Chapter 5

=== At the lab after Kumoto arrives in the school===

"Machina, how are things going?" - a short girl asks.

"They're going excellent. I just checked MaRIA's data. No problems found." - a dark broun haired woman in maid clothes answers.

"That's good...What are we going to do today?..."

At that moment the door is flung open and Kumoto entered. Both of them were staring at him.

"Hello everyone!" - he said with a smile.

"Who the heck are you?!" - the short girl asked.

"You don't know me? I'm the great genius Kumoto Hagashi, I'm going to be working with you from today on."

"What? I have never herd of such thing!" - she told him.

"Ah! Now that you've mentioned it, when you were playing online games a message came. It said that a new professor is going to start a work here." - the woman exclaimed.

"Why didn't you tell me?!"

"I told you. You said 'Yeah,yeah I got it. Leve me now I have to kill the boss.'. " - she imitated the short girl's voice when she said her lines.

"Oh, then it must be true. By the way I'm Shina Miki. A professor like you. Nice to meet you." - the short girl said and extended her hand.

The boy was staring at the broun haired woman.

"Wwhat is it?" - she asked shyly.

"How did you do that?"

"Huh?"

"Hou did you imitate the shorty's voice?"

Miki was angry at him, so she ordered:

"Machina, hit him on the head!"

The woman did what she was told to and the boy fell to the ground in pain.

"This is for ignoring me and calling me short! I'll answer your question because you're so dumb that you don't get it. Machina is an android I made to be my assistant."

"I'm sorry. I was just surprized because she looked human and didn't pay attention to you Mrs. Shina." - he said as he was getting up and rupping his head.

"So you've payed attention."

"Yes, but I'm surprized to see someone younger than me. You must be a genius, too."

"No, I'm not. I may look like this but in fact I'm 25 this year." - she said.

"Are you serious?!"

"Yes, I am. Now let's return to work."

The girls began doing their monthly checkup of the ship's system and Kumoto looked trough the data of the students, ONEs and defeated ARDs.

=== Now in the lab ===

"Aaah... Finally over." - he said.

"You finished verry quickly Mr. Kumoto." - Machina praised him.

"Don't call me Mr., Kumoto is just fine."

"OK. Would you like something to drink?"

"Yes, a glass of cola with 3 ice cubes."

"I'll go get it right away, and you Miki?"

"Water."

She left the lab to take the things.

"You really were fast. To check all that data for six hours."

"Of course I was. After all having two girls around me lifts my spirit up!"

"Just wait untill Machina comes back..." - she glared at him.

"I was just kidding!"

Then the door opened and Lance entered the room.

"Oh, Lance. You came." - he greeted the boy.

"Yes. I'm Lance. Nice to meet you miss." - he greeted Miki.

"Nice to meet you too."

"So, do you have something to ask?" - he asked Lance.

"Yes, I have two things. I heard we're going to stop near some city, is that true?"

"Yes, but it won't be soon." - he said and showed the ship's course on the computer screen.

There was a map with every stop the ship would make, with all the places it'll go.

"I got it. Also, what would you like for dinner?" - Lance finished.

"Nothing. Tonight I'll be having dinner with the school's president. Also you're also a student now, so you won't be cooking for me. There are restaurants, so I won't starve." - he said calmly.

Beep. - Miki's computer recieved a message.

"OK. Have a nice day!" - Lance left.

"Who is he?" - she asked as she was opening the message.

"He was taking care of the house and me while I was still recovering from the eye surgery. I made a big mistake by forgetting to hire a maid or butler beforehand. Thank God he appeared."

"Hehe. It seems he got himself in trouble." - she said.

"What do you mean?"

"In the message it's said that in three weeks there'll be a match btween him and Luxen. The kid's in big trouble."

"What, a fight?! I told him to take it easy!"

"He didn't listen to you, aparently. A fight with an A class, second year. But he looked rather calm about it."

"I guess he has an amazing type of ONE. That must be the reason."

"No, in fact your friend has a 'cat' type and Luxen has a 'condor' type." - she told him.

"That really is bad but I have faith in his choice."

It beacme night in a few hours. Kumoto and Miki were having dinner with Alisa Thornwell, the members of the Student Council and some of the big shots on this ship. They were chatting about different stuff when they heard the alarm.

Beeeep!Beep! Attention to everyone on the ship! ARDs have been detected. The battle personel is to get ready emediately!

"Excuse us but we have to go." - Alisa said.

She and the Student Counchil members left in a hurry.

"Is it safe to stay here?" - Kumoto asked.

"It is. There's a defence barrier aroud the ship." -Miki informed him.

=== At the command center ===

"What's the situation?" - Alisa asked.

"Three ARDs detected. Currentlu they're still falling towards the ground. Here are the coordinates where they'll land. Wh have two hours." - a boy with short black hair said and handed her a tablet.

"OK. We're departing emediately."

They got ready as fast as they could, put their battle suits on and departed in one of the boats.

I'll destroy every one of those monsters before they can can get close to a city! - Alisa thought with a froun.

=== On the ship's deck before the alarm started ===

I wonder how can Lance challenge Luxen on a battle. He should know the difference in power between them. I hope he'll be fine. Maybe I should bring him something sweet... - Shin thought.

Then he saw a blue flash of light in the sky. It was so fast that no one else seemed to had noticed it. Befroe he could make something of it, it was gone.

It must have been my imagination or someone on the ship is using fireworks.

Then the alarm started.