Infinite Stratos > 04. The Class League Match

Rin: Ichika, I was wondering if you missed me after I moved.

Ichika: You promised that you would treat me a meal every day, wasn't that it?

Rin: What a jerk!

Ichika: Jeez, I bet it would really hurt to get hit by that thing.

- - - - -OP- - - - -

Rin: Not bad! You were actually able to stop my first attack. But that won't last.

Houki: Ichika...

Cecilia: Come on! What on earth is he doing out there?!
You should be using the cross grid turn I taught you!
Have you forgotten how to do it?!

Ichika: At this rate, the match is gonna be pretty grueling. I need to create some distance.

Rin: So naive. And that was what you would call a jab!

Houki: What the hell kind of attack did she use?!

Maya: What she used was a shock cannon.
It's a weapon that manipulates the barometric pressure of the surrounding atmosphere.

Cecilia: That's right. The Shenlong is a third generation model IS just like my own Blue Tears.

Rin: You're dodging pretty well.
I thought the invisible barrel and the ammunition were supposedly this Ryuho's features, however.

Maya: There's something else about the shock cannon.
It fires at any angle unlimited by its barrel's angle [of skew].

Cecilia: So what you're saying is it doesn't have a blind spot?

Maya: Yes, I'm afraid that's exactly right.

Ichika: If I don't make some kinda preemptive strike, she's going to win!
I have to get it together. I'm using the exact same machine that Chifuyu uses.

Chifuyu: Humph!

Ichika: So is the Yukihira Nigata the only weapon the Byakushiki has?

Chifuyu: And I won the championship using only that.
Just one swing is good enough to win.

Ichika: You know, I really wish you wouldn't put me in the same category as the world champion.

Chifuyu: If you wanna be realistic, an amateur like you doesn't have a chance of winning a shooting battle.
Do you know anything about recoil control, how to distance yourself on a bullet line, one zero stop, absolute turns?
What about ammo characteristics, atmospheric conditions, or the intellectual aspects of battles such as the influence caused by the opponent's equipment?
And that's only the beginnings, so can you handle all that? Well, can you?!

Ichika: I'm sorry...

Chifuyu: Humph, look, I know you pretty well and mastering one technique is really more your style.
After all, you are my brother, right?

Ichika: The barrier disabling attack... Can I use it? Rin.

Rin: Yeah, what is it?

Ichika: Look, I'm warning you. I'm not gonna hold back.

Rin: What's that mean? That's what you're supposed to do?
Besides, I'll show you that we're not in the same league!

Maya: It looks like Orimura's thinking about trying something.

Chifuyu: My guess is that he's using the ignition boost, exactly like I taught him.

Cecilia: Hold on, what is this "ignition boost?"

Chifuyu: It's a form of surprise attack in which you close in on your opponent at a maximum rate of speed.
As long as he can ignite it just the right moment, he can even go toe to toe with the representative contender.
Unfortunately, this is his only chance because it just works once.

Rin: What the...?

Girls: What happened?

An earthquake?

Cecilia: What? What in the devil just happened out there?

Houki: Ichika!

Maya: The system's been damaged!
An unidentified object appears to have penetrated the arena's deflection shield.

Chifuyu: Suspend the match! Orimura, Fan, get out of there immediately!

Ichika: Hey, what's happening? What in the hell is going on?

Rin: Ichika, the match is canceled. Get back to the pit now!

Ichika: But what is.... huh? Another IS? And there's no identification on it.
Is it locking me out somehow? How could I be locked?

Rin: What are you doing? Get back to the pit!

Ichika: Get back? And what are you going to do?

Rin: I'm going to buy us some time, but you need to get out of here right now.

Ichika: Now wait a second. There's no way I'm going to leave a girl behind!

Rin: You idiot! You're the weaker fighter so you don't give me choice. Now move!

Ichika: But...!

Rin: It's not like I'm going to handle this all the way to the end, okay?
I'm just standing it, until one of the teachers can get out here and handle it.

Ichika: Look out! The beam weapon. And it has a higher power output than Cecilia's IS.

Rin: Hey you idiot, you need to let go of me right now!

Ichika: Stop moving around!

Rin: Shut up!

Ichika: Stop that! Don't hit me. Jeez, quit wiggling!

Rin: Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!

Ichika: Here it comes! Just what is that damn thing? It's not any IS I ever heard of.
All right, you! Identify yourself! Answer me! Who are you?! What are you doing here?!

Maya: Orimura, Fan! You need to vacate the arena at once.
The teachers will be there soon with their IS units and neutralize the situation.

Ichika: No, we've gotta keep it occupied until everyone evacuates.

Maya: I understand how you must feel about this.
But you just can't do that! Get out of there now!

Cecilia: Ichika, right!

Houki: Ichika!

Ichika: Are you okay with this?

Rin: Are you talking to me, you jerk?
Can't you see that all I want you to is let me go?
I can't even move if you're holding me like that.

Ichika: Oh, sorry.

Rin: It looks like she's ready to do this.

Ichika: Yeah, let's say you're right.

Rin: Ichika, how about you charge out her while I cover you?
That's your only offensive weapon, right?

Ichika: More or less, right. Let's do it.

- - - - -

Ichika: Rin! Wait!

Maya: Orimura, please come in! If you can hear me, please respond!
Are either of you listening to me? Fan, Orimura! What are you doing?

Chifuyu: They said they could handle the situation, didn't they?
So I'd say we let them go for it.

Maya: What? Please say that you're not serious.
How can you say something like that at the time like this?

Chifuyu: Oh, calm down. Just chill and have a cup of coffee or something.
You're only stressing because your body's running low on sugar.

Maya: And before you drink that, what you actually just added was the salt.

Houki: Ichika...

Cecilia: Please, ma'am! Give me authorization to use my IS! I can move out right away.

Chifuyu: I wish I could do that, but... Well...

Houki: The arena's deflection shield setting is currently at level 4.

Cecilia: And on top of that, all the doors have been automatically sealed.
Did that IS cause this?

Chifuyu: It seems so.
As things stand, we can't evacuate.
And we can't go in and stage our rescue, either.

Cecilia: Very well then. Deem this an emergency and ask for government support!

Chifuyu: We've done that. The senior elites are doing their best to crack the system even as we speak.
And as just soon as they have the deflecting shield under control, we'll be sending in the troops.

Cecilia: So I guess that means that for right now, the only thing we can do here is wait.

Chifuyu: That's right. But you couldn't help the shot troops in any case.
So there's no reason for you to worry about it.

Cecilia: What? Exactly what are you trying to say?

Chifuyu: I'm saying that Blue Tears is designed to fight multiple opponents by itself.
Which means that if you try to work with a group, you'll just be getting in everyone's way.

Cecilia: No! That isn't true. I won't! How could you think I'd do something like that?

Chifuyu: So have you had group training?
What was your position on the team?
What was your ally's formation?

Cecilia: Well...

Chifuyu: How did your squad set the enemy?
And what was the duration of the operation?

Cecilia: All right, then I give up! You made your point already.

Chifuyu: I hope so. You need to understand why things are as they are.

Rin: Ichika, do it now!
Oh you idiot! Aim that thing like you're supposed to!
That was your fourth try already!

Ichika: Hey, I am aiming it, damn it!
Oh crap. I'll only be able to use the barrier disabling attack one more time.

Rin: Ichika, break away.

Ichika: Right.

Rin: What are we going to do? We'll never beat her without some kind of strategy.

Ichika: Hey, you can still run if you want to.

Rin: Who said anything about running, you jerk?
I'm still a representative contender, you know.

Ichika: You're all right. How's this sound?
You take the point and I'll cover your rear end.

Rin: That's appreciated.

Ichika: Stay focused!

Rin: Yeah, tell me something I don't know!

Ichika: You know what? Don't you think that that thing's movements look a little too mechanical?

Rin: Hm, what do you mean? It is machine, you know.

Ichika: No, that's not what I'm talking about.
I'm wondering... if there's really anyone piloting it.

Rin: What? But an IS won't work without a pilot.
Now that you mentioned it, I've noticed it hasn't attacked us while we're talking to each other.
It almost seems like... she's curious about our conversation.

Ichika: Yeah, I know.

Rin: Uh-uh, there's no way it can be unmanned.
Someone has to be inside an IS or it won't move.
That's just how it is.

Ichika: But think about it. What if.... What if there really is no one in there?

Rin: Wait. Are you saying we could beat it if it's unmanned?

Ichika: Yeah. If there's no one in there, we can literally pound it with everything we've got and we'd be okay.

Rin: Pound it with everything we've got, huh?

Ichika: Reiraku Byakuya. That's Yukihira Nigata's all-out attack.
The full force of Yukihira Nigata is normally too powerful.
So you can't go allow with the day training, or in the class match for a matter.
However, you could if your opponent was unmanned.

Rin: Look, I don't know anything about your Reiraku thing or whatever.
But you can't seem to hit the darn thing right now.

Ichika: Oh, I'll hit it.

Rin: Well, you sound pretty determined.
So even though I don't think it's a possibility, let's just say it's unmanned and I attack the thing anyway.

Ichika: All right.
So the plan is that you shoot it with the cannon at full blast, but only when I give the signal.
Are we both agreed on that?

Rin: Sure, but it'll miss it.

Ichika: It'll be fine even if it does miss. All right, let's do this.

Houki: Ichika! If you're a man! If you're a man, you better defeat the enemy completely!

Ichika: Oh crap! Houki! Run! Rin, do it now!

Rin: You got it. Hey, you stupid idiot!
What are you doing? Get out of my line of fire!

Ichika: Just shoot, damn it!

Rin: You crazy jerk! Whatever happens, it's not my fault!

Ichika: This is for Rin, Houki, Chifuyu and everyone else I care about! I will protect all of you!

Rin: Ichika!

Houki: Ichika!

Rin: Ichika, get up!

Ichika: How's your aim?

Cecilia: Perfect, of course.

Houki: Cecilia.

Rin: But why did you...

Ichika: Cecilia, take him out!

Cecilia: Roger that. I'm on it.
It looks like we made it with not a second to spare.

Ichika: I knew you'd come through in time, Cecilia.

Cecilia: Oh-oh, do you really mean it? Still, that's to be expected, right?

Ichika: Well, it's over now. In any case... Oh, you're kidding me!

Rin: Ichika, it's still moving!

Ichika: Rin, what are you doing just then?

Rin: Were you awake?

Ichika: Why are you acting so nervous?

Rin: What makes you say that? I'm not nervous.
That's a completely ridiculous thing to say.

Ichika: So what happened to the IS?

Rin: It got shut down. Don't worry, though.
You were the only one who was hurt in the attack.
Everyone else is fine.

Ichika: I see. You know, now that I think about back when we were in elementary school,
wasn't it an evening just like this when we had that talk about eating sweet-and-sour pork?

Young Rin: So, if I become a better cook, will you eat my sweet-and-sour pork every day?

Ichika: So about that promise, was it actually about something else, Rin?
Because I seriously thought you meant you were going to treat me the three meals every day.

Rin: No, it's not about something else. It's really not!
It's just that when you cook for someone else, your cooking improves.

Ichika: You know, I'd love to try your sweet-and-sour pork.
But to be honest, it'll be hard to top your father's cooking.
Man, I'd love to have that again.

Rin: Well, yeah... He doesn't work there anymore.

Ichika: What? Why did he stop?

Rin: The thing is my parents, they got a divorce.
That's one of the reasons why I decided to move back to China.

Ichika: Hey, Rin. Would you wanna go hang out some time?

Rin: You mean, like a date?

Cecilia: Surprise, Ichika dear! I hope you're feeling much better now.
But I've come to look after you.
What is this? Just what are you doing here?
I remember we decided no one can make a move on Ichika till he wakes up.

Houki: And how about you then?
Because from my view of your [fat-ass], it sure looks like you were trying to get ahead of me.

Cecilia: Ah well, the thing is... ah...

Rin: Get out of here, both of you!
Don't you understand that Ichika's my childhood friend?

Houki: Oh, he's mine, too.

Cecilia: You're from class 2, Ms. Takeaway.

Ichika: Hey. Where's Chifuyu?

Cecilia: Now that you ask.

Rin: Yeah, where do you think she went?

Houki: She was right there with us until just a few minutes ago.

Maya: So it really was unmanned. And it seems the core was unregistered.

Chifuyu: I see.

Maya: There are only 467 known IS cores in the world.
And yet somehow, this IS was equipped with a core we know nothing about.
How can that be...?

- - - - -ED- - - - -

A new beautiful boy has just appeared!

No way! Where is he from?

He's from France and his name is Charles Dunois.

He's not only good looking, but he's nigh smart and strong, too.

Yeah. He seems to be perfect in so many ways.

But he looks like he might have some secrets.

The next episode, Boy Meets Boy.

Orimura and Dunois are such dreamy boys.
And now they're both at IS Academy.

And we are so glad!