Silver Fibers (OC Stand User x Kill la Kill)

Stands and Uniforms (Chapter 15)

Mako is Toshiro's friend. Mako is energetic, kind, and a bit odd, sure, but her friendliness and hospitality are what kept Toshiro and Ryuko alive up until now. Hell, if it weren't for her, they probably wouldn't have even exchanged so much as a glance!

'...'

The fact that he had to keep reminding himself was not a good sign.

The entire journey to Nagoya had been painful. Even Sanageyama was starting to lose his mind as Mako's solo-singing concert stretched into its 3rd repeat. But this, he could still handle.

At Nagoya, they didn't so much have a base than a bunch of trucks lined up against each other. And, much to Mako's disappointment, it wasn't near enough to the city itself to take a quick detour. He might've asked what they'd been waiting for, but an extra, smaller convoy of trucks gave him the answer before that. Out jumped a figure he hadn't seen before, though obviously he had to have been high in Satsuki's circle, judging from the way the Elites silently listened to him.

"These reinforcements are what Lady Satsuki asked for you to wait here for. Each offensive battalion has been allotted 30 students with the new Ultra-Spec Tri-City Raid Trip Goku Uniforms." He recalled the figure saying. "Please use them with care, we are not yet fully sure of the consequences of the modifications."

'Consequences? What could possibly be dangerous enough to these people to incur Consequences?' He recalled what those 'Ultra-specs' looked like. Swollen, akin to a miniature Gamagori, but otherwise identical to the normal students. Apart from a familiar looking patch on their shoulders, which, judging by the red trails flowing from them, were the source of the 'Ultra' part of the name.

Throughout the subsequent trip to Osaka, he remained lost in thought even as Sanageyama begged for mercy from Mako's singing. Well, maybe it was payback too. But still... Those patches were familiar. Too familiar.

"Hey Toshiro, look! That must be Naniwa tower! Oh we just gotta go up there!" Mako grabbed his hand and began dragging him along. Toshiro, however, had spotted something she had not.

"MAKO GET DOWN!" He pulled her away behind a concrete barrier. An explosion engulfed the area where they used to be. This was the part he was starting to get really tired of - The past 30 minutes since they split off from the raid brigade had been him desperately trying to catch up with her speeding through Osaka's food market, all while trying to avoid getting killed by someone from Osaka, or Honnouji, or by some random piece of falling debris.

Speaking of the raid, Sanageyama seemed to be having a lot of trouble with Osaka. The local high school was evidently prepared for an attack, and soon the whole city was engulfed in flames, hence the threat of falling debris. He could even hear the shouts and gunshots from here, and they were getting closer.

"THERE THEY ARE!" Toshiro looked up to see a group of the Ultra-students chasing after them. "THERE'S NO ESCAPING NOW, DESERTERS!"

'Wasn't that Shinjiro guy in this exact situation yesterday?'

"Mako, get somewhere safe! I'll hold them off!"

"Waaaait, I don't want you to get huuuurt! What would Ryuko say?!" He mentally facepalmed. He had to speak in her language for a start.

"Hey, look at that Takoyaki stand over there!" He lied, pointing at a destroyed storefront. Mako, expectedly, immediately rushed over to investigate.

"MATSUDA, YOU DARE THINK YOU CAN GET AWAY WITH ABANDONING YOUR POST TO GOOF AROUND IN THE CITY?!" One of the grunts yelled.

"Well, yes, actually. Seeing as you're clearly struggling to beat Osaka High-"