Chapter 4

"Maiden in Blue"

The following days passed by to Amuro like a broken cassette tape, he was just studying IS mechanics and the next thing he knew it was already the weekend.

It might be because it was an uneventful week for him.

He can't say the same for Ichika though.

On the third day of academy, Ichika have received his personal IS, much to everyone's shock. It is because Personal IS are reserved for special individuals, like National Representatives, National Candidate Representatives and IS Ace pilots. To have a Personal IS is a hallmark of one's skill, potential, talent and experience in piloting the IS.

So imagine everyone's shock to see a guy who has zero knowledge (he's still learning) and experience in IS piloting got his own personal IS.

But what about Amuro?

He got zilch.

Because unlike Ichika who probably got steamrolled by the government into becoming an IS pilot, Amuro didn't.

He was done fighting and he will damned if he will pulled back to it.

He made a deal in with government. Yes, he is one of the only male IS pilots in the world but he also knew his cards. He knows he is a genius compared to this era, which is has a very skewed technological advancements. With that said, he made a deal.

He will become a student in IS academy and learn IS piloting, mechanics, development and research. It was the only ideal situation where he can avoid getting into the government's palms. Unlike Ichika who has Chifuyu Orimura who can protect him from the government with her many connections, he is an absolute nobody in the IS field.

He all alone so he has look after himself.

Dad might hate it that he wouldn't be able to join him in the company (as much as he wanted too) but it looks like he have to settle as an IS researcher and developer.

But...

It looks like Ichika will be in trouble in the future. Amuro can't help but feel something off when Ms.Orimura handed the closed off IS unit to Ichika. He doesn't know why but she oozed with anxiety and anger.

All directed to the Ichika's IS unit.

The Byakushiki.

The Byakushiki is grey IS unit reminiscent to Japan's standard IS unit, the Uchigane, with its grey color scheme. The difference is that where the Uchigane had the samurai motif, the Byakushiki was probably inspired of European Knights. It color grey like the Uchigane but has more bulkier but streamlined armor compared to the latter for less drag in flight.

Overall, it was a solid design for an IS.

But Amuro has nothing but contempt to the design or for all IS designs at all. If he can help it, he would never be caught piloting a damn deathtrap like an IS.

For a suit, IS units fully exposes their pilots. A very huge flaw in the design.

But IS units have Energy shields, no need for armor? And if the IS even ran out of energy, the unit itself will be inoperable, making extra armor redundant and useless.

But that's human complacency.

If an IS and a Mobile suit would meet in battle, not a duel but in all out fight in a war, casualties will be high in IS pilots. Yes, IS units has the mobility and firepower to rival most of the mobile suits in his old world but in terms of protection and absolute firepower?

Mobile suits pilot will have more survivability while under tons of armor and steel. In firepower, most Mobile suits has one or more weapons with various sidearms and modules. Not to mention the melee weapons.

Amuro is rather curious how would an IS shield would fare against a Beam Saber or worst, a Heat blade.

So yes, Amuro hated overall IS designs. He would prefer an old ragged Zaku I unit than to pilot a deathtrap like an IS which also makes the pilot look like a fool.

One could imagine how perverted the creator of the IS is. Just looking at the Uchigane, Byakushiki and Blue Tears (Alcott's Personal IS) makes his skin crawl.

No way he's piloting that while looking like a stripper.

He still have dignity.

The first practical IS lesson was actually an enlightening experience for Amuro, despite wanting to dig a hole and die in it. Ichika and Houki obviously partnered in flight testing his spanking new unit.

Obviously, he crashed more than a few times.

He even did an infamous pose in one his crashes.

As for Amuro, it was smooth sailing for him. It was like a missing part of him finally returned when he took flight. It was an exhilarating feeling to once again take flight, even with the Uchigane's embarrassing design and pilot suit.

He enjoyed his time.

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Cecilia huffed as she once again waved away another group of female students away from Ichika and Houki as they eat lunch on a Saturday noon.

She has been doing this for over a week now and it's getting irksome for her. How boy crazy are these girls are? Can't they see that Ichika's taken?!

Yes, taken.

She didn't know how she did it but Houki have already stake a claimed and marked the damned boy. Cecilia can respect her commitment though and silently rooted for her.

Too bad! Ichika's a dumbass and a dense buffoon!

Just watching them from a far makes her want to rip out her hair in frustration and beat up Ichika everytime Houki awkwardly tries to flirt and fail spectacularly because Ichika would either say something dumb or misunderstood the meaning entirely.

Houki, stay strong.

As such when Cecilia become the Class Representative by default (Amuro and Ichika backed down from the responsibility and Houki also passed it down despite her sister's reputation), she had become the couple (not yet) impromptu matchmaker and helper to Houki cause she seriously needs it.

Damn you, Ichika!

Still, Cecilia pitied him. Not for being an educated monkey, he still is in her eyes but his learning under Houki's help, but in his situation.

Amuro Ray was right, their admittance to the school is a special case which shouldn't have allowed not for being inappropriate but also for the boys themselves.

Both Ichika and Amuro are hounded by the girls of the academy, moreso on the former. From senior and first years, Cecilia already lost count how many girls she have to figuratively beat with a stick to stop harassing Ichika whenever they found him alone. As the Class Representative, it's her duty to look after her classmates even if it's Ichika or Amuro.

Speaking of Amuro, he took the girl's attention far better than Ichika. For Ichika who is constantly getting mobbed and needed help from either her or Houki, Amuro casually deflects the girls advance in a respectful yet firm manner, forcing the girls to back off or be seen as rude.

Cecilia's rather impressed actually.

So imagine her surprise when she found him casually talking to a blue haired girl, a first year.

.

.

.

WHO'S THAT GIRL?!

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"You should add backpack thrusters to offset the weight imbalance in the design."

"But it wouldn't it be impractical?"

"Impractical if you want to be thrown away each time you fire your main armaments." Amuro pointed at the girl's laptop where a 3D design of an IS unit is displayed.

"If my guess is right, your IS would be a heavy longe range unit with its main weapon." He said as pointed at the huge installments on the unit's mainframe.

"Even if it's a beam weapon, the recoil would still be immense for a lightweight machine such an IS. Not to mention, the recoil would be multiplied by the PIC system by a huge margin."

"Ooh, I didn't take that to account." The girl but her lip as she saw the flaw in her design. Her expression turning into a frown and with her shoulders slumping down.

Seeing her overreacting, Amuro sighs.

This is Sarashiki Kanzashi, a blue haired, glasses wearing girl with a mousy disposition he met by pure chance around the academy grounds the first week.

He found her designing her own personal IS and muttering hateful remarks against Ichika. Her anger was understandable when he found she was Japan's Representative Candidate. The reason as to why she is even designing her own Personal IS and hate toward Ichika is because of his Byakushiki which delayed her Personal IS development.

At this point, she already given up on the government provided personal IS and just decided to make her own with a modified Uchigane.

Something that actually took Amuro's interest so he decided to lend her a hand. Of course, Sarashiki was reluctant to his offering until he began pointing out flaws and giving his thoughts and inputs to her design.

So in the past days, they have been meeting at the school fountain and review her design. Sarashiki's in charge in the overall design of the unit while Amuro reviews and checks the design for flaws and improvements. He even offered manual help to her which she was grateful to have.

For Sarashiki, she was glad to have Amuro's help. With their current progress, she can actually participate in upcoming events with her own IS.

Although, she does feel bad for mistrusting Amuro at first. She can't help it, she's just to angry at the time. She's fortunate that Amuro's more patient than her.

But sometimes, he reminds her of her sister.

"Oh?" Kanzashi was suddenly startled as Amuro rubbed her head.

"Don't think much of your mistakes. Instead, learn and try to improve yourself from it." He said as he pulled his hand away.

"Now, back to your design. We still need to come up with a system for your missile pods. I doubt that Uchigane have a lock on system installed on the get go." Amuro murmured as he studied the display.

If he just looks back, he would see Sarashiki Kanzashi's face steaming red.

Meanwhile,

"He's the worst. Worst than Ichika." Cecilia plainly thought out loud, staring blankly at the pair.

If anyone else would stumble on this scene, they would thought that two are a couple.

Which is basically what Cecilia suspects!

(This girl is watching too much Japanese Drama, I tell you)

With a huff, Cecilia turned around and walked away, muttering resentful and unladylike curses to the man who scorned her.

"Fine! He already have a girl to take care of him so I'll leave him alone." She thought.

In the following days, Amuro is in a surprise.