Chapter 27

(Ichika's POV)

After receiving that warning I realized that I couldn't just leave.

(Ichika): "Colonel, analyze the ISs in front of us. Iris, try to see the conditions of the pilots, and if you know who they are or how they are if you can."

(Colonel & Iris): "Immediately Ichika-sama!"

At that time Ling came to talk to me.

(Ling): "Ichika, the game is over! Let's go!"

(Ichika): "Unfortunately, the penetrators target me according to Byakushiki. If I try to leave it is the same as asking to be shot."

(Ling): "You clearly have the speed to get out without being hit."

(Ichika): "I have, but the people he can attack by going after me don't."

(Colonel): "Ichika-sama! One of the enemy ISs is going to fire, and the target is Huang Lingying!"

My mind almost stopped at that time. It just confirmed that whoever it was, they wouldn't mind shooting, and that we couldn't just get out of there.

(Ichika): "Ling!"

I went straight to her, and held her in style carrying the princess, and pulled her out of the way, the other two fired too, but I managed to dodge them too.

(Ling): "Thank you..."

(Ichika): "You're welcome... and a ray gun... and it seems that the power is even greater than Cecilia's..."

(Ling): "Why are they doing this?"

Each of the ISs fired again, I managed to dodge each of them without a problem, and as I kept dodging the rays, the fire and smoke subsided revealing three identical ISs, or at least I believed they were IS because they were totally different of the ones I've seen.

I couldn't see the pilot, his arms were giant and it seems that the exit of the ray gun was his palms and shoulders, he was black with red eyes.

(Ichika): "This model is new..."

(Ling): "Who are you? What do you want?"

There were no answers, they just stared at us. At that time, Iris gave me a news that I didn't expect.

(Iris): "Ichika-sama. These ISs have no pilot! There are no vital signs coming from them or signs of heat coming from that area except for destruction."

Had anyone figured out how to make an IS work without a pilot? Until now, there had to be a pilot to make them work. Right after Iris gave me the results, I heard Maya-Sensei's voice.

(Maya): "Ichika-san! Huang-san! Get out of the arena immediately! Soon the teachers will use their ISs to deal with the situation."

(Ichika): "So someone has to stay and hold them, or at least get their attention. These things managed to break the arena barrier, if they decide to go after the students it will be a massacre!"

(Maya): "This is true but..."

(Ichika): "I'll see what I can do. Try to get out of the arena or help the teachers get there faster."

(Maya): "Ichika-san!"

(Cecilia): "Ichika-san!"

(Houki): "Ichika!"

I was surprised to hear Houki and Cecilia's voice too, I didn't know they were with Maya-Sensei and my sister.

(Colonel): "Ichika-sama. No data on this IS, it seems to focus on brute force and their cannon are their own hands as well as their shoulders, it seems that the strength of their shields is greater than one would expect from a I suggest using the other form of Yukihira or her wings to finish quickly. "

Unidentified units, in addition to unmanned. The only people I could imagine doing that were Tabane-san or [Phantom Task]. But it was not time to form theories.

(Ichika): "Ling, do you think you can handle it?"

(Ling): "I can at least serve as a distraction ... can you let me go now?"

(Ichika): "It was bad."

The moment I let it go another round of shots were fired at us. We swerved and stayed in position, with those three ISs coming towards us as they fired.

(Ling): "What do you plan to do?"

(Ichika): "Abusing energy... but I have to guarantee that I will get it right without getting it..."

(Ling): "I get their attention!"

At that time she started shooting, the ISs dodged them, but they were focusing on her. I took advantage of this opening and used my wings to shoot. I admit that aiming was never my specialty, even with the wings of Ouri, I still had some problems, and I can't just shoot anywhere, because I could hit the benches.

Two of the ISs we were facing deflected the shots, but I managed to destroy one. I didn't mind doing that, since there was no one. However my shield had gone to 50%. I would have to go to melee, to avoid further problems.

I heard Ling's voice, along with her image.

(Ling): "Ichika! How are things?"

(Ichika): "One is gone, two are missing ... and it seems that there is no one inside them."

At that time I heard my sister's voice.

(Chifuyu): "What did you say, Orimura?"

(Ichika): "These are unmanned units!"

(Ling): "So there's no reason for us to hold on."

(Ichika): "We don't know what they can do. We will continue with the strategy before."

(Ling): "Understood!"

She fired the cannons again, drawing attention, but it was just one of them, the other remained focused on me, but I managed to avoid the shots and get close enough to be able to cut it, but for a machine there was a good reflex and I only managed to cut one of the arms, but I used it I used three of the six wings as a sword and cut it.

But again my shield fell completely, now I was with only 20% of the energy.

(Ichika): "Another one is gone! Ling, how are you?"

(Ling): "Well, but I ended up being hit a few times and my shield is a little low."

(Iris): "Ichika-sama! Cecilia Alcott is close to your location!"

One more ally, after all I didn't have my boots on, if he managed to dodge even if luckily, I would be screwed.

(Ichika): "Hang on just a little longer Ling!"

(Ling): "Okay."

I looked for where she was, and she was really having a little trouble. I went straight to the black IS and attacked him, but he chose a beautiful moment to dodge, when he tried to hit me he went back because of Ling's shots.

(Ichika): "Cecilia! Finish it!"

At those times, several shots were fired, hitting the black IS with everything, but he was still standing. I was going to be critical, but I was going to risk it. I went forward and cut him in half because he was distracted by the multiple shots.

After that the arena was silent.

(Ling): "Ichika!"

(Cecilia): "Ichika-san!"

I turned and the two stopped in front of me.

(Ichika): "Good job. And thanks for the backup, Cecilia."

(Cecilia): "You're welcome."

After that, the teachers arrived and took care of the rest of the situation. We went down and went to the hangar and deactivated our ISs, to be received by Houki, Maya-Sensei and Chifuyu-nee. Everyone was relieved when they saw us.

(Houki): "Ichika!"

She came to us, and hugged me. Cecilia and Ling kept looking at me with envy, as did Maya-Sensei and, for some reason, my sister.

(Ichika): "I'm fine." - I said while stroking her head.

When she released me, Ling and Cecilia nudged me, I realized that they had sulky expressions, so I also stroked their heads, kind of to reward them for their hard work, which cheered them up at the time.

(Chifuyu): "Orimura, Huang, Alcott, good work."

(Ichika & Cecilia & Ling): "Hai!"

(Maya): "You must be tired. Leave the rest to the teachers."

We just agreed as we left the hangar, I was fine, but Ling really looked a little tired, so we went to get something to eat.

(Chifuyu's POV)

I couldn't believe that someone had decided to attack the Academy so soon. I already expected an attack but it was more towards the middle of the semester or even around the next, but I didn't even have a month.

I was thinking about how to get the teachers to go to the arena without compromising the students. At that time, Maya called Ichika and Huang.

(Maya): "Ichika-san! Huang-san! Get out of the arena immediately! Soon the teachers will use their ISs to deal with the situation."

(Ichika): "So someone has to stay and hold them, or at least get their attention. These things managed to break the arena barrier, if they decide to go after the students it will be a massacre!"

(Maya): "This is true but..."

(Ichika): "I'm going to see what I can do. Try to take whoever is in the arena or help the teachers get there faster."

(Maya): "Ichika-san!"

(Cecilia): "Ichika-san!"

(Houki): "Ichika!"

I had to stop myself from calling him, along with Maya, Shinonono and Alcott. Even though he was strong, I still worried about him.

After that Ichika and Hunag started to fight against the three ISs, Ichika managed to defeat one of them by making the wings of their IS shoot out rays of energy. He managed to defeat just one, it looks like he was bad at targeting, and his shield went straight to 50%.

He had said that Byakushiki's One Off Ability changed with the 3rd Shift, but it seems that the properties of Reiraku Byakuya, the skill I used in championships and in battles was still part of Ichika's IS, and he could activate when he wanted. I admit when I heard that I was stupidly happy, which even surprised me, as I felt that my bond with Ichika was still firm.

But right after that, he gave me a news that I didn't expect.

(Ichika): "One is gone, two are missing... and it seems that there is no one inside them."

I got wide-eyed, and asked to make sure I heard correctly.

(Chifuyu): "What did you say, Orimura?"

(Ichika): "These are unmanned units!"

I knew that countries were trying to make ISs work without a pilot, but I didn't think they would use that to attack the Academy. The battle continued with my brother using the same wings as a Yukihira, which only made me wonder if he made the wings look like this or if they looked like this with the 3rd Shift. It seems that Tabane had found a rival in that business.

At that time I saw that the path from the room where I was to the arena was clear.

(Chifuyu): "Alcott, if you want you can go help them, the way is clear."

She turned and looked at me in amazement for a moment, but then her expression became serious.

(Cecilia): "Understood!"

She ran out to the arena. The fight continued and ended with the victory of my students. I was surprised that Ichika noticed Alcott, and apprehensive too. Me, Maya and Shinonono went to the hangar, where the three entered, the moment Ichika turned off his IS Shinonono already hugged him.

That made that feeling, which Maya had said was jealous, to appear again, and it got stronger when he stroked each of them on the head, as they had just come back from a fight, I decided to take a break from they. We took the ISs, or what was left of them because of the fight, to analyze.

It took a while to get the things we needed.

(Maya): "Orimura-Sensei. Ichika-san was right. They were unmanned units. They have unregistered cores."

(Chifuyu): "I see."

(Maya): "There are only 467 IS cores in the world. But the cores used in these three ISs are not among them. How...?"

I was asking the same question. It looks like this year at the Academy was going to be pretty complicated.