Warp Factor "insert number" - ENGAGE.
Quickly acknowledging for favoriting and/or following this story since Chapter 10: Quinci shame train, zsturdivant82, LexArchangel, , Juubi Slayer, josema1602, and Djamstar.
On to Reviewer Response time:
MrQuestionMark: You've indirectly put the pressure on me to one day equal (or even surpass) this story. Simply put – comment appreciated and challenge accepted.
ArmoredCoreNineBall: Short and simple; my response to Mr? applies equally to you.
Guest: Up to now, I indicated only to one other (via PM) that this story will one day have a final chapter. Anything more on that will be stated after the story has indeed ended.
Guest (presuming different from above): Fixed it … and pray tell, why should it be weird – if Crowley had better (a-hem) "security", the Magic Gods probably couldn't enter his sanctum. Perhaps he'll do something about that, as was stated in Chapter 10.
iZuikaku: Uh, … I recognize the name "Infinite Dragon Orphis" as something from 'HighSchool DxD', but perhaps you could tell me who is this Black Dragon that you speak of. And in any case, and with due respect, this story is set in, so-to-say, an alternative To Aru Universe, with no intended crossover into the world of HighSchool DxD, or any other series.
LexArchangel: Re: Chapter 1 – indeed it did. As to what happens next, read on. Re: Chapter 8 – pleased that I got your interest.
As if I need to say it, 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 11 – A Calm Before The Storm
Within a minute or so after switching 'on' her phone, after arising from the sleep of the previous night, a message notification tone rang out. The phone's owner reached for her phone and opened the message received. Said message came from an individual, who's contact information was not common knowledge to the average resident of Academy City – not necessarily even the Level Five Espers:
"Proposal has been reviewed and approved. Official notification has been prepared. My signature will be on the correspondence, and makes it take effect. You can arrange to come collect it today or tomorrow, subject to your schedule; of course, you will notify me in advance regarding when to expect you."
On reading that, a broad smile gradually formed on Kumokawa Seria's face. Within the next few seconds, said message was forwarded to two persons on her contact list.
It was a little after 6:00am in the morning. Daylight was still relatively low at this time of year, but the athletic grounds at Tokiwadai, like most other areas of Academy City are still well-illuminated by artificial lighting. It is here that Misaka Mikoto has been coming often, simply to enjoy moments of solitude. At the close of classes for the past year, she had opted to return home to spend part of the winter break with her parents, then returned to Academy City, for the week before resumption of classes. Following the leak of the Parameter List, a few girls had approached her privately on the matter, and discussions had taken place. In the end, and for the most part, Mikoto has, for the moment, made peace within herself with the revelations and implications of the List, and her relationships and standing with her classmates and other residents of Tokiwadai and School Garden have mostly remained unchanged. There were probably some who had formed and even now still hold rather negative opinions of their own outside of her presence, arising from those revelations, but for the most part, she has paid those little mind. More importantly, at this point in time, her relationships with her closest friends in Academy City – Shirai Kuroko, Saten Ruiko and Uiharu Kazari … remained as before.
On this particular morning, Mikoto was taking another of her early-morning walks, when she came upon a sight that she really did not expect to see any time soon. As she progressed, she observed at a distance away from her two other girls, wearing track suits, and at the moment engaged in various stretching exercises. That in itself was no surprise to Mikoto, as there were quite a few of School Garden's residents who engaged in some form of early-morning exercise of one form or another. What surprised her – almost to the point of having a jaw drop – was the identity of one of those girls. Even at the distance between her and them, Mikoto could not fail to recognize Shokuhou Misaki; the identity of the other person was for the moment unknown.
Naturally, there was nothing short of probably the re-appearance of the Elements, or some similar nigh-earth-shaking event that could cause Mikoto to wait until some future moment to get to the bottom of this mystery; she proceeded immediately towards Misaki and the other girl, who was none other than Ayu.
Ayu and Misaki had virtually finished their cool-down routine (part of an exercise program provided for them by a certain acquaintance of Kumokawa Maria), as Mikoto approached. Seeing her closing in, Misaki and Ayu spoke first, with pleasant smiles: "Good Morning, Misaka-san."
"Good Morning, Shokuhou-san … and to you also." Mikoto managed to reply, naturally not knowing the person who was with Misaki.
"Oh, right … you haven't been introduced up to now," continued Misaki. "This is Mitsuari Ayu-san; she was away for a while, but is resuming her studies at Tokiwadai. Mitsuari-san, this is Misaka Mikoto-san, Academy City's Third Level Five Esper." Ayu and Misaki exchanged polite bows.
With formalities out of the way, Mikoto politely (yet figuratively) inquired: "By chance is this some New Year's Resolution I'm witnessing, Shokuhou-san ... you, the so-called 'Queen of Tokiwadai', of all people, … exercising?"
Ayu giggled a bit, even as Misaki replies simply: "Times change and sometimes so do people … to make a interesting but long story short, Misaka-san, things have happened roughly over the last month that led to this. In addition, and while it cannot happen overnight, it will be fun to one day 'break the illusion' in some persons' minds that I am 'an out-of-shape, sweet-toothed, snack-loving ojou-sama', who would be absolutely helpless if something should ever happen to my ability." Not so surprisingly, this was a common conception held towards most espers whose ability involves telepathy and similar mental powers, although in many cases, many of those espers gave credibility to such an opinion by their actions.
Mikoto did a double-take at Misaki's words, before remarking: "Now you're only making me more curious, Shokuhou-san, as I've only heard that phrase about breaking illusions from only one other person in this City."
Seeing that Misaki was on the verge of breaking out into laughter as Mikoto's perplexed state, Ayu politely interjected: "It's quite possible, Misaka-san, that the person from whom you've heard that phrase is the same one with whom, during the winter break, Shokuhou-san and I have re-established our connection ... a certain young man by name of Kamijou Touma-san." If there was no jaw-drop on Mikoto's part up to that moment, she didn't hold back now.
Stepping in with almost a cheshire-cat grin, Misaki went on: "This could no doubt be discussed in more detail another time, Misaka-san, but, in summary form, I knew who Touma was during the Elements affair, but until a few days ago, he had neither knowledge nor memory of me, due to an incident which happened over a year ago. With the help of Mitsuari-san and a few others, that seems to have been resolved, so that Touma has regained his memories, not only of Mitsuari-san and myself, but those which he had lost around July of this year." Mikoto recalled for a brief moment her own discovery of Touma's memory issue during his encounter in Avignon, France with the one known as Terra of the Left, as well as her own later confrontation with Touma on the subject.
"I would tell more, but Touma himself told us he would soon be contacting you, Misaka-san, among others, regarding an issue which seems to be building to a head," continued Misaki, "... specifically, a possible outbreak of war between Science and Magic. You're one of the few in this City who either knows that Magic exists, or have had some exposure to it, so it's fair that you should be advised on what may be coming. But I'll leave the details of that to him. Now, if you'll please excuse us, we're off to shower and freshen up." Misaki finished her statement with another polite bow.
"It was a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Misaka-san … perhaps we'll meet and talk again, another time." said Ayu, with a bow of her own. Mikoto returned the bow, just before Ayu and Misaki departed.
Mikoto was left out on the track, for the most part, mystified, before turning around and heading back to the dormitory, a peculiar expression on her face which was either a smile, or a snarl (at the moment, it was probably hard to tell), and one thought resounding in her mind, if not expressed verbally: "That 'idiot' had better not take too long to contact me, otherwise I will seek him out, … even if I have to literally find where he lives."
At the Kamijou Residence, Touma awoke at his usual time, even as he was steadily getting used to sleeping in a futon, rather than in his bathtub. After getting dressed and freshening up from the previous night, he proceeded to check the current inventory of foodstuffs. After selecting a few items, he proceeded to his kitchen to prepare breakfast. Almost naturally, the scent of food served as the wake-up call for his freeloaders. Scarcely had breakfast been prepared when Index and Othinus called out:
Index: "Morning, Touma."
Othinus: "Morning, human."
Touma replied: "Morning, you two. I've just finished so after you've freshened up, we'll have breakfast together."
Some minutes later, during breakfast, Othinus asked: "So, what's on the agenda for today, human?"
"A little bit of shopping is definitely on, Othi-chan." was Touma's reply, "aside from that, and as I indicated yesterday, there are three persons in this City … at least those for whom I have some means of contact … who should at least know of what's brewing between Magic and Science."
"You had mentioned three persons yesterday, Touma." interjected Index, "did you think of someone else?"
"Kamisato-kun." replied Touma, "… granted he and I aren't necessarily on the best of terms, but at least he also should know about this, if he can be found."
"Don't forget about what Niang-Niang and Nephthys apparently chose to disclose, regarding whether they or the other Magic Gods might opt to take action of their own against the City's General Superintendent." reminded the former Magic God.
"In that respect, if we don't see Kumokawa-sempai and the others any time today, I promise to send them a message." responded Touma. "Now that I think of it, I should still have contact info for Ollerus-san; he should also be made aware of this, in case he already isn't."
"And what about your sometimes-allies in England?" continued Othinus.
"Most times, Stiyl contacted me rather than I contacted him, and right now, I have no way of contacting him." came back Touma. "For now, if Tsuchimikado does get over to England, we'll have to rely on him advising Stiyl and Kanzaki-san, regarding what's going on. Possibly, after that, one or both of them may seek me out."
After breakfast was concluded, and everything was washed and put away, the Kamijou Family assembled once more around the kotatsu. There, Touma dialed a certain number on his phone. Within a few seconds, the voice of Accelerator rang out over the phone's loudspeaker (Touma had opted to use handsfree mode).
"Honestly wasn't expecting you to call … as you said the other day, this is probably not a casual or social thing, is it?" asked the Number One Level Five in his usual brusque manner of speech.
"It's not." was Touma's reply. "Straight to the point; something has come up … we can either meet to discuss it, or if you'd prefer, I'll send an e-mail. One thing in advance, because in your respective ways, you both know about Magic, I plan to invite Misaka-san to hear about this also; it'll save time if I talk to both of you at once."
"I got no problem with the third-rate being there; it's up to her if she wants to be around me, … for reasons we both know." was Accelerator's response.
"I can secure a venue for this, unless you have a suggestion of your own." stated Touma.
"The park next to that so-called infamous Vending Machine will be fine with me." replied Accelerator. "Last Order has been bugging me to spend time outside, and you could bring the silver-haired girl along; they can chat or play while the grown-up's talk."
Flinching for a moment at mention of said Vending Machine, Touma agreed. "Then, I can be there within the hour, if that works with you."
"Works for me … see you then, hero." was Accelerator's parting comment, as the call ended.
"Is he always like that, human?" asked Othinus.
"Seems that way, Othi-chan." remarked Touma. "Probably ties in somehow to what sempai stated a while back … that all that glitters in Academy City is not gold. Anyway, one down … next is Misaka-san."
Within a few seconds of dialing, the call connected … and rather emphatically at that.
"OI!" Mikoto's voice rang out over the phone speaker, causing Sphinx to momentarily spring up hissing, as if he felt an electric discharge. Touma didn't even have a moment to do any sort of greeting, before Mikoto continued: "Five more seconds probably, and I would have been calling you!" Othinus raised an eyebrow, while Index and Touma each had a sweat-drop moment.
Deciding to maintain a cool head, Touma simply replied: "And good morning to you, Misaka-san."
Pausing to clear her throat (almost as if to get herself back into a civil frame of mind), Mikoto replied in turn, with a waver in her voice: "Morning … Kamijou-san."
"I don't always see them interact with each other, but it's strange to hear 'Short-Hair' not calling Touma: 'Idiot'." whispered Index to Othinus.
"It's probably her pet name for him." Othinus whispered back, "just as, if I recall right, he had a habit of calling her … what was that term … 'Biri-Biri'?"
"I'll get to the point, … something's brewing." Touma continued. "You're one of the few in this City I know who's aware that Magic exists, so it makes sense that you should know about this. I'm meeting with Accelerator in roughly an hour from now to advise him of the issue … if you're okay with being around him, you're welcome to come along; otherwise, we can make other arrangements."
After a moment's silence, Mikoto replied, a hint of wariness in her voice: "As long as he behaves himself, I'll be there. Where are you meeting up?"
"To use his words, by a certain Vending Machine." was Touma's response.
"Right – see you then. And do note … you have some explaining to do on ... another matter ..., even if what you're going to disclose might take priority for the moment." was Mikoto's next comment.
"As you said, I consider what I'm going to disclose to both of you as taking priority. The other matter can follow afterwards. See you in an hour's time, Misaka." stated Touma, as that call was terminated.
"Similar to what I mentioned about the grumpy one; is she always like that, human?" inquired the former Magic God.
"I claim no expertise in comprehending the mind of females, Othi-chan, … but Misaka is a good person, and I trust her." Touma replied. "Plus, if anything does happen, and she thinks I withheld knowledge of it from her, for whatever reason, she'll no doubt have a lightning bolt, if not a railgun, aimed at me when next we meet."
Next on the list was Hamazura Shiage.
"Sure, I can be there, Boss." was Shiage's straightforward reply to the invitation to meet Touma, alongside Accelerator and Mikoto.
By now, Touma has been added to the messaging group originally comprised of Ayu, Misaki and Seria; within a minute, he sent a message to them about his meeting Accelerator, Misaka and Hamazura, promising to give feedback later. Ayu replied a few minutes later, indicating that she and Misaki were off to meet with Seria on some business; he can call or they can arrange to meet at some future time.
One hour later, Touma and Index were seated at a park bench, next to a certain (infamous) Vending Machine. Within roughly the next minute, Accelerator arrived accompanied by Last Order.
"The Control Unit is face-to-face with the Savior, as MISAKA MISAKA broadcasts that announcement to the Network." exclaimed Last Order rather vociferously, as she and Touma exchanged a fist-bump.
Meanwhile, Index stepped forward and with a bow thanked Accelerator for looking after her that day in the Underground Mall. Accelerator shrugged it off, in his usual style.
Mikoto arrived soon afterwards, exchanging a mutual glare with Accelerator, even as Last Order also greeted "the Original", before walking off together with Index. Hamazura arrived shortly thereafter.
"Just so you're in the loop, Misaka-san, this is Hamazura Shiage; Hamazura, this is Misaka Mikoto-san, a.k.a. the Railgun." stated Touma as he introduced Mikoto and Shiage to each other, being careful not to make any mention of a certain past incident involving Skill-Out. Mikoto and Shiage exchange nods.
"Now that we're all here, I'll reveal what I mentioned briefly via phone… to keep it short, indications are that war could break out between Science and Magic." continued Touma.
Accelerator asked: "How big a problem could it be?"
To which, Touma replied: "The only thing that comes to mind that could reflect that scale would be World War III, and even then, it's possible that this could be even bigger."
"Did the General Superintendent reveal this to you?" inquired Accelerator.
"No; it was others who alerted me to that possibility … and that includes Tsuchimikado to some degree." responded Touma.
Mikoto then asked: "Who are the likely major antagonists, if that's the best way to describe them?"
Touma replied: "This City's General Superintendent on one hand, and the Archbishop of the Church of England on the other, with a possibility that all of the Science and Magic Sides could get dragged along for the ride, to say nothing of one or more of the Magic Gods stepping in for their own reasons."
"Magic Gods … you mean like that one calling himself High Priest who rampaged though the City a few months ago?" interjected Mikoto.
"Correct," replied Touma, "and from what I understand, even though he eventually got somehow taken out by Academy City, he was actually one of many."
Hamazura came in at that point: "Just how many 'magic gods' are there, Boss?"
"I've only met four to date." responded Touma, "but I understand they come from many if not all the religions of the world. What happened in Sargasso was the work of a Magic God. The one called High Priest who rampaged through Academy City a few months back is another example. A dozen or more of them coming together to fight … it likely won't be pretty."
Hamazura spoke again: "So, any idea what's the reason for war threatening to break out?"
Touma responded: "Put simply, and as it was disclosed to me, our General Superintendent is actually a magic user. The Magic Side on the whole regards him as a traitor who abandoned Magic for Science. He in turn bears a grudge against the Magic Side for something in his past, apparently for which, his plan is to eliminate all Magic from this world. Neither Side seems to show any willingness to resolve the matter other than going to war."
It was now Mikoto who interjected: "So just what do we do about it, or for that matter, can we even do anything about it?"
"Right now, your guess is as good as mine, Misaka." was Touma's reply. "Hostilities could break out literally this instant, or we'll all wake up one morning to find things happening. I just thought it best that, since you all have encountered Magic before in one form or another, you should be aware of what's brewing."
Accelerator shrugged as he arose from the bench: "Well, I'll concede it's better I know about it earlier rather than later. Magic was a pain in the ass to deal with during World War III, but as you reminded me, hero, I've encountered it before. If some sort of war does break out, my response will be the same as before: I protect anyone and anything important to me." He then called out to Last Order: "Oi, brat, we're heading home." Last Order seemed to protest, but she said something to Index before dashing over to re-join her caretaker.
Before leaving, Accelerator spoke again: "Regarding that other matter; like I said the other day, … we're still gonna talk about it another time."
Mikoto inquired, her curiosity aroused: "Other matter?"
Accelerator grunted: "Haven't you noticed it, third-rate? … there's something different about the hero. I noticed it."
Even as Accelerator and Last Order departed, Hamazura gets a message on his phone. He stated: "I'm being summoned, so I gotta run. Keep me advised whatever happens, Boss."
"Sure."replied Touma.
As Hamazura took his leave, that left Mikoto and Touma, even as Index walked back to join them. After a pause, Mikoto spoke: "Now that I really pay close attention, that guy's right … something has changed about you, even if I can't describe or define it."
Index, who has rejoined them to hear that comment, spoke up: "Touma, do you think it's safe to tell Misaka-san about all that?"
Mikoto replied quickly: "He knows better than to keep certain things from me, 'Index-san' … or at least he should know better. At least I'll credit you for not calling me 'Short-Hair', as you did in times past."
Touma interjected this time: "Oi, you two … please let's keep it civil. To sum up the whole thing, you're aware of what I often called the general misfortunate trend of my life, Misaka?"
Mikoto replied: "I've seen a few examples of it, I admit."
To which, Touma replied: "Well, something was discovered to be the cause of it. That something seems to have been fixed, together with my memories of my past before July of this year … as of a few days ago, they're back. And yes, that includes memories of Shokuhou Misaki-san and I presume the other girl you're speaking about is Mitsuari Ayu-san."
"We got introduced briefly today," stated Mikoto, "… although I'll admit I almost thought I was seeing things to see Shokuhou-san of all people exercising."
After a pause, they both glance at Index, who's watching them intently, one hand propping up her chin: Noticing their glance, Index spoke: "Ah, … don't mind me; this exchange is quite entertaining."
Mikoto continued: "So, dare I ask what happens next?"
Touma replied: "If you're talking about what I think you are, that matter is secondary for now. Aside from the possibility of war between Magic and Science, even with my memories restored and my misfortune seemingly fixed, I'm still probably at the bottom of the pile, so far as this City and its schooling system goes. My priority is to do something about that, at least to some degree, before I can even think about any relationship. And even though we've only skirted the issue briefly, I trust Shokuhou and Mitsuari know that also."
Index cut in at that moment: "What about Kumokawa-san, Touma?", which caused Mikoto to raise an eyebrow.
Touma replied: "I'm certain she knows also, Index … one should almost never under-estimate the wisdom of a sempai."
Rising from her place on the bench, Mikoto stretched her arms as she spoke again: "Well, I'll admit that I've seen at least one good thing come out of all this, so far."
Touma, raising an eyebrow himself, asked: "And that would be … ?"
In response, Mikoto stated: "When Shokuhou visited me in the hospital after that business with those creatures … the Elements …, not only did she refrain from her usual 'ojou-sama' antics, but she indicated she was going back to School Garden, knowing that in all likelihood, she would get physically involved to whatever degree in getting the place back in order. And as of today, I came across her exercising … a sight I never thought I'd see concerning her in a very long time. Perhaps I can conclude that, if some people can, either directly or indirectly, bring out something good in others, maybe that's what you're doing to Shokuhou-san."
Index seemingly couldn't help but remark: "Ooooooooh … 'Short-Hair' is being profound; who would've thought it possible?"
Mikoto replied, a sly grin on her face: "I might have my moments … perhaps one day I'll see you do likewise, 'Silver Sister'."
Touma: "Well, for now, that's it. As I said, I can't claim any idea as to when anything might happen, and for reasons already known, I can only disclose this to you, Accelerator and Hamazura. So, all that we can do from this moment on is be on our guard."
Mikoto replied: "That's better by far than being caught unaware, I suppose."
With that, they said their goodbyes before Mikoto headed off to meet up with her friends, and Touma & Index went shopping.
While the impromptu meeting in the vicinity of A Certain Vending Machine was taking place, another was being held over in a relatively upscale house located in a (for want of a suitable definition) posh residential area within District 7. Here we find Ayu, Misaki and Seria gathered together in the living room, together with an elderly gentleman, dressed in formal clothes – none other than Tsugutoshi Kaizumi, one of Academy City's Board Directors and Seria's employer.
Speaking in the mannerisms befitting an elderly gentleman, Tsugutoshi inquired: "I take it the recent excursion with Kamijou Touma-san went well, Kumokawa-san."
Seria replied: "Definitely – Touma's memories thought to have been lost up to July-August of this year all seem to have been restored, plus, it turned out his infamous misfortune was the result of, shall-we-say, outside factors, which, due to our combined efforts, we were able to fix. And from what my former subordinate had revealed to us, it's probably a good thing that it's so."
Tsugutoshi came back: "You refer to the likelihood that the two Sides – Science and Magic – seem to be headed for conflict, do you not?"
"Indeed, Tsugutoshi-san." replied Seria.
"Please excuse me for asking," interjected Ayu, "but is that particular issue known among the Board of Directors, Tsugutoshi-san?"
"It is, Mitsuari-san," was Tsugutoshi's reply, "although for obvious reasons, it will be problematic to disclose this to the general populace; out of which only a handful … yourselves included … know that Magic is real, let alone it is at times in opposition to Science … although there are schools of thinking that the two areas are actually not opposed to each other, except that those who are in charge have made it so."
"We've discussed the matter briefly among ourselves, but, almost exactly as you indicated, Tsugutoshi-san," came in Misaki at that point, "aside from advising certain persons in the City, who, from Touma's own experiences, know about Magic, there seems to be little that can be done about what amounts to a ticking time bomb, if war does indeed break out."
"The Board has had some discussions up to now on the subject, Shokuhou-san, but unfortunately, no clear consensus has been reached regarding how to deal with the matter." Tsugutoshi stated in reply. "I don't mind saying so in my own home, but there is the possibility that one or two members of the Board may be making plans to abandon the City at the first sign of trouble. The Board on the whole is obviously still not looked on with favor by the majority of the City's esper population, following the revelation of the Parameter List … and, as we are discovering even now, it was primarily the execution of the City's General Superintendent's own plans, known perhaps only to himself, that ultimately dictated whether any individual esper would advance in their ability level, and to what degree. The consequences of the revelation can neither be undone, nor swept under the carpet, but it is my own personal wish that one day something might be done for those who are seemingly stuck at whatever position they currently are in their development as espers. That is a topic that I, together with a few others, have already begun discussions on, and, while no guarantees can be given at this point, and it may have to be placed on-hold if war should break out, nonetheless, it would please me if it could one day be realized as a fact."
After a pause, Tsugutoshi spoke again: "Well, I suspect this old man has taken up much of your time up to now, so I'll leave it to you and your companions, Kumokawa-san, to make the delivery of that item I gave you to Kamijou-san."
"Consider it already delivered, Tsugutoshi-san." declared a smiling Seria; smiles mirrored also by Misaki and Ayu.
Some minutes later, even as Tsugutoshi watched the trio of young ladies depart for to what amounts to 'downtown' District 7, a woman, wearing traditional Japanese women's clothing, yet bearing an un-mistakable air of refinement and sophistication, approached him from behind.
The woman spoke in a soft yet elegant tone: "I was otherwise occupied so naturally, I couldn't take part in your get-together, but I can't help but think, … provided of course that this potentially troublesome issue of war get resolved, … those three young ladies might be involved in something remarkable, together with that young man who I only know by name, as you've mentioned it on occasion … Kamijou Touma-san."
Taking the woman's hand in his, Kaizumi replied: "No doubt, my dear, you and I have heard of and even lived by the oft-quoted statement: "behind every successful man, there is a good woman." I sincerely wouldn't mind being present to see what happens in Kamijou-san's case, where he may very well have three good women behind him, if not beside him."
To that, Mrs. Tsugutoshi, raising an eyebrow, said with a smile: "Mmmm, … perhaps one might just have to look up what the laws of the City say about marital relations, before any definite opinion can be formed on that subject."
Kaizumi responded with a chuckle: "Granted in our time, such arrangements were strictly one-on-one … and I for one won't try to 'turn back the clock', but neither will I profess to accurately predict what the doings of the next generation might be. From what I know of them, whatever takes place, I believe they will be just fine."
Roughly one hour later after their stop-over at the park, one finds Index and Touma departing the usual grocery which he (Touma) frequents, with a modest selection of items.
Touma remarked with a smile: "Looking back on how things used to be, it feels good to do simple things like shopping without having my debit card declined or chewed up, or the fire sprinkler system suddenly go off, or other 'incidents' as has happened in the past."
Index asked: "Did that sort of thing happen all the time, Touma?"
To which, Touma replied: "Not every time, but it had happened too many times to count. It's probably one of the reasons why most times, this Kamijou-san did shopping on his own; had I taken you or Othi-chan with me then, chances are you'd have been caught up in them, if or when they did occur."
As they proceeded on their way back to the Kamijou Residence, Index spotted a familiar figure a few feet ahead of them, at which, she called out: "Aisa!"
At that call, Himegami Aisa turned around and waited for Touma and Index to close in on her.
"Welcome back, Kamijou-kun. Good to see you again, Index-san." Aisa stated, with a bow. Index and Touma return the bow.
"You happened to know I was away for a while, Himegami?" inquired Touma.
"Komoe-sensei happened to mention it … in fact, I'm on my way to meet up with sensei and Fukiyose; we're going to the Underground Mall." replied Aisa.
"Well, it's partly on our way, so if you're fine with it, we can walk together until you meet the others." remarked Touma.
"Mmm." replied Aisa, feeling rather happy that once again, in a simple way perhaps, but significant to her, that Touma noticed her.
As they proceeded, Aisa spoke again: "Excuse me, but, is it just me, or has something changed about you, Kamijou-kun?"
"Ah, … you've noticed it also, Aisa. A few people have noticed something similar about Touma as of late." remarked Index.
"To be honest," Touma replied, "a few things have happened during my visit to check up on my family's home. Details can follow another time, perhaps, but I'll freely admit; I had help from quite a few people for those changes to take place … including yourself, during the last week of finals, Himegami."
At his recognition of her assistance, Himegami couldn't help but have a slight blush. After a few more seconds, she inquired: "So, have you made any plans regarding the second year of school, or even beyond, Kamijou-kun?"
Seeming to pause for a moment, Touma then replied: "Notwithstanding what was revealed over a month ago by the revelation of the Parameter List, so far as I know, even with Imagine Breaker present, I'm still a Level 0, and, to be frank, I don't foresee anything coming along that will change that. So, while I'm fine with finishing high school, I truly don't see myself going further … at least not in the purely academic sense. Thus, I've actually started looking up what possible options are available, whether within this City or outside. But I've made no final decision on that … I should probably have a word with my parents regarding any such decision, also."
"How about yourself, Aisa?" asked Index.
"I'm not really sure myself, to be honest." replied Aisa, "As you both know I was set up in this City as an esper, after I was rescued from Aurelious Izzard, but, aside from my Deep Blood ability that is sealed by the Walking Church that man gave me (a reference to Stiyl Magnus), I have not yet developed any other so-called esper ability. Also, I like most others am still stumped by the contents of that Parameter List, but there are lately rumors circulating that everything related to that List is all part of the plan or plans of someone even above the City's Board of Directors. So, in the end, perhaps I'm just another person who's been left behind …"
Touma's hand resting on her shoulder seemed to have the effect of stopping Aisa from continuing her current train of speaking. Turning around, she saw a curious expression on Touma's face, as well as on Index's.
"Please stop right there, Himegami." stated Touma in a strangely serious tone, "Even if Index and I don't know all the reasons why some espers seem to go far while others don't, that's no reason to be down on yourself. I'm sure I can speak for Index and myself, and I believe our other classmates will say the same; Himegami Aisa-san has value as a person and as a friend, regardless of any esper level or ability, and if need be, we'll remind you of that constantly."
"Mmm." Index chimed in with a thumbs-up.
That seemed to lift Aisa's spirits. "Thank you, Kamijou-kun, Index-san." she stated, a faint smile appearing on her face.
A few moments later, as they approached an intersection, Touma, Index and Aisa spotted Fukiyose Seiri and Tsukuyomi Komoe ahead of them. Greetings and bows were exchanged by all.
"I got word that Tsuchimikado-chan will be away for an undisclosed time, Kamijou-chan." stated Komoe-sensei.
Touma replied: "That seems to match what he told me right after we returned from Kanagawa, sensei. He told us it was personal business, so those of us who were with him didn't press further regarding his reasons."
"Oh; two things before we head out, Kamijou-chan." Komoe-sensei spoke again. "Aogami-chan was trying to reach either you or Tsuchimikado-chan a few days ago; something seemed to be disturbing him."
At that point, Seiri interjected: "Excuse my saying so, sensei, but something always seems to be disturbing Aogami, and it's usually not something wholesome."
Komoe-sensei responded almost immediately: "It's all right, Fukiyose-chan … a good teacher prefers to focus on the good potential within her student, even if there are present other things that perhaps should be corrected. The other thing, Kamijou-chan; I got word that some official correspondence has been prepared and addressed to you. Usually, it is passed to you via myself as your homeroom teacher, but this time, I've been advised that Kumokawa-chan is or will be collecting it." Seiri seemed to twitch a bit at mention of Kumokawa Seria; whether it was noticed by the others present was debatable.
"Is that so?" stated Touma. "Well, I figure if Kumokawa-sempai follows the proper procedure, she'll probably pass it onto you for me to collect. If she's permitted to pass it to me directly, I suppose she'll contact me somehow to do that. As for Aogami, if he doesn't try again soon, I'll contact him or go looking for him."
"Well, time is marching on, so we'll be on our way." declared Komoe-sensei. "You all get home safe, Kamijou-chan, Sister-chan."
"We shall, sensei. Same to you three." Touma responded, bowing together with Index as the other took their leave towards the Underground Mall.
After a minute or so, something prompted Seiri to speak to Komoe-sensei and Himegami: "Was it just me, or is there something a bit different about Kamijou, when we were together just now?"
"I noticed something too, when I met him and Index-san on the way to meet you." remarked Aisa.
"Hmm, … now that you raised it, Fukiyose-chan, something did seem a bit different." stated their diminutive teacher. "Oh well, I suppose there's ample time to explore that point another day."
"I must admit, you've discovered a gem of an establishment; the food selection here is, as advertised, more natural than most other places of which I know, and is very delicious." stated Seria.
"No argument from myself either." Ayu added her 'two cents'. "I shall bookmark this location to remember to visit it again sometime."
At the moment, and having returned from their meeting with Tsugutoshi Kaizumi, to 'downtown' District 7, Misaki had suggested that they stop for lunch at a certain restaurant … relatively-speaking, it is one perhaps not as well-known as Joseph's, but to those who have discovered it, and partaken of what it had to offer, they consider it only a mere step below so-called fine dining at some upscale restaurant which might not cater for those under the so-called 'age of consent'. Suffice it to say, Ayu and Seria were added to the number who approved of the cuisine available.
"I should also mention that, this place is special to me, for a particular reason, aside from its fine cuisine ability." responded Misaki. Ayu and Seria perked their heads up at that. Glancing over to a window from where they were seated, Misaki pointed to the street corner immediately beyond that window, before speaking again: "I probably need say little more."
"Ohhh-ho-ho-ho-ho." grinned Ayu, "so that spot outside is where, we presume, you first met, as you like calling Touma-san, 'your Prince'."
"Correct." replied Misaki, with a grin of her own. "and in spite of all that had happened since then … we all know of it, so no need to repeat it … I wouldn't have had things happen any other way."
"Awww, … they grow up so fast, don't they, Mitsuari-san?" Seria exclaimed in a teasing tone, which, admittedly, she might have never used before now towards Misaki.
"Better watch out, 'sempai' … we might one day catch up with you, yet." fired back Ayu slyly.
"Now, now, you two have some way to go before you attain my level." was Seria's almost instant rebuttal, "… but I admit, the fact that we can be jovial and laugh at ourselves like this, as opposed to how we all were, myself included, roughly a year ago or more, … it's proof that we're all older and wiser."
The mood got a bit quiet, as Misaki spoke again: "By that, Kumokawa-san, I take it you're implying that, since we've apparently succeeded in our objective regarding Touma's misfortune and his memories, we must sooner or later face the question: what happens next?"
"Indeed, Shokuhou-san." was Seria's response, "although I'll admit another thing that even I never thought I would before now, regarding yourself or Mitsuari-san … I'm impressed at how we were able to work together. It might be considered a shame to break up such a winning team."
After a few moments, Ayu spoke up: "We should also keep in mind that we all promised Index-san and Othinus-san that we would be there with them to support Touma, regarding what they were told regarding Shén Fēng and their secret agenda."
"Mmmm, … it looks as if what Thomson-san told us back then, regarding … I believed she called it "the Kamijou Faction" … is indeed starting to take form." commented Misaki.
"Then, it's probably for the best that any further discussion on that item and anything else should be done with Touma present." declared Seria. "I assume you're both up to that."
"Not even this threat of war will keep me away from that." responded Misaki.
"Likewise." stated Ayu.
Just then, all three of their phones gave a message notification; Touma had sent a message to their joint group, as previously indicated, advising he had met with Accelerator, the Railgun and Hamazura, so that they were brought up to speed on potential developments.
"There's one less item to deal with." stated Seria, "I suggest, subject to everyone's schedule, either tomorrow or the day after, we can all meet here again, including Touma, Index and Othinus-san. We can deal with this official document from the Board, as well as other things."
"I'll advise on my choice of day by this evening." replied Misaki.
"Again, likewise." stated Ayu.
With that done, and before departing, Misaki met with the restaurant's proprietor to make two bookings, one of which would be confirmed by that evening.
It turned out that there are a few other things I'd like to see "in print" before this story comes to its close. Hence there will be one more chapter after this one, and it will definitely be the final one.