Just another irritatingly dull day… A quiet Ichika Orimura thinks to himself.
It’s a bright and sunny Autumn day outside, and the sole male academy student himself seated in a train cart. Today he and his class are on a field trip, as part of their class activities to the Capital of Peace and Tranquility, Kyoto. With his head resting on his hand, Ichika lackadaisically gazes out his window; he sees the deep blue sky, the sturdy mountains in the distance, and the forest's foliage slowly turning orange and brown, however, he finds it all to be lackluster.
The brooding Young Orimura sighs, I-I… I wish… I wish something--anything--would happen…
The sole male student instinctively reaches for a pen and sketchbook, but quickly comes to a halt; he wants to draw, but doesn’t know what he wants to fill up the page with or why.
“Hehehe… The Goddess of Victory has truly smiled upon me this day.” says a smug, blonde girl with a British accent.
“Nein!” a silver-haired girl rebuffs with a German accent. “The last laugh will be belonging to me.”
“Buddha, help me!” shouts another girl with long brunette hair, tied back in a ponytail.
And then it got worse…! Ichika growls in his head, wincing due to another girl shrieking in defeat.
The group of seats parallel to his are where some of his other classmates and fellow I.S. pilots--Houki Shinonono, Cecilia Alcott, Lingyin “Rin” Huang, Charlotte Dunois, and Laura Bodewig--sit; they are currently playing a card game. These girls are the ones that make his dull and boring life into an absolute nightmare; wherever he runs, wherever he hides, they follow him like lovesick puppies.
And that’s not even the worst part, they try to attack him with the intent to mutilate every time he does something that they don’t like; they draw their darts and knives whenever he gets close to another girl. They attack with whatever they have in-hand whenever he rejects their advances. They activate their I.S. suits whenever he is caught in a compromising position; naturally, he defends himself, but for some reason they just cannot take a hint. It. Is. Maddening.
“Oh, is that your camera?” Charlotte asks, pointing to the instrument hanging around the sole male student’s neck.
“Yeah, I brought it from home,” Ichika responds after giving her a brief glance while massaging his temples. “Chifuyu suggested I take some pics, for class mementos.”
A puzzled Houki repeats, “Class mementos?”
“As class representative, I’ll be separated from the group. I’ll be wandering around taking photos at my leisure.”
“Separated from the group?!” A disappointed Houki frowns.
Disheartened, Laura queries, “You will not be joining the rest of us?”
“How could you neglect to tell us such an important thing?!” A devastated Cecilia yells. “HOW COULD YOU?!”
Thank God for that… A stern Ichika looks away as they pile on him, giving him flak. “Hmph.”
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“We demand to know what’s going on?!” The British I.S. representative, Cecilia, raises her fists.
“Ughhhh…!!” Ichika tilts his head back and gives an exasperated sigh.
A little while later, the Young Orimura was able to find a modicum of enjoyment in the peace and quiet during his sightseeing when Charlotte found him and started following him. They’ve just arrived at one of the shrines, where three of the other I.S. pilots just so happened to be; after being caught, an interrogation ensues.
In agreement, Rin leers, “That’s right! Have you two been on a secret date?”
“Oh, no!” Charlotte puts her hands up, nervously trying to diffuse the situation. “It is not like that.”
Not saying a word, Ichika takes off, walking at a brisk pace, to everyone’s confusion and vexation; the signs are clear, he knows when he is being set up to take another beating.
“Ichika, where are you going?!” One of the calls.
“Nature's calling.” The boy shouts, not looking back. There’s no way in hell I’m falling for that again…
As he puts more and more distance between himself and those annoying battle-axes, he crosses paths with fellow first-year and Japan I.S. representative, Kanzashi Sarashiki; the blue-haired girl is wearing a pink kimono, dotted with yellow flowers.
The sole male student walks right past her without batting an eye. “Hi. Bye.”
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Now alone, on a bridge, Ichika finds himself staring into the distance with nothing but the sound of the stream below to keep him company; he leans over the rail as he ruminates over this unpleasant sensation gnawing at the back of his mind, this feeling surfaces every once and awhile; he feels like he’s not whole.
What’s wrong with me…? Sulking, the boy clutches his chest. …What could I be missing deep inside?
“H-Hey, uh… I-Ichika?” A familiar voice stammers.
Ichika looks back, and to no one’s surprise, it’s the cranky Houki who spoke to him, interrupting his thoughts; a beat of sweat runs down her unusually flushed face.
He nods, giving her a curt greeting. “Houki.”
“Oh, uh… I-It looks like we’ve gotten separated,” she says with a nervous smile. “Y-Y.. Y’know, there’s supposed to be a wonderful bamboo forest close by… Ha-Have you been there already?”
Nice try, Siren… Wise to her attempt at seduction, the sole male student wears a blank expression while telling her, “Yeah, I’ve been there. Got some great pics, too.”
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“Is that him?”
In the distance, two hidden figures keep to the shadows within the forest, watching the boy and girl on the bridge; the girl slowly walks away with her head low and arms drooping to her sides; the mysterious pair of individuals keeps their eyes on the boy.
“Is he the one?” One repeats themselves.
“Yes,” replies the other. “It’s almost time for our family reunion…”
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Hours later, on the veranda outside the Kiyomizu-dera’s main hall, a number of I.S. Academy students gather to view the sunset along with other tourists; Ichika sees the dazzling amber ball of light shift into a fiery crimson as it slowly sinks below the horizon and can’t help but look at it as gray.
“Hey, everyone~!” Their assistant homeroom teacher, Maya Yamada, makes an announcement; she has a hand by her mouth as she yells. “Make sure that you return back to the monorail platform at the allotted time~! Okay?”
Some students, in unison, respond with, ““““Yes, Ma’am!””””
*Click!*
Paying them no mind, the sole male takes the moment to capture his elder sister and homeroom teacher, Chifuyu Orimura, on film; the way she stood in light, for some strange reason, he felt compelled to take that picture.
Noticing what he did, the stoic Ms. Orimura turns to face him. “Etiquette requires that you ask for permission before you take a lady’s picture.”
“I won’t apologize. You looked like something out of a painting.”
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
“Hmph. Be sure to give me a copy later, okay?” Her stern demeanor breaks briefly as she gives a warm smile before walking off.
“Hello, Ichika.” The French I.S. representative, Charlotte, says, walking up to him with a warm smile.
“Hey.” An expressionless Ichika replies, curtly. Dammit. Why are these sirens so… needy?
“I was hoping you could show me the pictures you took.” She looks intently at his camera with curiosity.
Shrugging, the male student picks up his camera and reactivates it, flipping through the menagerie of photos taken throughout the day.
“Woah… You have been to so many places today!” The amazed Charlotte voices, leaning in to him.
Ichika notices her chest pressing against his arm, but keeps quiet and rolls his eyes; there is absolutely no reaction to speak of going on “downstairs.” If anything, the boy feels some slight discomfort.
“I’d like to have a look at them, too.” Cecilia appears out of nowhere, at his other side.
With the British girl’s bosom now pressing up against him as well, the male student feels even more uncomfortable than he was before.
They’re getting on my nerves more than usual… The veins in Ichika’s forehead begin to bulge.
“Orimura!” One of his other classmates calls out, raising her hand. “I wanna see them, too!”
“It’s not fair!~” Another girl shouts.
“Me too, Orimuu~!”
All the girls from his class begin to crowd around him, reaching for his camera; unbeknownst to him, the girls are shoving into him so much that he doesn’t even realize that he is being forced, inch-by-inch, closer to the edge of the veranda. All he can do is hold his instrument up high, out of their reach; the higher they reach, the higher he has to hold it up. Unfortunately, he’s reaching so high that his grip has loosened, and the camera slips out of his fingers, falling off the veranda and into the forested area down below.
Without thinking, Ichika hurriedly pushes everyone out of the way and jumps off the wooden platform, chasing after his device; he catches his camera in midair, and with his free arm, he grabs hold of the nearest tree branch once he’s close enough; he immediately pulls up and kicks his legs over, doing a pullover onto the branch.
Now standing safely on the offshoot, the I.S. student looks down and scans his immediate surroundings; he finds all the nearest solid branches and jumps down, parkouring his way to safety; the rush from the whole experience makes him feel something as well as deep confusion.
I didn’t even know I could do that… A perplexed Ichika ponders, landing gracefully on the ground. …How DID I do that?
*Snap!*
A startled Ichika whips his head around and spots someone he wasn’t expected to be here of all places; she’s a short, petite girl with a striking resemblance to his sister, Chifuyu; she even has the same hairstyle. She wears a dark cloak that goes down to her thighs.
“Madoka.”
This dangerous girl is a member of a certain terrorist organization, Phantom Task, and she claims to be his and Chifuyu’s other sister.
“Ichika Orimura,” The terrorist coldly glares, activating her I.S.. “I’m here to take… your life.”
*Pew!*
Madoka takes a shot at Ichika, but he swiftly leaps out of the way the instant before she pulls the trigger and activates his own I.S. suit, the Byakushiki; in a flash he is covered in a white and blue, robotic armor.
“It'll be far more than that little gun of yours to do me in.”
“Just accept your fate,” The young terrorist commands, looking down on him. “Because after I kill you, Chifuyu’s next.”
*Pew!* *Pew!* *Pew!* *Pew!* *Pew!* *Pew!* *Pew!* *Pew!* *Pew!* *Pew!* *Pew!* *Pew!* *Pew!* *Pew!* *Pew!* *Pew!* *Pew!* *Pew!* *Pew!* *Pew!* *Pew!* *Pew!* *Pew!* *Pew!* *Pew!* *Pew!* *Pew!* *Pew!* *Pew!* *Pew!* *Pew!* *Pew!* *Pew!* *Pew!* *Pew!* *Pew!* *Pew!* *Pew!* *Pew!* *Pew!* *Pew!* *Pew!* *Pew!* *Pew!* *Pew!* *Pew!* *Pew!* *Pew!* *Pew!*
With her I.S., the Black Knight, the malicious Madoka raises her pair of lances, and unleashes an intense volley of energy blasts; with her massive butterfly wings, she ascends and hovers above him. However, the male student quickly takes flight and circles around her while just barely staying ahead of the enemy’s line of fire; he widens the perimeter of his flight path and maneuvers through the surrounding trees just to throw off her aim.
Accelerating, Ichika scoffs, “You? Kill Chifuyu? I wish I could laugh.”
The young Orimura then lunges for Madoka’s blind side, his cold, metallic fingers digging into the back of her head. The student hoists the terrorist into the air and proceeds to rocket down, slamming hard into the ground; a small crater forms where her head made impact.
“Weak. Just like the cause you fight for.” Ichika wears a blank expression as he smothers her face into the dirt.
“In the nightlight, do you see what you dream??”
What the…? Suddenly hearing a techno-rock song, the perplexed student stops what he’s doing and listens to this somber melody; he throws his foe through a tree. …Where is this music coming from?
He is uncertain of where this song is coming from--in his head? All around him? Or maybe both? There’s a very sudden and incredibly strong urge to move his head to the rhythm.
“?Look around you, then you may realize…??”
Ichika doesn’t recognize this song at all, but for some reason, deep down inside, it tugs at his heartstrings with its extreme familiarity; it makes him think of sleepless nights over guilt of past mistakes and obligations, but there’s a wish or hope that there will be a liberation from such haunting emotions.
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*Pew!* *Pew!* *Pew!* *Pew!* *Pew!* *Pew!*
“…future? But then you still control the past??”
*Pew!* *Pew!* *Pew!*
Where is this music coming from?! Flying in her Akatsubaki, the perplexed Houki thinks to herself as she performs some quick maneuvers to avoid enemy fire; she shouts to her friend, “Cecilia! Let’s head back over to the monorail!”
“Understood!” The British representative gives a quick response as she returns fire with her personal I.S., Blue Tears.
*Tsew!*
“I can’t kill properly with this racket going on!” An agent of Phantom Task, the sadistic Autumn, roars while chasing after the two girls; she aims her Arachne I.S. 's railgun at them. “COME BACK HERE, DAMN YOU! TAKE THA--AAAAAIIIEE!!!”
Startled by the abrupt shriek, both academy students look back only to be frozen by what they witness; the terrorist is being swarmed by a small team--a trio--of amorphous creatures with menacing eyes and rows-upon-rows of razor-sharp teeth; they move like their made entirely of liquid as they rip apart her I.S. suit.
“I call dibs on her liver,” declares the dark green one with yellow zig-zag markings; he knocks out the terrorist with a single punch. “It’s the best part.”
“Go ahead, I just want the brains.” The effeminate black creature with a long and luscious red ponytail responds.
Excited, the slender, winged black and green one pumps his fist and says, “How serendipitous! I believe that leaves me with a surplus of everything else.”
“?…be with you?”
The two schoolgirls look on in horror as they watch these monsters drag their unconscious opponent back to terra firma before tear her limb-from-limb; blood splatters everywhere, soaking the creatures’ bodies in red as they pick out their most desired body part and devour it with glee; Houki’s stomach churns at the sight of such a gory and savage display.
Shaking her head, the pale-skinned Houki heads back to the temple; sensing an ominous premonition, her skin crawls. I-I… I have to find Ichika…!
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“?…I dream of an absolution?”
And like that the song comes to an abrupt end, leaving only the sound of leaves rustling in the wind and the swishing water in the nearby stream; Ichika can’t help but feel disconcerted as his heart rate increases, pounding out of his chest.
Sweat running down his face, the male student draws his sword, the Yukihira Type 2; the energy blade illuminates his immediate area. “H-Hello…? Show y-yourself.”
“There’s no need to be afraid. Afterall… we’re family.” claims a disembodied voice; a strange creature appears before him with large, menacing eyes shining like supernovas. “You are safe here, father.”
This being possesses the physique of a female and her skin is blacker than pitch; however, that’s not even the most peculiar thing about her, stars and entire nebulas can be seen moving on--within--her body; lastly, there is a large, flowing insignia of a spider on her chest. The Young Orimura feels the very depths of his soul screaming at him that he’s known this stranger for decades…
“J-Just who… or wh-what are you?” Ichika asks, entranced by curiosity; he hesitates at first, but ultimately lays down his sword.
With a warm and affectionate tone, the being reiterates, “Your family.”
This overly familiar creature takes a step forward, and Ichika raises his sword against her once more; she proceeds to slowly saunter her way toward the male student, whose blade begins to tremble with each step she takes; the closer she gets, the more his hands shake.
“Don’t worry. You won’t be needing any of these toys anymore.” she says reassuringly.
The celestial being calmly grabs the energy blade by the tip and moves it out of her way; she cups her warm hands around his face, pulling Ichika in close and lifts his bangs up with a breath before giving him a peck on the forehead. While it only lasted a moment, the boy felt a gentle spark enter through that kiss.
Feeling a tingling sensation while a surge of energy courses throughout his entire body, the young Orimura takes a step back as the unknown being releases him from her grasp; the first thing he notices is how much lighter his bones and muscles are becoming, how much stronger they’re becoming. His height increases by about another ten centimeters, and his skin and clothes flake off like ash, revealing another layer of demise underneath; the complexion is pale white. His eyes feel hot as they pulsate with power with a similar experience occurring in the middle of his frons.
Once the transformation is complete the young Orimura looks into the nearby stream and sees his reflection in the flowing water; he is no longer a teen boy, but a full-grown man in his mid-twenties; both his hair and complexion are pale white and both of his eyes are purple with a ripple-like pattern; there is now a third on his forehead, which has the same ripple pattern, but is red in color and has what appear to be nine tomoe.
“Woah!” Amazed, he examines himself. This feels so… so… right. I feel rig–!
The young man falls to his knees, reeling in pain from this sudden splitting headache. While he writhes in pain, thoughts and images flood his mind, memories from previous lives integrate themselves into the very depths of his psyche, the core of his being. In his first life, he was just some guy from Austin, TX, someone who worked to pay for his hobbies; it wasn’t a very exciting life, but it was his, and he was content with it. In his second life, however, he found friends--no, a family--and they built up a ninja village that rivaled those of the five great nations, with him as the first Onikage. Ichika Orimura is not who he truly is, he is Jin Yamanaka Uzumaki.
As the migraine gradually fades, Jin gets back on his feet; he once more turns to face the odd yet stunning creature standing before him and recognizes her for who she truly is, mostly.
The white-haired ninja raises a brow, cocking his head to one side. “Mileena…?”
“Yes, Father!” The symbiote’s face emotes happiness; if she had tear ducts, she’d be crying. “Welcome back.”
