Here is the next chapter.
Enjoy.
"Othinus! Othinus!"
Kamijou put his hand on the girl's forehead. She had a fever.
After coming to see why the girl hadn't woken up when she usually did, the boy discovered her sweating and making strange noises in the bed.
He brought her out of the room and into the living room.
"Frenda, wake up!"
Frenda had taken his place on the couch. She opened her eyes and sat up.
"Wha-?"
She stood up when she saw the boy holding the girl.
Kamijou laid Othinus on the couch.
"Kuruwa!"
The girl ran in the door as if she had been waiting for him to call for her.
"What is it, Kamijou-sama?" She asked.
"Something's wrong with Othinus." He said. "I can't tell what, though. It doesn't seem like it's natural sickness. I feel… magic. I feel a lot of magic coming from her."
"Do you think that someone did this to her?"
"I don't think anybody could have gotten through the barrier I have up without me noticing. I would have been awoken if anybody even tried to get through it."
"Your familiar." Frenda said, getting the two girl's attention. "Use your familiar. She can detect magic, right? Maybe she can tell us what's wrong."
"Index!" Kamijou said.
The girl appeared next to him.
"Yes, Master?"
"Scan Othinus. Something's wrong with her and I can feel strong magic and a lot of it."
"Very well."
Index extended her hand and a green light slowly started sweeping over the girl. The girl's eyes showed strange calculations and magic symbols and she analyzed Othinus. She finished after a couple of minutes.
"Well?" Kamijou asked.
"It would seem that magic is overflowing from her. For some reason, her body is producing much more mana than should be possible."
"What does that mean? How is that doing this to her?"
"She is unable to expel the mana by using a spell because she seems incapable of using magic."
Kamijou thought about that for a second.
"She's unconsciously drawing mana for a spell but is unable to execute it? How are we supposed to fix that?"
"I've never heard of something like that." Kuruwa said.
"I suspect it is because she is a Key." Index said. "Without taking time to read the grimoires that I have, I will not be able to gain a specific reason for this."
"Grimoires? What an interesting familiar." Kuruwa said with a smile.
"This is not the time to be impressed by her. How can I fix this, Index?"
The girl thought for a second.
"There are forbidden spells that lie within my grimoires that are able to steal a person's mana." She sounded hesitant when telling him that.
"Give me one!"
"However…" Index said. "They are very likely to cause serious repercussions… Possibly even death."
Everybody in the room tensed on hearing that.
Kamijou clenched his fists.
He had been sent there to eliminate the leader of Sorcery. Now he had basically defected and created his own faction. So many things had changed in the relatively short time he had spent on that island. Why was he suddenly considering to risk his life for a girl he had just met? Was it because he had seen her cry? Was it because he knew that there were so many people after her?
Kamijou looked at Othinus and smiled.
"Who am I kidding?" He mumbled. "I couldn't live with myself if I let you die."
Kamijou looked at Index.
"The spell please."
"It will take me a bit to get the incantation. You may gather the ingredients for the spell whilst I search the grimoire."
She sat down and blue light enveloped her as she dove into the depths of her mind to read the grimoire. As if by telepathy, Kamijou suddenly knew what he needed. He wrote the items on three separate pieces of paper. He gave one to Kuruwa and one to Frenda.
"Please help me." He said.
They both nodded.
"Right, Kamijou."
"Of course, Kamijou-sama."
"Index! You know where to bring her when you find the spell!" The girl made no sign that she heard him, but he knew that she did.
The three left the apartment, spreading throughout the city to find the ingredients that they were to get.
An hour later, they all met back in front of the building.
Kamijou took a bag from each of the girls.
"Is this all of it?"
They nodded.
He smiled at them.
"If anything happens to me, Kuruwa, you'll be in charge. No matter what happens to me, I plan to come out of this having saved Othinus. Keep protecting her. Don't let Sorcery have their way."
She nodded, a sudden sadness overcoming her as a tear fell down one side of her face.
"You won't die." Kuruwa said. "You can't, Kamijou-sama." She crossed one arm over her chest and got on one knee in front of the boy. "No matter what happens, I will always protect you." She looked up. "I resigned from Broken Light. They weren't happy about it and I'm sure that they will come for me in the future."
"You resigned…?"
"Yes. You seemed very intent on doing your own thing to protect this girl and to achieve your goal, but for a different reason than those who sent you. I am only a part of Myth and I will only ever serve you. I'm your ninja."
Kamijou smiled at her.
"That's right." He said. He put a hand on her head. "I couldn't have asked for a better comrade."
Kuruwa stood up.
"Don't say that like you're not coming back." She walked up to him and kissed him on the cheek. "Go do what you need to."
He nodded, then looked to Frenda.
"I didn't get to know you very well, but when I come out of this, let's talk more."
She smiled.
"Very well."
He turned and activated a spell under his feet.
"Oh, by the way…" Kamijou turned and looked at Kuruwa. "If I come back from this, you should start calling me Touma." He jumped into the air.
The girl watched as he jumped away.
"You come back, Touma-sama. Come back with Othinus."
Kamijou landed on the roof of a tall building near his. There was nothing on the roof, so he had plenty of room.
Index stood there and Othinus was laying on the roof.
"Index, give me the spell."
"Yes, Master."
He suddenly knew what he needed to do.
"Thank you, Index. You can go now. I don't want you to have to watch me die if it comes to that."
Index nodded but hesitated for a moment.
"Do your best, Touma."
Kamijou thought he heard embarrassment in her voice, but when he went to look at her, she was gone.
He took out three small bowls and one larger bowl. The he took out the ingredients and put them in the smaller bowls, making sure they were evenly distributed. A lot of the ingredients were spices among other strange items.
"Venai." He said, activating a spell. All of the ingredients liquefied in their bowls. He slowly poured the three bowls into the larger one and discarded them afterwards. Then he mixed the larger bowl until the mixture turned a strange purple colour.
Kamijou held his hand up and cut his palm so that blood dripped from the wound. He let some of it drip into the mixture, then he used his other hand to draw a circle on the ground in blood. It wasn't just a circle. Many runes surrounded the circle and it took him around ten minutes to get everything done.
"There we go." Without bothering to bandage up his wound, he picked up the large bowl and poured the liquid into the circle slowly.
The liquid did not leave the circle. Rather it just spread out and filled it evenly despite the amount he put in. It didn't rise.
Kamijou picked up Othinus and placed her close to the circle. Then he stood on the other side of the circle facing both the circle and the girl.
"I call upon the power of the Void. Let magic that is considered heretical help me in my efforts. Give me strength. Give me power. Steal the magic from this person who is too weak to contain it themselves. I call upon the dark that has not a single light within. Guide the magic to me. Let it be done as the spell deems it. Transfer!"
The circle lit up red and then the mixture lit up.
The liquid rose up and slowly descended onto Othinus. It went into her body then slowly rose up, now glowing blue.
"Bestow the power unto me!"
The liquid slammed into the boy's chest. He could feel a surge of power and his body glowed with an aura of dark power, the power of the Void.
"Touma-sama…" Kuruwa said quietly. She could see a bright light on top of the building he had went to.
"He won't die." Frenda said. "There's no way he'll die."
Index appeared next to them.
"I do not believe he will die." She said. "However, he will not come out the same."
"What do you mean?" Kuruwa asked, a hint of concern in her voice.
"I can sense it." She said. "Othinus contains the power of the Void within her. I believe the Void has corrupted her mana. That wouldn't affect her it would seem, but nobody, not even Master, can take the power of the Void into them without any repercussions."
"Why would he…?" She started to say.
"He knew it." Frenda said, getting Kuruwa's attention. "I saw it in his eyes. He even told you that he wouldn't come out the same. Kamijou did not go into this thinking that he would come out unscathed. He's willing to sacrifice himself to save Othinus." She watched the bright light for a bit. "Let us go to him."
Kamijou opened his eyes.
He was floating in a space of pure darkness. The only things he could see were his own hands when he held them up.
It felt as though he was moving, but he couldn't tell.
"Hello?" He called out. For some reason, he expected somebody to answer. And they did.
"Kamijou-san."
The boy turned around.
A girl with short black hair and golden-brown eyes stood there. She seemed oddly familiar to him, but he couldn't think of a name.
"Who… are you?" He asked.
"Honestly." She said, shaking her head. That action caused him to notice the headband made out of flowers she wore. "I can't believe that you would forget me."
His head suddenly starting hurting and he put a hand to it. Scenes passed by in his head.
The same girl that was in front of him, but younger. She smiled brightly and handed him a flower. Then the scene changed.
The girl was a little older now. She was being held by a man that the boy couldn't see the face of. She was screaming… at him? No, she was screaming for him. He could hear her screams for help, but he couldn't do anything. He could feel himself running for her, but it didn't feel like he was getting any closer.
The man took out a knife and stabbed the girl in the chest.
Kamijou could feel himself screaming. The girl just smiled and mouthed something. Even though he couldn't hear it, he knew what she said.
"Goodbye. Don't forget about me."
He felt so much irony from that statement as the scene faded from his mind.
Kamijou was back in the black space with the girl in front of him.
"I'm sorry…" He said as if that made up for it.
"It's fine." The girl said. "You did something pretty stupid to end up here, though. What were you doing? Messing with a spell?"
"I suppose you could say that." The boy found himself talking to the girl naturally as if he talked to her every day. She didn't seem like a person he had just met. "I did it to save a friend."
The girl smiled.
"You always did care about your friends."
"What is this place?"
"A place between life and death. A place frozen in time."
"Does that mean I'm going to die after the spell is complete?" The thought didn't seem to make him uncomfortable. He had gone in expecting the worst.
"No." She said, surprising him. "It's not your time to die yet. She walked up to him and smiled. "You're going to go back. Maybe not the same you that went into it but… You'll always be you, Kamijou-san."
Kamijou smiled at that.
"Thank you."
The boy's world started fading to white. He heard the girl's voice still as she faded from his vision.
"Visit my grave sometime, okay?"
"Of course, Uiharu."
The girl faded completely from his vision. His vision went white, then started to turn black, darkness engulfing him.
A thought came to Kamijou's head then and he mumbled it.
"How did I know that girl's name?"
"Touma! Touma!"
Kamijou's eyes slowly opened. His vision was blurry, but he could see a girl with short black hair.
"Ui…"
He tried to speak, but his strength left him.
He blinked again and his vision cleared. His strength was returning to him.
Othinus was looking down at him, tears falling from her eye onto the boy.
Kamijou still felt strange and he couldn't move well. The girl was saying his name, but he couldn't respond and her voice sounded muffled.
Then he heard other voices and managed to turn his head to the side.
Kuruwa and Frenda were running his way.
"Kamijou-sama!" Kuruwa dropped to her knees next to the boy.
His vision cleared and he could move freely again.
The boy slowly sat up and looked at the girls.
"Kamijou!" Frenda seemed worried as well. The boy not responding only worried them more.
"My head… hurts…" Kamijou said slowly. He looked at Othinus. "I'm glad you're better." He said with a smile.
"You… You… Idiot!" She hugged him tightly, crying into his shoulder.
Kuruwa stood and smiled.
Kamijou looked up at the two girls.
"I'm back." He said.
"Where are you going?" Misaki asked the boy.
Kamijou had a bag in his hand and was thinking if there was anything else he needed.
"I'm going to the mainland of Japan for a while. There's somewhere I need to visit."
"Are you going alone?"
"Yeah. I would take Othinus with me, but it would be too dangerous. She's probably safer on this island with Kuruwa guarding her."
Misaki looked at the boy as he confirmed that he had everything he would need.
"There's something… different about you." She said.
"Is there?"
"I can't really tell what it is… but you just feel different."
Kamijou looked away.
"I should get going." He said, walking towards the door.
"Touma." The girl said. He stopped and turned to look at her. "Can I come with you?"
The boy thought for a bit. This was more of a private matter, but he didn't see how it could hurt to bring her along.
"Fine."
After a long distance teleportation spell and several smaller teleportation spells, they arrived at a small hill outside the city of Ginkawa.
On top of the hill there was a cemetery with no fence. It was as if it had been made as a makeshift graveyard for people who had died in a war.
Despite it not being enclosed, there were tombstones.
Kamijou walked straight through as if he knew exactly which one it was. Misaki followed closely.
He turned down one row and stopped in from of a tombstone.
"This is it." He said quietly.
The tombstone read "Uiharu Kazari".
Misaki decided it was better to ask about who that was later.
Kamijou kneeled in front of the grace. He took three flowers out of the bag he had brought and put them on the grave.
Then he closed his eyes.
He didn't try to remember the girl as he did this. Instead, he just told her about everything that had happened that he could remember.
Kamijou opened his eyes and stood up.
A sudden feeling of dread filled him, but he didn't show it on his face. He had the feeling that Misaki saw it anyways.
She walked up to him and grabbed his hand with hers.
He looked at her, but she just looked forward.
Kamijou grabbed her hand as well. For some reason, a few tears fell down his face. He had come to visit the grave of a girl he didn't even know, but he was filled with so much dread that it felt as if his childhood friend had died.
With his right arm he wiped away the tears.
After a bit, he let go of the girl's hand and cleaned the grave. He left with Misaki after a while.
By the time they had gotten back to the island, it was well into the night.
"Sorry to keep you out so late." Kamijou said as they walked through the city streets.
"It's fine." Misaki said. "I live alone, so nobody will be worried if I get home this late."
They walked in silence for a while.
Misaki would glance at the boy every once in a while, but he would always have a faraway look in his eyes as if he was staring at something that she couldn't see.
She wondered if that had something to do with the spell he had used.
They got to the front of her apartment building and she was about to walk in, but stopped and turned to face the boy.
"Are you sure you're alright, Touma?"
"Are you talking about what happened back there? I'm fine. It's nothing."
"No not that. I mean… Even Index said that you wouldn't come out of that spell the same. You do feel different in some way… But I can't really say that you've changed that much. I'm just worried."
Kamijou sighed. He walked up to her and put a hand on her head.
"I'm fine. Maybe I have changed a little, but it's nothing that I can't live with."
Misaki didn't seem like she wanted to accept that, but she didn't push the issue any further.
"Fine. You better tell me if something happens, though."
"Of course."
Misaki smiled and walked into the building. Kamijou turned and started on his way home.
Late that night, Kamijou woke up sweating. He threw the cover of the futon off and stood.
"A nightmare…?"
He was breathing heavily and his body was soaked in sweat. There was no way he was getting back to sleep like that. He looked on the couch and Frenda was still asleep.
"At least I didn't wake her up. Othinus should still be asleep as well."
Kamijou took a quick shower and put on a fresh pair of clothes. He quietly left the room, making sure that his defense spell was in place in case anybody tried to attack the girls while he was away.
He exited the building and headed down the street.
The night sky loomed over him as if to remind him of how dark the world truly was.
Kamijou didn't really know where he was going. He just knew that he didn't feel like sleeping, so he might as well get some fresh air.
After a while, he found himself sitting on the building that provided him a view of the entire city. The night air was cold, but he liked it. After sweating so much, it felt nice.
"You're rather relaxed for someone in your position." Somebody said behind him.
Kamijou didn't look the least bit surprised to hear the voice, but still turned around to see who it was.
The girl had long black hair tired in a ponytail and jeans with one leg cut off. He found her outfit rather revealing as her other item of clothing was a white shirt that was tied up so her naval was visible and it showed off her large breasts. Her dark eyes watched the boy.
Her outfit didn't draw his eyes nor did her breasts. His eyes were drawn to the two meter long nodachi sheathed at her side.
The boy stood, expecting a fight.
"I'm not here to fight you." She said. The girl bowed. "My name is Kanzaki Kaori."
Kamijou didn't bother to introduce himself. If this girl was confronting him like this, she must already know who he is.
"What do you want?" He asked.
"That was very admirable of you."
"…"
"I mean risking your life to save that of the girl's." Kanzaki nodded. "She's just a Key and yet you would risk dying or worse to save her."
"Did you come out here just to tell me your opinion about me?"
She sighed.
"One day I'm going to come to take the girl." She said. "You will not be able to defeat me as you currently are."
"Are you prepared to prove that?"
"I did not come to fight you. I'm just giving you a warning."
"Thanks, but I could do without your warnings about defeating me and taking Othinus."
"I'm here to warn you about the others that will come. There are those who are more powerful than I am who desire that girl. Even if I don't get her, they will. I do not want them to take her."
Kamijou thought about that for a second.
"Are you trying to say that our interests are the same?"
"In a way."
"You still want to take her though. I don't want anyone to take her. No matter who gets her in the end, she will still end up being used. I don't want that to happen. That's why I refuse to give her to anybody."
Kanzaki sighed again.
"There is one more thing I must warn you about." She said.
"What is that?"
"You're doing a very stupid thing if you plan on going through with this faction of yours."
"I think it's a pretty good idea."
"It just gives others more reason to destroy you. Your faction can't last. Nobody wants you to gain a foothold in the world like the other factions have. They will do anything in their power to prevent that."
"Thanks for the warning, but I think I'll continue with what I'm doing."
Kanzaki sighed.
"I have given you my warning. That is enough for now." She turned and walked to the edge of the building and stopped.
Kanzaki turned her head to look at him. Her hair was over her eyes, preventing him from seeing them.
"Hurry and regain your memories."
With that, she jumped off the building and was gone.
Thank you for reading.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter.
I think I did a good job of emphasizing what I wanted to and I hope to release the next chapter soon as well.
