Infinite Stratos - Volume 9 - Chapter Ep

Epilogue: Like a Lover, Like a Virgin! To Call as if In Love, to Answer as if In Love 
“Phew. Jeez...” Squall lay on the cold floor of a Phantom Task safe house, sparks occasionally flying from the stump of her left arm. She wanted it repaired immediately, but the downside of being a cyborg was how hard it was to recover from injuries. 
“I want to go find a new arm, but... Look at me.” She chuckled bitterly, looking down at her tattered dress. “Looks like using Squall’s name as cover backfired. What do you think, Autumn?” 
Autumn quietly stepped out of the darkness. How long had she been waiting? 
“Tell me what you think.” She pointed her damaged limbs in Autumn’s direction. “You must be disappointed in me.” 
Silently, Autumn strode to Squall’s side, and tenderly stroked her wounds. 
“I already knew.” 
“Oh? I’m impressed.” Squall let out a surprised, girlish giggle, with more than a little bit of self-deprecation mixed in. 
“Don’t push yourself so hard. You may be made of steel, but you can still feel pain.” Squall’s eyes widened. “I’ll make her pay for this. You just get some rest.” Autumn’s words were filled with concern for her lover. Squall wanted nothing more in that moment to be babied, but she pushed Autumn away. 
“...It’s a bit out of our way, but let’s go get parts. We can pick up our new weapons, too.” 
“Yes. Let’s.” Nodding, Autumn sat down next to Squall. 
Squall was silent. 
Autumn was silent. 
“Hey.” The long, long silence was broken by Squall. “Kiss me.” 
“Yeah.” 
The two nestled together in a long, romantic kiss. 

 
“Ufufu.” Tatenashi lay sprawled across her bed, playing the recording for what must have been the hundredth time. 
[She’s my girlfriend!] It was Ichika’s voice. Ichika’s voice, saying everything she’d ever wanted to hear. 
She giggled, and as the recording played again, she looked even more satisfied with herself. Soon enough, she was rolling back and forth on her bed with a blush, going “Ohh, this is too much!” Like a kid thinking about their first crush. 
“Whoops, I played it again.” The cycle repeated over and over, late into the night. “Mm! I just thought of something!” Her mind whirling as if it were racing through the stars, she snapped upright and picked up her phone. 
“Ms. Orimura? It’s me, Sarashiki Tatenashi. I’ve come up with a solution to that problem we have...” 
Tatenashi grinned just imagining the look which would be on Ichika’s face. 

 
“And so... Oh, hey, Ichika.” 
“H-Hey, Ichika.” 
The next Monday morning, Ling and Kanzashi were in class 1-A homeroom. 
“Ms. Yamada. Explain.” 
“Yes. The Principal has decided to move all of the first-years with personal IS into the same class as a result of the events of Field Day.” 
“Now of course, this means class-versus-class tournaments are canceled, but don’t worry. We’ve got some special training lined up for you to compensate.” Chifuyu had expected a room full of gloomy reactions—but the cadets were more worried about how Ling had ended up next to Ichika. 
“Ling, how on Earth were you able to choose your own seat?” 
“Permission to sit next to my bride!” 
“Who taught you to be so clingy?” 
“Teacher! I’d like to change seats!” 
As the uproar spread, Chifuyu let out a deep sigh and began cracking heads. 
“Well, well. Looks like this is going to be our strongest class ever. And the one that causes the most problems.” 
 
“It’s done!” Tabane had transformed the penthouse suite Squall had booked into a laboratory, and wrapped an arm around Madoka as she crowed. Catching Madoka’s reflexive knife thrust between two fingers, she snapped the blade in half. 
“You’re so adorable, Madoka!” 
“Stop it... Anyway, is my IS done?” 
Tabane had begun treating the gloomy Madoka like she was another Chifuyu. 
“Of course it is! Behold! Darkness to blot out the light! I call it...” She swept the curtain covering the IS to the side. “Kurokishi! Your own IS!” 
“So... This is mine?” Its jet-black armor glimmered menacingly. “With this... With this, I can finally surpass my sister!” 
“Hold on, hold on. There’s no point in rushing things. Everything needs to happen in the proper order!” Tabane leaned in close and looked Madoka in the eye. 
“Then, my first target is—” 
“Orimura Ichika, of course!”