If Love was personified into a real being, then what kind of traits would it encompass? Devotion, Happiness and Lust? Agony, Despair and Chaos? Or maybe a triplet of feelings tht are more sinister or moderate? I wonder, have I Touma Kamijou lost his mind for having thoughts such as these?

DELUSIONAL MISFORTUNE

'My name is Touma Kamijou. Just your everyday Level 0. No one important. No one of particularly stupendous worth. Yes, I'm just normal. Someone completely irrationally normal. '

That's what I tell myself as I try to fall asleep in the bathtub of my dorm. Today was extremely misfortunate. More so than usual in fact. After a surprisingly very normal day of school which consisted of a bunch of fetish battles between us in the Delta Force and Fukiyose kicking our asses, I decided to do the usual routine of going shopping to find deals for food so that I can at least somewhat quell the voracious appetite of Index-sama…. and Othi-chan though her appetite is far less than what a normal person would eat.

Yet on that seemingly normal walk, I bumped into Biri-Biri. The electromaster. The Level 5 who I didn't want to involve in any of the Magic Side affairs or be informed of my memory loss.

I walked on past her as she kicked the familiar vending machine I've seen so often. I wasn't too sure of what to consider her as. A friend? Acquaintance? She is the 3rd ranked Level 5 of Academy City. Someone who is strong, influential, and admired. Nothing like me. What did she think of me I wonder? Was I an annoyance in her ojou-sama life or was I a pitiable wreck that she felt like she had to make sure didn't die from his sheer stupidity? I honestly don't know. I'm not an expert at reading people.

She wasn't someone I was ever particularly close to even before my memory loss I think. In a sense, we live in two different daily worlds. She lives a life of prestige and truth and I live the life of a lie and deceit. Lying and deceit you ask? How can I be doing that after being involved in many incidents that banked on my personal actions and beliefs? Well, you're not wrong for thinking that. When it comes to other people, I think their worlds should be protected so that they can live their lives to the fullest. After all, their lives are capable of anything right? They have the capability to change the world in a positive light and make it into a place where people can live with a stronger sense of purpose and hope. But as for me, well I think that I'm just someone who was a mistake or better yet, someone destined to be a mistake.

The Imagine Breaker. The power in my right hand that contradicts everything that makes sense.

Why do I have it? Is there a reason that I of all people was chosen to be given this power? I honestly… detest this power a little since it's what causes my misfortune. But I'm grateful that no one else has to bear this burden. It's something no one else should be forced to rely on and bear for their entire life.

But before I continue on with my philosophical rant, let me continue with telling you of what happened this morning.

As I thought I skillfully walked past Misaka without her noticing my presence, a lightning bolt flew past me and despite this sight, I didn't really flinch. This is amazingly common after all.

"Hey, idiot! Where are you going?!" Misaka exclaimed as she walked towards me with her eyebrows furrowed and hands on her hips.

"Oh Biri-Biri, sorry. I've got to go buy food for dinner later." I respond I an attempt to flee.

"Geez, you're pretty rude you know that? Just walking away and not paying attention a girl of Tokiwadai who's taking time out of her day to talk to you." Misaka said as she wore a falsified expression of superiority.

"Yes, yes Misaka-sama. Whatever can this measly Kamijou-san do for you?" I said playing along with her joke.

It wasn't that I didn't want to talk to her. In fact, part of me felt kind of happy for talking to her since she knew of my memory loss. But it was for that same exact reason that I felt a sense of unease and dread conversing with her. Having someone around the city who just happens to know about my memory loss kind of scares me. Well, I wasn't necessarily scared about her using that information to blackmail me or anything like that though. Misaka is too kind and at the very least I know that she's trustworthy. It's just that…she knows about me before I 'died'. Was she inherently comparing me to the 'me' of back then? I know that I tend to think about how I should act in front of those that knew of me before my memory loss. Especially those that don't know of my memory loss. Having to act like someone who I don't fully know is tiring but at the same time necessary.

"*Sigh* Calm down. No need to be so serious. Though, couldn't you even manage a 'Hello!' or 'How are you doing oh dear friend of mine?' Misaka asked.

"Yeah, well I'm sort of in a rush. I'll talk to you the next time I see you." I said as I turned away from her and headed towards the supermarket that was scheduled to have a 65% sale for the day.

However, as I walked I heard footsteps behind me. Curious, I turned around and saw Biri-Biri following me casually.

"Hey, what are you doing Misaka?" I asked with sheer confusion.

"Oh, it's just that I never do see where you shop so I thought that I should come along and check it out." Misaka explained.

Why would she want to check it out? She's an ojou-sama for crying out loud! I'm sure she must know that I buy from cheap brands and stores!

Though, instead of questioning it, I just sighed, shrugged my shoulders and walked further along. I knew that she wouldn't take no for an answer. She's stubborn like that.

"Hmph, you're being kind of rude, you know that?" Misaka said as she quickened her pace to match mind.

"Ah sorry. Just had a long hard-working day of class." I said as I jokingly wiped imaginary sweat off my brow.

"Heh. As if anything could get through that think skull of yours." Misaka retorted.

"Yeah yeah very funny."

Misaka slightly giggled in response but she quickly cleared her throat and asked me something I wasn't expecting but knew I should.

"So… how are you after what happened?" She said with worry prevalent in her voice.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" I asked in false confusion in order to avoid the conversation I didn't want to have.

"Hey, don't play dumb with me! How are you after… after going against the world two weeks ago..." Misaka muttered.

I stopped and sighed.

"Well I'm fine right? Look at me. I'm good as new." I said as I pretended to act as if she were talking of my physical injuries.

"…"

"Haah, you're so impossible! Of course that's not what I'm talking about! I-I mean… you know …y-you're…"

Once again I sighed as I attempted to wait patiently for what she was going to utter out but due to her constant stuttering, I eventually got tired of waiting and walked onward towards my destination, the supermarket.

After what seemed like a minute, Misaka ran up to me and I subconsciously closed my eyes for her incoming remarks.

"HEY! Gosh, you're such a rude guy you know that! I… I just mean is your… wellbeing…?" Misaka asked averting her gaze from me.

"Come on Misaka, you know me. I won't go down after something like that." I said in false bravado.

"…idiot. You're not… an invincible hero you know. I get that you always try to help everyone that you can but… is it really worth it?" Misaka asked timidly.

Are you kidding me? Shouldn't that be an obvious answer by now?

"Is it really worth it? Come on Misaka, you know me better than that. Of course it is." I said with a smile on my face.

"But… what about you? What do you want? What happiness could you possibly gain from being pushed into life and death situations constantly?" Misaka asked as her voice rose.

I raised my eyebrows in shock. Wow, did she really think of my well-being that much? Huh. Honestly, I'm kind of touched but I know what I fight for. After all, it's what's been driving me for this past half year…

"Smiles. A world of smiles."

As if those five words completely summed everything up, I continued my brisk pace towards the supermarket with Misaka eventually following me with her eyes glazed downward.

Little did I know though, that the answer I just gave wasn't the entirety of what I truly think.

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Now I know what you might be thinking. What was that point of that reflection? Well, I can assure you that it wasn't to just highlight the conversation that happened with Misaka. I just retold that since well… what happened in the supermarket would make even less sense than it already did if I didn't explain the build-up.

The 'me' of now currently took a deep breath, preparing to think of the next events that transpired. My heart told me to back off from this train of thought but my mind kept telling me to dig deeper.

Since even though I've been a part of numerous odd incidents, what happened earlier today was something that horrified me to my core.

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When I walked in the supermarket called 'Save-o-Mart!' my eyes widened in alarm. Every aisle was packed to the brim with shoppers.

"W-wow, this place certainly has a lot of people doesn't it?" Misaka asked in shock. Hmm, it seems as though she's disregarded the conversation from yesterday. Well temporarily at least. I can live with that.

"Yeah, this is a pretty big sale after all. Though I didn't expect it to be this crowded…" I muttered feeling a wave of depression hitting over me.

As if noticing my apparent bad mood, Misaka hastily tried to cheer me up.

"H-hey it's not so bad right? I-I've got a plan! How about you take the left half of the aisles and I take the right?' Misaka suggested.

After a short moment of contemplation, I decide to agree. After all, aren't two pairs of shopping hands better than one? Though, I still somewhat doubted her capability to pick out food in a place such as this due to her ojou-sama nature, I didn't want to upset her.

"Alright cool. We'll meet up at… that register in 10 minutes." I say pointing towards the register that was labeled with a 10.

"Hm, alright sure. But what do you want me to get exactly?"

After spending a minute of telling her what to get which shocked her due to the incredibly large amounts I was asking for, I went on my way to fetch ingredients for the dinners of the week.

The actual trip of gathering ingredients was rather uneventful. I tripped a couple of times but none were that damaging. However, I should've warned myself of the recent fortune I just experienced. After all, having someone help me with shopping is such an immense and fortunate time-saver! How could I not realize that my misfortune was just taunting me?! Though I'm not sure if my 'typical' misfortune really impacted what happened next.

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After 10 minutes passed, I headed to the front of the store and waited for Misaka. For some reason though, she didn't arrive. After 5 minutes of waiting, I decided to go look for her. So with my basket of ingredients in my left hand, I started to walk across the supermarket to get the right half of the aisles.

However, when I took my first step into the '7' aisle, my eyes widened. I saw Misaka. No wait, was it Misaka?

My eyes couldn't believe it, fathom it, or depict it.

Misaka Mikoto stood there holding a knife. A really really long knife. Almost impossibly long. Like long enough to stretch across the entirety of my dorm room. But was that a knife? Honestly, I don't know. Its shape though reminded me of the kitchen knife I regularly use at my dorm room.

But what surprised me even more was the look on her face. She was smiling. Frighteningly so. Her lips curved in a sort way that seemed to defy the very logic of the human body. And her eyes were bulging and bloodshot with several trails of blood leaking down and eventually dripping to the floor.

It was then I realized that Misaka stabbed her eyes with the knife.

Shock forced me to stand still. Every fiber of my being told me to stand still despite the worrisome and gruesome sight playing before my eyes. Something told me that if I walked toward her, I'd die.

Was it my brain? My heart? My instincts? Hell, my right arm?

I don't know. But I stood there. Not moving. Not by choice but by force. I've been scared before. The Phases are a prime representation of that. The worlds made from Othinus that made me cry, scream and agonize in a seemingly never ending spiral of death, misery and regret.

But something about this felt… different. I felt… more scared than I did back then. Did my emotions grow numb in the Phases? Possibly. Probably. But why was this scaring me so much more? It's only been two weeks.

After standing still for what seemed like an eternity, laughter erupted from Misaka's mouth. Pure joyous and captivating laughter that attracted all of 'Save-o-Mart's' customers and employees.

Confused by the spectacle of incoming people not disgusted or worried over Misaka's current state, I screamed.

It was as if the shoppers and employees were children overjoyed to see someone handing out free candy. Their smiling faces depicted that scene in my mind.

Misaka ran up to them but suddenly stared at me with her eyes widening in a way that a long lost lover would reunite with their partner.

"Touma! It's you! I've been waiting for you! I really want to have fun you know! It's been so long since I cut off one of your limbs and re-attached them!" Misaka said happily as she licked her lips.

My eyes froze. What do I do? What's going on? Who is this? This isn't Misaka right? Is this a dream? A nightmare? TELL ME! SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME! Those were the thoughts echoing through my head at the time.

Misaka walked towards me and I felt two pairs of hands grab me from behind and pin me to the ground.

Alarmed, I managed to look at the two perpetrators in question. Hamazura Shiage and Accelerator. Two people I considered allies. I noticed their smile and their look of expectation towards Misaka.

"Oh thanks boys! That's awfully kind of you… maybe we should we should play after I'm done with him?" Misaka said provocatively as she pointed at me.

The two of them shook their head wildly.

"Good good. Well sorry Touma! I found two more guys who seem more willing to please me than you! So let's get this over with!" Misaka said as she bent down towards me with her grip on the knife hardening.

Misaka licked her lips at me seductively and plunged the knife into my right shoulder blade. I screamed but she didn't stop. She didn't want to stop.

Around me, amidst the feeling of being constantly stabbed I could feel cheers. Oddly enough, all those cheers seemed to come from guys. All the females vanished at some point. Why? I don't know. But when did I ever know something?

After my right shoulder blade was my left one. Then my right knee, head, torso, left knee, pinky toe, big toe, right hand index finger, left hand middle finger, chest, crotch, left eye, right cheek, upper lip, bottom lip, waist, stomach, jgmhpaolwofjnhymsoisnfujgmvenvinfviufvneinveiuvn…. STOP PLEASE JUST STOP

Eventually she stopped. However, I felt no pain. Only… a sense of relief. Was it catharsis? Did I secretly yearn to be killed? I don't know. But what do I know? I remembered that I laughed. Maybe I just lost my mind. The world kept throwing me curveballs so something like this was… expected right?

Accelerator and Hamazura were laughing in pure bliss and joy behind me. Probably excited to fuck with Misaka.

But one thing was heard by me before I lost my consciousness.

"I love you Touma. I've always ALWAYS loved you."

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My eyes opened. I thought I died so I looked around me in confusion. Everything was normal. No one was laughing at me. They were shopping and then I looked to the right of me. Misaka was standing next to me with a very worried and concerned expression. It was just then I realized that I paid for everything at the register but the female running the register looked at me worriedly. Did something happen? I assumed what just happened to be a passing daydream but deep down, I knew I wasn't stupid enough to believe that.

"…Touma? Are you okay?" Misaka asked with concern using my first name.

I just stood there blankly, grabbed the bags and left the supermarket. Several people stared at me but I didn't mind them. Misaka kept trying to get my attention but I tuned her out. I wanted to go home. Sleep.

Eventually, Misaka left after half an hour, though I could tell she was heavily concerned. Can't really blame her either. Some guy she was shopping with just stopped and stared at space blankly. Creepy right?

But I made it into my dorm and immediately went into the bathroom after putting down the bags. Othinus and Index kept shouting my name in concern but I tuned them out. I just wanted to sleep. Achieve peaceful pleasant sleep. Then I fell asleep and woke up in the middle of the night to where I began this tale.

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Geez, it's really annoying to try and fall back asleep after just waking up right? But I'll manage.

As I thought about today, I wondered. Am I going crazy? Part of me laughed at the thought. Considering the Phases I wouldn't be surprised. But a part of me felt- no knew that there was more to this. There had to be more to what happened earlier today.

But before I fall asleep and greet the wonderful morning sky of Academy City tomorrow morning, can I ask you one thing? One thing I never thought I'd ever ask?

Please. Can someone please save me?

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