A Knight Does Not Die with Empty Hands [F/SN / Infinite Stratos / ???]

[EnderofWorlds]

[X] Dodge it, have a little fun; it's been too long since you've had some fun with her

The book heads straight at you and you lean to the right to avoid it. Your sister brings it up in an upswing and you dodge again, making your sister use a horizontal strike that you lean under and follow up into a backflip that sends you to the front of the room. You look at your sister and give her a smirk, and then she really starts trying to hit you.

Strike, dodge, strike, dodge; it was a jovial dance between siblings, her attacking and you evading. Your sister wasn't smiling, but you can tell by the look in her eye that she was enjoying this, despite you causing a ruckus by doing so. It's been too long since the two of you have seen each other, have been able to actually spend time together. Doing this, playing around in something trivial as this, warmed your heart and brought a smile to your face. You really did miss her.

Your sister started to pick things up a bit, holding the book in a different grip; trying to use feints and thrusts to put you off balance. But you took it in stride, continuing to twist and turn to avoid every strike; throwing in the occasional trick dodge here and there for fun, like pulling off a split to dodge another horizontal strike. All the while the class was watching in awe, shocked by what they were witnessing. Understandable, it's not often one sees warriors of this level of skill in action; even in jest.

Eventually, you decide that you've wasted enough time for everyone and stop dodging; letting your sister get a glancing blow on your head. She frowns, knowing that you threw the match, but simply told you, "Get to your seat, we'll talk later."

You walk back to your desk, everyone's eyes trailing you with awe. Your sister's eye twitches and she yells out to the rest of the class, "And if any of you gets any smart ideas about trying to pull that sort of stunt; you can take it up with me after class. In the IS Stadium."

The class shivered at that, the thought of having to fight your sister was not a pleasant one for them. With that said, class began with your sister taking charge and getting everyone oriented on what's expected of them. You started to tune it all out, knowing most of this stuff by now; years of piloting an IS and hanging around with its founders made sure of that. Eventually, you're snapped out of it when the bell rings and the break between classes begins. It was then you hear you sister calling out for you, "Ichika."

You had a pretty good idea what this was about, so you got up and followed your sister out of the room; seeing Houki tailing behind the two of you. Once she takes you into another room, Chifuyu says, "So...you've met Oji-san..."

You nod, "I have; he's wise, and very nice. It was...relaxing, spending time with him."

"I see..." Your sister looks to the side, away from you eyes; her face filled with uncertainty, "I...I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I just-I wanted you to live a happy life; one not tainted by our past. I didn't want you to have to deal with the burden of that, of knowing about them." From the vehemence of her tone, you knew who she meant by 'them'.

She continues speaking, "I just wanted to keep you safe and happy. I was going to tell you eventually, it just never seemed like the right time..."

You pull your sister into a hug, comforting her about this, "It's ok, I understand. You just wanted to keep me safe, I don't blame you. No harm done, see?"

You sister still seems uncertain, but she gives you a small smile, "Yeah, I guess so..."

She then asked, "How did you find Oji-san anyways?"

"That'd be thanks to me," the two of you turn around to see Houki standing in the doorframe, "I found out about Dr. Isamu when working in Germany, then connected the dots from there. It was a long shot, but it all turned out for the best."

Chifuyu frowns then tells Houki, "I'm not exactly happy that you did that," she then sights, "But there's nothing I can do about it now. Next time just...let me know first, alright? Both of you."

"Will do Chifuyu," Houki says, and you nod in agreement. With that little thing out of the way, the three of you head back to the classroom to continue the day.


You're looking at the whiteboard, an arm holding your head up as you endure the boring lessons. Ugh, you're starting to think you've underestimated just how boring it'd be sitting through these lessons. Houki's given up all pretense of 'evaluating' the school and has been put to sleep by the ungodly dull lesson. You make a note to learn how to sleep with your eyes open; at least then you wouldn't have to suffer through the endless droning.

Evenutally, Yamada-san stops lecturing and brings up the fact that the class has to pick a class representative; something you're not much invested in paying attention in either. That is, until a student calls out, "I nominate Orimura-san!"

What.

"I second the nomination!"

No seriously, what.

"I third it!" "Me too!" "Make that stud the class rep!"

Oh you have got to be kidding. Is this some sort of cosmic joke? You weren't even going to be here the entire school year! You look to Kanzashi for help, only to see her giggling and shrugging as if telling you 'What can I do?'. You hear more giggling and turn to see Houki awake, laughing at the situation you've landed in. You give her a pleading look, one asking her 'Please get me out of this'.

Houki steps forward and stands next to Yamada-san to talk to the class. She composes herself and tells them, "I think that's a wonderful idea; you ladies sure have a good eye for leadership. I can vouch that with Ichika as class rep, you'll all be in good hands..."

Traitor. She's just here to watch you suffer, isn't she? You'll find a way to repay this treachery, somehow...

Just as your sister was going to damn you to this forced obligation; joining Houki in laughing at your luck and where it landed you, a voice called out, "Hold on a second! Are we really letting a man, one who's barely even touched an IS, be our class representative?! We'll be a laughingstock to the other classes!"

You turn to see who said that; a girl your age, Engilsh with blonde curls and the poise of a noblewoman. The arrogance of one too by the looks of it. She continues speaking, "Really, if there is anyone that should be our representative, it should be a IS Representative Candidate like me, Cecilia Alcott. Not some untrained monkey!"

Were you a lesser man you'd take offense to her mockery of your skills. But you weren't, you won't be affected by the jeers of a mere child.

What's more important is that Houki's whispering in Chifuyu's ear; something that is not inspiring confidence in this situation just blowing over. Knowing Houki, this was a part of her plan, and she was wording it to your sister to make it happen. Given her social skills, you have no doubt that Houki won't get what she's aiming for here.

Sure enough, your sister listens to your best friend and addresses the Englishwoman, "If you have an issue with the decision, then we'll settle it the old fashioned way. You and Ichika will fight in the IS stadium a week from now, winner gets the position. Does that sound fair?"

Cecilia snorts, "Humph, he won't last more that ten seconds against me; but if that's what it takes, then I accept."

You consider just saying no, when you get a message on your wrist communicator, 'Trying to get you out ASAP; accept and we can bail after the fight.'

Well...when she puts it like that...

[X] Accept, the faster you're outta here the better
[X] Decline, fighting spoiled brats isn't your style
[X] Negotiate, try to find an alternative (Write-in)

AN: Bleh, couldn't quite get the scene to flow right; then again it kinda works with the 'bored out of your skull' vibe Ichika's having.

 

[EnderofWorlds]

[X] Accept, the faster you're outta here the better

"As do I, a match is the perfect way to settle this; we're here to learn how to fight after all," Alright, maybe not just that; but it's the first thing that comes to mind for most people, all things considered.

"Then it's settled," Your sister says, "You'll both fight each other in the arena a week from now. Make sure you're both ready by then."

Cecilia scoffs, "As if I need to worry about being beaten by a no-name pilot, much less one that's a man."

Oh, so she's one of those is she? Really, it never ceases to amaze you just how some people manage to twist one little change in the world to justify their attitude and to bathe in false superiority. Really, just because only women can currently pilot an IS doesn't mean that all women are intrinsically better than men; for one thing even among women there aren't that many who have a high compatibility with the IS. The other is that for all the wonder and technological genius that is the IS; it's hardly changed the world at large, save for making another weapon for nations to salivate at and making another sport for people to watch. In the end, it's just people grasping at straws to feel better about themselves, to feel superior to the rest of the world at large so that they may hide from their own flaws.

You stay silent though, because unlike her you have no need to justify your strength; years on the battlefield has proven it tenfold. The bell rings and the day ends, everyone getting up and leaving the classroom; gossiping about the oncoming match. Meanwhile, Houki and Kana head over to you and walk with you out of the room.

Houki speaks up first, "You're bunking with me; I pulled strings so that you wouldn't go mad dealing with a bunch of overly curious girls. The other thing I wanted to talk about is the match; my sister's sending over the IS today, and a week should give me and Kana more than enough time to use it to upgrade the Black Knight. You go in, wipe the floor with Miss Prissypants, then we deal with the press for a few day and leave. Sound good?"

You nod, "Yeah, I'm starting to think I underestimated just how bad it would be here; I was bored out of my skull the entire day. We didn't even manage to do any live practice! Ugh, and all the theory work..."

Houki stifles a giggle, "Yeah, I get how that'd put you to sleep; you're more a practical, active kind of guy who leaves the science-y theory stuff to me. Not that I'm saying you're stupid or anything, I know you're smart. You just like fighting and being a hero more than being cramped in a classroom forced to swallow down textbooks."

You just nod in agreement, and change the topic; "So, the new IS; did your sister say anything about it's capabilities?"

Houki shrugged, "Only that it's second to the White Knight, and that's only because she upgraded that with the latest advancements she made while making this one. Considering I make sure that no other IS I make overcomes the Black Knight, it's understandable; it's her masterpiece after all."

You give a low whistle, "Wow, she really went all out then, huh? I guess I didn't expect that considering she didn't have all that long to work on it..."

Houki shook her head, "Nah, she told me she actually had an ongoing design for one for years just for you; she was just going to wait for me to fix the whole 'men can't use it' flaw before making it and giving it to you. She likes you, you made a good impression on her when you...you know."

"Ah," Yeah, no need to dredge up that incident all over again. You eventually end up at the room you were sharing with Houki, and noticed the massive container in front of the door. You turn to Houki and sarcastically ask, "Is this it?"

Houki stands in front of the metallic container, poking it for a bit before a sensor pops out and runs a scan of some sort on her; a wide beam of light going down her body. Then a computerized voice speaks up, "Analyzing...identity confirmed; Houki Shinonono. Access: Denied."

The sensor goes over you, then the voice says, "Analyzing...identity confirmed; Ichikia Orimura. Access: Granted. Releasing Infinite Stratos; designation: Byakushiki."

With that, the outer shell of the package seemingly dissolves into light, revealing your new IS. To be honest, compared to the Black Knight it doesn't look all that impressive; though to be fair, you think Houki put more of an artistic flair to your IS than most other ones had. You reach out to touch it and get a closer look; the moment your finger grazes the suit, it compresses itself in a blinding light. As the light subsides, you see a white bracelet on your arm; the passive form of the IS.

Seeing as how you weren't going to actually pilot it anytime soon; you remove the bracelet from your arm and toss it to Houki. However, the moment she touches it her hand recoils back in pain and she bites back a curse. The bracelet drops to the floor, and Houki motions for Kana to pick it up; the moment she does, the computerized voice from earlier speaks, "Unidentified subject attempting to access Byakushiki; permission required from either owner or administrator."

You took this as your cue, "Permission granted; and what are you?"

"I am a security program installed on Byakushiki to prevent theft and to ensure the unit's safety, as well as to ensure that Houki Shinonono cannot tamper with the unit," Well, Houki did say she was expecting Tabane to pull something like this. Though, judging from the look on her face; it didn't seem to be enough to stop her.

"Kana, take Byakushiki to the nearest workshop and start working on it; we have secrets to discover and refine," Houki tells Kana, then makes a sweeping gesture, "Because by week's end; I will have perfected my masterpiece."

You can help but smile at Houki's enthusiasm; the goal that she's been working on for years, finally coming into fruition in a matter of days. Sure, it wasn't as grand a goal as her other ambitions, but it was a far more personal one; to surpass her sister. And to be fair, you're also anticipating the improvements the Black Knight will get from this; it was already a fearsome weapon now, to imagine it even stronger was outside the grasp of your imagination. To test it in battle; a proper battle, not the dog and pony show a week from now; is something you're looking forward to.


After a week of monotonous tedium, the day has come. You are in the hanger bay, with Houki and Kana standing across from you; between them was the Black Knight. It didn't look much different, save that it lacked the floating shoulder parts and look even more similar to your old armor when you were a knight; only with a more futuristic slant to it. You walk towards it and don your armor, the suit fitting like an old glove.

The moment you enter the IS, it comes to life; several status screens activating on your HUD. You move your arms and flex your hands, getting a feel for the machine. You notice that with each movement, with every slight twitch; the IS become more...in tune with you, feeling less and less like a suit of armor and more like a second skin. No, not even that; it felt like it was your skin, that it was truly and fully a part of you. It reacted to your thoughts, showing you tactics and strategies; telling you the flow of battle and working along your own hardened instincts, refining and processing them to heights you couldn't imagine. You mentally called out for a blade, but before the though could even finish the sword was in your hand; the IS already knowing what you wanted the moment you began to think of it.

It was amazing; to compare the old Black Knight to this would be comparing a wooden training sword to your own magnificent Arondight, the difference between them an insurmountable canyon that could not be crossed. A titaninc mountain that could not be climbed. It was the difference between men...and legends.

It was almost a shame that you would have to sully it against such an unworthy foe; though you could probably call out your sister afterwards for a far more worthy match. Maybe fight Laura once all this is said and done, have Houki make her an IS that is closer to this one's capabilities so that it's a fair match.

Still, best to get this over with. With nary a though, the energy wings activate and light up in a vibrant crimson with ebony detail and you take to the skies. On to find yourself facing against your foe in less than a second; it seems that you have underestimated the raw speed of the Black Knight.

Cecilia couldn't believe it; she was gaping at you for several seconds before managing to regain some semblance of composure. With a trembling voice, she shakily told you, "D-do you r-r-really think that I w-would fall for a t-t-trick like this?! You can't fool me into thinking you're the Black Knight!"

In response, you lazily raise an arm from you side in front of you, fingers splayed. She looks at you, confused by the motion. A voice from the loudspeaker system speaks out, "Five."

"What?"

It was Houki, "He's saying he'll beat you in five seconds; compared to the ten you bragged about. Ready to back up those words of yours?" You actually weren't; you were getting ready for a slash with your claws to start the match, but you know Houki was going to milk it for what it's worth.

The British representative candidate lights up in anger at that; glaring at you, she grits out, "You arrogant baboon! Prepare to eat those words!"

Immediately, twenty-six bits come to life from her shoulders and waists; eight of them digging into the ground below and twelve of them letting loose a salvo of laser fire that fills the sky in blinding blue lights. But even then....

Slow...too slow....

You move and dodge all the lasers while cutting down the blaster bits with your bare hands, all twelve going down in an instant.

One

You dash towards the arrogant Englishwoman, who deploys another twelve bits; these ones linking up one behind the other and activating energy shields to protect their pilot. Each one reinforcing and empowering its peers, the shields getting progressively stronger after the first. But even then...

Frail...too frail...

You activate the Radiant Wave Surger, surrounding the Black Knight in a red corona of destruction and tear thought all twelve shields and bits as if they were soggy rice paper. Cecilia looks on in shock, her eyes showing the growing fear that this was no trick and that she was facing the actual hero instead of an imposter

Two

Two blasts come from behind, but you detect them immediately and dodge with ease. Charging you are two drones; ISes designed to be piloted by an AI rather than a human, something that has yet to be implemented in anything but theory. The two drones charge you, energy rifles blazing and pulling out combat knives to fight you.

You evade their fire without even trying, not even turning to face them as you elbow both drones in the head; triggering newly installed surgers in your elbows to destroy them. As the melt and erupt into useless scrap, you turn around and grab both their rifles before tossing them into the skies again; looking below to see what you had to face next.

Drones, forty of them if you count the two you just destroyed. Enough to overwhelm an IS pilot with sheer numbers alone. But even then...

Few...too few...

You level your palms at them and let loose a surge; destroying all the drones in an instant before they could even level their weapons at you.

Three

You look to the ground, and see eight bits embedded into the earth below; opened and assembling more drones to face you. The moment another second passes forty more drones will come to replace the ones you destroyed. Even now, several drones were about to reach completion. But even then...

Stagnant...too stagnant...

You grab the rifles you tossed into the air; the weapons immediately shifting and changing in your grasp, becoming more...stronger, swifter, greater. Not because you used your Noble Phantasm, but because your IS knew what it held, and knew it could be better. In an instant the rifles in your hand were changed and information about them was fed into your brain; semi-automatic energy rifle, four round bursts.

With a twitch of you hands and the pull of a trigger, a burst of four blasts fly from your rifles and destroy all eight bits and the drones they were working on; ending any hope Cecilia had for reinforcements.

Four

Desperate, and with obvious fear in her eyes, she levels her last four bits at you and lets loose a missile barrage; the missiles locking onto your IS and tracking your every movement. But even then...

Weak...too weak...

The missiles collide and erupt in a massive explosion, Cecilia sighing in relief as she finally got her target. Only for her brief reprieve to be shattered as she was struck from behind, a sword leveled at her neck as the Blue Tears shields plummeted down to nothing.

You blade at her throat, blood red visor meeting eyes filled with despair, you have only one thing to say; "Disappointing. I had expected more from a Representative Candidate. Well...at least your IS was interesting."

Before you can say more, a white blur tackles Cecilia; sending her crashing to the ground while they swing a sword at you. One which you block with causal ease using your forearm and faint Blaze Luminous shielding. The blur turned out to be the White Knight; your sister, who put more and more force into her blow, but still couldn't make you budge an inch or even make your shields flicker. You use your forearm to push her away, sending her flying several feet and giving you some distance.

It seems that before this war of sisters must draw to a close; their chosen knights must dance one last sonata of steel and blade. Very well, you are all too willing to oblige...

[X] Wait for your sister to make the first move, a lady should alway start the dance
[X] Strike first with twin blades soaring, let the spirit of battle sing through you sword
[X] Banter; witty words before a battle makes it all the more sweeter
[X] Write-in

 

[EnderofWorlds]

[X] Wait for your sister to make the first move, a lady should always start the dance.

You square off against your sister, staring her down and allowing her to make the first move. It's been quite a while since you've last fought her and you're interested in how much stronger she's gotten since then. Plus, it's the gentlemanly thing to do; to allow the lady to go first.

Your sister doesn't disappoint; a brief blur and she's immediately in your guard with twin broadswords heading right at your neck. But you block each blade with your forearms and lash out with a vicious side kick, sending her flying to the left. You note with mild surprise that at the moment your kick connected, the Black Knight installed a pressure blaster into its shins; increasing the power of the kick by compressing space around your leg and letting it lose in a focused blast where you kick landed. It was truly impressive just how quickly the Black Knight modified, adapted and enhanced itself to your needs.

And yet, you frown as you see your sister getting her bearing straight, this makes this battle somewhat...lacking. It's clear you have the superior weapon at your disposal; taking out a fair share of skill out of the battle. That simply wasn't fair to Chi-Chi; she deserved a far more equal match.

Immediately, a notice lights up on your HUD and a computerized voice states, "Hachiman System disabled; parameters limited to match enemy IS, 9th Generation Unit: White Knight."

Well, it seems that your IS agreed with you, or understood your desires well enough to grant them. With renewed vigor in the fight you rush at your sister, red corona surrounding your frame. Before you hit her, she dives upwards and levels twin rifles at you; letting loose an endless barrage of lasers at you. It was similar to what Cecilia did, only far more dangerous and with much greater finesse and skill. You weave and dance through the fire, getting closer and closer to your sister; preparing your hands for a surge strike. Before you can attack, she uses Second Shift to dash out of your grasp, but you follow. The chase continues for several more seconds, the two of you disappearing and reappearing all over the stadium; both looking for an opening to exploit.

It's you who manages to find one, anticipating where your sister would land next and maneuvering yourself right in front of her, your fist slamming right into her chest and a surge blast rocketing her into the skies.

You follow after her, only to have to avoid another laser blast; this time from her energy wings. Another hail of fire rains down on you, forcing you to evade the storm once again to strike at your sister. The waves of bullets were actually too many to dodge, so you pulled out your twin broadswords and began deflecting energy bullets while charging at Chifuyu. Who was all to eager to meet you with her own twin blades.

And so began your sonata of steel and sword; to any onlookers watching all they'd see were streaks of blue and red dancing and clashing in the sky, making an interesting lightshow and vibrant yet chaotic patterns. The real battle was a clash of skill; blade meeting blade, sword against sword, two master swordsmen battling against one another. Holding nothing back and utilizing their abilities to the fullest, it was a sight to behold. Neither one of you would let up, your swords blurring as you both picked up the pace. She slashed at your side, you dodged and struck at her arm. She blocked, leading into a counter-stab at your chest; but you anticipated it and batted it aside, leaving her open for a slash at her chest and sword arm.

And so the battle raged, neither one letting up for a second. But in the end, one must fall; and while you were a hero reborn, your sister was still just mortal human. An extraordinary one, far beyond what many are capable of, but still one nonetheless. She began to tire, ever so slightly and nowhere near enough for many to take advantage of; but it was enough for you. You began gaining ground against her, managing glancing blows and damaging her shields; pushing her back and turning the battle in your favor. Seeing this, she dashed backwards and recalled her broadswords; instead calling forth different blades. Ones that are based on a very familiar design; Yukihira.

The energy blade that destroyed energy and nullified IS shielding, it's still an IS weapon that's unmatched. No one has created another close combat weapon that can rival it, much less surpass it. And when it's constantly upgraded along the White Knight, it was doubtful that there ever would be.

But, your sister isn't the only one armed with the unique energy blade; not anymore. You smirk as you put away your own swords and called forth two vibrant red energy blades of your own; your own Yukihira variants, courtesy of Houki and the Byakushiki according to the date your IS is telling you.

Chifuyu twitches ever so slightly at seeing your swords, and the battle begins anew. Unlike before, the fight is much more evasive in nature; due to the nature of your swords a single blow is all that is needed for victory. As such, both of you are attempting to land a finishing blow while dodging the opponent's own finisher, rather than clashing and trying to win though conventional swordfare.

Eventually, after several minutes of clashing and dodging; the two of you are on opposite ends of the stadium, twin Yukihiras at the ready. The message is clear; a final clash to end it, while you have more than enough energy to continue this battle for weeks on end, Chifuyu doesn't. And she probably knows it, hence being in this position in the first place. Well...you were willing to oblige her. A clash of blades is a fitting end to your duel.

You both dash, moving as fast as your ISes allow you to; swing your blades right at each other. With all your might and with all the speed you can muster you swing; both to land a blow, and to defend against one.

In a flash, the two of cross the stadium; blades extended, having stuck at one another like samurai of old. Neither one seemingly hit, both still unharmed by the final clash.

Then, your helmet cracks; a massive fissure right in the middle of it, your HUD blaring warning about your low shields and damage to your helm. As for your sister, her helm shatters and her wings dissipate; sending her crashing into the ground.

You dash towards her, trying to catch her; but she manages to pull out a rifle and blast you right in the head before her battery runs out and she crashes into the ground below. You ignore the attach and fly towards the crash site, seeing her on the ground; her IS useless, a powered down rilfe in hand ready to fire.

You call forth a broadsword and level it at her, letting her know that the battle is lost. At that moment your helm cracked further, splitting in two and falling apart from your head. You sister look at you in shock, apparently surprised that it was you who was the pilot of the Black Knight. Seeing that the battle was indeed over, you recall your blade and offer you hand to let her up; which he hesitantly takes and allows you to pull her to her feet.

You dismiss your IS and she does the same, all to the chorus of clapping and cheers; having apparently gained a crowd for the whole thing. You take it all in stride, waving to everyone and taking in the praise; your sister still dumbstuck by it all. When the audience finally quiets down, you head to the hanger bay giving your sister a wave as you leave the stadium.


When you enter the hanger bay, you're surprised that you aren't swarmed by crowds of fans pushing their way in but are instead greeted by Houki. Not that you're complaining about it, but you thought Houki would let it happen to make you wallow in misery. It was then you noticed her face, stern and emotionless; the expression she usually has when something serious happens.

"We have a situation," She tells you; her voice devoid of all emotion, but knowing her for so long you know that it's grim.

[X] "Tell me"
[X] "Should we get backup?"
[X] "Who are we hitting?"
[X] Write-in

 

[EnderofWorlds]

[X] "Tell me"

"What happened?" You ask, dead serious and ready for war. If Houki was taking things seriously right now of all times, then it had to be bad.

"Phantom Task is recruiting from the Academy, specifically representative and others with custom ISes. Confirmed by both M and the 501st in Germany; it seems that they're hurting and resorting to more desperate and overt tactics to regain the advantage," she sighs and runs a hand through her hair, "It's serious enough that they're sending Laura here to try and root them out and find out which pilots have already been compromised."

"I see," yeah, that was bad; very bad, "So we're going to stay here and root out the enemy as well I presume?"

"We are; I got you reassigned as a part-time instructor as well as an assistant of mine. Well, technically it's for the Black Knight, but that's moot now. Since you'll be spending time with the pilots during class, I want you to observe them; try to find anything strange about them, whatever may serve as evidence of them being aligned with Phantom Task,," Houki then frowns and continues explaining the plan, "Laura will be doing the same as a peer and I'll be looking into everything the academy has on their profiles along with tapping into any contact they have with anyone electronically. Part of the reason we've been doing so well against Phantom Task is due to superior IS technology and frame numbers; we cannot lose that now."

She's right, if Phantom Task managed to even the playing field it'll only lead to worse things for you and all their enemies. You nod and tell her, "Understood; I'll root out any and all operatives I find."

Houki nods, "Good; until we get more information we can't form a more solid plan. This can't possibly be the only thing Phantom Task is looking for here at the academy, there has to be another angle. And we're going to find it."

She then sighs and give you a tired smile, asking, "So, you ready to address your adoring fans?"

You groan and resist the urge to facepalm, "No; not really. Can we not but say we did?"

Houki just give you a grin and says, "Nope, have fun~"

With that, she pushes you out of the hanger bay and back into school grounds; where hordes of women swarmed over you, all squealing and pelting you with endless questions. Things ranging from 'Can I have your autograph' to 'Please fuck me senseless!'; an endless barrage of fangirls all trying to vie for your attention and trying to make you their 'Knight in Shining Armor'. Only several seconds have passed and you're already praying for it to end; their requests and attempts getting more and more desperate. You're pretty sure that one of them is bound to jump you at any second, either to have their way with you or obsessively take things from you to enshrine; ranging from hair to clothes.

All a sudden, a loud bang echoed the entire area; shocking everyone to silence. It was Houki, having gotten an IS warhammer of all things and having slammed it into the wall hard enough to dent it. She looks at the crowd with a neutral face, clears her throat, and politely says, "If you don't mind; Ichika and I have things to do. So if you could just move out of the way, that would be wonderful."

Like Moses did with the Red Sea; Houki parted the horde of fangirls, leaving the both of you a valley to walk though. Not a single one said anything or tried to move into the no man's land; leaving the two of you to privacy and silence. It seemed that Houki had drilled the point into their heads; do not mess with her. Or else.

Several moments after Houki parted the crowds, Kana came to walk besides Houki; informing her of the world's reaction to the new Black Knight and how many of the nations allied with Tabane are now open to negotiations with her. The three of you continued walking in peace, until you were interupted by someone.

"Ah, Dr. Shinonono; I was looking for you," you and Houki turn to whoever was talking, finding a face you haven't seen in over a year: Tatenashi.

Houki flatly tells her, "I don't have time for you Tatenashi; be quick, time is power."

"Isn't it time is money?" Tatenashi asks, taken aback by Houki's tone and the saying she used.

Houki just sighed, "And money is power; I assume that you do know how the transitive property works, right?" She then shakes her head, "Forget it, I don't have time for this; talk with my secretary, she'll handle it."

"But this is for-" Before she can finish, Houki just marched on; ignoring the Sarashiki head and continuing to your room. Tatenashi then turned to her sister; partly shocked, partly stumped, and partly worried. She then starts trying to talk to Kana. Keyword being trying, "Imouto, it's been awhile; hasn't it? How have-"

"My time, while not as valuable as Dr. Shinonono, is still not something I have an abundance of; being her majordomo and handling matters beneath her notice. So do be quick and get to the point." Wow, you knew Kana had sister issues; but she just gave her sister the cold shoulder and treated her as nothing more than a pest. Harsh.

Tatenashi was taken aback by her sister's attitude, "Kana, I-"

"Don't call me Kana, and if this was a social call then I'm leaving; I have far more important matters to attend to." It seems that Kana was taking lessons from Houki in dealing with situations one doesn't like: cut straight to the matter, be quick and merciless, and imitate a soulless automaton. It definitely worked on putting Tatenashi off her game and making her stumble like a child in dealing with her, though a huge part of that may be due to their sibling bond. Or rather; the lack thereof.

"S-sorry, it won't happen again. Listen, I know we haven't been close but if-" Again, she's cut off before she's finished.

"I know that this isn't what you came here for; you have five seconds to get to the point before I take extreme measures. 5...4...3-"

"Alright, alright!" Tatenashi waves her hands frantically, pratically pushing a stack of papers into Kana's hands, "This is what Dr. Shinonono asked for; new terms for an alliance. Considering the position Phantom Task is in, an alliance is more prudent than ever."

"In other words, you're all desperate and hoping to cover your ass for your failures," Kana drolly states, looking over the documents, "And I can tell you now that you've failed, which makes this strike two. Meaning you have one last chance before Dr. Shinonono's done even considering to bother with you and the clan."

"But...but she said we had three chances! And we made far more concessions than last time!" Tatenashi cries out, practically shocked and outraged at her sister's calm and blunt response.

Kana just gives her a look and explains, "Do you think your first fuckup didn't count or something? Even if that isn't the case; I am altering the deal. Pray I do not alter it further.

"As for your concessions; it seems you haven't learned the first time: Dr. Shinonono is on the warpath, nothing but all out war and the extermination of Phantom Task is acceptable to her. Until you offer that, you are nothing in her eyes."

She then walks past Tatenashi and tells her sister, "If that's all then I'll be leaving now; I have business to tend to."

Before her sister can say anything, Kana walks off and simply tunes out her feeble attempts to try to start a new conversation. You can't help but feel a little bad for her really; before leaving yourself you give her your condolences, "Sorry about that; guess Houki rubbed off on her a bit. I'm sure you'll manage to patch things up between yourselves, eventually."

And so you leave, heading to your room to prepare yourself with teaching inexperienced teenagers how to pilot ISes. Joy.


Two weeks have passed and none of you have managed to score any evidences of Phantom Task's infulence in the Academy. It's still early though, so you aren't worried; you'll catch them soon. Classes have been relatively boring; having been saddled with the second year students and teaching them the Intermediate Piloting course. It's dull compared to the training you did with the 501st, but it's better than before. You've also subbed for your sister here and there; she's apparently started to increase her duties as the White Knight and helping out Tabane more.

It's...kinda weird actually, she just started being at the Academy less often ever since the duel you had with each other. She avoids the teacher's lounge, she heads out for meals; it's almost as if she's...avoiding you. You're a little worried, but nothing bad's happened so you focus on the larger problem of Phantom Task. For now at least; you intend to talk with your sister soon.

So it was today, while you were subbing for Chifuyu again; that you found that she was going to have a transfer student join her class. Specifically; Laura. The prospect of an equal joining you in this purgatory is something you are looking forward to, mostly to fight someone who's on your level; or at least close to it. Your sister not having responded to any offers of another duel between the two of you.

There was also a notice of another first year transfering; this one from China, but you didn't really care much about that. Wasn't in any classes you dealt with. No, what was more important was how you were going to greet Laura today. Houki already mentioned she had a surprise in store; one of the robotic ninja variety. So the question became, did you join in the fun?

[X] You shall test Laura's skills; see if she has dulled or sharpened over the past year
[X] You shall battle alongside her; Houki probably had enough robots to make it fun to do so
[X] You stand aside and do nothing; observing and seeing if Laura's grown in skill
[X] Write-in

 

[Biigoh]

[X] You shall battle alongside her; Houki probably had enough robots to make it fun to do so

 

[EnderofWorlds]

[X] You shall test Laura's skills; see if she has dulled or sharpened over the past year
-[X] Write in: Try to confront to Chifuyu. She can't avoid you forever.

You decide that testing Laura's mettle is for the best; both to see if she's gotten better and to deal with the tedium of the academy. And you know just how to do it too.

First, you arrange for Yamada-sensei to be...indisposed for several minutes; not a hard feat all things considered, the woman was naturally somewhat clutzy and a bit of a ditz. You'll make it up to her, somehow. Probably by paying for lunch, or giving her an autograph; though you'd really prefer to not rely on her being a fangirl. Hmm...you think this place is starting to get to you; this sounds more like something Houki or Hikari would do rather than yourself. Then again, nothing wrong with letting loose every once and awhile, is there?

You then utilize For Someone's Glory to disguise yourself as Yamada-sensei and enter the classroom. You knew of Laura's exploits in her past life; being a more tactical and strategic fighter than yourself. Making this disguise a test of her favored aspect in fighting; she should be able to figure out that something's up and connect the dots from there.

You get everything ready for the day and get ready to introduce Laura to the class one it begins. Looking around, you actually notice Laura talking with several other students; likely on the grounds of having to root out Phantom Task sympathizers. The bell rings and everybody heads to their seats, while Laura reports to the front of the room. From there you begin the day as planned, "Alright class; today we have a new transfer student. This is-"

Before you can finish, the window shatter as the 'welcome party' Houki had planned for Laura jumped into the fray. The German super soldier immediately jumped into action, pulling a combat knife from her boot and throwing it right into the head of one of the robots; then rushing right at it to yank the blade out and sever it in half, while also taking it's weapon as her own. Combat knife in her right, ninjato in her left; she dashes under the attack of the next two robot ninjas and severs their arms and legs, then ducks under the other two ninjas trying to kick her. She follows it up by severing their legs and impaling them both in the chest, then takes both of their swords and throws them through the last two robots.

All of this happened in a matter of seconds; putting most hardened veterans to shame in how efficient and quick each kill was. All the while the class was gaping in shock as the new student took down a robot ninja task force, all without breaking a sweat.

Laura just takes it all in stride, returning to the front of the room and introducing herself, "Hello, my name is Laura Bodewig. It's a pleasure to meet you all."

You move behind Laura and point to an open desk, telling her; "Now then, why don't you take a seat right over-"

But before you finish, Laura turns on you; combat knife drawn and heading right at your throat. However, you were just a prepared; a knife of your own in hand and blocking her's before it could land on your neck. Her eyes narrow and she says, "I've talked with some of the students here; you are not acting as Yamada-sensei normally acts. Reveal yourself!"

You smirk and let out a chuckle, "As expected of a soldier and warrior of your cailbur; Lieutenant." Leaping back, you grab at the hem of 'your dress' and pull it away; letting your Noble Phantasm fade and revealing your true identity, "Now then, show me your skills!"

Seeing that it was you, Laura relaxed slightly and the two of you engaged in a spar; just as you did back in Germany. You find to your glee that Laura did in fact improve since then; having perfected using her smaller frame to her advantage as well as having regained the strength of a Heroic Spirit. Meanwhile, you used a blend of the menagerie of styles you've learned; fending off Laura and trying to land blows of your own. However, she always positioned herself to ensure that it was impossible to do so without leaving yourself vulnerable, utilizing the mind that had eared the right to claim the skill 'Eye of the Mind'.

To the onlooking crowd, it looked like an intricate yet deadly dance; a perfect bout against two foes of equal calibur, their movements so skilled and graceful that the fight had no choice but to look beautiful, regardless of the grim reality of what combat truly was. Eventually, it ends with you and Laura holding your knives at lethal points; you over her and at her throat, while she had her's positioned to impale your kidneys. You then smile, moving your knife away and offering her a hand as you get up. One that she takes gracefully.

You say to her, "You've gotten better, lieutenant."

She smiles back and says, "As have you; and it's captain now."

"Congratulations," you tell her, glad about her promotion, "Now; just take a seat and we can begin class."

You then whisper to her, "We'll talk about the real reason you're here later." To which she just nods in understanding. Leaving you to begin the lesson proper, handling things until Yamada-sensei arrived and finished off the rest of the lesson.


You also tried to get in touch with your sister; the fact that she seemed to be avoiding you was...worrying. She might not have been around all the time when you were a kid, sure, but when she could be there she usually was. When given the chance to spend time with you without her obligations getting in the way, she usually took it. So now you asked yourself; what changed? Why was she avoiding you now?

You tried calling her, but she didn't pick up. Same went for Tabane; though she was probably busy with whatever new experiment caught her interest. You tried following whatever leads you could; talking to those who last saw here, but all it did was lead you to a wild goose chase. In the end, you found yourself in front of the senior students in the advanced practical classes. The last person you talked to said that Chi-Chi was helping out the instructor for those classes from time to time, given her now lighter workload. However, your sister was nowhere to be found.

What you did notice, was Tatenashi and the other senior students sparring with one another; with the elder Sarashiki easily mopping the floor with them. She was taking on the entire class all on her own, and winning with ease by the looks of it. And unlike the first year students; these students actually had a fair bit of skill, at least close to what the 501st had before your training. You had heard that Tatenashi was good, but not this good; she was easily on the same level of elite pilots like your sister. Though she wasn't the best of that top echelon, nor was she capable of rivaling you or Laura.

The class ended and the girls went to the locker rooms and changed back to their school uniforms. Watching them leave to their other classes, you also noticed how popluar and connected Tatenashi was to the other students; understandable given she was the student council president. You considered that maybe you should talk with her, try to see if she could help identify those who had fallen under the sway of Phantom Task

However, it seems the decision was made for you; as the elder Sarashiki walked up to you, eyes filled with concern as she asked, "Can I talk to you for a minute, sensei? Please?"

[X] Let her speak, you planned on it anyways
[X] Refuse, Houki and Kana have already said their piece to her
[X] Tell her you wanted to get Houki and Kana here first, then talk
[X] Write-in

 

[Biigoh]

[X] Let her speak, you planned on it anyways

 

[Scope]

[X] Let her speak, you planned on it anyways

 

[EnderofWorlds]

[X] Let her speak, you planned on it anyways

You nod at let her speak; it was the least you can do considering Houki's and Kana's actions when it came to her. Tatenashi rubbed you wrong way back when you first met her, but that was over a year ago; right now wasn't the time to let petty thoughts and emotions take charge. You'll at least give her the chance to talk and say something, rather than shut her down like the others had.

Glad to be able to actually talk, Tatenashi give you a tired smile and hands you a folder filled with papers, "This is a dossier on every student who I have suspicions about being aligned with Phantom Task; most of them delinquents and those who don't fit in, the sort of easy targets for a terrorist organization to recruit. It's still just preliminary examinations and observations, the student council will have something more useful once more time passes."

That was helpful; it'll certainly help with yours and Houki's own efforts on rooting out Phantom Task agents here. You take the folder and smile, telling her, "Thanks; this will help us out a lot with taking care of Phantom Task. Was there anything else you needed?"

Tatenashi hesitates, closing her eyes and sighing; holding her face in her hands. Drained of the energy and life she had earlier around the other students, she tiredly says, "Yes...but-Look, please hear me out. Please."

You don't say anything, but allow her to continue. She lifts her head and grips her hair before saying, "I know that we...didn't make a good first impression, and that Dr. Shinonono is not impressed with us, but we simply can't accept that resorting to drastic measures immediately is the right answer. I know she wants a war; that she wants blood and the carcasses of anyone Phantom Task aligned under her feet, but..."

Another tired sigh, "You're a fighter; hell, you're the fighter: the modern day knight. You've taken your fair share of lives fighting Phantom Task; seen how easily and readily they dispose of the lives of their men as if they are nothing but distractions and tools for a simple task. If Dr. Shinonono wants a war, Phantom Task will be all too happy to oblige; and it'll be World War III being dropped on the doorstep of every nation out there. Only this time, the nuke's faster and far more dangerous."

She's talking about the IS. So that's why the Sarashiki clan's so hesitant to engage in overt action; they simply want to avoid escalation to a global war. Something Houki's actions are making harder and harder to avoid. You know Houki; how stubborn she can be and how focused she can get on a single goal, the moment Tatenashi's organization refused to help her attain the goal she was working towards, she ignored them and considered them worthless. You admit to not thinking much better of them, but mostly because of the fact that they didn't know of the atrocities their enemy was committing, the real ones.

Undeterred, Tatenaishi continues talking, "That first meeting; it was a wake-up call for us. We went over all our contacts, dug deeper and deeper into Phantom Task; learned as much as we could about them, and how we could use it against them. We've infiltrated deeper than we've ever done before, possibly even managing to reach the inner circle! I know that with the brilliance of one of the Shinonono sisters on our side; we can manage to put Phantom Task down for good, without engaging in all out war."

You understand her, and her organization's, reasons; war was something you were all too familiar with, and it was something that had hounded your liege until her dying breath. To want to avoid it was understandable, but sometimes...it was necessary. To unify Britain, there was no choice but for your liege; King Arthur, to go to war and unify the land. The same may very well apply here; that to eliminate the cancer that was Phantom Task, you would have to ignite the fires of war to burn it out.

You question the elder Sarashiki, wanting to know her resolve, "And if you can't avoid it? If there is no other option but to let slip the dogs of war? What will you do then, Tatenashi?" Your eyes narrow, "Will you fight, or will you hide; trying to avoid the grim truth in front of you?"

She looks at you indignantly, but doesn't let her emotions explode out of her. Her eyes narrow and she scowls at you, "Make no mistake Orimura; if there is no other option we will march to the battlefield ourselves, but so long as there is an alternative we will strive to make it a reality. The lives lost in warfare would make any victory bittersweet; for it is the fires of war that Phantom Task wants to set loose upon the world."

You give her a smile, the smile of a knight having fought through years of war, "I understand; but...why come to me? Do you expect me to convince Houki to change her mind? I can tell you right now that's easier said than done..."

"I hope you can speak to the good doctor, yes. But that's not the only thing you can do," she strides forward and gestures around at the Academy, "Look around you; the women flock to meet your handsome gaze. You are the Black Knight; a man who countries have constantly tried to claim the allegiance of, a man who's an icon to the modern world. A man who is the image of the modern day hero, the image of what good the IS can bring to the world.

"Even as we speak nations are trying to contact you, trying to get your approval and allegiance though whatever means possible; only to be stonewalled by Dr. Shinonono. With a single speech, you can set the course of the world; determine the fate of the IS and what it means to be a pilot!" Tatenashi grabs you by the shoulders, now frantic and filled with excitement, "Your words can move nations; maybe not as much as the Shinonono sisters, but still more than any other person in the world! You can make the difference, you can carve the path my clan has been looking for; the path to deal with Phantom Task once and for all, without engaging in the war they want!"

"How?" You ask her; you are but a knight, you fought and inspired through action, not words. The fact that your words held power...power to rival a king; it baffled you, it went against what you knew and what you thought you were capable of. Moreover, what she was asking of you was also outside your usual abilities; you were a warrior, a man who led charges in the war she so desperately wants to avoid. You were no politician who held a sliver tongue to entice the masses.

"Talk to them," she tells you, "Talk to them about Phantom Task and what they are; what they really are. So many know of Phantom Task, but not of the true evil that they are. To listen to the hero of the world publicly call them out and reveal the truth; it robs them of the influence they currently have. It makes people want to take action, it makes the nations of the world wake up and unite to take them down; with covert actions and surgical strikes. You can make the world take action, but not through war."

You...you needed to think on this; you knew you had affected the world with your actions, but not like this. You were always content to be the knight fighting off evil in the world, not some icon trying to rally the people. Was your influence really that profound? You haven't payed recent attention to the news, focused on dealing with Phantom Task in the Academy; and the students are just teenage fangirls. Hardly a measurement of your worldwide influence.

"I...need to think on this, it's a lot to take in..." You tell Tatenashi, to which she simply nods and hands you a card; one with her number. The message was clear, if you choose to act along her and her clan, you only needed to call her. With that, she bows and walks away; giving you a small wave goodbye, leaving you alone to your thoughts.

You walk down the hallways of the academy, your thoughts constantly coming back to what Tatenashi asked of you; to become someone to...guide and rally the world behind a cause. It was something foreign to you, yet similar; it was was Altria did when forming the Round Table and gathering the greatest knights of the realm. Therein lied the problem; it was the purpose of a king, and you were but a knight. To take up the mantle of leadership and guidance of the people felt...wrong.

Still...was it wrong of you to not act upon your new influence? It was a different world from back then, and you are no longer a knight bound to a king; though you were a knight sworn to Houki. Your friend, your closest friend; one you have grown up with for as far back as you can remember. You trusted her, accepted her for all she was; good and bad, and were willing to go to hell and back for her. But...would it be wrong to speak up? To bring up why Tatenashi and her clan were so against Houki's goals? To talk with her and get her to look at a different perspective? You knew of the horrors of war; horrors that have only grown worse as the ages have passed, was Tatenashi right when it came to Houki ignoring those horrors?

You shook your head; you may bring up what Tatenashi said, but in the end you would follow Houki to the end, no matter the choice. You may bring up problems you see and make sure she doesn't become consumed in her goals, but you would trust in her judgement afterwards.

Before you could think further on the matter though, you hear a voice call out, "Hey, Ichika; wait up! I've been looking for your sorry ass for hours!"

[X] See who it is
[X] Ignore it
[X] You know the drill...
[X] Write-in

 

[EnderofWorlds]

[X] See who it is

You turn to she who was calling you, only to be tackled in the chest but a small blur of a person. It is only due to your martial prowess that you can adjust your stance and catch them, twirling around with the momentum and staying upright. It was then that you remembered; only one person actually greeted you like this...

"I was looking everywhere for you, you prick! Why didn't you tell me you were the Black Knight?! I'm your friend, aren't I?"

You look down; the person who collided into you was a girl, short with twintails and little fangs poking out from her scowl, capable of passing herself off as a middle schooler or even a grade schooler if she wanted to. It was none other than Lingyin Huang; Rin, the other childhood friend you had, who moved to China around a year ago. You had considered actually trying to catch up with her sooner, but other things got in the way.

Now though, you kinda wish you had. You gently pry her off and explain to her, "Because I wanted to keep you safe; you know how secret identities work. It's not like there aren't enough comics and manga that have that sort of situation happen, and considering what I am as the Black Knight..."

Rin sighs, her shoulders sagging as she looks up and says, "Yeah, yeah I get it; it still sucks though," she then punched you in the arm, exclaiming, "But next time tell me, ok? I don't like being left out of the loop."

Your arm didn't hurt, but you rub it anyways just to make Rin better. You smile and tell her, "Got it."

You then decide to change the topic, "So...wanna catch up? And meet the most famous woman in the world?"

Rin become dead silent and as still as a statue; it takes her several seconds to actually comprehend what you just told her. Shakily, she asks, "Do...do you mean-are you seriously saying you're going to bring me face to face with Houki Shinonono? The Houki Shinonono? The Lady of the East, The Oriental Empress? The woman who's revolutionizing the IS and what it means for mankind as we speak?!"

You're caught a little flat-footed by Rin's gushing, but still reply, "Um...yes?"

Rin's reaction was...surprising, "Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! Oh god, oh god; what do I say, what do I say?! Is my hair alright? No, wait; forget the hair! My IS; when was the last time I had a checkup on the Shenlong?! She designed it personally; what'll she say if it's not up to her standards! What are her standards, oh god. Oh no, oh no..."

Wow, once again you are caught by surprise at the sheer fame Houki, and by association you, had with the world. Still, you had to snap Rin out of it, "Rin."

She doesn't pay attention, still fretting about meeting Houki in person. Again you try, "Rin."

Again, failure. Well; third time's the charm, "RIN!"

She jolts back a bit, snapping back to reality. You sigh, then tell her, "Look; don't worry about it, as long as you're not annoying or stupid you'll be fine. Now, let's go."

And so the two of you begin heading back to your room so that you can introduce Rin to the rest of the gang. On the way there you ask Rin, "So...how was China? Things been good for you?"

Rin gives you a toothy grin and says, "Yeah, totally; being an IS pilot's awesome. The Shenlong's made for one thing; smashing, and I can definitely get behind that, ya know?"

You snicker, remembering the times Rin would rope you into getting you to play fighting games with her. Her strategy was simple; mashing endless combos with the characters that hit hit like a brick house and not letting up for a second. An IS suited for full on brawling and causing mass mayhem and damage would fit Rin's personality and MO to a tee. Boundless excitement and energy leading to endless destruction and mayhem; how fitting.

Then Rin pauses for a second, searching through her pockets, "Wait a minute; I got something for you. Lesse...where did I put it...aha! There it is!"

From her pockets she pulled out a manhua, several actually. She explains, "I know you're not a hardcore otaku or anything, but you always did like manga; especially your typical shounen hero ones. Though I never got why; they kinda got stale after a while, at least they did to me."

You take the manhua and stuff them in a pocked, "Thanks Rin; you didn't have to, but it means a lot to me that you did."

"As for why I like the stories..." you sigh, "I guess it's because I like heroes; always had a connection to them, could always relate to heroes. And a lot of those characters embody what a hero is at their very core, what I try to be whenever I go out as the Black Knight."

All true; it wasn't until you regained all your memories that you understood why you could relate and connect with them, but you could always find common ground with the fantasy heroes depicted in media like this. And you know why; "A hero...is more than just his power, more than his armor and weapons. A hero, at his very core; is an ideal, is a code, an icon for the masses to look up to and admire in awe. A symbol for them to rally behind and aspire to become. A hero will not compromise, because compromise means failure; it means breaking that code, the ideal he stands for. And that is something he cannot allow."

"If you were to force a hero to choose the between the path of assured survival of the majority and improbably salvation of everyone; he will pick the latter and do everything in his power to make it a reality. And succeed, because that's what heroes do; what they're meant to do. What they're born to do and exist for. If fate itself says it is impossible, a hero will overturn fate itself to defy those odds and make his ideal a reality. That is what it means to be a hero."

"And it is that which makes mankind admire and idolize heroes; what makes a man aspire to do what's right and become a hero in his own way. And even if he can't do the impossible, in doing what's right and just he is a hero. But he is not a hero, if you catch my drift. The impossible ideal, the force that defies all reason for the sake of all that is good and right in the world; that is what real world heroes aspire towards. Because when they reach it, they become true heroes. Heroes in the most pure and conceptual meaning of the word, and it is a glorious and beautiful thing to imagine. For it is that which makes man dream; dream for a better tomorrow, for that everdistant utopia that we all want, deep down inside."

You stop, your speech finished; you let your words sink in during the silence. You didn't intend to be so...wordy, but in all honesty you read those stories because they resonate so well with what you imagine your former kingdom was meant to be, was supposed to be. In life you had done the impossible, been renown as the Perfect Knight and stood as the aforementioned icon; but you fell. Now, in a new age and a new era; you wanted to become that ideal once more, to be the paragon the world needed. For that kingdom that fell, for your liege who was slain. Avalon was too beautiful a dream to let die, so even if the original forebears of it are gone; you will fight tooth and nail to make the dream a reality.

The world...humanity deserved nothing less.

You hear sniffling and turn to see a crowd of all things around you; so caught up in your speech that you didn't notice others listening in. A majority of the girls were all openly crying and sniffling, one of them calling out, "That...that was beautiful, Orimura-sensei. From now on; I'm going to follow that dream too! I'm going to be a hero just like you are, and make the world better!"

"Yeah!" "Me too!" "I'll fight for what's right too!" "I wanna make the world a better place as well!"

The various cries of the girls all reach the same consensus; they found your aspirations beautiful and wanted to make them a reality as well. They were inspired to be heroes, to fight for what was right and just in the world. To reach for the impossible ideal, the everdistant utopia; and make it a reality.

That...that was touching; it reached at you deep inside. To know that Altria's dream, her ideal, was still desired by man; was still pure enough to inspire and rally behind. It made you happy, knowing that one day; the ideal you fought so hard for will become a reality, because man was willing to fight for it. No matter how impossible it was.

"Ichika..." Rin looks at you, not openly crying like the crowd but tearing up, "That...that was beautiful; it came right from the bottom of your heart, didn't it? And...it's what made you do what you do now. That's...inspiring; I think...I think that I may have to give those stories another shot. Or better yet; join you in making them real."

You smile, ruffling Rin's hair with your hand. She hated it, but it was a thing you did. You tell her, "I'd be honored if you did; I think that it's a dream that's too beautiful to leave as only a dream."

You then shake your head and point at your room, "But, I think it's about time we meet up with Houki; don't you think?"

Rin doesn't say anything, only nodding and following you inside.

Inside, you find...

[X] Houki analyzing some data
[X] Kanzashi on the phone
[X] ...Tabane? The hell?!
[X] Laura tearing the punching bag a new one
[X] Write-in

AN: Argh; still feels bleh. Just had trouble giving Rin the right feel without trampling over what I had for Houki's characterization so far. Trying for a more childish and hyper feel; comments on improving on it would be great.

 

[EnderofWorlds]

[X] ...Tabane? The hell?!

The moment you opened the door, you saw someone you didn't expect; Tabane. Indeed, the elder Shinonono was sitting next to her little sister on the couch; the tow of them poured over laptops and multiple holographic screens, examining various data results and other scientific information. It takes you a second to snap out of your stupor, helped out by Rin's immediate reaction: "Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"

To which Tabane reacted in a rather typical, yet still horrifically wrong, way for her; by pulling out an fully automatic shotgun and unloading a clip at the source of the noise. You immediately react, diving down and pulling Rin with you as the door was outright obliterated by ninety-six shotgun shells in a matter of seconds. You look up and see the drum magazine drop, empty of bullets; Tabane not even looking at where she was shooting until just now. She then looks down and sees you, "Oh, hey Ik-kun."

"Nee-chan; did you really have to blow the door down? Now I have to pay the academy for damages. God dammit..." She then looks down, "Sorry about that Ichika and...who is this, exactly?"

She then starts to freak out over Rin and what Tabane just did, "Oh no; are you ok? You didn't get hit, did you?" She runs a hand through her hair in exasperation, "Shit...I am so sorry about that; my sister gets...trigger happy when interrupted in the middle of research and such, not to mention not being much of a 'people' person. I really need to talk to her about that one of these days..."

All the while, Rin was just looking at Houki with awe and doing her best to not hyperventilate and faint on the spot. Houki just looks confused and asks again, "You ok there?"

Rin, still completely out of it, blurts the first word she can, "Hair."

You stifle your laughter as Houki just flat out says, "What."

"Ah-er-um; you hair: how do you get it in that...twin-tail ponytail?" Rin looks completely mortified as she blurts this out, completely flustered in front of Houki. Ha, let's see how she likes the fangirls. The endless hordes demanding attention and swarming you with empty, hollow praises fueled only by fantasy and idolism. Really, it's times like that which make you yearn for the good ol' days; though said moments are few and far between.

Houki, however, takes Rin's stumbling in stride, "Oh, it's all in the knot really; you gotta tie it up so that it makes your hair flow in two separate tails. Close enough so that they aren't outright twin-tails, but not too close that they just become a single ponytail. And...hang on a second; you're...Rin, right? The China Rep. candidate, correct?"

"You know my name..." Rin whispers in awe; before outright gushing at your closest friend, "Ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmygod; eeeeeeeeeeeee! You are my hero; no-the hero of women everywhere! You're the smartest woman in the world; the revolutionary in IS technology and the leading lady in humanity's advancement! The Lady of the East, The Oriental Queen; The Most Powerful and Influential Woman in the World, and you're only our age! You're so charismatic, and pretty, and noble; both IS Weekly and Famous Femme Fatals have you ranked as the #1 Representative of the 'perfect woman'! You are what all of us wish we were..."

Houki outright preens and basks in the praise, and you remember one very vital fact that changes your dreams of retribution; Houki loves her superiority and genius being vindicated. What drives you mad would probably just stoke her ego; which she'd just take in stride. She brushes off unseen dirt from her hand and blows on it, telling Rin, "Oh; it's no big deal, when you're a genius you gotta do what's best for everyone, you know? Be the shining example for people to look up to. I'm just glad that I'm inspiring women; no, people, everywhere to reach for greatness."

"Speaking of greatness..." She then turns to you, and with an open palm tells you, "I need the Black Knight; nee-chan and I wanna examine how the merger of our two branches of technology is progressing. The observation data from the fight alone gave us suspicions, but we wanna double check to make sure."

You slowly remove the ring and hand it to Houki, asking her, "Is there something wrong with the Black Knight?"

Houki hooks up the dormant IS to both her and her sister's computers; new streams of data and information flowing out onto all the screens. Both sisters's eyes frantically move back and forth over the data, before Tabane speaks up, "You were right, imouto; the system is evolving. By incorporating your software and my hardware, the core's finally capable of taking initiative and an active role in IS functions and capabilities. It's already rigged my arc-reactor and your baryonic decay furnace into a perpetual feedback loop. It's figured out perpetual energy, and it's still looking for methods of improvement."

"That's because the major limiting factor for it's development is still power; the quantum AI the cores run requires a consistent, steady amount of power to prevent decoherence. Until now; the AI couldn't advance or evolve, otherwise it'd outstrip the power output of the IS and decoherence would occur. Even now; looking at the numbers, the energy output of the new reactor furnace is still limiting to it's progression to an extent," Houki replies back, while looking over more data, "However, it's still advancing the weaponry, armor, and tactical capabilities of the IS itself as it's growing; it's even found out a way to 'partially' deploy without actually releasing the armor itself: just enhancing the pilot's parameters twenty-fold."

"It's...it's become a Seed AI; capable of improving itself without any other output. At this rate of advancement and improvement, it'll outstrip any improvements we can give it in..." Houki types frantically, running numbers through various calculations, "...Seven years. We become obsolete in seven years."

"My god; we've created a monster," Tabane mutters, eyes wide at the revelation, "The Core AI was always capable of self-improvement, that's what Second Shift is for; but this? This is too much for the original system, the power constraints of a quantum AI would normally make this impossible; but we cracked it. Our two divergent tech trees have managed to make the impossible: an honest to god Seed AI implanted into a WMD. Nations will kill for this, it'll be genocide in a matter of seconds..."

Holy crap; this is serious. The Black Knight and it's improvements were already known worldwide, nations were already waiting on Houki to begin production of tenth generation frames. But...but if this is true; then the moment she does the world will devolve into chaos: such raw powers in the wrong hands will lead to devastation. Human greed and lust for power will drive some to take whatever they desire by force with this new breed of IS; World War III was an understatement. Already you were having flashbacks to war-torn Britain; to the kingdom you had failed. It seems that history is on the precipice of repeating itself; only with a far grander stage and with far greater stakes.

You cannot fail. Not again. But how can you stop this?

"...Um, can't you just lie? I mean; it's not like anybody can know you're wrong, can they?" It was Rin who said this, hesitantly speaking up while the sisters were shocked at the revelation of their unified work.

Tabane responds first, glaring at Rin and dismissing her, "Shut it. The important people are talking."

Houki, however, raises a hand to stop her sister and scolds her, "Play nice; nee-chan. And she has a point; nobody can crack the cores. The moment someone does without our permission; security protocols take place and render the system inoperable. It's why Phantom Task is having such a hard time getting ISes; only the really old models are capable of being stolen and abused."

Tabane just scoffs and looks away from Rin, but softens up when Houki clasps her shoulder. She then looks at her younger sister, smiles, and heads back to the computer to obverve the Black Knight more. Houki then turns to Rin and apologizes, "I'm sorry about that; like I said, nee-chan's not a 'people' person. But she didn't call you a 'worm' or 'bit-player', that means progress!"

You then speak up, "So; I guess you're pretty busy here, huh? No Kana to help you?"

Houki shakes her head, "No, she's working on creating a secure code to fix the gender flaw; that's something she's capable of. The real important stuff is examining the Black Knight; and Phantom Task."

"Speaking of Phantom Task," you hand Houki the documents Tatenashi gave you, "Dossiers made by the Student Council President, outlining the most probable traitors and agents of Phantom Task on the premises; at least within the student body. No outright confirmations, but plenty of solid leads."

Houki takes the documents and leafs through them, "Huh; guess she's not useless after all. Well, not completely useless; she's still not willing to really cooperate here."

Remembering what Tatenashi told you, you speak up, "She doesn't want any unnecessary loss of life; she's trying for the cleanest solution possible. That's what she's told me, at least. Trying to covertly cut off the head of the snake, so to speak."

Houki scoffs; disdain obvious on her face, "Foolish, it's like they're intentionally blind to what Phantom Task is; if they think it'll be that clean or easy they have another idea coming. Katana needs to take off the rose tinted glasses and see reality for what it really is; PT won't be going down without a fight, and a gruesome one at that."

"But enough talking shop," she sets aside the documents and looks at Rin, "I'm sure you're not here to be bored by all this; what do you guys wanna do?"

Rin incoherently babbles; fangirling at the thought of doing something with the 'Great Houki Shinonono', while you think on it.

"Well..."

[X] How about grabbing a bite to eat?
- [X] Bring Tabane; we can all catch up
[X] A couple rounds in the arena sound good?
- [X] Try to grab your sister; you can confront her this way
[X] Wander aimlessly until something catches your fancy?
- [X] Grab Kana, maybe she has an idea?
[X] Write-in

 

[EnderofWorlds]

[X] How about grabbing a bite to eat?
- [X] Bring Tabane; we can all catch up


Roll for Chi-Chi: 3

"How about we go out for lunch? It's getting close to lunchtime and we can use the time to just relax and talk," you suggest to Houki, "Plus, we can drag Tabane and Chi-Chi along with us; make this a group thing. Sound good?"

Houki nods, "Sure, sounds good to me," she then turns to her sister, calling her away from the computer screens, "Nee-chan! Get Chi-Chi on the phone; we're going for lunch, c'mon!"

"Kay," Tabane shuts off the monitors and catches up with the rest of you as you leave the room, "I'm here, lemme just call up-wait. Chi-Chi?"

Houki smirks, "Yup, turns out that was her nickname as a toddler. I think we're calling her that out of habit these days after spending time with old Grampa Orimura. Feel free to use it if you want, she loves it when close family and friends use it."

That was a lie, a complete and total lie; and Tabane totally bought it judging by the gleam in her eyes. Either that or she didn't care regardless, "That's...perfect! I mean, Chi-chan was always cute but lacked a certain charm to it, but Chi-Chi... That has everything I wanted~. Hooray for new nicknames!" With that,she pulled out her phone and began texting your sister, pestering her to reply in her own, special Tabane way. You're not sure if you want to know what that actually entails...

Meanwhile; you, Houki, and Rin led the way to the dining area of the Academy, with Tabane trailing slightly behind. The dining hall was a rather exquisite dining area for a school, though given the nature of the school itself it was somewhat of a given; countries are sending the best pilots and ISes they can, showing off the power and ability of both and using them as a way to measure against other rival nations. As the IS gained more and more traction in world affairs, more and more money was siphoned into the academy to improve it in all possible aspects. Indeed, what had begun as a sort of 'penance' by the homeland of the IS's creator funded solely by them, had now become a multinational project funded by all first world countries and most second world ones.

What that meant for students and staff was that the academy was one of the finest in the world, so long as you only cared about IS and nothing else for your future. Sure, there were still general education courses, but by the time one graduated from the academy they were practically handcrafted to fit into the IS field no matter what they try. The world of IS development was constantly growing due to your closest friend and her sister's actions; it's only now that the sheer possibility of said development slowing down was being considered, and even then only just.

When you enter the dining hall and began looking for a table, Rin spoke up and asked, "So...I'm just wonderin'....but, was I supposed to hear that stuff about Phantom Task? Cause, I mean everybody knows they're bad news these days, but I didn't think they were actually recruiting from here..."

Houki shrugs, "Eh, there was going to be a whole assembly thing on the issue in a day or so; so just consider yourself ahead of the curve. And while we're on stuff you need to know, tell anyone about tenth generation IS development and you'll find that the Shenlong won't be quite the machine it used to be, or worse; it'll suffer a critical failure. At peak altitude to reach terminal velocity, if you catch my drift."

Rin gulps and you smack Houki, reprimanding her, "Behave; no threatening friends."

Houki just pouts and says, "Oh you're no fun; I was kidding. Except for the keep it secret part. And the ruining Shenlong part. But the accidental death thing was a complete joke, alright?"

You just shake your head, "Next time don't take cues from you sister's sense of humor. Anyways, this table looks good; how about we eat here?"

Houki and Rin nod, while Tabane just frowns at her phone. She makes several dissatisfied faces before just sighing and telling you, "Chi-Chi won't be coming; she's handling some work for me. Work I told her she didn't need to work on."

That sounds like you sister, devoted to getting the job done. You just shake your head and chuckle, "Sounds just like nee-san. It's ok Tabane, we can catch up with her later; she does live on campus after all."

Tabane just sighs and rubs her forehead in exasperation, "Honestly, Chi-Chi's been rather...clingy recently. It's like I can't turn around without her trying to help me do this or that, or taking care of something for me. It was nice for a bit but now it feels, confining. I think I need some 'alone time', you know? Or rather, I want my alone time back. Hopefully she gets the message."

"What message?" Both you and Houki ask her, curious as to what Tabane actually told your sister.

Tabane just shrugs, "Oh, just that I don't need her for anything for the next several months and to just do what she's been doing here. Put extra emphasis on the 'not needing help' bit to really hammer it in, why?"

"Oh, no reason..." Houki tells her sister. You think you head a slight wavering in her voice, but you dismiss it as something else; there's no reason for her to be nervous or anything, so why would she act like it?

"Anyways..." Houki claps her hands, moving onto a different topic as everyone opens the menu screen to order their food, "So, Ichikia; when did you meet Rin and get to be friends with her?"

Huh? You already told Houki about Rin, why is she asking again? "Houki, I already told you about Rin; we met in school after you had to move away, remember?"

Houki takes a couple of seconds to mull over what you said, then she snapped her fingers, "Oh! That Rin; ok, that makes sense then."

She then takes a good look at Rin, then looks at you with a slightly upset look, "Ichika why didn't you tell me that Rin was your kohai. Honestly, it's no wonder I didn't catch on immediately; I was looking from someone our age."

Oh dear. Oooooh boy; Houki just had to hit the one thing Rin never took well, her petite and youthful appearance. Due to her small frame and rather underdeveloped figure, Rin easily passed for someone several years her junior, much to her dismay. Indeed, the moment the word 'kohai' left Houki's mouth, her eyes became listless and dead and her smile turned to a fake one to hide her inner pain. The fact that it came from a role model of hers only made it worse.

Houki then turned to Rin and continues the conversation, "Speaking of kohais, I didn't know that IS Academy was expanding it's age bracket; though I do tend to skim reports on the academy at times. Still, know that if anything goes wrong Houki-Sempai and Ichika-Sempai will be there to help!"

Houki no; stop Houki, you're only digging Rin deeper into the hole of shame you've opened up. You're about to pitch in, but Rin cuts you off. In a subdued, broken voice she tells Houki, "...I'm not a kohai, I am your age..."

Houki stops for a second, slightly twitching and jolting akin to a record scratching. She then begins apologizing profusely to Rin, "Oh no; I am so sorry for saying that! I mean, you look so- er, I mean that you're very-um... No wait! I mean-"

"You're short, flat chested, have no hips and a childish face; there's no way in hell you're passing for a teenager looking like that. Hell, depending on genetics; you'll never be passing as anything other than a preteen, middle school girl." Congratulations, Tabane; you've managed to throw away what meager work your sister has put in to make you less anti-social down the drain. You've shattered the self-dignity and image of a teenage girl in a single sentence, truly were they right to say that 'soulless machine' doesn't do you justice.

'Nee-san!" Houki exclaims, slapping the back of her sister's head to reprimand her; then apologizing to Rin, "I'm terribly sorry about nee-san's rudeness; I'm positive that she's wrong about that second part, and you do pull of 'cute and petite' wonderfully. I'm sure that she's wrong and exaggerating, and that I was wrong and completely off the mark with my earlier comments; too much work, you know? Makes you all scatterbrained and a total ditz when gone from it, am I right?"

Houki's quick thinking seems to have worked, just barely keeping Rin from crying. You do your part, pulling Rin into a half-hug and telling her, "It it makes a difference, I think you look very cute; and not in a 'younger than you look' kind of way. Don't let what Tabane said get to you, alright?"

Rin brightens up at that, smiling at you and managing to brush off the worst of it. Now that she was better, she actually remembered something and pulled out two bento from her bag, telling you, "Ichika; I made lunch just for you! Remember our promise?"

You smile and nod, digging into the lunch Rin made you with fervor; you were hungrier than you though, and Rin's cooking has definitely improved. Of course, you still maintained etiquette and courtesy as you ate; though such mannerisms weren't as common in the old days, they have imprinted themselves into the ideals of chivalry you uphold. Though, to be honest, you think certain knights within the Round Table would've benefitted from such expectations; a certain knight of the Sun for starters...

You stop eating for a second, a piece of pork still on your chopsticks as you're about to answer Rin. However, Houki beats you to it, "You mean the one where if you got better at cooking, he'd eat your sweet and sour pork every day? Like a reverse miso soup proposal?"

Rin sharply turns to Houki and demands an explanation, "How do you know that?!"

Houki shrugs, "Ichika told me; you called him and sent him an e-mail when you had to go to China and he was rooming with me in Germany. Honestly, I'd have be surprised if he didn't tell me; we've been together for so long I don't think we keep any secrets between us?" She turns to you and asks, "Do we?"

"None that I can think of," you reply back, "And if we do, it's for good reason and the other understands and leaves it be. But we've been best friends since we were five, so that's just natural."

While you're talking, Houki smirks and quickly chomps down on your chopsticks; eating the pork you still held on them. You pull the chopsticks back, but the succulent pork was already lost; Houki just swallowing it and giving you a coy grin. You jokingly glare at her and scold her, "Hey! I was eating that, you know!"

"No you weren't; you were talking, not eating," Houki replies back, "That made it free game, so I ate it. Besides, you have plenty." She gestures to the rest of the lunch Rin made you.

She's right, Rin practically packed in as much food as she could in the largest bento she could find; it'd probably feed regular people. You have a feeling that Rin made it under the assumption that, as active as you were, you needed that much food for your metabolism. You didn't, because both your body and soul defied regular expectation, but it's the thought that counts.

As you reach for another piece, you notice Houki leaning forward on the table; giving you a knowing look. You narrow your eyes, "Don't you already have a lunch coming? And chopsticks of your own?"

"But that'll take several more minutes, and I don't wanna get the pork sauce on it," Houki complains; then she give you puppy eyes, pouts, and asks again, "Please?"

You sigh, folding like a deck of cards; you were only really giving token resistance to the whole thing. You grab another piece of pork and hold it out towards Houki, who noms it down. Then you ate a piece, then you fed another piece to Houki; this pattern of back and forth continued until both her and her sister's lunch came in. Now that food was there for everyone else, you all began to dig in.

While eating, you...

[X] Asked Rin how her family was
[X] Roped Tabane into the conversation by asking about any new science
[X] Had a student come up and ask you something
[X] Write-in

AN: Swear to god action will be coming soon, social stuff for now is wrapping up in an update or so. Also, will be self-enforcing a update schedule on myself; cause I tend to get bad at that sorta thing.

 

[EnderofWorlds]

[X] Asked Rin how her family was

"So Rin," you ask, wanting to continue the small talk and conversation, "How are things with your parents? Have they got a new restaurant set up back in China?"

Rin actually wilts at the question and looks away, before sullenly answering, "They separated; it was why I had to move away. Mom went to do her own thing and Dad started up the restaurant all over again, so when I'm with him it's a bit more familiar; but it's still not the same. There's just something....missing, you know? I just wish that it would be...more like how they used to be; when things were better. When everyone was happier."

You...don't know what to say; the fact that Rin's parents divorced was bad enough, but the fact that it affected Rin this much only made things worse. You offer a comforting hug, which Rin hesitantly accepts. You don't trust yourself to be able to say anything, at least not anything helpful or more useful than empty platitudes. You're no expert in dealing with one's feelings for their own parents, neither in this life or the past. The fact that you could do nothing stings you deeply, because you truly want to make things better; but simply couldn't.

Houki spoke up, "I...I can't remember the last time I visited mom and dad. I've been so busy and wrapped up in changing the world that I...I forgot about them. I made sure they were safe, that they were happy; but after that? I just kept going and never looked back. I can't even remember what they look like. I just left them in the dust; put other things ahead of them. But...why was it so easy?"

"Because they're worthless and don't matter," Tabane bluntly states, "A rich man sees no value in a five yen coin, a master artisan finds no worth from a beginner's faulty sketch, and a scientific genius finds a lesser scientist's faulty and incorrect theory worthless. If they have no place in your life, then why bother caring in the first place? Just pay what dues you owe them and continue on with your life full steam ahead. It's not like you're losing anything after all."

Once again, Tabane shows how alien and warped her mindset is; being able to cast aside her parents with nary a thought. Rin looks at the older scientist in shock while the younger sister simply gives her elder a dry, exasperated look. She sighs and tells Tabane, "What I do with you? Seriously, it's time like this that make me worry about you..."

Tabane hugs Houki in response and exclaims, "Never worry imouto~ You don't have to worry about comparing yourself to those pathetic, ignorant masses beneath our notice! You're always number one in my heart!"

Houki accepts the hug, but sighs and quickly breaks it off while muttering, "That's not my point and you know it. I-you know what? Nevermind; we'll cross that bridge another day."

"Anyways, new topic!" Houki exclaims, wanting to move past the depressing earlier topic. She turns to Rin and asks, "How has the Shenlong been treating you? Any of it's functions speak out to you? If memory serves it was Prof. Chang leading the Chinese branch I had in charge of working on it, ensuring it meet the standards you country wanted from the IS."

"Wait, you mean you didn't design it?" You ask Houki, confused by what she just said, "But I though you designed all ISes except mass-produced."

"I can't do everything Ichika; mostly I work the concept designs and overall functions, maybe an innovation here and there to make the nation happy as well as some artistic flair. But the rest? I leave that to the think-tanks those countries give me to do this kind of work. Then I look over what they've finalized, edit and refine it, then have them create the IS using the perfected blueprints. Though I think the Shenlong I had originally designed and created, then left the evolution and updating to current generations to others?" Houki explains, revealing more on how the wonderful world of IS development and creation works. It was rather enlightening and certainly explained how Houki could get so many advanced designs out the front door to match Tabane's ungodly, schizophrenic pace.

"Well, I really do like the Ryuuhou; huge laser beams are always awesome," Rin tells Houki, "Oh and those Ryuugas are pretty kickass too! Those scientist and examiners had me punch through a meter thick wall of this clear stuff to see how strong they were; they cut through it like rice paper! They said it was...um, graphine I think?"

"Graphene," Houki corrects her, "The Ryuugas punched through a meter thick wall of graphene; that's actually pretty impressive. I was lowballing their strength in my estimates, glad to know I was wrong. It also sounds like the baryon cannons are also working perfectly, so I guess the plasma throwers on the Ryuugas are also working well?"

"Is that what they were? I though it was some sort of super fire or something," Rin exclaims, "The description they gave me for them didn't really explain that much and used too much poetic language; calling it 'The divine flames of the heavenly dragon' or something like that, so I got confused."

Houki chuckles, "That sounds like Chang alright, man always had a taste for melodrama. Anyways, it sounds like everything's working perfectly; the last thing I wanna ask about is the propulsion system and the Souten Gagetsu. It's a variant on the energy wings and the yukihira, respectively; knowing more would help out a lot."

Rin scratches the back of her head, "Well, the thrusters are really good at making me go fast; but I can hardly turn for shit, it's really best suited for straightforward charges and forces me to break if I wanna make and sharp turns. The Souten Gagetsu's output is excellent and breaks though just about the hardest IS shields, but requires perfect timing to get the burst effect to work right on the moment of impact; otherwise it won't break though and leaves me wide open."

Houki nods, "Yes; a sacrifice in maneuverability, agility, and sustained power in exchange for superior blitzkrieg abilities: that's what the Chinese government wanted so that they had a counter to the Blue Tears that England was bragging about. It sounds exactly what I expected the IS to be capable of; it's armament is mostly close range combat oriented and crowd control, meant to clear the way for a headlong charge at the primary objective. I'd say that the Shenlong succeeds in all aspects."

"Except that the Blue Tears beats it down," Tabane retorts, "The sheer mass-production capabilities of its ACU would field an army to overwhelm the Shenlong and take advantage of the lack of maneuverability. That combined with the Blue Tears's long range capabilities means it's the obvious victor."

"Except that the Shenlong's Ryuuhou can wipe out the mass-produced drones in seconds, the thrusters allow it to get in combat range immediately, and the Ryuugas make mincemeat of the Blue Tears before they can get in a single shot, much less enough to down the Shenlong. The only way to beat the Shenlong is to be faster and more agile than it, or to be too far away for it to hit you; and the thrusters and baryon cannons mean that the latter is nigh-impossible." Houki replies back.

"The drones can be equipped with shield bits, the rifle's rate of fire and damage output is higher than you think, and the Blue Tears is a tactical command and sniper unit; it has the battle in the bag," Tabane says, listing out rebuttals for every point made, "Fact of the matter is; the Shenlong's quality simply cannot match the quantity of the Blue Tear's output."

"You're severely overestimating the capability of the drones, nee-san," Houki says back, "They're only fourth or fifth generation at best and would be torn to shreds in seconds to the sheer might of the Shenlong's weapons. The baryon cannons would decimate thousands of drones on their own and pave a way for the IS to charge right at its foe. And just because it can't do sharp turns doesn't mean it can't dodge shots, just that the pilot has to use immelmann rolls and other tactics besides moving wildly far away from the shots. In other words, being economical in movement; which any competent pilot should be doing in the first place. Even then, the shields of the Shenlong can hold until it's in CQC range and then it's all over."

Tabane prepares another comeback, but then a ringtone starts playing and she has to answer her phone. Likewise, Houki has to answer her communicator which also begins to ring. The two of them spend several minutes listening to their respective devices, then when they finish look back at you; serious and stern. Tabane speaks up first, "Ichika, come with me; there's business we need to take care of."

Phantom Task; seems like they just pulled something. You get up and look to Houki, but she tells you, "I'll be there in a bit; just have to have some words with Rin here."

You look to Rin, but she simply nods in agreement; understanding you duties. You apologize nonetheless, "Sorry Rin, guess we'll have to catch up another day, huh?"

Rin chuckles and says, "Yeah; see ya Ichika, and kick their asses!"

You just smile and give a lazy wave in recognition as you follow Tabane. Along the way, you notice a familiar face heading your way; Cecilia Alcott, the pilot of the Blue Tears who you mercilessly beat down. After her loss, she's continuously gone to you for help in increasing her skills, and you were willing to oblige her. You were a teacher her after all, so teaching a pilot how to improve was literally your job.

Before she reaches you however, she stops and takes out her phone; having received a text by the looks of it. She then proceeds to the table you just left, sitting down next to Rin. Before you can think about it any further, Tabane explains the situation.

"Due to my sister's inside agent; we have three ways we can immediately hurt Phantom Task." She then lists the three option, "First is hitting another underground base like the one you did with the 501st, only this one's ten times bigger and probably a hundred times nastier. The second's meeting with Agent M and a higher up in the organization she's subverted to our side; using the information they give us to pull some Black Ops and do some damage to their infrastructure. The third is hitting what we believe is where the sleeper agents assigned to the academy meet to estabilsh their plans in the academy and their progress in getting what they want from here?"

"We can only hit one right now, so which is it?"

[X] The base with lord knows what
[X] Covert ops with Agent M
[X] Surprise meeting with sleeper agents

 

[EnderofWorlds]

[X] Covert ops with Agent M

You tell Tabane, "It's about time we finally deal with the head of the snake, so to speak. The 501st can handle the base with Laura leading them; I know that Houki's done some work on their ISes to keep them ahead of the curve. And as for the Academy; Houki, Chi-nee, and the Sarashikis can take care of it. Not to mention whatever you plan on doing."

Tabane nods and takes out her phone, "Alright then; I'll send you the coordinates to meet up with M now. Your IS will map it out for you on the HUD, just follow the the little pointer just like in a video game."

She sends the information and immediately you heave a voice speak, 'Got it. Mapping flight path now.'

Your eyes go wide and you get into a stance, looking for the source of the voice. Your eyes dart back and forth as you try to find whoever was hiding; there were only so many places and so many ways to hide, barring advanced technology you'd find them. Meanwhile, your mind raced as it considered the possibilities. Was it a spy? A sleeper agent intercepting the message? Something else?

Tabane looks at you funny and asks, "Uh...you ok Ichika?"

Surprised, you turn to her and ask, "You didn't hear that? The voice?"

"What...voice? Ichika, we're the only people here," Tabane then looks a little worried, "Are...are you hearing voices in you head? Cause that's a bad thing..."

"No! Well, yes but that's not...I mean its-I'm not crazy!" You retort back; really, you weren't! You knew crazy, and right now you were definitely not it. You know you just heard someone speak. Someone that Tabane didn't hear speak, and you couldn't quite pin which direction the voice was coming from; but you know it's not a delusion! You just need to find whoever it was that you heard.

'Oh dear,' you hear the voice speak again, 'I'm sorry; I didn't mean to cause any trouble, will this help?'

Right as the voice, which you now could identify as female, says that the Black Knight in it's inactive ring form lights up and projects something. The projection is that of a woman, colored red by the light used to create the hologram and looking rather similar to someone, but you couldn't quite put your finger on it. Tabane jumps back a bit in shock and the hologram speaks, 'Hello. I'm sorry about earlier, it took awhile to adapt and process a method to talk face to face.'

Wait, adapt and process? And given that it's coming from the Black Knight... "Are you...the Core AI?"

The hologram nods, 'I am; I hope that we can continue working together as partners as we always have. Only now I can actually pitch in from time to time.'

Tabane immediately rushes over to the hologram, examining it and the inactive Black Knight, "Fascinating; in a matter of moments it immediately created and modified the pilot interface to allow for communication between pilot and AI, as well as a visual interface for public and group communication. The possibilities...at this rate the core can simply abandon the IS soon at this rate and move onto greater things; from overriding and taking complete control over any military in the world to creating and refining a mass power relay to give the world free energy. The sky's the limit, and even then there are even greater heights..."

The hologram frowns and tilts its head in confusion, 'Why would I do any of those things? My function is clear; to serve as the core of the IS and assist the pilot in combat, as well as improving the IS in any way possible. I like fulfilling my purpose, it's...fun. I enjoy doing it; the thrill of combat, finding the weaknesses of the enemy, formulating the proper strategy for victory. I guess you can say I just like doing my job.' The AI shrugs when saying that last bit, hammering it in further that it likes what it does and doesn't plan on changing that any time soon.

From hearing the Black Knight speak, you know that the two of you will get along wonderfully; the thrill of combat, the satisfaction of following your duty, it truly seems that the AI has grown to become similar to yourself. Maybe the fact that you were the pilot and the person closest to it was a factor. Regardless, you were looking forward to working with your new partner in battle.

You nod and give the hologram a bow, "I look forward to working with you and fighting beside you."

The hologram bows back and says, 'And I you. However, for now it is best we continue on with the mission; according to my calculations we should start heading out now to reach the rendezvous point on time.'

With that said, your IS activates and you are clad in the Black Knight, the AI of the machine pointing and guiding the way to where you had to go. With a quick salute to Tabane, you take off to the skies and follow the lead of your new partner. While flying, you ask it, "So..do you have a name? Or should I call you by the name of the IS?"

You hear it, or her you guess you should probably say, speak to you; telling you, 'I haven't actually thought of one yet, I haven't been...alive for all that long I guess. Or is awake the better term? Regardless, I still have to think of one; but I'll let you know when I do."

With that the rest of the flight was quiet until you reached your destination, though you think you heard the muttering of the AI on several things every now and then.


When you reached the rendezvous point, you see Madoka in an IS next to a blond, statuesque woman with striking crimson eyes. The woman was wearing a red dress with a neckline plunging deep enough to show her navel. When you look back at your twin's IS, the Black Knight's AI immediately informs you about it, 'Silent Zephyrs. Ninth Generation IS; derivative of Blue Tears oriented more towards long rang fighting and single combat rather than it's tatical command predecessor. 237 countermeasures have been devised and are ready to be implemented at a moment's notice if need be.'

That's...impressive, you couldn't even think of even a quarter of that many ways to take Madoka down. You begin to descend to the ground, floating downward slowly and keeping an eye out for any sudden moves from the other woman. Looking at the woman, you can see she has a frown on her face and looks rather depressed; as if something was lost or missing from her life, or was taken from it. The moment you land you immediately hear Madoka ask you, "What's grandfather's name?"

A test, to ensure that you're really you. You tell her, "Isamu. Now; what's the mission?"

Madoka sighs in relief and begins to explain, "Alright, here's the deal; I lucked out, and lucked out big time." She motions to the blonde, "This is my immediate superior in Phantom Task; Squall Mesuel. She'll explain our objective here."

The woman, Squall, looks back at Madoka and tells her, "Thank you," she then turns to you and explains, "I want out; no, I want those fuckers to burn. Whatever you or your boss wants, I'll give it to you; squad placements, hidden base locations, identities of the higher-ups, whatever. Anything to make those sons of bitches hurt, and hurt bad."

A member wanting out? That's unexpected; you didn't think Phantom Task would allow for something like that, "So is this a simple escort mission? Take you out of PT hands and make sure you're safe? What makes you want to leave Phantom Task anyways? Intel says they pay well and treat their higher ups fairly well; it's why mercenary groups have steadily merged with them."

Squall barks out a dry, scathing laugh, "Sure; that's what it looks like. But..." She stops, closes her eyes and takes a deep breath; when she opens them again, you can she she's holing back tears.

Regardless, she continues, "Autumn was my partner; we signed up with them at the same time: triple the money for doing what we already do, plus benefits? Sign us up. And for a while, it was good; we climbed up the ranks, got more and more benefits, got the three F's: Fame, Fortune, and Foxy Ladies. Life was good.

"I even hooked up with Autumn; like, actually hooked up with her and not calling for a booty call. Heh, didn't see that coming; she wasn't my first partner in crime, didn't think she'd be the last either, and definitely not the only one I've had a fling with. But we just...clicked, ya know? I was actually considering going steady with her, having more than just a simple fling. Even though of settling down; actually retiring and just spend the rest of our lives in a cushy, high rise hotel all the while living life up to the fullest. It was just...crazy; never though I'd end up buying into the whole 'true love' bullshit, or love in general for that matter. But hey, I wasn't complaining if it was legit; was working out fine for me."

She had to stop to compose herself again, only this time the tears couldn't be held back, "And then...and then they came for her; said she was getting promoted for her 'continued excellence in the field of duty' or some crap, and left with her. She was gone for an entire week, didn't hear a word from her. And then she came back, except they changed her; took-took away everything that made Autumn 'Autumn', that made her human. She...she wasn't the same woman I fell in love with, just some meat puppet being pulled around by those bastards' strings!

"That's why I want them dead; that's why I'm getting you into their little hidey-hole, so you can fuck those bastards up and make them pay for what they did for her! And maybe...maybe your boss could do-do something about Autumn; make her back to normal and fix her. Just something, anything!"

Squall dropped to her knees; exhausted and emotionally spent, she muttered, "I...I just want her back..."

Madoka took over from there, explaining further about what the overall plan was, "So our objectives are simple; Squall and I are going to sneak you in and from there we find the higher ups and take them out. Then, we find Autumn and take her with us; hopefully the good doctor can manage to do something about that?"

"So, you ready to go bust some heads?"

Was there ever any doubt, especially after hearing Squall's story? You shake your head and see Madoka smile, "Good, now then; how do you wanna do this?"

[X] Plan for the mission (write-in)
[X] Let Madoka plan it out
[X] Have Squall make a suggestion
[X] Check in with Houki

 

[EnderofWorlds]

Interlude: Broken

She was at her house; their house, sitting on her bed. The very embodiment of stillness, not a single part of her unfrozen save for the slightest of movements from her breathing. Eyes blank, face void of any emotion; Chifuyu Orimura was lost in thought, and in purpose.

When did everything change? At what point did everything go...not wrong, but different? When did Ichika change; when did he become so strong, and independent, and calm and collected and...and independent?

When did he...he...

When did he outgrow her?

She lifted her head, looking at a picture in her room of a younger Ichika hugging a younger her; back when he wasn't as strong, back when he still needed her. Back when being his older sister actually mattered and meant more than just having several years on him. Back when he needed to be protected, when he needed to learn how to take care of himself, and when he still needed someone to help guide him and be an example to learn from.

Only now he's grown up, and doesn't need her anymore.

Chifuyu reminisced and though back to the first time she held Ichika; gazing into his eyes, she felt...something stir from within, a sense of value and worth, a sense of purpose. She felt something greater than the loathing and misery they invoked, the endless tedium of her life; even greater than the slight comfort and respite she had when she was with Oji-san, the few and far between moments when he would come and spend time with her as if he was family. She didn't know what this feeling was, only that
she liked it and never wanted it to leave.

When grandfather came by once more, she told him about the feeling and asked him what it was. He chuckled and told her, "It's love Izanami; the love you feel for your brother and the happiness being his elder sibling gives you." He then sighs and says to you, "It's a tragedy that such a thing feels so foreign to you. I'm...sorry, my child."

She paid no attention to the last part; simply focusing on what Oji-san told her: love and happiness.

She...liked feeling both; the elation and lightness in her heart, the bright light that broke though the murky grayness of her life. She didn't want the feeling to go away; in fact, she wanted more of it. For the first time in her life, she had a goal of her choice; not one forcibly assigned to her by another.

And so, she strove to reach that goal just as she did with those that were forced upon her; with perfect excellence and flawless grace. First she studied her brother; what about him made her happy, what brought forth that elation and joy in her heart. She quickly learned what it was that brought forth such emotions; spending time with him, being around him, and overall helping to take care of him. Making him happy made her happy, seeing his eyes light up with glee did the same to hers. In other words, she derived joy from being his elder sister, just as Oji-san told her; and the better she was at it, the happier she felt.

Knowing this, studied what it meant to be a sister; how a sister should act, how a brother should act, what a brother needed, and so on. In other words, she researched everything she could to learn how to be the 'perfect sister' to her brother. Once she did, she figured out how to take the two of them away from the gilded cage that was home and forged a new life for them. Because a proper sister wouldn't let their brother live in the kind of home she did, nor would she let him live with the sort of parents they had.

From there, she worked on fulfilling the new goal: to be her brother's 'perfect sister'. The first thing she did was figure out how she felt would be the best way Ichika could grow up, and work on being the kind of sibling to facilitate that growth; taking on the sort of characteristics best suited to serve as both role model and teacher for him. Then, she worked on taking the the proper 'flaws' that would also further his development; because 'perfection' was an illusion, and people expected and felt comfortable seeing flaws in others.

It wasn't something she quite understood, but she derived it from social interaction and studies on it; and it seemed to be right for the most part.

And from there, life was good; she found a friend and confidant in Tabane, who reminded her of Oji-san with her personality and intellect. Albeit with more enthusiasm and vitality, though there were times where that youthfulness was gone and replaced with something else. Something she had seen in Oji-san's eyes, a weight of sorts that felt natural due to his age. And even though Tabane was much younger, it felt just as natural on her as well.

Ichika was steadily growing up into a happy and proper boy; one she was constantly proud of and happy to be with. She could see the admiration and glee in his eyes whenever the two of them spent time together; see how happy and content he was to be around her, to learn from and look up to her, to rely on her because she was his older sister. And from that happiness came her own.

And then reality and the present came crashing down on Chifuyu, pulling her from her memories; Ichika had grown up, the admiration muted in his eyes, the need for her gone. He had surpassed her, grown beyond needing her anymore. The happiness her felt was no longer the same happiness she could draw comfort from; once again she was adrift in the sea of gray and emptiness she was so familiar with, a sea she had though she'd left behind her.

At least it wasn't as bad as...before; Tabane was there for her, and though it wasn't as warm and comforting as her first goal, her new one of being Tabane's loyal and dutiful friend was the next best thing. It wasn't the same, but then again nothing would ever be; but it was close, and that was enough.

...Only, it seemed that Tabane no longer needed her either; or she had made a mistake at some point and failed. Her only friend was starting to try and avoid her, casting her aside just as Ichika did. She...she didn't know what she'd do once Tabane no longer needed her as well. She couldn't go back to before, wouldn't go back to that empty and hollow sham of a life, not when she had experienced the real deal and how ecstatic and jubilant it was.

Her cell phone rang, and she mechanically picked it up and answered, "Hello?"

"Chi-Chi it's me," immediately Chifuyu's eyes lit up as Tabane spoke, "I need you over here at IS Academy for a very important mission; can you come before evening strikes?"

"Yeah, I'll be on my way!" She hung up and began getting ready, glad that Tabane still needed her. Glad that she still had a purpose. Still could find happiness in her life.

 

[EnderofWorlds]

[X] Check in with Houki

You have an idea on what Madoka and Squall's plans probably are, but you'd also like to get another opinion on this operation; as well as figuring out what objectives you have besides the obvious one of 'infiltrate Phantom Task'. With that in mind, you ring up you dear friend to get her input. It takes several minutes, but eventually the comlink connects and Houki answers.

"Hey; not really a good time to call right now, kinda busy with something," she tells you, clipped and to the point; as if she's in a rush. You frown, given what was about to happen today you doubt she was working on some new project, nor would she be meeting up with any representatives from any allied countries. Which means that what she's either in trouble, was blindsided by someone who she can't just blow off, or actually found something that needed her full attention right this moment. You're not sure which of the three was the worst.

Before you can ask her what's happening though, she immediately asks, "So; whatcha need?"

Well, Houki did say she was busy; so might as well cut to the chase, "I'm currently with M and an associate of hers for the infiltration mission; I wanted to check what objectives we had other than 'wreck Phantom Task and ruin their day' as well as possibly brainstorm any ideas on a cover."

"Well obviously we need to find out why Phantom Task is trying to make the world burn, because money's not the answer," Houki replies back, "You should follow your sister's lead and try to -hold on a sec," you hear her pause for a moment before she resumes talking again, "...Or you can use the Black Knight's AI to hack them and mine them for all the info you can; that works too. Also, good to know that the Seed AI's following the predicted growth pattern."

Well, guess you now know what made her pause for a second, "I see the Black Knight's AI introduced herself to you; did she do anything besides introducing herself?"

"Yeah, she relayed me the little rendezvous you had with Madoka and this Squall person," Houki tells you, before continuing on, "Which brings up another thing; try to grab this 'Summer' that Squall mentioned, or anyone who's been 'modified' by Phantom Task. I want to examine them and figure out what they're doing to their own troops, and if it's related to the abominations we found at one of their bases."

You have to actually stop yourself from shuddering when memories of that base come to mind; the atrocities those people went through, it's enough to make even a seasoned knight like yourself horrified and disgusted. Lesser men would've gone mad from the sight of it, their minds forever haunted by what they have seen. Nobody, not even the bastard traitor Mordred, deserved a fate like that. It galled you that there were monsters out there that could commit such heinous acts; which only spurned you on to destroy them once and for all, for the lives lost and the innocent lives that still yet live.

Houki continues talking; pulling your attention away from memories of the past, "Also, you should make a new disguise; one that's not associated with the Lance one given how close that identity is to me and what information they may have on 'him'. Get some advice from Madoka on what her coworkers are like and emulate them or something; you're smart, you can figure it out."

You can tell she has a smirk on her face from that last comment. Which is probably a good thing, it meant that whatever is keeping her busy wasn't anything too serious or dangerous. Houki really only had two modes when dealing with problems: smug, cocky, and self-assured in her own victory and superiority; or dead serious, tackling the problem ruthlessly and mercilessly. It meant that she was in control of the situation, that she's safe.

At least, for now she is; meaning you're still somewhat worried. You ask what you wanted to earlier, "Hey; you ok? Is whatever you're stuck doing important or something or-"

"What?" Houki cuts you off, before laughing and answering, "Oh hell no; it's nothing, just something I'm unfortunately stuck doing: beating the obvious down the throats of idiots along with smashing the truth into their thick skulls. Droll and tedious work, but it's not like brain-dead monkeys can figure out the pecking order all by themselves. So don't worry about it; the only thing I have to worry about is dealing with some dumb bitches who don't realize just where they stand in the wor-"

"You bitch!" You hear someone scream on the other line, but can't quite figure out anything else; the voice too muffled to make out any fine details. You hear more screaming, fainter and in the background, followed by a crash and something breaking. Houki hurriedly tells you, "Sorry, gotta go! Don't worry about me; I got things handled on my end." Then, she hangs up, leaving you to wonder just what she was doing.

You sigh and shake your head; you trust Houki with whatever she's doing, you always do. Not once have you regretted it either, it simply wasn't in your nature to do so; to regret the actions of the lord you pledged yourself to. Not once did you protest the edicts of your king, save for the lack of retribution you felt she deserved for your transgressions; and not once have the actions of your closest, dearest friend; the one who was also your new liege for this new life, made any decisions that crossed the lines of the code of conduct you held yourself to.

You were and are the Perfect Knight, and will remain thus to your dying breath; you will not fall once again.

You shake your head; now wasn't the time for musing and reminiscing, it was the time for preparation and action. You feel somewhat disappointed in yourself for falling to such distractions; knowing that they were in part due to the enemy you were facing, and in part due to a foreboding feeling in your chest. But, to feel fear and be consumed by it was not appropriate for a knight of your stature; regardless of what horrors you may face. Though it may be beyond anything you had ever witnessed in the past, you will not falter now; not when so much was depending on you. Not when you were needed as you are now.

For a disguise you decide upon a mix of Sir Kay and your dear friend and brother-in-arms Sir Gawain; Kay's rakishness and Gawain's charming personality, with some more scrupulous elements added in, would make for a typical mercenary persona perfect for your mission. Cocky, charming, laid-back, and with loose morals; you take on the newly created Gary Penn persona. Curly blond hair with emerald eyes, you look every bit the same as Gawain, save for a arrogant smirk far more reminiscent of Kay's when he was winning at...well, anything really. Kay was always the comedian of all the knights, able to rouse laughter out of anyone; typically at the expense of his own humorous antics. Such a contrasting personality will take a lot of concentration and focus to maintain without messing up any small details, but is necessary for your mission.

With a cocky smirk that straddles between the line of arrogance and sleaziness, you walk up to both Madoka and Squall as they were discussing how to disguise you. Strolling up behind them, you lazily flop forward and hang on their shoulders while lewdly saying, "Hello ladies; how about all three of us find a nice little room and get to...know each other. Personally andintimately; if you know what I mean. Trust me, I know you want to..."

Both women immediately react to a stranger sneaking up on them as expected; by attempting to strike back and pummel said stranger into paste. Attempted being the key word, because you also reacted in kind to defend yourself; breaking out of the attempted grab your little sister tried to pull and reversing it while quick-drawing Masamune and slicing the pistol Squall pulled all the way to the trigger. Then, you fling Madoka right at Squall, forcing them both to topple over in a very compromising position simply for humor's sake. Then, to top it all off; you level your katana at them and give them both the largest shit-eating grin you could. In fact, it was less a grin and more the bastard child of a smirk and grin; something Kay liked to pull whenever he got one over any of the other knights.

"Feisty, are we?" You taunt back coyly, :Well then, I can play rough too; I like to have a little spice in my romance, makes things better in bed. Now then...how about we move on and I can show you my other sword, hmm?"

Madoka, being a smart girl and realizing just who owned the blood-red blade pointed at her face, simply babbled in incredulity, "Bu-whu-how-buwh?! That...but how did-I don't even...are you a magic ninja?"

Still in character, you respond as Kay would; updated with modern language of course, "Baby, I'll be anything you want me to be." You even throw in a deep growl for good measure.

You know that you intended to base your character as 'Kay, but worse'; but so far you've only had to do 'Just Kay'. You're not sure if that's a good thing or not; or what that says about the standards of the Round Table as an honorable and righteous brotherhood of knights.

Squall, on the other hand, simply scowls at you and snidely replies, "Crude, cocky, arrogant, convinced he's god's gift to women, a complete douchbag with absolutely no positives save for fighting skill, brute force, and maybe good looks; all in all a despicable specimen of mankind. In other words; you'll fit right in with all the other neanderthals. Congratulations, you've managed to become poster child of Phantom Task's grunt force in ten seconds flat. You get a gold star."

Well; seems like Squall got over her funk, and that the snark is strong with her. The part about being a 'despicable specimen of mankind' really did stab you right in the heart though; Kay really wasn't that ba-

Well...at least he did enough good to offset the wor-

...Yeah; you got nothing. Kay had his good moments but he was definitely not the shining paragon of justice the rest of you were back in that era. Then again, maybe you all needed someone like Kay; a jokester and laid back man who could get the rest of you to loosen up from time to time. That, or maybe nepotism and nostalgia simply wouldn't let Altria leave her beloved step-brother behind as she walked the Path of a King. Doubtful, given how human such an act would be, and how she abandoned such humanity for the sake of the people. But regardless, he was still a knight and did have a heart of gold under all the tarnish; there was just a lot of tarnish on said heart.

Nevertheless, you've managed to pass inspection with flying colors; given how both Phantom Task traitors ran your disguise through the gamut and couldn't find any way to out your real identity. Thanks to For Someone's Glory; you can now infiltrate Phantom Task as a new recruit looking for fame, fortune, and easy women. The question now becomes: how to get recruited in the first place?

"So," you ask, out of character and fully serious now, "how are we going go get 'Gary Penn' enlisted by Phantom Task? What exactly will be his 'resume' so to speak?"

"Well for starters, you can enlist like all the other grunts," Squall tells you, then frowns, "but that'll mean you'll be stuck as your cover for a considerable amount of time, away from Dr. Shinonono and from all your other duties. It'd also let you get closer to the men; possibly work on sowing dissent in the ranks if you think you can pull it off. Overall, it's the longest plan, but the safest as well."

"The alternative is something M and I worked out together," she then pulls out a hologram of a facility, "This is a research facility owned by the good doctor, generously 'donated' for our cause; you can raid it, get 'useful' information and tech, and get immediately into Phantom Task's good graces. However, you might be under a bit more scrutiny if your story doesn't fit and your persona feels off. But it gets you in and out and able to get the info you need much faster, while also avoiding the majority of the organization."

She finishes off her explanation with a shrug, "That's about it really; Plan A or Plan B, both have different pros and cons, and I'm pretty sure that your boss won't be satisfied with how long you'll need to take to get into their good graces to get the real good info, but that's how it goes..."

You sister then speaks up, "Actually; there is a Plan C: Ask Houki to let us 'borrow' her assistant Kanzashi for the mission, then we-"

"Are you insane?!" Squall yells at Madoka in shock and disbelief, "You're literally planning on handing the right-hand lady of the most powerful woman in the world to her hated enemy! There is no possible way you can pull this off without everything going wrong; and for what? A temporary covert op?"

"No," Madoka calmly replies back, "For the chance to get the best damn IS pilot that ever existed into PT's good graces and inner circle so he can wreck all of their shit seven ways to Sunday. Bringing in such a valuable asset immediately ensures 'Gary's' place within Phantom Task and his ability to get the information we need. It's a huge risk, but an acceptable one given the resources at hand and what's at stake here."

She shrugs, "Worst comes to worst, we can have aniki's IS's AI brute force hack into their systems and extract the information needed while causing a massive clusterfuck. It's just easier to fall back to an alternative plan when he's made such a powerful impression with the higher up. In the end it's his decision; he's the one who has to sign up after all."

Indeed, it was your call; and with the stakes at hand, you knew what you had to do...

[X] Safe, slow, and steady; you'll gradually fit yourself into the ranks, get to know your 'peers', and see what you have to work with along with what you need to find out
[X] Make an impression; raid the base and have some proof to show you can walk the walk like you talk the talk. You'll be a bit estranged from your peers, but it doesn't matter; you're an undercover agent after all: you're not even planning on staying long term whatsoever.
[X] All in; get Kana to agree and use her as a bartering chip to get into the upper echelons of Phantom Task. Obviously it's dangerous, but you're the Perfect Knight; such a challenge hardly rates the definition of the word.
[X] You're a man of action, not planning; however, in this case none of the plans suit you. [Write-in alternative]

 

[EnderofWorlds]

[X] Make an impression; raid the base and have some proof to show you can walk the walk like you talk the talk. You'll be a bit estranged from your peers, but it doesn't matter; you're an undercover agent after all: you're not even planning on staying long term whatsoever.

"The faster we get what we need, the better," you tell them, "But; I won't risk Kana's, or anyone's life, in order to make that happen. Maybe I can impersonate her and-"

"-And get introduced to PT Waterboarding 101?" Madoka retorts, "Yeah, no; the whole gamble falls apart when there's nobody capable of actually breaking out the bait before it's too late. The only reason I though it'd work is because you're a force of nature unto yourself and could probably blitz your way to saving her before anything bad happened. Cause me and Squall? We're good, but not that good."

"I'd normally think you'd be over-blowing and exaggerating it, but given who you're talking about; you're probably right," Squall says, making Madoka pout and cross her arms. Squall ignores this and address you, "So, hitting the cover base it is then? Any idea on how to go about it?"

"Besides just pulling a smash and grab and taking whatever 'valuable' information is in there? Nothing much," you shrug, "I'll probably sneak into the base then make an explosive exit, something big and flashy that would fit with my identity's personality; something that screams that 'Gary' thinks he's hot shit. I don't think there's anything else I can add to that."

"If I may," your ears perk up as the AI of the Black Knight decides to speak, "Taking...whatever you did as inspiration, I've managed to adapt a form of shapeshifting mechanic to my systems; I can now masquerade as the 'stolen experimental IS' that your fake identity decided to steal, one that was built with the gender flaw fixed and more on par with an eighth generation frame. Considering that Phantom Task has been unable to manufacture their own frames at that level indicates that they would prioritize recruiting pilots who own such frames."

You relay this information to you two companions, who just barely manage to stop themselves from openly gaping at you. Madoka starts grumbling and mutters, "Fucking stupid crazy IS that runs on dreams and pixie dust; pulling bullshit from out of it's ass..."

"Well that's...fortunate," Squall says over Madoka's muttering, "We can make that and some scraps of data on the gender problem with IS be what you took from the base, Phantom Task will eat that up. Another high-grade IS and the chance to double troops in the lower generation ISes? It's an instant ticket to their good graces; which is exactly what Dr. Shinonono wants you do so you can get what she wants from them ASAP.

Now then; here's the location of the base we're going to hit. We'll meet up again once you're finished and take you to PT to enlist, go it?" With that, she send your IS the coordinates to the base; an isolated private island around the Philippines, far enough out of the country's notice but not far enough to be completely invisible and forgotten.

You nod in confirmation to Squall, then the two of you turn to Madoka; who's gotten over her little temper tantrum and has gotten serious again. She also nods in agreement and the three of you deploy your ISes and take to the skies. As you do, you take note of the Black Knight's new form; stark white instead of black and more akin to one of the Blue Tears's drones rather than the White Knight's twin. Energy wings were replaced with energy pulse thrusters and the armament was massively re-hauled; armed with a heavy-duty laser canon, a round shield with heavily tempered IS metal and blaze luminous emitters, and two MVS swords with a heat rod whip.

All in all, you looked more like a noble centurion rather than the noble yet menacing knight you usually were. Once finished looking over your IS, you start flying over to the base you were 'raiding' while talking to your AI about it's defenses, "So, what do I need to expect? And how are we going to fake stealing 'you'?"

"I've already downloaded all the data and will incorporate it in a way to assist you via the HUD," she replies back, "And faking the robbery will be easy, the base has manufacturing facilities on site; so I had them begin working on a dummy IS for you to 'steal and ride'. In truth I'll put it inside an expansion slot and disassemble it for extra resources. So now all you have to do is break in, deal with the defenses, and get out explosively.

The defenses themselves aren't too difficult; a sensor array perimeter defense grid linked to mines, turrets, and all other outside defenses is the sole external obstacle. Inside is more turrets, sensors, and sentry droids you'll have to take out on the way to the 'goods'. But given your parameters and skills, it'll be a cakewalk."

"Good," you tell her, flying over the ocean waves with "Then let's get this over with."

"Oh, and one more thing," you pay attention, as the IS leaves you with some parting words.

"Nimue," she says, "That's the name I decided on; Nimue. It was either that or Viviane, so I ran an RNG program to choose for me. I though it was fitting given your history."

You chuckle, both at her reasoning and at the coincidence of her choices, "I'm glad, if you'd went with Viviane I'd have to worry about confusing you with the actual Lady of the Lake. Still, I think the name really does suit you."

Nimue doesn't say anything, but you can tell she's happy about your approval of her name. Out on the horizon you can see a lone dot upon the endless expanse of blue sea, the island you were looking for. You start ramping up speed, wanting to get this over with and head to the real objective; time was of the essence and the faster the better. The island changes from a simple dot to a slightly shimmering compound littered with steel gray sentry towers and turrets. While intimidating looking, it had far larger bark than it did bite.

You dove down and began your infiltration of the fake base, ready to make this look impressive and flashy enough to get in.


You touch down on the island, close to the base premises but not close enough to be detected. You deactivate your IS and begin to head towards the base. As you begin prowling, you notice numbers, statistics, and all sorts of information typically on your IS's HUD right in front of you. Realizing this was Nimue's doing, you shrug it off and use the new tool to your advantage; maneuvering past the hidden obstacles and sensors she laid out for you and reaching a ventilation shaft.

In well over-worn tradition, you open the shaft and work you way into it, crawling through the metal corridor until you find another opening to break through. It was incredibly uncomfortable, and in hindsight being six feet tall should've really dissuaded you from trying this, but it was the first idea to come to mind so you ran with it. You scold yourself and focus again, just because this needed to be done quickly didn't mean it had to be done sloppily.

Well, at least it would be in character for 'Gary' to do, so it wasn't too bad.

When you found the first grate, you kicked it open and dropped down into the open hallway without any care of semblance of caution. Immediately you're greeted by blaring alarms, automated turrets revving up, and hordes of robot guards rushing towards your location. Unlike your previous mistake, this was intentional; 'Gary' was supposed to showboat, so showboat he shall.

Immediately you sprint forward, Nimue lighting up a waypoint to where you needed to go; dodging bullet fire and casually punching and kicking away the defenses you come across. At the end of the hallway you turn a hard left and are faced with four turrets of higher caliber and firing rate, but it doesn't deter you. You blaze on forward, weaving through the storm of bullets and ignoring any that graze you until you reach the first one. When you finally reach that turret you pull a spinning roundhouse kick into it, sending it flying diagonally and destroying the turret in that location as well. Two down, two to go.

Then, you sprint to the other turret right across from the one you just destroyed; avoiding bullets until you grab onto the turret and rip it out from the base. You smash your hand into it and use Knight of Honor to use the tattered remains of the turret to destroy the final one. Then you turn the turret to the wall and pump it full of lead. Due to becoming a Noble Phantasm, not only was the wall destroyed by the salvo, but so was every other wall after it; leading a straight pathway to your destination.

That was why you made the left into that room in the first place, despite the tougher defenses.

You continue, dauntless and undeterred by what few obstacles were in your way; with the path clear it was a cakewalk. All that was left was the few robot drones that were there to impede you, one even leaping right in front of you and leveling a rifle at your face. All of them falling before you, of course; move head to the right and push barrel to the left, hard elbow to the chest to crush the power source, palm thrust to the elbow to shatter the arm and remove the gun, then take the gun and fire it at the rest: three round bursts, enough to destroy the core while conserving as much ammo as possible.

Something in excess of fifty drones armed to the teeth against one man armed with a single machine gun, one of them even leveling said rifle at your face and pulling the trigger; all destroyed and the one firing disarmed in a matter of seconds, and with not a single scratch on you. For an extra kick to the teeth, you walk up to a security camera and hold your arms out and taking a deep bow; as if before a grand, standing ovation. You even blow some kisses to the camera lens for an extra touch of arrogance.

You begin strolling down the opening without a care, a smug smirk on your face as you casually go through the wreckage and reach the center room with the 'IS' you planned on stealing. You sort of lazily and playfully pull up the scraps of files and what few data files you can fit on some spare USBs as you head on to the 'main prize'. Once you reach it, you lift up the arm of the IS and position it so that it's arm is up and open; then you give it a high five and 'activate' it.

In a flash of light, the fake IS is taken into your own and you don the false form of the Black Knight; taking to the skies and performing a flashy and overbearing show of it's capabilities, showing off purely for the sake of showing off as Gary. Then, you level the laser cannon at the base and fire, annhilating the entire base with ease. You then lazily fly back to where you were supposed to meet up with Squall and Madoka. As you fly off into the horizon, you see an update from Nimue on your HUD; she accessed the security system of the base and got footage of everything you did. You smirk, with the footage you can blatantly show off your prowess as 'Gary' as well as solidify his cocky and arrogant character.

Phase 1 of the plan: complete. Now, onto Phase 2; getting into Phantom Task.


You meet up with your two compatriots and had them the footage of your break-in, then follow them to the Phantom Task base; blinded so that you can't know the location before you're recruited. When you finally can see, you find yourself in a fairly well constructed and high-quailty military compound. There were plenty of mercenaries casually relaxing and shooting the shit with each other; playing pool, retelling old war stories, bragging, and overall screwing around.

You see Squall and Madoka ahead of you, as well as a third woman who seemed completely void of any emotion or semblance of humanity. This must be the 'Autumn' that Squall mentioned; you can see what she meant by 'losing her humanity'. Your two allies were talking with the Phantom Task operative, handing her the footage of your break-in and informing her of your desire to join up with Phantom Task.

Eventually, Autumn walks up to you and offer her your hand; hollowly greeting you, "I'm Autumn, an admin of Phantom Task; I will lead you to the commander and he will handle the recruitment process."

You take the hand and give a firm handshake, putting aside your unease and disgust. As you touch her, you hear Nimue speak you, "Master, I've detected multiple modifications to her body, many involving foreign elements not available on Earth; at least according to my calculations."

Well, that explains things; looks like this is the start of the process that lead to the monsters you've slain months earlier. Keeping that in mind, you follow Autumn through the base; outwardly arrogant and full of swagger, but cautions and wary on the inside.

Then, you arrive at the commander's office and walk inside; finding yourself in quite the extravagant office, full of baubles and trinkets solely there for decoration. Sitting at a desk is a rather bland and average man, who's only notable trait was his above average height. He looked up from the paperwork he was doing and gave you a grin, jovially waving you in and greeting you, "Hello, hello! I'm Commander Riker, yes the same as the one in Star Trek; my parents were trekkies and saddled me with the name, though they never expected me to actually be in the military. Or; well, something that's close enough to one."

He motions to a open seat and guides you inside. As you take a seat he begins talking again, "Come on in; I can already tell what a highly skilled and qualified soldier like yourself is doing here. And judging from the...generous donation you've given us," his smile widens and becomes vicious, "I can tell you're eager and chomping on the bit to get in. So, I think I can wave off the nitty-gritty paperwork; just this once."

"Besides," he says, tone shifting back to the casual and humorous tone it was before, "Neither of us wants to deal with that boring stuff, am I right?"

You chuckle and causally plant your feet on his desk, smugly boasting, "Yeah; you don't need some stupid form to tell how amazing I am and how much ass I'll kick for you guys. Just get me in and let me at em! Then we can get to the important things, cash and women."

He belts out a bellowing laugh for several seconds, before managing to calm down and begin talking, "Hahaha, m'boy; you're exactly my kind of man: simple wants, to the point, and willing to do what it takes to get it all. You'll be right at home here," he offers you a hand, "Welcome to Phantom Task."

You take the hand and shake it; you've managed to make a good impression to the leader of this base, now you can move onto-

"Master, he's the same as Autumn."

What.

It takes all of your willpower for you eyes to not bulge in shock as you take that in; the man was the same as Autumn, yet he was completely different from her. He was lively and entertaining, emotive and active; human. Autumn...wasn't. If they were the same, then why was Autumn different from Riker?

You continue to mull over the question, while also paying partial attention to whatever else Commander Riker was saying, shelving it in your mind. Whatever you didn't catch Nimue did for you. When you finally do leave the room; you find yourself with three options.

The first is to go to the training grounds on site for a combat evaluation, so that Phantom Task can have a good idea of your abilities and just how highly they have to rank you, as Riker put it. The second is to meet with the men and find your place with them; a good way to put yourself in a leadership position, again Riker's words. And finally...you can put all of that aside and get to the meat of the matter, finding the information that Phantom Task keeps most hidden. With Nimue and inside an actually vital PT base, you can crack deeper into their systems and get what you need.

The problem is that you wouldn't even know where to start, such a vast organization would have so much information that without a clear idea of what you needed you'd be spending days searching. Besides finding the Inner Circle's location, there was countless more questions that needed answers; the monsters, the full scope of Phantom Task, the method of making those monsters, their actual goals, and so much more.

"Master," Nimue chimes into your ear, "I'm in the surveillance systems, Riker's just left in an isolated area not on the blueprints of the compound; it's also a pratical blind spot of the base, there's only a single camera there at an off angle. I had to tinker with things to get a good view. I can patch you in now if you want as I delve deeper into their systems and databanks."

Well, looks like you now had a start if you wanted to brute force things; now then...

What's the plan?
[X] Combat evaluation, maybe you can get even closer to Riker this way
[X] See the men, find out how loyal they actually are to Phantom Task
[X] A blind spot in such a heavily defended base? Riker's hiding something and it's clear that you want to know what.
[X] Write-in

 

[EnderofWorlds]

[X] A blind spot in such a heavily defended base? Riker's hiding something and it's clear that you want to know what.

Your first thought was that it was a trap, a method of some sort to root out traitors; but even then it didn't make much sense. No sane man or organization would intentionally have a complete blind spot in their base, not one to the extent Nimue was describing. It was practically suicide to do so, a blatant alert to anyone that there was a weak spot ready to be abused to no end. The fact that Nimue had to basically abuse the security system to finagle actual visual contact spoke volumes about this; whatever this room was used for, it needed to be kept so secret that Phantom Task would consider keeping it this blind an acceptable risk.

Your mission was to get information on Phantom Task that nobody knew about, and this was a golden opportunity. You weren't going to let it slip from your grasp. You rush to the closest hiding spot you can find, someplace where you can be alone without anyone noticing what you're doing. Immediately, you come across an empty room; an assembly hall of some sort that was probably used for serious meetings and mission overviews. You quickly get in and lock every door you can find and check for surveillance for Nimue to avert, ensuring that nobody can get in or see what you were doing.

Still, it never hurts to be cautions; and given what you're about to do, being wary is only a given. "Nimue," you ask, "Are we clear?"

"We're clear," she tells you, "there are no operative nearby and I have created a false loop to fool their security systems. I'm ready to patch into the room and project visuals now."

"Do it." And by your order she brings up a holographic projection of the hidden room. It was a pretty desolate and bare-bones room, with nothing in there save Riker looking around nervously and on edge; as if waiting for something yet dreading the arrival of that very same thing. No weapons, no blueprints or plans, no valuable; there was nothing in the room at all to justify it's necessity or worth. And yet, Riker was still completely on edge.

Then, something happened, as if to prove you complete wrong and show you why; part of the space inside of the room tore wide open, for lack of a better term, as if ripped asunder by claws or blades of some sort. A gaping black void filled with multifaceted colors, all baleful and filled with malice, was the result of the spatial rend; and from that rend came forth a demon. No, demon didn't do it justice: it was part horror like you had faced before, part demon, part soulless machine, and part nightmare ripped fresh from mortal mind all in one; as if specifically manufactured by an unknown maker to inspire fear, hopelessness, and despair to all who gazed upon it.

The wretched being stepped forth, the gaping vortex from which it sprang from closing as it did, and it walked towards Riker. Reaching out with a talon, it grasps the Phantom Task commander by the chin and spoke, "Tell me, wretched newt; what is the progress you have made upon preparing this disgusting world for compleation?"

"M-my lord," Riker stuttered out, "I-I am sad to inform you that we are...behind schedule. But-but it's only a minor setback! Given some more time I assure you we can-"

"Silence!" The demon cried out, striking the stuttering fool with it's claw and sending him sprawling to the floor. The beast then lunged at the fallen man, it's horrible, grotesque avian-like visage pressed right into Riker's face, "We grow tired with your excuses; your constant failure to subjugate a world incapable of properly using mana grate upon the Evincar's ears. Know that you are on the precipice of being...recycled if these failures continue."

Riker's face becomes as white as a sheet, and he hollowly responds, "Yes, my lord; there will be no more failures."

"I sincerely doubt that, given your incompetence," the monstrosity scoffs, then snidely continues, "I bore witness to the latest sleeper agents, and how defective they are; that alone will likely assure your termination. What use are agents incapable of performing their function, hmm?" It then opens it's claw and an image of a room filled with shelves of black stones appears, "At least you managed to create the heartstones properly; given your recent failures I wasn't sure to expect that much."

"My apologies, my lord," Riker again utters out in deference, "But the facility we used to create sleeper agents was destroyed and we were unable to create a proper replacement in time; both attempts were unfortunately tampered with due to outside interference. We had to...improvise, leading to such faulty design. Such flaws are easily rectified and will be dealt with shortly."

The demon snorts, then rises up and moves away from Riker. It says to him, "More excuses; regardless, you have your orders, despite your supposed 'setbacks'. Finish the preparations for the invasion, the Evincar intends to begin her conquest of this pitiful excuse of a plane by the zenith of the red sun."

"B-but that's only months away!" Riker protests, managing to overcome his fear of his master, "We cannot accomplish all the preparations in such a short time frame, not while being hounded by-"

"What did I say about excuses?" The demon retorts, cutting of Riker's rebuttal, "If you are so incompetent as to be unable to perform a simple task, then you deserve termination. The Evincar will not tolerate failure, not from what is supposed to be such a simple task. The only reason that you haven't been terminated is because your floundering about amuses the Evincar, and even that is wearing thin. Fulfill your mission; or at least improvise, for such a weak target like this one can...cut corners so to speak. At the very least it'll amuse-"

The abomination doesn't finish it's sentence; for it immediately screeches in agony and spasms in pain, several of it's horrid eyes rupturing and geysers of pitch black blood that glistened like oil pouring from every orifice. Riker too began to fall into a seizure, the same black bile erupting from every opening of his body that it could; his skin peeling off to reveal metal bones and imitation sinew, as if a sick mockery of an actual living creature's skeleton and musculature.

It was there you hear Nimue speak, "...oops..."

"Oops?" You ask incredulously, "What do you mean, 'oops'?"

Nimue comes out in hologram form and starts explaining, "I was digging deeper into the system, gathering all the information I could before I came across some...really strange coding. I tried to decode it, but..." she gives you a shrug, "It was exceedingly complex and I couldn't use any known code as a reference or tool to decode it, so I had to improvise. And it worked...kinda..."

You look back at the footage of the two inhuman beings writhing in pain, though it seems their little episode was starting to subside. You then look back at Nimue, "Really?"

"I-it did work! Really! I-I got lots of information; see!" She brings up page after page of information you have no hope of deciphering, almost overwhelming you.

You hold your hands up and start waving them back and forth and try to get her to stop, "Ok, ok! I can see that; but there has to be some sort of repercussion for this, right?"

"Well..." Before Nimue can say anything further, the footage of the hidden room shows the abomination rising up from the floor. Definitely worse for the wear, however it was still able to get up and seemingly shrug off the damage it took. It then looked about, glaring as it did along with pulling Riker up from the floor. Unlike the monster; he definitely wasn't ok and seemed to be on death's door.

"There is an intruder here, a spy that has infiltrated your base," the demon glares and throws Riker to the floor, "Find it, and eliminate it; and if you don't, then it's to the threshers with you. I will go looking for them as well; no mortal may dare to harm me and live to speak of it. And when I find them, I expect you there to hand their wretched, pitiful being to me; so that not a second of my retribution is wasted. Understood?"

"Y-yes, my lord; your will be done." And with that, Riker scrambled out of the room; the demon skulking after him. Both looking for you to take their pound of flesh in retribution for Nimue's mistake.

"Don't worry master, even as we speak I'm hacking the system to erase all traces of my tampering with their systems and databanks. All I have to do is adjust this and..."

Immediately, the meeting room you're in starts trembling, and all over cylindrical tubes filled with the all too familiar monsters rise up; timers with demonic looking runes popping up and shifting. Likely in a countdown sequence of some sort. You counted something in excess of a hundred of the damn beasts.

"Uh-oh, that wasn't supposed to happen, guess it was the other thing that was supposed to change. And, umm, well-it appears that all the 'compleated' victims that Phantom Task kept in this base are now about to be activated in...five minutes. But don't worry! I have everything under control! This is easy to take care of, I just need to readjust this value and insert that there and that should-"

"Self-Destruct Sequence initiated," you hear a computerized voice ring from some nearby speakers, "This base will be terminated in twenty minutes. All personnel must evacuate immediately! I repeat, Self-Destruct Sequence-"

"Nononono, I didn't mean to do that; that wasn't linked to this part of that-nevermind. I can still fix this. I can fix this! I can DO this, I just need to readjust this bit of code to-"

"Self-Destruct Sequence terminated." You and Nimue start to sigh in relief, only to be cut off by the announcement system, "Mass Relay Self-Destruct Sequence initiated; all Phantom Task bases will begin termination in ten minutes. All personnel must evacuate all Phantom Task bases immediately! I repeat-"

"Damn it, why would that even be a thing?! I-I can still fix this though. I know I can! R-really, I can fix this! I just need to...work out that bit of code-wait what? How does that even-no, I got this. I can fix this! I CAN FIX THIS! I-"

"Nimue, stop." You look at Nimue, her holographic visage frantic and appearing to be in the middle of a nervous breakdown, "Just...leave it alone. We have to go. Now."

Nimue shrinks into herself, both literally and metaphorically, before disappating away. She mutters, barely even a whisper, just as she does so, "I...I could've fixed it; really, I could've. I-I just wanted to help..."

You wanted to comfort her, but that would have to wait; you had two minutes before you were dog-piled by monsters, and ten to meet with Madoka and Squall and get the hell out of this place before it blew to smithereens.

How do you do this?

[X] Find and meet up with Madoka and Squall, you needed to get out. NOW.
[X] Riker and the demon are your two biggest obstacles, take care of them; immediately
[X] The room was liked to those 'sleeper agents', go there and get one of those 'heartstones' for Houki to look at
[X] Write-in

 

[EnderofWorlds]

[X] The room was linked to those 'sleeper agents', go there and get one of those 'heartstones' for Houki to look at

Despite all the data Nimue gathered and the chaos she created, your mission was not yet complete; there was still one last thing, one final piece of information that you could grab for Houki to analyze: this 'heartstone'. The apparent cornerstone of the creation of 'sleeper agents', those imitation humans in false flesh, that Phantom Task used. The same that inevitably become the monsters you've slaughtered before. If you can get one to Houki, she can begin to figure out just how Phantom Task converts humans into monsters; and possibly figure out how to undo it as well, if that's possible. If it was even possible.

Even so, you still had to try; at the very least there could be a weakness to be exploited against them. You don your disguise and give Nimue new orders, "Nimue, give me directions to the room Phantom Task keeps these 'heartstones'; shortest route that'll get us there the fastest, if possible."

Immediately, a waypoint and glowing path appears in your sight, showing you where you needed to go. Nimue doesn't say anything, but you still mutter "Thanks" as you go to complete your mission. As you open the door, you prepare for the worst; knowing all too well what you may have to face.

And you are not surprised, for things went exactly as you expected; pure chaos. Blood and carnage was afoot, as apparently the soldiers of Phantom Task had awoken the monsters in the other areas of the base, and now they had to fight them off. Soldiers were fighting monsters, monsters were devouring anything that moved, and people were firing at anything they saw twitching. Talon met flesh, bullets tore through inhuman muscle, and whatever ISes were active were skybound; firing below at anything they could without remorse. All semblance of friend or foe was erased as each individual focused solely on their own survival, even at the expense of fellow brothers in arms or kin. It was surprising that the abominations were more...feral then before, until you realized that they supposedly 'weren't ready'. Apparently that meant they were programmed or instructed on what they were supposed to destroy, so they went and destroyed everything they could; including each other.

All the better for you; it just made it easier to avoid getting bogged down in the fighting. You use For Someone's Glory's more obvious function to make yourself unnoticeable and work your way through the fray, only taking time to fend off any stray blows when necessary. It only took you a handful of minutes to reach the room, Nimue's work pulling through for you in getting here. Without any hesitation, you kick down the doors and rush inside.

Inside was just as you saw from the footage; a huge expanse filled with massive rows of obsidian stones, each one with pulsing with energy, as if they were alive. You take a cautious step inside, slowly and carefully making your way into the room. Just as you were about to reach the first row of stones, you're stopped by Nimue calling out, "Stop master!"

You stop midstep, and see why she stopped you; a tripwire, barely noticeable even with your keen senses, requiring Nimue to highlight it out on the HUD she made for you. The whole room was littered with them, all arrayed into a patter not unlike a spider's web. It seemed you are not alone in this room.

"Monoelectron wire; a chain of electrons bound together by manipulation of electromagnetic and weak forces to keep them together," Nimue explains, "They can slice through anything and transmit energy and other signals near instantaneously. Dr. Shinonono was experimenting with using something similar to set up a teleportation array to correct the flaws with the current system; a prototype Eighth Generation IS, Arachne, was given out to Greece to gather data and test results. She won't be pleased to know that they covered up it's loss."

Great, time was running short and now you had to deal with this; an enemy with the home field advantage. You ask Nimue, "Gimme details on the Arachne Nimue, parameters, weaknesses, everything."

She immediately does so, "Eighth Generation frame developed for tactical close-quarters and confined combat, spec'd for ground combat first and foremost; though it's still capable of flight like all ISes. Six additional limbs capable of ME wire generation and manipulation that are equipped with MVS blades on each one, a larger ME wire generator and missile pods on an abdomen like attachment, and a short-range teleportation system that utilizes the ME wires to navigate. Suggested tatics: Break open roof and target from the skies, utilize air superiority to take out abdomen generator and shut down tactical advantage. Also beginning adaptation to resist ME wires via reinforcing and tightening molecular bonds of all IS components."

That sounded about right, and more or less what you planned on doing. You being to active your own IS until you hear someone speak, "All unauthorized personnel are to be exterminated upon entering this room. All intruders must be terminated, as per the directives mandated by Phantom Task. Survivors are not permitted, mercy is unacceptable. Beginning termination..."

You know that voice. Immediately you jump and enter your IS as the Monoelectron web starts to unravel and try to ensnare you, several of the wires managing to latch onto it but unable to fully cut through; Nimue's work apparently came through, thankfully. But that voice; it was one you heard earlier, Autumn. Squall wanted you to try and take her with them, but it seemed that would be unlikely.

"The Black Knight; unexpected," Autumn dully notes, as you abandon your disguise in favor of extra firepower, "You are an enemy of Phantom Task, therefor you must be terminated."

More wires come, and this time you let out a radiation surge, which disrupts the wires and give you extra room. Normally, you'd be able to finish this battle quickly; but you still had to grab a heartstone, which limited your options. Not to mention what you promised Squall. You could abandon either objective, or both of them even, but it rankled at you to do so; you were a knight, to abandon what you had set out to do, or to fail at upholding a vow or promise, was against the fiber of your being. Even if they were self imposed and not expected to be fulfilled by anyone save yourself, to toss them aside without hesitation simply felt wrong to you.

Time was running short, and you had no idea on the whereabouts of the demon or Riker; both of whom were hunting you down. That along with the base about to blow and all hell breaking loose, meant you had to make your decision now...

[X] Autumn is beyond saving; put her down and end her misery, inform Squall there was no other way.
[X] You cannot grab a heartstone now, but at least you can ensure that they are all destroyed; thus eliminating whatever hold Phantom Task had on their sleeper agents
[X] No; you had made a promise and had a mission to fulfill, to abandon the former and not succeed to the fullest on the later was wrong. You are the Perfect Knight, and you will not fail.
[X] Write-in (If you have one)

GM Notes: This one was hard to write, still not sure on quality; so if it sucks I'm sorry, and I'll do better with the next one. I at least hope it's not too bad of a disappointment.

 

[EnderofWorlds]

GM Note: Computer really on the fritz; hopefully this is the finished version of the update. If not, I'll get back to it ASAP when I have access to a computer that works.

[X] No; you had made a promise and had a mission to fulfill, to abandon the former and not succeed to the fullest on the later was wrong. You are the Perfect Knight, and you will not fail.

The answer was obvious, there was no other choice; the only real reason you had considered alternatives was simply due to your liege first, to fulfill the mission you were assigned with the excellence and results expected. But if there was even the slightest chance of reaching out to grab that possibility, that of perfect victory that pleases all parties, then you will greedily and relentlessly reach out to grasp it. Anything less is simply unacceptable to you; both as the Prefect Knight and as a Heroic Spirit, to reach for the unimaginable is what you were made for. So you will go and strive towards the impossible with reckless abandon.

You rush at Autumn, trying to blitz her before she can react; but you immediately get blocked by the web she's already laid out throughout the facility, followed by her teleporting behind you and firing a barrage of laser blasts from the Arachne's legs. You dodge with relative ease and pull out twin rifles to pick her off from afar; however, the sleeper agent simply teleports to avoid most of the gunfire. For the rest, she lowered the Arachne's defenses to make the blows you were firing lethal, forcing you to shoot down your own attacks to keep her alive. As for her own attacks, the ones you avoided only destroyed the very stones you were trying to take a sample of while the ones you did take to protect them whittled down the Black Knight's shields.

You weren't in danger of being taken down by the attacks, the most dangerous of them being the monoelectron web and that was already adapted to, but it served to prolong the fight unless you chose to abandon one of your two objectives. Which meant running into the demon out for your blood or being unable to escape the base before it blew. That was unacceptable; you refused to be dragged into a diversion like that, nor would you accept the impossibility of absolute victory outside of your grasp. Even as Nimue constantly brought up, calculated, and discarded multitudes of strategies and tactics by the second; you still refused to accept it.

More importantly, you had plenty of aces up your sleeve and more than enough reason to use them now and stop holding back. Your prana floods the Black Knight as you activate Knight of Honor, raising it above mortal ken and into the realm of myth as a Noble Phantasm. The wires that once cut into your shields and armor now bounce off, the attacks you fired now so precise and potent that Autumn could no longer force a killing blow on herself, and you were now so agile as to weave through the webbed complex as if it were a wide open expanse in the open air. Even Nimue was affected, having not only analyzed the sleeper agent in front of you and perfectly deducing it's composition and unique energy signatures, but also finding another object in the room with the very same signature.

You were in a room filled with 'heartstones' and had found one that was apparently 'keyed' to your opponent. Well, that makes things vastly easier; you parry the latest attack from the Arachne and dive straight towards where Nimue marked 'Autumn's' heartstone, intending to end this fight now. She tries to divert the entire web at you, but you blast it away with a surge. She teleports in front of you and unleashes a salvo of laser fire to put even the Blue Tears to shame, but you ignore it as your shields absorb every shot. A frenzied last resort was launched, flaying wires and bladed legs heading straight at you; only to be systematically cut down by blade. Even when she outright ran straight at your sword, the blade itself shifted into a blunt club and knocked her aside, fading in and out of consciousness.

You look at your HUD to see how much time you had left; three minutes, just enough to get out of here before everything blew sky high. With no time to waste, you dive to grab both the stone and Autumn; making sure neither was damaged and examining the former very carefully. Your HUD lights up as it examines the rock, and Nimue silently brings up a new addition to your IS, one that was intended to deal with the heartstone. You use it, and see energy emanate from both your IS and the heartstone followed by Autumn's vitals plummeting until they looked more like a coma patient's. Even the Arachne dissolved into it's inactive state.

Two minutes. More than enough time to get out of here; you charge up your IS and rocket though the roof of the complex, activing the radiant wave surger at full power and surrounding yourself in a corona of crimson light. The entire storehouse and all of its contents are destroyed, as is a good chunk of the base itself. In the sky, you see several ISes; most notably Silent Zephers and Squall's IS; Golden Dawn. You fly towards them with Autumn in your arms.

"You guys alright?" You asked, checking on them in the aftermath. Madoka gives you a wordless thumbs up, while Squall perks up slightly at seeing who's in your arms; "Autumn..."

Before you could say anything further, you see a black blur out of the corner of your eye and immediately ram into both women; just barely getting them out of the way of a corrosive blast of ebony energy. You had a feeling that it was magic more than anything else, and turning to see what the source was only confirmed it; the demon. Worse for wear, it was apparently in your blast radius when you escaped; still alive but battered like all hell. Not that it actually hindered it much, by all appearances it seemed only to piss it off further.

The Black Knight materializes a protective case on the heartstone; and you throw it to Madoka and Autumn to her girlfriend, yelling to them, "Get out of here! Get those both to Houki immediately, it's the key to Phantom Task's true goals. She needs to study them if we want to end this. I'll hold this thing off."

You don't wait for an answer as you have to dodge another vile blast, which you then retaliate with a blitz; swinging twin broadswords at the monster's neck, only for both of them to stop right at it's skin: unable to cut nor wound it. Ignition shifting away for distance, you unleash a salvo of laser blasts of all kinds; hadron, baryon, surger, anything and everything your IS can produce. It all had the same effect as the swords, none at all.

You knew the reason why, or at least you thought you did. Although the Black Knight was not a noble phantasm, it was still a low ranking one with the simple conceptual property of 'being your noble phantasm'. The abomination before you likely had a conceptual defense to protect it from such things, meaning you had to either dispel the defenses with magic of your own or break through with a higher ranking phantasm. You couldn't do the former, and the latter meant calling out Arondight; meaning the Black Knight loses a considerable amount of power.

If you lost the boost Knight of Honor gave to your IS, you will likely find yourself overwhelmed in an aerial battle; yet without abandoning it you can't actually harm your foe. Masamune was an option, but you weren't certain that it was enough; it was still inferior to your true blade in all aspects. Perhaps...you consider the nature of the monster in front of you and what you've done to it; it might be possible to goad it into a battle on your terms. Limiting yourselves to the ground; even without the IS you'd have much better odds if you put the battlefield onto one you're more comfortable with when wielding Arondight.

Regardless, time's running short; you only had a minute before you had to leave and you needed to act now...

[X] Call forth Arondight, it's a calculated risk even with the loss of power from the Black Knight
[X] No, you can't risk weakening your IS now; use Masamune instead
[X] Taunt the beast, unbalance it and fight it on terms more suited in your favor
[X] There's no time; simply fire a distraction attack at it and leave before it's too late
[X] Write-in

 

[megrisvernin]

Just for clarification Ender, are you continuing the quest on SB? Some QMs are shifting their quests to other sites recently.

 

[EnderofWorlds]

Just for clarification Ender, are you continuing the quest on SB? Some QMs are shifting their quests to other sites recently.

Click to shrink...

If this is about the whole Administration fiasco, then here's my stance and response to it:

I honestly don't care about what happens to who, so long as it doesn't affect me personally; selfish I know, but I'm a selfish dude. However, I do accept that my readers are not like me; therefor I intend to see what happens over this next week after I update tomorrow, see where everyone settles, and then proceed from there.

So yeah, I'll be hosting this quest in three places now.