Infinite Stratos, Volume 5, page 9
“Like this?”
“Yeah. Now blow from a fixed point at the middle of your lips.”
“I’ll try.”
Toot!
“Hey, that worked!”
“Not bad. Would you like to join our club?”
“I’m kinda busy lately... What about you, Cecilia?”
“Me?!”
“I mean, you play, right?”
“I’ve only played string instruments. Never a wind instrument.”
“Really? I’d have thought you’d played the flute. It’s perfect for a refined young heiress.”
“A refined young heiress...” For some reason, Cecilia repeated it back to herself.
“Why not give it a try?” I said as I handed her the horn.
“Er, well, ah, this is...”
“Huh?”
“An indirect kiss...”
“Huh? I didn’t hear you.”
“No— Nothing! It was nothing at all!”
Cecilia waved her hands in frustration as she looked at the horn. Her stare was icily serious, and I involuntarily gulped.
“Very well. Here I go.”
“Oh, wait, let me change the mouthpiece. Here, all set.”
“Ah...”
“Huh?”
“.........”
For some reason, Cecilia was glaring at the band leader in rage. Why? Wasn’t that something you should be grateful for?
“Ready?”
“Actually, I’ve changed my mind.” Cecilia pressed the horn back into the leader’s hands. “Some people just have no sense!”
Cecilia was angry for some reason.
My third one-on-one break finished.
◇
“I’m last... What a failure...”
“Why are you mumbling to yourself? Let’s go somewhere.”
“Yes. You’re right. What shall we—”
“What’s the kendo club doing? How about we go check them out?”
“Wh-What?!”
“Hmm... Oh, okay, over there.”
“W-Wait! I don’t want to—”
“C’mon, hurry up.”
“D-Don’t grab my hand! I can walk by myself!”
Trailing Houki, who was displeased for some reason, along, I headed for the room where the kendo club was doing a show.
“Welcome!”
The windows were covered in blackout curtains. Inside waited a person concealed in a suit of practice armor.
“Whoa!”
“Well, well. If it isn’t Orimura, along with our ghost member Shinonono.”
“Captain? What on earth are you—”
“Well, at first we wanted to let people try out kendo, right? But that wouldn’t get many votes, I thought? So we went with fortunetelling?”
Why was everything she said in the form of a question?
“But, uh. You know? No one’s showing up? So to really get into the part, I put on my practice armor?” She definitely had the wrong idea about something. “Anyway, let me tell your fortunes. Sit down! Sit down!”
Houki and I went along with her recommendation and intently watched her. She had a deck of hanafuda cards in her hand...
“Um...”
“Yes? What is it?”
“Why are you using hanafuda cards? Don’t people normally use tarot cards or something?”
“I’m an expert at hanafuda fortune-telling, though?”
“Er, captain? I’ve never even heard of that before...”
“Yeah. I mean, I just made it up?”
What the hell.
“Anyway. Shall we get started? Maybe I can tell your love fortunes?”
Why are you even asking if we don’t get to pick? I wanted to fire back, but she was already dealing out her cards.
“Hmm... Ame-shikou. Orimura, you’re probably having trouble with women?”
“What’s ‘probably’ supposed to mean...”
I couldn’t really argue with her, though.
“Even today, right? I really have a lot of sympathy for you, you know?”
“Sigh...”
“All right, our ghost member Shinonono’s love fortune next?”
“If you don’t mind.”
Was the captain lowkey mad at Houki about her poor attendance, or just lowkey because she wasn’t mad? Her expressions were hidden by her mask.
“Hmmm... Shinonono, yours is Tsukimizake, are you looking forward to something? It just might happen? And I think your lucky spot is the kendo dojo?”
“Well, um... I’ll show up more this semester...”
“Really? That would be wonderful.”
It seemed like that was all for Houki’s fortune, too.
“Oh, right. Shall I test your compatibility?”
“Our compatibility?”
“Really? That sounds great!” Houki suddenly thrust herself toward the club captain in excitement. The captain began to explain as she tried to calm Houki down.
“Well, first, could you hold hands? And face each other? Yeah, like that.” Houki and I clasped our right hands and brought our faces close. “Now, stay like that for ten seconds?”
“Uhh...”
“How is this supposed to tell you anything?” Houki asked the captain a bit anxiously.
“Well?”
“Well, what?”
“Well, you know? You wouldn’t hold hands with someone you didn’t like for ten seconds? So you must at least not not like each other? That’s all.”
That was pretty damn lazy!
“I— I see...”
Hm? Houki seemed pretty happy about it, at least. What there was to be happy about, I wasn’t sure.
“Anyway, our break’s about over. Let’s head back to the classroom.”
“Yeah, I guess.”
“Hey, Houki...”
“W-What?”
“You can let go of my hand now.”
“Oh, right!”
Houki quickly pulled her hand away from mine, as if she just now realized they were still entwined.
“Anyway, thank you.”
“Of course. Thanks for coming? Oh, Orimura, can I take a picture?”
“Go right ahead.”
“Thanks.”
The shutter snapped. I was getting used to this.
“All right, let’s head back.”
“We’re... compatible. We’re compatible...”
“Heeeeeey, Houki?”
“W-W-What?!”
“C’mon, let’s head back.”
“Oh! Right!”
We walked back to the classroom, with Houki for some reason swinging her right arm at the same time as her right leg. Class 1-A was still packed, and as soon as I got back I was pulled back to work. Well, everyone else is working so hard, I don’t mind having to too. Just working hard together was its own reward. All right, I’ve got to really put my all into it!
“Ta-dah! Tatenashi is here!”
“.........”
A Slacker draws near!
Command? ⯈[RUN] [RUN] [RUN]
Ichika started to run away.
But was blocked in front.
“Gah! Could you stop getting in my way?!”
“Aww, you don’t have to put it like that. Anyway, though, Ichika. Since I helped your class, could you appear in the student council’s production.”
“That didn’t sound like a question.”
“Of course. Because it wasn’t one.”
“What about my opinion on the matter?”
“It’s perfectly fine for me to decide. I’m the student council president, after all.”
Don’t just quote Mi***o Aida at me!
“...So, what did you want me to do?”
“Aren’t you going to put up more of a fight?”
“I already know it won’t do me any good.”
“Oh, so you think you know what I want? You’ve still got a lot to learn, boy.” Tatenashi poked my nose. “Ahahah. You’re so much fun to tease, Ichika.”
Ugh, what am I even supposed to do?
“Anyway, a production?!”
“Aww. You don’t have to get angry about it. It’s just a play.”
“A play?”
That sounded more... Normal than I had expected.
“A play with audience participation.”
“......?!”
Audience participation? Just what did she have planned?
“Anyway, come along. I’ll fill you in, now that it’s decided.” She theatrically pointed her fan at me.
“Um, Tatenashi? We can’t really spare Ichika right now...”
Thanks, Charl! I needed someone to cover for me!
“You should come along too, Charlotte.”
“Wha—”
“I’ll let you wear a pretty dress.”
“A dress...”
Don’t give up, Charl! I know that kind of thing is something girls want, but I need your backup here!
“Then, um... Okay, just for a little bit.”
Charl gave in. This is a mess.
“Mmm. You’re cute when you go along with things! All right, Houki, Cecilia, Laura, let’s go.”
“What?!” The trio had been listening in and raised their voices in surprise.
“I’ve got dresses for all of you.”
“Then...”
“I suppose.”
“Hmm. If we must...”
Houki, Cecilia, and Laura gave in too.
“So, what play is it, anyway?”
Tatenashi giggled as she snapped her fan open. On it was written ‘focused assault.’
“It’s Cinderella.”
◇
“Are you dressed, Ichika?”
“.........”
“I’m coming in.”
“Say that before you open the door!”
“Wow, you’re not even dressed yet. I’m disappointed.”
“...Why?”
I was in the fourth arena’s locker room. The place where I normally changed into my IS suit. I was dressed in... Well, I guess it was a prince’s outfit...
“Here’s your crown.”
“Yay...”
“Well, you don’t sound very enthused about this. Would you prefer to be Cinderella instead?”
“Definitely not!”
Really, if I had to put it into words... She was just incredibly frustrating to deal with.
“Anyway, it’s almost time!”
I’d snuck a peek at the inside of the arena earlier, and it was filled with an absolutely gorgeous set. The seats were already packed, and occasionally their cheers drifted back to the locker room.
“You know I haven’t even gotten a chance to look at a script or anything, right?”
“That’s fine. I’ll be announcing everything, all you have to do is follow along and keep things moving. So just ad-lib the rest, okay?”
It... didn’t really seem fine to me. Still filled with doubt, I walked to the wings.
“All right, raise the curtains!”
A buzzer sounded, and the lights dimmed. The curtains concealing the set rose, and a spotlight shone on the stage.
“Long, long ago, there lived a girl called Cinderella.”
Well, that was a good sign. It seemed like it’d be a normal play after all. But who was playing Cinderella? As I wondered to myself, I made my way to the part of the set made up like a ball.
“No, not named—known as. Wandering from ball to ball as they took on whole armies, these maidens gladly embraced their ash-shrouded fate to become the strongest warriors of all! Their title: Princesses of Cinders, Cinderellas!”
Huh?
“Tonight, their thirst for blood rises in their throats again. Targeting secret military plans hidden inside the crown of a prince of a neighboring country, the maidens dance forth onto a ballroom battlefield!”
“Wait, what?!”
“I’ve got you now!” Rin sprung onto the scene with a roar, clad in a beautiful white Cinderella dress with silver embroidery.
“Eh?!”
“Hand it over!”
She shot an icy glare in response to my reflexive dodge, before following up with a hail of Chinese throwing knives almost like shuriken. Has she gone completely off the deep end?!
“That could have killed me!”
“Don’t worry, I’ll just kill you almost to death!”
“What’s that even supposed to mean?!”
I wasn’t going to die there. Flipping over the tea set on the table, I blocked the knives with the tray.
“Hi-yah!” Rin kicked the knife-studded tray from my hands.
You idiot! I can see right up your dress! Never mind... she had bike shorts on underneath. I wasn’t sure if that was a relief or not. Wait, she’s just going to axe kick me now!
“Wait, wait! Are you wearing glass slippers?!”
“Don’t worry. They’re toughened glass.”
As I sparred with Rin, I noticed a red line of light darting across the stage. Huh, what’s that? Looks like it’s getting clos— An instant later, the scenery next to my face exploded.
“Whoa!”
A sniper rifle? Cecilia?! It must have been equipped with a silencer, as I couldn’t hear the report or make out a muzzle flash. And it must have been a repeater, as more shots whizzed by my head.
“I’m gonna die! This is actually going to kill me!”
I ducked low and sprinted for cover. What the hell was this play?!
◇
Oh, drat, he got away. As spent brass jangled around her feet, Cecilia pulled her eye away from the scope. The basics of sniping were to shoot and move, and she was already on her way to her next vantage point. But this time I simply must win!
There was a secret competition only the girls on stage had been told about. Whoever took the crown from Ichika’s head would also take the right to move into his room. They were all shocked when it was first mentioned, but Tatenashi’s explanation that ‘the student council president can do that’ was enough to have them all gunning for the prize.
Living with Ichika... Living with Ichika... Cecilia had already half-forgotten that it wasn’t yet in her grasp, as a smile spread across her face. Thankfully, it’s close enough to make it to the stage in time, and I’m allowed to use anything but IS equipment. A single precise shot to the crown itself, a dash to the stage, and victory would be hers.
Yes! Fortune favors those who strike at the critical moment! Smoothing her dress as she arrived at her second position, Cecilia quickly raised her rifle. I’ve got him!
Pssh! Pssh! Silenced shots rang out again.
◇
Am I finally safe here? Cecilia’s shots answered an emphatic no, chasing me from my hiding place in the shadows of the set. I’d been spending so long hidden that the crowd was erupting into applause every time the leading man—that is, myself—revealed himself on stage.
“Ahahahah... Thank you, thank you!” Cecilia seized on the chance to open fire yet again as I bowed to the crowd, and I sprang off running across the impossibly-wide stage. “Ugh, I’m trapped?!”
Her shots earlier seemed to have been to drive me into the open.
“Ichika! Get down!”
“......?!”
Charlotte suddenly appeared in front of me, holding a riot shield. Just like the others, she was wearing a Cinderella dress. Somehow, though, it looked stunning on a blonde like her. Was it just a cultural thing?
“Y-You saved me, Charl...”
Bullets pinged off her shield.
“Don’t worry about it. Just get out of here!”
“Sure! Thanks again!”
“Actually, wait, there is one thing!”
“What?”
“It’d be really nice if you left me that crown, if you don’t mind...”
“Oh? Sure, fine.”
If nothing else, it would get everyone else off my back. I put my hand to the crown, only to be interrupted by Tatenashi’s voice over the loudspeaker, “To the prince, his country was everything. The mere thought of losing the crown, and the state secrets concealed within, sent a shock through his body.”
“What?” My mind stopped in confusion, but my hand was still moving without any real thought. As I grasped the crown— “GWAAAAH!”
A crackling sound filled my ears as electricity surged through me. It was more than just painful, it burnt.
“Wh-Wh-Wh...” Smoke rose from scorched holes in my clothes. “What the hell is this?!”
“Ah! Such a pitiful scene. Is the prince’s love for his land truly so great? Sadly, all we can do is watch on. Such a pitiful scene, indeed!”
“You didn’t have to say it twice!”
I wasn’t sure I could take another shock like that, so I quickly pushed the crown back into place. This... was pretty bad, though. Tatenashi was enjoying it way too much. How was I gonna get out of this mess?
“Sorry, Charl. You saw what just happened.”
“Really? But it’s important!”
“I know, but... Sorry.”
“Ah, wait! Ichika, you—”
I fled like a hare, only to encounter two more Cinderellas, one with black hair and one silver.
“Ichika! Stop right there!”
“I’ll be taking that crown now.”
Houki brandished a katana, while Laura was dual-wielding tactical knives. Whoa!
“That’s dangerous!” I dove back from twin slashes and tumbled along the ground.
“Get out of my way, Laura!” yelled Houki.
“I could say the same. Maybe I should eliminate you first.”
“Sounds fun. Bring it!”
For some reason, they started to battle each other. Okay, that just leaves Rin, Cecilia, and Charl... Wait a minute. What is that? I felt the ground rumble beneath my feet.
“And now! It’s your chance to take part! Everyone, set your eyes on the crown!”
“Wha—”
The rumble was from an army of Cinderellas. One which was growing larger and large as I watched. It felt like something I’d seen in a movie...
“Give it up easy, Orimura!”
“My own prince to live happily ever after with...”
“Give him to me!”
I climbed higher and higher up the set as I fled from the army of Cinderellas.
“Found you, Ichika!”
Guh! It was Houki!
“Give me that crown! If you do... If you do...”
“W-What?”
“Ugh! Just give it to me! Or I’ll cut you!”
That’s terrifying! Someone save me!
