“[Cecilia! If you lose this match I’m going to mock you for the rest of the day!]” Lingyin screamed from the edge of the field. It was uncalled, and a low move, but her and Cecilia’s friendship aren’t exactly conventional. “[Show him the pride of Cadet Representative!]”
Cecilia opened her eyes and raised her weapon, began to shot him from below with unnerving accuracy.
He’s hard pressed that he had to take extra distance just so he could evade, and that doesn’t mention how fierce the BITs become, like a couple of vengeful hornets who want to kill a much bigger prey.
He just realized: there’s a BIG disparity between her and the Cecilia he knew. Her movements are just as elegant, however the efficiency is far, far higher than what he could salvage in his memories.
It’s as if this blond cadet rep had become a goddess.
He looked at Ichika questioningly, who just giggled in response.
Ichika conveniently forget to tell him that in the course of four months, Cecilia and Lingyin had grown considerably. From what he could tell, Cecilia as he remembered, is very much stagnant.
Of course, she also hasn’t told Cecilia anything about his’ data. She simply played a mediator and nothing else.
It would be good for both of them for sure
“Hmmph, this is exactly how it should go” Lingyin muttered cockily “Though I’ve been surprised myself, if Cecilia’s half as bad as at first I knew her… he’ll win hands down”
“Clever answer, Rin” Ichika raised her thumb, stroke that ego indeed “But either way, he’ll win”
“Well, five minute is all too short” the Chinese girl shuddered “We really need to pull the stick out of her ass”
Cecilia slipped aside, evading his massive fist directly aimed at her face, however this time he didn’t go unprepared as his sword cleaved one of her wing, destroy her ability to recharge some of her BIT’s
She somersaulted and kicked him into distance, and shortly after fired her missile. Normal missile will surely cause unwanted collateral damage, but this one has focused cone charge.
He blasted to the ground, taking several second to regain a battle stance.
Four minutes into the match, the battle had grown even more intense. Ichika had lost ¾ of his shield point, Cecilia lost a quarter, but two of six BITs has been crippled and rendered useless.
“Why I can’t beat him…”
*BYAAASH* *BYAAASH* *PSSHAW* *BYAAASH* *BYAAASH* *BYAAASH* *BYAAASH*
She opted for maximum alpha strike, paying no attention to her energy pool and heat issue. It’s not like she had any more time, and bombarded him with massive amount of concentrated firepower.
The intensity and accuracy meant that even the brute speed of Tennou unable to catch, it’s simply too large for its own good.
But brute speed is not only things it had, the Alpha Strike wasn’t even half effective, especially that Cecilia has only four BITs operational and their charger port, the other two already drop dead form the lack of fuel and energy
He able to accelerate and decelerate faster than ANY I.S. she ever fought, save for Silver Gospel, Ichika’s ByakuShiki, and Akatsubaki.
Zigzagging and rolling though her barrages, now that was the dilemma, his speed meant she can’t concentrate her shot, but spreading it means waste shots.
This adds to the fact that most if not all of her rifle attack, which is her main method of delivering damage, unable to get a square hit.
Ichika looked at the battle amazingly; she clenched her hand in her chest, struggling to keep her heart rate down. The sense of excitement she rarely found form watching his friend fought each other, it’s rare for her to take sides, but for few reasons, she bet on Ichika.
Rin was right, Cecilia always been blindsided by her own opinion, not that Ichika can blame her, knowing the reason behind it… but still, it’ll be a waste.
And she was honest, at least mentally, that she want him to prevail regardless.
It’s going well until he simply brush it aside as if the barrage is nothing more harmful than strong summer wind
*BA-KLANG* *BTOOM-BTOOM*
And that was the last of her missile as he simply knocked them away off the course, the focused charge warhead missed their intended target by mere inches, but the damage reduction is close to 90%.
“REIRYAKU BYAKUYA?!” both the blond and the twintail brunette gasped in response, while the black haired girl just smiled. “That’s reckless”
“I need all the time to use THAT” he spat a little blood, courtesy of shrapnel “Not that I’m not glad, it saved my time at multiple occasion, but being god-forsakenly impractical made me wonder”
Cecilia slumped on her knees, losing virtually any means to beat him. Her beam weaponry is rendered useless, she had exhausted her missile supply, and fighting him in close range is plain stupid.
Then the alarm clock blared.
“Time is up, that jerk won the match” Lingyin shook the losing pilot so she could get her attention “Oi, loser, get up. You look pathetic, there, there, look at me.” Lingyin forced Cecilia to look at her, and she grinned “Okay, loser, you look better. You’ve giving it all, okay, don’t give me that face”
“I-“
Cecilia looked at Ichika, who brightly smiled and offered her armored hand to her in grace, without slightest bits of pity, only encouragement “Never fight a battle you’ll lose, but that’s a good show, Cecilia. ”
“ICHIKA-SAN!”
The blond girl tackled Ichika and gushed tears on her shoulder.
“Oi, as amusing as that don’t cry. You look awful” Lingyin frowned.
“I’m just kidding though” Cecilia licked her lips and winked, made the Chinese Cadet Rep ticked in response.
*Ka-klak* *ka-klak* the distinct sound of linear suspension catch their attention. It was subtle and possibly left unheard to normal people, but their Hypersensor can heighten or suppress the sound around them depending on convenience.
“That was quite close still” he leered aside at his shield reading, 60 point, 10% left “So the chances is far from zero, I’m surprised myself that I even have to resort to a trick like that”
One thing that they share their opinion is the modifications that allowed Reiryaku Byakuya to be used almost freely during first shift. Ichika herself had lost that mod as soon as she reached second shift, as the module has been transformed using Fold-Out Armor technology, into her second equipment, Setsura.
The modification virtually left no room for Ichika in deviation in development; in short, everything up to her second shift is a gamble by Chifuyu, and while Ichika is grateful, she can’t help but disappointed by her decision.
(Then again, not like any other Pilot have rights to protest. Cecilia already confirmed that her request of having projectile weapon will not granted, the reason she will never beat Ichika)
There’s what happened differ, he never question Chifuyu as much as she did. Of course, that’s more or less because according to him, Chifuyu is a lot less lenient.
“Why didn’t you just remove it and then some…?”
“No”
He however, decided not to remove the module anyway. With the loss of Yukihira, it’s the last thing he could have to remember, thinking it as memento.
Ichika looked at him intently, and their gaze met.
Up until now, she still torn between accepting his story or not. She’s good at reading people, and per Chifuyu’s own motto, eyes can lie. Of course, Chifuyu also told her that he could’ve been Tabane’s sleeper agent; nothing is above the crazy professor.
But still…
“Congratulations, and thanks for the effort” Ichika raised her left fist high after dematerialize the mechanical components around her arms, much to his confusion. However, moments later, he grinned and removed his apparel as well, tapped her exposed fist softly with his own.
“I’m not even sure if five minute is enough”
“You have all the time you want, but told you the truth live fire exercise is better than simple test”
“Umm, Mister… I want to ask something” Cecilia float slowly toward them “Why didn’t you just use it from the beginning? What are you motive?”
He was left aghast, but quickly composed himself “To be honest, I DID underestimate you, so I apologize-“
“No-no-no I’m sure that’s not the deal, I’ve the one should apologize, I’m sorry okay” Cecilia hissed in response, how could be a strong man like him act so… wimpy? Oh wait, that’s just him being polite but still-
“That said activation of Reiryaku Byakuya takes time, Chifuyu-nee claimed two and half second, I can do it in five”
“7.775 Second, I had to focus on it, so I have to bear the brunt of the damage while standing still… the joy” he awkwardly explained “As you can see, I’m just managed to do that by being desperate”
“Had you not use that, you’d probably have extra shield too” Lingyin noted “This is a match she could not win, and even I knew five minutes is ridiculous, give it ten and you’ll have no chance, not even RB can save you”
3, 2, 1, and realization hit like a brick, Cecilia wallowed in response “You, YOU JERK”
“You fell for it, therefore your argument is invalid, loser” Ichika and Lingyin deadpanned, synchronously shrugged and avert their gaze and deliver a ridiculing smile.
Cecilia jeered at the boy annoyed, he gave a ‘how lame’ look and told her “In my defense I already apologize, okay”
“You haven’t answered my question” Cecilia sighed “I admit I deserve that hate though”
“Whoa, lady! Slow down there. I admit I’m angry but I can’t bear to hate anyone who admit their mistakes and try to make up for it”
He admit he was quite surprised, normally he just accept all the blame, majority of which are misunderstanding, accident, or totally undeserved. The fact that Cecilia can admit it, albeit grudgingly, is nothing short of miraculous.
“Then what? So you can prove that you’re as good as you claim and that I’m pathetic?”
“I just think; you simply need to open your eyes” he said, while turning his back, hiding his almost maniacal grin, is she serious? “Living with prejudice, and not trying to see from another side, don’t you think it’s a waste?”
“How-“ Cecilia blushed, he smiled, but at he could see the sadness buried under such radiant eyes. He had lost something important, but he had gained something else in the process. That at least Cecilia could dig, and it made her heart race.
Part by part, his machine disappear, there’s only his broad shoulder and straightened back, in front of him, the sky’s luminosity had turned it’s hue, brilliance of the golden sun mesh with orange-colored horizon. There’s multiple, admittedly unrealistic colors, but curse if it wasn’t look beautiful.
Ichika don’t know what possessed her, but she ran toward him hurriedly before Cecilia can break out of her trance. She gently grabbed his right hand. Eyes to eyes, it was like the time stopped.
He widened his eyes wondering what made her tick, her cheek also flushed by the color of the sun. “What?”
Ichika snapped out and began to panic, her blood began to boil like no tomorrow and she felt like having her chest crushed by the sheer pressure. She flailed her hand and desperately to act calm. Well, she succeeded. After a cough or two she muttered “Well where are you going?”
He laughed in response, “I’m not going anywhere; I simply forgot that the sky is artificial, quite amazing of a sight”
“Yeah it is” Ichika’s blessed mind instantly forgot what just happened and she looked at the direction he pointed.
Unfortunately, Cecilia and Lingyin didn’t buy it.
“Ichika-san always been dense at the worst moment”, such as when a couple of classmates confessed and when a second year student flat out seduced her “–to be fair all the participant is of same gender but still…”
“Well there’s more into that”, Lingyin also remember that her ignorance hit the roof back when they’re still junior high, at least once a month some poor guy will confess, and Ichika didn’t even catch it as if she’s doing it on purpose. Hell, Lingyin had seen her on a date only for Ichika to be surprised and apologize because she didn’t see any deeper meaning into it.
The blond pouted, but otherwise she’s glad. If it wasn’t Ichika who’s going with the flow, probably it’s Cecilia herself, which would be disastrous. That however, left some interesting ideas. “Ichika-san has a crush for him, I see.”
“Okay, that is over the top, seriously” Lingyin don’t know why she bothered to defuse the tension but she really felt weird, she hissed at the direct com channel “Operator! That’s lame!”
“[Ah, and that’s such a good special effect too]” the operator replied “[KYAAAH! They should just kiss already!]
And thus, a new, red hot chili gossip is born. Lingyin will be sure that she taped her mouth, not want to bother joining the fray. She also has to think that German brat’s possible apocalyptic reactions, “Oh well nothing Ichika can’t handle, I’m outta here”
“Ara? Rin-san what do you mean?”
“I’m not going to bother! Hear me!”