Chapter Two

Nero and Artoria are from the country of the fused Nations; the countries that made up the FN are called Canada, England, China and Japan. About 500 years ago, these four nations came to the world of Elgin from another world called Erath. When the four countries were faced with the worst natural disasters in their history, but with the help from their neighbouring country of Hyrule Kingdom, they were able to get back to their feet, although because the females were the only ones who could pilot the most advanced military unit in history the Dolls; With this power, women have seized complete control of all political, social, and economic ventures; from the help, the FN got from their neighbouring country the FN became part of the Hyrule Kingdom; although this is just a formality, in reality, each Nations still governed the country as they did back on Erath, Canada governs Canada, England Governs England, and so on.

The first period was "Basics of Dolls," and the class had a break when it ended.

Nero looked at the notes he took from the class; Typically, Dolls are combat vehicles that take the body shape of the race that pilots them; however, mast Dolls are typical humanoids, typically employ two arms to deploy weapons and two legs for propulsion, and a head that acts as a camera and sometimes houses a secondary weapon that acts as a rotating turret (with the head itself providing the rotation). Typically, a Doll is approximately 100 feet in height, with a cockpit in the unit's torso.

Features.

Shielding.
Primary protection for Dolls and its pilot is provided through an energy shield that is invisible to the naked eye that could block both physical and optical weapons. The protection level of the Doll's shield is sufficient to be impenetrable to most conventional weaponry. Still, it could be penetrated by other Doll's weaponry and Aragami if they are strong enough.

Passive Inertia Control is also called PIC.
Incorporating PIC allows the Dolls to accomplish extreme agility and mobility unparalleled by anything of the size of a Doll. PIC primarily absorbs and negates impact shock, thus protecting the pilot and the Doll from catastrophic events such as high-speed collisions. The PIC in some Doll units capable of flight and hovering is also applied to flight assist and coupled with gravity control technology.

Hyper Sensor.
When the pilot is linked to her Doll, she receives augmented sensory input data from Doll's sensor, directly into the body's five senses. Simply put, when piloting a Doll, the pilot's senses, such as vision, are greatly improved. Using the sensory data input from Doll, the pilot gains a 360-degree field of view, being able to 'see' directions that are not possible for the human body without turning her head (Such as behind, directly above and below)

However, because such improved sensory input is much different from the average human body, An onboard computer processes the input data into something the pilot can comprehend.

Battle Damage Repair.
As the Dolls gains experience during any situation while it is active, be it regular training or combat, or even a simple checkup, it records data about its every component and proceeds with the optimization process. When the Doll receives damage, it automatically tries to repair the damage during its standby period. The resulting data collected would be implemented throughout its component to improve efficiency, but the damaged piece would be left out of the equation.

Components.

Core.
Also called the Black box of the Doll is a source of power. The Core collects data on its pilot to anticipate their every need better. Pilots should learn to trust the Core as if it were an extension of their will.

Absolute Defense.
The Absolute Defense is only found on some ancient scavinachi Doll units; this component cannot be produced currently. Absolute Defense is activated by the Doll itself and not by the pilot. If an attack is deemed nonlethal by the Doll, it won't trigger the Absolute Defense ability, even if it results in minor to moderate injury to its pilot. This ability is said to be able to protect the pilot from any attack, but it also has seriously high power consumption, depleting the power of the Doll with just single activation; In that sense, it is more like a pilot safety mechanism rather than a combat defence mechanism.

Preset.
On the type of the Doll, The standard weapon/equipment that Dolls possess depends on the type, such as swords for melee type, rifles for long-range type, and many other weapons. There is also the option of adding additional weaponry to the Personal Dolls.

Doll Suit.
Pilots wear a special suit when they use a Doll for practice and missions. The suit enhances the weak electricity on the skin and passes the signal to the Doll itself, improving the user's movements. The suits themselves are durable enough to withstand a gunshot from a small-calibre pistol; thus, they won't negate the impact. At the Academy, they appear similar to old-style school girls' swimsuits with stockings. Even tho some males could pilot Dolls, there is no male version. The Doll suit is very form-fitting and skin-tight. Personal Doll pilots tend to have custom-made ones slightly different from regularly issued suits, such as being in a different colour, similar to their military's uniform or more revealing.

"Can I have a word with you?"

"Hm?"

As Nero was reviewing his notes, someone called to him. Standing next to Nero was a beautiful teenage girl of average height yet taller with long dark brown hair that she kept in a slightly messy ponytail that seemed to be divided into two sections in the middle to the end. She has a green and black ribbon, dark blue eyes, a slim, curvy body with no trace of fat on her and large breasts.

"Houki?"

"........."

Houki was Nero's childhood friend from six years back, Houki Shinonono. Nero used to take lessons at her family's dojo run by her mother; well, as was as much as someone without the use of their legs could do. Her father was a priest— so her family ran a dojo and a shrine. Houki's years of training with a sword also remind Nero of a friend from a past life, although Houki is far more girly than Koyori ever was.

"Can we talk in the hallway?" commanded Houki.

I'm glad Houki still possesses that stern, disciplined personality.

"Get going."

"R-Right..."

Houki strode away into the hallway. The girls there opened a path for her, like Moses parting the sea. Houki and Nero were out in the hallway, but more girls were about four meters in every direction. They were all listening to the two friends.

"So, by the way..."

"Yeah?"

Nero remembered something and talked first. Houki hadn't talked to them after dragging him out into the hallway. Pretty wild.

"I heard you won the national kendo tournament last year. Congrats."

"........."

Houki turned red after Nero said that. Was she upset? Why the hell would she be? Nero was complimenting her.

"H-How do you know that?"

"Bee found it online..."

"who is Bee?" Houki tilted her head.

"Bee is a small yellow and black round drone with bee-like wings on top," said Nero.

"I said who is Bee, not what Bee looks like."

"Bee is the AI for my Doll and ship."

"Why was this Bee looking me up?!"

"That is just what Bee does... anyways, It's' been a while. Six years, right? But I'm happy to see you again, Houki."

"Really... How do you know it was me?"

"Your scent," Nero said matter of factly. "One of the ways scavinachis tell one another apart is by their sense of smell; even half-scavinachis could do that."

"I-I'm surprised you remember."

"Hey, have I ever forgotten anything?"

"........." Whoops. Houki glared at Nero again. What did he do now?

Ding-dong. The break had ended. The bell rang to signal the beginning of the second period. The cordon of girls around Nero and Houki disintegrated. It looked like little spiders scattering in every which direction. Doll pilots were so swift in how they moved.

"Let's head back."

"I-I know we have to." Houki averted her eyes and walked away at the same brisk pace.

It seemed that Nero's childhood friend had no intention of waiting for him. Six years change people, don't they? As if. She'd always been like that. Stubbornness, daily training, steady progress... Those words suited Houki better than most boys and had since elementary school.

Bam! "Sit down, Nero."

"Thank you for your guidance... Ms. Pendragon..."

"While they take on the form of one being, an Aragami is composed of a colony of hundreds of thousands of semi-sentient single-celled organisms that group around under an Aragami Core as something like a central nervous system. In short, Aragami are superorganisms with swarm intelligence that takes on a variety of formations. These forms can appear organic, artificial, or mythical, hence the name Aragami." Ms. Summer recited from the textbook.

"........." Ms. Summer'd lost Nero a while before that. There were five books on her table. She was leafing through the top one, rattling down vocab Nero didn't know.

Nero looked at the girl next to me... She was nodding as she took notes. He had guessed they'd had prep lessons before coming to the Academy. Doll pilots were the main line of national defence against Aragami, so the school was rearing the best of the best. Only the very most delicate students passed the entrance exams. Nero didn't want to be the elite... There was no way... he didn't want to study. He hung his head, feeling inferior, and looked at the girls taking notes around him.

"C-Can I help you?"

As Nero figured, she was nervous and surprised. She was also expecting more to come from him and smiled.

"Oh, never mind. It's nothing. Sorry."

"O-Okay..."

She seemed disappointed and relieved at the same time and returned to taking notes. Nero wondered if he'd done something to make her dislike him.

"Nero, is there anything you don't understand?"

Ms. Summer noticed Nero talking to the girl next to him.

"Um..."

Nero looked back down at his textbook. Still, he didn't understand anything.

"Please ask if there's anything you don't understand. I'm your teacher, after all!" Ms. Summer proudly proclaimed, posturing upright.

"Hey, Teach!"

"Yes, Nero!" she replied excitedly.

"I don't understand a single thing." Nero decided to be upfront with it. Usually, people were pretty accepting of it.

"Um... E-Everything?" Ms. Summer looked confused and startled. The excellent teacher act had disappeared. "U-Um... Is anybody else having problems understanding it besides Nero?" Silence.

"Nero, did you read the textbooks I gave you before you entered here?" asked Nero's sister Artoria from the corner of the classroom.

Okay, let's be honest here... “I thought they were old phone directories, so I chucked them.” Bam!

"I wrote you saying they were required reading! I'll send you new ones. Learn what's in there in a week. Got it?"

"E-Erm, those were thick as hell. I can't learn all that in a week..."

"You will."

"Okay... I will." She was worse than the drill sergeant from Full Metal Jacket. A human being in the shape of a demon, being human-made her all the crueller. She knew the best ways to make others suffer. Nero wasn't in that situation because I wanted to be. One day, men in black suits showed up and left him with an application form for the Academy, whatever the hell that was about. They talked about protecting him, but does that mean throwing him into a school full of girls?

"Right now, you're thinking that you never wanted to be here, right?"

"Well, yeah..."

"Whether we want to or not, human beings can only survive in a group. If you want to renounce that, try renouncing your humanity first." Artoria has always been a bitter person. Nero guessed she was telling him to face reality. Artoria had always been a realist and an extremist.

"Buy the way, aren't you a huntress? shouldn't you know already know this?"

"You don't need to know this stuff to kill an Aragami."

"........."

"Hmm. Fine, then." Nero had figured that at least he had to ensure his sister Artoria wouldn't be embarrassed at her workplace.

"Nero. I'll teach you the things you don't understand after school." Artoria came up to Nero.

"Okay. I'll come to visit you after school."

"Meet me at the Huntress Guild." Artoria returned to the corner of the classroom.

"Ms. Pendragon. Y-you'll be alone with a student after school... Oh, no! Th-This is bad, Ms. Pendragon. A teacher shouldn't be alone with their student... W-What if something happens?" Ms. Summer was beginning to turn red and rambled on. Was Ms. Summer going to be okay? The gazes of the other girls were painful. If their looks could physically harm Nero, he would have turned into Swiss cheese.

"Noelia, have you forgotten that I'm Nero's older sister? I'm 25, and Nero is 14. there were plenty of times I was alone with him."

"Um... Ms. Summer, please continue the lesson."

"O-Okay!" Ms. Summer rushed back to the front, stumbled, and fell. "Uhh... Ouchies."

Nero felt like his classes would be a bit of a problem.

"Do you have a moment?"

"Huh?"

Nero thought the class atmosphere would be awkward again during the break after the second period, but instead, a girl came up to talk to him. he reacted nervously.

She was beautiful, with naturally blue hair. She looked at me with clear large blue alluring eyes. Her hair was curly, and she gave off the impression of someone of high birth who had already found her place in society; it was the same girl who spack to Nero's sister about hitting him.

Due to the Dolls, women received much better treatment than men; to say it was favourable would be an understatement. Women had all the power, and men were brought to be enslaved for manual labour. It wasn't rare to see men in town being made to do things by random women they ran into. The girl next to Nero was just like that. She had her hands on her hips, demonstrating to him who she thought was in charge.

"Are you listening? What is your answer?"

"What do you want?" Nero answered.

“Goodness! What sort of response is that? Don’t you believe you should address me in a way that reflects the honour I bestow upon talking to you?” she replied, having raised her voice.

“......... Sorry, but you aren't ringing any bells.”

Nero had no clue. he thought that she had probably introduced herself at the being of class, but he couldn't remember it. The girl was shocked by this. She narrowed her eyes and continued to belittle Nero.

“You don’t know me? Me, Cecilia Hyrule? of the Hyrule kingdom, and the one who took first place in the entrance exams!”

“Hey, can I ask a question?”

“Hmph. Enlightening the rabble is part of the duties of nobility. Go on, then.”

"Why should I care who you are? just ask your question."

Some of the girls in the classroom who had been listening were agitated now.

A... A... A...”

“Ah?”

“Are you really asking that?!”

Cecilia glared at Nero menacingly. "You know if this was a manga, the artist would have drawn you with rage veins."

“.........” Cecilia’s rage calmed down. She put a finger on her temple and began to mumble. “Unbelievable. Utterly unbelievable. The fused nations of the east are truly a land of savages. This is common knowledge, you plebeian. Have you no television?”

"Excuse me. We have television. I just watch anime on it."

"I'm the Hyrule Kingdom's first princess; you should be able to understand as much from what I'm saying.” She pointed her finger at Nero. It was so close that it almost touched this nose. “Ordinarily it would be a miracle if someone exceptional, like myself, would share a class with you. Appreciate your luck. I recommend being a little more aware of it.”

“Right. Lucky me, eh?”

“Are you making fun of me?”

"Aren't a smart one."

Cecilia glared at Nero menacingly again. “I’m stunned that you were able to enter this school despite knowing nothing about the Dolls. I heard that you are one of a few men able to pilot Dolls, so I expected a little more knowledge from you... But I was disappointed.”

“It’s best not to expect anything from me.”

“Hmph. On the other hand, I am a person of vast magnanimity. I will treat you properly.”

"magnanimous? a new world that I don't know the meaning of."

"Magnanimity is the virtue of being great of mind and heart. It encompasses, usually, a refusal to be petty, a willingness to face danger, and actions for noble purposes. Its antithesis is pusillanimity." said Houki

"How very... “magnanimous” of you, Cecilia. Never met anyone half as good in my 15 years on this Elgin."

“If you don’t understand something about Dolls, well... Cry to me that you need help and I might just help you. I am, after all, the elite of the elite who managed to beat a teacher during the entrance exam. The only one.”

"The only one...? Wait a sec. what is this Entrance exam you keep bringing up?"

"you don't know what the Entrance exam is? you have to take it to enter the Academy. how can you be here if you didn't take the Entrance exam?"

"you don't need to take the Entrance exam if you are already in the Huntress Guild," said Artoria.

"Oh. I didn't know that," said Cecilia.

"So the magnanimous Cecilla didn't know something."

Ding-dong. The beginning of the third period interrupted their discussion; It was a blessing, frankly.

“I shall return! Don’t run away from me! Got it?”

"No."

Cecilia glared at Nero menacingly for the second time.