The blue sky of the Infinite Stratos day slowly faded into deep purple, then pitch-black dotted with stars. Hayato shot through the atmosphere, the conceptual cloak from SERA making him undetectable by radar, heat sensors, or the naked eye. Air—or the lack thereof—was no longer an issue.
His body functioned in the vacuum based on the principle of oxygen dependency being removed, a local reality rewrite he had set himself.
Earth below him became a beautiful blue-green orb, but his eyes were fixed on one point: a large, coldly orbiting metal structure shaped like a sword, reflecting sunlight with a piercing metallic gleam.
Excalibur. A noble name for an abomination.
As he got closer, the details became clear. It was over twenty meters long, with a sharp blade and a hilt adorned with antennas and solar panels.
In the middle, the area that should be the sword's guard, a reddish light pulsed slowly—its plasma core. And within that core, a trapped soul.
"SERA, analyze structure. Weak points to free the core without… harming her further." Hayato's voice came clearly through telepathic communication with the system in the vacuum.
"Analyzing… First layer structure: military-grade heat-resistant alloy. Second layer: concentrated plasma energy shield. Third layer: core capsule chamber, sealed with low-dimensional force fields. Safest access point is at the maintenance panel on the 'hilt', but that would still trigger alarms."
"I don't care about alarms. I care about her." Hayato floated closer, until he could almost touch Excalibur's cold surface.
Through his Conceptual Vision, he could clearly see the girl inside—her face pale, her thin body wrapped in a tight suit threaded with cables, short brown hair floating in bluish-green fluid. Her chest rose and fell slowly. Still alive. Trapped in a nightmare.
A cold anger crystallized in his chest. This wasn't about strategy or caution. This was about freeing someone from a torture she should never have endured.
"Then, I'll open a path directly."
Hayato raised his right hand, his Command Seal glowing faintly even in the vacuum. He didn't need incantations or complex movements. Just focused will.
The concept of "cutting that destroys nothing but the barrier".
He imagined a line—not a physical line, but a line of separation between "the imprisoner" and "the imprisoned". A cut that would only affect the containment fields, metal layers, and energy barriers, without touching a single cell of the girl's body within.
His palm pointed toward Excalibur's surface. No sound. No explosion.
But before his eyes, the two-meter-thick metal layer began… to part. Like a fruit peeled by an invisible knife, layer by layer opened up, forming a perfect tunnel leading directly to the core capsule chamber. The pulsing plasma spread to the sides, contained by energy fields that now formed a corridor.
Hayato floated inside. Inside, artificial gravity still worked. His feet touched the metal floor. The hum of machines and fluid pumps was soft. In the center of the room, behind half-meter-thick glass, the core—Exia Blackett, the name displayed on a system log nearby—lay helpless.
"Exia," Hayato whispered, his voice muffled by the glass. "I'm here to free you."
He placed his palm on the glass. Again, he didn't shatter it. He imagined the glass disappearing as a barrier, while maintaining the integrity of the fluid and life support systems inside. The glass faded, like mist swept away by wind.
Now there was no barrier between him and Exia. The bluish-green fluid didn't spill—it remained contained by a subtle energy field Hayato created.
Carefully, he detached the cables embedded in Exia's body. Each cable removed, he replaced with a flow of conceptual energy that maintained her vital functions.
Exia's light body detached from her bed. Hayato caught her gently, cradling her in his arms. The girl was light, too light, like a bird with broken wings.
"Host, the Excalibur system detects core loss. Emergency protocol activated. Weapon will self-destruct in 180 seconds to destroy evidence." SERA warned.
"No time for that." Hayato held Exia tightly. "We're leaving. Now."
With a strong desire to "be in a safe place far from here", he activated conceptual teleportation. However, before the teleportation energy enveloped them, he glanced back once more at the now-empty, blinking red emergency core of Excalibur.
This should not be used again.
He stretched his free hand toward the intricate core structure. Not to destroy it—but to change it.
The concept of "shrinking and compacting into a harmless object".
The spinning plasma core, giant machines, sprawling cables—all shriveled, shrank, and compacted within seconds, becoming a small metal cube the size of a fist, which he then picked up and put in his pocket. No more weapon. Just an inert cube.
Teleportation finally activated. The space around him vibrated, and in an instant, they were no longer inside the giant orbiting sword.
---
They reappeared on the roof of the hotel where Hayato was staying—a location he remembered clearly. The morning was still the same, a gentle breeze blowing. Hayato knelt, carefully laying Exia down on the flat rooftop surface. The girl was still unconscious, her breathing shallow but regular.
"SERA, her vital condition."
"Stable. But there is severe muscle atrophy, advanced malnutrition, and likely deep psychological trauma. She needs immediate medical care—but we can't take her to a normal hospital. The system will track her."
"We have a suite. And I have the Arc of Embodiment." Hayato lifted Emily again gently. "I'll create healing magic to regenerate nerves and other body parts."
With a few quick steps and another short teleportation, he was back inside his hotel suite. Hayato laid Exia on the spacious bed.
He closed his eyes. The concept of Healing where regenerating the human body is assisted by SERA, Exia's body slowly recovered and her face was no longer pale.
Hayato sat on the edge of the bed, a heavy breath leaving his lungs. His tired eyes turned towards SERA's hologram floating calmly in the corner of the room.
"SERA," his voice was hoarse, full of nagging questions. "Who exactly is Exia Blackett?"
The calm SERA nodded softly. Before Hayato, a holographic data panel immediately opened.
In the center, a photo appeared of a young woman with neatly tied brown hair, wearing a clean and graceful maid uniform. Her face bore a striking resemblance to Exia, but there was a different softness and submissiveness in her eyes.
"This is Chelsea Blackett," SERA explained in a neutral yet informative voice. "Exia Blackett's older sister. She works as a maid and personal assistant, and is also a childhood friend of Cecilia Alcott. Currently, she is still recorded as an active member of Phantom Task, but—"
Hayato cut in, frowning. "But what?"
"But there are anomalous data activities related to her lately, as if—"
Suddenly, a red warning blinked in the corner of Hayato's vision. SERA immediately changed her tone. "There's an intruder coming! Detection of unique energy and very fast illegal access patterns. This is… the characteristics of that 'Mad Rabbit'."
Hayato was startled. "Huh!?"
Before he could respond further, the hotel room doorbell rang.
The sound was loud in the morning. Hayato peeked with his upgraded vision. There, with a curious, innocent, and slightly mischievous expression, stood Tabane Shinonono.
Her characteristic dark purple-pink hair was visible in the lobby through the door, and a pair of rabbit robot ears on her head twitched as if detecting something.
Hayato sighed and stepped back, hoping she would leave. In his mind, he thought loudly.
[I hope that mad rabbit leaves. No one's here. Please go away.]
Outside, Tabane's rabbit robot ears suddenly twitched more vigorously. Her usually sleepy-looking eyes widened in surprise.
Her head tilted. "Hmm?" she murmured softly. As if… she could hear it. Like someone's voice behind the door, Hayato?
She narrowed her eyes, a sly smile appearing on her lips. 'How very interesting,' she thought.
Then, casually, she knocked on the door. "Hello, Hayato-kun~ Please open the door, okay?"
Hayato inside the room rubbed his throbbing temples. He decided to ignore her, hoping Tabane would think no one was there and leave.
But his hope was dashed.
Click.
The sound of an electronic lock unlocking itself was clearly heard. The door that should have been tightly locked opened slowly with a hissing sound.
And behind it, Tabane stood with a wide, triumphant smile. "Mou, Hayato-kun is so mean~" she said in a coquettish yet tricky tone. "Leaving a girl waiting in front of a locked door."
Hayato stood straight, his face disbelieving. "How did you get in here? This door is locked with the lodging's security system!"
Tabane just shrugged, walking in smoothly as if it were her own room. "Ehhh? I don't know either~ It just opened by itself."
Her sharp eyes immediately shifted to the figure on the bed—Exia, still lying unconscious. "By the way… who is that pretty girl on the bed?"
In the corner of the room, visible only to Hayato and party members, the hologram of SERA shook her head slowly.
Her digital face showed an expression of "exhausted". "Our hotel room defense has just been breached. The speed and method… she must have acted since detecting the anomaly earlier."
Hayato thought hard, [But how could it be this fast? It's like she knows everything.]
SERA looked at Hayato, her voice sounding directly in his mind, "She is Tabane Shinonono. The genius, and also the most uncontrollable variable in this world. Don't make her interested in you, in your power, especially not in… 'Gundam'. If she truly becomes interested, the entire flow of time and story could change completely, beyond any prediction."
Hayato took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. He looked at Tabane, who was observing his room with sparkling eyes. "Who are you? I don't know you."
Tabane turned around, her smile growing wider and more meaningful. "I am Tabane Shinonono. And I'm sure… you already know me, 'Outsider'. And," she took a step closer, her voice whispering yet full of confidence, "it seems you… aren't from this world, are you?"
Hayato felt a tightness in his chest. His instinct said not to play around. But facing Tabane, ordinary lies might be useless.
With a sudden movement, he raised his hand, covered one eye, and spoke dramatically in a chuunibyou style: "Correct! I am a wanderer from another world! A world where different races are involved in eternal war and endless conflict!"
He hoped Tabane would laugh or think he was crazy.
But the opposite happened.
Tabane was silent for a moment. Then, her eyes shone very brightly. "Sugoi~~~!!" she shouted, clapping her hands happily. "I want to go there! That must be so much fun!"
Hayato was dumbfounded. "...You… seriously believe that?"
"Of course!" Tabane answered cheerfully. "Besides, the weapon satellite 'Excalibur' was completely destroyed earlier. The US and England governments are in internal chaos, though trying to hide it from the media. Their secret ace weapon was destroyed, undetected by any IS or defense systems. That's not something an ordinary person, or even an ordinary IS, could do."
Her gaze at Hayato was full of burning curiosity. "Right?"
Hayato sighed. His defenses crumbled. Against Tabane's logic and intelligence, lies were futile. "Alright. Yes. I destroyed Excalibur. With my own power. And the girl there is Exia Blackett. Satisfied?"
"Hooh~" Tabane snorted, her smile unchanged. "By the way… are you interested in IS?"
"No," Hayato answered directly, without pause. "Do you want me to enter IS school? I'd rather take care of the injured girl over there. And actually, I'm the one curious,"
His gaze sharpened. "Why didn't you save her back then? You definitely could have."
Tabane tilted her head, pretending to be moved. "Aw~ So romantic~ Is this like waiting for a sleeping princess to wake up?" Then, her expression returned to normal.
"About her… I intentionally didn't intervene directly. If I had, they might have deployed the 'canon' Excalibur earlier, or a worse scenario. But you…"
She narrowed her eyes, "you are a completely unexpected new variable. I'm sure Chifuyu-chi will be very interested in you later. And perhaps… IS here will show a unique reaction to you. I'm very sure of that."
Hayato felt tired. He raised his hand, surrendering. "My name is Hayato Hayama, from another world. Is that enough? Now, can you… get out of my room?"
Tabane Shinonono just smiled sweetly, then sat casually on a chair, swinging her legs.
"No~" she answered lightly, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.