Infinite Stratos: The Skyward Knights

Volume 1

Chapter 1: I'm the Only Guy in this Class

If I had to accurately describe what I was feeling at this current moment in my life, with the feeling of over two dozen eyes boring into my skull from all directions but my front, there was one word, I, Shinohara Aiden, would use.

Awkward. Or maybe… I dunno, annoyed? Actually maybe both words work better. Is there a combination? No, I don't think there is.

I tried drawing my focus off the feeling of mental lasers piercing my skull as the vice homeroom teacher entered. But that quickly failed since the petite woman barely looked older than any of us. The clothes she wore also seemed… unfitting. It was like looking at a mid-teen having been forced to wear adult styled clothes, which made her, admittedly curvy frame look even smaller in retrospect. The look felt even more out of place with olive green eyes that matched her hair behind large black glasses that also seemed to large, almost like they'd slip off her face at any given moment.

How would one put it? Well, it's like looking at this short woman brought on some kind of disproportionate sense of the above comparison. And I clearly wasn't the only one who thought it as the teacher gave us congratulations for making it to high school. She was just too cute and sweet in appearance and speech… was she honestly older than us? I'd probably believe someone if they told me she wasn't.

"I'm your homeroom teacher, Yamada Maya!"

"…"

Her introduction was met with awkward silence as attention shifted squarely back to the back and sides of my skull from the stares all around the room, nobody reacting to her at all in effect.

"Uhh…"

Admittedly, she looked cuter when panicking… but the awkward silence and, again, the stares boring into my skull, dissuaded any kind of 'I should do something' reaction.

For a day that's supposed to be rather exciting, getting into high school and all, the situation I found myself in made it worse than it should have. Maybe I'm just overthinking things due to reading so much manga and light novels… or maybe I'm not. But, there's this one problem with my position. Which, that is, of the only male in this classroom. Not the only male in the school, mind one. Just the only male in this class.

And being smack in the front of the room, in the middle, closest to the teacher, did not help my situation. I was quite literally at the forefront where everyone could see me. How am I supposed to engage in snarky, melancholic contemplation if I'm not sitting in the back near a window I can stare out of boredly eh?

I'm joking, of course.

"Starting today, you are all students of the IS Academy. This is a boarding school, so everyone will be together during and after school hours. So, I hope all of you can get along, and make the next three years pleasant and enjoyable!"

Yamada-sensei's attempt at breaking the ice among us in some form was again met only by the silence of the girls boring holes into my head, inciting more squirming from the woman.

"Uh… L-Let's start self-introductions! Mmm… we'll go be seating arrangements."

My eyes turned to the left and right in a somewhat desperate attempt to find a source to dissuade myself from this awkward feeling as gazes finally left my skull, lifting the feeling of being locked in place. And to both directions, immediately then looking away from my pleading gaze, my childhood friends Orimura Madoka and Shinonono Houki basically ignored my presence. Such a cold reaction from both… I haven't seen the former in under a year since my family moved to Shibuya, and the latter, not in 6 years since she'd moved away herself.

I wonder if either of them hate me now… or forgot about me. No, no, let's not be that cynical.

"…san… Shinohara Aiden-san!"

"Y-Yes?!" I responded quickly and on instinct as I registered my name being called. But, from the curt, awkward delivery, of course there was snickers, and I could feel my face warming up as my right index finger tapped against my thigh.

Okay now here's the thing. It's not that I'm bad with girls, I think the fact four of my six childhood friends are of that gender says that comparatively, I seem to have more success with them than guys. The thing is during middle school I kinda realized I legitimately had no idea what on this planet I was doing and kinda turned into a shut in. I don't like being the center of attention either, so let's put it this way.

In a class of 30 students, 29 were female. I, obviously, am the exception. The vice homeroom teacher is female, and as for our homeroom teacher, I'm not too sure. Odds are it's gonna be a woman.

Quantify that in your head for a second. Sounds almost like paradise for any self-respecting man yeah?

-Think freaking again. Do not believe those light novels they sit on a throne of lies!

"W-Well, I'm sorry if I startled you… A-Are you upset? Are you? You are huh? I'm really sorry, it's just… we started at A and now we're all the way too S… like Shinohara. So… I'm sorry, but could you please introduce yourself? Or… or n-not?" Yamada-sensei, my freaking vice-homeroom teacher, was leaning over her desk and apologizing profusely. And sadly for my poor mind, my eyes drifted a bit from her swaying, precariously set glasses to the uncomfortably gratuitous view down her shirt I was getting.

-Does this woman wear black lace?! Is that even appropriate for school?! Why am I thinking this right now?

"It's just a self-introduction, you don't have to apologize… besides it's my fault for zoning out. So… please calm down Yamada-sensei."

And please stand up! Seeng down your shirt and knowing you're my teacher makes me feel dirty for being able too! In fact, I'd feel uncomfortable even if she wasn't my teacher!

"R-Really? Really really? P-Promise me. Promise me!"

I internally yelped, while physically flinching, as Yamada-sensei leaned forward even more and grabbed one of my hands, which drew even more attention to me as the woman looked at me with expectation. I feel she's as mystified about my presence here as the students, and frankly, I don't know what that says about her nor myself.

A nod seemed to suffice for the small woman, finally moving to stand properly and alleviate my adolescent woes from kicking in at the worst time. I said it… so I can't back out. Whoo boy…

All eyes were on me again as I cleared my throat, even Madoka and Houki, who'd averted their gazes, looked back to me, which actually made it feel worse since their eyes felt far more critical than anyone else's gaze did at the moment as I stood up. I'd feel less awkward and on edge if this damn gender ratio wasn't so stilted against me.

I think it was showing too, because I felt this quirk in my lip, the kind one gets when desperately trying not to show how annoyed they are. That and Yamada-sensei was looking at me like I was glaring at her… maybe I was without knowing it. I'm told I have something of a natural glare when I'm on edge.

"I-I'm Shinohara Aiden, from Shibuya! I-It's nice to… to meet all of you. I hope we can get along!" I spat out, standing rigidly in slight fear, and I felt my features contort in slight fear as I looked around the room and caught the… odd glints in the eyes of many of my classmates, the desperate look I gave for help getting my old friends to avert their eyes yet again to my despair. It's clear these girls want more information, crave more information. "And uh…"

The looks of expectation for something more felt even more intensified. What else was I supposed to say? That I'm an otaku who reads way too much manga and light novels and wasted basically all of his break before coming here playing video games with his only two guy friends after I got back to this part of the city?! They'll think I'm some kind of creep who reads ero all the time or something! (not that I uh, don't, but that's neither here nor there and let's leave it at that.)

What else could I say?

Actually… why was I even here in the first place?


"Why is it so damn cold today?"

It was a chilly mid-Feburary day as I, a third year in middle school, followed the line of other students to where the high school entrance exams would be taking place, my breath showing out from the scarf over my mouth, a pair of headphones blaring music being the only things keeping my ears from freezing off.

"I'm glad the school I wanna go to is only a few stops from home, but why does it have to be extra cold today?"

Ever since a cheating case the previous year, entrance exam venues were only released two days before, which meant a deal of scrambling about when the news did arrive. And considering the school I was looking at going to was in another ward of the city entirely, the walk there was made worse since my legs had gotten stiff on the train ride.

Kind of the problem when you live in Tokyo really. Shibuya had universities but no middle school or high school. The nearest middle school to where I was living ended up being in Setagawa, and I was looking to enter the high school just down the road from the middle school I attended, Taishido Middle School, to one of the Komada High School campuses.

Thankfully my dad (well, adopted dad) has a good job that resulted having to move to Shibuya in the first place.

The move kind of stunk. Sure, going to visit my friends wasn't a problem at all, just a train ride away to another ward, but because of that it was harder to keep in physical contact. Makes me wonder what Ichika and Madoka are up too right now…

Well either way, thanks to lots of cramming and a few all nighters studying, I managed to keep solid straight A's throughout my third year of middle school, so I was confident I'd make it in. Tuition was no problem, considering my dad's job and all.

I stopped at the doors to the testing center, tugging my scarf down and looking at my reflection. I'd been told my face was cute, some would say kind of girlish even. I definitely didn't have a square jaw nor particular "manly" looks. It's not like one could mistake my face for a girl's… but I didn't doubt if I put some effort in, I could pass myself for a girl convincingly. The reflection may have dulled some of the colors, but my dark, grayish blue eyes stood out clearly on it, matched by silvery hair bearing a single, dark pink streak on the side. I never knew why that was there… it certainly wasn't dyed, I'd have remembered that. I've always had it from all the pictures I've seen of myself from when I was younger.

In height, I was at least average. Not tall for sure. When I'd last been measured I stood somewhere around 168 centimeters, though I was also pretty skinny, to the point my uniform kind of sagged on me.

I was starting to get looks from the other students milling into the building, so I quickly merged myself into the crowd, hiding my mouth with my scarf again. Yet, as I followed the stream of students, I felt this weird feeling of zoning out. I've had that happen before, but never while moving. I just became unaware of things for a moment, and when I came back to my senses, I found I was not only no longer in the crowd of students, but had no idea where I was.

When did I turn off into another hall? Heck, why did I?

"Great… almost a freshman, and I zone out and get lost on exams day."

A dejected sigh escaped my mouth as I looked around to try and get my bearings, but not only did it seem to become harder to hear the sounds of other students chattering once I'd removed my headphones, but all the turns I'd begun taking almost seemed to make me loop. I swear I'd been through this hallway three times already. Did I just stumble into the unused area of the building and lose my bearings in the dark or something?

Whatever. I'll just enter the first door I find with some light in it and find someone who can help me find the testing hall.

"Hello?" I called out at the first room I found, but whoever was in there seemed to be in a further part of the room and hadn't heard me, and I could hear them chatter, "Hello!"

I hadn't been heard. Whatever was going on, they were preoccupied. Maybe if I just wait…

Tweeeennnn~

At the sound of a high pitched noise, my attention turned to the tarp further in the room, it's abnormal shape telling of something large beneath it. Curiosity compelled me onwards despite the likely inherent danger of it, but something about the sound was piquing my curiosity.

Swoosh

With a flourish of the cloth as I pulled it off, what was revealed to me was what I could only describe as vaguely samurai like armor, kneeling on the floor as if waiting for its master.

The only oddity to the "armor" was both its size, bigger than the average human, but not massively so, and the fact it's center segment lacked what could be called adequate protection. But, just the thing being here makes one wonder the simple thing of 'what's going on'?

But… I already knew what this was. An IS.

Well, formally, the Infinite Stratos. What started as an invention for space travel ended up taking the predictable route such technology would. Militarization. But, what was developed into a war machine had instead, by every country in the world, been turned into a sport. Sure, these exoskeletons were stilled used by militaries, but technically speaking, that was illegal.

The only flaw this machine, in which a single one could dominate even the most trained of platoons with insulting ease, was that they could only be piloted by women. Well, to be more precise, women had better aptitude than men. Rumors floated around about a man who could eventually pilot one of these machines, but in the last decade since the device's full introduction, not a man who had the aptitude was found.

And I was dumb enough to touch the machine.

The metal felt cool to the touch, smooth… almost natural somehow…

Ping

"Huh?!"

A weird feeling came over me next, this echoing in my head as I felt a pulse under my hand. The IS was reacting to me?!

"W-Whoa!" I yelped as I felt a flood of information wash over my mind like a wave, stumbling back and falling on my rear, staring at the IS as it's frame shuddered, glowing lines crossing it's body… and I could still feel the rushing information in my mind. Numbers, data, everything about this machine down to how I could move it if I entered it…

"Hey! What are you doing here? You're not… oh my god…"

"The IS… it… it reacted to him?!"

I turned around to face the shocked faces of a couple women in lad coats, the rush of information in my mind still going. Faces registered clearly despite the distance and darkness, data about the environment… of the world around me.

This was the world through the eyes of an IS… perfect clarity not given to us normally.


"Hm?"

Let's ascertain the current situation again. It's my first day of high school. I'm one of the few male students who, by accident or chance on an aptitude test, found themselves capable of activating an Infinite Stratos. Behind me, the eyes of 29 girls are boring into my body in both expectation and critique at who I was and what kind of student I'd be, while our teacher, Yamada Maya, huh, that's the same forwards and backwards, looked concerned and nearly about ready to wail from the waiting.

And I'm stuck knowing these expectant stares are of them wanting me to say more about myself. And I was on the spot. Not favorable for one as shy as me.

Come on, Madoka, Houki, help me out a bit! Please, as my childhood friends – annnd they're ignoring me again! Isn't there usually some kind of touching reunion scene in these scenarios, or do I just have the luck of Kamijou Touma?

I sucked in a breath to try and steady myself and relax, looking around as the girls leaned forward in even more expectation.

"That's all!" I shouted, my face feeling like it was about to burst into flames, one of my eyes shut and the other cracked open enough to look around, a yelp escaping my throat as I saw girls both with their heads having impacted their desks and others nearly falling out of their chairs, "Well come on, the hell else could you expect me to-GAGH!"

My head impacted my own desk as a solid impact slammed down onto it. It was shape and precise. If I had to take a wild guess I'd been smacked by an attendance book. And I've got a sneaking suspicious to who's holding it.

Tenderly looking up to see my assaulter, exactly who I feared to see appeared before me. A tight fitting black suit and skirt, perfectly hugging an athletic body, the kind that showed no muscle even after years of training, her arms folding under her chest, one hand holding an attendance book, and sharp black eyes that reminded one of a prowling wolf.

"Ch-Chifuyu-ne-AGH!"

My face met the desk again as a fist was delivered to it, the woman grinding her knuckles into my skull. Yeah this is all too familiar to me.

"It's Orimura-sensei in school, idiot."

That deep, harsh voice that echoes like a gong in my head with each damn word. Yeup, this is definitely Madoka's older sister.

Wait, wait, wait, WAIT! Why is Chifuyu-nee here?! Ichika and Madoka, her younger siblings who know her best, don't even know what she does for work, much less where she goes every time she's not home! This cruel older sister figure I'd known as long as I can remember is my homeroom teacher?! Seriously what kind of shit luck do I have?! Or did I just blow it all because of the IS thing?

"Oh, Orimura-sensei, is the meeting over?" Yamada-sensei asked, Chifuyu-nee removing her fist from my skull, leaving a numb feeling of pain in the spot she'd been grinding her sharp knuckles into, and I was pretty sure there was smoke coming from the spot judging from how it felt.

"Yes, Yamada-kun. Sorry for making you greet my class for me."

What was with that gentle tone? The cruel but caring Chifuyu-nee I know never spoke like that… or maybe she did and I've been hit so many times I don't remember it. It also just begs the question though, why is she here? I mean, she's a former Ace IS pilot so there's that… wait… I just answered my own question, didn't I?

"D-Don't worry! I'm the vice-homeroom teacher, so I can handle this sort of thing!"

Yamada-sensei's tone was far less panicked now, hell was she blushing?

"Everyone, my name is Orimura Chifuyu! It's my job to train you greenhorns into effective pilots within a year. Listen to what I say, and remember it. If you can't do something, I'll help you until I can. It's my job to train you from the ages of fifteen to sixteen. Hate me all you want, but listen to what I say. Got it?"

There's that harsh tone I remember from my childhood. This was definitely my foster-older sister. Things were suddenly more complicated. Knowing her, I was expecting gasps of fear… and instead I got shrill screams of delight.

"Chifuyu-sama! That's really Chifuyu-sama!"

"You're the one who inspired me to come to this school from Kita-Kyushu!"

Who the hell cares if you came all the way from Hokkaido?!

"I'm so happy you'll be giving me orders!"

"I'd die for you onee-sama!"

"It's amazing how many idiots come to this school every year. Or do they put them all in my class on purpose?"" Chifuyu sighed, putting a hand on her head, giving the excited girls an annoyed look. That wasn't acting, she was actually uncomfortable.

But, come on Chifuyu-nee, you can't buy populatiry. Maybe be a bit nicer?

"KYAAAAA!"

"ONEE-SAMA! SCOLD US MORE! CUSS US OUT!"

"BUT BE NICE SOMETIMES!"

"TRAIN US WELL SO WE DON'T ACT UP!"

-Forget I said anything treat them like dirt if that's what they want.

I stole a glance over to Madoka, who was using her tiny body to her advantage to sink lower into her chair to try and avoid being seen. The problem being that Madoka is a dead ringer for her older sister. The two are practically mirror images of the other, Madoka just looks younger and as I said, small.

Then again… being the sister of Orimura Chifuyu, and being in her class no less… can't imagine this'll be easy for Madoka. There's nobody Chifuyu-nee would be harder on than one of her siblings.

Hope I get some leeway since I'm just her sister's old friend. Let's also hope I didn't just jinx myself.

"So…" Chifuyu-nee's cold voice cracked into my ears, along with the cracking of her knuckles, "You forgot how to properly give a greeting huh?"

"N-Not exactly… it's just… y'know I haven't really done well around girls since middle school and this is a really awkward situation and dammit Ijustwannagohome!" the whining tone I had resulted in me looking away, and one could likely see the cloud of doom hanging over my head as I felt Chifuyu-nee looming over me like a predator about to pounce on its terrified prey. Please don't hit me again… I don't want a concussion on the first day of school. "I-I'm sorry Chifuyu-nee-OW! WILL YOU STOP?!"

My head got slammed by her solid fist again, and yet again I winced as I felt her knuckles grate on my scalp, seemingly threatening to pop my skull like a grape. Chifuyu-nee did you know you destroy 5000 brain cells whenever you hit someone?!

"Call me Orimura-sensei here at school!"

"Yes, Orimura-sensei."

With that pitiful reply, I was released again, a dull groan of pain coming from me, and I could hear a sigh all too similar to the older sister come from my right. Great, now the younger sister is judging me even more… I feel so betrayed right now.

"Ehhh? Does Shinohara know Chifuyu-sama?"

"Would that mean he also knows Orimura?"

"No way… maybe that's why he can pilot an IS!"

"Ah man… I wanted to go for that too."

I'll just ignore that statement.

But, that's how it is. I'm one of five boys who've displayed the aptitude to control an IS. The first five in the world.

The IS Academy (ISA) is to teach the students how to pilot the IS, with funding and management provided by the Japanese government. Due to all research being shared with treaty nations, the Japanese government is to refrain from maintaining a veil of secrecy. Additionally any and all controversies are to be handled by the Japanese government to the satisfaction of the treaty nations. Furthermore, any and all prospective students from a treaty nation are to be allowed enrollment to the academy, unconditionally, and provided housing by the Japanese government. – IS Operations Treaty, Section: IS Pilot Educational Institution (Excerpt)

That's the kind of school this was. And in layman's terms… "The world's gone nuts since Japan created the IS, so you better make a school and train our people there. And hand over all the research you make along the way. Also the bill is yours. Bye." The country that starts with "A" is basically the mafia making such a deal in this case.

And I ended up here because I accidentally activated a training IS that was going to be used to test pilot aptitude in this year's newcomers… how many girls in this school were at that testing center where I performed one of the five so called 'miracle events'?

Amid the calming excitement of the classroom, I could feel two stares returning to me, glancing at them both to spot Madoka and Houki staring at me again. They don't really look angry… outwardly.

I'unno, I'll try to talk to one of them later… it has been a long time since I've seen both of them.

As I was thinking about it, the bell rang, heralding the end of homeroom. Phew, saved… for now.

"Ah, over already huh?" Chifuyu hummed, slamming her hands on the desk to get everyone's attention, "Quiet! Listen up, you have half a month to memorize the basics of the IS, and then it's onto training. Basic maneuvers will take another two weeks. Got it? Sound off if you do, and even if you don't, I still want to hear you!"

"Yes!"

Right. Chifuyu-nee is a demon from hell in human guise who's going to put us through more rigorous training than even the third-year teachers. No, actually, I could deal with a demon. At least demons aren't human because they're flexible. Chifuyu-nee is so demonic because she understand the limitations human possess. The thing is, she's the former number one IS pilot of Japan back during the first-gen era. She was unrivaled, unbeatable… then one day she just disappeared, and I guess that was to become a teacher.

"Hey, idiot, pull your head up!"

Yes ma'am…


"Finally done!"

My head resounded on the desk with a solid plunk as the first class after homeroom came to a close. I understand we're learning how to pilot complex weapons, but is it seriously this complicated?! Ugh… it's back to cramming all-nighters for study for me!

Ugh god… I'm probably not even gonna make it through this first year! Why did I touch that damn IS?! I don't do well with girls… being stuck in a school where 99.99% of the population is female isn't helping at all!

Incidentally, this island the school is on is also freaking huge. Need an orientation? Hah! "Look at the map." they said! I guess getting to the training was hella more important than teaching us where to go on this massive island!

Then again, I have a good memory, so I shouldn't need the map for long. The daily courses in class are lessons about the IS. Systems, combat maneuvers, operation, etc. All the basics and more that these young girls and I would need to know for the foreseeable future! Me and four other boys… and all five of us have the worlds eyes boring into our backs along with the girls of this school. There wasn't a single freaking person on earth who didn't know about us five poor saps.

Frankly, it's terrifying to me.

Which is also why there's girls from other classes jamming in the hallway to see into the classroom. Considering only five of the first-year classes have a boy in them, I'm sure they're making the rounds to see just who made it here, not to mention upperclassmen to boot. And yet, probably to my personal grace, nobody has approached me to talk. Only speaking to one another in whispers, and yet, I got a feeling there was many who wanted to, but didn't have the courage to come up and do it.

The problem is a lot of these girls are also from private all-girls schools as well. I'm sure plenty of them have never interacted with a boy their age in their lives, much less actually looked at one in person. And I can tell they're not immune either… then again in this society males have a status dilemma.

Considering the IS had only ever had female pilots in the last decade, with the world military structures all over basically shattering against this new weapon that only women could use, and Japan's monopolization of the technology before the IS Application Protocol – the Alaska Treaty – had forcibly authorized the dispersal of all IS related research and development to the entire world, while also prohibiting direct military usage. Meaning the number of IS Pilots a country can turn out is the direct show of their military power. Not how big the army or how many nukes they got stock piled, but "how many pilots for this hyper-advanced exoskeleton do we possess."

And, with only women being able to pilot them, IS Pilots are closely tied to their country's armed forces, and all that entailed, meaning women had quickly begun gaining preferential treatment over men. Women had become the superior gender in human society in the past decade alone. Woman=Great had spread so damn fast it was like a freaking wildfire. I still see some occasionally nasty online posts from… less graceful types acting like this has finally toppled men from their "throne" or something… I personally don't care much for social issues.

But now that five "equal" males have suddenly appeared, of course these girls, who were raised for over half their lives in a world where "Woman=great/Man=not great" are curious about this development. The media went wild, those who'd been used to the new order had lost their freaking minds, and then we got out butts shipped off here, likely for our own safety more than anything else.

I also would not be surprised if me and my four fellows, whoever they are, started making enemies of the more prideful girls not wishing to give up the status they've earned as IS pilots on principle alone.

And so we arrive at my current predicament.

I stole a glance over to the girl nearest me, and while she'd been staring before, her gaze suddenly averted in panic. So not only was I one of the few males who could pilot an IS, I now had the eyes of every women in the country and world bearing down on me.

If only my friends Ichika or Dan were here… they could probably bail me out of this situation… then again, Ichika, Madoka's older twin brother, is kind of an idiot.

Wait… did I just hear someone say "Don't try to get ahead of us!"?

What am I now, some prize to be claimed or something? I'unno… I'm being a cynic now. Can someone save me, please? I don't know what to do!

"Hey, you."

"Hmm?"

I looked away from my mulling, glancing up, being met by the familiar face of the friend I hadn't seen in a year staring down at me with a neutral expression.

Orimura Madoka. We'd both learned kendo along with her brother Ichika with Houki at her family's dojo (which also doubles as a shrine), and as far as I remember, we'd hung out up until middle school almost all the time, if I wasn't hanging out with Ichika and our pal Dan. As mentioned before, she's a dead ringer for her older sister, though she's also really small in body, but slender from years of training of her own, her shoulder length hair added on by a tied low set of two tails falling down her shoulders. I'd say by now I've got a head on her in terms of height at the least. And despite the cold looks, she's actually a sweet girl… though she shares the tendency to give death glares her sister does.

If I had to narrow it down, she's like a sword that's only gotten sharper since you last saw it.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" Madoka muttered, and I stopped myself from shooting out of my seat in joy. She actually noticed my existence again! Blessed be the childhood friend!

"Uh… s-sure."

"On the roof. Quickly." Madoka tersely relayed, and as she stalked off, the crowd in the corridor parted as if she was Moses parting the Red Sea… then again, for such a small girl Madoka has a similar presence to her sister. I stole a quick glance towards Houki, who averted her gaze as I gave a small wave, before dashing after Madoka, the walk up to the roof silent as I ignored the stares from other's in the hallway.

I admittedly peered into the other class rooms on the way to see if I could spot at least one of my fellow males, but the crowd was so dang thick I couldn't get a good look in at all, and even when we got to the roof, I couldn't help but feel eyes on us both, Madoka staring out over the school yard, myself leaning in to look at her face.

"So uh…" A weak attempt at starting a conversation, "I heard you and Houki competed in the National Kendo Championship. How uh… how did that go?"

"Houki won, of course." Madoka curtly stated, flexing her left hand. I recognized that. Both she and Ichika did that when they were anxious. Madoka, you may have a steely face, but you're still a young girl at heart, aren't you?

"Ah… well, uhm, congrats on second then? Uhm…" I hung my head and sighed. "I'm terrible at this."

"How'd you know about us being in the finals?"

"I read it on the internet. And Ichika told me when I visited over break before school started."

That was such a simple answer, and why is she blushing? It's not like with Houki, who I haven't seen in over half a decade. It's not like Madoka and I haven't seen each other in that long of a time. I probably would've run into her when I visited their house if not for that tournament when you put hindsight into play.

"Also uh…"

"What?"

"Nothing."

I silenced myself quickly, picking up on a sudden tone of aggravation. But, looking at Madoka's face, there was this excitement in her eyes. She may be acting stoic, but I think she's about as glad to see me again as I am to see her under that expression. Last I saw Madoka she used to smile all the time though… kinda weird seeing her be as steel faced as Chifuyu-nee.

"Well, it's only been less than a year and all… kinda wish I could've said hi when I visited Ichika during break and all." Wait what am I saying now?! "So uh… it's nice seeing you again. Recognizing you is easy, though I'm a bit surprised with myself for remembering Houki so well too. I mean, it's been six years and all!"

"Well, not like her hair style changed… though some other parts of her's grew…"

There was this hint of bitterness in Madoka's tone as she said that… and I'd rather not think about what she was referring to with 'other parts', though I could probably make a solid guess… one that would get me most likely walloped if I said it out loud.

Or maybe I could be extremely wrong. Heck if I know.

"Well… uh…"

DING DONG DONG DING

And so the bell tolls. I could've sworn I saw some people scurrying off from the rooftop doorway. Guess we'd been followed… less surprising than it should be really.

"Well… guess we can talk more later." I murmured, Madoka responding.

"Yeah… later."

Madoka left in a hurry, not even bothering to wait for me to follow unlike before. Then again, she'd been like this for ages. Always rushing ahead before looking back. It was something of a bad habit that got us into a lot of trouble as kids. I wonder if she's grown out of it.

But… she looked high strung, like something was stressing her. I could probably guess what… being at this school, and having her elder sister, one of the first IS pilots and one renowned for being the strongest of them all. That was a big shadow to find oneself underneath.


"… so, the basic operations of an IS are guided by permission of the country. If no such permission is granted, then anti-criminal actions have to be taken."

Yamada-sensei continued the lesson on the basics of the IS as eloquently as someone who'd long time known of such a topic would, probably being the first mark of proof for us students she was indeed older than us.

And as for me, my eyes were boring into the heavy textbooks that had been slammed onto my desk at the start of the class. Just flipping through one of them revealed columns of text and likely meaningless jargon or descriptions that in the end would lead me nowhere in any of this.

And yet… I was able to comprehend this. I mean, I'd read the guide given to the students who'd made it over the break, so I at least grasped the basics, and considering the entrance exam consisted of a piloting test, I knew I understood the basic controls on how to control one of these machines.

My question is if I have to memorize every last dang word in these books or just enough to actually know what I'm doing beyond just "press this to do this" or something of the like. Peering around as subtly as I could to avoid getting walloped by Chifuyu-nee and potentially suffering further cranial damage, the few classmates I could catch a glimpse of were nodding along as they took notes on what Yamada-sensei was saying.

I guess all the rumors about IS Academy students studying to hell and back before attending are true. I mean it makes sense, considering this school is directly tied to several military organizations by proxy of the country representatives. Of course they'd want to foster as many elites as they could.

Not that I want to be an elite.

I gave a soft sigh and hung my head, spinning my pencil on my fingers. Great…

"Shinohara-kun, is something wrong?"

And apparently I looked rather dejected, because my pensive thoughts were cut through by the teacher getting my attention. Again I've been told I have something of a natural glare to my face, so maybe my attitude was making it come through again.

"Well…"

"If there's anything you want to ask me, feel free! I am a teacher after all." Yamada-sensei cheerfully responded to my minimal note, and I only nodded in response.

"It's fine… I'll ask a question if I get stumped, but I get it… for now." I added, filing through some of the pages of the book, stealing a glance at Chifuyu-nee for safeties sake… and that deadly gaze was turned on me, "I do get the basics though, so please don't worry. I'm a fast learner as well."

Good thing I read that required reading manual I got before school started… even if that thing was a textbook on its own. Seriously why do we need this many textbooks on how to pilot an IS?! Or are they just covering the bases for the ones who're gonna go into engineering and programming in the same field?!

The more comedic question is, how few of these books are gonna see the light of day again once I tote them off to whatever room I'll be in?

"Alright then. Don't hesitate to ask. Now, let's continue with class! Please turn to page twelve in your textbooks!"

And so the lesson continued. I mean, knowing the basics was essential, right? The IS as a whole is still a weapon, even if they're used for sport due to the regulations slapped on them for national security reasons. Such things exist for a reason, and in a course on things, you'd have to know whatever you could.

But I'm also pretty sure a lesson on how to use a handgun, or hell, probably even a freaking fighter jet wouldn't consist of dropping five entire textbooks in front of the student. In fact, they have simulators for that anyway!

But, let's be frank, me being here wasn't exactly a choice.

Not more than a day after I'd activated that IS by accident, some government black suits dropped by my apartment with a letter of enrollment to the IS academy, then left with the horribly vague statement of "we'll protect you"… which apparently involves chucking me into a girls' garden and then letting me fend for myself.

I at least have the comfort of knowing four other poor saps are in the same boat as me. As for how they're taking it… I don't know. I at least wanna meet these guys, even if we're in different classes.

This is definitely going to be an eventful three years for me.


"Excuse me, but I heard one of my comrades was in this class, so excuse me for barging in!"

The break between classes was interrupted by the doorway dramatically flying open, and with the distinctly male voice, it seemed the first of my fellow token men had arrived, heralded by a chorus of oohs and ahhs from many of the girls.

The young man was tall and blonde, his fair complexion and bright blue eyes a dead giveaway to an Arian descent, not to mention the accented Japanese. His hair was of that weird in-between of messy and styled, a portion of it slicked back while a fringe hung in his face off to one side, and the cravat tucked into his uniform's collar only added to this air of regality he had.

In a world dominated by women, where we men had basically been relegated to domestic jobs and office work by the flipped-on-its-head double standard created by the IS' introduction, it was rare to find someone like this boy who'd barged into the room.

On the note, considering how the IS is, it's not a surprise I'd run into foreign students. Heck, half my class isn't even remotely Oriental in looks, and in my own regard, despite the last name, I'm more Anglo then I am Oriental. Not that I know who my birth parents are to know just how much.

"Hmm? I heard class 1 had a male in it… but I don't see him."

"Uhm… you're looking for me yeah?"

I raised my hand slightly as the foreign boy scanned the class with a confused look. Of course he didn't see me. I'm not really one in the "has a notable presence" department. Against someone who dominated the spotlight just by walking into the room like this guy, I was just a background character in terms of presence.

"Oh! Forgive me for not noticing sooner! Though… you don't seem the type who stands out much… despite that hair. Well… those sharp eyes of yours are definitely noticeable." The blonde boy leaned down and scanned my face with an observant gaze, a hand on his chin as he did so, "What is with that pink streak? Is that dyed?"

"This? No not really." I found myself tugging at the mentioned streak in my hair. I honestly don't remember if I'd dyed that in at some point or if I'd always had it. It showed up all the time in old pictures of me, so it was strangely reasonable to say this out of place smack of dark pink in layers of silver was natural. Then again, the fact I was 15 and have had silver hair since I was a child was draw for questions in itself. Questions I didn't have proper answers to besides the fact I just did.

"So why are you here?"

"I am glad you asked!"

My inquiry seemed to be the right thing to say in this situation, the posh young man in front of me flicking his bangs as he stood straight. And at the least, the attention was on him, and not me.

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Adair Ainsworth of England. I've been searching around the campus for my fellow male pilots in the hopes we could meet and join together as rare allies ought to in situations such as this."

"Hold on a second! Just what are you doing here Ainsworth?!"

"Hmm?"

I looked back as the blonde young man leaned his head to the side as someone called for him, finding the source of the shocked voice to belong to yet another foreign member of my class, a girl whose similar blonde hair and blue eyes gave away similar descent as to Ainsworth.

And from the look on his face as he saw the girl, it seemed as if these two knew one another.

"Alcott? My my. I should probably be more surprised that you're here… but you did make headlines when you decided to become an IS pilot, so I'm not." Ainsworth's tone changed from cheerful too cocky in two seconds flat as he spoke, his folded arms and cocked stance completely changing the air about him.

"Why you… answer my question, what are you doing here!" The blonde girl demanded, and the entire class seemed rather interested in this conversation.

"Alcott knows that boy?"

"Ohhh! This seems fun!"

None of you are helping!

"The answer to that is rather simple, Cecilia Alcott. I asked my parents to allow me to take the IS Aptitude exam over the summer, and wouldn't you guess, I was able to activate the machine rather easily! Though, as the son of the Ainsworth family, only the biggest invested company in the field of the IS itself, it's expected their child could use one, regardless of gender."

"Oh so you just assume such things? HA! I chalk that fact up to nothing more than pure dumb luck on your part! Just because you have the aptitude to activate an IS does not mean you have the skills to pilot one. You're just a stupid boy, I doubt you could figure it out as easily as I can."

The girl's voice was filled with complete contempt for men in general. Pride and prejudice, a lethal combination. It was clear these two didn't get along at all from this short exchange between them, and that along with it, the familiarity and ease with which they spoke with each other definitely was that of two who had known each other for years on end.

"I don't mean to interrupt this situation but uh…" I cleared my throat as I spoke, "Who are you two?

"What?! You honestly don't know who I am?!" The girl gasped. Well, I mean I kind of do considering Ainsworth said your name, "Just talking to me should make you feel honored!"

"I don't see how one could feel honored talking to someone they've never met, much less heard of." Ainsworth replied, speaking the very thought I was having at the time, though his way of delivery was pretty binding.

"Allow me to give a more formal introduction to myself." Ainsworth said, flicking his fringe again, "I am Adair Ainsworth, the only son to the Ainsworth Innovative Conglomerate of Britain, one of the highest investors in Infinite Stratos technology in the world. As I informed you of earlier, I am here as an acting Representative Cadet of Britain."

"I'm the Representative Cadet for Britain!" Alcott snapped, "And fine, since the hound has done so, I will introduce myself to this lowly boy as well. I am Cecilia Alcott, also of Britain. My family too is heavily invested in the Infinite Stratos, and I also scored the highest of all the first years on the entrance exam for this prestigious school!

Right, Representative Cadets. Those few students from each country who placed particular high on exams chosen to, well, represent their home at the school as the elite members. RCs, let's just call them that for short, while not ones to receive any preferential treatment in terms of lessons, are the only ones qualified to be given a Personal IS unit for reasons such as experimentation with new platforms or data gathering.

Basically, take the best and brightest of the crop and slap them into the experimental units. Works wonders, you ever watch any Mecha anime ever?

"I see." My reply was too short apparently, because while Ainsworth seemed to accept the small confirmation, Alcott didn't seem pleased by my apparently dumbfounded look.

"What?! Are you saying you don't know what I'm talking about?!"

"I didn't say I don't know. In fact, I didn't say anything at all." I flatly replied, Ainsworth snickering at the reaction it earned from Alcott, that being total shock at my tone, the sigh that followed as I leaned on a hand only seemed to insult Alcott even more, "Look, I've had to cram for the past few days and getting conked on the head as many times as I did in short succession likely rattled my brain enough to result in a concussion, so I may be a bit scatterbrained at the moment, but I'm not an idiot, so don't treat me like one."

I admit to having this weird thing where when I'm feeling irked or even a bit irritated. Normally I'm polite enough to not sass people whenever I get annoyed, but right now, I honestly wasn't in the mood to be looked down on or have things I knew explained to me.

"I know well enough what a Representative Cadet is. I just didn't know who either of you were." I affirmed, Alcott still looking rather appalled, "Look, Ainsworth here wanted to talk and then you barged in so can I politely ask you to let us do so?"

"Hah, someone with common sense!" Ainsworth scoffed, "He is right Cecilia. That was rather rude of you to just barge in on my and Sir Shinohara's conversation like you did."

"Please. I was planning on talking with Shinohara myself, but now that you're here as well, it seems my job just became easier." Alcott flicked her hair with a hint of further pride in her voice, and my sense was telling me the direction this was about to take, "Honestly both of you should feel lucky. Activating the IS is one thing, but being in a class with a chosen elite like myself is another thing."

"You did hear me say I'm also an RC, did you not?" Ainsworth muttered.

"Yeah and I'm one too… though not by choice." I added, Cecilia yelping and looking at me, "In fact I think all of us guys are."

"What?"

"Well it would make sense." Ainsworth stated, matter-of-factly holding up a finger, "As the first men with the correct aptitude to pilot an IS, our home countries would want us front and center. Oh yes, and for the record Cecilia, I also defeated the instructor during the exams."

"What?! But I thought I was the only one who beat the instructor."

"Possibly among the girls." Ainsworth gave a notable smirk with that, and the he picked up on my sigh, "What of you, Sir Shinohara? I assume that since you are here at this school, you two must know quite a lot about the IS?"

All he got from me was my head promptly slamming onto my desk with enough force to almost match a punch from Chifuyu-nee.

"What do you think?" I tilted my head to look at the two foreigners, my narrowed, troubled look telling all of the simple fact I truly knew nothing about the IS aside from it's basic background and such. I knew nothing about how to pilot one effectively, much less any of the particulars we are learning here. I may be a fast learner, but I have to be learning something first off.

And right now that limited knowledge on proper IS systems usage and such isn't even close to being called rudimentary.

"Ah… well. I heard rumors that you knew Instructor Orimura, so I assumed you may know quite a lot." Ainsworth stated, earning a more despaired look from me.

Great… this just means people are thinking I know what I'm doing all because I know Chifuyu-nee… this freaking sucks.

"Is that so? Hehe. Well, if you truly don't know anything about the IS, hm, let's see… well, perhaps if you got on your knees and begged, I'd be willing to teach you a thing or two about the IS. After all, I did defeat an Instructor, and whatever this fool here says, just know I am far more elite than he is." Alcott's tone was aimed straight at Ainsworth, and one could see the lightning flaring between their eyes.

Actually, speaking of beating an instructor…

"Speaking of… I also beat an instructor, actually… Well, it was less "defeated" more "ran into the wall and self-destructed" … I did nothing more than dodge out of fight or flight." I hung my head as the pitiful reason for the fact I managed that feat. I'm sure that these two beat the instructor with their own skills, and I could feel the stunned looks from the two standing next to me boring into my skull with wide eyes of shock.

"Oh yes, there was a mention of another of us boys defeating one of the instructors… two cases I think, actually." Ainsworth hummed, Alcott gasping again.

"Whaaat?! What sort of insult is this? How could three boys who'd never piloted an IS in their lives defeat an instructor like me, an elite, did?!"

You did hear me say I did nothing more than dodge, right?

"Relax Cecilia. It's not that big of a deal. You're still the only girl who defeated an instructor."

"Ahem."

All three sets of eyes from us turned when we heard the clearing of a light voice, Madoka giving an ever subtle Chifuyu-nee brand glare towards us.

"For the record, I did too." Madoka flatly stated, getting another gasp of shock from Alcott, "Also, Ainsworth, the bell's about to ring, you might wanna get your butt back to class before Orimura-sensei arrives and smacks you for not being in your proper class."

"Righto. Well then, Sir Shinohara, it was nice to meet you. Shall we speak again at lunch? I'll be sure to bring a few more of our comrades in arms when I do." Ainsworth made the suggestion so fast before dashing out I didn't even time to reply, waving as he left, Alcott stomping back to her desk in clear frustration, to which I merely hung my head again after looking to Madoka and yet again receiving the cold shoulder look.

For a first day, this is not going well, at all…


"So, before the lesson starts, we have to decide on something." Chifuyu-nee, who was now replacing Yamada-sensei for teaching us this class period, which would be equipment basics, "We need to decide on a class representative for the inter-class tournament."

Ehh? But it's not even the second day of school! Isn't the rep normally chosen after like, I'unno, a week? And… tournament? What, for like exposition of the pilots' skills? Why one so early in the year?

"The name is exactly what it says. The Class Rep will not only compete in this tournament, but will also attend both student council and committee meetings as well. They're effectively the class leader. Also, the tournament is just to gauge each classes' abilities, though currently there isn't much of a difference. The competition this early is to propose improvement as soon as possible."

Chifuyu-nee's explanation answered that question right quick. And being class-rep sounds bothersome… it'd definitely be busy… and maybe a bother. Well, good thing I won't be…

"Sensei, I say we nominate Shinohara!"

Oh, there's someone else in this class named Shinohara! What a coincidence!

"Yeah, I think that's a good idea!"

I wonder who this mysterious Shinohara is! I'd like to meet her so I can see if she'd fit the role! Anybody will do so long as it's not me!

"Alright then, our first candidate is Shinohara Aiden… anyone else? You can nominate yourself or someone else if you wish. Both are fine." Chifuyu-nee scanned the class, and from her expression, she caught wind of whatever expression I was making, and I swore I saw her smirk at me for a split second,
"Anyone? Speak now or it'll be unanimous."

Ah yes, for this mysterious… OH WHO THE HELL AM I KIDDING OF COURSE THEY NOMINATED ME!

Some kind of noise came out of my throat at the time. My mouth didn't move, but a noise came out. A pained laugh of denial, me trying to shove the possibility out of my mind. This has gotta be a joke. Definitely, just one big practical joke on part of the class! Why would they nominate the guy who barely knows jack about how to use an IS, riiiight?!

"Can I de-nominate myself from the candidacy by any chance Orimura-sensei?" My tone was flat and forced, clearly getting across I did not want this, a forced, twitching smile on my face as Chifuyu-nee turned her steely gaze towards me and responded simply by shaking her head, my own head sagging until it went limp as despair yet again gripped my fragile shut-in's heart.

And now I'm just being melodramatic…

"I said you nominate yourself or another. Once you're nominated, you can't back out." Chifuyu-nee's blunt reply only pushed the weight of this further on me as I slumped in my chair, tenting my hands and hiding my mouth as I let out an annoyed groan.

"Even if I'm unwilling to do it?"

"Just hold on a minute! I refuse to accept this outcome!"

*BANG* Ah, so that's how you exert yourself, Cecilia Alcott, slamming your hands on the table and shooting up to try and look imposing… geez, I need to get on this girl's good side somehow…

"This kind of election outcome is totally unacceptable! Having a man as our class representative is totally disgraceful! Do you expect me, Cecilia Alcott to endure this embarrassment for a whole year?"

Just keep going, keep talking and… wait, what?

"In terms of ability, it's obvious that I should be the class representative. It'll be troubling if some far-east monkey is to be chosen because he is a rare breed! I came to this island country to polish up my IS skills, and I have no interest in joining a circus!"

Since when was I less than human? When? Why? How? And Japan and Britain are both islands, so they're not that much different, hell, Japan is bigger!

"Isn't that correct? Only the talented should be chosen to be the class representative, and I'm the most suitable one here!"

This girl just couldn't hold herself back. As she kept going, Alcott's words become more and more anger driven. Even if I didn't want to be class rep myself, something about this scalding attack against me being in the position all because I was a man and didn't seem to have the talent she did was rubbing me the wrong way, hard. Something inside of me was getting ever increasingly irritated by this girl…

"Besides, being in a country with such an underdeveloped culture is excruciatingly painful for-"

Are you serious?!

"Oh will you shut up?! What's so damn great about Britian huh?! It's foggy, rains all the damn time, and oh yeah, the food sucks!"

"Wha-?"

-Oops…

I said it… I snapped and it just came out. Gingerly opening my eyes, the now offended blondes face was the picture of rising fury in someone trying to maintain their composure, the bright red flush giving away her frustration. Yet I honestly did not regret what I said.

"You… you… YOU! How dare you insult my country!?"

"You insulted mine first so shut it!"

Here we were, the point of no return. The rock was rolling, might as well follow it down this slippery slope.

"Fine then, it's a duel! A duel I say!" Alcott snapped, and if she had a gauntlet to throw, I'm sure it would've come flying for my face. This has officially become a battle of pride for this girl.

"Fine, it'll be easier than having a shouting match about it." I wasn't sure what my tone was, but there was irritation. Something inside of me I don't really remember feeling that much was ticked off. It was like being looked down on like this had suddenly become intolerable for me. Was this an inferiority complex I didn't know I had before rising up or something?

"If you lose to me on purpose, I'll make you my servant! No, my slave!" Alcott snapped, stalking over to me and getting right in my face, our glares meeting head on and locking.

"Then you better not come at me halfheartedly! It'd be insulting if you went easy on me."

"Is that so? Perfect! This will be a chance for me to show my skills and prove just how inferior you are compared to me."

What. Was I. DOING?! Shut up shut up shut up! This is not smart! This is not how you keep a low profile and stay out of suspicion! This is the exact opposite of that, the exact opposite of keeping attention off of me! But… something about that glare, those eyes that were screaming "You're beneath me, and I'll beat it into your skull!" was pissing me off. A part of me didn't like it and wanted to shut this girl up… I wanted to prove something, even if it went against the shy shut in I normally was.

"Fine… how much of a handicap do you want?"

"Ohh? Asking for mercy already?"

"No. I'm asking for how much of a handicap you need."

"What? Are you joking?"

In conjecture to Alcott's scoffing, the rest of the class burst out into laughter. And it was dead obvious why they found my remark so funny.

"A-Are you serious Shinohara-kun?"

"Yeah, men being stronger than women is kind of a thing of the past now."

"Sure you can pilot an IS… but this is going a bit too far. You're living in the past."

Dammit… of course that's how this is. It's all logistics. Sure not everyone can pilot an IS, but women are always potential candidates… logistically, men shouldn't have a chance at being able to activate an IS at all. It's why what happened for the five of us guys here are being called 'miracle events', things that logistically, should be utterly impossible. Otherwise, men were powerless. If there was somehow a divide between men and women, we men wouldn't stand a chance. All because of the super weapon called an IS, something that surpasses even the most advanced fighter jet or tank by miles with no hope of being reached.

But like hell I was letting this go!

"Heh, fine, whatever." My scoff actually got the laughs to fall silent, and I felt my expression shifting. It was a smirk. Cocky, pissed off, and desperate to prove something, "Forget about the damn handicap, I don't need it. But like hell I'm gonna sit back and let someone insult me like this! If anyone else feels like fighting me feel freaking welcome!"

Yeah… what I was feeling right now was definitely an inferiority complex. It had never bothered me before, in fact I didn't care. But now that I'm on this island, at the epicenter of where things shifted in this world… the feeling of inferiority couldn't be heavier, and it was frustrating, even if it's only been a day. All the eyes on me weren't expecting great things. Half of these girls were likely expecting just how miserably I'd fail, how funny it would be to watch me struggle to do what they found easy.

I think I finally understood what it felt like to be looked down on by the talented… and I'm gonna goddamn prove it to these girls I'm their equal!

"Fine then. Though, it does bother me I don't have to give you a handicap. Haha, Japanese men surely have an amusing sense of humor. Saying a man could be stronger than a woman? Hilarious!" Alcott's word felt scathing, like a fire burning right on my skin. The excitement in the class had died down, but this girl was still looking at me with contempt, her eyes saying she wanted nothing more than to stamp me into the dirt for insulting her.

"Shinohara-kun, it's not too late. You can still get Cecilia-san to give you a handicap." The sincere advice from the girl just behind me was true… but her odd expression – it was clear she was holding back laughter and hiding a smirk. All this did was pitch whatever fire that had started blazing in me more.

"And a man doesn't go back on his word! I don't need a stupid handicap! Besides maybe it's about damn time the status quo changes a bit!" I replied, feeling a biting tone of anger in my words. It'd been a long while… but this wasn't really unusual for me. But, after years of trying to fly under the radar, it felt odd being so confrontational again.

I was smart, athletic. I got good grades and did well during any physical activity I was a part of back then. I never really tried to do so well, I just did it… I knew I was talented in academics and sports. Not the best, but certainly not the worst nor was I average… it was just enough I was looked at with equal parts admiration and contempt. And part of it was because I tried not to make a big deal out of the talents I had. For the number of people who thought I was modest, about as many thought I was being an arrogant poser.

And now here I was, facing the truth of the world. Whatever talent I had that I didn't care for would always pale in comparison to those people who could pilot an IS, who could be part of what changed the status quo of the entire world in just a decade. And this feeling of inferiority was pissing me off.

I didn't look down on others because I was talented in certain areas, so why should these people look down on me because they are and I'm not in this one!?

"Uhm… not to push this further, but Shinohara-kun, you're insulting an RC, and do you even know what an actual IS battle looks like?" Another classmate inquired. And truthfully, I knew as little as I did about the IS itself. Sure I'd watched videos of Chifuyu-nee from back in the day and whatever was popular on the internet, but that was all spectating.

"Well then, it seems like we have a common understanding then!" Chifuyu-nee spoke, clapping her hands to silence things, though I swore I saw look far different than her steely frown aimed at me for a bit as I sat down, bouncing a leg as the feeling of frustration hadn't left my body yet. "Shinohara, Alcott, make sure you're prepared for this. You'll have a week. Now, back to class!"

I can handle learning the basics in at least a week… it shouldn't be that hard to do it at all. Just some cramming of study and all. I was able to use one of the stock models during the entrance exam, and I managed for a while at the least… but, I couldn't help with the uneasy feeling in my gut.

It was too late for me to back out, I knew that much. I don't have a choice, and if I win this, then I'm stuck as the class rep… but, I don't want to back down. Something about that look, the fact this all feels like a joke to the others around me… I can't get by just coasting along and trying to be modest and under the radar… I may not like it, but I have to prove myself here if I want to get any respect.

I'm gonna have to start working my ass off…


Well, first day report… aside from shit hitting the fan far faster than I would have liked… I can't really talk. Mainly because I couldn't.

After classes ended, for the afternoon and lunch break, I was followed all around by girls from different classes and years, and yet they were all keeping their distance. It wasn't like it was an honor guard or something, just gossiping girls following one of the only male bodies now present in their territory in observation.

But, it was a bit grating, especially with the mood I was in after class. Needless to say, I spent a good portion of my afternoon walking around with a storm cloud above my head that made people avoid me. Not one of sadness or despair, one of broiling anger at what had just happened. Maybe I'd snapped too fast, maybe I was overreacting, but it wouldn't go away. Part of me was screaming in anger at the treatment I'd gotten.

I know the world is unfair… but this is just absurd.

Absurd enough the passive shut-in I usually am got angry enough to jump right into his goddamn grave!

"Ugh… I just need to lay down and sleep this off…"

I put a hand over my face as I trudged through the hallways of the dorm building. Apparently with the sudden situation that cropped up because of me and Alcott, what would have taken me a while longer to get a room, seeing as I was the odd numeral among the males here at school, I'd been chucked into the nearest convenient room for me to be in.

The thing being, since there'd never been a male IS pilot before, the world was in a freaking uproar. Government officials, ambassadors, freaking DNA testers had been piling at my door, all with the mindset of "We need a live sample no matter what." Of course, my parents turned them away right quick for my own safety. Anyone who'd go along with that stuff was an idiot anyway.

It's also kind of why ISA is a boarding school attached to the mainland only by a monorail, to protect it's students from greedy governments and militaries who'd like nothing more than to reap the harvest of potential soldiers with immense skill.

So basically, my life as it had been before was over and a long way away. Yay for fucking me…

Yamada-sensei gave me a number… let's see, room 1025…

Once I reached the door, I stopped myself as I inserted the key into the lock. See, I read a lot of light novels, both good and bad, and anything in between. I know the clichés and how this crap works, so I'd been formulating it for a while once I figured out the whole dorm situation.

Branch A), I get a room to myself. Which seems like it would have been the case if not for the sudden rush of things and all. So, this branch has been locked out for the time being.

Branch B) My roommate is one of my fellow men, and I'm spared from one hardship while another gets it. This Branch could still be possible.

Or, Branch C) (for cliché) My roommate turns out to be a girl due to some sick joke of the cosmos. A 50/50 with B.

And from there, another few branches play out. First, I walk in on her and she's dressed, and explain the situation. All is well and good. Second, I walk in on her as she's either getting out of the shower or changing, which leads to either an adult conversation where I clear up the misunderstanding, or, and this is the really cliché route, I get attacked and barely get a chance to try to clear up the misunderstanding until my skull has nearly been caved in by someone overreacting in an unrealistic manner.

Might as well be cautious and use common sense…

Knock, knock, knock

I pressed my ear to the door just to be safe after tapping the door, not getting an immediate reply, though I heard the faint noise of a shower. Well, that fixes nothing in retrospect for me. So I can either wait and listen for when the person gets out and knock again to confirm their gender, or take the biggest risk of my life and enter the room I've been assigned and hope for the best case scenario.

Logic dictates I do the former. And a sense of not wanting to look like a creep while sitting in front of someone's door and listening in is telling me the latter.

Screw it! I'm dead enough as it is after today, and I wanna sleep, I'm going in!

A soft click sounded from the lock as I turned it open, slowly opened the door and peering around the room as he pulled my duffel bag in, the other hand hefting the wrapped training sword back into place over my shoulder as I entered, slowly and cautiously.

The shower was still going, so I had a moment to look around. The luggage was unopsed and didn't indicate anything, though I noticed two items… a shinai used for kendo, and a bokken, like the one I had wrapped over my shoulder.

So… two options… either my roommate is a guy who also happens to practice kendo… or my roommate is one of two people who I know would likely attack me on sight due to a misunderstanding of the exact sort that could be caused here. Though this is me assuming off of the most likely scenario possible from the situation I have found my sorry butt in.

Just. Freaking. Great.

"Hm? Is somebody there?"

Route B has officially been closed off to me…

"Ah, you must be my roommate then. Nice to meet you, I'm Orimura… Mado… ka…"

My neck creaked as I looked around to view one of the two people I was dreading most to possibly see walk out of that shower… Madoka herself, her tiny framed wrapping in nothing but a towel and one more sliding off of her damp hair.

"So can we talk this out like adults or…" As the words came out of my mouth, Madoka's face turned a tomato like shade of red, a yelp coming from my throat as I ducked the attempted armbar she threw, dropping my duffel bag as Madoka wheeled around and grabbed her bokken, to which I grabbed my own wrapped practice sword and blocked it, "Okay apparently not!"

"What the hell are you doing in here?! I locked the door, how did you get in?!" Madoka growled, pushing down on the sword I was using.

"A key! If you took a moment to calm down and not make this scene any more cliché, I can explain this and we can talk like adults!" I shouted, pushing back up and keeping a lock. I may be a bit out of practice with my kendo, but I'm still plenty strong, and Madoka's not the monster her sister is, so we're at least even enough I can hold my ground against her in a blade lock.

"And why would you have a key to my room?"

"Chifuyu-nee handed me the key before I left class and told me which dorm room to go to! How was I supposed to know we'd be roomed together?" I replied, Madoka slipping for a moment when I mentioned her older sister, the slip giving me enough of a chance to push her away from me and scramble back. "I think it was random or something, or maybe this is some sick joke of the cosmos, I don't know! But can we please be reasonable?!"

Whatever momentum had been carrying me forward at the moment from the sudden adrenaline rush at being attacked, the movement's Madoka had made the entire time just so happened to cause the towel wrapped around her body to loosen… and the item promptly slipped off of her body and to the floor.

This isn't going to end well…

"Uhm… h-hey, M-Madoka, just calm down for a moment!" I began backing up as Madoka's face reddened further as she picked up the towel to hide her body, pointing the bokken at me as I started inching towards the door, "I'll just… g-go outside and…"

"BE QUIET!"

WHAM!

And with a solid blow to my head, I felt my mind rattle as my vision slowly blacked out. I'd clearly been hit hard enough to knock me unconscious.

Well… what a way to end my first day of high school…


A/N

Nearly a year later and what do I do? Take this damn thing down then put it back up… hah… well, blame me going back and editing these first three chapters to a certain degree of things and giving myself more solid footing… mainly because I bought volume 1 on Bookwalker so I had a better reference point when doing said edits… because proper translations. Hah. Sorry for things but, hey, feel free to PM me with any questions you may have and I'll be a spoiler free as possible!