Here we go with acknowledgments to: qqaaazzzz, renegadestarforce, dragonskyt, DARKPHANTOM13, silverflame63, vn543731, Mad Mad Clown & mauday79 for favoriting and/or following my contribution to the To Aru Fanfiction world, following publishing of Chapter 6. As always, apologies if I miss anyone out. And even if I don't mention it openly all the time, I'm aware that there are those who opt to follow (so-to-say) "in the background", too.
It's Review Response Time (naturally):
Guest: Comments are noted. (1) Regarding how Touma addresses some folks, I don't claim to be up to speed with all the novel content, but I choose to go on the supposition that in general Japanese fashion, only people in either a rather close friendship or relationship with each other tend to drop all honorifics and address each other on a first-name basis. Personally, I've seen no sign of that between Touma and either Oriana or Fran to go in that direction. (2) I suppose the size of blocks and content within them is subjective to the reader, but I have no objection to setting up blocks of a relatively smaller size.
MrQuestionMark: One rather significant item contained in your review comment was the relative ease with which Touma left Academy City, as depicted here. I figure that what is likely to take place in the succeeding chapters would be perilous if it were done within AC, as, via one means or another, Crowley would certainly intervene and "with a vengeance" if that were the case. And, seeing that for now, they have set up magical means to detect any "bad vibes" in the vicinity, it's not inconceivable that A Certain General Superintendent might make some sort of move in a subsequent chapter. Simply put, the race is on.
Brosephg: (1) My responses to your previous comments against Chapter 5 regarding the Society out of China, and Touma's portrayed intellectual level, for the while, still stand. (2) I had fun adding Oriana Thomson to this story at the point I did, but to keep it brief again, when she's indirectly ruffling the feathers (so-to-speak) of Seria, Misaki and Ayu, she's just being the "cool big sister" who innocently teases Touma on occasion, and she won't be doing that continually, at least not here. Perhaps if or when they get to know each other, probably Oriana and Touma's "league of empowered women" just might find grounds to get along. That aside, I'm pleased that my efforts have again met with your approval.
Guest (presuming a different one than the first): I'm of the sincere opinion that Tsuchimikado's reason(s) for leaking the list and the purpose for doing so are contained in Chapter 6. Now that this chapter is up, have already begun jotting random points down on my storyboard to form the raw material for whatever subsequent chapters will follow, but the possibility of action is floating around my mind. Re: "Harem action"; while I enjoy such moments myself; you'll probably have to stay tuned for a sequel or spin-off story, or even an original piece to see my take on such.
ArmoredCoreNineBall: I no doubt took a risk by mentioning the Archetype Controller, but, IIRC, Tsuchimikado made brief reference to it during the encounter with Crowley in NT 17, so, under the pretext of Kumokawa wanting 'full disclosure', I introduced it into my own story. I did leave leeway for a possible counter-measure via a statement by Othinus; how far I take it shall be revealed. Another quick note: according to the Story Timeline as laid out in the Wiki, many (if not all) of Touma's adventures actually take place over a matter of a few days, so, with that in mind, plus my decision to conclude the events in this story before the new school year begins, I don't intend to drag anything out for an extended period. Suggestions re: my writing style are noted. There's also nothing to stop me, once this is all over, to re-structure the previous chapters, as necessary.
Evilswrath1: Comments have been noted.
That Done, let's get on with it.
Final note: there are (according to Wikipedia) words in the Chinese language which could be the equivalent of the -san honorific that are applied to women, but I hesitate right now to use them as (a) one of them is generally used to describe not only young women on the whole, but also (to put it politely) "women of the night", and by that I don't refer to 'succubus', and (b) the other word found this far roughly translates into English as "madam" (i.e., a woman of relatively advanced age) – supposedly a 'berserk button' (thank you, TV Tropes) for many Japanese women, especially if they don't believe themselves to be of (ahem) that age. If ever I find a suitable term, perhaps I'll go back in and insert it where deemed necessary.
NECESSARY NOTICE: Thanks to a certain reviewer for pointing out a discrepancy that had to be fixed, to keep already established facts consistent.
One more time; except for any original characters and situations introduced within this story, all characters and situations depicted herein are © KAZUMA KAMACHI/ASCII MEDIA WORKS/PROJECT-INDEX.
Chapter 7 – Poke The Sleeping Beast
The next day at the Kamijou Family Residence, after all have awakened and had breakfast, everyone assembled in the living room. Most if not all furniture in the room has been temporarily moved to the sides, so that Touma, wearing a loose t-shirt and track pants, and the Matriarch faced each other; Touma for now seated in a chair in the room's center. Choi Shi was, at that moment, standing next to the Matriarch, holding a tablet.
"Are you ready, Kamijou xiānshēng?" inquired the Matriarch. In response, Touma nodded yes, then he closed his eyes, and proceeded to relax his body, taking slow and deep breaths.
Slowly and with precise movements, the Matriarch extended her hands and, after placing her fingertips on opposite sides of his face, began to move them to various other parts of his body, again with slow and deliberate movements. At any moment when her hands came to a stop, they remained in that held position for about five seconds, after which she spoke a word or two in Mandarin to Choi Shi, who proceeded to type upon the tablet's keyboard, before moving on. The examination generally proceeded from Touma's head to both of his arms, down across his torso and abdomen, and both his legs. This procedure took roughly a total of fifteen minutes, after which, the Matriarch instructed Touma to turn around and straddle the chair so that his back is facing her. After said re-positioning is done, the Matriarch resumed her actions from the back of Touma's head, then along his back, proceeding in similar manner as before. During the examination, everyone looking on seemed to feel or sense something "in the air", rather than detect anything via their physical senses; possibly, those of the Magic Side do so more than the others.
Once the examination was completed, Ayu assisted Choi Shi in connecting the tablet to the TV in the living room, thereby displaying the contents of the tablet for all to see. The Matriarch explained what took place primarily to the group from Academy City: "The purpose of the examination was to trace the flow of qi or vital-energy across and through Kamijou xiānshēng's physical body." She continued further with her explanation: "This vital-energy is known by many names in other cultures: ki in Japan, prana in Hinduism, Mana to the Polynesians, and so on. Like many paranormal concepts, it is, to date and for the most part, undetectable or un-quantifiable by science, therefore, most schools of physical science either dismiss it outright or regard it as an un-verifiable phenomenon. The various martial arts philosophies of both China and Japan, to say nothing of those from other nations, consider this vital energy, by whatever name it is called, as the basis for performing seemingly superhuman feats of strength, endurance and invulnerability."
Othinus in her usual explanatory manner, interjected at that moment: "There may even be similarities as well as differences between the concepts of what you call qi, and Mana as the power source behind most Western magic." Turning to the others assembled, the former Magic God continued: "For the sake of those unacquainted with Magic, mana is generally produced either by the magic-user processing his or her own life-force, or there is so-called 'natural' mana which can be drawn upon, such as so-called magical items, the ley-lines associated with what is called the Power Of The World, or even the grimoires within Index's mind. Accordingly, while Imagine Breaker should not be able to negate this energy itself, which is a naturally-occurring phenomena, it will likely negate or disrupt the effects of its working or manipulation."
The Matriarch made her own interjection at that point: "Indeed, while it is possible to produce effects in the physical world similar to Western magic by manipulating qi, in general, we refrain from doing so, except in extreme cases. Past experience has demonstrated that causing qi to move or operate in an abnormal manner, if not done with care, has brought with it various detrimental after-effects, for example, un-natural and adverse weather. Sometimes, these after-effects reveal themselves immediately; in other cases, after a duration of time."
Getting back to Touma and his examination, two images were displayed simultaneously on the TV screen, at which point, the Matriarch resumed her explanation: "In times before technology, still pictures were used to display diagnostics to patients; now with technology, examination results can be displayed on a visual image such as this; the overall principle however remains the same." She then continued: "The image on the left displays the flow of energy through a human body under what are considered harmonious conditions; said flow is continuous and rhythmic. The one on the right, representing Kamijou xiānshēng's present condition, as I traced out minutes ago, shows two potentially significant things; the energy is flowing randomly and in a seemingly haphazard manner, as compared to the image on the left; plus, there seems to be a rather abnormal concentration of energy in the vicinity of his right hand."
The next interjection was made by Seria: "Excuse me, Matriarch-san, but does Touma, or for that matter, anyone, feel this flow of this energy to and through them, at any time?"
"Generally, unless a person is acquainted with the working of qi, as we call it, they may go through their entire physical life-span, completely unaware of its existence, much less its continual presence, Kumokawa-san." was the Matriarch's response. "It is perhaps an unavoidable consequence of the subject being all but ignored by most schools of modern-day science."
Touma, with his own hand raised, made his own comment at that point: "I would volunteer, Matriarch-san, that I, and by extension, my comrades, might have, at this moment, received more insight into just what is or may be present in or around my right hand, than however many System Scans I've undergone, for my whole time in Academy City up to now." His statement was generally accompanied by nods from his fellow Espers.
"It might even tie in with some of what Mitsuari-san revealed initially at our first meeting, human." responded Othinus, "Either those who run the program to develop Esper abilities simply don't know what they're looking at, or even looking for, regarding Imagine Breaker, or they never really tried to analyze the power in your right hand at all."
"If I may." came in Oriana at that moment. "You indicated, Matriarch-san, that there appears to be a concentration of this energy … qi, as you call it, in or around Kamijou-kun's right hand. Does that concentration represent the Imagine Breaker, or is it something else, perhaps connected with it?"
"To be frank, Thomson-san, … and perhaps Othi-chan knows as much as I do right now, if not more." responded Touma, "there have been a few instances suggesting that there is something else in or around my right hand, besides the Imagine Breaker. I don't recall at the moment how I came to give it its name, but up till now, I refer to it as an Invisible Thing. Again, this may be the first serious attempt to understand or investigate all that is associated with my right hand, but, for now, it's probably accurate to assume that Imagine Breaker, aside from negating supernatural powers with which it comes into contact, also acts as a seal over this Invisible Thing."
Touma paused for a few seconds before continuing, "Here is where it may get a bit … disturbing, so please hear me out on it." Possibly with the exception of Othinus, the Matriarch and Choi Shi, all others present involuntarily tensed up, as if sensing something serious, if not unpleasant was about to be revealed. Touma went on: "Up to this point in time, I have no control or ability to turn the sealing effect of Imagine Breaker on or off, by any act of my willing or choosing. Nonetheless, the seal has on a few occasions been broken, temporarily, during which the Invisible Thing seemed to show itself in what we might call the real world. To date, that has happened on at least five occasions that I can recall."
"Somehow I get the feeling you have something rather serious to reveal to us, Kami-Yan, regarding, as you say, the breaking of the so-called seal of Imagine Breaker." intoned Tsuchimikado, his voice and mannerism becoming that of the professional spy that he is; even his verbal tic had been momentarily put aside. "Perhaps you should just let it out as to just how the seal gets broken."
Touma paused again for a few seconds, before replying: "To put it simply, the breaking of the seal requires my right hand, if not my right arm, to be severed from my body."
As might be expected, that revelation was met with a somewhat icy silence, broken only by a short gasp from Index. Ayu, Misaki and Seria said nothing at the moment, but their eyes revealed shock and horror to anyone who would happen to look into them. Even Tsuchimikado seemed to flinch slightly, as the implications of Touma's statement gradually began conjuring up corresponding images in the minds of those present; as before, the only exceptions at the moment perhaps being the Matriarch, Choi Shi and Othinus. Eventually, it was Index who broke that silence.
"Touma, you've probably heard it from me before, but, if one of those occasions was back when you rescued Himegami Aisa and me, you should have told me everything about your injuries." Index stated, getting up from her place to face her guardian, a pained expression forming on her face as she spoke. "Both Himegami and I were worried when you were brought in to the hospital, even if the doctor told us later that your arm seemed to re-attach itself."
Touma reached out to rest his left hand on Index's shoulder before replying: "It's true that you and I have spoken on this before, Index, and I even told Heaven Canceller on another occasion: I don't go around looking for an opportunity to get my hand or arm cut off. Still, even if I have no recollection of it ever happening before my memory loss, I don't regret it happening when it did. Without it, I have no way of knowing whether you and Himegami-san would have been saved from that alchemist called Aureolus Izzard, or even during my confrontation with Fiamma of the Right at the climax of World War III, where it helped to ultimately free you from his control." Pausing to raise his head to look at the others, Touma went on: "And then there was the Daihaseisai incident involving what I later learned was some sort of attempt to make Academy City's No. 3 Level Five Esper, Misaka Mikoto-san, ascend beyond Level 5. All indications are that it was stopped, either in part or in full, because of my arm getting severed, thereby releasing the Thing. Rest assured, I would be the first to applaud if a way could be found to release the seal without giving up my hand or my arm."
"Since you've just briefly mentioned three of the instances where the seal was broken, I say you shouldn't hold back from mentioning a certain one, human." was the comment which came from the former Magic God in the midst of those assembled.
All human eyes turned to Othinus, even as Touma's face darkened for a moment, before he inhaled deeply, then spoke: "Simply said; the particular incident Othi-chan is referring to was when she herself severed my hand, back when we first encountered each other as enemies."
Once more, silence reigned in the living room, as more than one pair of eyes were trained back upon Othinus at the realization that, when she was a full-fledged Magic God, she actually did such a thing. As before, Misaki and Ayu said not a word, but once again, their eyes reflected all that they felt at the moment, while Seria, seated beside Touma, displayed no movement except her left hand was trembling slightly. Noticing that, Touma instinctively reached out and grasped her left hand with his right; the trembling seemed to subside, but Seria in turn gripped Touma's hand with an intensity that, perhaps another time, would have caused either of them pain.
"I'm making no apologies for what happened on that occasion between this human and myself, because it was the only outcome of our being literally enemies at that moment." stated Othinus in her usual unflappable manner. She then continued: "Afterwards, and in the aftermath of our second encounter with each other at Sargasso, things changed between us, so, what transpired the first time, did not happen a second time. It was inevitable that one day, some if not more of our initial enmity would become known to others. That aside, if anyone feels they need to know more of that, I have no objection to disclosing more. However, I will only suggest that perhaps it can wait until our immediate business is addressed."
Glancing briefly at the others, including Touma, Seria exhaled, before replying: "Your reasoning, given the current circumstances, is valid for putting such a discussion off until a later time, Othinus-san. Without dragging out the issue right now, I've been aware to a degree, and probably so have Shokuhou-san and Mitsuari-san, regarding Touma's numerous visits to Heaven Canceller's hospital, even if we may not know all the circumstances that led to each visit." Ayu and Misaki, still said nothing, except they nodded silently at Seria's words, even as she slowly eased her grip on Touma's hand.
"Then perhaps, the next point to be explored, nya." chipped in Tsuchimikado, "is, as Kami-Yan indicated himself, whether there should be a way to break the seal over the Thing, without severing his hand or arm."
Othinus replied: "In answer, and based on our past encounters, I believe there is the possibility that: (a) whoever or whatever, so-to-say, originally created Imagine Breaker, did not intend for that which it sealed to be released easily, if at all, or (b) that Imagine Breaker itself is not a fixed entity, but is something capable of growth, evolution and adaptation. Perhaps there is a stage where it may react or respond to the conscious will of whoever is its bearer."
"With that in mind," said the Matriarch, "is there anything else you can tell us about the Thing which seems to be sealed by Imagine Breaker, Kamijou xiānshēng?"
After a few seconds' pause, Touma came back: "On at least two occasions, Matriarch-san, I recall the Thing seemingly appearing as a dragon's head during the incident with the alchemist, and as a collection of dragons during the Daihaseisai incident. Particularly in the latter case, although I cannot recall being consciously aware of how it all transpired at the time, it seemed that the dragons themselves somehow neutralized and dissipated whatever it was that were seemingly gathering itself around Misaka-san."
Misaki came in at that point: "While I was in the vicinity of Touma's encounter during the Daihaseisai, though not immediately present, according to the information I was able to procure, at that time, an attempt was being made to force Misaka-san to ascend to the as-yet theoretical Level Six ability. All indications are that said attempt was somehow thwarted by the combined efforts of Touma and the No. 7 Level Five Esper, Sogita Gunha."
"Is there any indication whether said attempt would have succeeded, Shokuhou-san, Mitsuari-san?" inquired Seria.
Now it was Ayu's turn to interject: "While there are still factors not yet clear to me regarding my own investigation into the Parameter List, all the information we have to date suggests that the Railgun would have likely destroyed herself before ever attaining Level Six, and would have taken a significant portion of Academy City with her, if the attempted shift had not been stopped in time."
"Does anyone believe there may be any significance of this … Invisible Thing showing itself in the real world as some form of a dragon?" was the next question posed by Oriana.
"It is possible you may be onto something, Thomson-san." replied the Matriarch, who then turned to Choi Shi, speaking in Mandarin. Choi Shi responded by typing on her tablet's keyboard, opening a web browser. During that action, the Matriarch spoke again: "Kamijou xiānshēng, can you recall anything about what the dragon or dragons looked like when they appeared?" To help with that, Choi-Shi will bring up some pictures for you to look at." As indicated, a number of various images of dragons appeared on the TV screen.
After a few minutes, Touma gestured to one image – one depicting a Western-style dragon – which was then magnified. Turning to the others, he stated: "This one, while not an exact appearance, seems close to the dragon head which appeared when I rescued Index and Himegami-san." After a few moments of more browsing, Touma pointed to another image – this one depicting an Oriental-style dragon: "This one again is not exact, but it comes rather close to the dragons which appeared during the Daihaseisai incident."
"Quite interesting, isn't it, that this Invisible Thing seems not to have one fixed appearance. Perhaps the proposition of the former Magic God just might have something to it." intoned the Matriarch. "Briefly, in the religions of the Orient, a dragon typically represents one of the forces of nature, which are themselves neither good nor evil. I understand it is in contradiction to most Western religions, where, nor often than not, a dragon represents a force of evil." Index and Othinus nodded as if to affirm her previous statement.
"And perhaps there is yet another possibility." continued the Matriarch, "one which is that this Thing might be either an alien being, i.e., not of this world, or perhaps even one not of our universe." More than a few raised eyebrows occurred at that proposition.
"Except perhaps for much of what we've collectively seen from either the Science or Magic Side, nya, your suggestion might seem far-fetched, to say the least, Matriarch-san." came in Tsuchimikado.
"On the contrary, there are schools of religion which postulate the existence, even simultaneously, of more than one universe." responded Index.
"Indeed, even if it might not be a mainstream topic in our educational curriculum, there are some branches of science which likewise touch upon that subject." replied Seria.
"Maybe there is something else besides Othi-chan's suggestion that this Thing is not a fixed entity." came in Touma. "Specifically, looking back on my encounter with Izzard, I don't recall any conscious thought of my own when it first appeared. In comparison, during my confrontation with Fiamma, the Thing was emerging after he severed my arm, but before it fully emerged, I recall somehow willing it to halt its emergence. Perhaps it was not a conscious action on my part which did so, but the Thing seemed to retreat back to wherever it was, even as Imagine Breaker returned to me and sealed it again, as well as re-formed my arm."
"What you just stated seems to confirm that there are particular circumstances in which you might be able to communicate, at least mentally, with this Invisible Thing." was the Matriarch's response. "I admit Western medicine or Western science may not be my specialty; nonetheless, two possible options come to my mind as to in what direction we might go next. Perhaps one or more of you from the Science Side can guide me as to whether something similar or equivalent exists in the realm of science. In some schools of religion, there are practitioners, be they priest, priestess or even the worshipper, who, by whatever means they do so, enter into a trance-like state, where they temporarily sever all connection with the so-called physical world, but during which, they claim to be able to communicate, or they may actually do so, with one or more supernatural beings, whether it be the deity they worship, or even the spirits of one or more deceased persons."
After a pause, Ayu responded: "Just to recall briefly, Matriarch-san, possibly the nearest thing of which I myself am aware from the side of science, are attempts to, as you stated it, communicate with the dead. However, it is hardly explored, at least by the scientists I know of in Academy City."
"I have to agree with Mitsuari-san on that." interjected Misaki. "Even those scientists who research my own ability, have on rare occasions made mention of it, but they don't seem to give it more than a passing thought."
"My first guess on that is," commented Seria, "if it has no immediate relevance or value to our General Superintendent's plans, such a thing would probably not be a priority item for those scientists to explore, or possibly they might be discouraged from giving that subject any priority, for the same reason."
"And there is another possibility connected to that, nya." chipped in Tsuchimikado. "In all likelihood, if research into that particular area could uncover something that could probably be used against him and his plans, whether directly or indirectly, it's likely that Crowley would either discourage any research in that direction, or even be on the lookout for it, so as to intervene before it goes too far."
"Which may then lead to the question: if putting this human into a different state of consciousness might lead to his becoming able to consciously communicate with the Invisible Thing," cut in Othinus at that point, "then how is he to attain that different state? There are magical spells that can to varying degrees change people's minds in one way or another, but I suspect they won't work on him because of Imagine Breaker."
"The same applies to my Mental Out ability." replied Misaki. "And even if it were otherwise, I made a decision, after what happened in the past, never again to use my ability on Touma's mind. Of course, I will go back on that decision, if I truly thought there was no other option, but I hope with all my heart that I don't ever find myself having to do so."
"Similarly, if Shokuhou-san's power won't work on Touma-san, then mine will very likely be ineffective." responded Ayu. "However, that may only eliminate direct means of altering his consciousness. There may be other means, such as hypnosis, which, from a purely psychological standpoint, is nothing more than implanting a particular suggestion into a person's mind."
"Possibly." came back the Matriarch, "and with that in mind, there may be something in our Society's more esoteric arts that might be able to bring about the required change in Kamijou xiānshēng's consciousness." All human eyes turned in the Matriarch's direction, as she went on: "Briefly, it involves re-directing the flow of his qi via external stimulation, in accordance with the diagrams shown to you earlier. In our more mystical practices, this has been used for hundreds of years where persons would, under its influence, communicate with supernatural beings or spirits as I mentioned before, or experience what I believe science would label as an "out-of-body" experience. Many times, the subject, when they return to normal conscious activity, give varying recollections of all they experienced, while in the altered state. Also, since qi is practically a natural force, it should not be affected by Imagine Breaker."
"It sounds like right now, it's the only option open to us." commented Touma, "Of course, if I don't raise the question, there are enough people gathered here who will do so … are there any risks involved in performing this process, Matriarch-san?"
After a pause, the Matriarch replied: "I would be deceiving you and your companions, Kamijou xiānshēng, if I said there was no risk whatsoever. Stated simply, any interruption by an external influence could break the concentration of the one seeking to direct the flow of qi, thereby causing it to move in an undesired way, which by itself can potentially produce dangerous results to the mind and body of the subject of the procedure. Likewise, the subject must take care to remain in a calm and relaxed mental state … you demonstrated the ability to do so during your initial examination, but here, you will have to maintain it for a somewhat longer time period, while the re-direction is being done."
With all eyes upon him once more, Touma took a deep breadth, then after exhaling, spoke up: "In all likelihood, the longer we delay, the more likely the chance of intervention by anyone who might be opposed to what we've set out to get done. I say: as long as we can go forward, we should go for it. And as I more or less stated before, I trust in your expertise, Matriarch-san." Glancing at the others gathered around, everyone generally nodded their agreement.
After a few minutes of disclosing details of any necessary preparations for this procedure, a mat was spread out on the open floor, on which is centrally located a hexagram, with various calligraphic symbols also printed around it. In each of the four corners of the room, a small sculptured figurine was placed, each one representing one of the so-called Four Symbols known to Chinese mythology (azure dragon, vermilion bird, white tiger and black turtle). Both the Matriarch and Choi Shi momentarily departed to their room to return some moments later, wearing what amounted to ceremonial garb.
"Well, mostly because of my esper status, I can contribute little to this, nya. So I'll take up watch outside, just in case any sort of suspicious activity is either detected or becomes visible." stated Tsuchimikado. "I happen to bring along some gear, just in case of such a thing." With that, he reached for a large case, which was part of his traveling gear, before departing the living room.
"There are also some things to prepare for later, so while the Matriarch does her work, I'll put myself to use in that regard." stated Oriana. "Might I please ask Shokuhou-san, Kumokawa-san and Mitsuari-san to accompany me; you all might be of help where this is concerned?" Glancing at each other for a moment, the three ladies nodded, then proceeded to rise from their respective seats, and, after sparing a momentary glance at Touma, to which he nodded, they followed Oriana out of the living room.
"If it is permitted, Matriarch-san, might I please stay here with Touma?" asked Index.
"That should not be a problem, Index-san." was the Matriarch's response. Without saying a word, Othinus made herself comfortable seated upon Index's lap, alongside a snoozing Sphinx.
Just before the procedure commenced, Touma, on the direction of the Matriarch, sat cross-legged in the center of the hexagram, and, in like manner as before, closed his eyes, and proceeded to engage in a series of slow, deep breaths to relax his body. The Matriarch then advised Index and Othinus to keep silent during the procedure, no matter what they may see, hear, smell, taste or touch. Both agree.
Choi Shi took up a upright standing position, her hands clenched into fists and resting on her hips, just outside the boundary of the hexagram, facing Touma. On the Matriarch's instruction in Mandarin, she closed her eyes, before beginning a sequence of slow, yet controlled movements, moving her arms in intricate patterns before her, while traversing in a circular direction around the hexagram. On the whole, her postures and movements might be familiar to anyone acquainted with martial arts. As she progressed, and at certain points when instructed by the Matriarch, she suddenly and swiftly moved into a particular stance, thrusting one hand in a swift stabbing motion towards Touma; said hand in a clenched fist, with index and middle finger extended outwards. Both Index and Othinus observed Touma's body move slightly, as if it had been pushed, whenever this stabbing motion was done, even though Choi Shi made no physical contact with him. Also, notwithstanding the sudden action, Touma kept his eyes shut and maintained the breathing pattern established. All the while, first Othinus and then Index began feeling something "in the air", similar to the examination performed earlier, yet this time, steadily increasing in its presence. In this manner, Choi Shi circumnavigated the hexagram three times, only pausing at directed intervals to thrust her hand at various parts of Touma's upper and lower body. In similar manner as what happened the first time, no physical contact was made, yet his body responded with slight movements to the thrusts. At the end of the third circle around the hexagram, when she is once more facing Touma, Choi Shi suddenly thrust both her hands, both with fingers extended as described previously, towards Touma's chest. Touma's body rocked back in response, as if he was about to topple over from his cross-legged position, then he once again brought his upper body back to an upright position.
Suddenly, there was a distinct humming sound within the room, as the four figurines begin emanating a strange glow. Touma's eyes snapped open, but now his eyes displayed a golden color, instead of their usual blue; aside from that, he displayed no evidence of conscious activity. Elsewhere in the house, Seria, Ayu and Misaki started, as if noticing that something has happened. Oriana spoke up at that point: "I felt whatever that was also, but it's all right; I'm certain that the Matriarch still has everything under control". Even Tsuchimikado sensed something; perhaps reminiscing briefly on his past life as a full-fledged magic user, before resuming his work with the case picked up previously and its contents.
After her final movements, Choi Shi stepped back from the boundary of the hexagram into the upright standing position she took at the start, before opening her eyes. Turning to Index and Othinus, the Matriarch spoke: "Choi Shi and I have set the energies flowing to, through and across Kamijou xiānshēng's body moving in a different pattern to that which I traced out previously. The re-direction is not permanent, but if it is maintained long enough, it should permit him … at least, mentally … to communicate with that which is sealed by the Imagine Breaker. However, it is not possible to determine how long it may take for that to be accomplished. The four figurines constitute the establishment of a temporary "shrine" around him, which should prevent or at least limit any malevolent magical influence from without from reaching him – it will to an extent also provide a measure of protection to the occupants of the house."
"If I may say so." commented Index, "I see similarities between the procedure you just performed with what is known generally in Western Magic as Idol Theory."
"Might I ask, both on my behalf, and of the others, what happens next, Matriarch?" inquired Othinus.
The Matriarch replied: "I believe that, provided nothing disturbs or interrupts what has been set in motion, Kamijou xiānshēng should be eventually able to contact and communicate with the Invisible Thing. Choi Shi and I will alternate being in close proximity to keep an eye on things."
"In that case," came back the former Magic God, "perhaps Index and I should join Tsuchmikado outside. Index's Spell Intercept might prove useful in the event that any magical disturbance is detected coming this way. Per chance might you two require food or drink while you maintain your vigil?"
"You may pass word to Thomson-san; she will know what to do, thank you." intoned the Matriarch.
"Right then, nun, let's go. And we might as well take this sleeping monster with us." were Othinus's words as she and Index left the living room.
"Shall I awaken the 'sleeping monster' so that you can call him that to his face?" smirked Index, as they departed.
"Perish the thought; let sleeping monsters lie," retorted Othinus.
"Did I somehow fall asleep during the Matriarch's procedure?" was the dominant thought at the forefront of Touma's mind.
Prior to that thought registering itself in his mind, he recalled nothing since the procedure began, except experiencing a feeling of weightlessness, in which, one-by-one, his physical senses seem to pass away. As if awakening from a deep sleep, and with the operation of those senses seemingly returning to him, Touma discovered that he was no longer in the living room; he felt himself to still be sitting cross-legged as per when the Matriarch's procedure began, but now, living room, house and the physical world as he knew it are all gone. As far as his vision can determine, he is surrounded by a vast expanse of darkness. He is surrounded by total silence; no sound seems to reach him via his ears. No discernible smell or scent reaches his nostrils. As he slowly begins to rise to his feet, Touma suddenly winces, as if realizing he had been poked (if not prodded, and with some force) in various parts of his body. For a moment, the only thing he recalls close to this is the Black World in which he found himself after Othinus (then his enemy) destroyed the world. Slowly extending his right hand in front of him, no sound characteristic of Imagine Breaker is heard. Stooping down to touch the surface on which he currently is with his right hand yields a similar result; at least for now the ground beneath him seems to be solid, yet even the sensation of touch feels un-natural, as if there was some sort of barrier between his hand, and any surface being touched. Muttering to himself: "Such Misfortune.", Touma realized a few seconds later; although he is certain he voiced the words, the sound of his voice is not picked up by his ears. Almost instinctively, he reached out to scratch his head with his right hand, while trying to figure out what to do next. Suddenly, even though there is no familiar sensation of touch, Imagine Breaker's familiar sound rang out clearly. Almost instantaneously, all his physical senses seemed to be in proper working order once more, and they immediately began taking in his new surroundings.
He appeared to be in some sort of subterranean cavern. The walls, roof and floor of the cavern seemed to pulsate randomly with flashes of various colored light; otherwise, there is no lighting to be found therein. As his eyes gradually became adjusted to his surroundings, Touma suddenly became aware of the presence of something close by; it was more of a feeling from within him, rather than via any physical sensation. Slowly turning himself around, he had a slight jaw drop, as he realized that, roughly six feet away from him (if not less), is something that can only be described as a humongous Dragon, similar to the Chinese variety in one of the pictures shown to him earlier. Its scaly body, alternating between blue and green in color (or so it seemed in the un-natural lighting within the cavern), bearing numerous legs akin to a centipede, and fins running along what is assumed to be its back for the most part, was slowly but steadily rising out of what appears to be a hole in the cavern floor, with unknown vapors rising out of said hole. The visible part of its body undulated and coiled about in mid-air, without any visible means of support, while its head and neck are extended to point directly at Touma's immobile form. Two huge glowing eyes flashed like lightning, while a half-dozen whiskers protruding from its head and face undulated in mid-air, as if they were being swayed to and fro by the wind. Touma's initial shock was gradually supplanted by the instinctive feeling that he was now face-to-face with the mysterious Invisible Thing, which had been sealed by Imagine Breaker; whether this was its true form, or merely one mode of appearance, he couldn't tell.
Moments later, a voice which seemed to resonate like a temple gong was heard in his mind, rather than via any physical sound, confirming his feeling:
"So, my host and I finally meet each other … how is it said, … face-to-face."
That's that for this chapter. Time to dig into the storyboard to work out exactly what comes next.
