A sudden confrontation

-Can I have some peace and quiet?

Houki then hastily opened the curtains to see me "waking up" and Cecilia's scary face. She looked as if she would kill Houki, although she was still somewhat embarrassed.

Houki then realized what was happening and said:

-In-Indecent!

I decided to get up from the bed as there is something I need to get.

My body feels stiff but it doesn't hurt anywhere. I guess the shield really did its job.

{Not really. You almost died there.}

{You broke 7 bones and cracked many others all around your body, the amount of internal damage was considerable. The only reason you didn't go to emergency is because of your special body healing factor.}

{All of this could have been averted if you had put a little bit more power into the shield. That was one of the reasons why everyone thought you had died. During the middle of the explosions, your shield failed to hold and it turned off. The result was you taking the brunt of the remaining explosion. But for the others who could only see your shield status through a screen, you had died.}

I healed pretty quickly then.

-Ahh! Seiichi-San you shouldn't get up now. Said Cecilia

-I need to see something, and I am already fine anyway.

-No you are not! X3

-Hey Ichika. Help your bro over here, will you?

-I do agree you should take a rest Seiichi.

-Look now. I need to go somewhere, if you are so worried, why don't you accompany me?

Cecilia looked conflicted

-How about this. After this ends I will go immediately to my room to rest.

-Okay!

-Great. See you three later. And good job earlier, both of you.

-But I didn't do anything! Said Ichika

- Having the courage to stay and help someone is already commendable, you even saved her. Otherwise, she would be on the bed instead of you.

-Next time just act first and don't stay in the same place arguing.

I then left the infirmary with Cecilia.

-Hey, do you know if the canteen is still open at this hour? I am starving…

This was the last word the trio could hear before I disappeared into the corridor with Cecilia

-He really has a screw loose huh? Said Linlin

-That's rude! Said Ichika

-At least he has the strength to act like that. Just look at his entire fight, everything was planned. Even though he had a model many times weaker he still fought bravely without a hint of fear. Said Houki

-You are right. While me here can barely pilot my own personal IS. Said Ichika in a self-deprecating tone.

-That's not right! Said Linlin

-Yeah! You are doing better than most people by being able to get this far in such a short time. Said Houki

-... I know what to do now. Please! Both of you. Help me train!

Both girls just looked at each other and decided to bend a little.

-Sigh… Fine but our training isn't going to be easy. Said Houki while Linlin just nodded.

The rest was only some small talk between friends.

Going back to the protag and Cecilia.

Both had already entered the research section of the school, they were seemingly walking around aimlessly. But that was far from the truth. At least for Seiichi.

After 10 minutes he finally arrived at the place.

In the door reads: Staff only, students may turn back.

-Seiichi-San. I think we are at the wrong place.

-No this is the right one. Don't worry, worst-case scenario, we will have to run a few laps around the school. If you don't want to do that just wait for me here, I won't take long.

Entering the lab I saw Chifuyu and Maya discussing something while the Droid IS was on the table.

-... But the nucleus of this IS isn't among any of the 467 in the world... What is going on?

I decided to intervene.

-Isn't it obvious?

Maya almost screamed while Chifuyu had an annoyed look on her face.

-Miyoshi. What are you doing here in a restricted area for students? I will forget about this on account of what happened today if you turn back now.

-Come on, I ain't doing anything bad. And answering your question. I came here for that thing over there.

-This matter has become classified, now turn around before it is too late.

-Sensei, how can I afford to miss out on knowing what is going on. Just give me a minute to look at that core. I can't lose this opportunity.

-Seiichi-Kun. You said it was obvious, what do you mean?

-Hum? Sensei. There is only one person in this world capable of creating a core, much less making the IS non-manned. Can't, you connect the dots?

-But this is impossible! She…

-Disappeared somewhere. Yeah, I know the story. But she didn't die. How can the strongest and smartest human alive just die like that?

Chifuyu looked at me as if trying to prove something.

-I just want to look at a core without all of those annoying regulations. Since you all don't let me take a look at a time crystal, I have to do these things. Don't worry I am not a member of those fools of the phantom task or whatever they are called.

Chifuyu just smirked at this and said:

-So be it. I will not ask you just how you acquired all of this classified information, but I want to know everything eventually. You have 5 minutes before a team comes here to transport this machine to a secret research lab. You have until tomorrow to run 100 laps around the school. Alcott, if you want to spy on someone, make sure your hair doesn't stick out of the corners. You will come with me now.

-Maya-sensei, let's go.

Maya still looked as if she wanted to say something, but eventually left with her.

After everyone left I quickly took out some of my tools ready for action.

A clone was made and took the same chair Maya was previously.

Another one went to the door to make sure no one entered.

A series of clones suddenly appeared each with a tool as they started to disassemble and analyze the Drone IS.

The core was beautiful. It was a metallic gray. It was different from Ichika and the others IS cores.

Using a special tool that I designed for this situation, I tried to open the core up. It wasn't an easy task. The core was much harder than any other part of the IS. Somehow the cores are made to be massive in composition. How? I don't know. I am here to find that out.

When I tried to put some more force, the core finally started to give in when something went wrong.

A series of bunnies suddenly appeared on many of the holographic screens.

Tsk! I summoned more clones to work so that I could fend off the hacker: Tabane Shinonono.

But even with over 20 clones I still couldn't fight her. There was definitely a difference in technology here. I knew just how capable she was. She could configure an IS in less than 10 minutes on the spot. Something that would take weeks for a group of researchers to do with advanced equipment.

I wasn't that far off as I could do the same with all of the clones working together, and I still have a lot to study in the academy.

The problem is time. I have been here for two weeks while she had access to top technology for over a decade already.

But I wasn't someone to accept defeat this easily. All of my clones worked together with our mid-power in overdrive. Even if she had better technology to aid her, she wouldn't be able to stop our combined prowess. At least not easily.

At the final moment, I managed to open a small hole in the core and scan its interior, not before all of the equipment started to spark and turn down. The core then closed off, something I didn't know they could do.

-What a way to meet with the most famous scientist and inventor in this world huh?

-Nice to meet you too. I knew she could hear me through the IS, it was one of the main reasons why the Drone never attacked both Ichika and Linlin when they were in the middle of their conversations.

After I fused with the clones I left the room leaving many broken pieces of machinery as proof of my first confrontation with this world's highest genius and perfect human.

Most of my tools had broken in this confrontation, but that was fine. They were expendable anyway. The most important thing, the data is secured within a drive. Although a part of it may be corrupted due to her actions, most of it is already in my head.

I will now have a clone run all of the laps while I take a shower, and then get some well-deserved sleep. Not before eating something, my stomach is rumbling like a thunderstorm.

{Rolls eyes}

------------------------------------------------------------------------

There is always this thing in my head that I always forget to add. My editor wants me to create some notes so that I don't forget but I don't have the time for that shit. If I remember what it is I will add it later.

First Generation: A simple completion. The R&D was focused on applying various IS-related technologies to produce a stable, operational IS.

Second Generation: Utilization of add-on capability, known as Equalizer. Application of various equalizer packages enabling the IS capable of various assignments.

Third Generation: Application of advanced Image-Interface technology, enabling it to field more advanced weapons such as Blue tears, Shock Cannon, and AIC.

Fourth Generation: Application of the Fold-out armor, which enables the IS to configure itself to a form that maximizes specific role, whether the attack, defense, or mobility. This makes the IS capable of performing various assignments just by switching its function in real-time, not requiring the time-consuming process of changing Equalizer.

I got that directly from the wiki for those who want a more in-depth look. All credit goes there of course.

I really tried searching for the games or a novel translation but I didn't find anything.

If you have any links to the complete or at least the chapter after the end of season 2 Volume 8 please comment so that I can take a look.