Hello guys and welcome to 'A Corpus of Misfortune'!
For those of you who don't know, this is a rewrite of 'A Compilation of Misfortune'. Compilation ended up going in all of the wrong ways when writing it for a multitude of reasons.
If you are new to my writing then welcome!
However, if you are an old reader from Compilation then let me just say that there's no need to worry about re-reading the exact same content. Because let me assure you…
It's very very different.
Additionally, if there's someone who'd like to correct any errors I may have then that'd be nice.
With all that said, I hope you all enjoy the chapter!
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The Birth of Chaos [1]– NEGATIVE ARC
12 Years Earlier
The sky was green. A crimson epitaph was faded from the majestic grave that stood atop this robust garden.
Two middle aged men stood in this garden. A garden untouched by all except for the decaying corpses that lay beneath.
One man sported a scruffy beard, denim overalls, and an azure buttoned down shirt. He wore a sullen look and looked down towards the ground.
On the ground laid a boy of about 4 years of age. He was nude and had no remarkable features on his person except for his lifeless eyes and his overly malnourished, frail body.
"Tell me… do you think it's too late for him?" The man with a scruffy beard asked the other man in the vicinity.
The other man stood in front of the majestic grave with tears streaming down his normally stoic face. He wore black pants, ebony colored shoes, a blazer and a sallow tie. His face was unremarkable yet at the time, it gave many nightmares. His large black eyes pierced into the worried gaze of the man with the scruffy beard.
He was probably the most normal looking man you could ever find in England.
"Don't be a dumbass!" The man in front of the grave shouted in response.
"Do you… do you really think that we can afford to have this product die on us?!" After a brief pause, the man bit his lip. "Ah, screw it!" The man grabbed the lifeless boy by his arm and ferociously threw him at the grave in frustration.
"What are you doing?! He still has life left in him!" The scruffy man ran towards the boy who couldn't even cry.
"All of these sacrifices… and for what?! This fucking kid is the sole culmination of the Swallow Replica Program and he can't even walk on his own two legs! Why?! Why the hell did this kid have to be the success?!" The man with the blazer and tear stained cheeks cried out once more, sinking to the ground in the process.
"Please be at ease my dear friend." The man with the scruffy beard gently laid the boy on the ground and walked towards the crying wreck that couldn't stand.
"While it's true that the sacrifices are tragic, we have to move forward. It's what your father would've wanted. Isn't that right Natsu?" The man with the scruffy beard asked Natsu who finally had some light in his eyes. [1]
"Y-you're right. I can't beat myself up yet. Everything's just begun." Natsu stood up and looked back at the boy on ground.
"As the successor to the Swallow family, it's my duty to give hope to this world through this scion. This nameless scion that will grant my father's final wish." The man with the scruffy beard gazed at Natsu Swallow with an approving nod.
"Indeed. Though an ending has just passed by us, a new beginning can be forged."
And with that, the two middle aged men continued with their plan to revolutionize the balance of the Magic and Science sides.
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Touma, Aogami and Tsuchimikado were currently waiting for the grand opening of a maid café by the name of 'A Certain Quaint Café'. It was in the same district as Joseph's. Surprisingly, there was no one else waiting there.
As much as Touma didn't want to join his 'friends' on this 'joyous' day, he lost in a game of rock-paper-scissors, which was part of a bet he took part in. His loss didn't surprise him or anyone else there.
'Why the hell did I even take part in that game?' Touma inwardly reprimanded himself.
"Hey Kami-yan, are you listening?" Tsuchimikado Motoharu asked one of the fellow members of the Delta Trio.
"H-huh? What…?" Touma muttered.
"Aogami and I were just asking you if Fukiyose would look good as a loli!"
"…I'm glad I zoned out." Touma said tiredly as he yawned and leaned against the building they were near.
"Ah come on Kami-yan! It's a completely valid question! Fukiyose's most apparent charm is her breasts right? If you deducted that from her character, would she have any charm left?" Aogami jumped into the conversation.
'If I continue to ignore them, they're still going to continue to ask me stupid shit like this…' Touma thought irritated.
"Well, isn't she a tsundere? That's sure to score some points with some crowds right?" Touma offered.
"Hmm, you're not wrong Kami-yan. But at the same time, don't you think she's too violent for your run-of-the-mill tsundere?" Tsuchimikado asked.
"No you're wrong Tsuchimikado!" Aogami interrupted. "Don't you know how powerful of a motivating force masochism is?! A tsundere who can also appeal to the desires of masochists is a rare and orgasmic gift!"
"…Are you actually a masochist Aogami?" Touma asked. "You seem to be pretty adamant about this."
"What did you just say?!" Aogami shouted in a fit of pure unbridled rage.
Touma and Tsuchimikado were actually slightly taken aback by this.
"H-hey I'm sorry Aogami. I shouldn't have called you masochist. That was uncalled for." Touma apologized.
"I'm not ONLY a masochist you dumbass!" Aogami exclaimed, causing Touma to sigh and Tsuchimikado to grin. "How could you say something so stupid Kami-yan?! Don't you know that I'm a lolicon, sadist, masochist, squirtaphilist,-"
"Okay okay okay! I get it!" Touma interrupted Aogami's outburst.
"But you know Kami-yan, I'm rather curious about something." Tsuchimikado said as he scratched his chin.
"*Sigh*… what?"
"You HAVE to be a masochist right?"
"Why the hell did you pull that out of your ass?!"
"Well I mean, it's kind of an obvious conclusion isn't it?" Tsuchimikado said calmly to which Aogami agreed.
Touma chuckled darkly.
"Really? Then enlighten me. How the hell am I of all people a masochist?"
"Remember the incident that happened yesterday with you and the beautiful females of our class?" Aogami brought up.
The incident Aogami is referring to is something that made Touma cringe in embarrassment.
Yesterday during school, Touma accidently walked in on the girls changing out of their gym clothes. Now while this doesn't sound too 'misfortunate' considering Touma's usual antics, something far more horrific took place soon after.
"KAMIJOOOOOUUUUUU!" Fukiyose roared as the other girls merely blushed.
"I-I'm sorry…! It-It was an accident." Touma implored.
This didn't stop Fukiyose though. She ran to Touma was about to exit the room when he quickly realized that the door was locked.
"Too bad Kami-yan! You're stuck!" Tsuchimikado roared laughing from beyond the locked door.
"Yeah you're gonna die in there motherfucker!" One of his male classmates yelled.
"What the hell?! What did I ever do to you, you bastards?!" Touma screamed earning some laughter from the guys behind the door.
"Hey you pieces of shit better un-"
Before Touma could finish however, Fukiyose caught up to him, grabbed him by the collar and threw him across the locker room.
"Fukiyose, wait please! I'm sorry!" Touma begged to no avail however.
She began to pummel him much to Touma's misfortune. The girls nearby were concerned by Touma's rather grave cries of pain.
But as Fukiyose continued to beat the shit out of Touma, she ended up accidentally falling over and much to Touma's further misfortune; she slipped his pants off by accident.
'What kind of Yuuki Rito skills does she suddenly have?!' Touma thought with perilous anxiety. [2]
"AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" All of the girls screamed in horror.
Touma screamed as well but it was muffled by the girls' ear piercing screeches.
Thankfully, Fukiyose's grip on him loosened and he was able to get up but he slipped and fell…
Right into Fukiyose's bodacious breasts.
There was a small period of silence which was probably due to the shock. Touma was about to apologize profusely but when he felt the milky and divine texture of Fukiyose's breasts, his little 'Tou-man' hardened.
Since his crotch was bare, this sudden reaction elicited more horrifying screams from the girls.
Touma tried his hardest to soften his unseemly erection. He thought of several disgusting scenes such as Stiyl blowing Tsuchimikado.
This however, didn't get rid of the pleasant sensation he felt not too long ago.
'Damn you, my dreaded dick!' Touma inwardly scolded his little 'Tou-man' for not going flaccid but sadly for him, Fukiyose finally snapped out of her stunned state.
"…" She didn't say anything and her blank eyes made Touma cower in fear even more.
Without saying a word, she grabbed his precious reproductive organ and did… unspeakable things to it.
The rest was a daze for Touma. He was sure that it was due to the severe agony he must've experienced.
"So what? I really don't want to be reminded of yesterday's bullshit." Touma said coldly to Aogami.
"According to the girls, your dick was stiff the whole time! That proves that you were turned on by it!" Aogami exclaimed as he pointed to Touma with an accusatory glare.
"No no! It was because I was in a life and death situation! Haven't you heard the saying about how guys get hard when they think they're about to die?!" Touma questioned his 'best friends'.
"That's just an excuse Kami-yan." Tsuchimikado stated, adjusting his shades. "There's no need to be ashamed. The world is a very broad and diverse pla-"
"Shut up! There's no way in hell that I'm a masochist!" Touma yelled back, attracting some onlookers who looked at the Delta Trio with mixed expressions of disgust and hilarity.
"What the hell are you idiots talking about?" A familiar voice asked.
Touma and the other two idiots turned around and saw Fukiyose there with a slightly miffed expression.
"O-oh Fukiyose." Tsuchimikado stuttered. "We were just discussing the finest points of cat-eared maids. Isn't that right guys?!" Tsuchimikado asked his comrades a tad too loudly earning a suspicious glare from Fukiyose.
The guys nodded however and Fukiyose just sighed.
"Something tells me that you're lying but I don't think I want to know." Fukiyose relented before Touma decided to change the subject.
"W-why are you here Fukiyose?" Touma asked as his voice cracked.
"No real reason really. I just heard that this new maid café was about to open and I decided to check it out." She answered, earning some gasps from the Delta Trio.
"Wait, aren't you always on our asses about being healthy?! Why are you coming here of all places?!" Aogami asked as the other guys nodded. It was rather odd that Fukiyose of all people would decide to venture to a café of this sort.
"Oh!" Tsuchimikado exclaimed as if he's just realized something obvious. "Is it because healthy foods aren't increasing your breast size?! That's the only plausible explanation! Come to think of it…I think your breasts have gotten smaller lately."
"Um Tsuchimikado… I don't think that's how breasts work." Touma muttered under his breath before he noticed Fukiyose grit her teeth.
"I DARE you to say that again…" Fukiyose said quietly much to the guys' chagrin.
They kept silent and thankfully the maid café opened which dissipated the tense atmosphere.
The group of four entered and they were greeted with a gorgeous spectacle.
While the outside of the maid café was rather barren when it came to decorations, the interior was lavish.
There were 5 rows of tables that held checkerboard patterned table cloths. The seats that connected to the wall had a cute strawberry tint and only two individuals could fit on one seat. Each table had two seats in all. The ceiling had one ivory colored chandelier hung up for each row; the floor was painted with a light green hue along with some expertly drawn stars on each tile and all of the windows on the monochrome walls had a triangular shape.
"Wow." Was all that Touma could say when he stepped in. "Hey guys are you sure we can afford this place? It looks a little too high class for us." Touma noted.
"Hey don't worry Kami-yan~. There's no need to worry about that." Tsuchimikado answered which only confused the others.
"What are you talking about Tsuchimikado? Do you know who owns this café or something?" Fukiyose asked.
"I do actually." Tsuchimikado answered, surprising Aogami and Touma especially.
"Seriously?! Since when were you such a big shot Tsuchimikado?!" Aogami questioned in alarm.
"Yeah, I thought that you were just some kind of rogue pervert." Fukiyose confessed.
"Well what can I say? I'm just a high-class man." Tsuchimikado smiled joyfully as a maid began to approach them.
"Hello and welcome to 'A Certain Quaint Café'!" The familiar maid greeted. "I'm delighted to have you as my first customers!"
"Maika is that you?!" Touma asked in astonishment. "You're the one that owns this place?!"
"Well… kind of. Take a seat and I'll explain." Maika offered to which the four customers agreed.
Touma, Tsuchimikado, Aogami and Fukiyose took the nearest table which was closest to the entrance. Tsuchimikado immediately sat next to Aogami which forced Touma and Fukiyose to sit next to each other. While Touma didn't really mind, Fukiyose was a bit embarrassed. Tsuchimikado slightly grinned at this development. Maika then gave each of them a menu and proceeded to explain the meaning of what she said earlier.
"The headmistress of Tokiwadai wants to expand Tokiwadai's 'atmosphere' out to the public."
"What does that mean exactly? And what does this café have to do with Tokiwadai?" Fukiyose asked. It was extremely rare to hear of Tokiwadai doing something of this nature.
"It's kind of hard to explain but I'll try my best. To put it simply, Tokiwadai is starting to run low on revenue since they don't have as many incoming students as they usually do." Maika started.
"I guess that makes sense since it costs a lot to get in there if you don't get offered right?" Touma remembered.
"Yeah. Tokiwadai only accepts the best of the best so for those who are lacking in the enrollment requirements, they have to pay a substantial amount. However, there seems to be a decline in freshmen this year so even with donations from various organizations, they're not as up to par as they'd like."
"And that's where this maid café comes into play." Fukiyose pieced together.
"Right. The headmistress ultimately decided that opening up this café with the properties of Tokiwadai would not only attract possible applicants but also generate some profit. They chose me as the one to manage this establishment." Maika finished with a prideful smile.
"That's not a bad idea but…" Touma paused. "These prices are freaking absurd!" Touma pointed at the menu with a face of fury. "15,000 yen for a slice of cheesecake?! What kind of BS money-grab is this?!"
"I-I'm sorry. We're still trying to set appropriate prices." Maika apologized with a grave frown.
"Hey Kami-yan. You better watch your mouth when you talk to my little sister." Tsuchimikado said aggressively, forcing Touma to apologize.
"I-it's fine. I guess that explains why we have no other customers coming in today huh?" Maika said as her head sunk in despair.
"That IS pretty surprising though. You'd think that people would be piling in here considering what this place is about." Touma thought aloud.
"We had a website to promote this café and everything and it attracted a huge following but I guess that rumors of our prices turned people off…" At this point, Maika was on the verge of tears so Tsuchimikado decided to be a decent brother for once.
"It's alright Maika-chan don't worry! Just give it time. Not everything succeeds when it first releases. You have to give it time to blend into society and draw people in."
"Wow Tsuchimikado. You're acting like a decent human being for once." Touma remarked.
"What do you mean? I'm always like this!" Tsuchimikado retorted earning some cheesy laughter from the other occupants.
"Come to think of it, where are the other maids?" Aogami asked insistently. That is the only reason he came after all.
"They're all in the kitchen right now since none of us expected a huge crowd." Maika answered much to Aogami's disappointment.
"Oh yeah you guys don't have to worry about paying today. It's on the house." Maika announced.
"Uh, are you sure?" Fukiyose questioned.
"Yeah. The prices are pretty ridiculous now that you mention it. We'll fix it in time. For now, just enjoy a free meal." Maika concluded much to Touma's joy since he only had 3,000 yen on him in the first place.
"So what would you all like?" Maika asked in a professional manner as she swiftly took out a pen and paper.
"I'll take the… Cold Quiche." Touma answered.
"Mozzarella Cheesecake for me!" Tsuchimikado said.
"I'll take the Urnebes Salad please." Fukiyose requested.
"And I'd like the Maid Smiley-Face Special!" Aogami announced making Fukiyose face palm.
"Of course you'd pick that…" She remarked with revulsion.
After that, Maika left to prepare the food with the other maids.
'Ah damn it… I forgot to restock the fridge over the weekend. I hope that Index doesn't eat Sphynx and gods forbid Othinus. Though even if she did, it probably wouldn't satiate her monstrous appetite." Touma thought darkly as he stared out of the triangular window.
"Hey Kami-yan." Aogami said, snapping Touma out of his thoughts. "You've heard of the Tokiwadai Ball that's coming up soon right?"
"No. Can't say I have."
"Really? I thought that the Railgun would've told you by now since you're an item and all." Tsuchimikado jumped into the conversation with a bomb shell.
"W-what?! You two are dating?!" Fukiyose exclaimed in an uncharacteristically girlish yelp.
"N-no of course not! Do you really think that she'd date someone like me?!" Touma quickly refuted.
"Now now Kami-yan…don't be so down on yourself. Don't you know how popular you are with the ladies?!" Tsuchimikado said in attempt to relieve his friend's upset mood.
"*Sigh* Tsuchimikado. I told you over and over again that girls don't 'flock' to me like how you've been spewing all the time." Touma retorted forcibly.
"Whatever. Don't come crying to me when that thought process screws you over later." Tsuchimikado warned before the door to the café opened.
When the four turned around to see who it was, Touma immediately cringed in despair.
Misaka Mikoto, Shirai Kuroko, Uiharu Kazari and Saten Ruiko stepped inside.
Misaka took a quick look around and noticed Touma and the others sitting right next to them.
"I-i-idiot?! What the hell are you doing here?!" Misaka questioned noisily as her face blushed crimson and she pointed her index finger which twitched nervously.
"Ape! Why must you insist on getting in my way to Onee-sama's pure virgin heart?!" Kuroko accused, causing Uiharu to laugh nervously and Saten to get involved in the conversation. Misaka heard Kuroko's perverted comment but the sudden shock of seeing Touma took precedence.
"M-Misaka? Could this be the rumored boyfriend that I've heard so much about?! Saten asked loudly.
"Saten-san!" Kuroko yelped in disapproval.
'He looks kind of familiar for some reason though…' Saten inwardly mused. Little did she know that Touma was thinking the same exact thing.
'Saten… why does that name sound so familiar…?' Touma thought.
"Wha-?! Y-you're joking right?!" Misaka yelled out in alarm.
"Is that true?! Are you really her boyfriend?!" Saten implored.
Everyone looked at Touma expectantly. Tsuchimikado looked amused, Aogami was smiling whilst licking his lips, Fukiyose looked a tad nervous though she tried to not show it, Misaka was blushing deeply, Saten looked enthusiastic, Kuroko was enraged and Uiharu was just confused.
In response to all of their outbursts, Touma just laid his head into his arms and muttered…
"Such misfortune…"
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One teenage boy sat alone in his tasteless dorm room that was just filled with various anime figurines. The door was bolted shut and the binds were glued together.
His lifestyle reflected his appearance well. He had a medium build with short choppy brown hair. Additionally he wore small rectangular framed glasses, casual black sweats and a dirty brown sweater. His light blue eyes were strained and they depicted a sense of past grief.
He sat in his cheap, almost broken down chair and stared at his computer monitor in horror realizing that he didn't pay his internet bill.
"God damn it! I was just about to jack off too!" The youth cursed in despair. "I was really looking forward to reviewing this week's new batch of hentai too…"
As the teenager was about to wallow in heartbreak, a soothing female voice got through to him.
"O~sa~muuu~!" The female voice seductively dragged out. "Can't you forget about that stupid click bait porn and have some fun with me?"
Osamu turned around in his chair and saw the one girl that he expected to see. After all, he doesn't interact with the outside world so who else could it be?
This girl is drop dead gorgeous. She has long wavy black hair, is quite skinny and has milky fair skin and curves in all the right places. She wore what seemed to be an outfit from a magical girls' anime with dark blue frills, black stockings and a light blue ribbon adorning the centerpiece of her outfit. Her rosy red eyes held a determined gaze.
"Akari, I told you time and time again to never interrupt me when I'm about to record." Osamu reprimanded Akari with an annoyed look on his face.
"Record? You were going to jack off you idiot!" Akari giggled cutely.
"O-okay maybe I was but I was going to record right after!" Osamu argued.
It was to no avail however as Akari materialized behind him which caught Osamu off guard. Afterwards, she twisted his chair around and was greeted with Osamu's bewildered expression.
"What a-are you do-"
Osamu's question was blocked though since Akari pecked her lips on his cheek.
"!" Osamu fumbled around his chair in shock but Akari just giggled.
"Osamu, you're so cute." Akari said as Osamu blushed.
"S-shut up! Don't do something that sudden you dumbass!" Osamu scolded.
'Honestly… this girl… if only she were real…' Osamu thought as a wave of dread passed over him.
"Why the hell am I still seeing you appear all over the place like this?! You're not supposed to be here! You're not even supposed to exist!" Osamu got up from his chair as his anger seethed.
"Osamuuuu~ that hurts…" Akari whined as tears formed in her eyes.
Osamu didn't say anything in response.
"You love me you know. Why else would I be appearing like this?" Akari questioned.
Osamu didn't say anything again.
"It's because of you that I continue to live on Osamu…" Akari walked towards Osamu and hugged him from behind.
"There's nothing to be scared of. As long as the two of us stay together, you no-both of us can stay happy forever."
"Go fuck yourself." Osamu said instantaneously making Akari gasp.
"W…what…?"
"I'm tired of you. You think that you can just pop out of nowhere and 'love' me?! How do I know that you're not appearing in front of other guys and doing the same thing to them?! I can't trust you… not after what happened with Adagaki." Osamu got quiet at the end of his little tirade and went to put his cheap cerulean coat on.
"O-Osamu… where are you going?" Akari asked quietly.
"…" Osamu didn't respond and put his half torn sneakers on.
"Osamu…?"
He picked up his outdated cell phone and unbolted the door.
"Listen to me…!"
He opened the door and left.
"OSAMUUUUU!"
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"Honestly… that little bitch…" Osamu muttered to himself when he was a block away from his apartment.
'I would've called customer service when I was in there but that little bitch had to up and appear again…'
Osamu grabbed his phone from his pocket and unlocked it. Afterwards, he went to his contacts and called a number that he really didn't want to deal with but he had no choice at the moment. If his internet was out then he'd lose his only ability to make income.
'Well… I guess it's technically my fault for forgetting to pay the internet bill in the first place…'
The caller on the other end answered and greeted Osamu.
"Hello sir my name is Shiki Kuga. How may I help you?" [3]
"Hello, I just wanted to call to confirm the time of my bill payments."
"Ah certainly sir. What is your name?" Kuga inquired.
"Osamu Yuki."
"Alright…" A series of mouse clicking and keyboard typing was heard right after.
"Alright sir. Just one last thing. As a security measure, I'll have to ask you the name of your Esper ability as well as its level. Does this offend you in any way?" Kuga asked emotionlessly.
"No but… is this new? I've never heard of this security measure before." Osamu noted which made Kuga cough.
"Y-yes it is new. It's a new broad security measure that we're beginning to implement." Kuga said quickly.
"Riiight."
'I'm pretty sure he's lying but whatever. I don't really care about confessing what my power is anyway. But wait a second… I'm sure he can just look it up right?... Ah screw it. I just need my internet back.' Osamu thought with suspicion before disregarding the train of thought.
"So what is your Esper power and level sir?" Kuga asked once more.
"Body Enhancer. Level 1." Osamu answered.
"Alright good to know…" Kuga then typed some more stuff up and a sad sigh could be heard on his end.
"Ah I'm sorry Mr. Yuki but it turns out that your payments do not suffice for our new plans."
"Um, what? What plans are you talking about?" Osamu inquired.
"Earlier this month we raised all internet bill payments due to providers being finicky." Kuga said vaguely and unprofessionally.
"Um, what?" Osamu said again.
"Good day to you sir." Kuga hung up.
"H-huh?! Wait…. Damn it! The asshole hung up on me!" Osamu hissed in rage.
Osamu tried to call back but it would immediately go to voicemail.
"This really really sucks. How the hell am I going to do my job now?"
Osamu began his short trek back to his apartment.
'I don't want to deal with Akari right now but it's not like I have much choice…' Osamu thought bitterly.
'Huh? Who are those guys waiting outside of my apartment?'
When Osamu reached the front of his apartment, he was greeted by a rather strange sight.
5 individuals with varying mask designs stood in front of the door.
If Osamu's apartment wasn't in an extremely rural area, he was sure that somebody would've called Judgment by now.
The masked individual in front noticed Osamu's appearance and walked towards him.
"Well well well, if it isn't the man, the myth, the legend himself!" The masked man said in a cheery tone.
"Who the hell are all you guys?!" Osamu asked sourly.
"Hey now, no need to be rude! We're not here to hurt you… yet." The masked man finished cryptically.
"Before we start though, let me just confirm one thing." The apparent leader said as the four masked individuals behind him walked forward. Osamu could see them more clearly and their masks didn't hide their hair.
One of the masked individuals had a lean body frame and their mask had a camellia painted on it. They wore ripped jeans, an orange tank top and old looking sneakers. Her hair was a dark red, almost crimson. Osamu assumed her to be female. [4]
Another one of the individuals had an extremely bulky and imposing body frame. His mask had a painting of a STOP sign being stabbed by a knife. The individual's muscles on their arms were bulging. The person's attire consisted of a white shirt, white coat, white sneakers and white khaki pants. They also had short blond hair. Osamu assumed him to be a male.
The third of the masked individuals had an almost skinny body frame. Their mask had a painting of a half full hourglass on it. The person's outfit was rather sloppy and questionable as it consisted of red shorts and a black cardigan. His sneakers were dirtied and it looked like they had some shit stains on them. Lastly, they had short black hair. Osamu thought that this person was a male but he wasn't entirely sure.
The fourth of the masked individuals had an extremely overweight body frame. Their mask had a painting of what seemed to be a censored penis. The person wore orange overalls with a pink shirt underneath and black sneakers with blue stripes. The large individual also had short wavy black hair. Osamu couldn't identify what gender this person could be.
The apparent leader of the group who stood up front had a rather skinny body frame. His mask had a painting of a single lone tear drop on it. The masked male wore a black suit with black shoes and gray dress pants. His hair was… odd. It was grey on the right side of his head and black on the other. Osamu assumed he was male based on the voice he was called out to with.
"Are you the pervert, Osamu Yuki?" The apparent leader asked.
"…Excuse me?" Osamu asked flabbergasted.
"S-sorry. That was a little uncalled for." The leader apologized before he cleared his throat again.
"Let me ask again. Are you Osamu Yuki?"
"What's it to you?" Osamu asked in a threatening manner.
"Oh-ho! My my, we have a little tough guy here don't we?" The leader exclaimed in mock surprise as he snapped his fingers. This beckoned the bulky masked individual to his side. "Zack, show this prideful fool a taste of the real world is like."
"Sure thing." The masked male Zack said in a gruff voice.
As Zack neared towards Osamu with his tightened fists, Osamu did something unexpected.
"Ha…hahaha…!"
He laughed.
The group of masked individuals stepped back in slight fear and uncertainty. Why the hell was this guy laughing in this situation?
"What's so damn funny you piece of shit?!" Zack roared with venom. But Osamu didn't even flinch.
"S-sorry." Osamu said still laughing as he took off his glasses and wiped some stray tears that formed. "It's just that… what's the point?"
"…What?" The leader said simply.
"I'm the weakest Level One in Academy City. Trust me; you're not going to prove anything by fucking me up. I've dealt with my fair share of crap like this in the past." Osamu said with a sardonic smile on his normally neutral face.
"…Hmph. It seems like I was wrong about you." The leader said with a small smile on his face.
"Boss…?" The masked individual with a lean body frame said questioningly. Her sweet feminine voice made Osamu cringe a bit.
"It's alright Rose. I've made my decision." The leader responded. "Zack! Stand down!"
Zack was hesitant but he appeased his boss's wish and backed off.
"I thought that I'd have to beat you senseless to get you on our wavelength but it seems as if that's not necessary." The leader remarked. "I'm glad honestly. I'd rather not harm a potential recruit like this."
"Recruit? What are you talking about?" Osamu asked in pure mystification.
"Sorry sorry, let me explain. It's kind of a long story though. Are you ready?" The leader asked Osamu who just stood there with a baffled look on his face.
"Y-yeah…" Osamu answered even though he was a bit fearful since he had no idea what he was getting himself into.
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"Kami-yan, you're a dumbass. I always knew you were but man oh man, you really stepped up a notch today." Tsuchimikado said as he laughed his off.
Misaka and her friends sat in the seats behind Touma and co. Touma introduced himself to Misaka's friends soon after but it wasn't reciprocated since Misaka dragged them away.
"W-what did I say?! Why is everyone looking at me like that?!" Touma asked aggravated.
"Listen Kami-yan. When a bunch of people ask you if you like a girl that's standing right in front of you, you don't just shrug it off and say 'such misfortune' in a pessimistic tone! Especially if the girl likes you!" Aogami gave some sagely advice.
"What are you talking about Aogami? Misaka doesn't even like me. Should I feel bad about something?" Touma asked with genuine curiosity, making the other denizens of the café cringe in frustration.
"N-never mind." Aogami surprisingly relented.
Even Kuroko sighed tiredly at Touma's denseness.
Touma was still pretty puzzled but that feeling was quickly replaced by joy when Maika and another identically dressed maid came back with their food.
"Oh Misaka-san! I didn't expect to see you guys here!" Maika remarked as she and her co-worker gave food to Touma and the others.
"H-hello…" Saten said awkwardly, igniting Maika's perplexity.
"D-did something happen while I was gone?" Maika asked.
No one answered her so she decided to disregard it and ask Misaka and her friends what they wanted.
"Wow this Quiche is really good!" Touma exclaimed happily.
Tsuchimikado and Aogami just grinned a little while Fukiyose inwardly sighed in relief at Touma's non-positive answer to Saten.
'I should really learn how to give up hope…' Fukiyose thought forlornly
Touma's and Tsuchimikado's phones rang at the exact same time and when they both answered it, they heard the window next to him shatter.
"What?!" Several of the café's denizens shouted in alarm.
Tsuchimikado immediately got up and left the café much to everybody else's concern.
"Tsuchimikado?! Whe-" Fukiyose was cut off as Touma covered her mouth with his hand.
"Quiet Fukiyose. Don't attract attention." Touma whispered.
Fukiyose nodded and the door to the café opened once again.
This time however, a sloppily dressed teenage boy walked in.
He had a cocky grin and wore some old sweats and t-shirt. He also held some strange looking device in his hand. It looked like an old game controller with one joystick. The joystick was pointed towards the top of the controller.
"Oh we have a nice round up of people here." The thug said happily.
Misaka wanted to go and finish things quickly but Kuroko grabbed her sleeve, stopping her from doing so.
"Onee-sama, we should investigate what that device he's holding does." Kuroko whispered.
Misaka was hesitant but she agreed. She herself was rather curious about the game controller the thug was holding.
"Now, I want each and every one of you to leave this café with your arms up in the air. And if you don't then my friends outside will do the job for me." The thug demanded.
Touma and the others complied.
They all got up and exited the café with their hands in the air, Maika and her maid co-worker included.
When they got outside, there was no sign of Tsuchimikado anywhere.
'Where the hell did he go?' Touma thought.
He didn't dwell on it though since the thug led them to a van sporting a dark grey hue.
Everyone was edge when another individual came out of the van.
It was a girl that looked to be about Misaka's age. She wore a uniform that was unrecognizable to Touma and everyone else. It was definitely a school uniform but the design was unfamiliar. She had short black hair and a boyish face.
Behind the girl, a group of masked individuals came out. None of them were armed but for some reason, their presence instilled fear into Touma and the others. They stood disturbingly still, almost as if they were brainwashed or trained.
"Hey." The girl addressed the thug that held the 'game controller'. "Isn't that the Railgun there?"
The thug took a look at Misaka before gasping in shock.
"Oh y-yeah you're right. I didn't even realize…"
"God you're slow but whatever. This'll be a good chance to test out the 'Level Downer'." The girl said smirking.
"Y-yeah you're right boss…" The teenager meekly replied.
"So what are you waiting for?! Come on use it!" The girl ordered.
"R-right!" The teenager answered as his grip on the controller tightened.
"Hold on! What're you gonna-AH!" Misaka's question was interrupted the second the thus pulled the joystick on the controller down.
Misaka, Fukiyose, Maika, the other maid, Uiharu, Saten, Kuroko, and Aogami collapsed to the pain groaning in pain.
"G-guys?!" Touma yelled in distress.
"Huh. That's odd. I don't know why one of them is still standing but to think the beta version of the 'Level Downer' works to this extent! How exquisite!" The girl smiled with glee.
"R-run…" Misaka weakly muttered to Touma whose face was still ridden with grief.
"It's a bit too late for that." The girl in front of the van stated coldly. "My boys here will take that boy down. After that we'll leave. I promise."
The girl walked towards the thug and grabbed the controller from him.
"Thankfully those with the masks on aren't affected by this." She mumbled under her breath before facing the group of masked individuals and clearing her throat.
"Take him out boys. It would be great if none of his body was recognizable after."
After the girl said that, the masked individuals ran towards Touma who kept a cool face.
All of the masked individuals started to activate their Esper powers. Some of them shot fire out of their fingertips while some shot out electricity.
Touma grit his teeth and ran forward with his right arm outstretched.
Some of the people on the ground and the girl with the controller were confused by Touma's sudden action but their confusion was soon negated by astonishment as Touma's right hand seemingly stopped the incoming barrage of Esper attacks.
"Wha-?!" The girl's scream of surprise was cut off as Touma ran towards her. The masked individuals tried to fire at him again but their reaction time was shortened by Touma's unexplainable action.
"If you think that you can stoop to such low ends for experimentation… then I'll smash that fucked up illusion of yours!" Touma yelled out right before he punched the girl in the face, making her drop to the ground.
"Agh!" She groaned and her grip on the controller became loose. The teenage thug who witnessed the whole thing screamed and cowered in fear.
Touma then grabbed the controller and pushed the joystick back up.
"That should fix it I think…" Touma's question was answered when he turned around and saw that Misaka and the others were able to get up again.
They all walked up to Touma with mixed expressions of gratefulness and bewilderment.
"K-Kamijou-san! That was amazing!" Saten squealed in fan girlish delight.
Kuroko didn't say anything and just looked irritated.
Misaka looked annoyed as well but she didn't say anything.
"Thank you Kamijou-san." Uiharu said smiling.
"We owe you our lives Kamijou-san." Maika and her maid friend bowed.
"Damn. You never change do you Kami-yan?" Aogami said with a light smile on his face.
"H-how the hell did you do that?" Fukiyose asked in mystification.
"I'll explain it later. Right now we need to call…. Judgment." Touma said slowly as he saw a couple of Judgment and Anti-Skill vans driving up.
Tsuchimikado came up with them, a cheeky grin on his face.
"Oh so that's where he was…" Kuroko realized.
"I guess he saw the situation outside when he ran out of the café and went to get both Anti-Skill and Judgment."
"Couldn't he have just called them though?' Misaka asked.
"Now that you mention it…" Kuroko realized that he could. "I'll ask him when he gets over here.
The teenage thug pissed his pants and fainted.
The masked individuals gave up at the sight of the incoming vans and did something that shocked everyone present except for the teenage girl who started to smirk.
They all put a hand in their pockets and took out a pill.
Then they all swallowed it and collapsed to the floor. Lifeless.
"N-no way did they…?!" Fukiyose said in a hushed tone, horrified.
Touma and the others shared Fukiyose's expression.
"It is as you feared I'm afraid." The girl on the ground said.
"Why?! Why would they kill themselves like that?!" Touma roared.
The Judgment and Anti-Skill vans pulled up.
"It is our duty to give our life to our cause. For we are NEGATIVE and none shall bar the way towards our eventual equality." The girl said as she quickly dug her hand into her pocket and took out a pill.
Kuroko was the quickest to realize this.
"Wait!"
It was too late however as the girl swallowed the pill and died a few seconds later.
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"We are part of a group called NEGATIVE." The leader started as Osamu looked at him with a perplexed expression.
"NEGATIVE? I've never heard of them." Osamu noted.
"Yeah that's no surprise really. Our group is only just starting to grow after all." The leader smiled.
"But before I explain our purpose and goals, let me ask you Osamu Yuki. What do you think of Academy City?" The leader asked, looking at Osamu who seemed to be deep in thought.
"Academy City huh? I never really put much thought into how I feel about this city but I don't really care for it honestly. Sure I grew up here and sure I wouldn't be the person I am today if it wasn't for this city but it's done nothing but torment me." Osamu said.
"How so?" The leader asked with genuine interest.
"It's… a long story but part of it has to do with my Level I suppose. When you're a low Level in this city, you're basically trash. That's a fact I had to learn throughout my whole life. Nobody respects you or takes you seriously and your future becomes bleak." Osamu added.
The leader's smile became more sincere.
"You're exactly right Osamu. This city is nothing but a prison. A prison that none of us truly understood. No one understands us lower Levels."
Osamu looked at the leader questioningly.
"What Level are you guys?" Osamu asked.
"We're all Level 0's." the leader answered. "Being a low Level in this city is a curse, a stigma. It's something that oppresses us all. It's a pain that those of higher Levels can't possibly understand. But…"
The leader paused and looked at Osamu and though the mask blocked his face, his eyes held a glint of hope.
"What if I told you that there was a way for lower Levels to be accepted and not tormented? A way for everybody in this city to be equal and not obsessed with reaching a statistical pinnacle? Tell me Osamu. What would you think if something like that were truly possible?" The leader asked.
"Well… I think that would be pretty awesome." Osamu admitted.
"Yeah it would and you know what Osamu? It is true and that is what we at NEGATIVE are fighting for right now. And now Osamu I want to ask you… would you join us? Would you join our fight for equality and acceptance?" The leader asked and reached his hand out to Osamu hoping for him to shake it in acceptance.
Osamu was legitimately surprised by the offer and he saw that everyone was looking at him. Though the masks were blocking their faces, he imagined their faces to be hopeful, expectant.
"I…"
Osamu smiled.
"I refuse."
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FOOTNOTES:
[1] Natsu- Name is an obvious reference to the protagonist from Fairy Tail.
[2] Yuuki Rito is the protagonist of the To Love-Ru series (Manga/Anime) and has an amazing skill that consists of 'accidentally' ending up in sexual positions with women he bumps into or removing clothes from their person entirely.
[3] The Kuga name here is a slight reference to the main character Yuma Kuga from the Manga/Anime World Trigger. This is further amplified by the fact that there is a character named Osamu in World Trigger though the decision to make that his name here wasn't influenced by that.
[4] Camellia's are flowers that have several different color possibilities. They can range from white, pink, red and yellow colors. Its first recorded use was in China about 5,000 years ago. They can also be included in tea. (Called camellia sinensis)