Infinite Stratos: The White Unicorn of Hope

CHAPTER 4

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A/N:

Just got my email hacked, and since everything that I use has the same password, it's damn inconvenient having to change every password for every website I frequently use.

Worse, my Epic Games and Steam account emails and passwords have been changed, so I'm kind of cooked if I can't retrieve my accounts back.

I think both accounts combined had over a thousand MYR worth of games and cosmetics; it hurts, but hey. At least they didn't take my League account; that one's rather... Yeah. No words needed.

Ahem, I've already requested help from their customer service, and now I'm just waiting for them to respond with good news, hopefully. I'm rather confident that Steam would help a homie out, but I have no idea how well Epic would help.

It's a bit ironic that a computer science degree student got hacked; it happens.

So here's a chapter for you to soothe my soul. A bit rushed to the action, but I didn't want to drag the drama for another chapter. [ ;) ]

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As the bell rang, signifying that lunch had come, Bakura shot out of his seat before walking to where Orimura was seated.

Without any words, the only male companion he had on the entire island stood up and led the way.

The cafeteria was easy to find and navigate thanks to the signs on the wall, so they reached the cafeteria quickly, and to their surprise, there was no line.

Well, it was due to the girls separating as soon as they saw them both, like Moses parting the red sea.

The staff behind the counter gave them a polite bow and served their food without hesitation, though they did keep their eyes on them even after they moved away from the counter.

Government-provided meals. Fully funded. Fresh ingredients. Balanced nutrition. And above all... free. One of the few perks of being a male in a place like this.

"... I think I can get used to this part."

Orimura muttered, poking at his tray stacked with grilled chicken, seasoned rice, and a side of salad.

"No complaints here."

Bakura replied, taking a sip of his bowl of miso soup.

A second of silence passed between them before Bakura finally spoke up, taking a bite from his meal across the table.

"So... How did you end up here?"

He got a large heave as a reply before Orimura started recounting the whole situation before IS Academy.

Bakura listened before giving his side of the story.

By the time the both of them finished recounting their situation, their plates were almost empty, so they spent their time finishing their meal when Orimura spoke up.

"... We guys need to stick together."

Their eyes simultaneously darted around them. Everyone from the first year up to the third year was staring at them eating.

A shiver went down their spines before they nodded enthusiastically.

"Well, I'm counting on you, partner. Just call me Ichika."

"Call me Bakura, then. I think we should be in the same dorm, so if there's anything you need, ask. I'll do my best to help."

They shook on it, but before either of them could react, the cafeteria practically exploded in shrieks.

"Kyaaaa—!!"

"Did you see that?! They’re so close!"

"I ship it! I ship it so hard!!"

They let go of their handshake immediately after that.

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As it turns out, they were assigned to different dorms. At least, for now.

Ichika’s admission to IS Academy had been so last-minute that the staff had to hastily squeeze him into the nearest available room before the registration system finalized placements.

So for the time being, he had the dormitory for himself.

A beep from his cellphone rang. Looking at it, he couldn't help but wince at the message.

They've been talking online after exchanging phone numbers, and yikes, he was living with his childhood friend. From what Ichika was complaining about earlier, they seemed to have a bit of a discord.

Sigh... He'd been saying this a lot, but poor guy. As a get-well-soon card, he'll send over some basic material on IS technology when he gets the chance.

The dorm room was... surprisingly luxurious. Five-star hotel-level standards, seriously. The beds alone looked like they belonged in a penthouse suite, very nice.

Ah, his computer had already been installed on one of the desks; that's convenient. Booting it up, he quickly sent over the IS material to Ichika with a good luck message before he leaned back in the desk chair, sighing.

The soft hum of the computer filled the silence of the room.

... He was going to fight in a week's time. Against a National Cadet, nevertheless.

Wait, surely there had to be some info about her online that he could study.

Pulling himself forward again, he opened a browser and clicked into the academy’s internal network. The computer was already connected through a wired line, probably part of the pre-installed setup.

Looking through the school website... There. A log-in option. Logging in with his student ID, a smile dawned on his face as he now had access to the academy's database.

Let's see what kind of IS the National Cadet of the UK is rocking...

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"By the way, Orimura and Uchiyama, it will take some time until your IS units are ready."

The bombshell dropped by Ms. Orimura the next day shocked him as he almost clicked his tongue.

Damn, now all the training time that he planned out in his schedule is now for naught.

"For Orimura, We have no spare units, so you’ll have to wait a little. The academy will provide one exclusively to you. As for Uchiyama, there are some problems with your IS, so it's being fixed as we speak."

Hearing this, he started to worry for the Unicorn, something that Ms. Orimura noticed as she reassured him.

"The problem isn't major. The team just had to do some extra preparations."

Phew. That's a relief. If anything happened to the Unicorn, he might cry.

But still, to get a Personal IS from the government is an honor... Wait a second, will he even be granted the Unicorn?

Most IS pilots use the standard mass-produced model, after all. There are only 467 IS units in the world due to the Alaska Treaty, so the chance of him getting a Personal IS like the Unicorn is slim...

He had to ask later.

The question bugged him until the end of the first period, when the small break gave him the window as he quickly stood up and made his way to the hallway.

Both Ms. Orimura and Ms. Yamada were already walking down the corridor, so he picked up his pace and caught up.

"Excuse me, Ms. Yamada. Ms. Orimura."

He called, causing them both to glance back.

They paused, and Bakura stopped a few steps behind them. He took a breath, then asked.

"About my IS unit… the Unicorn. Will I be allowed to use it?"

Ms. Yamada blinked, surprised by the question. Ms. Orimura, on the other hand, regarded him with a knowing stare before responding.

"You were the one who activated it. That alone puts you in a category of one. Besides, the IS Core has synchronized you as its only pilot; therefore, you’ll be using the Unicorn. It’s already been assigned to you as your Personal IS unit."

He barely held his clenched fists at his sides as he mentally thanked the gods. Ms. Yamada then continued.

"Your IS is now your partner, not a tool or weapon. So, please remember that when you pilot it, alright?"

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He's now... kind of made friends with Shinonono Houki? It wasn't clear due to them not talking much, but it's safe to say that he's at least an acquaintance with her for just one reason.

He's Ichika's friend and a male; therefore, he was deemed a lesser priority?

That’s the only way he could describe it. He didn’t do anything special; he just happened to talk to Ichika during breaks, lunch, and occasionally after class.

Oh, and he gave Ichika some of the data he'd been compiling for the match, just in case he lost and Ichika had to take his place in the duel against Cecilia.

That was probably the only reason she didn’t dismiss him completely. He was a male and was just Ichika’s friend.

Unlike the other girls in class who were clearly trying to cozy up to Ichika with smiles, lunches, and not-so-subtle giggles, Bakura kept his distance.

And he was so dense about it, by the way. Shinonono has been giving sign after sign, yet the man doesn't react or realize the neon-lit signs.

He felt bad for her, honestly. The way her eyebrow twitched every time another girl tried to sit too close to Ichika was a show on its own, though.

Now, if only that wasn't the only good thing that happened in the whole week leading up to the IS battle.

It's been a full week, and he still hasn't seen his IS unit. What was keeping them? Not being able to train with it is one thing, but to delay it until the day of the match is just ridiculous!

And that Cecilia kept on bugging him all day, mocking and berating him; it's starting to make him a little pissed off, even his patience and goodwill had a limit.

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It was after school, the time where the battle would take place, and he was already sitting in the locker room that the staff directed him into at the third arena, yet still no news of Unicorn...

Bakura sat on the bench, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, tapping his foot nonstop. Ichika and Shinonono left a moment ago to watch the battle at the stands, so he was all alone in the locker room.

His gaze flicked over to the digital clock on the wall. 10 minutes left. If they’re going to make him walk into that arena with nothing but his fists, they better at least give me a helmet to avoid any head injuries at the very least.

Damn it. All this planning against Cecilia's IS and it was all going to waste because he didn’t even have an IS to fight in.

Then—

With a sharp hiss of air, the locker room door slid open. Ms. Yamada stood, slightly hunched and out of breath, clearly having sprinted across the facility.

"Uchiyama! U-Uchiyama! It's here!"

Bakura shot up from the bench, his heart leaping in his chest. She pointed to the pit area, where the storage bay was located.

"Bay 3! They just finished moving it in!"

"Thanks, Ms. Yamada."

With a short nod, he bolted out of the locker room as he sprinted toward the launch bay. In just under three minutes, he reached the storage bay where a large metallic door stood. Near the frame of the metal door was Ms. Orimura, who was waiting with crossed arms.

Jogging to her, he panted slightly as she looked at him.

"It arrived just three minutes ago."

With a sharp metallic sound, the storage bay of the pit opened. The doors were raised vertically, and as they drew apart, the inside slowly came into view.

"The Unicorn... It's..."

Smaller? It was still larger than an average IS unit, but back then, it was nearly twice the height of any standard frame. Now, it stood perhaps a head and a half taller than the average IS model.

Resting his hand on the chest of the Unicorn, he felt the familiar jolt that went through his body.

[PILOT: UCHIYAMA BAKURA, RECOGNIZED]

The synthetic voice echoed from within the frame, and with it, the IS began to move.

With a mechanical whirr, the front armor plates began to shift. Sections of its helmet, chest, and legs split open smoothly, sliding and folding apart as servos hissed and unlocked, revealing the cockpit from within the IS unit.

He exhaled slowly.

"... I'm back."

"Uchiyama."

He turned just in time to catch a black-and-gray package thrown his way.

"Get dressed; this suit is custom-made for you to handle the IS. I expect you back here suited and ready in five minutes."

"Yes, ma'am!"