Infinite Stratos: The White Unicorn of Hope

CHAPTER 6

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Turns out that, ever since the Unicorn had synchronized with him, no other IS Pilot was able to operate her at all.

Several had tried, mostly backup testers. But they couldn’t get past the first step. The moment they sat in the cockpit, the system simply refused to budge. It wouldn't acknowledge them. The cockpit wouldn't even close.

That alone explained why the engineering team took so long to perform the maintenance on her. Every system was locked down unless Bakura himself was present.

So, barely minutes after his duel with Cecilia, he was summoned into the testing bay to finally run the initial diagnostics that should've been done weeks ago.

He was made to test everything: top flight velocity, Equalizer integration and compatibility, Absolute Defense recharge time, Passive Inertia Control (PIC) stabilization, and more.

And the data was mind-boggling, to say the least.

The Unicorn had 5 times the energy gain compared to a standard third-generation IS, something completely unheard of until now. And every parameter checked was leagues above any IS in general. It was faster, more durable, and more responsive.

At least, theoretically speaking. Practically, she was... slightly better than a normal third-gen. The reason for such a discrepancy was him. Specifically his body.

To keep it short, his body can't handle the full potential of the Unicorn. He could feel it; the Unicorn was limiting its output to keep him safe. Even with the Absolute Defense system protecting him, the sheer power behind the Unicorn would crush his bones and organs and injure him if she unlocked its limiters.

His body was fit for a normal teenager, considering all the part-time jobs he endured over the years, but it wasn't intended for IS-piloting purposes.

So, after some consultations with IS Academy fitness specialists and a dedicated nutrition team—whom he didn’t even know existed—he was handed a strict diet plan, a muscle development program, and a personal conditioning schedule.

Not that he minded. His diet consisted mostly of carbs and proteins, since he was on the lower end of the BMI scale. So, that meant he could enjoy more food now.

It also gave him a perfect excuse to sharpen his cooking skills now that he knew where the cafeteria sourced their ingredients from, thanks to a passing comment from one of the nutritionists.

And speaking of which, he was recommended to at least visit the Engineering Club for a more in-depth analysis of Unicorn's diagnosis and parameters compared to other personal IS units that they voluntarily maintain. Seems like the school needed the information for some future event down the line.

But that was tomorrow. Right now? He was beat. The moment he stepped out of the shower, in fresh nightwear, he quickly turned off the lights and flopped face-first onto the bed.

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The showerhead above her spread warm water across her body, droplets of water sliding down her body as Cecilia stood silently in her bathroom, deep in thought.

'That battle...'

The battle that occurred just an hour ago replayed for the 4th time in her mind as she tried to come up with a counter, but nothing came to her mind at all.

She was always confident in her ability and wanted to improve her skills to the limit, but the uncertainty over what had transpired made her very unhappy.

'I lost.'

She was brutally defeated the moment the battle started.

Her. Cecilia Alcott. National Cadet of the British IS Government.

'Uchiyama... Bakura.'

She thought back on that man.

The shrewd tactics that he employed to pressure and figure out her weakness, the innate combat knowledge over her own IS and capabilities, and the complete calmness and confidence in his voice.

This man... Was such a stark contrast compared to her father.

Married into her mother's family, from the time she was very small, Cecilia had been looking at her father, determined not to marry a weak man like him.

And especially after the IS was invented, her father had become even more servile and dependent. This had begun to frustrate her mother, and she developed a habit of refusing to talk to him.

Her mother had been a strong woman. One who had found success in society, even before women had begun to completely dominate men. Cecilia had always looked up to her as an ideal.

And then, they died in the accident three years prior. The train they were on vaulted off the tracks, killing more than a hundred and injuring several dozen.

Her parents had left her a very large inheritance.

She had spent a lot of time learning how she could protect it from the vultures.

As part of her efforts, she had received an A+ on the IS aptitude test set by the government, which had offered extensive privileges to entice her to keep her nationality, and she had accepted immediately.

It had been the easiest way for her to protect her inheritance.

After countless tests, she had been picked as the first-generation test pilot of the third-generation IS, Blue Tears. To gather combat experience and test data, she had come to Japan.

... She didn't expect to meet him here, that strong, white knight she had dreamed of since she was young.

"Uchiyama Bakura."

She tried saying his full name, feeling her chest tighten.

"..."

It was a sweet feeling, nothing she had felt before. This warm sensation that is filled with happiness and longing.

She wanted to know more: what this was and what it would lead to. She wanted to know more... About...

She ran the water in the shower for a while longer.

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The next morning, during homeroom...

"Well then, the representative for Class 1-A will be Orimura Ichika, while the vice representative will be Uchiyama Bakura. Mnn, it's good that we got this sorted!"

Ms. Yamada announced happily as the girls in the class also seemed very happy. The only ones who made a gloomy face were the males of the class.

"Teach, I got a question."

Ichika raised his hand.

"Yes, Orimura?"

"Well, I get that Bakura's the vice since he somehow won—"

"That's rude."

"—But my fight today is supposed to decide the representative, right? What gives?"

"Well..."

"I pulled out of the race!"

Cecilia stood with her hands on her hips. Bakura felt a bit weirded out, seeing her so positively happy instead of angry all the time—Wait, she was looking at him.

"I, Cecilia Alcott, am a National Cadet. That means that my experience in piloting an IS is far superior to yours! So, I've decided to let you be the representative, as combat experience trains an IS pilot like nothing else."

She flips her drill-curled hair.

"It would be unsightly if any of our classmates didn't have the experience to back it up. And considering that... Bakura is also a male, it would make the transition much easier for a person such as yourself, so be grateful that he's your vice!"

... Did she just use his first name? Nah, maybe he heard wrong.

"You really get it, Cecilia!"

"Exactly! We’ve got both men in the world who can pilot. We have to support them!

"Exactly, we'll learn a lot of great things, and we can sell the info to the other classes. Orimura and Uchiyama are the gift that keeps on giving!"

"I stan this ship!"

Hold on, wait a moment. What was that last one—

Cecilia cleared her throat and put a hand on her chin.

"A-As you can see, I'm the superior, elegant, beautiful... Nay, perfect human being! If both Bakura and I teach you the ways of the IS, then surely success is just around the corner—"

(Wham!)

Houki slammed her hand on the table and stood up.

"Sadly, the position of Ichika’s teacher is filled. He asked me to do it himself."

Houki glared with a rare level of hostility towards Cecilia and him. He quickly raised his hands up in the air.

'I... I didn't even know about this! Besides, I'm clearly not even tackling your man!'

But Cecilia answered Houki's gaze in kind. If anything, she looked a little prideful.

"Oh, aren't you the C-ranked Shinonono girl? Is there anything you have to say to an A-rank like me? Or Bakura, who defeated an IS pilot three ranks above you?"

"Th-The rank doesn’t matter! He asked me! I-Ichika said that it has to be me!"

Please, stop glaring at him! And Cecilia, stop dragging him into this mess!

"Wait, you’re Rank C, Houki?"

Ichika blurted out, which caused Shinonono to glare at the poor fool instead.

"The rank doesn’t matter!"

Oh, speaking of which. He's currently at upper B-rank himself. Prior to the fight, he was C-rank due to both the circumstances of his unique admission and insufficient IS aptitude data, but once all of it was settled, he was promptly given his rank.

"Sit down, you idiots."

Ms. Orimura walked over to Cecilia and Shinonono and hit them both in the head, causing them to sit down.

... A moment later, she smacked her own brother.

"Your ranks are worth nothing. The way I see it, you’re all green behind the ears. Like chicks inside the eggs, trying to break through, but still putting on airs."

What a harsh instructor.

(Wham!)

Ichika was hit once again.

"You were thinking about something rude, weren’t you?"

"I-I have no idea what you’re talking about."

"Uh-huh."

(Wham! Bam!)

"I’m sorry!"

Man, was he thankful to not have a sibling—

(Wham!)

"Uchiyama, be grateful for your parents' efforts."

"U-Understood."

It hurts! That material of that attendance record binder is so hard! And how did she even know what he was thinking about?!

"The class representative and vice are Orimura Ichika and Uchiyama Bakura. I believe there are no objections?"

The entire class yelled excitedly in agreement. Truly, this world is cruel.

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A/N:

I don't like how I had to copy and paste so much of Cecilia's monologue.

I tried rewriting it, but the original is just so good that I can't find a reason not to just use it.

My vocab and grammar isn't as great as I'd expected, I guess.