The atmosphere in the IS Academy cafeteria was a low hum of student chatter, laughter, and the clinking of utensils. But to Hayato, it all sounded like a dim background, muffled by the tumult of his own swirling thoughts.
SERA, in her chibi form on his shoulder, reminded him in a voice only he could hear. "This world operates only on basic physical laws. There is no global immune system like Alaya in the Nasuverse, no defensive Gaia, no active reality barrier that rejects anomalies."
Her voice then turned serious. "But remember: your Arc of Embodiment, combined with the new Telos Karma you obtained, could be suppressed or even flat-out rejected by certain worlds. Imagine the Nasuverse: the moment Alaya or Gaia detects an anomaly or foreign entity, the Counter Force will react—it could summon a Grand Servant, or manifest a Guardian. This world doesn't have that, so you are 'safe'. For now."
Hayato bowed his head, playing with his spoon over his unfinished rice. In a near-inaudible whisper, he replied, "I know."
Their conversation was cut off as Kaoruko Mayuzumi appeared with a camera in hand, a wide smile on her face. "I'm here to collect! A photo, please!"
Charlotte looked hesitant. "Can… I refuse?"
Hayato sighed. "Just once." He stood up, pulled back his chair, and stood next to Charlotte. They posed—Hayato with a forced flat expression, Charlotte with a nervous smile. Click. Kaoruko was satisfied.
Just then, the bell rang loudly, signaling the end of the break.
Ichika yelled, "Crap! Hurry, we can't be late! Chifuyu-nee will get mad!"
They hurried to the special male locker room—a small, rarely used space. Inside, Ichika approached Charlotte. "Ah, I haven't introduced myself properly. Ichika Orimura."
Charlotte shook his hand. "Charlotte Dunoa. Nice to meet you."
Hayato, who had already changed into his tight-fitting black-blue IS training uniform, noticed the short top. "Why is the top so short?" he muttered, then walked out, leaving the two of them.
---
The IS training field was vast, with a special surface that could withstand impacts and heat. Chifuyu was already standing in the center, arms crossed over her chest.
"Where are the others?" she asked upon seeing Hayato alone.
"Still changing," Hayato answered briefly.
Not long after, Ichika and Charlotte arrived. Chifuyu immediately began. "Today's training: a demonstration match."
Her eyes shifted to two specific students. "Rin, Cecilia."
Both Rin and Cecilia replied in flat tones, "Yes."
"The two of you who have personal IS units, step forward. Show the others."
Rin frowned. "Troublesome. Why me?"
Cecilia sighed. "I don't like being in the spotlight."
Chifuyu approached them, her voice low. "Show a bit more enthusiasm. This is your chance to 'show off' to him."
The "him" clearly pointed to Ichika.
Hearing that, Cecilia gave a faint smile, flicking her IS earring. "Very well. Now is the time to show the abilities of the British Representative."
Rin's competitive spirit was also slightly ignited. "This is a good chance to show the difference between pilots with personal units and those without."
Ichika could only say, "Oh."
Charlotte whispered to Hayato, "What did the teacher say to them?"
Hayato didn't turn his head. "Probably just encouraging them."
His thoughts, as usual, continued.
[Anyway, what's important is the pilot's own ability. A good IS is useless if the pilot's skill is lacking.]
Cecilia and Rin heard that thought. Their faces scrunched up slightly in annoyance. Charlotte was surprised to hear it from Hayato. Chifuyu hid a small smile. 'That's not wrong,' she thought.
"Your opponent will be—" Chifuyu didn't get to finish.
"WHOOOOAAAAAA—!!"
A panicked scream from the sky cut her off. Everyone looked up. A green-colored IS unit was falling uncontrollably from a height.
The pilot inside—Maya Yamada—was clearly seen trying to regain control but failing. Its falling trajectory… was heading straight for the area where a group of students was gathered!
Panic began to spread.
But in Hayato's mind, calmly and swiftly, a conceptual command formed.
[It's going to fall and hit the students here. Then, fall where there are no people.]
He didn't even need to raise a hand or utter a word. Telos Karma—the Sacred Gear that manifests a "prescribed end"—immediately went to work.
The principle of cause and effect was snatched and rearranged.
Maya's falling IS trajectory suddenly, unnaturally, veered 45 degrees in mid-air. As if repelled by an invisible plane, the unit slid sideways, defying the laws of gravity and momentum for a moment, then crashed hard in the middle of the empty field. Boom! Dust flew.
Silence.
Everyone, including Chifuyu, Cecilia, Rin, Charlotte, Houki, Honne, and the others, stood frozen. They had just witnessed something physically impossible.
In Ichika's mind, a thought popped up:
{Eh!? Its trajectory suddenly changed?}
Chifuyu shifted her sharp gaze to Hayato. 'What did he just do?'
From the spectator stands of the field, behind a flagpole, someone with purple hair and rabbit robot ears—Tabane Shinonono—smiled broadly while munching popcorn. "Hooo… The falling trajectory that should have hit Ikkun instead changed on its own, defying gravity. What power are you hiding, Hayato-kun?"
Maya Yamada emerged from the cockpit of her damaged IS, looking dizzy but unhurt. "Erm… I'm sorry…"
Chifuyu quickly returned to professional mode. "Alright. Change of plans. You two," she pointed at Cecilia and Rin, "will face Yamada-sensei. She was once a candidate representative. This will be good training."
Cecilia was confused. "Two… against one?"
Rin looked dismissive. "Feels… a bit excessive."
Chifuyu gave a thin smile. "With your current abilities, you'll lose to her in an instant."
That statement ignited a competitive fire in Cecilia and Rin's eyes.
"Begin!" shouted Chifuyu.
The three of them shot into the air. Cecilia deployed her four drone bits, firing blue energy beams.
Maya, with her experience, dodged with nimble maneuvers. Rin unleashed her "Dragon Cannon," but her shot missed. Unfortunately, in the panic to dodge, Cecilia accidentally collided with Rin.
While the two of them were in disarray, Maya seized the opportunity and released a pair of training missiles that hit them both. Boom! Boom! They crashed to the ground, landing ungracefully.
Chifuyu sighed. "This is the result if you underestimate your teacher."
Rin immediately blamed Cecilia. "Why did you crash into me?!"
Cecilia blamed back. "Why were you there blocking the way?!"
While that drama unfolded, Hayato observed the Prototype IS standing at the edge of the field. His mind drifted, and his Conceptual Vision, always active at a low level, caught something. Without turning, he "saw" the figure in the spectator stands.
[That rabbit is observing. How can she enter the academy and just watch while eating popcorn?]
That thought "leaked" once again.
The atmosphere suddenly fell silent. Everyone—Chifuyu, Maya, Cecilia, Rin, Charlotte, Houki, Honne—all turned to look at the spectator stands.
Chifuyu's eyes swept the area and immediately found Tabane waving cheerfully.
Houki was shocked. "Eh!? Nee-san?!"
Maya Yamada was also startled. "Tabane-san? Why…?"
Ichika was confused. "Huh? Tabane-san?"
{Why is she here?}
Tabane jumped down from the stands and approached with light steps. "Yaho~ Houki-chan! Long time no see!" She tried to hug her sister, but Houki shyly hid behind Cecilia.
"Nee-san, what are you doing here?" Houki asked.
Cecilia, Rin, Honne, and the others were still processing the fact that the inventor of the IS, the legendary genius Tabane Shinonono, was Houki's older sister—and she was here, right now.
Chifuyu approached with firm steps, her cold aura radiating. "Tabane. Why are you here? And how did you get in without permission?"
Tabane laughed cheerfully, unbothered. "Chi-chan, don't be so mean~ I just wanted to look around. Think of me as a tourist!"
Hayato, unconsciously, thought again.
[Isn't it a problem if a stranger enters the academy? She should be kicked out immediately.]
Tabane's rabbit robot ears flickered rapidly, catching that thought. Chifuyu immediately grabbed the collar of Tabane's lab coat. "You need to leave. Now. This is class time."
"Ouch, don't~!" Tabane struggled, but it was futile against Chifuyu's strength. "I need to confirm something! There's something strange!"
But Chifuyu was already dragging her away, leaving the field in awkward silence.
Maya Yamada smiled stiffly, trying to regain focus. "Erm… alright. Those without personal IS units will be guided by those who have them. Let's continue…"
Hayato looked at that Prototype IS. He felt this was going to be troublesome. But before he could think further, a group of female students—led by Honne and Kiyoka—immediately approached him.
Honne smiled sweetly. "Hayato-kun, teach me how to use an IS, please."
Hayato let out a deep sigh. This was going to be a mess. But he walked towards the Prototype IS. When he was about five meters away, the IS unit suddenly activated on its own. Its panels lit up blue, and a clear system voice, very unusual for a prototype, sounded from the external speakers.
[System IS Prototype: Welcome back, Hayato. Please input command.]
Houki, Cecilia, Rin, Ichika, Charlotte, Maya, and all the students on the field froze. This IS Prototype wasn't supposed to have an AI, no advanced Core. It was a basic machine!
{The IS is powered on… and why can it talk like that?}
Maya gasped. "Hayato-kun… why is it like this?"
Hayoto shrugged, trying to appear casual. "I don't know." He then turned to Honne. "Honne-san, try getting in. It should work."
The IS Prototype, as if hearing, immediately lowered its posture, making it easier to board.
Honne, her eyes full of curiosity, approached and entered the cockpit. The unit stood up, then walked a few steps stably, hovered a few meters off the ground, and landed smoothly again.
Everyone was stunned.
Honne got out, her face full of admiration and confusion. "Hayato-kun… what's going on?"
"I really don't know," Hayato answered, this time in a flatter tone.
"By the way, I'm going to buy a canned drink. Need a break." He turned and walked away, leaving the confused crowd behind.
Not long after, Tabane—who had somehow escaped Chifuyu—ran back to the field, panting but with shining eyes. "I saw that!!! That thing needs to be dismantled and examined! But…"
Her expression turned confused. "…there's no error at all. The system is normal. It's just… a regular IS Prototype. But how could it…?"
Maya, Houki, Ichika, Rin, Charlotte, and the others could only exchange glances, not knowing what to say.
Chifuyu reappeared, her face flushed with irritation. "I knew you'd come back. And… where is Hayato?"
Maya smiled stiffly. "He… went to buy a drink."
---
Evening approached night. In the staff room, only Maya Yamada, Chifuyu Orimura, and Hayato Hayama remained. The atmosphere was tense.
Chifuyu sat behind her desk, staring intently at Hayato. "IS units always react strangely near you. And this afternoon… Yamada's falling trajectory suddenly changed."
She paused. "Do you have some kind of power? And what is your purpose here?"
Hayoto closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them. His expression was calm, almost flat. "That's a side effect of my power. I… you could call me a mage. My purpose?"
He sighed. "I just want to go home."
His thoughts, no longer containable, flowed out.
[The conceptual power that materializes imagination is too great for this world. Here there are only humans and high technology. No gods, demons, or other races. This world… is fragile. If I don't restrain myself… And when can I return to my world?]
Maya and Chifuyu fell silent upon hearing it. His words sounded like both a lie and a terrifying truth. A mage? Conceptual power? Another world? Gods and demons?
Chifuyu finally let out a long sigh. She opened a drawer, took out an electronic access card, and slid it across the desk towards Hayato. "This is for your room in the dormitory. Spend your time there. Rest."
Hayato accepted the card, then gave a slight bow. "Thank you, Orimura-sensei." He turned and left.
Once the door closed, Maya looked at Chifuyu with a worried face. "This is… serious, isn't it?"
Chifuyu closed her eyes, weary. "For now, we can only observe. I don't know how or why he is in our world."
---
The dormitory room designated for Hayato turned out to be… a shared room. As he opened the door, Charlotte, who was already inside reading a book on her bed, looked up.
"Welcome," she said with a small smile. "Turns out we're roommates."
Hayato tossed his bag onto the empty bed. "Yeah. If you need anything, just call." His voice sounded tired.
Charlotte nodded. She wanted desperately to ask about the events of the afternoon—the IS activating on its own, the changed trajectory, the strange audible thoughts.
But seeing Hayato's closed-off and exhausted expression, she decided to postpone it. "It's already late. Do you want to sleep now?"
"Later. I'm not sleepy yet." Hayato sat by the window, looking out at the night sky of the city illuminated by lights.
Charlotte turned off the main light, leaving only her bedside reading lamp on. She didn't force conversation.
Time passed. The room was quiet. Charlotte eventually fell asleep, the book still open on her chest.
Hayato remained sitting by the window. The full moon shone brightly. Unconsciously, he raised his right hand—the hand where his Command Seal contract with Lilith should be.
Until now, he had hidden it with a simple conceptual illusion. But now, he let that illusion fade.
On the skin of his hand, a red symbol with a purple tinge—his Command Seal—glowed softly in the moonlight.
Tears suddenly streamed down his cheeks, unbeknownst to him. A deep, aching longing overwhelmed him—longing for the innocent and cheerful Lala, for the teasing yet loyal Lilith, for his simple home in a world full of narrative chaos.
"Lilith… Lala…" he whispered, his voice trembling. "They must be worried…"
SERA appeared in her chibi form, sitting on his shoulder. With a gentle touch, the AI wiped the tears from Hayato's cheek.
"They are strong," SERA whispered, her voice warm and reassuring. "They are surely waiting. And you will find a way home. Believe it."
Hayato nodded slowly, then closed his eyes. He let his head rest against the cold windowpane. Outside, the Infinite Stratos city continued to pulse with its nightlife, unaware of the teenager from another world yearning for home, while carrying a power that could change everything—and a responsibility growing heavier by the day.
The night embraced him, carrying him into a restless but much-needed sleep.