« Such misfortune »
After being hit by the one who introduced herself as Saten Ruiko and explaining the situation -awkwardly enough, the two girls believed him that he found the banknotes- he had to follow them in order to write it.
The manager asked him to pay with normal money too … So in the end, it was a terrible day. He thought that his luck finally got high but she was as low as ever.
« So your name is Kamijo Touma? »
Touma nodded. Uiharu checked into the Data Bank.
( … So, Kamijo Touma, level 0 … case clear )
Uiharu sighed in relief.
« What's the matter? » Asked Touma.
« »Hmm … Nothing » She didn't want to tell it, but in fact she thought at the beginning that Touma was somehow a ruffian. But seeing his case with nothing at all, she felt ashamed of judging the book by its cover.
« So I can go now? »
« Yes, I got your report »
As he was going to leave, Saten entered in the room with a shelf. She made tea for Uiharu and the man called Kamijo Touma.
The two clashed. Saten fell back, throwing the shelf. Touma tried to grab her but fell with her. And so Saten finds herself below Touma.
That was unlucky but not enough for him.
At the same time, the door opened. Three girls stepped in, chatting between them.
Uiharu hearing people enter, roll with her chair.
« Shirai-san, wel- »
« Oh Uihar- »
Everybody froze. Saten is laying on the ground, and on her a spiky hair boy.
Stiyl who didn't understand what happened forced hi way.
« You … Kamijo Touma »
« S-Stiyl ? What are yo-! »
« And I thought that what you did to Agnese wasn't on purpose … »
« Hoho so you do that often huh? »
Electricity began to leave Mikoto's body.
« M-mi-mi-misaka-san? »
« Ara ara, so you're the type of man that goes hit on every girls he sees »
Kuroko gave him an evilish smile, taking out her spikes.
And as for Saten … Her mind went too wild.
After 'clearing' the misunderstanding and Touma. Everybody sat on a chair. It seems like he will have to buy a new uniform or sew this one. He didn't know for Mikoto but it seems like the twin-pigtailed girls really tried to down him with her spikes.
« So you already know each others? » Seeing the situation, Konori thought that introducing everybody should be done.
« Hai, But I would prefer to don't know that ruffian. »
« Oï, Even if you hate me, don't be that rude. »
« Hmph! »
The situation was awkward, for an unknown reason Mikoto was lowering the head, Kuroko was pissed off, Stiyl was smoking with a bored look, Saten making tea again and Touma sighing in despair.
But Uiharu really couldn't help … She wanted to know.
« So how did you all meet? »
The first one to answer was Kuroko, at least she could admit that. She didn't understand how he could do that but:
« He saved my life … »
Touma was surprised at the honnest statement.
« He saved the life of an important friend »
Stiyl too, admitted that. Touma did what he couldn't do. He was envious of him but … As long as Index was happy he didn't care. That's how the man known as Stiyl Magnus decided to live. Even if he had to follow the orders of Laura Stuart, even if the higher ups lied to him concerning Index'state, as long as she could keep smiling, he was happy.
« And you Misaka-san? »
Surprised by the sudden question, Mikoto didn't know what to answer. She used to fight him sometimes, then one day, he saved his life and the life of her Sisters, fake date, promise, punishment game, the recent ice-cream cheek … What exactly was her relationship with him?
In the end she answered that they knew each other for some times. Meaning friends.
But for the girls who are there, Kuroko next her saw her embarrassment and hesitation, Saten making tea but who could listen and see more or less everything heard the 3 secondes needed to answer -meaning hesitation- , Konori Mii who already knew what it meant to fall in love understood quickly Mikoto's heart and Uiharu who never saw until now Mikoto so red grinned.
Girls can be terribly mischievous when it comes to that.
That's when something snapped in Uiharu's head.
«But how a level 0 could save your life Shirai-san? »
Mikoto, Kuroko, Stiyl and Touma shrugged at the sudden question.
« LEVEL 0? » Shouted both girls looking at Uiharu and Touma at turns.
« Well that's what's written in the Data Bank »
« That can't be! »
Aside Touma and Stiyl nobody understood. And both were keeping their mouth low. Touma didn't want them to know about Imagine Breaker, it would be troublesome and somewhat hard to explain something so … unscientific. Stiyl -thanks to the report of Tsuchimikado- still believes that the two are close friends and so he didn't want to involve her into the war between Magic and Science.
Maybe that was true, maybe Touma wanted her to live happily after what happened. Not being involved anymore in Academic's Dark side, nor into this war between the two worlds.
But Stiyl knew … that it was nothing more than an illusion. She was already involved whether he want it or not.
But he decided to help Touma this time.
« Well whatever, it seems that you need info that I have and the opposite is also true. So let's begin sharing what we know. »
Konori Mii put an end to the discussion and began to explain what happened recently in Academic City.
Stiyl listened carefully.
« So Skill-Out huh … an organisation of level 0 who hate espers. »
« That's approximately everything we know. Now tell us, what is that? »
Stiyl took out the cross and put in on the table.
Thanks to his exceptional power of deduction, he immediatly knew that Stiyl Magnus + Cross = Troubles.
( DAMN! Is that a habit of magicians to bring cross with them in Academic City?)
Because of the recent incident in Daihaiseisai, Touma understood that crosses could be quite dreadful. And judging what Konori said, that thing is at the center of it. 'Whatever I will ask for the details later, he won't talk about magic here right?'
Thus aside the two, nobody could understand in what way a cross could make people sleep, paralyzed or unable to use power.
Power … ?
Kuroko became suspicous.
« Mister, how could you use your pyrokinesis while my onee-sama couldn't? »
The female intuition of an Ojou-sama can be scary.
Touma let go a little 'baka' barely audible. Of course, Stiyl knew it was meant to him, he used magic in front of people and tried to trade info with them, so most probably the question would come.
Nevertheless, he got many solutions the deal with that, the first.
« That doesn't matter right? »
« THAT DOES MATTER! »
He didn't know the fact that Shirai couldn't accept stronger people than her onee-sama. If her onee-sama can't use her power and that man can, that means that his power is strongest. But there's no level 5 pyrokinesist.
Female intuition hits again, that man was suspicious, look, power, speech. It didn't go unnoticed for the proper lady that Kuroko is.
« Mister, show me your ID. »
Touma hasn't said a word since the beginning. Actually, he knew that it was going to happen like that. If he is here, there will be problem. If that continues Stiyl will earlier or later do something that Touma hates.
Second solution to solve curious people:
« Here »
Stiyl showed something, it wasn't an ID. It was a decree allowing him to enter and leave at will in Academic City.
Written on, there was his name, photo, nationality,age …
The shocking part, was, that it was sign by one of the twelve Board Directors of Academic City. They all hold political and financial power.
Aside that, what attracted Kuroko's eyes was:
« FOURTEEN? »
Except for Touma, all the girls looked at him with incredulous eyes.
With his height, Stiyl gave the impression of being 18-19 years old. But he was by far younger.
But right now that doesn't really matter.
Kuroko noticed that he was fourteen, came from England, and have 'esper power'.
Something was fishy. The only way to develop esper powers was to follow the curriculum of Academic City.
'How does that man have power?' was the first question she wanted to ask.
And she remembered, in September she attacked someone, and suddenly a sudden giant appeared and nearly crushed her.
Two days ago, somebody who claims to come from England showed power, even if he said that it was magic, she didn't talk to anybody about that.
But Stiyl had informations. It was an indeniable truth.
« Fine! »
Seeing that the situation is now clear, Konori continued.
« Then what about explaining to us in what way a cross seal power and how preventing it to happen. »
« I can't explain how it works and there's no way to prevent it. The one who use it decide on who it works. »
…
Kuroko flustered. In the end Stiyl didn't say nothing. Touma felt relieved, of course there's no way he will explain magic to no-related people.
« WHA- »
« Wait Kuroko »
But Konori stopped her.
« What can we do about it? »
« Nothing, just wait I find the original then there won't be anymore fake like this one. »
« So you mean there's more? »
« Probably. »
Stiyl's answers were always blunt. Although he is a master in fire magic, he has somehow a cold personality.
He stared at Kamijo Touma, this one understood that he was going to explain the situation later.
Stiyl took the cross in his hand .
« Well then I got what I needed so I leave. »
The same thing he said to Touma when he brought Orsola Acquinas. 'Thanks for your help now ciao'.
But they couldn't do anything about it. That man had support from Board Directors. He didn't do something wrong. And he gave info, ' they can't do a thing about that'. Of course that wasn't what they expected but that's how Stiyl works.
« Kamijo Touma »
« Hmm? »
Stiyl turned back, and as the thug did it, he threw the cross towards Touma.
Taken by surprise, Touma protected himself with his right hand.
The two clashed and the sound of glass breaking could be heard.
Pacha !
Touma looked at his hand and at the the destroyed cross.
« WHAT ARE YOU DOING STIYL? »
« In worst case, we'll have to leave Academic City for a while. Prepare yourself.»
« WHAT? YOU'RE KIDDING RIGHT? »
He grinned, giving the look 'Do you think I'm the kind of character doing jokes?' before leaving.
( You damn bastard, you always leave and abandon me in desesperate situation !)
Obviously, now that he was gone and that the two seemed to be friend. Touma became the center of the intention. Above all, he destroyed the cross just by touching it.
Kuroko glared at him, sending killing stares to him.
« You Ruffian, I hope you know what's going to happen right? »
Kuroko approched him with a scary laugh. ' hehehehehe'.
But this time, it wasn't her sempai who stopped her.
Mikoto used her power to send a thunder bolt on her. Of course, she was used and Mikoto controled her power, so Kuroko only fainted. It is an extreme action that she uses to protect herself when her kouhai makes advances too fierce.
« Haha, thank you Misaka. » It was a forced laugh but Touma didn't know what to do if she would have attacked him so she somehow saved him from troubles.
« Hey you, follow me. »
« Heh? »
Mikoto wanted to talk to him in private, before leaving he said goodbye to the other girls and followed her at the entrance.
Saten who watched the whole scene, commented.
« Hey I never saw Misaka-san so … feminine. She didn't stop blushing. »
« Shirai-san often talked about Misaka-san staying all night with a man. And she considered him as a rival … That's him right? »
Saten gave a dark smile.
« All night … Hoho, so Misaka-san likes bad-boys … »
Understanding what she meant, Uiharu couldn't help but to put her two hands on her mouth. Slightly blushing.
« You think that …? »
« Fufu … We'll have to inquire about him Uiharu for the sake of Misaka-san, we must determine if he is worth of her! »
Uiharu nodded. Still red, her imagination went too wild.
Mii-sempai watched the two girls. Letting a little ' Geez you girls …' go out, but she smiled too at the possbility.
That boy -Kamijo Touma- knows a lot. And for the sake of Academic City, she can't let a perfect stranger handle thing. His informations are crucial.
Her yankee part of the past resurfaced. She got the perfect plan to have informations. Even if she doesn't want to use a friend. The sake a thousands of people are at stake.
Outside
« So what do you want Biribiri? »
She frowned at the nickname. She swore to herself that one day - the earlier the better- she will make him use her name properly.
« Hey … You're not involved in something dangerous again? »
Touma felt relieved a bit. She didn't ask him something impossible, actually he was quite happy that someone worries for him.
He didn't want to lie to her. But he couldn't say the truth. He wanted her to live peacefully from now on.
Therefore, he smiled and put his hand on her hand before patting it.
« Don't worry about me. Whatever happens, I won't lose. »
Mikoto lifted down her head, she was blushing bright red. It was extremely embarassing. She would prefer to die than being saw by people. But … She liked it a bit.
And Touma left. She followed his back until it disappeared into the crowd.
( Why do I keep worrying about that baka… He is strong I know it … so why? )
She was holding her two hands on her chest, unable to understand and withstand this feeling.
( That can't be … )