Infinite Stratos - Volume 6, page 9
"It will be hard since I have only one long range weapon....but I'll do my best."
"That's right! Since we're here, how about having a mock battle with me? Of course, under the Cannonball Fast condition of high-speed maneuver battle."
"Huh, is it okay?"
Yamada-sensei's unexpected suggestion surprised me instead.
To be able to train under real battle conditions would be extremely helpful.
"Yes! My suit is already adjusted for high-speed maneuver battle too, so I can start right away."
"Then, please take care of me."
"Okay♪"
Yamada-sensei, whose face held a huge smile, deployed her IS [Raphael Revive]. This unit, unlike Charl's customed unit, is closer to the default. The pair of physical shields is the signature of this unit.
"By the way, the shield will be used as side thruster for this. For expansion thrusters, there are 3 of them in the back side."
While saying that, Yamada-sensei unveiled her IS. In addition to a shield placement on the side, the three large thruster on the back seemed to appeal for their existence.
"Uwah, that's quite rugged isn't it. Laura's and Charlotte's weren't that big."
"These expansion thrusters were originally meant for atmospheric breakaway before being converted into this. That's why, as a trade-off for using rocket fuel, it has become this big."
"Wha!? Wouldn't rocket fuel cause an explosion?"
"As far as I know, the security measure for that is perfect, so it's okay. Look, if I set it up like this, the absolute-defense barrier's range gets wider."
"I see..."
Now that I have been at the academy for around 5 months, I've managed to remember general IS-related information.
That being said, it's all thanks to Yamada-sensei's after school supplementary lessons.
"Then, let's begin. Are you done getting ready, Orimura-kun?"
"Ah, yes"
I called [Byakushiki] and deployed it.
After that, both of us lined up at the start line.
"Then, let's start! .....3, 2, 1, Go-!"
"!"
My field of vision suddenly felt constricted. And then suddenly released at once, my field of vision became vividly clear.
This unique feeling of the field of vision for high-speed maneuver, I somehow got used to it after experiencing it for the second time today.
[Orimura-kun, you really are a fast learner, aren't you? Well then, I'm going to ascend okay?]
"Yes."
I replied to Yamada-sensei through a private channel, and followed after her.
Let's try the accelerating technique that Charl showed earlier.
Just before entering the curving track, I decelerated, and then accelerated right away to get past it.
Alright! It worked well!
While preserving the balance using the thruster's output, I tried Laura's burst-accelerating style.
After spontaneously decelerating, I raised my speed at once to slip past the solid curve, and I lined up next to Yamada-sensei just after that.
Alright, I managed to catch-uppp!?
Suddenly, Yamada-sensei pointed her hand to her back and fired a machine gun. - Damn it! I forgot that this is a combat race!
"Orimura-kun, you're quite good but you still have a long way to go."
"Kuh!"
At the end position of the side roll that I did to avoid the machine gun fire, I receive a timed grenade attack.
"!!"
*Bang!* The grenade exploded right in front of me.
Getting caught on the explosion, I was thrown out of course.
Hitting the floor because of gravity, even if IS has an automatic response against attack function, my whole body still hurts.
Raising my body, I saw Yamada-sensei descending.
"Good work, Orimura-kun."
"Thank you."
Just as expected of Japan's ex-representative candidate student. I'm no match for her skillful IS-control.
I wonder if she's the same person as the one who destroyed herself during the entrance examination...
I once again thought, had she not experienced some stage panic, I might have been completely beaten during the test.
"Can you stand?"
"Ah, yes. Somehow."
I used the thruster to raise my body up, and then slowly lowered my feet to the ground.
"Well then, sensei will go see the other students' condition."
"Ah, okay. Thank you very much."
"Not at all."
Yamada-sensei bowed with a smile, and then she went to the practice suit group's side, who has been struggling hard.
Maybe I should re-check the adjustment one more time.
After that, I spent one hour of the self-study period to re-adjust my IS.
♦
"Haaa-..... Today was really tiring."
Since today is finally the day before the tournament, I end up receiving Laura's extra hard training until the usage time for the arena just barely ended.
[Listen! The important thing in a high speed maneuver battle is a composed judgment. And also, a swift action based on that judgment is required. Do you get it?]
[Evade, counter-attack, defend. The judgment to decide those in an instant right? I thought I've gotten much better at those though.]
[No, you're still too soft. In the first place, your energy shield usage is too inefficient. If you didn't use it when evading, you might not need to decelerate.]
[I see.]
[Then, let's practice on it right away.]
[A-Alright!]
It ended up continuing for two hours....
Dragging my body to return to my room, I showered right away.
Along with my sweat that's washed and swept by the hot water, my fatigued senses became clear right away.
"Fuu..."
Coming out from the shower and wearing some clothes, I jumped towards my bed, and landed on my back.
Even so, although I thought I already was more or less accustomed to it, just as expected, high-speed maneuver battle is really different from normal isn't it...
*Kon* *Kon*
"Hmm? Yesss."
Being called with a knock, I headed to the door. Opening the door, Laura was standing there.
"Huh? What's wrong?"
"No..., well..., I was thinking if you want to have dinner together..."
Laura unusually stumbled upon her words.
The attitude too, she seemed to be unable to calm down and kept fidgeting.
"Hmm? Huh? You look quite cute."
"!!"
"I haven't seen that clothes before. Why is it?"
Laura's clothes is a long one piece dress.
That slender silhouette matched really well with her slender body and its black color contrasted with her silver hair to make her look pretty.
That string belt nonchalantly wrapping her hip looks like some kind of stitched ornament and it drew my eyes.
"T-This is! C-Charlotte bought this for me yesterday!"
"I seee. It looks nice doesn't it. You look like a lady from somewhere when you wear that."
"L-Lady...!?"
"Now then, shall we go for dinner?"
"....Lady....lady..."
"Laura"
"!? I-It's nothing! Dinner isn't it! L-Let's go then!"
Those limbs of her started moving awkwardly and her right hand and right leg moved forward at the same time.
"W-What's wrong? Are you okay?"
"E-eei! Shut up shut up!"
Smack, my back was chopped by Laura. .....Why?
"It's your fault.....because everything is your fault!"
"Uwa! Wait, stop it! .....Aaah geez!"
I took Laura's hand that had been doing a chopping dance, and swept her feet out from under her using the basics of Aikido.
"!!"
Laura's petite body casually floated. Using that chance, I slid my body along the floor and embraced Laura.
"Wha, wha...!"
"Calm down. Really."
"U, umu..."
Laura who looks just like she's being princess cradled, stopped rampaging and slowly nodded in my arms.
Managing to stop the chop dance for the present, I brought Laura to the dining hall in that position.
"Kyaaa!? What is it, what is it? Why the princess cradle!?"[6C 20]
"Bodewig-san's so lucky...."
"Me too! I want that too next!"
"Aaah! Somehow, the fact that it suits them so much feels mortifying!"
...Damn it. Right after we entered the dining hall, we were found by all the girls present there.
Actually, the fact that we didn't meet with anyone until we arrived here is really strange.
No, there's not time to think about that right now. I have to do something about these girls.
"......"
"Laura, I'm going to put you down okay?"
"Aaa, yeah...."
I put Laura, who answered in a disappointed tone for some reason, on the floor.
Anyway, she sure is light, isn't she. Girls' bodies are really light, aren't they.
"""Orimura-kun!"""
"Ah, I don't give this kind of service."
"Why!?"
"It's not fair to do it only for Laura!"
"That's right, that's right!"
I somehow managed to pacify all the girls complaining with a "boo" and made them return to their seats. Such conversation took close to 5 minutes.
"Haa, it's always noisy every time...."
"......"
Laura folded her arm, as if embracing those 2 hands that I touched earlier, while her cheeks were dyed pink.
"Hey, Laura, what are you going to eat? I think I'm going to eat the mugitoro gohan set meal."
"......."
"Heeeyy, Laura. Lauraaaa."
"W-What is it!?"
"I've been asking, what're you going to eat."
"I-Is that so! Then, fruits salad and choco pu..."
"Choco?"
"N-No! It's nothing! I didn't mean that!"
"Ah, you mean the choco pudding? That one's tasty, isn't it."
"......"
"Even so, it's unexpected isn't it. I've always thought Laura doesn't eat those kind of things."
"B-Because I was given one by Charlotte before and it turned out tasty..."
"Is that so. Then, let's not hold back today and eat it shall we?"
"U, umu..."
Just like that, me and Laura took our dinner and arrived at the table.
By the way, the mugitoro gohan set meal is a set meal with fried pork giblets and grated yam put on a boiled barley and rice.
If you ask me what's tasty about it, it's the special wasabi gravy put on the fried pork giblets that makes it first-class in tastiness.
The burning spiciness from the sauce being poured by the mugitoro gohan is a secret happiness of mine.
"Even so, Laura, are you sure you have enough for dinner with just that?"
"You're the one who said that it's more healthy not to eat much for dinner, weren't you...."
"Ah, that one huh? But, if you're not on a diet, it's not like you have to force yourself right? Laura is so light too..."
"L-Light you said!?"
"Waaah, wait! Don't get mad! It's okay isn't it, being light!"
"That's....true, but..... Jeez...."
As if still not fully content, Laura returned her hand to the fruits salad.
That figure of eating salad while wearing a one piece dress is just like a CM or a scene from a movie.
I... I might be a little enchanted by it...
"? What was that?"
"N-No, nothing at all."
"Is that so."
Me and Laura returned to eating our meal.
With that, suddenly, our conversation stopped, but this is usual.
"........."
"........."
Both me and Laura don't dislike a lack of conversation such as this.
On the contrary, this way there's a clear distinction between calm times like these, and the noisy school's life, and I feel relaxed because of it.
"Ichika."
"Hmm?"
Unusually, Laura called out.
I stopped my hand that I used to eat and raised my face.
"Finally, it's tomorrow isn't it."
"Cannonball Fast, isn't it? I have to do my best."
"I'm gonna say this now, I'm not going to lose, you know."
"Yeah. Right back at you."
With just that few words, Laura and me started eating again.
Being my first high-speed maneuver official match, the feeling of nervousness and anticipation about the unknown, swelled out from my chest.
♦
Cannonball Fast match day.
The grounds are saturated with people, and the sky is filled with fireworks that let out thunderous claps.
"Oooh, the weather sure is clear isn't it."
While looking up at the autumn's clear sky, I obstructed the sun rays using my hand.
Today's program is, first, the second year's race, after that, it will be the first years with personal IS race, followed by the first years training unit race. And then, it will be an exhibition race from the third years.
"Ichika, you are already here. Get ready, quickly."
"Alright, Houki. Well, I've been thinking, a lot of people has come to watch, don't you think?"
"Aa, seems like it's because of the aforementioned IS industry related personnel and government related personnel coming. Many of the spectators are just guards for said people."
Even leaving those aside, to have this many attendants assembled, has once again taught me about the fact that IS has a lot of attention on it.
Even so, in front of this large number of adults, somehow I have to get a result that's not embarrassing.
Now that you mention it, where was Ran seated again? Ummm....
While remembering the seat's number, I turned my eyes to that direction.
Looking for Ran using the IS' zoom function, suddenly my ears were being pulled.
"Ouchouchouch!?"
"Come quickly! Really....it's not like you're a child or something."
"L-Look here! The one treating me like a child is y... ouchouchouch!"
"The teachers are going to get mad at me if you don't come!"
"I understand! I understand so let me go!"
"Really."
Uwaaah, it hurts. I thought my ears were going to be torn off.
However, well, it's also true that there's no point dawdling here, so I also returned to the pit.
I hope Ran doesn't get lost. ....Well, there's no way that is going to happen, I guess
♦
"Ummm....F45...F45...."
Ran was walking while looking downward, checking her seat number on the map at her hand.
*Don!*
"Kya!?"
"Huh?"
Because she was walking while looking for her seat, sure enough, she bumped into someone.
Ran hurriedly regained her composure and bowed her head.
"I... I'm sorry."
"No, it's okay. Don't worry about it."
The other party is an older woman with fluttering, beautiful blond hair, who releases her overflowing adult's charm.
Uwaaah...what a beautiful woman....
She should be around the later half of her twenties, I think. Her body, which is covered with a gorgeous red suit, is the figure of a woman at her peak.
Her eyes were covered by sharp model sunglasses.
Such voluptuous breasts, slender waist, and tight hip would attract people's eyes regardless of their gender.
Ran compared her own figure to that person's, and she shrank, thinking about her inferior body.
"Are you hurt?"
"N-No. I'm sorry."
"Is that so, I'm glad. Then, please be careful."
"Y-Yes."
The blond woman slightly waved her hand, and Ran slipped past her through the side.
Just before they passed each other, the gold earrings on her ears slowly shined.
J-Just as expected from an IS-related event. People from all over the world have come to this event, haven't they?
Ran unintentionally looked down to her chest.
I'm still in my growing period so it should be okay....right?.
Ran, who had finally found her seat around 10 minutes after that, sat there and excitedly waited for the start of the race.
To think that I'll be able to see Ichika-san's figure in an IS, live!
Furthermore, today, there's also the birthday party after this event.
Ran forgot about her usual Student Council President self, who puts on a cool and calm front, and her heart bounced around just like a child waiting for a circus show to start.
♦
Waaa.....! A grand cheering sound could be heard even in the pit.
The 2nd year race is taking place now. It seems like a dead heat battle, with the participants overtaking each other, a big free-for-all where the winner can't be decided up until the end.
"Huh? Is this 2nd year's Sara Welkin, England's representative candidate student?"
"That's right. She doesn't have a personal IS, but she's an excellent pilot."
I also learned some piloting skill from her, added Cecilia. She already deployed [Blue Tears]'s high-speed maneuver package, [Strike Gunner].
She's really motivated isn't she. I won't lose either.
Just like her, I also deployed my IS and started getting ready for the race.
Beside me and Cecilia, the other participants, Houki, Rin, Laura, and Charl were already waiting in the pit.
"Even so, Rin's package is really bulky isn't it."
"Fufun. Nice isn't it. The maximum speed of this package won't lose even to Cecilia's."
That high-speed maneuver package [Feng], besides the thruster that looks like 4 expansion thrusters stacked together, there's also the additional chest armor that extends forward. ....Could it be, is she going to ram into others using that....
The [Impact Cannons] are facing the sides, I think they're configured for interference fire.
It really is up to Cannonball Fast's specification isn't it.
In that regards, Rin might have the most advantage between us.
Cecilia's package is originally designed for breaking away from a raid, and the other members' IS have a makeshift high-speed maneuver specification. Rin, the only one whose IS is completely tuned for the Cannonball Fast specifications, is one step ahead of us.
