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Infinite Stratos - Volume 9 - Chapter 4




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Chapter IV: It’s Fantastic! A Maiden’s Secrets are Top Secret 

“Sigh...” The day after Field Day was a Friday off due to the holiday on the weekend, and all Tatenashi had the energy to do that afternoon was slouch around her room. Laying in bed with a hand over her face, she stared up at the lights on the ceiling from between her fingers. 
The IS Mysterious Lady’s repair was complete. A shipment of spare parts had arrived from Russia, along with a number of new packages. Installation, tuning, and compilation. Those had taken up her whole morning. But that wasn’t what Tatenashi was sighing about. 
What am I gonna do? The problem was what had happened during Field Day. She’d had absolutely no intention of getting involved in the final competition. That, at least, was the truth. And she’d done her best to stay out of it. But when Ichika was in danger, her instincts won the argument. Her body moved as if it’d been made for that moment. 
This is such a mess... She’d promised that the winner would be moved into Ichika’s class, and even that meant pulling a lot of strings. But even worse... Maybe I wanted that to happen... To be in the same class as Ichika. To spend more time with him. 
“Sigh...” 
The more she thought about it, the harder her heart throbbed. Just as she decided to put it out of her mind and got up out of bed, though, an unexpected knock sounded on her door. 
“Hello?” she called out weakly. The voice which answered shattered whatever focus she had left. 
“It’s me, Orimura Ichika. Do you have a minute?” 
Her heart pounded hard enough to leap out of her chest. 
“H-Hold on a sec!” 
She looked down at what she was wearing, and realizing it was only a blouse and panties, frantically tried to pull on a skirt at the same time as she cleaned up the piles of dirty laundry lying around. Sometimes being lucky enough to have a single dorm wasn’t very lucky at all. 
“Ah, darn!” She was in such a hurry that she’d gotten her buttons in the wrong holes, and her chest kept getting in the way as she tried to fix them. Dammit! I can’t just let him get bored and leave! Hurriedly finishing, she opened her door. 
“Hey. Did I wake you up or something?” 
Well, this was definitely Ichika. And she certainly didn’t have any problem with him deciding to visit. But she wanted to get him inside before any of the other girls realized he was there. “Come on in! I’ll put on some tea.” 
“Huh? But—” 
“C’mon, c’mon!” 
She gave him a quick push, half-forcing him into her room. Even so casual of a touch made her pulse race. A strangely relieving wave of frustration washed over her. Ugh, my heart is beating so fast... Fast enough to make her chest hurt. The sweet suffering threatened to overwhelm her. Stay calm, stay calm. Just get a hold of yourself. You’ll be fine. 
“Um, Tatenashi? I think you dropped these.” Looking a bit embarrassed, Ichika held out a piece of the aforementioned dirty laundry—and, of course, it had to be panties. 
“Eeeek! Give me those!” She snatched the lingerie from Ichika’s hand and, blushing, crammed it into her skirt pocket. He... He saw... He saw my panties... Even if she’d deliberately showed him them before, this was the first time he’d seen them without her planning it. Even if they hadn’t been dirty, she would have been embarrassed. A maiden’s heart is a delicate thing. 
“Ichika! Take responsibility!” 
“Responsibility? For what?” 
“I... I mean, ummmmm...” Tatenashi couldn’t quite make herself say the words. There... There’s no way I could say that out loud! Nothing like that, or like that... As lurid images spun through her mind, she twisted her index fingers together. 
Probingly, Ichika leaned in close and said, “What’s wrong? Do you have a fever?” 
He was close enough for her to feel his breath as he laid a palm on her forehead. 
“Eep!” 
“You don’t feel like you have a fever. Are you just worn out from yesterday?” 
“N-N-N-No way! I haven’t missed a beat!” 
Even Ichika could easily see through her false courage. 
“If that’s true, then how come you dropped your panties?” 
“You idiot! Ichika, you pervert!” Just having her mind brought back to it made Tatenashi blush. Peeking around a girl’s room isn’t a very nice thing to do. Perhaps the measure of a man is his willingness to feign ignorance of what he finds. “Why, Ichika! I’d hoped you were a gentleman.” 
“I know, I know. But you’re quite the lady, Tatenashi. Quite the mysterious lady, I might add.” 
Even though she knew he was really talking about her IS, she didn’t mind hearing those words out of his mouth. Actually, that reminds me... She remembered asking him to call her by her real name when they were alone. 
“C’mon, Ichika—” 
“Katana.” 
Her heart skipped a beat. 
“I know it’s not the recognition you deserve, but why don’t we go out somewhere?” 
In her eyes, he absolutely oozed with charm at that moment. Catching hold of herself, Tatenashi—Katana—gulped and nodded. 
“Sure.” 
“Is there somewhere you wanted to go?” 
“How about—” 
 
“So you want to have dinner at the Grand Imperial Hotel?” Ichika examined the invitation ticket Tatenashi had passed to him as he walked through the covered shopping plaza. 
“Mm...” Tatenashi answered faintly from beside him, her cheeks a pale red. 
“It’s still daytime, though.” 
“Mm...” 
“...Can’t you say anything else?” 
“Mm... Ah?!” As she walked along next to Ichika, Tatenashi was lost in thought. But she couldn’t waste what little alone time she got with her crush like that. Shaking her head, she tried to focus. “Um, Ichika? We’re already downtown, right?” 
“Yeah.” 
“So why not do some shopping?” Ideally for a ring. For her finger. The kind priced at three months’ salary. “Let’s go, Ichika.” 
“Okay, but where?” 
With another “mm,” Tatenashi held out her hand. 
“Mm!” 
“Oh, did you want to hold hands?” 
“Would you rather I slapped you with it?” 
“...Understood, milady.” With a patronizing bow, Ichika took Tatenashi’s hand. As soon as their fingers clasped, Tatenashi gripped hard and took off at a jog. 
“All right, Ichika! Let’s go!” 
“Wha?! Hey, slow down!” 
“Ahaha!” Ichika sighed in exasperation. “Let’s do some shopping, and stop for a snack, and then... Hmm, there was an earring I wanted to take a look at.” 
“That’s a pretty hard day.” 
“Would you prefer Lunatic instead?” Tatenashi let out a deranged giggle. 
Sensing how much trouble he was in, Ichika nervously began to speak. “Uhh, how about Normal? Or maybe even Easy.” 
Tatenashi dragged him along, her enthusiasm to go everywhere and see everything overflowing. 
“Aren’t you a bit old for that?” 
“...Be gentle. Please.” Ichika gingerly chose his words, remembering how his own sister always seemed to get the Last Word. Seeing his hesitation, Tatenashi grinned in an inscrutable way somewhere in between amused, kindly, and impish. Anyone watching would have assumed they were already lovers, but neither could realize it. 
“How about this one?” Tatenashi held up a short winter coat with fur trimming. 
“I can’t tell if it’s supposed to be warm or lightweight.” 
“Well, it’d certainly be easy to move around in. I’m not sure I’d bring it to Russia, though.” 
Ichika remembered that Tatenashi, free as an IS pilot to choose a country, was a Russian pilot. Not a cadet. 
“It must get pretty cold in Russia,” he replied. 
“Yeah, but the springs and summers are pretty nice in some places.” 
“Huh.” The image of Tatenashi in a long fur coat and fur hat came to Ichika’s mind, and suddenly, he was very interested in talking about Russia. “Why don’t you take me sometime?” 
She tensed up, and could only manage “Eh?” as a response. 
“To Russia. I want to see it.” 
“O-Okay. Someday. Someday!” 
Her eyes glimmered as she clutched the coat, and Ichika raised an eyebrow. Hmm, Russia sounds like an interesting place. 
Meanwhile, Tatenashi—A vacation with just the two of us! I can’t wait! She was extremely pleased. The shoppers passing by as they walked on, watching them, couldn’t help but think ‘What a cute couple!’ 
“Ah!” Tatenashi suddenly noticed that they were near an arcade. “Hey, look, Ichika!” 
“Huh?” 
“Wanna go there?” 
“‘There,’ meaning...?” He followed the aim of her finger. “Isn’t that just a normal arcade?” 
Lately, they’d been rebranding as “amusement centers” and the like, but Ichika was still old-school. 
“C’mon, it’ll be fun. Let’s go!” 
“Okay!” 
Having completely lost interest in the coat, Tatenashi shoved it at the clerk and skipped out of the shop. 
“Tatenashi! Look out!” 
She was about to run across the street, oblivious to the oncoming truck. Without a moment’s thought, Ichika dove after her, wrapping his arms around her to keep her safe. 
“Ah...” 
“C’mon, Tatenashi. Pay more attention.” 
“Okay... Sorry...” 
Tatenashi was beside herself with the thought that Ichika could hear her heart pounding. He’s so muscular... How long had he been holding her? She wanted it to last forever, if it could. Feeling his warmth, smelling his scent, closer than anyone else. I must be glowing right now... Her heart ached. But the pain was so, so sweet. 
“Okay, red light. We can go now.” 
“Ah...” Tatenashi let out a sorrowful sigh as Ichika released her. “We could’ve spent a little longer...” 
“Huh?” 
“Ahem. Nothing. Anyway, Ichika. Let’s play that zombie game!” 
“Oh, you’re into lightguns? I figured you’d be all about IS sims. Those are big now.” 
“It gets boring winning all the time. Anyway, zombies, zombies!” 
“Okay, okay.” Ichika took Tatenashi’s hand as if it were the most natural thing in the world, and let her lead him on. She could barely hold her heart in. 
“This one’s one of the new ones with wireless guns, so no worries about getting tangled up.” That, at least, was a wonderful new innovation. 
“All right, let’s do it!” 
Ichika resigned himself to a quick loss as he watched her excitement. But Tatenashi fed three tokens to the four-player machine, and took up a gun in each hand. 
“Check out my gun kata!” She crossed the guns in front of her chest as the game started. And somehow, she was untouchable. 
“Holy shit, look at her go.” 
“Has she even been hit yet? The zombies aren’t getting anywhere close!” 
“We got an esports pro here, boys!” 
The shocked murmurs spread through the arcade. As a crowd gathered, Tatenashi finished the final boss off without a scratch. 
“Well, that was no big deal.” Spinning her guns, she struck a pose. A photo finish for sure. 
“Oh wow! That’s Orimura Ichika!” 
“Holy shit, you’re right! But who’s the girl?” 
“That’s why she looked familiar! That’s Sarashiki Tatenashi, she was in the September issue of IS Model Shot!” The murmurs grew to a dull roar as all eyes were on the duo. 
“C-Could you autograph this?” 
“Can I get a picture with you, Ichika?” 
“Give me your number, I’ll give you mine!” 
A crowd of amazed onlookers pressed in. 
“Tatenashi.” 
“Mm?” 
“Let’s get out of here!” 
“Got it!” 
Tatenashi’s mood only improved as she and Ichika made their escape. If only they could make it all the way to the end of the world together. 
 
“Ahh, that was fun.” After their time at the arcade, Tatenashi had dragged Ichika around shopping, and now the sun was setting. Suddenly, the IS Mysterious Lady picked up an encrypted transmission. 
“Hello? Yes. Yes. I see. I’ll be right there.” There was nothing left of the playful girl who’d just been standing next to Ichika. Now, there was only secret agent Sarashiki Tatenashi. 
“Um, Tatenashi?” Seeing how serious she suddenly looked, Ichika hesitated before opening his mouth. 
“Sorry, Ichika! Something really important just came up. Can we call it a day?” 
As Tatenashi tried to pass it off, Ichika looked her straight in the eye and said, “Let me come along.” 
“Eh?” 
“I don’t know what’s going on, but it doesn’t seem like something you should have to take on alone.” 
Tatenashi could normally obfuscate her way out of situations like this, but something in his eyes this time made her nod in acceptance. 
“Then... Okay. Thank you.” 
“Of course!” 
And that’s how Tatenashi and Ichika ended up on a sneaking mission. 
“All right, then. Let’s get going.” Tatenashi, and Ichika beside her, were in their IS Academy uniforms. They were at the seaside park near IS Academy. The kind of place with a lot of shady rumors attached. 
“So... We’re going dressed like this?” Ichika asked hesitantly. He’d come expecting to set out fully-armed, and this was almost disappointing. 
“Yeah? I mean, it’s definitely more convenient.” 
“Okay...” 
“Plus, we won’t need weapons on this mission anyway. It’ll be fine.” 
Her cheerful wink was answered with a solemn gaze. If things go wrong, I’m going to have to protect her... His concentration was snapped by a tap on the forehead with one of Tatenashi’s fans. 
“C’mon, kid. Don’t get yourself all worked up. Relax, relax!” 
“But...” 
“Worst-case scenario, you get in your IS and get out of there. Understood?” 
The sudden serious tone confused Ichika. He couldn’t figure out whether to calm down like he was told or get even more worried, and as he wavered between the two, he began to slump. 
“Where are we going, anyway?” In response, Tatenashi grinned and pointed out toward the swelling waves. “To... The sea?” 
Tatenashi nodded and spoke again, “There’s an off-the-books American carrier anchored a few dozen kilometers out. That’s where we’re going.” 
She presented this matter-of-factly, but for Ichika it was a shock. Not trusting his own ears, he asked again, “H-Hold on! An American carrier? Are we trying to cause an international incident?!” 
“Meh. That’s why I was saying, if things go wrong, these uniforms’ll come in handy.” 
IS Academy was independent of any nation, organization, or faith. Meaning, no matter what happened, the diplomatic blowback would be limited. Plus, Tatenashi was the student council president. As long as she could at least manage to talk Ichika’s way out of a sticky situation, everything would be fine. 
This is pretty risky, though. After all, he was the only male in the world who could pilot an IS. Every country in the world would kill to get their hands on him as a test subject. If worst comes to worst, maybe my Russian citizenship will come in handy. It was for times such as these that she’d embraced a reputation as a turncoat. 
Tatenashi—“Shieldless”—originally, the name for unyielding armor. For unyielding will to defend, even without a shield to rely on. When Katana took that name, she swore to take on its meaning as well. To protect her family, her homeland, her comrades. That was the duty of Tatenashi, head of the Sarashiki family. 
And sometimes, the best defense is a good offense. The Americans had information on Phantom Task that they were keeping close to their chest. That meant she had to act, or the name Sarashiki Tatenashi would mean nothing. 
“Ichika, are you wearing your IS suit under your uniform?” 
“Yeah, just like you told me.” 
“Perfect. Let’s go.” As Tatenashi spoke, she hopped over the fence surrounding the park. Ichika followed, then stopped to focus and open his IS. 
“Hold it.” Tatenashi slapped him on the cheek with a fan. 
“What’d you do that for?” 
“I should ask you the same thing. If you take that thing out here, we’ll be surrounded by Japanese and American squads before we even reach the water.” 
Use of IS off school grounds was prohibited by the Alaska Treaty. 
“Then what do we do?” 
“We do this!” Grabbing Ichika’s arm, Tatenashi leapt into the air. They soared, for a moment, then—with a resounding splash!—broke the water. 
“Glub!” 
“All right, let’s get swimming!” Tatenashi, her IS suit beginning to turn transparent in the water, looked like a swimsuit model. 
“What?! We’re swimming that far?!” 
“Yeah.” 
Even Ichika hadn’t expected anything like that. 
“If you don’t like it, you can always go home.” 
He immediately fired back, “No, I’m in for this. I’d never be able to stop worrying if you were out fighting alone.” 
Maybe love could bloom on the battlefield. —Just kidding. 
“...Ichika.” 
“Yeah?” 
“You’re not jet-skiing.” 
“Huh?” 
“So try not to be a drag.” 
Badum-tsh. 
 
“All right. We’re making good progress,” Tatenashi nonchalantly intoned as she shook the water from her hair. The two had successfully boarded the carrier and made their way to the ship’s galley. 
“Ahh, hold up... Let me catch... My breath...” Meanwhile, Ichika was gasping for air. 
“Is that all you have in you? All we’ve done is go for a quick swim and then climb aboard.” 
“All we’ve done? Really?” Ichika panted. 
“C’mon. Snake has to do this pretty much every time.” 
“Are video game characters really a good example?” Plus, Ichika was always more a James Bond fan, anyway. 
“Listen. Sneaking missions may sound boring, but they’re pretty hard, aren’t they?” 
“Yeah, you don’t have to tell me that.” 
Tatenashi rolled her eyes as Ichika continued to pant, “Get a hold of yourself, kid.” 
She spanked his butt. 
“Wait... Just... Just let me catch my breath...” 
“I’ll leave you behind.” 
“Wait... It... It’s dangerous here... Don’t leave me...” This was an American carrier, so who knows what might happen? An ex-SEAL cook? An exploding microwave? It was certainly nowhere to hang around waiting. 
“Now that I think of it, something’s not right.” They hadn’t encountered a single person yet. Is this really good luck, or... Really bad luck. Definitely really bad luck. 
“I’m starving! Make me something, will ya— Huh?” The person who announced her entry to the galley with a brusque demand for dinner was none other than that American IS pilot, Iris Calling. She was wearing a full-body IS suit which looked almost like a wetsuit. 


 


Dammit! While Tatenashi dove for cover, Ichika stood out in the open. 
“Who the hell are you?” Iris had grown her hair out recently, a choice which was appreciated—though they’d never admit it out loud—by the other sailors aboard. His mind focused on that pointless fact, Ichika stuttered an obvious lie, “I’m the new cook.” 
“Oh, I see.” Iris slapped her hands together, as if everything made sense now. “...Like hell you are, Orimura Ichika!” 
A knife flew by his face, scoring a line along his cheek. A beat later, blood welled up and out of it. 
“Ahaha...” Ichika’s face was known around the world. Not a single IS program had avoided covering him at least once. If anything, it would be strange for a pilot not to be recognized on sight. 
“What are you doing here?! This isn’t even a normal ship, it’s an Erased secret mission... I’ll bet there’s someone else here with you.” Ichika’s heart skipped a beat. “And if I had to guess, it’d be... Sarashiki Tatenashi, wouldn’t it? No way, it’d be Orimura Chifuyu.” 
Smacking her right fist into her left palm, Iris loomed over Ichika. He looked over to Tatenashi for help, and— 
“Wait, what?!” 
She was already gone. 
All that remained was a fan lying on the floor, reading “good luck!” in thick, bold letters. 
“No fair!” 
“What the hell are you going on about, Orimura?!” Dash, jump, and stride. Closing the gap in an instant, Iris unflinchingly pulled out a pair of pistols and fired. 
“Whoa! I’m gonna die! You’re gonna kill me!” Leaping backwards, Ichika managed to barely avoid the shots, but he still didn’t want to go straight to the last resort of using his IS. Meaning, his only option was the ultimate attack Chifuyu had taught him herself. 
“I didn’t want to have to use this, but...” 
“Huh?” 
Ichika’s breaths grew shallower. Noticing his change, Iris cautiously backed off. 
“My ultimate attack... RUN AWAY!” Turning his back on Iris, Ichika fled. 
“Hold it right there, moron! Natasha promised to make my week if I caught you! Are you listening, you idiot?!” Chased by yells almost as angry as Rin’s, Ichika ran through the ship’s passageways. He ran. And ran. Then ran some more. 
I can hide in that compartment! Narrowly dodging a hail of fire from behind, he leaps, slamming the hatch behind him and locking it. 
“Phew. I can catch my breath in here.” 
He turned in relief... And Iris stood before him. 
“Good, good. Worn yourself out yet?” 
“What the hell’s good about this?!” Ichika wanted to scream. 
“Are you ready?” Glimmers of light swarmed around Iris, and soon, the IS Fang Quake clanged to the deck. “I should warn you, I’m more into older guys.” 
Meaning, she had no intention of holding back. 
“Dammit! If I have to—” Ichika opened Byakushiki. In the narrow confines of the compartment, two IS smashed together with twin Ignition Boosts. 
“Not bad, for a kid!” 
“You’re not gonna overpower me!” 
Right hand grasping the other’s left, left hand grasped in the other’s right, they grappled. Shoving with all their might, neither gave an inch. 

“I’ll smash you into the wall!” 
“Not if I do first!” 
Again, simultaneously, they fired off Ignition Boosts, pushing their leg thrusters to the limit as well. Their armor creaked as it pressed together. 
“Get—” 
“—Outta here!” 
As the fight heated up, they slammed their heads together viciously. 
“Eat dirt, Orimura!” Gaining the upper hand for a moment with a Revolving Ignition Boost, Iris swiftly inverted Fang Quake. Directly over Ichika. 
“Wha—” 
“Got you!” 
Fwoosh! Fwoosh! Roars filled his ears as she fired off another Revolving Ignition Boost. 
“Gwah!” Ichika, nearly at his limits, was pushed to his knees. With a satisfied grin, Iris... Flew off. Under her own power. By her own will. Toward the wall. 
“...Eh?” 
With an almighty, wrenching crash, she tore through. As Ichika watched in silence, another hole blew open in the wall next to the first as Iris returned. 
“Gah?!” 
“You’re not getting away!” 
Again, the sounds of steel on steel, composite on composite, echoed through the ship’s passageways. 
 
Listening to the booming explosions from far away, Tatenashi’s expression twisted into a confused scowl. 
“They’re making that much of a scene, and still no reinforcements? Something’s not right here.” 
As she trode the cold steel of the deck, she thought to herself. Iris Calling’s presence... Must have been a coincidence. It wasn’t just possible, but likely, that she really had encountered them in the galley by chance while looking for rations. 
This ship is dead in the water... And someone had done it. No, not just “someone.” She knew who. 
“Phantom Task... I knew it! They’ve already made their move!” 
Remembering the layout of the ship she’d committed to memory, Tatenashi made her way toward the CVIC, ready for combat at any moment. 
It’s even creepier for the lights to be on with no one here than if they were off... Her thermal sensors revealed no signs of life. 
“It’s unlikely that they’ve killed the crew. They’d gain nothing from that. They have to be locked up somewhere. Meaning...” 
Meaning, this had to be a trap. 
“I’ve got to hurry.” Just as she lengthened her stride, an uncanny whistling rose, then fell deep, and her jaw clenched. 
[Alert. The emergency scuttle system will now activate. All hands, prepare to abandon ship. Do not provide. Repeat. All hands, prepare—] 
Gah! Is this some kind of bad joke?! Covert mission or no, this was still an American carrier. If it went down, anti-terrorism squads would be swarming like wasps. And the “Phantom” in Phantom Task may as well referred to their habit of coming and going like ghosts. 
Could they... What if they had some sort of deal with the Americans? Or wait, what if their existence was the result of some sort of deal with the Americans? “Well, this has gone from bad to worse.” 
Tatenashi bit her lip, imagining the worst. Why would an American carrier on a covert mission have data on Squall Meusel, leader of Phantom Task’s “Monochrome Avatar” direct action cell? As she realized she may have made a fatal oversight, the color drained from Tatenashi’s face. 
“I need to hurry.” 
Throwing caution to the wind, she ran through the twisting passageways of cold steel. Most unnerving at all was that she encountered no resistance on the way there. I need to get that info! Quickly hacking the computers, she opened up a display. 
Search: Squall Meusel. 
...... 
......... 
............No records found. 
“Impossible!” Even as a look of shock rose to her face, Tatenashi thought of another option, “Search casualties list.” 
It was by no means unusual for special forces operatives to be dead on paper. But something wasn’t right. 
“There she is.” Why was Squall listed as an American KIA? “Hold on... Squall Meusel was...” 
Killed 12 years ago. Not as a cover story. For real. What was going on here? The photos from the autopsy were dated 12 years ago, too. 
“But she looks so young... That must mean...” Tatenashi was so focused on the images that she didn’t even notice the ball of flame bobbing behind her. 
“—?!” 
Wracked with a sudden premonition, Tatenashi spun around—only to be swallowed by an explosion. 
 
“Hahaha...” Squall looked down at the sinking carrier sink from the pitch-black skies. She looked almost angelic as her blonde locks waved over the gleaming armor of her IS Golden Dawn. “And that should put an end to that. Goodbye, Sarashiki Tatenashi.” 
Just as Squall turned to leave, the point of a lance caught her. 
“You’re not getting away this time, Squall Meusel!” Tatenashi, her IS Mysterious Lady fully deployed, was on the attack. The time for worrying about diplomatic blowback was over. Tatenashi’s instincts screamed that Squall was too dangerous to be allowed to live. “Haaaa!” 
Squall watched the incoming hail of super-pressurized water with a bored expression. 
“Don’t waste your time. That IS could never take down my Golden Dawn.” 
Looking closer, Tatenashi could see a faint web of heat rays around the Golden Dawn. 
“Little squirts like that will never break through my barrier of flame, Prominence Coat. And—” Squall stretched out a hand toward Tatenashi. As Tatenashi watched, sparks condensed in Squall’s palm into a sphere of flame. “Mysterious Lady’s Aqua Veil can’t hold against my Solid Flare.” 
The ball of flame shot forth as she finished speaking, piercing Tatenashi’s own barrier and scoring a direct hit on her armor. Somehow, the life support systems held together, but her shield energy was already drained. 
“Ugh...!” 
“And what will I hear next? ‘I won’t lose?’ or ‘I won’t let you get away?’ I’m not sloppy enough to lose to tough talk.” 
Tatenashi fled, looking to put distance between herself and Squall, but a barrage of Solid Flares pursued, their bursts lighting up the night sky. If I just keep running, she’s going to get me eventually! Turning and swiping one away with her Azure Gyre gatling lance, Tatenashi tried to use the explosion to propel herself toward Squall. 
With thrusters at full power and Ignition Boost firing, she closed the distance in an instant. But Golden Dawn, as if waiting, spread the tip of its gigantic tail open, wrapping around Tatenashi’s armor like a venus flytrap. 
“Ugh...!” Her chest caught in the machine’s grip, a look of panic entirely unlike Tatenashi set in on her face. Meanwhile, Squall languidly contemplated her prey. 
“Just what has gotten into you? Ohh, I see. Orimura Ichika must be on that ship. Then—” Squall raised both hands over her head. “I wonder what would happen if I sunk it straight away? Ahahaha.” 
A huge ball of flame began to form between her palms. Realizing that a direct hit of it would send the carrier straight to the ocean floor, Tatenashi screamed involuntarily, “Stop! I won’t let you do that!” 
The jaws of the gigantic mouth clutching Tatenashi’s torso creaked as she began to force them apart. But— 
“Too late!” With a gleeful shout, Squall released the orb of fire. 
“GRAAAAAAHH!” With a clang, Tatenashi tore the jaws surrounding herself open, but before she could disentangle herself, Squall’s blast exploded. 
“Such a pity.” 
“Ah... Ahhhh...” 
But then— 
“Are you okay?! Tatenashi!” Rising through the smoke was Kanzashi, her Fudouzan “Unmovable Mountain” shield package fully deployed. Somehow, it had endured the blast. 
“Kanzashi?! What are you doing here?!” 
“I heard! About your determination... About what your name truly means...” 
Tatenashi knew who from as soon as the words entered her ears. That old fool... Jeez... The old man’s cheeky grin rose up in her mind. 
“I don’t want to just be protected anymore! I want to protect someone else! I want to protect you! I want to protect everyone!” Kanzashi’s eyes gleamed with determination, shorn of all doubt. Short of all reason to be doubted. “Here!” 
This was the true potential of the Haute Couture packages for personalized IS. Its name, “Beautiful Krasnaya.” Wings of a deep crimson red spread, swooping to settle on Tatenashi’s back. As it latched on, her Aqua Veil, too, turned red, proof that it had switched to high-output mode. 
I accept. Your hopes. This duty. This power! 
“And I’ll show you! My determination... My One-Off Ability!” 
Tatenashi’s warcry sent a shiver down Squall’s spine. They were still at a distance, yet, brushing on her fingertips— 
“......?” Something was wrong. If anything was there, it would be on her sensors. Yet nothing was. She checked again with her eyes. Still nothing. What? What’s going on? This feels... Wrong... It was Squall’s turn to show uncharacteristic panic. 
“Take this! My One-Off Ability! Sökkvabekkr!” 
Squall gulped. She’d heard that name before. Sökkvabekkr, abode of the Norse goddess Sága, second wife of Odin. Meaning— 
“I’m sinking?! Golden Dawn is sinking?!” 
“Yes. This is Sökkvabekkr. A wide-area stasis field.” 
Its power to grasp was far beyond even Laura’s Active Inertial Canceler. A perfect barrier inescapable and unavoidable, swallowing all around it. 
“Ugh! And you’re trying to put out my flame—” 
“Bingo! And just how long do you think you have left?” Relishing her revenge, Tatenashi grinned languidly while lifting Mistilteinn. 
“How much energy do you have?!” Squall struggled against the field, trying to free herself. Unseen waters had already swallowed her to her waist, disabling her leg thrusters. 
“You know, someone here had the perfect thing to say in a situation like this. What was it, now?” Tatenashi tapped her chin with a finger, then, as Mistilteinn finished charging, leveled its point at Squall. “Ahh, right. Too late!” 
Tatenashi mouthed the words with every bit of glee that Squall had earlier, then burst forth in a breakneck charge. 
“I... I’m losing? No! It’s not over yet!” Squall raised her right hand at Tatenashi as she swooped closer, rapidly forming another ball of flame. 
“Is that all you’ve got?!” Tatenashi charged, unflinchingly, only increasing in speed until she became one with her lance. 
“Pfft.” Just as she was about to be run through, Squall turned her own attack on herself. 
“Wh—?!” 
The full brunt of the strongest fireball she could muster blew Squall away. She had escaped the barrier, but not without cost. Sparking wires dangled from where her left arm had been. 
“Looks like my little secret is out.” A smile drifted to her face. 
“So you are a cyborg.” Tatenashi mentally underlined her earlier speculation. But in the confusion, Squall was able to slip away. Mysterious Lady lacked the energy to pursue. 
“We’ll have to continue this another day, Miss Student Council President!” She fired off one last burst to cover her escape. 
“Tatenashi!” Kanzashi barely blocked Squall’s final attack. 
“Thank you, Kanza...” Tatenashi slumped over, at the end of her strength. Kanzashi held her upright. “You’ve gotten so strong, Kanzashi.” 
“Don’t worry about that. Just rest.” 
“Don’t mind if I do. The rest is up to you...” 
Tatenashi passed out. 
 
“That’s what I’m tellin’ ya! Your Ignition Boosts are all over the place!” 
“Like you’ve got room to talk, Iris. I’m not the one who flew myself into a wall.” 
“Look at the brass balls on this kid.” 
“Owwww! Okay! Okay, you’re right!” 
Tatenashi opened her eyes to the sound of a lively argument. She was lying on a bench in the seaside park, her head resting in Kanzashi’s lap. 
“Kanzashi...” 
“Tatenashi! You’re awake now?” 
“Listen, I know this is rude to ask, but...” She lifted a wavering finger, and pointed it at Ichika. “Can you swap out with him?” 
Tatenashi winked at Kanzashi, who let out a suffering sigh. 
“Well, if you’ve recovered enough to joke around like that, you should be fine.” 
“Haha...” Tatenashi didn’t add that she wasn’t joking, but did seize on the idea, imagining what Ichika’s lap would feel like. Not bad, not bad at all. Absorbed in thought, she didn’t notice Ichika approaching. And for some reason, Iris was with him. She wasn’t quite sure how they had come to terms after their fight, but alas. 
“Ichika.” She was suddenly worried that they’d miss their dinner date. 
“Yeah?” 
“Um... Well...” Reading the room, Kanzashi got up and left, motioning Iris away with her. It was night, in a park, looking out at the sea. The perfect situation to tell him how she really felt. “Umm...” 
“Oh, if it’s about dinner, we’re already too late.” Tatenashi slumped back down. All the tension which had just been swelling in her chest faded at the sight of Ichika’s innocent grin. Well, no sense crying over spilt milk. She nodded, coming to see it as a chance to at least show her maturity. 
“Let’s head home, then.” 
“Wait, Tatenashi! I know a good place around here. Let’s go there.” 
“Eh?!” Her heart leapt again at the unexpected invitation. Where’s he going to take me? At this time of night, it would have to be a bar, or even... Her head filled with images too hot for an all-ages book, Tatenashi grasped Ichika’s hand. “Yeah, let’s go!” 
“O-Okay!” 
“So this is the place?” 
“Yes!” It was a ramen cart parked under a rail overpass. 
Disappointed, Tatenashi let out a deep, deep sigh, “Ichika, are you like this with everyone?” 
“Huh? No, this is my secret, I’ve only ever told the guys about it.” 
“That wasn’t what I meant, I meant...” Tatenashi stewed, not quite finding the right words. Suddenly, she broke into laughter. “Ahahah. You’re the first boy who’s ever taken me out for ramen from a cart, that’s for sure.” 
Tatenashi—Katana—was, after all, the eldest of the Sarashiki girls. She’d been invited out by men before, but it had always been to stultifyingly dreary gourmet restaurants. 
“Looks like there are open seats, let’s duck in.” 
“Open seats?” It was deserted. Tatenashi was beginning to have second thoughts about this. 
“Hey!” As they ducked under the noren, a toned middle-aged man with a stubbly beard yelped under his breath, recognizing his customer, and excitedly tossed the newspaper he’d been reading aside. 
“Well if it ain’t Number One,” He sighed, as if he’d been hoping for a bigger group. It seemed like the chef—if you could call him that, this being a one-man cart—knew Ichika. 
“C’mon, Burai, quit calling me that.” 
“Haah? What’s wrong with Number One? Sounds pretty cool to me.” 
“Yeah, whatever.” They must have been fairly close, as Ichika had dropped all formality. “C’mon, Tatenashi, sit down.” 
She glanced around nervously, with no idea about how to deal with the wooden bench. 
“Am I supposed to step over it?” 
“Nah, just walk around from the side. Yeah, like that.” 
“Hey-hey, Number One! Looks like you finally got yourself a chick!” 
Tatenashi was flustered for a moment at being referred to as a “chick,” but soon, the realization that the man recognized her and Ichika as a couple brought a blush to her face. 
“Nah, man. She’s the student council president at IS Academy.” She was a bit frustrated at the matter-of-fact introduction, but as the more mature one of the two tried to hold it in. 
“You sure? Seems like she’s got different ideas.” 
“Wha? No, no, it’s nothing like that!” Her knowing grin, though, said something entirely different. 
“Ya know. Maybe it’s about time you got outta Chi’s hair.” Burai stroked his stubble, smirking. “And then maybe I’d have a shot.” 
“Ahahah. No way.” There wasn’t even a hint of laughter in Ichika’s eyes. 
“Y-Yeah, I guess. Anyway, two bowls for Number One!” Slightly rattled, Burai turned back and began to boil some noodles. Ichika took a cup from the shelf and placed it in front of Tatenashi. 
“What’s this for?” 
“Huh? Water, what else?” 
Tatenashi was surprised by the water being self-service, but fascinated at experiencing so many new things. She stared around like a kid at an amusement park. 
“Ichika, you said you’ve never been here with a girl, but surely you’ve brought Rin at some point?” 
“No, umm...” Ichika hemmed and hawed around the awkwardness of boys and girls in middle school. The reason seemed to be that they each needed space, but the particulars were something only they could know. 
“I see. Well, I guess that’s fine.” Grasping on this newly-exposed weak point, her confidence began to return. Meanwhile, Ichika was having a harder and harder time opening up in front of Burai. 
“So, Number One, d’you talk that way at school too?” 
“No wayyyy! It’s just, y’know, she’s here, so...” 
“Mm-hmmmmmm.” Grinning, Burai drained the noodles and ladled broth into a pair of bowls, then, with all the showmanship of a professional, piled the remaining toppings on in a flash. “Here ya go!” 
As he set the bowls down in front of them with a weighty thunk, Ichika broke out into a grin. 
“Looks great.” 
“C’mon, Number One! Get it right!” 
Ichika clapped his hands together, playing along with the act. “It doesn’t look great—” 
“It is great!” 
They leaned in for a quick high-five. As Tatenashi watched the interplay between the men, she felt like, just in this moment, she could just be Katana. He’s trying so hard to act big, but he’s still a little boy. 
As she contemplated her picture of Ichika, she again gazed into her bowl. The crystal-clear golden broth, the hand-cut noodles, the giant slabs of pork belly chashu that girls avoided while boys ordered extra of. A mountain of leeks cut on the diagonal, and a mouthwateringly-runny soft-boiled egg. But what whetted her appetite most of all was the aroma. The rich scent of the pork, the sharp notes of the soy sauce in the broth. The pungent notes of the garlic. Complex yet forceful, intense yet delicate. It reminded her of herself. 
“Dig in!” 
“Here’s your chopsticks, Tatenashi.” 
“Katana.” 
“...All right, Katana.” 
“Hmph... Good enough.” She wasn’t a huge fan of his hesitance, but she was supposed to be the more mature one here, so there was no point in needling him about it. Nodding, she picked up her chopsticks. 
“Better eat before it gets cold!” At Burai’s prodding, she began to daintily pick at her noodles. But something about how she was eating didn’t seem to please him. “C’mon, hon, ramen ain’t something you eat to look good doing it! Put yer back into it!” 
At Burai’s insistence, she slurped as hard as she could. 
“Wow, this is great! It’s even better than before!” As he watched the twinkle in Katana’s eyes, Burai rubbed his face as if to emphasize that he’d just pointed out the obvious. 
“All right, I should get going on mine too!” 
Slurp. Sluuuuurp. Slurp. The sounds echoed in the tiny nook. Burai smiled in satisfaction as the two focused on their meals. 
“This is delicious! Ichika, could you refill my water?” Katana’s inhibitions were completely broken down. Finishing her pork, she drained the last of the broth from her bowl. 
By coincidence, Ichika had finished at the same time, and their calls of ‘That was great!’ echoed in unison. 
“Cleaned your plate, huh, hon? Ichika, you gonna let a catch like this get away?” 
“I told you—” Katana grinned triumphantly as Ichika nervously chuckled. “I told you, it isn’t like that...” 
“Oh? Not even just for tonight?” 
“C’mon, Number One, pick up the pace!” 
Outnumbered, Ichika waved the white flag. 
“Fine, whatever! She’s my girlfriend!” 
Burai and Katana leaned close, grinning to each other. 
“Did you remember to record that?” 
“You know I did,” they whispered to each other, outside of Ichika’s hearing. 
“Anyway, Burai, that was good stuff! Here’s a thou’ for the two of us!” Ichika rose as if to flee, Burai and Katana laughing merrily at his discomfiture. 
“Thanks! See ya later, Number One!” 
“Well, if I’m your girlfriend, we have to walk home arm-in-arm, right?” 
“...Jeez, haven’t I had enough for one day?” 
 
“Wait, you mean you really wanted to?” 
“I sure do! That was a bit of a workout, I deserve to treat myself.” Really, it was more than just a bit of one, but not talking about just how hard she’d struggled was part of Tatenashi’s strength. With a tender grin, she snapped open a fan reading “invincible.” 
“Jeez, you don’t have to pretend like that was no big deal.” Suddenly, Ichika snapped her up in a princess carry. 
Tatenashi’s mouth flapped open and shut like a goldfish’s, “Wh-Wh-Wh-What?!” 
“I heard from Kanzashi about you taking on Squall all alone. You must be exhausted.” 
“I-I’m fine!” 
“I know, I know. Get some rest, Katana.” 
Entranced by the sweet nothings flowing from Ichika’s lips, Tatenashi relaxed into his arms. And exhausted to her very limits, she rested her head on his chest to sleep. 
“Just this once, Ichika.” 
“Yeah, yeah.” 
He realized that she really had been pretending it was fine as he heard her breathing steady. Holding Tatenashi gently to avoid waking her up, Ichika walked back to IS Academy. 
So much happened today... He’d never expected to run into Iris, but the encounter had taught him a lot about the proper use of Ignition Boost. So you can use that rapid-fire... I’ve gotta learn how! Filled with a newfound determination, Ichika passed through the gate of IS Academy. 
“YOU’RE LATE!” Dread weighed upon him at the sudden shouts. 
“What were you doing out this late— Wait, what?!” 
“Ichika, you creep! What did you do to Tatenashi?!” 
“Why, Ichika! What’s the meaning of this?” 
“E-Explain yourself, Ichika!” 
“Mission accepted... Moving to eliminate target.” 
He trembled at the combined assault of Houki, Ling, Cecilia, Charlotte, and Laura. 
“W-Wait! I can explain!” he blurted out. As all five approached, a fan struck them each on the forehead. 
“Ah?!” 
“Eep!” 
“I—” 
“Oh...” 
“Ugh.” 
Tatenashi had awakened sometime during this, and smiled as she opened the fan dangling from her fingertips. 
“There, there. That’s more like it~?” 
A voice spoke from within the fan, [She’s my girlfriend!] 
The writing on the fan read “it’s official.” 
“So, now that we’ve made that clear... See you tomorrow, Ichika.” Hopping out of Ichika’s arms, Tatenashi quickly made her way back to her dorm. 
“I... chi... ka...!” 
All that was left was the bloodshed. Ah, fate! How cruel, how cruel. 
 



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