Alcott’s Blue Tears or Huang’s Impact Cannon.”
“I see. So, is Byakushiki’s one-off the Reiraku Byakuya?”
Reiraku Byakuya... Byakushiki’s strongest attack, it could pierce through any energy field. However, it was a double-edged sword—it drained my own shield energy, like a cursed weapon from a game that drained its wielder’s life gauge.
“Byakushiki’s activation of its ability in First Shift is extremely unusual. There’s nothing else like it. Or maybe one thing... Wasn’t Ms. Orimura’s IS the same, when she was the first Brynhildr?”
I was pretty sure, yeah. Chifuyu’s didn’t just have the same weapon, it was like mine in that way, too. Almost like it was destined.
“I mean, it makes sense. We are brother and sister.”
“Well, I’m sure there’s more reason for it. As I said before, because it’s so closely linked to an IS’ bond with its pilot, no amount of effort has been able to deliberately recreate an ability.”
“Oh. Anyway, it’s not like we’re gonna figure it out standing here chatting, so let’s forget about that, for now.”
“Hmm. Yeah, I guess. Anyway, let’s move on to ranged weapons practice. Here you go.”
As he spoke, Charles handed me the .55-caliber ‘Vento’ assault rifle he’d been using.
“Wait, what? Since when can you use someone else’s weapons?”
“They’re normally locked to an IS. But if the user unlocks them, they can add anyone. Here, I just set it to accept Ichika and the Byakushiki. Give it a shot.”
“Okay.”
This was the first time I had ever felt the weight of a gun. It seemed like the IS’ energy field kept it from being too heavy, but it may just have been my own psychological bias to holding a new weapon for the first time.
“Is this how you hold it?”
“Hmm... Bring your arms in. And hold your left forearm like this. Got it?”
Charles lightly moved behind me, using the IS’ ability of flight to expertly guide me even though our heights were so different.
“It uses gunpowder so it’ll have a recoil when you fire, but don’t worry too much about it, most IS automatically compensate. Have you set up your sensor link?”
“The one for shooting? I’ve been looking, but I can’t find it.”
I’d be firing in rapid mode, so linking with my hypersensor was necessary. The hypersensor needed to be linked with the weapon in order to transfer necessary data, including the targeting sight, to the IS’ pilot, but I’d been looking through Byakushiki’s menus and couldn’t find it.
“Huh, I thought even a melee IS would have it, but...”
“Well, looks like this one doesn’t.”
“It really is 100% close-combat only, huh. Looks like you’re going to have to do this by eye, then.”
What a handicap for someone who’d never even shot a gun. Ah well, I could grumble, but it wouldn’t have changed anything. Time to give it a try.
“Here I go.”
“Sure. Just taking a few shots should make a big difference.”
Charles was probably right, I’d never know how it felt without trying it. I took a deep breath, and curled my finger around the trigger.
Bang!
“Whoa!”
The sound of exploding powder shocked me. Was it this intense firing without an IS?
“How was it?”
“Well, uh. First off, it’s fast.”
I’d known that bullets traveled fast, of course, but actually shooting gave me a whole new understanding. There was also the recoil. Even though it was mostly compensated for, it was still completely different from swinging a sword, and feeling it for the first time made my heart pound.
“That’s right. It’s fast. Even if you’re moving fast, that bullet is moving a little bit faster. So as long as your opponent leads their fire, it’s easy to land a hit, or at least zone you. You may feel like you’re going all-out, but there’s always going to be that little bit of hesitation.”
