Author's Note:

First of all, I am sorry this took so long to reach you all. I wanted to update once a month on both Arpeggio stories, but life always has a means of showing you it means business.

So begins Nagara's foray into human education. I don't plan on going through the day to day, but the school will be a jumping off point and a congregation center. The significance of who ends up the teacher at the end is not without precedence, but it is a trope found in various manga. I left off meeting Kaori's friends for the next update.

Higashi is a name of an actual school in Nagasaki, this is intentional, but it is not meant to be that school specifically. Higashi Preparatory Academy is a high school level institution dedicated to preparing students for transfer to two and four year technical universities and is partnered with the Japanese National Maritime Institute of Technology, among others.

Disclaimer: I do not own Aoki Hagane no Arpeggio nor any of its characters.

Big thanks to those that have recently followed, added as a favorite, or both: The Celestial Sky Dragon, Aura Guardian, Entrance, Law77, The Eternal Lord Draconious, Kiri no Tenma, MightyUSSR, CabooseHelpsU

"I-401 confirmed it and even established brief contact that was blocked."

Aisaka Chiyo looked over the brief report that Assistant Secretary Hasegawa had handed to her. It contained the small amount of data they had collected and the equally small information that I-401 had given. Somehow Aisaka did not find the mental model's unforthcoming attitude all that surprising.

"The cost?"

Hasegawa sighed, "An extra crate of luxury rations and the promise of a healthy discount on future resupplies."

Aisaka did not respond to that, the price was not an issue, I-401's contributions were considered priceless in most instances. A bit of indulgence could be overlooked this time.

"Thank you for your attention in this matter Hasegawa-san."

The Secretary bowed in acknowledgement, but raised a question, "What action do you recommend we take in this matter?"

Aisaka did not respond immediately, instead she opened the center drawer on her desk and produced a manila envelope. Within were several documents with Higashi Preparatory Academy letterhead.

"For now, we will keep our distance and observe. Tighten security at the Space center and our military bases. But that is all, I want this information on what she is on a need-to-know basis. Umino-san will agree, I have no doubt."

Hasegawa nodded, making a few notes on his tablet. Eyeing the packet, he raised an eyebrow, "and yourself?"

"I think I will be taking an old friend up on an offer."

Kaori and Nagara walked along the sidewalk towards their first official day of classes at Higashi. Resplendent in fresh, crisp school uniforms, the pair moved among others dressed similarly. The convenience of living where she was currently was very apparent, a short few blocks from the school, on the coast, and near enough to Nagasaki's civil resources.

"So, worried about your first day Nagi-chan?"

"I would be lying if I said I was not worried…" Nagara began.

To say that Nagara was worried would be akin to stating that the sun was merely 'hot'. Though it was not about classes to which her worry was attributed.

Within her own thought processes, she pondered the recent message received from I-401, or Iona as some of the more recent message headers seemed to indicate. How could she have been observed so closely during the fighting then the individual humans participating? The IFV's cameras could only have caught a couple of images, something she was already worrying over before this revelation.

Then it clicked, the helicopter. It likely had observational capabilities that would include image capture and full motion video recording. A review of her own image files confirmed this. Nagara was almost mortified that she missed such a crucial thing at the time.

"… but I know I'll be fine with you there to help me along."

Kaori laughed heartily and teasingly added, "That's sweeter then the syrup on the waffles this morning."

I-401's observations of others were somewhat more useful than the submarine's own behavioral simulation models. It seemed ironic to Nagara that such an experienced mental model could seem so deadpan, or that was just what she was going for in a simulation model.

"Your waffles were good, malt makes it so much better, but I want to try this Swedish pancake recipe I found online. Not sure where to get lingonberries though."

Nagara considered her contingencies for a government interdiction of her residence with Kaori or attendance at Higashi. She considered exit strategies, and protection procedures for Kaori.

"Lingonberries? I'm not familiar with this word, it's English right?"

Nagara nodded, "It is, that is the common name, or cowberry. Vaccinium vitis-idaea."

Her tactical assessment evaluated Kaori. Human forms could not replace extremities if lost, she might be able to craft something from nanomaterial, but that would be very edge experimental. Any number of upper torso hits will each have a high capacity for ending life functions.

"… (vaccinate bits idea)… I don't get it…" Kaori went cross-eyed as she tried to discern what Nagara just said.

"How many penetrating wounds to the abdomen do you think you could survive in a hostile engagement?"

Swedish pancakes and lingonberries provide no tactical value in an engagement with hostiles. Either in protective or offensive capabilities.

Kaori breath hitched and she stopped walking completely as her hand subconsciously drifted to her midsection, "um… what?"

Nagara blinked and immediately realized that her internal tactical dialogue and the analog conversation had somehow become mixed. Maintaining this kind of form was certainly a challenge.

"Er, I was um, considering the game play of that new shooter… Shining Force: JSDF. I was just considering how many hits they allow a JGSDF SFGp trooper to take compared to the other options like the U.S. Navy SEAL or the SPETSNAZ Alpha."

Kaori raised an eyebrow at this and Nagara's emotion simulators produced a sweatdrop and a large blush in her cheeks.

"You are kind of scatter brained Nagi-chan, how do we go from Swedish pancakes to SF: JSDF in like one breath?"

Nagara could only produce a small laugh as she nervously scratched the back of her head.

Kaori blew a strand of hair from her eyes and continued walking, "ARC is a Japanese developer, so a bit of ethnocentrism sneaks in, but I guess it is for balance. In the game, SEAL units have like a crazy high damage reduction from body armor, and wicked CQC with blades. SPETSNAZ got really excellent evasion and unarmed CQC and all… but it's all about the weapons. Ethnocentrism or not, JGSDF is lacking the capabilities of the others without looking like a copy of the SEAL or Ranger."

Nagara nodded along, "I guess you got to balance somewhere."

"Yeah, arrgh, now I want to play video games. Thanks a lot Nagi-chan."

Nagara smiled widely, "I try my best Kaori-chan."

Setting the simulations to auto. Proceeding with 'wait it out and continue to operate as a normal school age girl' operational model.

Eventually the pair reach the school, review the campus maps and layout, planning their day accordingly. Kaori had homeroom in a separate class then Nagara, full of her friends that she mentioned a few days ago. A plan was reached for introductions at lunch and with plans set the pair split up for classes as the first period announcement warnings commenced.

Arriving at her homeroom, she found nothing particularly exceptional about the room, desks, or amenities therein. The room had restrictions in place for outside network connectivity, but a school provided, heavily restricted WIFI was available. Nagara was through all protections and restrictions in less than a few seconds.

A certain un-quantifiable directive drew her to the head of the row on the outside wall next to the window. The first seat was occupied by a thin, platinum blond haired girl of mixed ancestry. She barely noted Nagara's presence as she slid into the second seat.

The desks were all-in-one units of table and seat. The desk surface was accommodating and had a built in touch-screen interface that seemed to react to anything that touched it. Her mental model form was sufficiently more advanced then human technology and she registered as nothing more than who she was as the smart-desk registered her as its user and recorded attendance. It began the standard welcome and first setup scripts to get her moving along, best to have that done before class starts.

The chair was ergonomic and relatively comfortable, but not so much so that one might doze off. The desk across the aisle from hers had their openings into the same aisle as hers, but they were doubled up with another desk to its opposite side so two people sat next to each other.

Nagara's thoughts drifted to exits, the locations of electronic surveillance devices, which only seemed to observe the entrance-exits, and any other network capable devices like mobile phones or tablets. It seemed rather pedestrian to her to be able to gain and elevate her access to these devices, so she instead focused on the individuals.

Higashi was a normal co-ed establishment, which Nagara was oddly thankful for. Not for want of companionship of a specific gender, mainly for the injection of normalcy. Her life on land, thus far, has incorporated disturbing amounts of shoujo and shounen manga tropes and the addition of something akin to an 'all-girls school' would be pushing the tolerance levels of her logic processes. After all, this was reality and not some manga or anime series.

The quiet and aloof platinum blond in front of her was already throwing up so many flags, had this been manga, she would definitely be an important character. There was also the fiery tempered red-head, the proper mannered and dark-haired girl, so many stand-outs. That her seem rather normal in comparison, what was she in relation to all of these girls?

"…advanced computer intelligence."

Nagara froze, had she a real flesh and blood heart it would have skipped a beat. Slowly, and as casually as she could, she turned and raised a question to the formerly quiet (possibly still aloof, and obviously still platinum blond) girl in the seat in front of hers.

"W..what," her voice cracked, forcing her to clear her throat, "pardon, what was that?" Smooth, she chastised herself.

The regarded her a moment before casually pointing to one of the books Nagara had taken out of her backpack, "I asked why you brought the this book, the school sent out multiple emails and notices that the class won't start until tomorrow due to an emergency the Professor had."

Nagara looked at the cover of the book, Theories of Advanced Computer Intelligences, and internally sighed in relief, "I guess I just forgot. The name is Kirino Nagara, nice to meet you."

"Whatever." The girl flatly replied before pausing and sighing, "My apologies, that was rude of me. Minami Shiori."

Nagara began to reply in courtesy, but paused with the simultaneous chiming of the period bell and the entrance of the class instructor.

The surprise, confusion, and admiration were nearly palpable and all directed at the instructor. She had lithe features with a pale complexion, dark black hair that almost appeared blue, and intense light brown eyes.

As was customary, she introduced herself formally, "I am Aisaka Chiyo and I will be your homeroom instructor for this semester."

Pausing, she cast her gaze briefly at every student purposefully managing to end at Nagara to which she gave a nearly imperceptible upturning of the lips before continuing, "I look forward to working with each and every one of you."

Curious, Nagara used her pirated internet access to do a quick keyword, internet search on the name Aisaka Chiyo. Choosing the top entry produced a government profile listing her as the Deputy Prime Minister of Saga Prefecture.

Nagara ran through every variable and used her advanced search algorithms against all local internet traffic, government sites, and tried to do as low-profile of a EM emissions scan as she could. All abstract calculation engines and logic processes could find no reasonable correlations with current trends to indicate any overt government actions.

Email traffic, EM emissions, and other scans and data filtering produced nothing more than a few chains of messages between Aisaka and the school director.

With around a ninety-nine percent certainty, Nagara breathed a figurative sigh of relief. As strange as it would seem, the situation was a pure coincidence, after all, life was not some kind of manga, and she just had the internal dialogue with herself earlier.

"…Kirino-san?"

Nagara blinked and focused on Aisaka-sensei, "hai, Aisaka-san?"

Aisaka smiled warmly, like many a stereotypical educator was thought to do often, "I was appointing you as the interim class leader until next week when we hold class elections for the position. There is no obligation to submit to the election process next week, but if you do a good job it is likely a good basis for others to judge by. As you know, I am very fond of our governmental systems, as an elected official myself."

Nagara sweatdropped, "class leader?"

"Hai Kirino-san. I look forward to working with you." Aisaka bowed ever so slightly.

"I look forward to working with you." Nagara bowed lower, as was expected of a student. Coincidence, huh… yeah and I'm a Chinese jet pilot.

Between the Lines:

As always, I mean no disrespect to people of Chinese ancestry, or who are pilots of aircraft. It is a bastardized line of a movie I am quite fond of. Most of Nagara's calculations and thought processes occur in fractions of a second, her forays into hacking and internet searches as well. She is an advanced computer intelligence, even if maintaining emotion simulators is taxing on system resources.