I make sure to do some extra stretching as Chihaya and I make our way to the simution centre, the early dawnlight breaking over the horizon. The ginger half-Japanese second-year beside me seems perfectly awake, which is interesting. Maybe she’s an early bird, or maybe she usually gets up for training on her own time and I just happen to have a simir routine?

  The automated doors slide open, and I step into the brightly-lit interior of the sim centre lobby, approaching the reception desk. “Hi, can my friend and I get an hour in whatever training room is avaible right now?”

  The girl working the counter smiles and checks a screen in front of her. “Yeah, sure! We have rooms 1-12, and 14, 16, and 27 avaible! Which would you like?”

  I look back at Chihaya, who giggles and shrugs. Turning to the receptionist, I answer, “room 1 will be just fine, thank you!”

  “Alright, that’s booked; please pce your I.D on the scanner.”

  I cooperate, and the turnstile lock disengages. “Thank you, enjoy your training session!”

  I step through the gate, followed a minute ter by Chihaya. We follow the signs to find room 1, and the door slides open with another touch of my I.D, my picture flicking up on the small digital tablet, my feminine features and student profile fshing up for a few seconds.

  As soon as we step in, the door slides shut and locks itself to anyone but staff or our I.Ds, and Chihaya heads over to the console. “Okay, we’ll start you off with something easy. One-on-one, sword-type Pandora hologram… hmmm…. Ooh! How’s this?”

  She presses a few buttons, and a holographic representation of one of the second-year Pandora manifests, her volt weapon in her hands. A girl with long, dark-blue hair, wielding a huge, curved sword that looks like an oversized katana.

  I murmur, “A zanbato? Ugh, this could be rough...”

  Chihaya purses her lips. “Ticy Phenyl? Yeesh, how is Chiffon’s Guard Dog considered an ‘easy’ match-up???”

  I look over at my Pandora, keeping one eye on the hologram. “She’s not a second-year, is she?”

  Chihaya shakes her head. “No. A third-year, and the Student Council vice-president. She’s out of your league-!”

  I smile. “No. Please run the program, I accept this challenge!”

  She stares at me, and then shrugs. “Well, if you say so!”

  She hits another button, and the Ticy Phenyl hologram begins to move. I manifest Odin, drawing my katana and taking a deep breath. Dr Elise’s pain medication is amazingly effective. I can move freely, without any discomfort.

  Ticy charges forwards, bringing her sword down in a straight, overhead sm. I dodge to the left and ssh three times in a flurry of steel. “Shimizu-style sword arts, Surging Rain!”

  Ticy’s copy blocks the first two hits, but the third is lower than expected, cutting across the middle of her thigh in a perfect line. I dart back as her zanbato whirls round in a blur, scything past my face as I use Odin’s sheathe to redirect the majority of the blow’s force.

  My next move is Rock-splitter, the overpping cross-cuts flicking out with a sound like chiming bells as Ticy’s great weapon is interposed between my bde and her digital flesh. I sheathe Odin, before going for an Accel Turn, zipping behind the third-year and unleashing Rising Sun, adding in a second identical move right on the heels of the first, a sideways flip, followed by the second flip, both featuring a flurry of blisteringly-fast bde-strikes, using the remnants of my Accel Turn’s boosted momentum to enhance them. “Shimizu-style combined arts, Nightfall!”

  That gets a result, several deep gashes appearing in the hologram’s form, and I backflip over a retaliatory ssh. The hologram vanishes, and I swing my bde behind me, anticipating the attempted strike to my back. I didn’t expect the sheer weight of Ticy’s sword, the impact sending my skipping across the floor a few times until I rotate my body into a proper nding.

  “What the hell??? Did she get stronger??? Wait, no, not stronger… She altered the density of her weapon!”

  Chihaya cps. “Bingo! Ticy can alter the density of the Gigantes Give to increase her offensive and defensive power! She’s not very fast, though!”

  “She’s using Accel Turn, without leaving an afterimage! What do you mean, she’s not very fast?!” I yelp, as another massive blow crashes into the floor, my reflexes barely saving me this time. I sh out with Waterfall, a downward strike that flickers outwards, then darts in, a move designed to bypass an opponent’s guard. Another minor wound, another flicker in the hologram.

  This isn’t good. I can’t nd a decisive blow, but if I get hit, I’m done for. One blow from Ticy’s Gigantes Give, and I’d be seriously injured, even if it’s only a hard-light projection. And yet, somehow… this is fun!

  I dart in, low and to the side, switching from form to form with skills my grandfather had beaten into me during countless hours in the dojo. He’s never held back, so why should I?! “Accel Turn!” The world drains of colour as I speed up, far beyond the limits of a normal human, my Odin held ready, before flipping, still moving beyond-fast, as the Ticy-gram rotates her head, confusion slowing her reactions, and then flip back, nding behind her as I ready my final attack. Sheathing my bde, I draw it again, striking and sheathing it in a fsh of motion. “Zantetsuken!”

  My Accel Turn ends, and Ticy’s hologram colpses, a deep ssh at the back of its neck, before fizzling out of existence. My volt weapon vanishes, and I straighten, stretching and letting out a satisfied purring sound. “Yes! It worked!” Chihaya’s shriek of “WHAT WAS THAAAAAT????!!!!” Breaks my focus for a moment, and I let out a sheepish, “Eheheheheh….”

  As we exit the simution centre an hour ter, Chihaya’s still pumping me for information about the technique I’d used in the mock-battle against the fake Ticy. I deflect the secret to my technique. It’s common knowledge among practitioners of the sword that Shimizu Ichiro, my grandfather, is one of the foremost of the world’s iaido, or ‘quickdraw’ masters. As a matter of fact, the Shimizu school has been an iaido style from the beginning. And I, too, am an iaidoka.

  As we head back to the dorms, a group of first-year Pandoras jog past, with a second-year leading. It seems there’s a fitness club or something operating on campus grounds. One of the girls at the back, a shorter, chesty girl with short blonde hair, is struggling to keep up. And… is that Rana Linchen, right behind the second-year???

  The second-year student holds up a hand. “Okay, Pandora, time for some light reps! 100 Sit-ups, 100 push-ups, and 100 squats!”

  Gasping, the blonde gripes, “What about the rest of them?!”

  The second year smirks. “I meant Pandora STUDENTS, Ms Bradley!”

  The first-year colours, beyond just being out-of-breath, and begins doing sit-ups. Two of the other girls look sympathetic. One says, quietly, “Poor girl… why’d her parents name her Pandora? It seems like a cruel joke to me…”

  Ah. That would expin her outburst. Pandora Bradley? A Pandora NAMED Pandora. No wonder, she must get constantly tripped-up by that…

  We head back to our room and take turns using the shower. There are no csses today, so I don’t have anything to do. In Japan, I’d spend the day training in the dojo, or studying, but I’m up-to-date on all my studies for now. Chihaya lounges on her bed, kicking her legs.

  “I’m boooooored, shall we do something?” she asks, rolling onto her front and staring at me as I pull my raven hair into a neat ponytail. I raise an eyebrow, working a scrunchie into position. “What do you have in mind?” I ask, finishing my hair-care and brushing my skirt down as I stand.

  The ginger Pandora grins, vaulting off her bed and nding neatly in front. “How about… We go shopping?!”

  I blink at Chihaya’s non-sequitur, before giggling. “I’d like that. I DO need to get some free-time clothes, and I can’t wear my uniform or pyjamas all the time! Plus some underwear that won’t disappear like a volt texture would be a good pce to start!”

  Chihaya’s eyes light up. “Oooh, I like where you’re going with this line of thought! Want me to help you pick out something nice? I can guarantee you’ll be able to turn heads wherever you go!”

  I blush as my Pandora gets excited for this shopping spree. I have some money from my grandfather, but I really don’t want to spend ALL of it… this could be pretty expensive… but I still want to look my best. I have my pride as a girl, after all!

  After a light breakfast, Chihaya and I make our way to the shuttle stop, various other groups of students, wearing their own clothes, passing by on their own pnned errands, or simply strolling through the academy grounds chatting with friends. I make sure to take note of any outfits I particurly like the look of, and Chihaya pokes me pyfully in the ribs.

  “Looking for fashion inspiration, Akari?” she teases, and I colour faintly, my cheeks flushing pink, as I look aside.

  “S-so what if I am? It’s normal for a girl to admire certain outfits and to be cognizant of any fashion trends that are currently popur!”

  Chihaya giggles, “No-no, I didn’t mean it as a criticism; I was just impressed at how well you’ve adjusted! You’re so rexed and comfortable, I can’t help but want to tease you!” she ughs silkily, taking my hand and intercing our fingers as we reach the shuttle stop.

  The shuttle arrives a few minutes ter, and Chihaya boards. I follow, both of us fshing our I.D tablets across the reader, paying for our trip to the nearby town. West Genetics has to source all its ingredients for meals and supplies for our csses and rooms from somewhere, after all, and students are allowed to visit, as long as they behave. Losing off-campus privileges is a popur punishment from repeated infractions while on the grounds, so most Pandora aren’t exactly willing to push their luck.

  Chihaya sits opposite me, crossing her legs, as I settle into a seat of my own, tucking my knees together and ying my hands in my p. The bus rocks and sways as it travels, and I sigh, rexing a little. Today’s going to be peaceful. No getting into fights, no getting in trouble with the staff, and no dealing with anyone I don’t want to… plus, I get to spend the whole day with Chihaya! That’s awesome!

  The bus makes its rounds, stopping a few times, picking up a few other West Genetics students, and even civilians, as it heads towards the town centre. I spot Rana and Kaho, as well as Arnett. She waves cheerfully, a wide grin on her face, before resuming talking to Creo Brand and a girl I recognize, even though I’ve only seen her once in the flesh… and once when her hologram was trying to kill me. Ticy Phenyl. She spots me and makes her way towards me.

  “Hey, excuse me? Um, did you use the Sim Centre this morning?”

  I swallow, and then nod. “I did, yes. Was I not supposed to?”

  She shakes her head, startled. “N-no, you’re totally fine! I… I just got a notification about my data being used for a sparring match. Do you know who did it?”

  I blush a little as Chihaya grins. “Sheeee diiiiid!” the ginger senior sing-songs, pointing at me. Ticy’s eyes widen. “You… you beat my uploaded data?!” I nod slowly, fidgeting as she stares at me, stunned. Chihaya smirks, nodding. “I watched the whole thing! It was sooo awesome!” she reaches into her bag. “Aaaand… I recorded the entire fight!” she produces a cell-phone. I squeak in shock, burying my face in my hands as Ticy whirls and starts begging to see it.