Introductions: This is Kaizer23 with another written work! This fan fiction is basically a rewrite of the manga and anime (and later on – if I get that far – the light novel). As this is the case, I shall be taking scenes and dialogues from the stated media. This is not to say, that this will have no original ideas (but yes this will look like a written version of the canon - for the mean time).
I have modified Touma's character, the true extent of which will be said down in the author's notes below if you didn't get it all by reading this chapter.
The original arcs of this fan fiction will be taking place somewhere in between the Angel Fall Arc and the Three story arc. So until then, the arcs would take place as they did in the above medias with some minor changes. Things would start changing heavily, by around the Daihaseisai Arc (or even earlier).
I probably won't get all details and information correct (though, I will try to do so)... so if that's the case just consider it an AU part of this fan fiction.
Disclaimer: I don't own Toaru Majutsu no Index/とある魔術の禁書目録, or its characters.
Kamijou Touma had two catchphrases ever since he entered Academy City. One was, and the most frequently used, is 'such misfortune!' The other, to a lesser extent and only used when he was serious, was the catchphrase 'I'll break your illusions!'
Academy City is a city filled with Espers. Despite this, only 80% are considered as such while the others are only in Academy City for academic purposes. Espers are placed into 6 different classes. Level 5 Espers are the strongest type of espers. By strong, this refers to the strength, or how effectively one can use their abilities. This had always been the case as not everyone had the same abilities. As Level 5 is the highest, Level 0 is the lowest. Level 0 Espers are espers that have apparently shown no latent ability despite going through the process of becoming an esper. This is not to say that Level 0 don't have any abilities, rather, it means that their abilities have yet to manifest themselves or can't be properly ranked with the current system. Level 0 Espers also make 40% of the total espers in Academy City.
Touma Kamijou is a Level 0 Esper (though this is a title that was given to him by the higher ups in Academy City as he is in fact not an esper at all). Although this is the case, Touma Kamijou was unique in a sense. Despite being a Level 0 Esper, he had three mainly unique things about him. One most distinguishing factor, the one that had allow him to survive from Esper related attacks (attacks that was mainly due to him intervening for someone's safety) is his right hand, The Imagine Breaker. His right hand can cancel any and all supernatural abilities. Oddly enough though, the power was only concentrated at his right arm. This however, comes with a price. It also nullified God's blessings thus leaving him completely unlucky. The second unique thing about Touma was his fighting ability. Years of fending for himself in a city filled with Espers and unruly gangs had honed his skills to maximize his fighting capabilities and to efficiently use his Imagine Breaker. Also, he had not gone through the power development curriculum. Which meant, that his Imagine Breaker was with him from the day he was born. The third unique aspect about Touma is his ability to sense AIM dispersion. Initially, he never knew he had it – in fact, when he asked himself why he would unconsciously move his right arm to the correct places, he couldn't come up with anything. Eventually, after a few more battles, he could consciously sense something from espers and their attacks. Using this something he could easily maneuver and block attacks from espers he had never even met before.
Touma also had a tendency on saving people, even thought they hadn't asked for his help. This had got him into many misunderstandings and problems that he could no longer remember even the most minor of them all.
His heroic feats had apparently attracted the attention of Skill Out a few years back. He outright, refused to join them as he didn't look to beat Espers, but only protect those that needed protecting. They were unwilling to part with him, so he challenged the leader into a match, that if he won, they would leave him alone – the leader of Skill Out, accepted. It was a battle that tested his fighting ability to the limit.
The battle ended nearly in his loss, but Anti-Skill happened to be in the area and stopped the fight. For some reason, they didn't pursue him after the incident. The after effects of such a confrontation however, had created the urban legend of the 'the one that is above all.' The said urban legend basically referred to Touma's ability to cancel any and all supernatural abilities, and the fact that he was said to be unbeatable despite not showing any other abilities. It has even got exaggerated to the point that the rumor had gone to say he was an unknown level 5 and had an attack that couldn't be seen by mortal eyes. Thankfully, he wasn't identified as 'the one that is above all.' And due to the nature of the rumor, it made him a lot more cautious on who can know about his ability.
It didn't help that some Skill Outs practically worshiped the ground he walked in.
My name is Kamijou Touma. I'm currently living a life which is undoubtedly blessed by misfortune.
It was July 19th and the school summer break had begun.
Touma decided to have a small celebration for passing his first year in high school with flying colors. He was considered the academic genius of his high school with only one major flaw. He sucked in anything related to Espers. This had made him the laughing stock of his year despite his good grades. An esper failing at the subject about espers? It truly was a depressing thought.
Touma had just entered a family restaurant and noticed a familiar looking girl being accosted by a shady looking guy.
Upon closer inspection, it was Biribiri. Otherwise known as Mikoto Misaka.
Mikoto Misaka was one of the seven Level 5 Espers in Academy City. She ranked third strongest out of all the level 5 espers in the city. She study's in one of the most prestigious middle schools in Academy City, Tokiwadai. She also was called the ace of Tokiwadai as she's one of the two level 5 of the said school. Despite her Ojou-sama like background, she was hot headed and prone to outbursts – as his previous encounter with her had shown.
She, thankfully, had not heard about the rumors that referred to him. He had sneaking suspicion that things will get a lot worse if she found out.
Deciding to save the guys from the pain, he decided to intervene – and that was when his misfortune struck.
A blur of events took place which had him running from the said restaurant to the Truss Bridge of Academy City. He apparently pissed off the guy that was accosting Biribiri, and the said guy brought his gang with him to the store.
Collapsing onto his feet, he managed a sigh of relief. It looks like he lost them. He wondered if it really was worth saving those punks from being fried.
"Such misfortune..."
Indeed, he was extremely unfortunate. This was the fifth time this week alone that he had been running for his life.
Just as he thought he was alone, he heard foot steps behind him.
Years of misfortune had apparently honed his senses to the point that if he had met the person before, he would know who it was just by sensing there presence. And since this particular presence was a lot like electricity...
The person behind him was undoubtedly Misaka Mikoto.
"I don't know what you were trying to do..." the girl that he had recognized earlier drawled out. "Being the good Samaritan on saving those delinquents must be pretty stupid... So I took care of them."
'Well that was pointless exertion...' Touma stood up to face the girl which he had referred to as 'Biribiri.'
"Do you know what is a railgun?" Misaka asked while flipping a coin into the air.
Touma nodded.
"I see..." She then charged the coin with lightning she flipped into the air and flicked it towards Touma. The coin however was not aimed at his body but rather as a show of power.
Touma stood unperturbed by the show of power. Why should he when this girl always attempted to challenge him every single time they met?
"Did you use that against them?" Touma inquired. Despite the fact that the people who got hurt were delinquents, he always looked for other people's safety. He also had the sneaking suspicion that he knew where this conversation would eventually end up.
"What do you think I am?" She asked sarcastically. "An idiot? Of course not! But there's still one person I haven't fried today."
Touma would have gulped nervously if this was the first time he had been in the receiving end of a lightning attack, but the constant challenges had served to null his feeling regarding the impending attack. Nevertheless, he didn't want to still be in the receiving end of an attack. "He - Hey now... I'm a level 0 too you know."
Misaka didn't answer, but instead released a torrent of lightning towards Touma.
Touma acted by placing his right hand in front of him.
His right hand acted like a lightning rod and quickly attracted and dispelled the attack. His Imagine Breaker had once again saved him from an esper attack.
"If you're really a level 0, then how come you survived that unharmed?" Misaka asked.
"I don't know how to put it. Supernatural abilities, good luck, miracles – all is canceled by my right hand." Touma looked menacingly towards Misaka. "This is your misfortune."
Misaka took a step back, for a moment looking frightened. This guy – how can a level 0 come out of that unharmed?
She blasted another torrent of lightning towards Touma until she collapsed to the ground.
"I win this battle Biribiri!" Touma said as triumphantly as he could despite the fact that he was having difficulty breathing due to the electricity in the air. "So... give up!"
This had apparently pissed her off, "Damn you!"
Lightning surged from the sky, destroying all the electrical circuits in a one mile radius.
Following Morning
It was truly summer indeed.
The lightning storm caused by Misaka Mikoto had fried all of his dorms circuits making his room as hot as hell, and his food to have all expired due to the extreme heat. Going out to the local library would have been option... if his teacher hadn't called him.
His teacher Komoe, an adult that had the frame of a 10 year old child, had apparently called him for remedial lessons regarding on the subjects about espers.
So he decided to clean around the house for a while until it was time for school lessons.
It was also at this point that his misfortune once again manifested itself. While cleaning his room, the debit card that he was looking for broke when he accidentally stepped on it – which means that he couldn't possibly get any food for the day since he barely had any money left on his wallet.
Sighing to himself, he decided to air out his futon until he noticed that there was already something or someone out on his balcony.
"Eh? I'm already airing one out?" Touma took a closer look, that was when the said person that looked a lot like a nun started moving.
"Hungry..." She said quietly before repeating, "I'm hungry..."
'The nun is speaking Japanese?' Was what was apparently going through Touma's mind.
She then looked at Touma as if blaming him for not reacting accordingly, "I said I'm hungry."
Touma slowly took a step backwards, unsure of what he should do.
As soon as taking a few step back, he stepped into a yakisoba bread that had gone bad due to the lack of electricity within his room.
Touma stopped and took the bread, which was still wrapped in plastic, to the girl, "Is this alright?"
This had to be one of the least nicest thing he's done in the last month or so, but he had already been bemoaning his misfortune since the beginning of the day. He was practically at the limit of his patience!
"Thank you!" She said cheerfully complete oblivious to the state of the food. She then opened her mouth wide, and took a huge bite off of the food – along with Touma's hand.
After feeding the sister looking girl, Touma asked while rubbing his sore hand, "My name's Kamijou Touma, who are you and what were you doing at my balcony?"
"My name's Index, I'm a sister-in-training. My magician name is Dedicatus545, which means 'a sheep dedicated to protecting the knowledge of the strong.' I was being pursued by magicians for the 103,000 grimoires that I hold." She said earnestly. "My intention was to jump from building to building, but I fell onto your balcony
'Magicians? Grimoires?' Touma thought to himself. "Where are these grimoires that you have? I don't see you carrying anything."
"It's all right here." She said almost triumphantly.
"Here?" Touma looked around and found nothing out of the ordinary. "Do you have a key to a big warehouse?
"No."
"You're not going to tell me that these are books that dumb people can't see, are you?" Touma asked jokingly.
"People that aren't dumb can't see them either." She replied, apparently not seeing that Touma was joking. "It'd be meaningless if people could see them."
"And... who's after you?" Touma said changing the subject.
"The magic society."
"Eh? Magic..?"
"Eh? Was my Japanese weird?" Index asked, she then tried to clarify what she meant, "Magic. The Magic Cabal."
"Is that a religious group or something?" Touma asked.
"Somehow I have the feeling you're making fun of me." Index said looking at him intently. "You are making fun of me, right?"
"Sorry this is impossible." Touma replied. "I know of many esper abilities, but magic is out of the question." Living in a society where science makes the supernatural pretty much makes magic an impossible thing for someone who lives in Academy City. "Supernatural powers within this Academy City are quite normal. Science can develop anything."
"It's weird that you believe in supernatural powers and yet you don't believe in magic!" Index said.
"Then, what is magic?" Touma asked. "Show me some."
"I don't have any mana so I can't use any." She replied quickly.
"If you can't use any, then I wouldn't be able to know if magic really does exist!"
"It does!" She answered back. "Magic does exist."
Touma sighed, he might as well change the subject before they get into a shouting match. "I've possessed some weird power for my entire life."
"Weird power?"
"If I come into contact with an esper ability with this right hand, be it a railgun or a lightning attack, even a miracle of God can be dispelled." Touma said while looking at his right hand. Looking at Index, he noticed her actions, "What's with that 'screw the shopping channel' look on your face?"
"Well, an atheist like you is saying a miracle of God can be dispelled." Index said mockingly.
'That little - !' Touma thought at the rebuke. "To think that I'd be taken for a fool by some phony magical girl."
"I'm not a phony!" She snapped back.
"Then show me something!" Touma shot back. "If I punch that with my right hand, then you'll have to believe my right hand's power."
"Fine!" She said standing up, "I'll show you then!" She motioned towards her clothing, "This clothing! It's a very powerful defensive barrier called "the Walking Church"!"
"What are you talking about?" Touma asked, "All you've been doing is throwing weird terminology at me. I still have no clue whatsoever."
Index started swinging her hand wildly, completely frustrated at Touma's stubborn disbelief on magic. She then rushed towards where the kitchen supplies are and brings out a knife.
"I'll prove it instead of this talking!" Index said as she brought the knife to the living room. "Use this knife to stab my stomach!"
"Wh-what?" Touma asked hesitantly.
"This is a church in the form of a clothing that possesses the absolute minimum elements that make up a church." Index explained. She then brought the knife extremely close to Touma, "A stab from a knife won't hurt me at all."
"Then I'll stab you – or did you really think I'd say that?" With his luck, he'd be blamed of attempted murder just by agreeing to her demand. 'Wait... is 'it' on her clothing and coming out from her?'
"You really are making fun of me!" She said frustratedly. "This is an accurate copy of the Holy Shroud of Turin! It's hardness is of Pope class. It can turn aside any attack, be it physical or magical or anything, and it absorbs impact!"
"Basically if that really is magic, then it'll be destroyed once it comes into contact with my right hand."
"If your power is actually au-then-tic~." She said mockingly
This apparently provoked Touma, "If you're going that far... then I'll really do it!" Standing up he grasped towards Index's clothing with his right hand. Completely ignoring the fact that if the clothing is truly magical, then he would have essentially stripped the girl.
"Huh?" Nothing was happening.
"See nothing's happening!" Index said as she made triumphant gesture.
A few moments later however, the clothing shredded apart.
"Uhh..." His face turning red at the turn of events.
"What?"
"W-well..." Touma murmured as he took a nervous step back.
Index looked at where Touma had his eyes on.
A scream rang throughout the dormitory followed by the sound of a bite.
"Ugh... You bit me all over the place..." Touma said as he rubbed the bite marks. He could have easily avoided the bitesif he wasn't partially to blame for her current state. "What are you? Some fly from some summer camp?"
Behind him, Index was covered with a blanket.
"Sorry about that," Touma apologized. "That was really my bad. So -"
He immediately tilted his head to the left as his alarm clock went where his head was moments ago.
"I don't understand how you can talk to me after what just happened." Index muttered darkly facing him.
"Well... I got caught in the confusion somewhat..." Touma murmured. "So how should I put it..."
"Make fun of me will you? Hmph!" She turned around once again.
Touma sighed. He then looked over at his right arm. 'The fact that her clothing reacted with my right hand pretty much verified the fact that her clothing is indeed something supernatural, and since it's from the clothing, she's just a normal person...'
Touma was brought out of his thoughts when he heard Index say, "Done!"
Turning around to face Index, Index took of the blanket she had over herself to reveal her Walking Church fixed through the usage of multiple safety pins.
"What's with the... Iron Maiden?" Touma asked.
"It's called the mat of needles in Japanese." She replied before quickly turning depressed.
Touma looked over at his alarm clock, and he remembered the phone call he had this morning.
"Crap!" Touma said frantically as he made a grab for his bag.
"What's wrong?" Index asked worriedly.
"I have remedial lessons today!"
"Eh?"
"Anway, you can stay here if you want." Touma offered.
"It's okay." She said shaking her head. "I'll leave. If I stay here, they'll definitely find this place. You don't want this room to explode right?" She then walked over to the door.
"Wait!" As he attempted to follow, but quickly tripped and landed on his alarm clock.
"Your right hand," She said facing him. "I think it's something that erases things like good luck and blessings of God. Just by your right hand coming in contact with the air, you'll keep encountering misfortune!"
'So that's the reason?' Touma then slumped down to all fours. "Such Misfortune..."
Adding salt to an open wound, she continued, "If you ask me, I think being born with such a power is a misfortune in and of itself."
'Wait... screw my current situation! I'm already used to it!' Touma faced Index once again, "Do you have anywhere to go once you leave here?"
Index merely smiled at him, "The enemy will come if I stay here."
"The magicians right? But how will they find you?"
"This clothing functions through mana." Index said. "I think they're applying a search based on mana signature of this clothing. But don't worry. If I can make it to the Church, they'll help hide me."
"Now hold on!" Touma said as he stood up. "Do you think I'd let you go without any help now that I've heard of this?"
"Then, would you accompany me to the depths of hell?" She said with an empty smile.
That statement made Touma hesitate.
Seeing his expression, Index said her farewell and made her way out of his room.
Regaining his composure, Touma yelled over to the girl, "You're welcome to come back if you're in trouble again!"
"Yeah I'll come again when I'm hungry!" She said as she went down using the elevator.
Sighing, Touma headed back to his room and found that the sister had left her hood in his room. Shaking his head, she'll come back for it if she needed it. Putting on his shoes, he headed out to his school.
Author's Notes:
This ends chapter one...
Ok here are the main changes with Touma's character:
1. His 'partial precognition' that is identified by Accelerator at Volume 20 of the novel has already developed to the point that he could actually consciously sense it.
2. He's a lot more used to combats (though he's only slightly stronger than the Touma of the anime/manga).
3. He never went through the power development program.
4. Imagine Breaker is currently, only concentrated at his right hand (which I believe is not really a change).
5. He's a genius regarding subjects that are not in the supernatural (despite that it's a science in this world).
I just added the thing about Skill Out since it seemed weird that he wouldn't have been involved with Skill Out in the many years he had been in Academy City. This is not to say that this won't play a role later on...
Aside from that, he's pretty the same from the anime/manga/light novel. He'll only have deeper insight on things from time to time.
That aside, depending on how people take this, this will have a regular update time of 1-2 weeks. Though after every arc, I shall be taking a break (I won't state how long).
I was never actually quite sure with this chapter... so I might rewrite this at a later date.
Anyway, constructive criticism or just plain reviews/comments are appreciated!