Misfortune No One Sees, Until Now

by WwEpsilonwW

Misaka Mikoto, Index, Shirai Kuroko, Shokuhou Misaki, Hamazura Shiage, Accelerator, Itsuwa, Kanzaki Kaori, Styil Magnus, Lessar, Levinia Birdway... all wake up in a room with no memories of how they got there. Then, a weird voice suddenly tells them they are going to be watching the memories of a certain unlucky boy. What will they see of the boy they all know?[More characters now]

9. Would you follow me into hell? Part 1

First off, let me just start off by saying... that the reason this chapter took so long to arrive is because of one thing and one thing only. College. Altight enough said. Moving on...

I also wanted to say something in little different. If any of you need to cry to deal with some pent up emotional problem that your facing, then... watch Re:zero. All 13 episodes from the directors cut of season 1. Then watch the on-going season 2. I haven't cried personally because I'm not human and thus don't process feelings like normal. But hey, everyone's different. Wow... I've never recommended an anime before. This feels kinda good. Almost like I have frien-...Ahem.

Anyway, this chapter was hell. And no, not the reactions. It was the process of formatting the text to prevent your eyes from getting defiled from the atrocious way it was before. Seriously, who'd want to read a sentence like this. -

[The boy proceeded to

punch multiple females in the face

because he believes in gender equality.]

That's how it originally was. Your welcome. Oh! And how could I forget.

[I DO NOT OWN THE AWESOMENESS THAT IS A CERTAIN MAGICAL INDEX]

---

Fukiyose's brow wrinkled in confusion as about a million different thoughts swirled around in her head.

And that was because of what they had seen just a few minutes before.

In truth, she was happy to seen such normal memory. One where the boy known as Kamijou Touma was truly able to be himself. Whether it be complaining about his misfortune or being idiotic in the classroom, Kamijou Touma was just being... well, him.

And as much as she tended to berate him for his actions, she knew that Kamijou was a much better person than she often percieved him as. Even if his life circumstances gave him the perfect excuse, he wasn't the type to abandon someone if they needed help. He never played that card when it counted the most.

(Although... why is it always girls with that guy!?)

She shook her head in dismay, the last memory in the forefront of her thoughts. Without even meaning to, the boy he had seemingly 'charmed' (She used this word lightly) a young girl, and again! He had no idea what he was doing! She was actually starting to wonder if such a thing like the Kami-yan Disease actually existed.

"!..."

Fukiyose froze in horror at what she was thinking. She then shook the thoughts away in an urgent fashion. Beyond the ridiculousness of believing in such a idiotic superstition, she was more afraid that her time alone with the two idiots beside her was slowly getting to her. And that was a fate she would never want upon herself.

Anyway, she was getting off topic.

Before, she neither liked or disliked Kamijou. He was just... a classmate, a stranger, an outsider.

And then at the Daihassei, it all changed. That was when she started to see someone different, one that was seemingly always blocked from her vision. And whether that was Kamijou's own doing or not, she had no idea.

'Fu...Fukiyose-!'

She had remembered that desperate cry that filled the air. It took her a moment to realize it was her own name being spoken. She had recalled the way he had said it. His voice was filled with such regret. And his face; it was twisted in agony.

She had always wondered what had caused such a reaction. Why did he look that way? She never got the answers she wanted. Well, not until much later.

By reviewing the boy's memories, especially the ones that plagued his heart the most, she began to understand why the boy did the things he did that day.

Between his childhood upbringing in such a toxic environment.

The endless hells of cruel torture that he endured by that... woman.

And then the other two, which in her opinion, were quite similar. He had shattered the belief of someone who was assumed to be untouchable.

Weak, strong... heroes, villains... Those titles were thrown away as meaningless. With just his fists and his words, he was able to save not just the one crying for help, but also the one screaming for blood.

Each and every time, he was able to present that miraculous option that led everyone to be happy. Well, everyone except himself.

His tribulations with that blonde haired witch was proof of that.

Even so, after watching all of these memories showing the aspects of Kamijou Touma no one would have even come close to knowing about...one thing became undoubtedly clear.

Kamijou Touma did what he did, because he wanted to.

Not because he had to, not because he could get something out of it, not because he wanted to satisfy himself and his own self centered ideals of being heroic.

No.

Right or wrong, good or evil. Words like that had no place here. This wasn't a story of a boy trying to become a hero of justice or... some sort of vigilante in search of vengeance for all the things that had wronged him in the past.

This was the story-no, not a story. It was just the life of a simple high school boy... doing whatever it took to achieve that fairy tale happy ending. The one where everyone was surely smiling and happy.

That was Kamijou Touma.

So...

Fukiyose smiled.

If it was a question of like or dislike?

...

"How can I even begin to dislike someone like that..."

Fukiyose said with a resigned expression, one that said no matter how much faults she found within that person that cared so much about others, she couldn't even begin to hate him for it. These thoughts, these questions, and...these feelings.

But... Kamijou Touma was still suffering. He was still grappling with something that had him writhing, struggling and agonizing for the correct answer.

And it all stemmed from one thing.

His memories.

With something so important...why would he keep that to himself? Why did he not want to ask for help?

That was a question they would all find themselves asking very soon.

"Alright! Before we start, their is something that needs to come first. it seems like it's that time again, ladies and gentleman, actually boy's and girl's would probably be a more apt description.. he he.."

(Why do I get the feeling she was super talking about me when she said that...?)

Kinuhata grumbled, then she spoke.

"Wait, what did you mean by 'it's that time again'...?"

"New additions! Obviously! Now, everyone give very warm welcome to...! Legal Loli, Flower Girl, and Ghost Girl!"

And just as the voice said that, a resounding 'POOF' once again filled the room. And three people suddenly materialized into existence.

"W-whaaaa! What's happening!? W-where am I!? I-if this is some rotten youngster's idea of a prank, I-I'm not laughing...! It's not nice to treat a teacher like this, you know!"

"Wait...! Huh? J-just now, what was I doing... A-and more importantly, w-where am I!?"

"Well, this is certainly... different..."

The three distinct conversations filed the room from three females.

The first, was a small child-like girl with pink hair and a dress to match.

The second, a girl with short black hair, with what seemed to be a laurel of flowers on her head. She was wearing a school uniform, with a long skirt that almost completely covered her legs.

And finally, huh? Where did she go?

Then, a short movement revealed the girl who was most certainly standing there mere moments before.

With long black hair that went down her back, a girl of about high school age made her appearance. She was also wearing a school uniform that matched some others in the room. Wait, wouldn't she look better in a miko outfit?

Everyone looked at the newcomers in shock, recognition, and just overall curiosity. But before anything else could happen a sing song voice echoed through the room.

"Uuuuuu-iiiiiiii-haaaaaaaaa-ruuuuuuuuuuuu!!!"

Before anyone could process what was going on, an unsuspecting girl was publicly shamed by her best friend.

"Kyaaaaaahhhhhhh! Saten, I told you to stop... wait Saten, is that you!?"

"Heya Uiharu!"

Uiharu reflexively said this, before turning around in a blur to see her best friend. And then she turned red, forcing her skirt down, as she realized that many other people were watching their little exchange. Some of which were male, but on the ground clutching various body parts in pain. They were also muttering things like...

"Takitsubou why!? A-as if I would be interested in some random girl's bright yellow underwear with a mascot in the ce-gahhh!"

That dirty blonde haired boy stopped talking for some reason.

"T-totally worth it..."

A blue haired boy groaned from a fetal position.

"Fukiyose, if you hit that hard, then a part of me will think your jeal-"

A person with spiky blonde hair and shades was cut of from speaking, mostly because of how they lost consciousness from trauma to the head.

Then...

"Whaaaa!!! Why are my students casually getting beaten up in this situation!?"

The teacher (read little girl) known as Tsukoyome Komoe screamed in worry, as she recognized her students. She then began to walk over to them to check if they were alright, and probably scold them for not taking things seriously.

"Komoe-sensei, it's good to see you! Don't worry about those idiots, they deserved the beatings they got, trust me..."

Fukiyose explained to the cute teacher.

(B-beatings! As in more than one?)

She couldn't help but think.

Fukiyose was glad to see their teacher, but for some reason, she felt like she's forgotten something, or maybe someo-

"Hello Seiri..."

"Uwaa! I-is that you Aisa!? How long were you standing there!?"

Out of nowhere, Himegami Aisa popped up behind Fukiyose and greeted the spooked girl.

"Not long, I'm sure you were just distracted by our bright, cute... noticeable teacher..."

Himegami said, with a depressive aura beginning to form. But that was quickly interrupted as the girl was wrapped into a tight hug.

"H-huh?"

She blinked in confusion as the embrace, pulling back to see Fukiyose smiling in happiness.

"Its so good to see you Aisa. I've been stuck with these perverted idiots up till now. I'm glad to see a good friend here."

She said warmly to a shell shocked Himegami. Then, she smiled as well, her aura completely vanishing.

"Speaking of, what are we doing here...?"

Fukiyose's expression changed almost instantly.

"Well, to sum it up, its because of Kamijou..."

"Huh, what about Kamijou-chan?"

Komoe-sensei also joined the conversation, as well as two disoriented boy's, who were trying to stand up properly.

And so, with bated breath, the girl explained to them what had happened so far, what they had seen, and what they were here for.

She could have been nice, she could have spared both of their feelings by not giving them the stone cold truth. But she didn't, she told them exactly what that naive boy went through so far.

For Himegami and Komoe-sensei, any nervousness and pent up anxiety that lessened over seeing familiar faces, immediately came back with an unavoidable force as the contents of such an explanation was revealed.

To put it simply, both girls looked horrified.

"Kamijou..."

"Kamijou-chan..."

...

To say that Uiharu Kazari got a warm welcome was an understatement. To the girls known as Mikoto Misaka, Shirai Kuroko, and Saten Ruiko, their 'Railgang' felt empty without their missing friend. So, in short they were really glad to see her.

"Y-you guys can let go of me now..."

An embarrassed Uiharu squeaked as her friends were embracing her tightly, as if she would dissapear if they let go. That certainly snapped them to attention as they backed off the poor girl, looking sheepish as a result.

"Misaka, Shirai, Saten, what are we all doing here...?"

Uiharu asked the question the everyone was seemingly dreading. Because if the question was asked, they'd have to give an answer. And in order to answer it, they had to recall and explain the insufferable horrors a certain someone had to go through.

Trying to get over her anxiety, Mikoto opened her mouth to speak.

"Please allow Misaka to explain, Misaka says as she find the perfect opportunity to cut into the conversation."

Uiharu blinked her eyes in confusion, as she certainly heard are a voice very similar to her friend, however, the direction it came from was... behind her? She turned around to see...

The same person.

"W-wait... but t-thats... aren't you...!"

Uiharu flapped her mouth open numerous times.

Shirai simply sighed.

"This is going to take a while..."

---

Whatever Uiharu was expecting to hear, it certainly wasn't what ended up coming out of her friend's mouths.

Misaka Imouto, that was the name of the girl that bore an uncanny resemblance to the 3rd ranked Level 5. And even more surprising, this girl was a clone that was made from her DNA. But despite all of this, Misaka Mikoto refused to call her anything else but her sister.

And Uiharu foolishly thought that crazy news was the end of the explanation. She couldn't have been more wrong.

As they told her the real reason why them and herself were here, she just found herself nodding at the beginning. Then, as the story progressed, she began to feel a deep sense of unease crawling in her stomach. That feeling was quickly labeled as fear. It had to be. After all, she's felt it before; her being in Judgement amassed plenty of it. But... none like this.

Kamijou Touma. A name that she had thought she had heard before. One that she tied as someone close to a certain scientific Railgun. At first glance, one would see that he is a seemingly unremarkable person, with no unique traits. However, if you came to that conclusion then you just weren't looking hard enough.

The boy who looked to be average in every way has taken part of countless battles and had seen the truest depths of despair, some by his own volition. Now, after such a person was described to her, she would think that her friends, and herself included, should stay far away from this boy, as he was surely a person who brought misfortune to himself and those around him...

But that was not the case at all.

Uiharu noticed that, even when they were talking about the most saddening thing that had happened to the boy, they all had a similar look in the eyes.

Respect, amazement, and... she thought she saw something else too.

The fear the girl had felt was slowly residing as her friends wrapped up the memories, they called it. Yes, the ones of...

Acceptance... Hell... Weakness, Strength... Heroes, Villains... and Kindness... one that was still bright despite it being drowned in darkness.

Her friends were now silent. They had seen Uiharu's face, they knew that the discussion they had was by no means pleasant. They expected any number of things to come out of their dear friends mouth as a result of such a gruesome tale.

"Forgive me if you take offense to me asking such a question... but..."

Uiharu started, and judging by her friend's faces, they were confused as to where she was going with this.

"Why do you all look like you are speaking about a very precious person to you?"

.

..

...

All three faces burned at that.

And that was before they even fully processed the question. It was as if, they were embarrassed about something on reflex, and the girl's question was the perfect trigger.

All at once, they snapped back to reality.

"W-what are y-you talking about!? T-that idiot isn't precious to me or anything! H-he just... um... helped me out a bunch and..."

Mikoto's voice got quite quieter and quieter as she drawled on.

And if that wasn't surprising enough, she seemed to get two more responses, however they were a little jumbled and incoherent.

"T-that ape... ended up...saving me, a-and... been though a lot..."

"He did...elp me out in the Daihassei... and ...eallycool despite being a Level 0 like me..."

(H-huh!? I kinda knew about Misaka, but Shirai and Saten too!?)

She didn't know what to think about this. It seemed as though she was the only one in their friend group who hasn't been saved or helped out by the boy yet. In fact, she voiced this complaint, in a mock sense of confusion.

"Uiharu... that's not quite true."

Mikoto said with caution. Her eyes were showed a little shame for some reason as well.

"Huh?"

Uiharu was not the only one who yelped in confusion.

"That ape has met Uiharu!?"

[A/N: No one better comment about my massive plothole right now, specifically, the last chapter. I know I messed up.]

Shirai said in surprise, Saten mirroring her face as well.

" 'Met' might not be the right word. Instead, I would say you were saved by him without even realizing it..."

Mikoto said in a steady tone.

Uiharu slowly processed what she had just heard.

"I-I was saved... by Kamijou? When!? Wouldn't I remember something like that?"

"No, you wouldn't... and that was because... I ended up taking the credit for it."

Before another question could come out of Uiharu's mouth...

"The Graviton Bombings..."

Now the girl's brain did a full halt. The Graviton Bombings. An incident where an esper, after using the Level Upper, had enacted serial bombings on random places in Academy City. Except, his targets weren't random at all. He would only plant the bomb when a Judgement member... was...present.

She now remembered the end of that incident. Sweat began appear on her face.

There was a girl with a stuffed doll running towards her. Then, she was told to throw the doll by a familiar voice. Her Judgment training kicked in, and she tried the shield the little girl next to her from whatever was about to happen.

And then...heat.

She felt an intense heat along with a thunderous noise. Something had exploded. Everything within the impact zone should have been obliterated. But then...

"B-but... your Railgun-."

"Didn't make it in time."

Mikoto cut her off with a serious expression.

"I remember that moment all too well. I missed my chance... and I just... stood there, frozen in terror. And before I knew it, he jumped in the way of the blast, completely negating it. He saved you, that little girl, and me that day..."

Mikoto finished, smiling weakly in front of the shell shocked girl.

Uiharu remained in that state, but... a thought occured.

"But then why... why didn't Kamijou say anything!? Why didn't he take the credit!?"

She asked, at a complete loss.

Mikoto just laughed in response.

"Ha ha.. ha ha... you know what that idiot said to me when I confronted him about it later...?"

Mikoto then smiled warmly, as if remembering something dear to her.

"He said, 'Everyone's safe, so there's no problem. Who cares who did the saving?' "

Uiharu was stunned at the boy's indifferent and humble attitude, especially when it came to saving multiple people's lives, herself included. Who did something like that? What kind of person were they? Why did he do the things he did?

And then...

"Oh, I see now..."

Uiharu felt a small grin creep up on her face. She then gestured to her friends, Shirai, Mikoto, and Saten.

"You guys must all like Kamijou quite a bit."

The girl, who spent way too much time reading romance novels, excitedly said that.

And for the second time, three faces burned.

...

Everyone looked at the new prompt on the monitor.

["Then, would you jump into the depths of hell to save me...?"]

Fukiyose, as well as others, did not know what that meant. Their was only one person who truly understood.

"-!"

Erratic breathing was heard in the room.

It was the nun, Index.

She was gripping her shoulders, her chest weaving in and out with a terror stricken expression.

Mikoto was about to make her way over to the silver sister, but... Index had suddenly stopped. Or rather, had calmed down.

"Thank you, Othinus..."

Index said softly.

A slight fidget on her shoulder was all that she had got as a response. Or so she thought.

"(I may not understand all of what happened to you and that human... and I'm not going to tell you to not feel guilty for whatever he got involved in for your sake... but...)"

The chibi goddess trailed off.

"(For that fool's sake, watch whatever happens to the end. Then... you can face it. That's what you said to me before right?)"

And then, unseen by Index, Othinus dropped her usual sharp glare that she kept up. The one she had only dropped for the boy who had spent forever with her.

"(He needs us now... just like we needed him.)"

Index's startled look only lasted a few seconds before she nodded resolutely.

"Yes, your right."

That was the conversation of the nun and the goddess before the viewing had started.

"Ahem! Please excuse me if this is in poor taste, but for all of you who are most certainly out of the loop..."

The voice trailed off, as if showing an surprising amount of caution as to what she had to say.

"In a way, this memory was the beginning. Or, you could say this was the end. It began on July 19th. This is the story... about how 'Kamijou Touma' died..."

The finality echoed in the ears of those listening.

And then a whisper, as if the voice was not entirely sure if she wanted to speak.

"Or maybe... a rebirth... might be a more apt description..."

Itsuwa was the first to say anything.

"D-died!? W-what does that mean!?"

Many followed suit, not being satisfied with just accepting the words as they were.

"Any line of deduction ability could assume were talking about his memories, but is death really the correct word?"

[A/N: Going to go back to her verbal tic, sorry, don't know why I stopped, maybe I just forgot?]

Shokuhou pondered, a little bit worried.

"I mean it's just memory loss right...?"

Shokuhou didn't know how to feel about those words. The thing was, she knew more than most surrounding that boy's affairs, it was her goal to... no. It was her wish to help him with whatever problem he was facing.

'Died'.

That word scared her more than she would ever admit. Especially when it was concerning the boy she couldn't help herself from falling for.

Mental Out was left to her own thoughts as conversations rose up left and right.

Fukiyose, Aogami, and Tsuchimikado, Himegami and Komoe all looked baffled by the news. Well, except the one person who was who was faking, or was he?

"Kami-yan... death, surely that's a joke right?"

Aogami said half heartedly.

"He died...? Even after all those hell's he went through..."

Himegami muttered.

"Kamijou-chan, s-surely its not true. N-not my cute little student."

Komoe said with her voice breaking up.

"Tch! It never ends with that damn hero. How the hell does he act like such a pushover with all this going on...?"

Accelerator growled out. Then, he paused.

("No... I guess that just separates him from the the wannabe's...")

The white haired boy let out something that can be loosely referred to as a compli-

"Tou-San? Was that a compliment just now~? Look at you getting all soft~."

Worst snickered.

"Shut the hell up brat. No one asked you."

Mugino and her group were also in deep thought.

"Death huh? Maybe that uppity bitch was right... I can no longer just call this boy untainted by the darkness can I? Let's see if you can show me something interesting then...Kamijou."

Hamazura gave her a startled look at the use of the boy's name.

(T-theirs no way... right? I mean, Mugino may be a girl, deep deep deeeeeeppp down inside her, but surely she couldn't...)

"Haammmaaazzaaaaaaaa!"

"Hiiiiiiiiiii! No I wasn't thinking of anything demeaning or insulting I swear!"

Whether it was because of past trauma or whatever else, the boy instantly squealed like a pig.

"Ah..."

"Now now Hamazura, that was a little too specific if you ask me..."

...

(Shit.)

While Hamazura was punished by 'Psychotic bitch with lasers', Kinuhata had her own thoughts to deal with.

(That voice was so ominous and vague, but death...? What does that mean? He is undoubtedly still alive right? Geez, all these thoughts has me worri-...wait!)

Kinuhata stopped abruptly.

(I'm not worried about the guy... I barely know him. Hell, I haven't even met him. There's no reason why I would be this concerned about him!)

Kinuhata crossed her arms in between her dwindling no...waning no... her modest chest and pouted.

"This guy just has a massive hero complex. Just-just because he looks cool and badass while doing it doesn't mean anything...yeah."

"Tsuchimikado...?"

"Yeah Aogami...?"

"He just got another Tsundere."

"..."

"Fine..."

Both boy's sighed, before Tsuchimikado pulled a piece a paper from nowhere.

"I'll add her to the list..."

He grumbled out, while tightly gripping the pen he was using.

"A-are you guy's really joking around with such a serious conversation looming over us!?"

Fukiyose asked in disbelief.

Aogami just clicked his tongue in disatisfaction.

"No Fukiyose, your misunderstanding something here. You seem to be under the impression that Kamijou can die."

Fukiyose, Komoe, and Himegami just stared dumbly at the boy.

.

..

...

PAH!*

A full sound rang out leaving Aogami barreling to the floor.

"Ahhh! You just punched me in the face!?"

Aogami cried out in pain.

"Of course I did you moron! If your just going to say stupid thing like that!"

"Stupid!? His life is literally-"

"Aogami."

Tsuchimikado interrupted his friend with a raised hand. He gave a look towards Fukiyose with a glint off his shades.

"Fukiyose, what Aogami is trying to say is that Kami-yan has plot armor so he can't just be killed off like a pointless th-"

"DOPANN*!

"Guffah! Why the hell is it a different sound effect!?"

The spy echoed before he too impacted with the ground with a pained groan. Komoe was white in the face by the overwhelming violence displayed by her female student. Although, granted, it was a bit ridiculous to compare Kamijou's life to some manga where he's the main character...

"I don't know why I even try with you guys anymore..."

Fukiyose bluntly drawled out, epitomizing the 'I'm so done' look.

Himegami, while this was happening was just thinking one thing.

(His life really is a videogame!)

"Alright! I think it's time to begin this suffering train! Well, actually the last memory was kind of relaxing and sweet but who cares right? Misfortune comes in all different sizes. Just because he's not getting thrashed, incinerated, starved, crushed oh... my bad, too soon?"

The voice's slight apologetic tone did nothing to dwindle the many looks of scorn and disgust that were thrown her way.

And of course, the brooding of one Magic God who still remained unseen.

"He he, let's begin!"

[Scene Start]

"Shit! Shit! Just why!? What did I do to deserve thiiiiiiiiiiiiiissssssssssssssssssssssssssss!"

Many were caught off guard by the boy's voice as it was instantaneous to the scene beginning.

"What is the fool up to now...?"

Birdway said with an exasperated look on her face.

As amusing as his misfortune was, their was still a time and a place for what was hilarious and what was ridiculous.

A spiky haired boy's desperate cries filled the moonlit sky as he dashed through a multitude of back alleys. He risked a glance over his shoulder.

Why?

Because there were eight of them.

Sogita hummed in excitement.

"As expected of you Kamijou! Your already fighting eight people single handedly! The guts..."

"Really... cause it looks to me like he's running away in terror..."

Shirai retorts dryly with a deadpan expression.

"How the hell does that ape get himself into these situations..."

"So this is Kamijou..."

Uiharu said softly, taking in the appearance of the spiky haired boy. And their was only one thing she could think of off the top of her head.

And that was that Kamijou Touma looked completely average.

He didn't look like a person who had a rough childhood. He didn't look like someone who had seen and experienced all forms of despair imaginable. He didn't look like a powerful esper who defeated the 1st ranked Level 5 (more than once mind you...). And he most certainly did not look like dashing prince that her friends seemed to make him up to be.

So she was confused, but more than that, she was curious. Curious as to who the boy known as Kamijou Touma was.

And with what seemed to be 2 kilometers in, there were still eight of them.

"T-thats like a little over a mile!"

Mikoto blurts out in awe.

(Well I guess it makes sense considering that guy always looks so fit...)

The girl froze. Her cheeks slowly began to heat up.

(...Uwawawawawawa!...w-w-w-w-w-w-w-what am I thinking!?)

Mikoto's face turned red in shame as her adolescent mind began to go into overdrive.

And as he was not skilled enough to dispatch eight angry, agressive, tall, (angry again) thugs who wanted nothing more than to beat him to a bloody pulp; that just left the next best course of action.

Run like hell.

"Yep, that's always the best option."

Hamazura said shamelessly.

The respect and pride in his tone came from the sympathy towards his fellow Level 0's plight, as he himself had been in many similar situations.

Although Kamijou Touma was no stranger to street brawls in the city of science he found himself in, a 1v3 was the biggest handicap he could or should put himself in. Anymore was just asking for pain.

And no matter what his classmates told him, NO! He was not and will never be masochist!

"Well..."

"Don't! Finish that sentence, Aogami..."

The blue haired boy swiftly shut his mouth.

Komoe Komoe sweatdropped at the antics of her students. But then she thought about Kamijou.

(J-just because Kamijou-chan gets hurt all the time, doesn't mean he actually enjoys it, right?)

Phrasing it like a question was not helping the cute teacher's case. If the boy were here to see this, he would surely break into tears.

It was July 19. A truly misfortunate day.

Naturally, that shouldn't have been the case, as summer vacations was beginning the very next day. Although this was Kamijou Touma we were talking about. Nothing ever goes according to his expectations.

Simply put, with his youthful spirits high, Kamijou decided to grab a manga from bookstore and enjoy it to the fullest along with some warm comfort food from a family restaurant.

That was his first mistake.

Kamijou Touma found a middle school girl being surrounded by a bunch of clearly drunk delinquents. And being the type of person he was, he decided some rescuing was in order.

Birdway sighed in exasperation.

"That sounds like something that guy would do..."

However, what he had not suspected was for the small army of reinforcements to come swarming out of the bathroom.

Apparently girls weren't the only gender that went to the bathroom in groups.

"Guy's who are insecure and trying to compensate for something go to the bathroom in groups..."

Hamazura said offhandedly. Then he froze.

"Uh...I mean..."

"Wow, that's super interesting Hamazura. Now, why would you know about that~"

Kinuhata said with an all to happy look on her face. Another word for it was, 'a shit eating grin'.

...

(Dammit...)

Hamazura messed up.

Anyway, this is what led him to swiftly observe his situation and come up with a counterattack. In this case, it was the 'Kamijou lives another day by running away tactic'.

"I didn't even get to eat my hellish Goya and Escargot Lasagna I ordered! In fact, I didn't even get to eat anything, so why the hell am I being treated like a petty dine and dasher!? This poverty stricken Kamijou might be struggling but I still have my pride as a consumer goddaaaaaaaaammmmmmmmmmiiiiiiiiiiiiittttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt!"

"Pride? Oh! Is that 'the pride of a man' thing Touma keeps talking about whenever he passes the AV section of the video store?"

Index says confused.

The nun's words leave a scarlet color on all the girl's that hears her.

(W-well... he is a boy, so it makes sense that he would be interested in... that kind of stuff.)

Itsuwa thinks while heating up.

Hamazura, Aogami, Tsuchimikado, and even Accelerator find themselves nodding to themselves.

But not Sogita, he has no idea what everyone is saying.

Kamijou moaned in despair as he scratched his head and emerged out of the back alley into the moonlit street.

Even with Academy City being as big as it was, he could see couples no matter where he looked. This also had to be July 19th's fault!

(Its either your ugly but rich, or poor but good looking. Where the hell does it say what to do if your unlucky!?)

Kamijou, who was single, shouted within the depths of his heart.

"Pffft!"

Kanzaki found herself laughing to herself. There was just something that boy's thoughts that left her so amused.

...

"U-um..."

Uiharu didn't know what to say to that. She simply just smiled nervously.

(Kamijou certainly is... peculiar...)

As the boy tore through the couples, he glanced down at his right hand. The power that resided their would be of no help in his current situation. It would not let him defeat a single delinquent, it would not raise his scores on tests, and it would certainly not make him popular with the girls.

Teeth grinding*

The two idiots mewled in displeasure as they watched the screen. They were plotting the ultimate punishment for their bastard of a friend.

"Go die in a fire Kami-yan."

"Yeah, go explode."

"Ha ha ha ha ha!"

Accelerator however, burst out laughing. Especially when he noticed the uncomfortable looks on multiple people's faces. Specifically the female population.

Surprisingly, two girls had similar thoughts.

(Well, he is kinda wrong about that last one...)

Himegami and Uiharu couldn't help but think.

"Uahh! Such misfortune!"

This was undoubtedly, a bigger pain that it should have been. Essentially, if Kamijou escaped the herd of delinquents chasing him down, then they would possibly use their phones to call their reinforcements and bikes. In order to run down their stamina, Kamijou had been letting them catch occasional glimpses of him as bait so that they would continue to run and wear themselves out.

"That's... actually pretty cunning..."

Shirai said, relatively surprised.

Kamijou's goal was to save any possible victims. And if he could lose them and have them give up without getting into a fistfight, then he would consider that a win. And since the boy had confidence in his body's stamina, he was sure that he'd be able to outlast the thugs who most likely have been damaging their bodies with things like alcohol and cigarettes.

"That's not all that could be said about his stamina."

Whack!*

"Ow! Did you just hit me with your Symbolic Weapon!? Put that away!"

Lessar cried in indignation as she stared at the blonde girl who just assaulted her.

"As soon as you stop it with the euphemisms."

Birdway replied with a non-peturbed expression.

As Kamijou dodged and weaved through multiple back alleys and roads, he caught a glimpse of two pursuers dropping out of the chase, leaning forward with their hands on their knees.

Altogether, he felt that this was the perfect way to resolve this situation without any injuries whatsoever...

"But still! Why do I have to go wasting my youth on this stuff! I just wanna meet someone nice!"

As much as it pained her to admit, Fukiyose was little curious to see what the reactions of the idiots would be now. Turning to the side, she quickly jumped in fright.

Feral smiles with clear hostility formed their expressions.

"Hear that Aogami, Kami-yan wants to meet someone nice."

Tsuchimikado said with a creepy hollow voice.

"He did? I kinda just assumed it was a auditory hallucination considering how much of a bastard he would be if he actually said it. Ha ha...ha...ha..."

Aogami's voice, equally hollow, ended in a fit of deranged giggles.

It seems that they were broken.

"Tsuchimikado-chan, Aogami-chan, what's the matter!? Why do you look like you've lost all hope in the world!?"

Komoe's assessment, was actually pretty accurate to what they were feeling.

No matter where he looked, he saw nothing but couples full of dreams and happiness. Oh... those ones were making out.

*Sniffle...*

Many females in the room went red at that. But uh...

"Hahahahahahaha! T-that face, h-h-h-h-h-he looks so miserable!!!!!! Ah ha ha ha ha!"

"Shut the fuck up Worst!"

Accelerator yelled in irritation at the deranged Misaka sister and her sense of humor.

Unable to stand it, Kamijou Touma began to feel like he drew the short end of life. He was just one day away from summer vacation, and yet he had neither love or comedy to speak of. It made him feel like quite the loser.

(I disagree with that whole heartedly KAMIJOU-SAN...!)

Uiharu couldn't help but think, looking at the perturbed expression of Mikoto.

"Hey! You fucking brat! Stop, you... master runner!"

It only angered Kamijou more to recieve such a violent love call.

"Shut up! You should be thanking me for not turning around to knock your group's negative collective IQ count on their asses!"

The boy shouted, despite it being a complete waste of stamina.

"Ooh! He looks mad!"

Kinuhata said with slight excitement.

(They should be thanking me for going out of my way to keep them from getting injured!)

"Wait huh?"

Everyone let out involuntarily.

After another two kilometers of sweaty and admittedly, teary running, the boy exited the urban area and came to a large river. Not lit up at all, the plain metal bridge crossing it was wrapped in an eerie darkness much like a midnight sea.

The boy glanced back as he darted across the bridge. He then stopped. At some point he had escape all of his pursuers!

"Sh-shit. Did I finally lose them?"

Faced with such a realization, what Kamijou wanted to do was take a seat and pat himself on the back, however he suppressed the urge to do so. His aching joints were cursing at him for sure.

Wait, does that make him sound old?

(Wait if he thinks he's old then...)

Kanzaki Kaori suddenly grew very self-consious.

Regardless, Kamijou took pride in one simple thing. He had actually managed to resolve everything without having to punch anyone!

So on that happy note, Kamijou proceeded to head home, fantasizing about the wonderful pastime called sleep. Except... his misfortune wasn't done with him just yet...

"What are you trying to do...? Do you think that rescuing me from those delinquents makes you a good person? Do you have some hero-complex or something?"

"...!"

Kamijou's body froze over in an instant.

Now, because the bridge had no lights, Kamijou had not noticed the girl who stood five meters a way from him. It was a middle school girl wearing a gray pleaded skirt, a short sleeved blouse, and a summer sweatshirt. Faced with such a sight, the boy simply stared up at the sky...

"Of course..."

He sighed as he recognized her. It was the girl from the restaurant.

Wait...

While everyone was busy connecting the dots of who the girl was and stealing glances at said girl...

"Wow... that really is misfortune."

Aogami said with a mollified expression. And then...

"Wait! Could it be that... Kami-yan's life... isn't a rom-com at all... but some sort of yandere hell!?"

The two boys slowly processed that train of thought.

.

..

...

"Yandere's are still hot though."

"That's true, screw you Kami-yan."

They were instantly over it.

"So, that's why they stopped chasing me...?"

"Yeah, they annoyed me, so I roasted them."

The zapping sound of bluish white sparks began to echo in the area. The girl's tea colored hair swayed, as sparks flew from it like an electrode.

"Of course..."

The girl's eyebrows twitch in annoyance.

"Stop saying that!"

The girl's angry retort just caused the boy to sigh wearily.

Why? Because he had failed. On July 19th, he had decided to purchase a manga, and then entered a family restaurant to treat himself to a nice meal. And after finding drunk delinquents bothering a girl he decided that he would lend a hand. However, Kamijou didn't have a single thought about rescuing the girl. No, he had tried to save the boys who had carelessly approached her.

Many were flabbergasted at the explanation.

"H-he got involved... not to rescue some girl, but a group of random thugs!?"

Lessar finished, completely shocked.

"Ha... ha ha... ah ha ha ha ha ha!"

The girl burst out laughing.

"Wow... Loverboy really doesn't discriminate does he?"

Mikoto had the decency to look embarrassed. And not the flustered kind, but the shameful kind.

(I uh... really got that one wrong didn't I...)

"So he really wasn't trying to show off in front of Misaka, but save the thugs that would have ended up getting hurt?"

Uiharu summarized in a dazed expression.

"Wow, Kamijou is a really nice person."

Resisting the urge to sigh again, he just decided to look at the aggressor of all his problems today.

This girl, was always like this. He would always see this girl around occasionally, but he had yet to learn her name, and the same could be said for her. So, they were by no means friends.

(Would friends really be this much of a pain...wait... never mind.)

Kamijou mentally grumbled as two idiots came to mind.

"Don't deny it Kami-yan, you know you love us!"

Tsuchimikado said with a teasing grin.

Anyway, this time, the girl would attack with arrogance and attempt to beat her opponent to a pulp, leaving Kamijou as the one who had to put up with it, every single time. Although without exception he would win their one sided duel.

(Mou~! He's talking as if I'm just some little kid that's annoying him!)

Mikoto fumed silently.

(He's referring to a Level 5 as some constant annoyance!?)

Uiharu couldn't help but think, in tandem with her friend apparently.

And the one time where he lost... well, Kamijou found out he was a terrible actor. That specific stunt seemed to anger her even more than what he thought was possible. Girls are demons.

"That time was so humiliating!"

Mikoto said in what she felt was righteous fury. Then she widened her eyes and ducked her head down as she realized she yelled that out.

"I mean... that idiot never took our fights seriously."

"I don't recall doing anything to you to make you so obsessed..."

"O-obsessed! I'm not obsessed, I-I just cannot allow anyone to be stronger than me, that's my reason."

The girl was extremely defensive as she replied.

"Classic Tsundere response! Did you see that Tsuchimikado?"

"Yeah man, it was beautiful."

The boy's were admiring the scene if front of them, not in any way aware of the danger that was coming their way very soon. A very... shocking... danger.

"And! You always treat me like an idiot... but still, I am a Level 5. And against Level 0's... I do know how to handle the weak..."

Saten and Hamazura both reflexively bit their lips in annoyance at that.

Yes, that was how it was in this City of science. The power of some back alley thug would typically always pale in comparison to the raw power of an esper ability.

"I understand that you possess a special talent that makes you special, I really do. However, you can make a lot of enemies by speaking so condescendingly."

"Oh... after being injected with the crazy a number of crazy things in the your blood vessels, heart, and brain, what else could you call it but a lack of talent?"

The girl replied with a snide tone.

Saten knew her friend didn't mean it, she knew her friend better than that. But still, the implication undoubtedly stung.

Mikotot saw the girl's expression and put a hand on her shoulder.

"I am so sorry Saten. I was completely out of line saying something like that..."

All feeling of annoyance dissapeared as Saten got a look at the truly melancholic look on the Level 5's face.

Saten smiled.

"Its okay, I know you didn't mean it."

Hamazura however, found the anger he felt quickly passing. It was surprising even to him. Maybe, it was because he had come to terms with his status. And regardless of it, he still had friends and allies that supported him. Speaking of...

A warm presence latched onto his arm, leaning their head on his shoulder.

(Right...)

The previous Skill Out member smiled in happiness.

(This is why it doesn't matter anymore.)

"Are you okay Hamazura..."

"Yeah... I'm fine, thanks to you."

Takitsubou found herself blushing because of the sincerity.

"H-hmm."

"That's super gross Hamazura.."

Kinuhata said with an icy tone.

"I don't care about anything else, but don't get all fucking gloomy on me! It makes me look bad... as someone you beat..."

Mugino said that last part in a whisper, however Hamazura smiled because of it.

"..."

The boy gave her a wordless gaze, and then spoke.

"If I need to bend a spoon, I can just use pliers, and if I need fire, I can just buy a cheap lighter. And what good is telepathy when I have a cellphone. Are these esper powered really that great?"

Those were the words of the boy who had been branded as useless or defective in this City of superpowers. The subtle edge in his voice was not lost on the girl, making her change her expression slightly.

"Oh? So this guy can add a little bark to his bite..."

Mugino said with a semi-interested smile on her face.

"Exactly, you don't need any fancy esper powers as long as you know how to adapt to any particular situation. It's all about street smarts."

Hamazura says proudly, in agreement with the boy's words.

"Although, I'm just a Level 0, what do I know."

Kamijou said light heartedly, a hand scratching the back of his head.

"So Kamjjou really is a Level 0...huh. That just makes him even more interesting..."

The researcher in Uiharu got a little excited.

And it truly did. Despite not having a power that could Level up in the way so many others can, he still didn't hesitate to brave certain dangers when someone's life, or even smile, was on the line.

According to her friends, Kamijou Touma never used that sort of convenient excuse to get out of trouble when it could have helped him. And that just made him all the more like the hero that he was made out to be.

The girl, suddenly curved her lips up ever so slightly.

"Zero, you say?"

She then reached into her skirt pocket and pulled out an arcade coin.

"Have you ever heard of a railgun?"

"Huh?"

"Please don't tell me your about to do what I think your about to do..."

Shirai said with an expression that wished it wasn't so.

"He he... um... sorry."

Mikoto's words did not alleviate anyone's fears.

*BZAMM!*

And without missing a beat, the middle school girl simply flicked the coin off her thumb, causing an a beam or concentrated electricity to come zooming past Kamijou's face.

Faced with such an action, Kamijou looked behind him at the torn up ground and still crisp smoke.

The sound of the compressed deadly energy echoed throughout the room.

Widening their eyes in shock, many slowly began to tilt their heads towards one girl in the room.

The judgemental stares showed no mercy.

"Onee-sama..."

"Misaka..."

"Sparky..."

"Tsundere#1..."

"Argh! I get already! It was a stupid thing to do, so just stop looking at me like thaaaaaaattt!"

Mikoto thought as she stared at the ground with her face red with shame and embarrassment.

"And who the hell said that last one!?"

"Do-don't tell me you used that on those thugs...?"

"Hah? Don't be stupid, I do know how to hold back..."

(Is that so!?)

Kamijou sincerely doubted that.

Many felt themselves nodding at the boy's thoughts.

"This is what I used in those guys..."

Kamijou's danger sense immediately went off, causing him to bring his right hand up immediately. That turned out to be correct as the girl shot a spear of lightning directly at him.

Despite the miraculous things she had seen this boy overcome in the past, the lightning spear that was heading Kamijou's way still managed to instill anxiety in Itsuwa's heart.

"Kamijou!"

An explosive noise range out.

Such a power would instantly leave someone in serious pain, or in worse cases, a fatal injury. And yet...

"How are you completely unhurt?"

That would be the question on everyone's minds right now, if not for the mutliple occasions they had seen that hand in action.

But all they could do was sigh in relief as the boy slapped away the danger like it was nothing.

"That right hand... is overflowing with guts!!! Man, that's cool!"

Sogita voiced out with mild respect and admiration.

As for the newcomers, Uiharu specifically, she got her first look on what exactly what that right hand of his could do. And seeing the ridiculousness of the sight in front of her, it all began to make sense...

The girl's mouth formed into a frown, showing off her canines, despite the casual way she said her question.

The beam of electricity had definitely made contact with Kamijou Touma. However, he lacked even a single burn to show it. And that was because of the boy's right hand. Imagine breaker.

Uiharu instantly knew that she and many others were only alive today because of that special hand.

The ability that wouldn't help in a fist fight, wouldn't raise his test scores, and it wouldn't make him popular.

All it did was negate the supernatural. And in this case, it was what saved his life. However, if the electricity had it anywhere else, Kamjou would not be so lucky. But still...

(Man! I really, really thought I was going to die there! Kyaahhh!)

Kamijou's calm and composed expression stiffened awkwardly as he had such thoughts.

Many sent deadpanned stares towards the boy on the screen.

"You know... everytime I think you know what you're doing, you go and say something like that..."

Birdway says with a dry tone.

Even with a right hand that could completely negate those lightning spears, it was sheer coincidence that they hit his hand.

With his heart pounding in his chest, he desperately forced a mature smile on his sweating face.

"I-I think you missed."

Another beam of lightning came his way as a response.

"Hehehehehe!

Kinuhata erupted into a fit of giggles at the absurdity of the situation.

"Even when he's in such a situation, he still never changes his personality."

The girl couldn't help but smile.

(He truly is... completely geniune...)

---

"Y'know, I knew it would be something like this, but still...

It was the very next day, July 20th. And that also meant that it was the first day of summer vacation. Despite this, Kamijou was at a loss for words in his dorm room. Apparently, lightning that was both nameless and genderless, had mercilessly struck down during the night and knocked out over 80% of his electrical appliances. This left him with a fridge with many spoiled items and a broken air conditioner that was supposed to protect him from the unbearable heat.

The stares came back, although someone decided to be a little more vocal this time.

"My my Misaka-SAN~! You won't get any boy's interested in your tomboy ability if all you do is show them just the boy! Don't you think?"

Shokuhou mocked Mikoto with a grin on her face.

"W-what are you referring to...?"

Mikoto said with a disgusted expression.

"That's a good question... whatever am I talking about..."

Shokuhou said this in a drawn out tone while raising her arms above her head, showing off certain... assets.

(T-this blonde bimbo! I know I deserve the criticism... but still!)

And even better, he had spilled his yakisoba noodles all over the sink which were supposed to be his emergency EMERGENCY rations. And with no other option, he decided to eat out, however he stepped on his ATM card while looking for his wallet.

*Deep inhale...*

(N-no... don't cry don't cry. I have to stay positive! I'll... just go back to bed!)

The boy said with tiny drops of tears in his eyes.

Many felt themselves feeling pity for the boy as they saw him struggling. The words that were spoken in the last memory now held new meaning to them. Kamijou Touma's misfortune could not be controlled in any way shape or form and it most certainly did not have an off switch.

(I-is this what Kamijou-chan has to go through each day...?)

Komoe thought in subdued fascination as the boy's external struggles were showcased for everyone to see. Then... the pink haired adult smiled warmly.

"Even then, Kamijou-chan remains a nice boy..."

...

Mugino just stared silently with her arms crossed. But her eyebrow was raised slightly in confusion.

(If he has to deal with tiny shit like that... then why the fuck does he keep going...)

The girl had the thoughts only someone who had seen how fucked up life was can have.

Kamijou happily (read spitefully) crawled back to his bed to cry- relax... to relax and forget about his breakfast. But just as he was falling asleep he was woken up by an endearing phone call by his teacher.

'Kamijou-chan, you're an idiot, so you need supplementary lesson~!'

That's what he heard anyway. So...yeah, today was about what he had expected.

"Your not an idiot Kamijou-chan! You'll probably just have to repeat the grade... Ah! B-but, you can be sure Komoe-sensei will be with you every step of the way!"

Komoe said in a supportive tone.

(I-is his attendance really that bad!?)

Everyone couldn't help but think this after such a pitiful fate was exposed onto the room.

Annnnnddddddd... despite these trying tribulations...

"Dammit Kami-yan, recieving a personal phone call from Komoe-sensei...how dare you...!"

Aogami trampled on the boy's troubles with the weight of his own egotism.

SLAP*

"Stop running your mouth, you idiot!"

Fukiyose dealt a swift strike to the idiot, and then proceeded to sigh wearily.

(Wow... even when he's not doing anything in particular he still has to deal with all these unlucky accidents. if this is his everyday, then how can he just complain half-heartedly like he always does...?)

Fukiyose thought, growing more and more sympathetic of what the boy has to go through.

"I know... I get it...this Kamijou is very unlucky. Even so, I still can't quite grasp it."

He thought about his family, and how his fantastic misfortune was hereditary. Except... that was not the case. His father had won 100,000 yen in a lottery, and his mother had won so many vending machine roulette games it was ridiculous. Then there was what his classmates had told him, that he zapped the bad luck from everyone else, leaving them with only goodluck.

Fukiyose was about to make a comment on the boy's negative attitude, however stopped as she began to think over some things.

(Don't I usually win those health products giveaways most of the time? D-don't tell me we really are...!?!?)

Himegami just looked the same as always, her expression totally impassive. But then her face lit up as she suddenly had a realization.

(The super rare and efficient Magical Stick...)

A certain scientific stun gun came to mind as she recalled how lucky she was in recieving one of the only ones in their kind.

At times, he wondered if he even was blood related to them, but he couldn't enter the 'heir to the throne route' without activating the little sister flag, and that ominous foreshadowing was the last thing he needed in his life.

"Wha! Kami-yan, you can't just diss the little sister route!"

Tsuchimikado said in indignation.

"Does the savior... not like sisters...? Asks Misaka Misaka in genuine curiosity, feeling a wave of shock rush over her."

...

Such a harmless question right? Wrong.

Accelerator's eyes partly widen.

"Wait brat! Do you realize what you just--!"

A girl next to Accelerator, suddenly dropped to her knees.

"W-wow...! This level of despair is a little much even for this Misaka..."

Imouto was experiencing that very same despair.

Everyone sent glares to the underlying cause, and it was not the cute ten year old girl with the guardian that could break your bones with a thought.

"Why are you looking at me like that!? It wasn't me!"

The backstabbing blade tried to defend himself.

To sum it up, Kamijou Touma experienced nothing but misfortune to the extent that his life could in essence be called a bad joke. One where everyone was laughing but him. But the boy had no intention of just lazing around because of his bad luck. Kamijou did not rely on his luck, or rather, his lack of it. In other words, he had a lot of drive.

Many felt themselves smile at that.

"Yeah! That attitude takes guts!"

Sogita said in hyper excitement.

Kinuhata even grinned. No it looked more genuine than that.

(Those attitudes usually super piss me off, but... I gotta say...what's super cooler than flipping a big 'fuck you' to the world when it sucks. Ha ha...)

Internally solving his two pressing problems of food and money, Kamijou threw off his T-shirt that served as his pajamas, and began the process of changing into his summer summer uniform.

Many eyes widen and sharp intakes of breath were heard.

"I-is that a nosebleed!?"

Lessar...was not the one being talked too, no... she was talking to the small blonde girl beside her.

"W-wha! N-n-n-no, it's not!

Birdway quickly wiped her nose with her sleeve, proceeding to look the other way from the erotic imp girl.

Lessar then brought her mouth close to the girl's ear...

"Ohh.. I see! So he's that kind of big brother huh..."

Red.

"Hahahahahahahahaha!"

...

"Son of a bitch!"

Fukiyose pried her gaze off the screen with... a surprising amount of difficulty... to look at Aogami.

"W-what's that reaction for?"

"What do you mean Fukiyose!? This is not the type of fanservice I want!!! No one wants to see that!"

"Sorry to say Aogami, but that sea of red behind you begs to differ."

Tsuchimikado butts in as he points a finger, a beyond amused smile adorning his face.

...

(S-so that's what a boy's chest looks like... he's... um really...)

Mikoto trailed off in her mind, the images preventing her from forming a coherent thought.

"Damn... he's got it all there..."

Mikoto, Shirai, Uiharu and even Shokuhou whipped their heads to the girl who said that.

"Saten!?"

"H-huh? Oh, sorry, I-I was just saying... you know..."

The black haired girl tried to defend herself from unconvinced stares.

...

"Stop sneaking looks and blushing like a some punk with a porn mag, Kinuhata! If you like what you see then just stare!"

Mugino said in annoyance at the girl who was darting her eyes on and off the screen.

"I-I-I-I'm not staring, and your super blushing too!"

"Hah? Why would I be embarrassed to look at some... kid!"

Mugino retorted lamely, but... the red was still there... sooooooooooo...

Denied.

About to head out to begin his lessons of hell, he suddenly changed his course from the front door.

"The weather sure is nice, maybe I should air out my futon for when I get back. Yes! It's the little things that will mean a lot!"

Kamijou was unnaturally upbeat until he looked out his window towards his balcony.

"The sky is so blue yet my future is pitch black..."

Many cringed at his pessimistic attitude. Although, that did not include the one person who revealing in it.

"Oh... this Misaka likes it when someone is suffering. Hehehehe... show me that expression more...!"

Worst amusingly drawled out with a slightly crazed grin.

Sniffle...!*

"A-are you crying Aogami!?"

A shocked Fukiyose asked the blue haired boy who was wiping his eyes.

"How could I not... sniff... t-thats... that's a real sadistic yandere right there. I'm so glad I lived long enough to witness that."

"I don't know if I'm more disturbed by the Boss's words or what that guy just said..."

Hamazura said a little disgusted.

His spirits dropped sharply. Forcing himself to say it cheerfully only seemed to have the opposite effect. While thinking this he stepped on something squishy. It was the yakisoba bread that was in his refrigerator. By now, it had surely gone bad. The topic of breakfast once again on his mind, he opened the screen door... to find a white futon already laying their.

"?"

"...?"

Many gazed on in confusion.

"..."

The white-clad nun was silent.

And since his dorm room was for one person, along with the fact that he had never purchased a second futon, his confusion doubled. However, when he looked closer, he saw that it wasn't a futon at all, but rather a girl, dressed in white clothing.

And slumped over the railing of his balcony...

"Hahh!?"

"EHHHHHHHHHHH!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?"

Those that knew the identity of the girl, exclaimed in shock.

"I-is that... the silver sister!?"

Mikoto inquired with her eyes widened. She then turned to Index, who was staring at the screen with a very serious look in her eyes.

"Is this how Kamijou met Sister-chan?"

Komoe said in curiosity, but mostly shock.

This girl of around 14 or 15, a year or two younger than Kamijou, had pure white skin and white, no... silver hair. And her clothes...

"Wah, it's a real sister... the nun kind, not the sibling kind."

She wore a long habit that reach her ankles. It was also attached to a one piece hood that covered the top of her glimmering silver hair.

Suddenly, the girl's fingertips twitched. She slowly rose her head from its hanging position, revealing her cute face and green eyes.

Despite the serious expression that was fixed on the girl's face, that instantly shattered into that of a flustered state at the comments from the boy.

"I..."

The girl's lips barely moved. Kamijou took an involuntary step back, as his mind was trying to catch up to what he was seeing.

The people who did not know the girl known as Index were leaning with curiosity at what she would say. After all, one couldn't deny that the circumstance of how that girl got on Kamijou Touma's balcony railing was a little bit interesting.

"W-what is she going to say...?"

Saten asked as the scene was playing out before her.

And...

"I'm hungry."

"..."

Everyone blinked.

"Eh...?"

For an instant, Kamijou thought that he was so sleep deprived and dim witted that he had automatically substituted the foreign language he had heard with Japanese. But then...

"I'm hungry."

"..."

"Did that girl just... oh what am I saying it's that girl were talking about."

Birdway said with a deadpan.

Himegami just sighed wearily.

"Of course..."

"I'm hungry."

"-"

She said it again!"

Shirai said in tandem with the ridiculousness of the situation.

It was Index's turn to avert her gaze in shame as her face heated up slightly. And as for what she gave for her defense...

"I-I was really hungry..."

(Really? We didn't get that!)

A thought of many.

"How many times do I have to tell you I'm hungry?"

The silver girl seems to be irate at how the boy just stood there, frozen.

(No, this is definitely Japanese...)

"Ah, um... A-are you trying to say you collapsed from exhaustion or something?"

"You could also say I have collapsed and am about to die."

"…"

"Who the..."

Hamazura started.

The girl could speak Japanese really well.

"It would be great if you could feed me enough food to fill me up."

"Who the hell asks that to someone they just met!?"

The boy finished with a face of utter disbelief.

Kamijou looked down at the squished and likely spoiled yakisoba-pan still in its wrapper at his feet.

"D-don't tell me Kamijou's going to give her that?!"

Uiharu said in surprise.

Even if the girl was hungry, that was a little much.

He had no idea what was going on, but knew he would be better off not getting involved. In the hopes of happily sending the girl off to some distant place, he stuck the squished bread up to her mouth. He was sure she would run off once she caught a whiff of the sour smell.

"Thank you. And it's time to eat."

Her mouth engulfed it along with the wrapping, Kamijou's arm included.

Once again, Kamijou's day began with a scream and a taste of misfortune.

"Oh!"

Aogami exclaimed with a fist driven into his palm.

"So this is how Index's biting fetish started!"

"Wha!?"

A voices of shock at what the blue haired pervert had said filled the room. However, not one of them was Index. And that was because...

"What's a fetish...?"

...

Aogami's eyes lit up dangerously.

"AfetishishowyouexpressyourlovetoanotherpersonGAH!"

The boy rapidly said before a large breasted classmate tackled him to the ground, leaving him wheezing as the air was knocked out of him.

"W-worth it..."

The white clad nun processed the information she was given.

(Wait... Express my love for...?)

Index's face burst into a shade of crimson as her brain caught up with her.

"I-its not a fetish!"

She shouted.

"I suppose I need to start with an introduction."

"Actually, I would rather you started explaining why you were hanging there."

"My name is Index."

"That's clearly a fake name! What do you mean Index!? What are you, a table of contents!?"

"Pftt!"

Mikoto burst into a fit of giggles.

"Short hair! Stop laughing!"

"As you can see, I am from the Church. This is important. Oh, but I'm not from the Vatican. I'm from the Anglican Church."

"I don't know what that means and you're just going to ignore my questions!?"

"Hmm, is Index lacking? Well then, my magic name is Dedicatus545—The devout lamb protects the knowledge of the strong."

"Don't just give that name out to someone you just met, you dolt!"

Birdway said in irritation. Styil and Kanzaki also wore exasperated faces in the face of the girl's naivety. However, that quickly sobered up as they realized why Index had come to meet Kamijou in the first place.

Their expressions grew grim as they realized it was only going to get worse for Index... and them.

"Hello? Hello? Just what kind of alien am I talking to?"

Kamijou did not understand so he dug his finger inside his ear, and Index chewed on her thumbnail. Was that a habit of hers?

Kamijou wondered why they were politely sitting there facing each other from across a glass table like it was a marriage interview.

Many of the girls inwardly cringed at that.

If he did not leave soon, he would be late for his supplementary lessons, but he could hardly leave this strange person in his room. To make matters worse, the mysterious silver-haired girl calling herself Index seemed to have taken a liking to the room to the point that she seemed willing to laze about on the floor.

Had Kamijou's misfortune called her here? He whole-heartedly hoped not.

"Sweet merciful buddha...! If that's the case, Kami-yan can get girls without even leaving his dorm!"

Tsuchimikado exclaimed with a horrified expression.

"Anyways, it would be great if you could feed me enough food to fill me up."

"Why would I do that!? I don't want to raise your love meter. I'd rather die than activate some weird flag and end up stuck on the Index route!"

"At least Loverboy is honest about it."

Lessar comments amusingly.

"Um… is that slang? I'm sorry, but I have no idea what you're saying."

Typical of a foreigner, she had no knowledge of the Japanese otaku culture.

"But if I leave now, I'll collapse three steps out the door."

"...Don't give me that collapsing nonsense."

"I'll gather my last remaining strength to leave a dying message: a picture of you."

"Wha-?"

(This girl is secretly devious isn't she!?)

Shokuhou thought.

"And, if someone happens to save me, I'll tell them I was imprisoned in this room and tormented to the point of collapse. I'll let them know you forced your cosplaying preferences onto me."

Mugino stayed quiet for a few moments after that comment, and then...

"I like her."

"Mugino!?"

"Don't you dare say that! So, you do know a thing or two about otaku culture, don't you!?"

"?"

"Oh... we could fix that in no time at all..."

Aogami said with a disturbing expression on his face.

"Did you really not learn you lesson!?"

Fukiyose countered with her fists raised.

"PleaseforgivemeMissFukiyose!"

The boy shot off rapid fire.

She tilted her head to the side like a kitten seeing itself in the mirror for the first time.

He regretted letting her get him agitated, feeling like he alone was somehow horribly cheated.

(Okay, let's do it!)

He noisily headed toward the kitchen. Only spoiled goods were left in the fridge so it would cost nothing to feed her. The boy figured it would be fine if the food were heated. He dumped everything into a frying pan and made something similar to stir-fried vegetables.

A collective sigh of exasperation filled the room.

(He's always so accomodating. A normal person would have just kicked her out, yet he going the extra mile to feed her. Your selflessness ability is top notch as always, my prince...)

Shokuhou thought with a small smile.

(Come to think of it, where did this girl come from?)

Naturally, there were people from out of the country in Academy City. However, she did not have the characteristic "scent" of a resident. Nonetheless, it was also strange for someone to come in from outside.

...Or so it had seemed. In reality, three satellites launched for experiments by a technical college were constantly monitoring the city. Every individual going in or out of the city was completely scanned and if any suspicious person for whom the gate records did not match, either Anti-Skill or Judgment from different schools would immediately intervene.

(But... that zapper of a girl reigned in that thundercloud yesterday. That might have hidden Index from the satellites.)

"W-wait!? Does that mean she's an illegally admitted citizen?"

Shirai inquired in shock, her gaze falling on the nun.

Index froze stiffly, her thoughts thinking of an answer to the girl's accusation.

(Think! What would Touma want me to say in this situation!)

"I..."

Index started with a nervous look. Then, the girl close her eyes and shouted...

"S-sorry, but I-I am not interested in what your selling!"

.

..

...

The room went dead silent at the ridiculousness of the girl's outburst.

A small sigh came from the girl's shoulder.

"(That's the wrong phrase, girl...)"

"So why were you hanging out to dry on my balcony?" Kamijou asked the girl as he put soy sauce on the stir-fried vegetables-like dish he was making with purely ill intentions.

"I wasn't hanging out to dry."

"Then what were you doing? Were you blown over and landed there?"

"...Something like that."

"What did she just say!?"

Hamazura asked in surprise.

The lack of denial that came from the girl, left many to wonder her circumstances prior to this meeting.

Kamijou meant it as a joke and stopped moving the frying pan as he turned around to face the girl.

"I fell. I was trying to jump from rooftop to rooftop."

(Rooftop?)

A sharp intake of breath could be herd from both Kanzaki and Styil. Each wore expressions of shame and guilt.

Kamijou looked up at the ceiling.

One glance out the balcony showed a gap of two meters between buildings. It was true that a running jump could get you from one rooftop to another. However...

"But that's eight stories high? One wrong step and you'd be heading straight to hell."

"Yes, you don't even get a grave if you commit suicide," said Index cryptically. "But I had no choice. I had no other means of escape."

Shirai tried to ignore the girl's disturbing words but her mind picked up what she was trying to say.

(She's being chased then.)

"Escape?"

Kamijou frowned at that ominous word.

"Yes," said Index like a child. "I was being chased."

"..."

Kamijou's hand shaking the hot frying pan stopped moving once more.

"I made my jump fine, but I was shot in the back in midair." The girl calling herself Index seemed to smile. "I apologize. It seems I was caught on your balcony as I fell."

She tossed an innocent smile in Kamijou Touma's direction without even a hint of self-deprecation or sarcasm.

Many looked over to the silver haired girl known as Index.

Those unfamiliar with the girl gave her looks of sympathy and sadness. After all, it seems that Kamijou Touma wasn't the only one with a tough life.

"How is she not super injured then?"

Kinuhata inquired.

"You were shot...?"

"Yes? Oh, you don't need to worry about a wound. These clothes also function as a defensive barrier."

What did she mean by a defensive barrier? Was it a bulletproof vest?

"Here we go... no hiding it now."

Tsuchimikado mumbled, earning him confused looks from both Aogami and Fukiyose.

The girl spun around as if to show off new clothes and certainly did not seem injured. Kamijou had to wonder whether she really had been shot. The concept that she was delusional or making it up seemed more realistic.

But...

The fact remained that she had indeed been hanging from his seventh story balcony.

If, hypothetically, everything she was saying were true…

Who shot her?

Kamijou deliberated.

He thought about how determined one would have to be to jump between the rooftops of an eight-story building. He also considered how lucky she was to be caught on his seventh-story balcony and the hidden meaning behind the fact that she collapsed.

She said she was being chased.

"The poor girl must have been terrified..."

Uiharu said in a apathetic voice, loud enough for everyone to hear, specifically, Styil and Kanzaki. Their gazes each hardened at that comment.

His final thoughts wondered the meaning of the smile on Index's face as she said those words.

He knew not what circumstances Index was in and understood not what the few things she told him had meant. Most likely, he could only understand half of it if Index explained everything from start to finish and would still have no idea how to even begin to understand the latter half.

Nonetheless, one truth remained.

With a tightening in his chest, he finally accepted the fact that she had gotten caught on his seventh-story balcony when one wrong step could have sent her straight to the asphalt below.

"Food."

Index poked her head from behind Kamijou. Despite her Japanese fluency, she must not have had much experience with chopsticks because she held them in a fist like a spoon while she excitedly stared into the frying pan.

Her eyes were like a kitten's taken from a cardboard box on a rainy day.

"…Ah"

Kamijou put the (former) food into the frying pan to make something like (poisonous) stir-fried vegetables. For some reason, the angel in Kamijou, whom usually came along with the devil Kamijou, was writhing horribly at the sight of the starving girl.

"Ahh! I-I know! If you're really that hungry, how about we go to a proper family restaurant rather than give you this horrible meal made by a man with leftovers!? We can even get it delivered!"

"What are you calling it horrible and poisonous for Touma? It was really tasty. Everything you make is delicious!"

(Is this nun serious right now!?)

"I can't wait that long."

"...Ah ...kh!"

"And it isn't horrible. You made this food for me without charging anything. It has to be good."

For the first time, she gave a shining, nun-like smile.

As pain assaulted Kamijou like his stomach was being wrung like a wet cloth, Index scooped the contents of the frying pan out with her fist-held chopsticks and into her mouth.

Munching.

"See? It's good."

"...Oh, is it?"

"Oh? I think he's starting to regret it. That face is really obvious. Loverboy is always wearing his emotions on his sleeves."

Lessar said playfully.

Chomping.

"It's nice that you added that sour flavor to me help get my strength back."

"Geh! It's sour!?"

Many began to find the boy's guilty face highly amusing as they couldn't hold back grins of amusement.

Chewing.

"Yeah, but that's fine. Thanks. You're like a big brother or something."

"And that's the final straw for Kami-yan... playing the sister card will always get you. Every single time!"

Tsuchimikado said with a mixture of pride and empathy on his face.

She gave a large grin as she ate with such a pure heart that she had a bean sprout stuck to her cheek.

"...Gh ...Uuwhaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!"

With the speed of sound, Kamijou grabbed the frying pan while Index looked incredibly displeased. However, Kamijou swore in his heart that he would be the only one to fall down into hell.

"Kamijou really did it he he..."

Itsuwa said with a strained laugh.

The girl was happy to see that the boy who she harbored feelings for was so honest with himself.

"Are you hungry too?"

"...Hah?"

"If not, I'd rather you let me eat the rest."

As Kamijou watched Index look at him with slightly upturned eyes while she chewed on the end of her chopsticks,

Kamijou received a divine revelation.

God told him to take responsibility and eat it himself.

This had nothing to do with misfortune; he had completely brought it upon himself.

"Hahahahahaha!

Kinuhata burst out laughing at the boy's expression.

Kamijou Touma stuffed his mouth full of the fried garbage and grinned.

"Mhh," grunted the girl calling herself Index with a look of complaint on her face as she gnawed on a biscuit. The way she held the small biscuit in both hands made her seem a bit like a squirrel.

"Okay, you said you were being chased. Chased by whom?"

Having returned from his Nirvana, Kamijou once again asked about the biggest issue in her story.

He was not about to follow a girl he had met less than 30 minutes ago down to the depths of hell. However, it was already likely too late for nothing at all to happen.

(How ironic for him to think that...)

Index said grimly.

"So in the end, I have to go with fox's words," thought Kamijou, using a personal term for the sake of feigned kindness.

He knew it would likely resolve nothing, but he still desired to comfort himself by feeling that he did something.

"Hmm…" she said with a slightly dry throat. "I think it was a group, but I don't know their name yet. …They aren't the type to find meaning in names."

"They…?" Kamijou asked meekly.

Apparently, she was being chased by a group or organization.

"Yes," said Index surprisingly calmly. "A magic society."

…

"Hah? Magic? Hah? What!? That's crazy!"

Many felt that they weren't as shocked as they should have been. But... many did not include all.

"Ma...gic?

Uiharu stated in confusion.

"Magic... what the fuck is this girl spouting?"

Mugino asked in confusion.

Because it was people like Mugino Shizuri and Uiharu Kazari that didn't see what they saw. They watched as an infinite amount of worlds were made just to break the one who continued to defy them. And something like that should not have been possible. And... It also should not have been possible for that boy to experience so much suffering and still be alive.

But that's the most important part...

If they were deny the possibility of that type of out of this world explanation, then that means... they would had to deny Kamijou Touma's existence, and all the pain he went through. That would mean they would have to deny the sacrifice the boy made just to return to the world that was lost. And no one could do that.

That type of cruelty would be too much.

"Eh? Huh? W-Was my Japanese weird there? I mean magic. A magic cabal."

"…" Hearing so in English improved nothing. "What? What? Are you talking about some dangerous cult? Like a cult that says not believing in its leader will result in divine punishment and then proceed to give you LSD and brainwash you? That's bad in more ways than one."

"…Are you making fun of me?"

Kamijou Touma's reaction was... understandable. That was very well the normal reaction to being told that magic exists.

Which is why many were silent during the explanation. They had millions of questions sure, but... they had a feeling this memory was just the cusp of many that would continue to shatter any preconceived notions they had of this world they lived in.

So they stayed silent, and continued to watch the conversation between the boy and girl.

"…Sorry, I just can't… I can't accept magic. I may know all sorts of esper powers like Pyrokinesis and Clairvoyance but I just can't accept magic."

Index looked confused.

She had likely expected a believer in only science to deny that any kind of strange thing could exist in the world.

However, Kamijou's right hand held a supernatural power.

It was called Imagine Breaker and could negate even the systems of god seen in myths in a single stroke so long as it was a supernatural power beyond the ordinary.

"Something that doesn't seem to fall into either category..."

Kanzaki said in a low tone while staring the right hand with a contemplative expression.

"Esper powers are pretty common here. Anyone's brain can be 'developed' and have the pathways open up by having 'esperin' injected into their veins, electrodes attached to their neck, and certain rhythms played through headphones. It can all be explained scientifically, so it's only natural to accept, right?"

"…I don't really get it."

"It's normal! It's completely normal, utterly normal. Is three times enough!?"

"…Then what about magic? Magic is normal."

Index sulked like someone had insulted her pet cat.

"Um.. if we could raise the dead with the only cost being a bit of MP, no one would be developing these other powers. I simply can't believe in the supernatural that has no connection to real science."

He felt that people only saw esper powers as strange and mysterious because they were ignorant. The fact that those powers could be explained scientifically was common knowledge in that city.

"Hm... that point has a great sense of logic ability to it. It this 'magic' was possible from the get go, then there would have been no need to invest all this this time in esper abilities to start with, no?"

Shokuhou said with a finger pressed into her cheek.

"Normally you would be right..."

The voice interjected.

"However, the events leading up to the creation of espers... were anything but logical and normal. They were made by a human after all...as much as he hated to be referred to as such."

Their were very few who grasped onto what she was talking about. And that was for the simple reason that they too didn't have the whole story.

The story about the man who rejected the world of magic, and created Academy city as a result.

"You're just as messed up as the subjects you play with. Isn't that right? Aleister..."

The voice whispered to no one.

"…But magic exists," Index said as she pouted.

Most likely, magic was like a pillar supporting her heart, similar to Kamijou's Imagine Breaker.

"Well, whatever. So, why are they chasing you?"

"Magic exists."

"…"

"Magic exists!"

"Wow... she really wants him to believe her..."

Saten says with a wry grin.

It seemed she obstinately wanted him to acquiesce.

"Th-Then what is magic? Can you shoot fire from your hands without undergoing our psychic curriculum? If so, I'd like to see it. I might believe you then."

"I have no magic power, so I can't do that."

"…"

(Is she the type of person to say that she can't bend a spoon around a camera because it distracted them!?)

Many smiled at that train of thought.

All the while, a rather complex feeling filled his chest.

He insisted that the occult did not exist and that magic was ridiculous, but he really knew nothing about the Imagine Breaker power that resided in his right hand. How did it work and what was going on that he could not see? Academy City was at the peak of the world's powers development, but even its System Scan failed to analyze his power. Consequently, he was labeled Level 0.

(So that's why the damn hero is labeled as a zero... interesting.)

Accelerator thought.

Also, that power had not appeared later due to a scientific timetable. It had resided in his right hand since birth.

"He was born with it!? So would that make him...?"

Fukiyose mumbled.

"As I thought, that hand is awesome! He could be a gemstone just like me."

Sogita said with a grin.

He insisted the occult did not exist and yet he himself was a part of the supernatural that ignored the rules.

Regardless, he refused to accept the ridiculous reasoning that magic could easily exist simply because there were strange things in the world.

"…Magic exists."

Kamijou sighed.

"For argument's sake, let's say that magic exists."

"For argument's sake?"

"If it does," continued Kamijou, ignoring her. "Why are they after you? Does it have something to do with how you're dressed?"

Kamijou was referring to the rather extravagant nun's habit that Index wore, made of pure white silk and golden thread embroideries. In other words, "Is this church related?"

"…It's because I am the Index."

"Hah?"

"They are likely after the 103,000 grimoires that I have."

…

"Why didn't Touma understand?"

Index said, completely oblivious.

"(Because normally when you say you have 103,000 grimiores, people are going to think your crazy...)"

Othinus replied, exasperated.

"…Once again, I don't understand at all."

"Why do you seem to lose motivation every time I explain something? Are you the fickle type?"

"Um, so where are these 100,000 books?"

He refused to back down on that point, one hundred thousand books were enough to fill an entire library.

"I have every single one of the 103,000 grimoires with me."

"Hah?" Kamijou frowned.

"Hah?"

Kamijou's reaction was mirrored by those in the room.

"You aren't going to say these are books idiots can't see, are you?"

"You couldn't see them even if you weren't an idiot. There'd be no point if anyone could see them."

Index's words were so removed from reality that Kamijou felt he was being mocked. He glanced around, but could not see a single musty old book that may have been a grimoire. All he saw scattered on the floor were game magazines, manga, and the summer homework he had tossed into a corner.

"…Wahh."

He had forced himself to listen up until then, but was at his limit.

He began to wonder whether she had merely imagined being chased. If she had jumped from the eighth story rooftop, slipped on her own, and gotten caught on his balcony all due to a delusion, she was not someone he wanted to involve himself with any longer.

(So even that guy wasn't thinking about saving her from the beginning...)

Stiyl mused to himself. Then he grimaced.

(But then... that just made what he did do... all the more heroic.)

"Believing in esper powers but not in magic makes no sense," Index said with a pout. "Are those esper powers really all that great? It isn't right to make fun of people just because you have some kind of special power."

…

"Well, yeah." Kamijou gave a small sigh. "I agree. It's not right. It's wrong to think of yourself as above others just because you can pull off some little trick."

Kamijou's gaze dropped to his right hand.

Kamijou Touma nonchalantly revealed a major character trait that was the driving force behind why he saved people.

Many didn't know how, when, or why the boy lost his memories. But either way, 'Kamijou Touma' was obviously still alive. It would take more than memory loss to kill 'him'.

No fire or lightning would come. It could not cause any beams of light or explosions, and no strange markings were going to appear on his wrist.

However, his right hand could negate all kinds of supernatural powers, disregarding if the power were good or evil or even the systems of God seen in myths.

"Systems of gods...?"

Saten said confused.

"Well, for the people who live in this city, the power they have is like a part of their personality, so you should probably be a bit forgiving as far as that goes. In fact, I'm one of those espers, too."

"A-anyway, you say you're an esper, but what can you do?"

"Umm, well, if you put it that way…"

Kamijou was a bit unsure of what to say.

It was not often that Kamijou explained his right hand to others. Also, since it only reacted to supernatural powers, it could not be explained without knowledge of the supernatural or esper powers.

Komoe, Himegami, Fukiyose, Aogami, and Tsuchimikado all thought of that particular subject.

While it was no secret that Kamijou was a Level 0, no one knew of the boy's base power or even his data potential in any of the system scans; especially when they were in class.

Whether it was through the boy's own choice, or plain disinterest in the topic, he remained tight lipped about his ability, leaving many of his classmates to wonder what on earth it could be.

Well, until now that is.

(The only information I ever had was its name...)

The teacher thought as she mouthed the words to herself. She had always thought it was a unique name that seemed to oddly fit the boy, despite the ominous tone of that particular epitet.

"You see, it's this right hand of mine. Oh, and in my case, it isn't doping; I've had it from birth."

"I see."

"If I touch it with my right hand, any kind of supernatural power will be negated. That goes for A-bomb level fireballs, tactical railguns, or even the systems of God."

"Congratulations Sparky! Because of you he was able to add something to his resume of exploits! Ha ha ha ha!"

Lessar playfully said.

"I-I didn't do it for that..."

Mikoto said with a low voice.

"Eh?"

"Why does your face look like you just saw a good luck miracle stone in some magazine?"

"But… you don't even know the God's name, but yet you just said you can negate His miracles." In surprise, Index dug her pinky into her ear while giving a scornful laugh.

"…Kh. Th-This is really annoying. I kind of hate being made fun of by some kind of fake magical girl who claims magic exists but can't prove it."

That muttering of Kamijou Touma's soul seemed to upset Index.

"I-I'm not a fake! Magic really exists!"

"Then show me something, Halloween girl! You aren't going to believe my Imagine Breaker until I destroy something with my right hand anyway. C'mon, fantasy head!"

"That guy really has no problem with making fun of others does he?"

Mikoto said with a huff.

"Fine, I will!" Index threw both her hands above her head in annoyance. "Here! These clothes! They're the highest quality of defensive barrier called the Walking Church!"

A shiver ran down Aogami's spine.

"Wha? Wait, this feeling... could it be...?"

Tsuchimikado looked to his friend in confusion.

Alternatively...

"This... could be bad."

Itsuwa suddenly had a premonition. A certain incident came to mind with a couple of familiar nuns.

And then of course...

"Wait! This is...!"

Index said with her face heating up several shades of red.

Othinus looked at the girl confused.

Index spread her arms to show off the teacup-like nun's habit.

"Walking Church? What? You're not making any sense! It's not very nice to keep using these incomprehensible technical terms like Index and defensive barrier, y'know!? Explaining things means to tell them to someone who doesn't understand in a form simple enough to become understandable. Do you not get that!?"

"Wha-? How dare you say that when you aren't even making attempts to understand!?" Index swung her arms around in anger. "Fine, seeing is believing, right? Take a knife from the kitchen and stab me in the gut!"

"Woah! Hold on, hold on, hold on!? You can't just ask someone to do that Sister-chan!!!"

Komoe exclaimed in surprise.

"Stab you!? Is this going to end up as a news story that says 'it all started with a pointless argument' or something?"

(Yes! That's exactly what is going to happen!)

Komoe continued to think.

"Ah, you don't believe me." Index's shoulders rose and fell as she breathed heavily. "These have the bare minimum of components required to make up a church: so, they are a church in the form of clothes. The way the cloth is woven, the way the threads are sewn, the way the embroideries decorate it… It's all calculated. A knife won't even put a scratch on it."

"Yeah, right. What kind of idiot would just agree to stab you? He'd have to be an unprecedented kind of juvenile criminal."

"Will you ever stop mocking me? It turns aside or absorbs any attack, be it physical or magical. I told you I got caught on your balcony after getting shot, right? Well, I would have a giant hole in me if it wasn't for the Walking Church. Do you understand now?"

(Shut up, idiot.)

Suffice to say, Index was currently dreading what was to come.

Kamijou's appreciation gauge toward Index rapidly dropped and he stared at her clothes with scorn.

"…Hmm. So if that really is a supernatural power, would it be torn to pieces if I touched it with my right hand?"

"Yes, but only if your power is real. Heh heh heh."

Everyone widened their eyes as the conversation finally caught up to them, fully realizing what was about to happen.

"Doesn't his hand-...!?"

Kanzaki said as she began to a voice a complaint.

"Perfect!" shouted Kamijou as he grabbed Index's shoulder.

But sadly, she was too late.

As if he had grabbed a cloud, it strangely felt like the impact was absorbed by a soft sponge.

"Wait… huh?"

Kamijou cooled his head and thought.

What if everything Index was saying was true, as unlikely as that was, and this Walking Church really was sewn together with supernatural power?

Would negating that supernatural power truly rip her clothes to pieces?

"Huuuuuuuuuuuhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!?"

"Yes! I knew it! My pervert senses have never failed me before! Rip it off! Rip it off! Rip it off! Rip it off! Rip it off!"

Aogami continued to chant. And Fukiyose was too filled with dread to stop the stupidity. Actually, everyone was filled with dread at was about to happen to the poor girl.

"So he can he forceful too? Nice."

Mugino said with a satisfied gleam in her eye.

"Mugino, super why!?"

Kamijou reflexively yelled out at the sudden premonition he had that he was about to suddenly go up a few steps on the stairway to adulthood. But…

Many did not know how they felt about the boy's phrasing just now.

…

…

…?

"Ehhhhhhh? ...Huh?"

Nothing happened. Nothing happened at all.

(Oh, jeez, don't make me worry like that.)

"Thank god... I would have had to kill that ape he did something like that."

Shirai said in a relieved tone.

A collective sigh of relief was heard. However, it seems... the worries about a girl's modesty being stolen from her wasn't the only concern some people were having.

With her cheeks a flame, Shokuhou was bold enough to form the thought that was gnawing deep within her. It was something that every girl would think about from time to time in regards to their significant other.

(I...want to be Touma's first.)

Shokuhou grew even more red.

(A-as I thought, this line of thinking ability is r-really embarrassing...!)

...

"But... my pervert senses... they were tingling..."

Aogami eyes looked hollow in despair.

"Its alright man... you'll get'em next time."

Tsuchimikado put a hand on his friend's shoulder in comfort.

...

However, Index was still nervous. And this left Othinus was even more confused, and a tad bit suspicious.

Kamijou just could not stand it.

"See? What was all this about your Imagine Breaker? Nothing at all happened. Heh heh."

Index put her hands on her hips and puffed her small chest in pride.

Then the chibi goddess widened her eyes.

(D-dont tell me... it was a delayed effe-)

But in the next instant, her clothes fell straight down like a gift's ribbon.

The threads sewing her nun's habit together had cleanly come apart, turning it all into mere pieces of cloth.

The hat-like, one-piece hood must have been an isolated item, because it alone remained. Having only her head covered made it seem all the more painful.

The girl froze, still with her hands on her hips and her small chest puffed out in pride.

To sum it up, she was completely nude.

"Yes! Score!"

"Oh no you don't!!!"

The next actions happened so fast, you would think that everyone had abilities equivalent to super speed.

A large breasted black haired girl pulled out all the stops and delivered two fatal punches that impacted simultaneously into the blonde and blue haired boy's faces

"Gahhhh!!!"

"Gahhhh!!!"

"Don't look you perverts!!!"

Komoe-sensei, the responsible adult that she was, instantly ran over to the monitor and put herself in front of it, arms outstretched.

Huh... she just barely covered the while thing, cute.

Back to the (lucky lechers?), they were left dazed by the atta- oh wait... nope. They were out cold. Damn.

..

"I understand that you don't want me to look Takitsubou, but uh..."

The AIM Stalker girl was currently shielding her boyfriend's eyes while engaging in a highly inappropriate type of carry. A piggy back carry... but from the front.

"Isn't this position way more suggestive!?!?"

The boy shouted as his voiced cracked in embarrassment.

"Not looking isn't good enough. I-I want you to only think of me as well... and no one else."

Hamazura gawked silently, swearing he had to have died and gone to heaven.

"I-I guarantee you, that will never be a problem."

...

"Shield your eyes, says Misaka Misaka as she goes up to... huh?"

Accelerator had his eyes closed as soon as he realized what was about to happen.

Like he needed to see some random girl in her birthday suit. And their was this other feeling, a small part inside of him that told him it was the right thing to do to look away.

He scoffed, as he mocked his thought.

(Yeah right, like I've got even an ounce of chivalry in me...)

"Tch! If you looked then this Misaka would have all the blackmail she could ask for!"

Worst grumbled under her breath.

"Oi...I heard that brat...!"

...

With Styil... oh wow.

(N-no... I'm not ready for that...)

He had his eyes firmly closed with his hands over them like it was life or death. However, between his hands you could see the colors of his face and hair blending perfectly.

The 15 year old kid behind the mask showed himself. Even the flame hunter of Neccesarious wasn't exempt from the evil wiles of hormones.

...

"Not looking at a women when she's in state of undress is the epitome of guts!!!"

Sogita said while facing his body the complete other direction.

...

Oh... and Index was crouched down, holding herself with her arms.

(T-touma...your the worst...)

Their was also a small figure on her shoulder giving her hesitant pats on said shoulder.

And most surprising of all... two level fives were having similar thoughts.

(H-his first... was taken just like that...)

A strange amount of depression filled Mental out and Railgun at that realization, as embarrasing as such a realization was.

Apparently, the girl naming herself Index had a habit of biting people when angered.

"Oww… You bit me all over. What are you, a camp mosquito?"

"…"

He received no response.

"So that's what she did in retaliation... seems fair to me."

Birdway said in nonchalance.

"I-I more surprised t-that Kamijou can ask something so casual after something like that..."

Itsuwa said meekly.

Index was naked and wrapped in a blanket. She sat with her legs bent back to the sides while attempting, futilely, to return her clothes to their original form by applying safety pins into the pieces of the nun's habit.

The sound effect 'dohhn' seemed to dominate the room.

"…Um, princess? This may be presumptuous of me, but I have a button-down shirt and pants you can wear."

"…"

"Hahahaha! He sure changed his tune fast."

Mugino laughed at the boy's words.

Kinuhata, was staring at the screen with mixed thoughts.

(How can he talk to her normally after something that super embarrassing and awkward happening!?)

She stared at him with snake-like eyes.

"…Um, princess?"

(What kind of character is this she's playing?)

"…What?" she replied when he called out once more.

"I was completely the one at fault there."

"Ha ha ha... w-well, at least Kamijou is taking responsibility, right?"

Saten said with a dry laugh.

Her friends froze. Wrong choice of words Saten.

(R-responsibility!?)

Their prepubescent minds took a different path than what the girl was implying. Sans Uiharu though, she was still in stunned silence because of what she just witnessed.

(is...?)

Uiharu gained a slightly horrified look to her...

(Is Kamijou a philanderer!?)

The only response he received was an alarm clock flying at him.

"Ee!" Kamijou shrieked just as a giant pillow was thrown as well.

To make matters ever more ridiculous, a video game system and small radio came his way as well.

"How can you talk to me so normally after something like that!?"

The girl voiced the one thought everyone was thinking, and man did they wonder how...

Was the boy not a teenager with hormones? Was he not someone that found being around the opposite sex awkward and embarrassing?

Faced with these questions, a certain conclusion was further cemented in a certain flower head's mind. And it couldn't have been farther from the truth.

Uiharu looked at the boy on the screen, and then at her friends, and then back to the boy.

(Oh no...)

Sorry Kamijou. For all intents and purposes, the girl known as Uiharu Kazari has labeled you a philandering pervert. iI the boy were here, he'd surely be crying. Such misfortune.

"Ahh, no! It was quite the life-changing event for this old man as well. But that's youth for you!"

"You're making fun of me… Uuuuuuuuhhhhhh!"

"Hah... wrong answer Kamijou..."

Himegami said with a sigh. Oh... and it seems that idiots one and two were walking up.

"Okay... I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Don't bite that rented video like a handkerchief, you idiot!"

Kamijou Touma bowed down to the ground with both his hands straight forward like it was a part of some kind of joke.

Deep down, Kamijou felt like a grip was crushing his heart after having seen a girl naked for the first time.

However, Kamijou Touma was not the type to show it.

…Or so he had thought, but he would have been quite surprised at what he saw had he looked in a mirror.

"That grip crushing his heart... it had better be guilt..."

Shirai said with a cold voice.

"Finished."

While triumphantly blowing air from her nose, Index spread out the pure white nun's habit that had somehow regained its original form from that hellish do-it-yourself job.

Dozens of safety pins glittered across the nun's habit.

"Huh... so that's... where the... pins came... fro...m..."

A completely conscious Tsuchimikado said this...with no brain damage whatsoever.

"…(sweat)"

"Um, are you going to wear that?"

"…(silence)"

"You're going to wear that iron maiden?"

"…(tears)"

"In Japanese, we call it a bed of needles."

"…Uuuuuuhhhhhh!"

"I get it!" Kamijou apologized as he head-butted the floor with all his might.

"Boss, you have no delicacy at all..."

Hamazura said with a wry grin.

"Kamijou-chan! You should know better to treat than to treat a lady like that!"

Komoe said indignantly, which was quite cute actually.

Meanwhile, Index stared at him like a bullied child and was about to bite through the television's power cord. Was she a naughty cat?

"I'll wear it! I'm a nun!"

Though Kamijou was unsure whether that made sense or not, Index began to change by squirming inside the blanket wrapped around her, much like a caterpillar. Her head was the only thing visible and was as red as a bomb.

"Ahh, this reminds me of when we had to change at school for swimming."

"…Why are you looking at me? At least look the other way."

"What does it matter? Compared to what happened before, just changing isn't all that arousing."

"This bastard!!! How the hell can he say that with a straight face and not have any perverted thoughts or intentions!? We can even hear his thoughts for crying out loud!"

Aogami, also conscious now, replied in indignation.

Many people, females especially, agreed with him. Although a part of them found it sweet that the boy didn't only see girls around for those reasons.

However...

(C-could it be that he has so much experience... that nothing fazes him any more!?!?)

Uiharu continued to misunderstand.

"…"

Index suddenly stopped moving, but since Kamijou did not seem to notice, she gave up and started once more inside the blanket. She was so focused on what was going on inside that she did not notice when her hood-like hat slipped off of her head.

The room took an awkward atmosphere like the inside of a silent elevator.

Kamijou's mind began to flee from reality, but the term "supplementary lessons" floated in.

"Wah! That's right! I have supplementary lessons!" Kamijou glanced at the clock on his cell phone. "Um… I have to go to school, what are you going to do? If you're going to stay here, I can give you a key."

"And like a pro... he just changed the subject... nice."

Lessar said with a smile.

The option of simply kicking her out had disappeared from his mind. Since Index's nun's habit, the Walking Church, had reacted to Imagine Breaker, she clearly had some connection to the supernatural. That meant that not everything she had been telling him was a lie.

It was possible that she had really fallen from the roof because she was chased by magicians. It was possible that she really would have to continue playing a deadly game of tag.

It was possible that wizards from a picture book or something similarly crazy really were running amok in that city of science where established theories of espers and psychics existed.

And, even if those were false, he did not want to just abandon Index.

With the embarrassment of the prior events over and done with, Index found herself warmed at the boy's thoughts.

"Touma..."

"…That's okay. I'll leave."

However, Index stood straight up and made a dramatic announcement. She then slipped past Kamijou's side like a ghost and showed no sign of noticing that her hood had fallen from her head. But, if he tried to pick it up, it would likely fall to pieces.

"Huh? You mean... you didn't ask for his help...?"

Mikoto asked. In return, the girl just have her a sad smile in response.

"Yeah... but he didn't just leave it at that."

Mikoto processed the girl's words, and let her expression sink in. Then she smiled.

"Yeah... same here."

"U-umm…"

"Hm? No, it's not that." Index turned around. "If I stay, they'll likely come here. You don't want your room blown up, do you?"

That smoothly delivered response left him speechless.

With the distraction over, Kanzaki and Stiyl once again realized the horrible position they put this girl in. The fear and terror she must have felt.

What the boy said was right. In the end, they were just selfish. It was all about their suffering and problems... while completely ignoring the girl who was wandering scared, alone, and afraid in the dark.

(And we would have continued to hunt her down. We would have continued to torture her. So much so that maybe one day... she would have just broke.)

Kanzaki shook her head as she tried to force the bad thoughts away.

(No... that's not what happened. Because... he got involved... and he saved her life, and gave her the brightest smile we have ever seen on her.)

The saint smiled.

(Thank you Kamijou...)

As Index slowly exited the front door, Kamijou frantically ran after her. He wanted to do something, so he checked his wallet and found he had only 320 yen left. He ran after Index to give her what little he had, but his small toe struck the door frame at the speed of sound as he tried to exit the front door.

"Bh… myah! Myaahhh!"

As Kamijou held his foot and let out that strange cry, Index turned around in shock. As Kamijou writhed around in great pain, his cell phone fell from his pocket. The moment he realized it, the LCD screen struck the hard floor and he heard the crack of a fatal blow.

"Uuuuhhhh! S-such misfortune."

Completely forgetting about the boy's misfortune, most winced at the scene of true unluckiness.

"I'd say that was clumsiness, not misfortune," said Index with a slight smile. "But if this Imagine Breaker is real, it may be inevitable."

"…What... do you mean?"

"This is related to the world of magic, so I doubt you'll believe me," said Index with a giggle. "But if the divine protection of God and the red string of fate actually exist, then wouldn't your right hand negate all of those?" Index shook her safety pin-covered nun's habit and added, "The power of this Walking Church was a blessing of God after all."

"So the reason I can't get a girlfriend..."

Aogami trailed off, his voice seething in rage and despair all at the same time.

"Is because Kami-yan keeps shattering my attempts at wooing with his right haaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnddddddddddddnd!?!?"

The boy collapsed pathetically on the floor with fake tears-no wait... those were real tears streaming down his face. Yikes...

"Wait. What we call fortune and misfortune are just matters of probability and statistics. What you're talking about is completely—…!"

As he said that, Kamijou's finger touched the doorknob and was shocked by static electricity.

"Wha-!?" he cried out as his body twitched reflexively.

The odd way his muscles moved caused a cramp in his right calf.

"~~!"

The agony left him incapacitated for about 600 seconds.

"…Um, sister?"

"Yes?"

"…Please explain."

"Pfft! That timing! It kinda makes you think that whatever causes his misfortune is sentient and does it just to mess with him! Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha!"

Lessar laughed out loud.

"Well... their are some theories on that..."

The voice interjected with a very intriguing comment, but sadly, she just seems to leave it at that.

"There isn't much to explain," said Index as if it were obvious. "If what you said about your right hand is true, then merely having it is enough to be continually negating the power of fortune."

"…Do you mean what I think you mean?"

"Just by touching the air, your right hand is giving you more and more misfortune."

"Gyaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh! S-such misfortuuuuuuuunnnneeeee!" Kamijou did not believe in the occult, but things that were misfortune related matters were different. At any rate, Kamijou was the type of person for whom any venture he took never ended well. It was to the point that he felt that the entire universe conspired against him.

Mikoto felt bad for the boy as he came to this realization that was no doubt extremely depressing. Even if it was based on foreign topics like fortune and misfortune.

(But... If I am to believe in magic, then I guess his hand really is the reason he's so unlucky...)

The girl took a moment to ponder this.

The girl was thinking that the boy didn't ask for this strange power of his, just like she had not asked for her abilities as an electromaster, the strongest one at that.

And when faced with an ability that caused him nothing but misfortune and pain wherever he went, what did he do with it?

He used it to help others.

He didn't curse the world for this unnecessary suffering, cause pain to others just for the fun of it, or even stand by doing nothing.

No. Out of all those options he could have taken, he chose the one that would give him the least amount of self-satisfaction. He would dive headfirst into a situation, use his own hypocritical sense of standards, and demand that there was another way to solve whatever hell someone was facing.

And somehow, someway, that naive foolish idiotic boy who never once thought of what he was going as particularly noteworthy or heroic; that very same boy would shatter all the pain and suffering like it was never a problem in the first place.

And when you asked him why? Why the hell he would put himself through such trouble just for the sake of another person? He gave you the most out of this world response, one that made you think that kindness like that didn't exist anymore.

Mikoto mouthed the words the boy always seems to say.

'Why do I need a reason to save someone...?'

Her cheeks reddened slightly.

(Idiot... how can you be so cool without even being here?)

Meanwhile, a pure white nun gazed upon him with the smile of Virgin Mary. In her eyes was what people called an inviting look.

"Wouldn't the real misfortune be having been born with that power?" The smiling nun brought tears to Kamijou's eyes and he finally realized the conversation had gotten off track.

"W-wait, that's not it! Do you have somewhere to go once you leave? I don't know what situation you're in, but you can hide here if those magicians or whatever are nearby."

"If I stay here, the enemies will come."

"How can you be sure? If you just stay in my room and don't draw any attention to yourself, there shouldn't be a problem."

"That's not true." Index pinched at the chest of her clothes. "This Walking Church functions using magical power. The church seems to call it 'divine power', but it's the same mana. Simply put, the enemy seems to be searching for the magic power in the Walking Church."

"Why do you wear tracking device clothes!?"

"I told you, its defensive power is pope-class, remember? You're right hand tore it to pieces, though."

"…"

"You tore it to pieces, though."

(She said it again...!)

Some thought as they came to realize that this white clad nun was probably still plenty pissed at the spiky haired boy.

"I said I was sorry, so don't look so tearfully. …But, Imagine Breaker destroyed that Walking Church, right? So shouldn't the tracking device-like functionality be gone too?"

"Even if it were, they'll know the Walking Church was destroyed. As I said before, its defensive power is pope-class. Simply put, it's like a fortress. If I were the enemy, I would make an appearance when that fortress was destroyed whatever the reason might be."

"Wait a second. That's all the more reason I can't just let you go. I still don't believe in the occult, but if someone's after you, I can't let you just leave."

Index stared at him blankly. With just that look, she truly, truly seemed like nothing more than a normal girl.

"…Then, will you follow me to the depths of hell?"

Many froze as the atmosphere seemed to change. The girl's seemingly harmless question held an incredible amount of weight to it. And then...

"The title of the memory..."

Kinuhata said with a wistful tone. She then sent a look to the one who had said them, the girl in the room.

Index had a pained expression on her face. As if the words that were spoken by her past self seemed to eat at her more than anybody could ever know.

She smiled. It was such a heartbreaking smile that left Kamijou speechless for an instant. Index had used kind words to implicitly say, "Do not come with me."

"Don't worry. I'm not alone. If I can escape to the church, they will shelter me."

"…Hmm. So where is this church?"

"In London."

"London!? Does this girl plan to walk!?"

Shirai couldn't help but exclaiming in surprise.

"That's a long ways away! How far are you planning to run!?"

"Hm? Oh, don't worry. I think there are a few branches in Japan," She replied as her nun's habit, which looked like the result of a bullied wife, fluttered.

"A church, hm? There might be one in the city."

"Oh, but it can't just be any church. It has to be the British rendition I belong to."

"?"

"Um, there are many kinds of Christianity," said Index with a bitter smile.

"…What happens if you accidentally go to the wrong church?"

"They would turn me away," said Index with the same bitter smile. "The Russian Orthodox Church and the Anglican Church primarily exist within their respective countries. Anglican churches are rare in Japan."

"…"

Things were looking gloomy.

Was it possible Index had tried going to church after church before she collapsed from hunger? How had she felt as she fled and fled while being turned away at each church she went to?

"Don't worry. I just have to keep at it until I find a British church."

"…"

For just an instant, Kamijou thought about the power in his right hand.

"Hey! …If you're ever in any trouble, you can stop by here again."

That was all he could say.

He had the power to kill even God and yet that was all he could say.

Despite the words not being particularly powerful, inspiring, or overflowing with hope like what a hero would say, smiles were brought to many people's faces nonetheless.

It was just a very Kamijou Touma thing to say.

"Sure. I'll stop by if I'm hungry."

Her sunflower-like smile was so perfect that Kamijou could say nothing in response.

Then, a cleaning robot passed by, having gone out of its way to avoid Index.

"Hyah!?"

That perfect smile was blown away in an instant. Index jumped as if she had a cramp in her leg and then tripped backwards. With a horrible sounding thud, her head struck the wall behind her.

"Wha!"

Everyone shouted at surprise at the girl's sudden reaction.

"! S-some weird thing just showed up like it's nothing!"

Index had tears in her eyes, but completely forgot to even hold the back of her head as she shouted out.

"Don't point at it and call it weird. It's just a cleaning robot."

Index pulled on the hood over her head, trying to cover the shame and embarrassment on her face. And to make matters worse...

"Pfffttttttt!"

"Mou! Short hair...!

Mikoto couldn't help but laugh at the girl's phobia of technology.

Kamijou sighed.

Index nodded, and then brought a hand up to the back of her head where she had hit the wall.

"Hyah!? H-huh? My hood is gone!?"

"Oh, you finally noticed? It fell off earlier."

"Hyah?"

By "earlier", Kamijou had meant when she was changing in the blanket, but Index seemed to mistake it for when she had tripped backwards in shock because of the cleaning robot. She started looking around on the floor and a question mark appeared over her head.

"Oh, I know! That electric Agathion!"

Still mistaken, she made a dash after the cleaning robot and disappeared around a corner of the hallway.

"…Ahh, what's going on?"

"And she's gone, says Misaka as she starts to think that this girl is very weird..."

That comment only got her a few disbelieving stares.

Kamijou looked past the door to his room where Index's hood was and then down the passageway. Index was nowhere to be seen. There had been no farewell, tearful or otherwise.

(From the looks of her, I get the feeling she'll live on even if the world is destroyed.)

He had no proof of it, but that nevertheless was the thought he had.

(She does have that vibe to her doesn't she...?)

Styil thought to himself, as he reminisced about his past with the bright and cheerful girl. Eventually, he realized he was smiling, and quickly changed his expression.

He didn't deserve to smile happily while thinking about her. Not when what he's about to do to her. What they continued to do to her before that guy stopped them.

---

"Okay, I have a handout for you. Follow along while we go through this supplementary lesson."

"What's an elementary school kid doing in a high school?"

Mugino asked with a mollified expression, one that someone would find hilarious if they knew what she was like.

Someone answered her, albeit meekly.

"Um... Mugino..."

Hamazura addressed the girl as he pointed hesitantly across the room. Right to a pink haired girl that resembled the one on the screen. One that was beginning to form small tears in her eyes.

Himegami and Fukiyose wasted no time in going to the upset teacher. Fukiyose was even brave enough to send a glare Mugino's way.

"...!"

L-lucklily, before anything non PG could happen, someone took their chance to interrupt.

"That, Miss I-remain-to-be-conquered-by-Kami-yan, is our favorite loli teacher. Miss Tsukoyome Komoe!!!"

Tsuchimikado grandly announced to the now further glaring girl, and everyone who didn't know her.

The boy with the shades was correct in assuming that most people here didn't know her. But that didn't neccesarily mean that this person wasn't familiar to them at all.

The ones who were familiar with the pink haired female were grimacing at her cute image on the screen, and back to the presence of the girl in the room. It was not because they had some prior grudge against the endearing educator, nor was it because they had heard bad things about her name. No.

It was because this person on the screen, someone's whose cute image radiated happiness and kindness, was the very same person who had taken Kamijou Touma's life amid those fluctuating and insufferable worlds that were created by the one who tormented him.

But then... they said to themselves, it wasn't herfault. This pink haired child/woman didn't do anything wrong. Neither did the billions of other people that the boy knew who wronged him greatly while all under the influence of that Magic God.

Their minds were telling them that this person was a caring adult that treated their students with the respect and attention they deserved. But their hearts... were telling them to be wary, because this person had once hurt someone that they cared for deeply.

Either way, that gnawing sensation building up in their hearts wouldn't go away.

...

Komoe could feel them. The stares that were judging her. The ones that said she did something bad and she deserved to be punished for doing such a despicable act. And the worse part was, Tsukoyome Komoe knew why she was getting such treatment. In fact, if someone else was put in a similar circumstance, she would probably act in the same way, unconscious or not.

And the reason she knew, was because her student had told her everything, leaving nothing out. She had told her of that first world he was apart of. The one where the boy known as Kamijou touma was seen as an absolute evil.

She knew that the boy was shot at by two people that swore an oath to protect and serve.

She knew that the boy had to live through the terrifying experience of having a myriad of missiles rain down on him, in an attempt to eradicate evil.

She knew that the boy was stabbed and attacked by two classmates, with nothing but hate in their eyes.

And then... and then...

"A-and then I killed him..."

The woman's voice broke. The tears that were slightly comedic were gone now. But what took their place was something much more tragic, much more genuine, much more... painful.

Komoe was crying. She was crying because that boy had to go though a world where his teacher, someone who is supposed to raise and nurture him; had... killed him.

And that feeling... was absolutely unbearable for the little teacher.

Petite hands moved to her eyes in an attempt to dispel the tears, but it had no effect. She could only let out what she was feeling from the deaths of her heart.

"T-t-touma-chan! I-I'm so sorry...!"

She bawled.

Aogami, Tsuchimikado, Himegami, Fukiyose, and everyone in the room all wore distraught expressions in the face of the hot tears the woman was shedding. But those expressions quickly turned to rage, hatred, and many other emotions not suited for kids their age.

They wanted someone to blame. They wanted someone to curse at. But they knew that they couldn't... because that person wasn't here. The blonde haired witch that cause such strife and greif was nowhere to be found...

...

"..."

Othinus was trembling. As much as she hated to admit it, she felt... guilty. And not just for putting that boy in a situation where such a horrid thing occurred. She felt... regret that a person as nice as Komoe was informed that she had killed the boy she was supposed to look after.

"...!?"

While thinking like this, the girl blinked in surprise.

(Wow... it actually hurts...)

The chibi goddess said as she gripped her heart, if she even had one.

(So this is... being human...)

And so, with the emotions of everyone still in flux, everyone continued to watch the scene with the memories of the boy's face in the back of their heads. The one that screamed of pain and betrayal.

Even after spending an entire term in that class, Kamijou still could not believe it.

The homeroom teacher of Year 1 Class 7, Tsukuyomi Komoe, was a ridiculous teacher who was so short that only her head could be seen when she stood behind her desk.

That little girl teacher was one of the school's seven mysteries: at 135 cm tall, there was a legend saying she was refused a roller coaster ride due to safety concerns and looked to the world like a 12 year old who should be carrying a soprano recorder with a yellow hard hat and a red elementary school backpack.

(L-lies and slander!)

The short woman couldn't help but think, the outrageous rumors in regards to her reputation somewhat snapping her out of her earlier depression.

"I won't stop you from talking amongst yourselves, but you need to listen to what I say. I put a lot of effort into making a quiz, so if you do poorly on it, you will be punished with the See Through lesson."

"Sensei, isn't that where you play poker with a blindfold on!? That's part of the Curriculum for Clairvoyance! I've heard you can't leave until you win 10 times in a row despite not being able to see your cards, so wouldn't we just be stuck here until morning!?" protested Kamijou Touma.

"Oh, but Kamijou-chan, you don't have enough development credits, so you'll be doing the See Through lesson regardless."

"Ugh," Kamijou was at a loss of words when faced with the salesman smile of a salaryman teacher.

"Ouch...thats why I quit school."

Hamazura couldn't help but say.

"You mean that's why you super got kicked out of school."

"That was not necessary Kinuhata..."

Hamazura looked like he was betrayed. The 'Et tu Brute...?' clearly adorned on his face.

"…Mhh. I see. Komoe-chan finds you so cute she just can't help herself, Kami-yan," said the blue-haired, ear-pierced male class representative who was sitting next to Kamijou.

"…Do you sense malice coming from that teacher's back as she enjoyably stretches up to reach the blackboard?"

"What? What's wrong with having such a cute teacher scold you for failing a quiz? Getting physically abused by a little kid like that gets you a ton of experience points, Kami-yan."

"I knew you were a lolicon, but you're a masochist, too!? You really are hopeless!"

"Ah hah! It's not that I like lolis! It's that I also like lolis!"

Kamijou almost shouted out "You're omnivorous!?", but he was interrupted.

(Their is so many things wrong with this guy I don't even know where to begin...)

Many couldn't help but think as they risked glance at the blue haired pervert who was nodding to himself with a sure expression on his face.

"You two over there! If you say a single word more, you'll be stuck with Columbus' Egg."

Just as one would expect, Columbus' Egg involved standing a raw egg upside down on a desk without anything supporting it. Those specializing in Psychokinesis could keep the egg from falling when they worked to the point of the blood vessels in their brain almost bursting. As with the previous example, you would be stuck there until morning if you could not do it.

Kamijou and Aogami Pierce stared at Tsukuyomi Komoe while forgetting to breathe.

"Am I clear?"

Her smile was quite frightening.

While Komoe-sensei loved being called "cute", she became incredibly irate when called "small".

However, she did not seem to mind being looked down on by the students. Part of it was just something inevitable within Academy City. The city was a veritable Neverland where over 80% of the population was students. The opposition to salaryman teachers was harsh even compared to a normal school, and more importantly, the "strength" of a student was based on both their academic ability and their power.

The teachers were the ones that developed the students, but the teachers themselves had no powers. Some, like the PE teachers and guidance counselors, seemed like they were from foreign units because they trained Level 3 monsters with their own fists. However, it would be cruel to expect that from a chemistry teacher like Komoe.

"…Hey, Kami-yan."

"What?"

"Would it turn you on to get lectured by Komoe-sensei?"

(H-huh!? Kamijou-chan doesn't see me like that, surely!)

Komoe's face turned bright red at such a question.

Many widened their eyes in shock at the bluntness of the question. But, as inappropriate as it was, the answer to the question did have them curious.

"Was the Legal Loli strategy the sure fire win from the start!?"

Lessar said in surprise, and then a perverted grin blossomed on her face.

"I should have an elementary school uniform somewhere..."

The girl muttered under her breath, with no on hearing-

(Why the hell does she even have one!?)

Birdway couldn't help but think.

"I'm not you! Just shut up already, idiot! If we have to play with a raw egg even though we don't have Psychokinesis, we'll be spending our entire summer vacation here! If you get it, shut that fake Kansai dialect mouth of yours!"

"Fake… D-D-D-D-D-Don't call it fake! I'm really from Osaka!"

Lessar... oh, and Aogami too. They both wilted im disappointment simultaneously. Even Komoe was somewhat downtrodden at the boy's refusal to directly answer the question

"Shut up. I know you're from a rice region. I'm in a bad mood, so don't make me play the straight man right now."

"I-I-I'm not from a rice region! Ah. A-ahhh! I sure do love takoyaki."

"Stop trying to force yourself into the Kansai role! Are you going to bring takoyaki for lunch just to fill this role?"

"What are you talking about? It's not like someone from Osaka eats only takoyaki, right?"

"…"

"Right? I think that's right… no, wait. But… but yeah… but, huh? Which is it?"

"You're falling out of character, Mr. Fake Kansai," said Kamijou before sighing and looking out the window.

"He he he! That school looks like fun. I wanna go to the saviour's school says Misaka Misaka as she tugs on your sleeve in a way to get you to indulge her whim."

"Absolutely not."

Accelerator instantly denied the poor girl.

(The last thing I need is for blue hair perv and glasses perv scarring her for life...)

He felt like he should be by Index's side rather than dealing with that pointless supplementary lesson.

Index perked up at that. The girl had been rather quiet, as she was no doubt fearing what was to come. However, she had not expected her name to come up. After all, she was under the impression that the boy had forgotten about her, until they were reunited by chance of course.

The Walking Church nun's habit she wore had indeed reacted to Kamijou's right hand, although, "reacted" was perhaps an understatement. But, that did not mean he had to believe. Most likely, the majority of what Index had said was a lie, and even if it were not, she may have just mistaken some natural phenomenon as the occult.

Even so…

(I guess the fish that gets away always seems huge.)

Kamijou sighed again. If the alternative was being stuck at a desk in that sauna-like classroom with no air conditioning, charging into a fantasy of swords and magic may have been better. And he even had a cute, though difficult to say beautiful, heroine to go with it.

The nun's mouth flapped open in embarrassment at what the boy was indirectly thinking about her appearance. The girl in her was flattered by such a compliment from someone who means a lot to her. However...

(T-t-touma! I-I'm a nun of the church. Y-you can't be calling me gorgeous like that!)

Oh dear... it seems like Index was lost in her imagination. Is this how all prepubescent girls act?

"…"

Kamijou recalled the hood Index had forgotten in his room.

In the end, he had not returned did not see it as having been unable to return it. Even if Index had disappeared, he would likely have found her if he had seriously started looking for her. And even if he had not, he could still go out and run around the city looking for her with the hood in one hand.

When he thought about it, he realized he had wanted some kind of connection. He had felt that she might come back to get it someday.

Because, that white girl had shown him such a perfect smile…

He felt like she would disappear like an illusion if he did not leave some kind of connection.

He was afraid.

Many widened their eyes as the boy so readily admitted it.

Kamijou Touma was afraid. He was afraid of losing the once in a lifetime chance meeting that he shared with that mysterious girl. This was nothing special on it's own. In fact, you could say it would be the most normal feelings that someone would have. It was... undoubtedly human.

And that's what matters. Because... despite the boy's actions, ideals, thoughts, words, image, appearance...all of the things that many people have idolized, appreciated, and adored about him...in the end...

He was just human.

(While I don't appreciate you alluring to another girl, you should show that selfish ability side of you more often, my prince...)

Shokuhou thought with a loving smile.

(…Oh, so that's it.)

After going through those somewhat poetic thoughts, Kamijou finally realized something. When it came down to it, he did not hate the girl who was caught on his balcony. He had liked her enough that the thought of never seeing her again left him with a slight twinge of regret.

"…Ah, damn it."

He clicked his tongue. With how heavily she weighed on his mind, he wished he had stopped her from leaving.

"Touma..."

The girl let out softly at the boy's honest thoughts, the ones she never new about.

Index was touched. She had never thought that their encounter meant so much to him. And because of this, she couldn't deny the warm feeling that was rising in her heart while thinking of it.

(Come to think of it, what was it with those 103,000 grimoires that she mentioned?)

Index had said that the group, a magic cabal (something like a corporation?), after her seemed to be pursuing her because they wanted those 103,000 grimoires. And apparently, Index had been fleeing with those 103,000 grimoires in her possession.

It was neither a key nor a map to the place where all those books were stored.

When Kamijou had asked where all those books were, she had simply said, "Right here." However, as far as Kamijou could see, she did not have a single book. Even if she did, Kamijou's room was not large enough to house 100,000 books.

"…What was that all about?"

Kamijou's question was on some other people's minds as well. However, no matter what they thought of, they couldn't wrap their heads around where these special 'grimiores' were.

(If they're not on her, could she just be holding the key to their location or something, just like he was thinking?)

Saten scratch her her head, clearly confounded.

Kamijou tilted his head to the side in puzzlement. Since Index's Walking Church had reacted to Imagine Breaker, her words were not complete delusion. However…

"Sensei? Kamijou-kun's staring out the window to look at the girls' tennis team's fluttery skirts."

(Wha!?)

The comment threw them for a loop.

Aogami Pierce's forced Kansai dialect sent Kamijou's focus in an about-face to the classroom.

"…"

Komoe-sensei fell silent.

She had seemed to go through shock because 'that' Kamijou Touma-kun had not been focused on the lesson. She had the look of a 12 year old who had just found out the truth about Santa Claus.

Just as that thought reached his mind, Kamijou Touma was pierced by the hostile gazes of his classmates who wished to protect the human rights of that "child".

While it was called a supplementary lesson, they had been stuck there until the time when all students were supposed to have left school.

"…Such misfortune," Kamijou muttered as he gazed at a wind turbine's three propellers glittering in the sunset.

Everyone couldn't help but blanch at the blue haired boy's poorly timed comment.

"Oh! I remember that! Hahh... good times..."

Aogami sighed contently.

"Did you really have to say that? Your just making Kamijou's life harder."

It was Fukiyose who said this.

"Eh?"

Aogami just looked at the girl in stunned silence.

"F-fukiyose? Surely your not forgetting who it was who punched Kami-yan in the stomach when you found out about it, right? Their no way you would do something like that, huh Fukiyose-chan?"

The girl's expression instantly changed to that of someone who had their fanfiction account exposed and read to their class.

[A/N:...it was a sad day...that's all I'm saying.]

Well, that certainly shut her up...

---

Any kind of nightlife was forbidden, so the last bus and train in Academy City were set to leave once the students were out of school.

Kamijou missed the last bus, so he was trudging along through the scorching shopping district that seemed to go on forever.

A security robot passed by him as he did. It was also a drum on wheels and it functioned as something like a walking security camera. They were originally improved versions of robotic dogs, but children would gather around them and block their way. For that simple reason, the work robots were converted into drum container shapes.

"Ah, there you are, you bastard! Wait up… wait! You! I'm talking to you! Stop!"

"Isn't that... Misaka's...?"

Shirai and Uiharu inquired with dry smiles of exasperation. Mikoto's form just seemed to freeze as she starts to remember her interaction with the boy.

Then...

"Doesn't one of the Level 5's of Academy City have anything better to do than to chase Kamijou around all day?"

Kanzaki asked in honest confusion.

STAB*

It looks like Mikoto took a direct hit. It was super effective.

The summer heat had done Kamijou in and he just stared at the slowly moving security robot. He thought about how Index had run off after a cleaning robot and, finally, realized that a voice was calling him.

He turned around to figure out what was going on.

She was a middle school-aged girl with shoulder-length brown hair that glowed a flame-red in the sunset but her face was dyed even redder. She wore a gray pleated skirt, a short sleeve blouse, and a summer sweater… At that point, he suddenly realized who she was.

"…Oh, it's you again, Biri Biri middle schooler."

"Wow Kamijou... to blatantly make fun of the 3rd ranked Level 5... someone who can incinerate you with a thought..."

Sogita trailed off in overwhelming excitement as he began to tremble with his fists clenched.

"So much guuuuuuuttttttssssssss!"

"Don't call me Biri Biri! I have a name! It's Misaka Mikoto! Why don't you learn it already!? You've been calling me Biri Biri since we first met!"

(Since we first met…?) Kamijou thought back. (Oh, right.)

When they first met, she had been surrounded by delinquents just like the other day. As the children approached her, he had thought that they were after her wallet and stepped forward in an Urashima Tarou-esque move.

"Wow Misaka, you should have told me he did something so romantic!"

Uiharu excitedly says, stars in her eyes.

"R-romantic!? Well I guess it was..."

The girl trailed off, remembering the encounter.

However, for some reason, the girl was the one that became irritated, saying, "Shut up! Don't get in the way of other people's fights! Biri Biri!" Kamijou had of course blocked her Biri Biri with his right hand and she had responded with, "Huh? Why didn't that work? Then what about this? Huh?" One thing had led to another, and things had ended up in their current relationship.

"Our relationship us more than that...!"

Mikoto said indignantly, then her cheeks reddened as she began sputtering.

"I-I mean we don't have a relationship at all. That guy and I are... um... just f-friends..."

The red faced girl said this with a no small amount of difficulty. The girl's around her, particularly the honey blonde haired girl, were irate with her maiden like face.

(My prince attracts so many to him, hahh...)

She dejectedly sighed. Then her mood brightened slightly.

(Well, I guess that just adds to his charm ability...)

(A BiriBiri Middle Schooler really wasn't who I had in mind when I said I wanted to meet someone nice...)

"Ooh... even by my standards, that was a low blow..."

Aogami said while staring at the shell shocked electromaster.

"What's with the distant look in your eyes?"

Kamijou was exhausted from the supplementary lesson and he decided not to give much thought in how to deal with the Biri Biri girl.

"The girl staring at Kamijou's face with a stunned expression is the Railgun girl from yesterday. She's so frustrated over losing a single fight that she has come back to Kamijou again and again to challenge him to rematches."

"--"

"…Who's that explanation for?"

"She's strong-willed and hates to lose, but is actually quite a lonely person and is in charge of taking care of the class pet."

"Don't tack strange things to the setting!"

"--"

A light chuckle comes from beside Mikoto.

"Well, he's not entirely off base with that description Misaka..."

Mikoto looks at her friend in mock betrayal.

"Saten!?"

The girl, Misaka Mikoto, flailed her arms around and all focus on the street was drawn to her.

"So what do you want, Biri Biri? Actually, why are you wearing your uniform during summer vacation? Do you have supplementary lessons?"

"Gh… Sh-Shut up."

"Were you worried about the class bunny?"

"I told you to stop with the animal stuff! Also, today I'm going to make you twitch like frog legs with electrodes attached! So, get your will and inheritance in order!"

"I don't think so."

"Why not!?"

"Because, I'm not in charge of my class' pet."

"Why you… Quit making fun of me!"

"I'm starting to think..."

Hamazura started to say, a strange look of realization adorning his face.

"That the boss just reaps what he sows most of the time. I mean... who in their right mind would openly mock a Level 5...?"

Hamazura says, not so subtley casting a glance at the one next to him.

(Yeah... you'd have to be all sorts of suicidal to piss this monster off.)

"You wanna share what your thinking, Haaaaammmmaaaazzzzuuurrrraaaaa...!"

Mugino activated 'SEVERE PTSD'. It scared the boy shitless.

...

Mikoto was thinking on what the blonde haired boy had alluded to.

It was crazy and suicidal how Kamijou Touma treats her. She is someone with power similar to a nuclear weapon, someone that would have anyone else scared. Regardless of her friendly personality, that kind of piece of information would be more than enough to drive most people away from her. In fact, that generally went for all the other Level 5's as well.

But he didn't. He never treated her as a monster or demon. He was not even one of the people who put her on a pedestal to be praised. He did none of that.

He just treated her... as regular girl. When he saw her, he didn't see the Railgun, one of the most powerful people in this city. He saw Misaka Mikoto, the fourteen year old girl.

And for any other person, they would feel disrespected by such actions. But for Mikoto...

That was the most welcome feeling in the world for her.

(W-what's this warm cozy feeling...?)

Mikoto thought as she put a hand tentatively over her hammering heart.

The middle school girl stomped down on the tiles of the path.

At that exact moment, a tremendous noise came from the cell phones of the people walking along the area. Additionally, the cable broadcast in the shopping district cut out and a horrible noise came from the security robot.

The crackling sound of static electricity came from the middle school girl's hair. That Level 5 girl, who used a Railgun with nothing but her own body, smiled such that her canines were bared like a beast's.

"Hmph. How was that? Did that change your cowardly mind? …Mgh!"

In a frantic attempt to cover her mouth, Kamijou's hand covered Misaka Mikoto's entire composed face.

Multiple females felt severe pangs of discomfort as the boy brought his hands to the girl's mouth.

"I-is this what the tsundere is truly capable of!? Nice move Sparky..."

Lessar asked in stunned shock.

(Don't praise me for something that was never my intention!!!)

Mikoto was crying in embarrassment and shame as her actions were being misunderstood.

"Sh-Shut up. Please just shut your mouth! Everyone's cell phones were fried and they're looking none too pleased! If they find out it was us, they'll make us pay, and I have no idea how much that cable broadcast costs!"

Due to his recent encounter with that silver-haired nun girl, Kamijou prayed with all his might to the God whom Kamijou normally only thought of around Christmas.

His prayers must have made their way to heaven, because no one approached Kamijou and Mikoto.

(Thank goodness.)

Kamijou gave a sigh of relief… as he continued to suffocate Mikoto.

"H-how can that guy just do that so casually to girls...?"

Fukiyose asked in irritation.

"That's what I'm saying!? It looks unintentional, but maybe that's what he wants you to think...!"

Aogami cleverly retorts.

"Kamijou is denser than any protagonist that I know of..."

Himegami added her input.

"Message, message. Error No. 100231-YF. Offensive electromagnetic waves in violation of radio laws detected. System malfunction detected. As this is possible cyber terrorism, avoid using electronics."

"Ah... looks like they super pissed of the security robots..."

Kinuhata commented.

Imagine Breaker and Railgun hesitantly turned around.

A drum container was on its side on the footpath spewing smoke as it spoke to itself nonsensically.

In the next instant, the security robot began sounding a high-pitched alarm.

Naturally, they ran away.

They entered a back alley, kicked over a dirty plastic bucket, and scared off a black cat as they continued running.

(Come to think of it, I didn't do anything wrong. Why am I running away with her?)

"Heh hey, it's a little too late for that line of thinking ability..."

Shokuhou chuckles.

Even while thinking that, he kept running. After all, he had heard on a talk show that those security robots cost 1.2 million yen each.

"Uuhh… S-Such misfortune. Why do I always get caught up in things related to her?"

"What do you mean by that!? And, my name is Misaka Mikoto!"

The two finally come to a stop in a back, back, back alley. One of the lined-up buildings must have been demolished because a rectangular area opened up there. It seemed a good place for street basketball.

"Shut up, Biri Biri! You're the one that destroyed all of my electronics with that lightning yesterday! What could you possibly want after that!?"

"It's your fault for pissing me off!"

"I don't even understand what's got you so mad! I've haven't laid a finger on you!"

Mikoto was getting a headache, and that was because of one simple thought.

(Did...did I really come across as that annoying?)

Following that exchange, Mikoto attacked Kamijou with her full arsenal, but Kamijou negated the whole with his right hand. This time, her attacks did not end with Railgun. Her offenses ranged from twisting together collected iron sand to create a whip-like sword of steel, to sending powerful electromagnetic waves to mess with internal organs, to even finishing with a blast of real lightning from the sky.

"W-whats this? Onee-sama never used her iron sand swords when punishing me!"

Shirai cried out indignantly.

(Um... that's probably a good thing that she didn't...)

Uiharu couldn't help but think.

But, none were a match for Kamijou Touma.

As long as it was supernatural, Kamijou Touma could negate it.

"You just keep coming at me and wearing yourself out! Don't use your powers too much and then blame me when you don't have the stamina to keep going, Biri Biri!"

Lessar opened up her mouth, probably to say some sort of sexual innuendo, but she thought better of it after seeing Birdway raise her symbolic weapon again.

She shut her mouth.

"Wow! In a back alley complaining about her stamina. I knew Kami-yan was a playboy."

Lessar didn't have to say anything, because Aogami had it covered.

Mikoto, as well as other girls, flushed red at the thoughts that began going through their minds.

"~~!" Mikoto began to grind her back teeth. "Th-That didn't count. It can't count! You never attacked me so it's a draw!"

"Sigh… Fine, fine. It's your win. Punching you isn't going to fix my air conditioner."

"Gah…! W-Wait a second! Take this seriously!" shouted Mikoto as she flailed her arm.

Kamijou sighed.

"Are you sure you want me to take this seriously?"

"Ah…" Mikoto trailed off.

Kamijou lightly clenched his right fist and opened it again. A cold sweat began to pour from Misaka Mikoto's entire body with his simple actions. She froze in place, unable to even take a step backwards.

The boy's change in tone and demeanor was not lost on the occupants of the room.

Kinuhata stiffened up slightly at the change, no doubt caught off guard by the sudden change.

(Whoa... I didn't even see that coming...)

The girl thought, a little nervous.

...

(That human rarely goes all out...)

Othinus put a hand on her head in thought.

(And even when he does, it's never at the cost of his humanity. He always shows mercy to his opponents. The same was for me...)

She froze.

(If a god can't make him lose it... than what even can?)

Mikoto did not know what Kamijou's power truly was, so to her, Kamijou was truly an unknown horror that sealed all of her trumps without breaking a sweat.

It was unsurprising. Kamijou Touma had challenged Misaka Mikoto's attacks for over two hours straight without receiving a scratch. It was only natural for her to wonder what would happen if he were serious.

Kamijou sighed and averted his gaze.

As if the strings holding her in place had snapped, Mikoto finally staggered a few steps back.

"…What can I call this other than misfortune?" Kamijou was shocked at how frightened she was. "First my room's electronics were done in, then a self-proclaimed magician in the morning, and now this Biri Biri esper in the evening."

"Magician…? What?"

"…" Kamijou thought for a moment. "Yeah… That's what I want to know."

Normally, Mikoto would have likely shouted, "Are you making fun of me!? Is your head as messed up as that power!?" and then Biri Biri'd. However, she could only jump in fright that day whenever he gave her a look.

It was only a bluff to fool her, but the effectiveness caused him regret.

Mikoto's cheeks darkened a little.

(How can he be worried about my feelings when all I did was attack him all day...?)

(What was all that magician nonsense, anyway?)

Kamijou was reminded of what had happened that morning. The white nun had used the word readily enough, but now that he thought back, the term was definitely one removed from reality.

(I wonder why it didn't feel out place with Index around.)

Had there been some mysterious something that made magic seem more believable?

"...Wait, what am I thinking?" muttered Kamijou while completely ignoring the Biri Biri girl named Misaka Mikoto who was fearfully trembling like a puppy.

(A Level 5 trembling like a puppy...)

Hamazura said this in wonder. He then decided to sneak a look at someone beside him.

.

..

...

(Nope. Can't imagine it.)

He sighed in dissapointment.

"If anything, the puppy would he trembling because of her..."

"What was that Hamazura?"

(Oh crap, she heard that!?)

He cut his ties with Index and whatever world she lived in. The world was a large place and it was unlikely he would run into her again in a meaningless coincidence. Thinking about magicians was entirely pointless.

Despite that, he was unable to force the thought out of his mind.

He still had the pure white hood she had forgotten in his room.

That one remaining connection continued to irritatingly prick at the edges of his mind.

Not even Kamijou Touma knew why he was thinking about it so much.

After all, he had the power to kill even God.

"That ominous line aside, Kami-yan is beginning his path to become the main character. You just gotta let the plot push and shove you around for a bit."

Tsuchimikado said with a grin.

Many wanted to deny that fact. And then they considered how many girl's were interested in him. And then they further stopped thinking when they realized they were one of them.

---

After driving off the Biri Biri girl, Kamijou went to a gyudon restaurant to eat his "snack". With only 30 yen remaining (tax included), he approached his dorm building with the sun having already set.

The place seemed deserted.

It was the first day of summer vacation, and so most people were presumably out enjoying themselves.

The building looked like stereotypical one-room apartment housing. Pathways along one wall of the rectangular building had doors lined up. It being a male dorm, the metal railing lacked plastic sheets to prevent peering up at girls' skirts.

The front doors, and the balconies on the opposite sides of them, were built on the sides of the building going inwards as seen from the road. In other words, they were in the gaps between buildings.

The entrance to the building was auto-locking, but the distance between buildings was only two meters. One could easily sneak in by jumping from roof to roof as Index had done that morning.

Kamijou went through the auto-locking entrance, passed by the storage room known as the dorm manager's room and got on the elevator. It was out of enjoyable spite that the elevator was dirtier and more cramped than a factory elevator for bringing goods in, but the "R" button, indicating the roof, was sealed via a small metal plate in order to prevent Romeos and Juliets from heading up to the rooftop night after night.

"Hm? Touma told me we couldn't go up to the roof because it was dirty?"

Everyone blanched at the nun's innocent comment.

"Well, in a way, he wasn't wrong."

Lessar pointed out with a demure smile

(T-this girl!?)

With a microwave oven-like ding, the elevator stopped at the seventh floor.

Kamijou pushed aside the door that clanked as it opened and exited into the passageway. He was on the seventh floor, but there was no wind and it seemed even hotter and stuffier than before because of the neighboring building being so close.

"Hm?"

Kamijou finally realized something. Down the straight passageway and right in front of his door, three cleaning robots were gathered. Seeing three of them was rare. For one thing, he was nearly sure only five were ever deployed for that dorm.

"What could be happening to cause three of them to show up, I wonder?"

Shokuhou said in confusion.

From the way they were trembling and moving back and forth, they seemed to be cleaning up quite the horrible mess. For some reason, Kamijou had an intense feeling of impending misfortune.

Drum robots had enough power to cleanly rip up gum stuck to the floor. So, what was giving three of them such trouble?

Kamijou shuddered at the thought that his neighbor Tsuchimikado Motoharu might have gotten drunk while acting like a delinquent in order to lose his virginity and had ended up vomiting in tremendous quantity, all the while using Kamijou's door instead of a telephone pole.

Stare...

"H-hey! As if I would give my first time to anyone other than my sis-Guaahhh!"

A punch impacted into Tsuchimikado's face for the umpteenth time.

"There is a kid in the room, you degenerate!"

Fukiyose delivered swift justice.

"What happened…?"

People had an unfortunate tendency to want to see horrible things.

After taking a few more subconscious steps forward, he finally saw it.

The mysterious girl named Index had collapsed from hunger.

"…Ahh."

She was not entirely visible because of the robots, but someone wearing a white nun's habit covered in glittering safety pins was clearly collapsed face down.

"So that silver sister came back because she was hungry... heh heh."

Mikoto said in a joking tone.

"I guess she really did need to come back for some more food."

Saten said.

The two girl's were completely unaware of the stony faces of the fire-wielding priest and the Siant.

"I wouldn't get my hopes up of I were you. Things aren't as simple as they seem. Now, let the real misfortune commence..."

The voice interrupted the jovial banter with a extremely concerning line.

Though the three drums were continuously ramming into her, Index was not moving. It made her seem all the more pitiful, like she was being pecked at by city crows. For one, the cleaning robots were made to avoid people and other obstacles. Why did the machines fail to register her as human?

"Wait..."

Itsuwa said, with a worried tone.

A deep sense of anxiety began to swirl in the pit of everyone's stomach.

"…I guess this is misfortune, too."

Had Kamijou Touma seen his face in a mirror at the time, he would have been surprised to see a smile on his face. Deep down he was worried. Perhaps he did not believe her about the magicians, but it was possible some cult was chasing the girl.

He was glad to see her in her usual, starved state.

And even ignoring those worries, he was simply glad to see her again.

Kamijou then remembered the one thing she had forgotten: the pure white hood he had not given back to her. He found it strange that he saw that hood like some kind of charm.

"Hey! What are you doing here?"

He called out to her and ran over.

"This is wrong...something is wrong... says Misaka as she feels her danger sense going off."

Imouto's normal neutral face dipped into a slight frown.

(Why does just going over there make me feel like an elementary school kid who can't sleep the night before a trip? Why does each step I take forward make me feel like I'm headed to the store on the release date of a major RPG?)

"He's ... happy to see her..."

Uiharu said what everyone was thinking.

Index had yet to notice him.

Kamijou Touma forced down a smile at how "Index-like" that was.

And then, he finally noticed that Index was lying in a pool of blood.

"…Ah…?"

The first thing he felt was confusion, not shock.

The same could be said for those in the room. The suddenness of the revealment caused them to blink several times before slowly understanding.

The girl, the one known as Index, was lying motionless in a pool of blood.

"W-what is this!?"

Shirai said in terrified concern.

He was unable to see it previously because of the group of cleaning robots in the way. As she lay face down, he could see a single horizontal line near the bottom of her back. The wound was from a blade, but was so straight it looked like someone had used a ruler and a box cutter. The end of her waist-length silver hair had been cleanly cut off and that silver hair was dyed red by the liquid flowing from the wound.

The flinch seemed to be universal as they stared at the horrid wound. Except... for the person who had been the one to cause it.

Kanzaki Kaori's mouth twisted into a grimace as she was shown what her actions had yielded on that day.

"No..."

She let out in despair, the action never taking such a hold as it did right now.

For an instant, Kamijou failed to comprehend that it was human blood.

The difference in reality between the instant before and the instant after sent his thoughts into chaos. Red… red… ketchup? Did Index use her last strength to suck up ketchup just before she collapsed from hunger? With that pleasant image in his mind, Kamijou almost smiled.

He almost smiled, but he did not.

There was no way he could.

Kamijou's expression showed no degree of amusement or humor. The girl that he had met earlier in the day was in a situation that no one should have to be in.

The three cleaning robots continued to move back and forth while making a clanking noise. They were cleaning the stain on the floor. They were cleaning the red substance spreading across the floor. They were cleaning the red substance flowing from Index's body, like digging at a wound with a dirty rag: they were sucking out the blood inside Index's body.

Everyone looked at horror at the poor girl who was treated like a pile of trash waiting to be discarded. The sight in front of them... just felt so very wrong.

The girl who was bright, cute, and cheerful... was suddenly replaced with the personification of death as she lay there lifeless.

"St…op. Stop! Shit!"

Kamijou's eyes finally focused into reality. He frantically grabbed at the cleaning robots gathered around the seriously injured Index. He failed to do so because the robots were made necessarily heavy to prevent theft on top of relatively high horsepower.

In reality, the cleaning robots were only cleaning the continuously spreading stain on the floor and never actually touched Index's wound. Even so, Kamijou saw them as bugs swarming a festering wound.

He was having difficulty moving aside even one of those heavy and powerful robots, much less three. While his focus was on one of them, the other two would head for the stain.

He was supposed to have the power to kill even God.

But, he was unable to move those toys out of the way.

They watched as the boy desperately tried to move the robots out of the girl's way. The boy's expression changed to that of unbridled despair as he seemed to curse at his own uselessness.

Index couldn't decide whether to be happy for his concern, or guilty for the trouble that she was about to cause him.

"Touma..."

Index said nothing.

Her pale purple lips were so still he was unsure whether she was breathing.

"Shit, shit!" Kamijou shouted out in confusion. "What happened? What the hell happened!? God damn it! Who the hell did this to you!?"

"Hm? That would be us magicians."

This line seemed to startle everybody.

"T-the guys Index was talking about?"

Fukiyose said nervously, still clearly startled by the whole ordeal.

A voice sounded from behind him, one that did not belong to Index.

Kamijou spun his entire body around as if meaning to rush in and punch the person. A man was standing there who had come from the… no, not from the elevator. It seemed he arrived from the emergency staircase next to the elevator.

The white man was over two meters tall, but his face seemed younger than Kamijou's.

His age was… likely 14 or 15, similar to Index's age. His great height was characteristic of foreigners, while his clothes were… a pure black version of the habits worn by church priests. However, it was unlikely you would find anyone who would call that man a priest even if you searched all over the world.

Styil instantly felt uncomfortable as he felt almost a dozen stares come his way. No, stares assumed just a passing curiosity. This was different. Glares full of suspicion came at him from all angles.

But he just took it. What else could he do.

(This is the least I deserve for failing her...)

He thought with a grim expression.

"(Isn't that... Styil...?)"

Index whispered, recognizing the man.

It may have been because he was standing upwind, but Kamijou could smell the horribly sweet perfume on him even though he was over 15 meters away. His shoulder-length blond hair had been dyed red like the sunset, silver rings glittered on all ten of his fingers like brass knuckles, poisonous earrings hung on his ears, a cell phone strap could be seen sticking out of his pocket, a lit cigarette moved at the edge of his mouth, and, as if to complete the image, he had a barcode-like tattoo underneath his right eye.

"That's the guy who saved Himegami-chan!"

The teacher said in excite surprise. Then the situation caught up to her.

"Wait... but why did he say he hurt Index-chan...?"

Komoe said in worried confusion.

One could not call him a priest and yet, neither could one call him a delinquent.

In the passageway, the air around the man was clearly strange.

It was as if the area were being ruled by completely different rules than the ones that Kamijou had been accustomed to at that point. That strange feeling spread throughout the area like icy tentacles.

(How interesting...)

Tuschimikado thought while fixing his shades.

What Kamijou felt first was neither fear nor anger…

…But confusion and unease. It was a desperate loneliness akin to having his wallet stolen in a foreign country with an unfamiliar language. The icy, tentacle-like feeling crept into his body and froze his heart. It was then that Kamijou realized something:

This is a magician.

This has become a different world where strange things like magicians exist.

He could tell at first glance.

He still did not believe in magicians…

But, he could tell that this was definitely a resident of a place that existed beyond the world he lived.

(Even without being able to detect the mana, Kami-yan still felt something was off. Heh heh, well I guess that's just par for the course with him.)

The boy was amused by Kamijou's sense of danger.

There was varying reactions from everyone else. Some were just curious as to what someone like this would show them, some felt tense and anxious for what was about to happen, and some... felt unparalleled regret for what they had done.

"Hm? Hm… hm… hm. She got her pretty good." The magician looked around and the cigarette in the corner of his mouth waggled as he spoke. "I heard Kanzaki sliced her, but this is… I thought there wasn't anything to worry about because there was no blood trail…"

"S-sliced... L-like with a sword!?"

Saten asked in fear.

The magician looked at the cleaning robots gathered behind Kamijou Touma.

Most likely, Index had been "sliced" elsewhere and had barely escaped there with her life before collapsing. She surely had left fresh blood as she went, but the cleaning robots had cleaned it all away.

"But… why?"

"Hm? You mean why she came back here? Who knows? Maybe she forgot something. Come to think of it, she had her hood when I shot her yesterday. Did she lose it somewhere?"

"Did she really just come back for her hood. That was super stupid of her."

Kinuhata said offhandedly. But...

"The hood wasn't her goal..."

Accelerator's raspy voice echoed in the room, leaving some to still he confused.

Accelerator thought of the few meetings he had with the nun. When thinking back, that girl had done something similar... for him. And the result of her actions ending up saving the brat.

(Guess their both heroes. Wait, no... that's not right.)

Accelerator stopped that train of thought immediately.

'Good guys!? Bad guys!? Grow up! Are you saying that in order to help someone, you have to meet specific qualifications!?'

The words were once again thrown back at him.

(That preachy level 0 pisses me off...!)

The magician standing in front of Kamijou had used the phrase "came back".

In other words, he had been following Index's actions all day. And he knew that she had lost the hood to her Walking Church nun's habit.

Index had said something about the magicians searching for the magic power of her Walking Church.

That meant the magicians had been following Index by detecting the supernatural power in her Walking Church. They would have known the Walking Church was destroyed when the "signal" cut out… Index had mentioned that too.

But then, Index had to have known.

She had known, but she still seemed to have relied on the defensive powers of the Walking Church.

But why did she return? Why did she need to recover a portion of the destroyed and therefore useless Walking Church? Kamijou's right hand had rendered the entire Walking Church useless so there was little point in recovering the hood.

—Then will you follow me to the depths of hell?

(...Oh.)

Why had Index come back? Well, it was obvious as to why. She didn't want anything bad to happen to the boy who had nothing to do with her situation. She didn't want the boy who had fed her and shown her kindness, to be burdened by her in any way.

Now, didn't that sound familiar.

Suddenly, it all clicked.

Kamijou remembered; he had never touched the hood of the Walking Church that was left in his room. In other words, the hood still had magic power. She must have thought the magicians might detect it and headed there to retrieve it.

And so, Index had braved the danger and "came back".

"…You idiot."

Everyone looked to the girl who had gone the unnecessary mile for a boy she had just met. On the off chance that he could have been harmed, she wanted to make that into resolute zero.

It seemed Index didn't notice that looks of reverence and gratitude she was getting. Some reluctant, and some genuine.

Either way, something undoubtedly clear.

The girl known as Index was a good person.

There had been no need to do that. It was Kamijou's clumsiness that had destroyed her Walking Church, and he had realized she had left her hood in his room yet left it there. And more importantly, Index lacked any obligation, duty, or right to protect Kamijou.

Even so, she could not help heading back.

Kamijou Touma was a complete stranger that she had met less than half an hour before.

She could not help but risk her life and return to prevent him from getting involved in a magician's fight.

"You idiot!"

Kamijou screamed at the bleeding form of the girl who had shown such irrational kindness to someone that she had just met.

"Do you really have any right to get mad at other people when they do that..."

Shirai said with a slight smile.

The pressing situation aside, it was interesting to see the boy be suprised when such kindness gets returned back to him. Because there was no doubt that he was owed some after all that he did.

Index's unmoving back irritated him for some odd reason.

Before, Index had told Kamijou that his misfortune was due to his right hand.

Apparently, his right hand was subconsciously negating even the faint supernatural powers that were things like the divine protection of God and the red string of fate.

Also, had Kamijou not carelessly touched her and destroyed her Walking Church nun's habit, there would have been no need to return.

(No. Those kinds of excuses don't matter.)

His right hand and the destruction of her Walking Church were not the reason she had felt the need to return.

Had Kamijou not wished for that one connection… Had he only returned her fallen hood that instant…

"Hm? Hm… hm… hm? C'mon, I can't have you looking at me like that." The cigarette in the corner of the magician's mouth moved as he spoke. "It wasn't me that sliced her and I doubt Kanzaki meant to turn this into something bloody. The Walking Church is supposed to be an absolute defense, after all. Really, she shouldn't have been injured at all by that. …Honestly, what twist of fate led that to be destroyed? Unless St. George's Dragon has come again, I don't see how a pope-class barrier could be broken."

That last bit was spoken to his self and his smile disappeared as he said it.

However, this lasted only an instant. The cigarette in the corner of his mouth twitched back up as if he had suddenly remembered to smile.

Most found this odd, but not enough to raise concerns. Well almost...

"He's acting."

Shokohou said softly.

(I might not be as good as that hag, but I can tell when someone is playing the villain. He must have an overwhelming caring ability for him to do that...)

"Why?" Kamijou asked despite not expecting an answer. "Why? I don't believe in the magic from fairy tales and I don't really understand magicians or whatever you are. But aren't there good and evil types of you? Aren't there magicians that protect things and people?"

"That's just like him to try and say that..."

Othinus whispered to herself.

"He's always trying to see the light, even when their doesn't seem to be any left..."

He knew very well that he had no right to be moralistic.

When Index had left, Kamijou Touma had let her go and returned to his normal life.

Yet he could not resist saying the words.

"You ganged up on this little girl, chased her all over the place, and then injured her this badly. Can you really say that you're justice with this reality staring you in the face!?"

"Like I said, Kanzaki did this, not me." The magician paused for a second. Kamijou's words had not hit home with him in the slightest. "And whether she's injured or not, we have to retrieve her."

"Retrieve her?"

Kamijou did not understand what the magician meant.

"Hm? Oh, I see. You knew the word magician, so I assumed you were completely filled-in. I guess she was afraid of getting you involved." The magician exhaled cigarette smoke. "Yeah, we need to retrieve her. Technically, it isn't her we need to retrieve though; it's the 103,000 grimoires she has."

…There were those 103,000 grimoires again.

"They must actually be real and genuine for someone like this to come after her..."

Hamazura said.

"I see, I see. This country isn't very religious, so I guess you don't understand," said the magician in a bored sounding voice despite the fact that he was smiling. "The Index Librorum Prohibitorum is a list created by the Church of all the evil books that will sully your soul just by reading them. Even if you were to announce that these dangerous books existed, people could still unknowingly acquire one, despite the fact that they don't know its title. Thus, she has become something of a crucible of poisonous books with 103,000 such books. Oh, but be careful. Reading just one of the books she has would make a vegetable out of someone from an irreligious nation like this."

Disregarding his words, Index owned not a single book. The lines of her body were clearly visible in that habit and would be obvious if she were to hide any books under her clothes. No need to even mention that not a single person could walk around carrying 100,000 texts, an entire library's worth of books.

"D-Don't be ridiculous! Just where exactly are these books!?"

"Oh, they're there, in her memory," the magician said as if it were obvious fact.

In her memory...

It took a few moments for that to sink in.

"So its photographic then huh?"

Shokuhou said, slightly interested.

After all, you could say that a trait like that was just as rare and unique as having an esper ability, let alone a mental related one.

"Do you know what aneidetic memory is? It seems to be the ability to memorize anything you see in an instant and never forget even a single sentence or letter. Simply put, it makes you a human scanner." The magician smiled disinterestedly. "It has nothing to do with our occult or your science fiction. It's a natural condition. She has been anywhere the grimoires cannot be taken from where they are sealed. She stole them with her eyes and stores them as a grimoire library."

He simply could not believe it.

That feeling was mutual with those in the room. The idea of that little girl memorizing over 100,000 books was mind boggling.

He could not believe that these grimoires existed or that she had an eidetic memory.

However, what mattered was not its truth but the fact that someone believed it was true, and it resulted in the slicing of a girl's back.

"Well, she has no ability to refine magic power herself, so she's harmless." The cigarette in the corner of the magician's mouth moved up happily. "But since that stopper was prepared, the Church must have some concerns. Well, that has nothing to do with a magician like me. At any rate, those 103,000 grimoires are quite dangerous, so I came to shelter her before anyone who would use them comes to take her away."

"To… shelter her?"

Kamijou Touma was utterly astonished. What had that man just said in the face of such a blood-red scene?

Kamijou wasn't the only one to find incredible distaste from the red-haired magicians words.

"That way of phrasing is lacking in guts, sir."

Sogita said with a surprisingly serious tone.

"Yeah, that's right. Shelter her. No matter how sensible and good hearted she may be, she cannot stand up to torture and drugs. The mere thought of handing a girl over to the likes of them hurts my heart, y'know?"

"…"

Kamijou's body trembled.

(T-this guy!)

Mikoto couldn't help but feel rage at the black robed priest. To her, he embodied exactly what she had once stood against in regards the scientists who sent each and everyone of her sisters to their deaths.

Little did she know that, the one known as Stiyl Magnus cared for that silver haired girl more than anyone.

Not pure anger: goosebumps covered his arm. The man before him only viewed himself as true; he lived ignoring his own mistakes. All of that put together sent a chill across Kamijou's entire body like that of plunging into a bathtub filled to the brim with tens of thousands of slugs.

The term "mad cult" oozed into his brain.

The thought of magicians that hunted people based on groundless beliefs made him feel like the nerves of his brain were going to burst.

"Who the hell, do you think you are!?"

Kinuhata watched as a look of unbridled anger adorned the boy's face. Her cheeks gained a red tint to them.

"He super looks like he's about to punch someone...!"

His right hand felt engulfed in heat as if responding to his anger.

His two feet that had been planted to the ground shifted before he even thought about moving. His thick body of flesh and blood charged toward the magician like a bullet. He clenched his right fist so hard that he felt like he was smashing his fingers to pieces.

His right hand was of no use. It would not help him defeat even a single delinquent, would not raise his scores on tests, and would not make him popular with girls.

But his right hand could also be quite useful. After all, he could still use it to punch out the bastard standing before him.

Everyone knew exactly how powerful that right hand could be. Even though Kamijou was just a Level 0, even though he was just as mortal as everyone else...

Despite this, the boy would continue to push past all opposition and shatter any illusion with that right hand. They had seen it, been defeated by it, and for some... they even feared it.

"I would prefer to call myself as Stiyl Magnus, but I guess I'll have to go with Fortis931."

"Ooh... he went for it right off the bat..."

Lessar said in interest.

The magician was completely motionless except for the wagging of the cigarette in the corner of his mouth.

After muttering something under his breath, he spoke to Kamijou as if introducing the pet black cat he was proud of.

"That's my magic name. Not familiar with those? It seems we magicians cannot give our true name when we use magic. It's an old tradition, so I don't really understand why myself."

They were 15 meters apart.

Kamijou Touma filled half of that gap in just three steps.

"Fortis… I guess in Japanese it would mean 'the strong'. Well, the etymology doesn't really matter. What's important is that I have given that name. For us magicians, it is less a magical name when spell casting and more like…"

Even as Kamijou Touma took two more steps down the passageway, the magician's smile did not crumble. He seemed to be claiming that Kamijou was not an opponent even worth ridding his smile over.

"…a killing name, I guess."

A shiver ran down Fukiyose's spine.

"Kamijou..."

She called out in worry.

The magician named Stiyl Magnus grabbed the cigarette from his mouth and flicked it away to the side.

The lit cigarette flew horizontally, over the metal railing, and hit the wall of the neighboring building.

An orange line traced the cigarette's path as an afterimage and sparks flew when it hit the wall.

"Flames."

"What does he think he's going to do with a cigaret-"

Shirai was immediately cut off as she saw something truly unbelievable.

The instant that Stiyl muttered, the orange line exploded.

A sword of flames appeared in a straight line as if someone had turned on a fire hose loaded with gasoline. The paint gradually changed color like a picture being scorched by a lighter.

He was not in contact with the fire but it still felt like his eyes were being burned just by watching it. Kamijou instinctually stopped running and brought his hands up to cover his face.

"C-could this be... magic!?"

The teleporter questioned.

Kamijou stopped so suddenly that it looked like his feet had been staked to the ground. A sudden question entered his mind.

Imagine Breaker could negate any kind of supernatural power in one blow. Not even the Level 5 Biri Biri girl's Railgun, which could destroy a nuclear shelter in one strike, was an exception to that.

But the truth was…

Kamijou had yet to see any supernatural power whose nature was non-psychic.

In other words, he had never tested it.

He had never tested it on magic.

Would his right hand really work on the strange power known as magic?

A sense of dread filled those from the science side.

"(A gift of pain for the giant.)"

Past the hands covering his face, Kamijou could see the magician smiling.

While smiling, Stiyl Magnus swung the blazing flame sword horizontally at Kamijou Touma.

The instant it touched him, it lost shape and exploded in all directions like an erupting volcano.

Heat waves, flashes of light, explosive noise, and black smoke burst in every direction.

"Kamijou!"

Voices filled with concern echoed in the room. Really, they should have more faith in the boy who stood up to a god.

"Maybe I overdid it."

Stiyl scratched at his head in front of what looked like the aftermath of a bombing. Just to be sure, he looked around to see if anyone was coming out to see what was going on. It was the first day of summer vacation, so most of the residents of that boy's dorm would be out.

He could not see ahead directly because of the screen of flames and smoke.

However, he did not need to check. That strike had created hellish flames of 3000 degrees Celsius. At temperatures above 2000 degrees Celsius, the human body would melt before it burned which meant the boy likely looked similar to the metal railing that had melted like a sugar sculpture. It was probable that he was splattered across the dorm wall like a used piece of gum.

"As if that puny fire would be enough to kill that bastard after all we've seen..."

Accelerator said.

Stiyl heaved a sigh as he reflected on how right he had been to get the boy away from Index. Things would have been a bit more difficult if the boy had used Index's injured form as a shield.

Despite it being natural to assume the worst of your enemies, everyone seemed to flinch at that. Under no circumstance, could they ever imagine Kamijou using someone as a human shield.

(That would probably never even cross his mind...)

Himegami thought with a soft smile.

But he could not retrieve Index as things were.

Stiyl sighed again. The wall of flames blocked him from heading to the other end of the passageway where Index was. If there was another emergency staircase on the other side of the passageway, he could manage. But, it would hardly be funny if Index got caught in the inferno while he took such a detour.

Stiyl shook his head in annoyance and spoke as he peered into the smoke one last time as if he could see through it.

"Thank you. Excellent work but too bad. Well, at that level, you couldn't win even if you had a thousand tries."

"Are you so sure I can't win no matter how many times I try?"

And sure enough, a familiar voice rang out.

Mugino suddenly sported an amused grin.

"This Kamijou guy is definitely not weak... that's for sure..."

(I don't know if it's a good or bad thing that your getting complimented by Mugino, Boss...)

Hamazura said in concern for his friend.

For an instant, the magician froze in place at the voice coming from those hellish flames.

With a roar, the wall of flames and smoke swirled and was blown away.

It was as if a tornado had appeared in the center of the flames and smoke and blew them all away.

Kamijou Touma stood there.

In a sense, you could say that the boy, with his arm stretched out, spiky hair waving in the breeze, looked cool.

Well either that or many females were blushing for some other reason.

The metal railing had been melted like a sugar sculpture, the paint on the floor and walls had peeled, the fluorescent lights had melted and dripped down in the intense heat, but the boy had remained unharmed in the middle of those unworldly flames and scorching heats.

"Honestly, what was I so afraid of?" asked Kamijou rhetorically with the sides of his mouth twisted in disinterest. "This is the same right hand that destroyed Index's Walking Church."

In reality, Kamijou knew nothing about what was called magic.

He did not know how it worked or what went on where his eyes could not reach. Most likely, he would only understand half of it if it were explained to him from start to finish.

Regardless, there was one thing even an idiot like him understood. In the end, it was just a supernatural power.

The crimson flames he had blown away had not been completely extinguished.

In a perfect circle around Kamijou, the scorching flames continued to burn. But…

"Out of the way."

With that one statement, Kamijou touched the 3000 degree magical flames with his right hand and the rest of the fire vanished.

It was like the candles in a birthday cake had all been blown out at once.

Kamijou Touma looked at the magician standing before him.

The magician was as flustered as any normal human being facing an unexpected turn of events.

"Badass..."

Kinuhata couldn't help but mutter. Then she quickly blushed as her words caught up with her.

"Whoa..."

Was all Uiharu said. Even she had to admit that Kamijou's form looked heroic in a sense. Or to use vocabulary she was used to seeing in her novels...

(D-dashing...)

In fact, he was a normal human being.

If you punched him, he would feel pain, and if you cut him with a cheap knife, he would bleed red.

He was a mere human being.

Kamijou's legs were no longer cramped with fear and his body was no longer frozen with nerves.

His arms and legs moved like normal.

He moved!

"…Wha-?"

Meanwhile, Stiyl very nearly took a step backwards in shock of the incomprehensible phenomenon before him.

From what had become of the surroundings, that attack could not have been a dud. But did that mean that boy was powerful enough to withstand 3000 degrees? No, if so, he would not have been human.

Kamijou Touma paid no heed to Stiyl's confusion.

He clenched his heated right fist as hard as a rock and took a step toward Stiyl who was swaying on his feet.

This scene was all too familiar to Accelerator.

Kamijou took any sense of pride and confidence one had in their ability, and completely shattered it. And while they were still distracted, the boy would take the opportunity to deliver one devastating blow.

"Tch!"

Stiyl swung his right hand horizontally. The flame sword that appeared followed suit and flew forcefully toward Kamijou.

It exploded. Flames and smoke flew about.

The sound of glass shattering filled the room, everyone watching in awe as the flaming sword once again did nothing.

But after the flames and smoke were blown away, Kamijou Touma stood there just as before.

"…Could he be using magic?" Stiyl muttered under his breath, but he immediately rejected the idea.

There could not be any magicians in that country that knew more about Christmas than magic and only knew Christmas as a day of dating and sex.

Also, if Index, despite lacking magic power, were to join forces with a magician, she would have had no reason to run. That… was how dangerous Index's memories were.

The 103,000 grimoires were on a completely different scope even in comparison to the possessing of a nuclear weapon.

All living creatures eventually die, an apple dropped from above would fall down, and 11=2. You would be able to take those kinds of natural and unchangeable rules of the world, destroy them, rewrite them, and create new ones. You could make 11=3, make an apple dropped from below fall up, and make all dead creatures eventually be revived.

Magicians called such beings Magic Gods.

Not the god of the demon plane but a magician who had thoroughly mastered magic to the point of entering the domain of God.

Magic God.

That word. One that should have left most in confusion to what it could mean. But no, they had seen it. They had seen one with that very same power. Worlds were shifted, bended, and fluctuated indefinitely, all for one reason. That magic God, Othinus wanted to break the boy who cared too much.

But, Stiyl could not feel any magic power in the boy in front of him.

He would be able to tell at a glance if he was a magician. The boy did not have the "scent" of someone from the same world as him.

Then, why?

"!"

Some understood that feeling.

Despite being human, average, and undoubtedly mortal, the boy tended to give off the aura of a demon. No, that isn't quite right. The boy wielding the Imagine Breaker was a slayer of such demons.

And that made him all the more terrifying.

To hide the shudder spreading through his body, Stiyl created another flame sword and attacked Kamijou. This time, it failed to even explode.

Kamijou swatted at the flame sword with his right hand like flyswatter and the flame sword shattered like glass and disappeared into thin air.

He shattered that 3000 degree flame sword with a right hand that had no magical reinforcements of any kind.

"…Ah."

Abruptly, truly abruptly, something floated up in the back of Stiyl Magnus's mind.

Index's Walking Church nun's habit was pope-class and its barrier rivaled a London cathedral in its power. It was absolutely impossible to destroy it unless the legendary dragon of St. George appeared.

But Index's Walking Church had clearly been utterly destroyed since Kanzaki had sliced her.

Who had done it? And how?

The answer was right in front of him. It was the boy with the special right hand that couldn't help his life in anything else. All he could do was negate the supernatural.

But for Kamijou, that was more than enough for him. Because if it meant destroying the illusions of the strong, then he would clench his fist each and every time without hesitation.

"..."

Everyone watched as the determined glint filled the eyes of the boy once again.

"…"

By that point, Kamijou Touma had walked right up to Stiyl.

With one more step, he would be close enough to punch the magician.

"MTWOTFFTO.(One of the five great elements from which the world is constructed.)IIGOIIOF.(The great flame of the beginning.)"

"What's he doing..."

Mugino warily asked. As expected, the powers that the priest was using wasn't familiar to her at all.

An unpleasant sweat began to drip from Stiyl's entire body. This was because the creature before him in a summer uniform had taken the form of a human. Stiyl's spine trembled as he got the feeling that inside that boy's skin was not flesh and blood but some strange oozing something.

Many trembled at this ominous description of Kamijou. One that they couldn't find it in themselves to absolutley deny for some reason...

"IIBOLAIIAOE.(It is a light of blessing that raises life and a light of judgment that punishes evil.)IIMHAIIBOD.(It is overflowing with calm blessings and with freezing misfortune that destroys cold darkness.)IINFIIMS.(Its name is fire and its role is the sword.)ICRMMBGP!(Be manifested and become the power that eats into my body!)"

The torso of Stiyl's priest's habit swelled out and forces from within popped off the buttons.

With the roar of flames sucking in oxygen, a giant mass of fire shot out from within his clothes.

It was not merely a mass of flames.

Many could agree. That was in no way normal fire. Their was something... more to it.

The crimson burning flames had something black and dripping like fuel oil at its core. It was in the form of a human. The thing was reminiscent of the seabirds dripping with black fuel oil after a tanker accident, and it was eternally burning.

Its name was Innocentius. Its meaning was "I will surely kill you."

That sent a shiver down the spines of many.

Because apart from the name, the being of flame before them truly deserved the title of demon.

"How can something like that be made with this... magic...?"

Shirai stated in fearful awe.

The giant flame god who bore the meaning of certain death spread its arms and charged toward Kamijou Touma like a bullet.

"Out of the way."

Kamijou used a backhanded blow with the annoyed attitude of someone brushing aside a spider web.

Kamijou Touma blew away Stiyl Magnus's final trump card. As if he had stabbed a water balloon with a pin, the human-shaped fuel oil symbolizing the giant flame god burst into spray and scattered about the area.

"J-just like that... he negated it comple-"

Saten said before she was cut off.

"I don't think so..."

Birdway said.

"…?"

Kamijou Touma had no real reason for not taking his last step at that moment.

It was simply that Stiyl was still smiling despite having his final trump card destroyed. That expression was enough to make him hesitate before carelessly taking that last step.

The sound of a viscous liquid moving could be heard from all around.

"Wha-!?"

As Kamijou took a step back in surprise, the black spray returned from all directions, gathered in midair, and reformed into a human shape.

"H-how is it still alive? I thought his hand destroyed all forms of magic..."

Fukiyose asked.

"That's probably the case... but that just means the fire... isn't the source of the magic."

Despite this explanation from Birdway, it wasn't enough to clue some of the more amateurish people when it came to the occult.

If Kamijou had taken that last step, he would certainly have been enveloped by flames from all directions.

Kamijou's mind was thrown into disarray at the scene before his eyes. If his right hand could do what he was always saying it could, it could negate even the systems of God seen in myths in a single strike. If that had been the supernatural power known as magic, he should have been able to negate it with that one touch. And yet…

The oily fuel within the flames writhed, changed form, and now seemed to be holding a sword in both hands.

No, it was not a sword but a giant cross, over two meters long, of the crucifying type.

It lifted the cross up with both hands and aimed a downwards swing at Kamijou's head like a pickaxe.

"…!"

Shokuhou's heart seized in worry at the impending attack.

(Touma...)

Kamijou immediately held up his right hand to receive the blow. Disregarding his right hand, Kamijou was a simple high school student. He lacked the battle skills needed to see through the attack and evade.

The cross and his right hand clashed.

This time, it failed to even disappear. As if he were grasping a mass of rubber, Kamijou felt that he was going to be the one to lose that struggle. His opponent used both hands while he could only use his right hand. The flaming cross neared Kamijou's face millimeter by millimeter.

Despite his confusion, Kamijou just narrowly managed to realize one fact: that mass of flames known as Innocentius was definitely reacting to his Imagine Breaker. However, it was being revived soon after annihilation. Most likely, the lag between annihilation and revival was less than a tenth of a second.

His right hand had been sealed.

If he let go for even an instant, he would likely be turned to ash by Innocentius in that instant.

"..."

Everyone watched in awe inspired amazement as the boy held his own against the flame driven demon.

"The fact that he can super not be affected is..."

Kinuhata trailed off.

(Its... kinda cool.)

That was the only word she could think of after seeing the perspective of the boy's back.

"Runes."

Kamijou Touma heard something.

"Wait... could that be...?"

Mikoto inquired, eyes wide in disbelief.

Due to the danger in front of him, he could not turn around, but he certainly heard someone's voice.

"Those twenty four characters used to indicate mysteries and secrets have been used as a magic language by Germanic tribes since the 2nd Century and are found in the roots of Old English."

However, Kamijou could not believe it was Index's voice despite knowing it was.

"Wha-…?"

Despite how beat up and bloody she was, how could she be speaking so calmly? He shakily thought.

"Attacking Innocentius will have no effect. Unless the rune engravings carved into the walls, floor, and ceiling are eliminated, it will revive as many times as necessary."

Kamijou Touma supported his right wrist with his left hand and just barely managed to keep the cross from advancing any further.

Kamijou timidly turned around.

That was without a doubt Index, the girl who they had come to know, However...

The girl was indeed collapsed there but Kamijou was unable to give "that" the name "Index". Like a machine, her eyes were utterly lacking in emotion.

Something was very... off about her.

With each word she spoke, more blood flowed from the wound on her back.

She paid no heed and seemed to truly be nothing more than a system meant to explain magic.

"You're… Index, right?"

"Yes. I am the grimoire library belonging to Necessarius, the 0th Parish of the Anglican Church. My proper name is Index Librorum Prohibitorum, but that can be abbreviated to Index."

"She sounds like... a robot..."

Saten said, unsure on how to feel about the emotionless expression the girl was giving off despite being mortally wounded.

Even Lessar and Birdway were surprised to see the girl in such a state. Thus was definitely news to them.

The way that grimoire library named Index was acting, Kamijou almost forgot about the giant flame god trying to kill him. He experienced such a chill coming from her.

"With my introduction complete, I will return to my explanation of runic magic. Simply put, it is like a reflection of the moon in a lake at night. No matter how many times you strike the lake surface with a sword, it has no meaning. If you want to strike the moon in the lake surface, you must first turn your sword on the real moon floating in the night sky."

(With out a doubt... that's John Pen's mode...)

Kanzaki thought to herself.

It was the inhuman counterpart to the girl known as Index. One that would have continued to dictate and control her if not for the actions of Kamijou.

So...because of that, Kanzaki Kaori was eternally grateful-.

"Wha!?"

Kanzaki made a mistake. Her face heated up slightly.

She accidently made eye contact with a certain blonde haired pervert. He mouthed something to her, four simple words. She had never once cursed her enhanced senses so much as she did now...

"(Fallen... Angel... Ero... Maid...!)"

Once again, Tsuchimikado Motoharu was there to confuse what should be simple gratitude into something... much more passionate.

Or can the feelings in the saint's heart be cheapened to that of simple gratitude? Who knows?

After hearing that explanation, Kamijou finally remembered the enemy in front of him.

Did she mean that what stood before him was not the true form of the supernatural power? Was it something like a photograph and its negative? Would it continue to revive unless he destroyed a different supernatural power that was creating the giant flame god?

Even then, Kamijou did not completely believe what Index was saying.

No matter what was going on around him, the common understanding that magic did not exist refused to leave him.

But, with Innocentius sealing his right hand and preventing his movement, he could not test anything regardless. On top of that, it would have been difficult to ask Index to help him, given her bloody state.

"Ash to ash…"

Kamijou was left no more time to prepare as his enemy began to make his next move. The suspense in the air was palpatating. Everyone was wondering what would happen next.

Kamijou looked up in shock. From beyond the giant flame god, a flame sword had appeared in Stiyl's right hand.

"...Dust to dust…"

Another one. A bluish-white burning flame sword extended silently from his left hand.

"…Squeamish Bloody Rood!"

With those power-filled words, he swung the two flame swords horizontally so that they would slice straight through the giant flame god from left and right like a giant pair of scissors. With his right hand sealed by Innocentius,

Kamijou could block nothing else.

(Shit… I need to run!)

With Kamijou in worry, the tension in the air increased ten-fold.

"Please be okay, my prince."

Shokuhou whispered, hands to her heart.

Before Kamijou Touma could even shout out, the two flame swords struck the giant flame god and the forces morphed into one enormous, exploding bomb.

"..."

That did not look good.

---

When the flames and smoke cleared, the entire area looked like hell.

The metal railings had warped like sugar sculptures, and even the floor tiles had melted into something glue-like. The paint on the walls had peeled such that the concrete was visible.

The boy was nowhere to be seen.

However, Stiyl heard the footsteps of someone running along the passageway downstairs.

"Is Kamijou alright...?

Itsuwa asked, worry evident in her voice.

After all, she knew exactly how powerful the flame magician known as Styil Magnus could get when he was serious.

"…Innocentius," he whispered and the flames spread out across the area returned to human form, went over the railing, and followed the footsteps.

Internally, Stiyl was astonished. Nothing all that amazing had happened. Just before the explosion, in the instant Stiyl had sliced through the giant flame god with the two flame swords, Kamijou had let go with his right hand and jumped over the railing.

"Huh!?!?!"

Was the collective response.

(Isn't his dorm room really high up!?)

Shirai couldn't help but think.

As he fell, Kamijou had grabbed the railing one floor below and pulled himself up onto the passageway. He had no lifeline and had pulled it off with pure guts and courage, making the recklessness rather apparent.

"The bravery... the courage... but most of all..."

A boy trailed off.

"Not his idiot again..."

Accelerator let out in annoyance, hand on his head.

Even so, Sogita continued regardless.

"The guts!!!!"

Despite the hyper boy's enigmatic response, everyone was willing to agree with him. Jumping off any high place, especially for a Level 0... well that was either some next level stupidity, or really amazing.

"But…"

Stiyl gave a gentle smile. Kamijou now knew the weakness of the runes thanks to the knowledge of Index's 103,000 grimoires. As she had said, the rune magic Stiyl used was activated by carved engravings. That also meant that getting rid of the engravings would negate even the most powerful magic.

"So what?" Stiyl's expression showed no sign of concern. "You can't do it. It is utterly impossible for you to completely get rid of the runes carved into this building."

And with those words, everyone grew more anxious to how Kamijou would triumph in this fight.

"I…! I really thought…! I really thought I was going to die back there!"

After jumping over the railing on the 7th floor with no lifeline, Kamijou's heart was still pounding in his chest.

"Heh heh... looks like it was stupidity..."

Lessar said with an amused smile.

That boy never stopped entertaining her. It's what she loved about him.

.

..

...

"...?"

(...Wait, what did I just think...?)

Lessar froze as she tried to convince herself it was just a 'slip of the tongue' (If that even applied to thoughts in her head?).

As he ran along the straight passageway, he looked around. In some way, he doubted Index's words. He had merely been trying to get away from Innocentius so that he could get some time to prepare himself.

"Damn it! What the hell is this!?"

But, Kamijou could not help but shout out when he saw what lay before him.

He did not need to wonder where the runes were carved into the large dorm building. In fact, he had already found them. They were on the floor, on the doors, and on the fire extinguisher. Scraps of paper about the size of telephone cards were stuck all over the building like Hoichi the Earless.

"So that's what powering up that super big flame monster. That's... kinda amazing."

Kinuhata honestly commented.

Based on Index's advice (he did not like having to recall that doll-like face), he had guessed that the magic was something like a jamming signal called a barrier and the runes were like the antennae sending the signal. But could he even tear off every single one of the tens of thousands of "antennae"?

With the roar of oxygen being absorbed, a human-shaped inferno dropped down onto the opposite side of the metal railing.

"Shit!"

Many people's hearts began hammering out of concern for the boy. After all, since Kamijou was only human, something that they had been painfully made aware of with the previous memories; the fact was that a simple fire could do irreversible damage to the boy.

If he were to be caught again, tearing off the runes would have been impossible. Kamijou immediately made a dash for the emergency staircase to his side. As he jumped further and further down, he could see scraps of paper taped to the corners of the staircase and ceiling with strange symbols that must have been runes written on them.

They had clearly been mass produced with a copy machine.

Kamijou almost shouted out "How's a crappy copy like that supposed to work!?" but he then recalled that the appendix of a shoujo manga could be used for tarot divination and even the Bible was mass produced at a print shop.

"Did he just compare the bible to a shounen manga..."

Hamazura said in a dry tone.

(Y'know… the occult just isn't fair.)

He felt like crying. Tens of thousands of those "rune engravings" were probably taped up all over the building. Could he find every single one of them? And, for all he knew, Stiyl was taping up new pieces of copy paper at that very moment.

As if to cut off his train of thought, Innocentius dropped down from farther up the staircase.

"Shit!"

Kamijou gave up on heading further down the staircase and ran out into the passageway to the side. When the giant flame god struck the floor, flames scattered about the area and it charged into the passageway even as it bounced up from hitting the ground.

The passageway was straight and Kamijou had no way to escape Innocentius when it came down to pure speed.

"…!"

Kamijou looked over to the entrance of the emergency staircase. According to the display, he was on the 2nd floor.

With a roar, Innocentius charged straight forward in order to arrest Kamijou's right hand.

"O-Owah!"

Instead of using his right hand or running away along the passageway, Kamijou jumped over the second floor railing.

"He super did it again!!!"

Kinuhata couldn't help but shout in outrage over the boy's lack of common sense. Although, the alternative was being burnt to a crisp. So I guess it was just a matter of picking your poison.

It was only after he jumped that he realized that the ground below was asphalt and that a number of bicycles were stopped there.

"Waaaaaaaahhhhhhh!"

He just barely managed to land between two bicycles, but he still landed on hard asphalt. He tried to bend his knees to absorb the shock of impact, but he still heard an unpleasant noise come from his ankle. He had only jumped from the second story and it did not feel broken, but he had hurt his ankle a bit all the same.

Many shivered at the sound.

"That's not good..."

Uiharu said, concern evident in her voice.

Despite not knowing the boy all too well, she was concerned for him as a person. And besides, this was the person who had once saved her life. And she would very much like to indulge her selfish request of wanting to meet the boy who she owed her life too.

He heard the roar of flames absorbing oxygen coming from above.

"!?"

Kamijou scrambled along the ground, kicking bicycles over as he did so, but nothing more happened.

"?"

Kamijou looked up with a puzzled expression.

Still making the roaring noise, Innocentius was clinging to the second story railing and staring at Kamijou, who was on the ground. It was almost like there was an invisible wall preventing it from following Kamijou.

Apparently, the runes had only been placed on the dorm building. Kamijou had managed to escape Stiyl's flames by leaving the building.

Seeing that aspect of the runes made him feel like he now knew a bit about the invisible system of magic. He was not against a ridiculous opponent like the magicians in RPGs who could do anything by chanting a spell. Instead, his opponent acted based on set rules similar to the espers that Kamijou knew.

Having the horrible monster in front of their eyes being compared to a typical RPG enemy was... strangely comforting.

And it was immensely more comforting seeing that the boy could take a break.

He sighed.

Having been freed from any immediate threat to his life, strength left Kamijou's body. He sat down on the ground without even thinking. He was not afraid. Instead, he was assaulted with a different feeling that was more like a languid exhaustion. He started to wonder if he could escape all danger if he just ran away.

"I know. The Anti-Skill," Kamijou muttered.

Why had he not thought of it before? Academy City's Anti-Skill were something like an anti-esper special unit. Kamijou could just notify them rather than risk his own life.

They did not fully understand it yet. After all their just wasn't enough clues.

But this was him. This was who Kamijou Touma originally was.

But...

Kamijou checked his pants pocket, but his cell phone had been crushed under his very own foot that morning.

Kamijou looked out toward the road and searched for a pay phone.

He was not doing it to run away.

He was not doing it to run away.

Even so...

Even when he used words like these as the perfect excuse to make him feel better. Even though he was not anyway involved with what was happening to him. Even though he could make it all better by just running away...

—Then will you follow me to the depths of hell?

And yet, those words still seemed to stab his chest.

The words that wouldn't dissapear no matter what he told himself. Those words were the only ones that seemed to grip him and keep him tethered to this reality he was apart of. A reality where.. a little girl was chased down by scary people.

So... with those words... he only had one answer.

He was doing nothing wrong. He was doing nothing wrong, but…

In that very same situation, Index had gone back for Kamijou Touma. Kamijou could not fathom going down to hell with a stranger that he had known for less than half an hour.

"Damn it. That's right. If I don't want to follow you to the depths of hell..." Kamijou smiled.

That was the smile of the boy who decided the ending that was currently playing out... just wasn't good enough for him.

"Touma..."

Index as well as others, awaited the boy's words, the ones that could elucidate even the most daunting darkness.

"Then I'll just have to drag you back out."

That was Kamijou Touma.

So it should come as no surprise that multiple blooming smiles formed on the faces of the people that cared for that misfortunate idiot.

He thought it was about time he understood it.

He did not know how magic worked, but he did not need to know the workings of what he could not see. He could, for example, send an email without knowing the circuit diagram of his cell phone.

"…Huh. Once you understand that, it's really not that big of a deal."

He knew what he had to do, so now, he just needed to try it.

Even if he failed, it was still much better than doing nothing.

"Where does he get that attitude from...? How can he think like that? That's not... the normal reaction. That's not even the human reaction. Humans are selfish, greedy, disgusting creatures. So how... is he not acting like one...?

Mugino let out the words that she hasn't been able to form since seeing the exploits of that boy. No, the words she didn't want to give form. She didn't want to acknowledge someone like Kamijou, and that was for one simple reason.

If he went through several harrowing experiences and still was able to hold on to his humanity, then...

What does that say about her? The 4th ranked Level 5, Meltdowner. The one that was stuck in the infinite cesspool that is the darkside of Academy City.

(As I thought... I really can't stand him.)

Mugino thought in displeasure.

A metal railing warped and glowing orange fell down and Kamijou frantically rolled out of the way.

He may have made up his mind, but he still had to do something about that Innocentius before he could save Index. The real problem was the tens of thousands of runes. But could he really tear off all of those scraps of paper taped to the building?

"…Y'know, I'm surprised the fire alarm hasn't gone off with all of this going on."

It had just been an offhand comment, but Kamijou Touma froze in place once he said it.

The fire alarm?

Many were confused by the attention to the word.

"Fire alarm? Is he going to super put out that flame monster with the sprinklers?"

Kinuhata asked, doubting the effectiveness of such a strategy.

Hamazura thought that it didn't fit, like their was something that they were missing.

(Wait... wouldn't the water also...?)

---

The fire alarms installed around the building all went off at once.

Amid that storm of roaring noise that sounded as loud as a bombing raid, Stiyl looked up at the ceiling.

Without a second's delay, the attached sprinklers sent out a typhoon-like manmade rain. Since having the firefighters called in would be a pain, Stiyl had written his orders for Innocentius such that it would not trigger the security sensors. This meant that Kamijou Touma had hit the fire alarm.

Did he think doing so would put out Innocentius' flames?

The notion was almost laughably ridiculous, but the magician believed the blood vessels in his head would burst when he considered that he was getting soaked for such a foolish reason.

"It looks like it's not going to have an effect..."

Shirai commented, saddened that the boy's idea didn't yield results.

Stiyl stared at the red fire alarm on the wall in annoyance.

It was easy enough to set the alarm off, but he could not stop it himself. As it was summer break, most of the residents of the dorm were out, but the situation could turn bothersome should firefighters arrive.

"…Hm."

Stiyl looked around the area and then quickly picked up Index to leave. His goal was simply to recover Index, so there was no reason to get caught up in killing Kamijou. Given how long it would take for the firefighters to arrive, he could leave Innocentius on auto-chase, and the boy would get a nice flaming embrace that would turn him into black charcoal or white ash.

Many didn't want to imagine what would happen to the boy if he met such a fate.

(This doesn't mean the elevator is stopped, does it?)

He had heard that elevators were made to stop during emergencies. That would be quite depressing for Stiyl. He was on the 7th floor. Even if she were a girl, carrying an unconscious person down stairs was tiring.

That was why Stiyl was initially relieved to hear the microwave oven-like "ding" come from behind him.

Then he came to his senses.

Who was it? Who was on the elevator?

Fukiyose grew worried.

If Kamijou came back up thinking that the water would give him a fighting chance, then he would just be walking back into the flame magician's clutches.

"Kamijou... what are you doing...!?"

It was the evening of summer vacation and he had already checked to make sure all of the students had left the dorm, leaving it deserted. So who was it, and why did they need the elevator?

The doors of the elevator clanked as they opened up. A single footstep on the floor wet from the sprinklers reverberated through the passageway.

Stiyl slowly turned around.

He had no idea why his body was trembling on the inside.

Kamijou Touma stood there.

Sure enough, it was the boy who hardened his resolve to save a girl he just met.

"Touma..."

Index said softly, eyes trained on the boy who didn't want to even entertain the notion of abandoning her.

(What? What happened to Innocentius?)

"It is highly unlikely the water eradicated the flame monster... states Misaka in a matter of fact tone, confused by the boy's actions."

Imouto was unsure of what Kamijou's plan was.

Thoughts whirled around chaotically in Stiyl's head. Innocentius was like a cutting edge missile loaded in a fighter. After it locked on, it could never be escaped. No matter where you ran or hid, it would use its 3000 degree flames to melt through walls or obstacles, even if they were made of steel, and continue its chase. It was not something that could be escaped just by running around a building.

Yet he stood there.

He stood there unfazed, unstoppable, unassailable, and most of all, an unequivocal natural enemy.

"Come to think of it, runes are supposed to be carved into the walls and the floor, right?" said Kamijou as the cold manmade rain poured down on him. "Really, you're damn amazing. To be honest, I would've had no way to win if you had carved them with a knife. Feel free to brag about this all you want."

As he spoke, Kamijou Touma raised his right arm and pointed above his head.

He pointed at the ceiling… at the sprinkler.

Slowly, people began to understand what the boy was getting at, epitomizing looks of awe and respect at the boy's ingenuity.

"Hm. How cunning. You wouldn't think someone like him would be able to come up with that."

Birdway said thoughfully.

"…You can't mean! Those 3000 degree flames couldn't be put out by this!"

"Don't be stupid. Not the flames. How can you put those things all over people's homes?"

Stiyl then recalled the tens of thousands of rune papers he had set up on the dorm.

Paper was weak to water. Even kindergartners knew that.

"Ugh... I can't believe I lost to such a simple trick..."

Styil muttered under his breath.

"Don't be so mad about it. It was a good thing you lost. You...no, we both learned something while facing Kamijou Touma."

Kanzaki said, with a satisfied expression.

By spraying water all over the building with the sprinklers, it did not matter if there were tens of thousands of the runes. He did not need to run around the building. Instead, he could press a single button and destroy all of the scraps of paper.

The muscles of the magician's face spasmed.

"Innocentius!"

The instant he shouted that, the elevator door behind Kamijou melted like a sugar sculpture, and the giant flame god crawled out into the passageway.

"Kamijou!"

Screaming in worry, the surprise of the monster returning was enough to draw out their voices.

Each time the raindrops hit its body of flames, they evaporated with the sound of a beast's breathing.

"Ha ha ha. Ah ha ha ha ha ha! Amazing! You have the battle sense of a genius! But you lack experience. Copy paper is not the same as toilet paper. Just getting it a bit wet isn't going to completely dissolve it!" The magician spread his arms while laughter exploded from his mouth and he shouted, "Kill him!"

"...!"

With the boy's plan foiled, many prepared to see the horrifying repercussions of his failure. They prepared to turn away, after all, it was no lie that seeing someone burnt to a crisp, let alone Kamijou, did nothing to ease their rapid beating hearts.

But... for someone reason, Kamijou Touma didn't look concerned at all.

Innocentius swung its arm like a hammer.

"Out of the way."

Kamijou Touma made that one statement. He did not turn around.

His right hand touched the giant flame god with a backhand blow and Innocentius exploded into all directions with a laughably pathetic noise.

With looks of slack jawed amazement, they watched as the seemingly immortal flame being was instantly vaporized with one touch of the boy's right hand.

Itsuwa's heart felt like it was going to leap put of her chest. And it was not because of anxiety.

Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.

(Kamijou is a really amazing person...)

...

"H-how did he..."

Shirai trailed off, eyes widened and mouth opened in bonafide shock. She couldn't wrap her head around what just happened. And she wasn't the only one.

"Just like that time... that was filled with so much guts!!!"

Sogita exclaimed, remembering another time.

"Wha-!?"

Stiyl Magnus's heart truly did stop for an instant out of shock.

After being blown away, Innocentius did not revive. Black, fuel oil-like chunks of flesh were splattered about the area and all the chunks could do was squirm feebly.

"Im…possible… How… How! My runes haven't been destroyed yet!"

"What about the ink?" It seemed to take 5 years for Kamijou Touma's voice to reach Stiyl's ears. "Even if the copy paper hasn't been destroyed, the water will make the ink come off." Kamijou spoke in a leisurely manner. "Although, the water didn't seem to take out every last one."

"The whole time... not the runes itself... but the ink..."

Shokuhou said in wonder. She was so caught up with her own realization of the runes, that she didn't even stop to consider it one step further.

Shokuhou heart was also similarly thumping.

(He really is just like a prince...)

The squirming pieces of Innocentius disappeared into thin air one at a time as the manmade rain continued to flow from the sprinklers. It was as if the ink on the copy paper taped all over the building was coming off in the rain one by one, causing Innocentius to lose power bit by bit.

The chunks of flesh disappeared one by one until finally the last one dissolved and disappeared.

"Innocentius… Innocentius!"

The magician's words were like those of a man shouting into a phone receiver after being hung up on.

"Now then."

That one statement was enough to make the magician's entire body flinch.

Everyone felt the power behind the boy's words. The feelings, the emotion, and...

The unrestrained anger.

Kamijou Touma took a step toward Stiyl Magnus.

"Inno…centius…" the magician said… but not a single thing in the world responded.

Kamijou Touma took another step toward Stiyl Magnus.

"Innocentius… Innocentius, Innocentius!" the magician shouted… but not a single thing in the world changed.

Kamijou Touma finally started charging toward Stiyl Magnus like a bullet.

As this was happening, many imagined multiple memories overlapping with each other. They were all too similar...

"A-Ash to ash, dust to dust, Squeamish Bloody Rood!" the magician finally roared, but not even a sword of flames appeared, much less the giant flame god.

Kamijou Touma drew near Stiyl Magnus and then continued even closer.

He clenched his fist.

He clenched his utterly normal right hand. He clenched his right hand that would be of no use unless in contact with the supernatural. He clenched his right hand that would not defeat even a single delinquent, not raise his test scores, and not make him popular with girls.

A boy clenching his fist and charging headfirst into danger, determined to shatter any injustices that dares to get in his way.

However, his right hand could also be quite useful.

After all, he could use it to punch out the bastard standing before him.

Kamijou Touma's fist slammed into the magician's face.

And he would do it each and every time, without fail. All to protect someone's individual world.

The magician's body rotated like a bamboo copter, and the back of his head struck the metal railing.

[Scene End]

Immediately after the black clad priest hit the ground after the final blow, the screen went black.

Everyone was left in stunned silence after Kamijou Touma yet again turned the tables and emerged victorious.

It was amazing, cool, heroic, intense, and as many other words you could think of. Ones that, if ever spoken to the boy, would leave him in a state of confusion, or be enough to turn his face the shade of a tomato.

But one thing hit all of those watching harder than anything else. That boy... Kamijou Touma... had done this for no other reason than to want to save someone.

He wasn't doing this because he knew he was performing in front of an audience, he wasn't showing off how cool he was, he wasn't trying to pick up girls by acting like a hero.

No, Kamijou Touma was simply being himself. And that 'self' was too much of a good person than to leave someone else to suffer when he could do something about it.

How would you feel if you met someone like that? What would you do in the face of such a pure hearted, naive, idiotic, reckless, determined, brave, dense, foolish form of a boy who just simply desires to make others happy?

Most couldn't help but think things like that.

Fukiyose was one of the people having trouble understanding.

(What is this feeling. Its uncomfortable, warm, cozy, and irritating all at the same time...)

She tired to figure out what it meant, what it could possibly mean for her to be feeling like this.

Then...

That smile of his, both sides. One fierce and serious, and the other kind and warm.

(Oh...)

Fukiyose Seiri's face heated up slightly as something clicked.

(That's what this is...)

And with that, the girl place a hand above her chest, where all she could feel was the echo of her thumping heart...

[Next Scene: Then, would you follow me into the depths of hell? Part 2]

---

Okay... I'm kinda concerned that I can write romantic scenes so easily. What the hell does that say about me as a person?

Or maybe its really cringy and I'm just deluding myself. Yep, that's probably it...

And guys! I kid you not, I wrote Uiharu's whole intro in one sitting. For a character I didn't really have a huge interest in, I was surprised to write all of that.

Also, can I get a round of applause for hitting 40k. Even though, all of it isn't my writing, I'm still taking that pat on the back.

That's part 1. And then it will probably be part two, and that will wrap up the Index arc. And then, I can get to the really fun stuff. Even though I find the Index arc less interesting than the others ones, I think it's still important to showcase exactly how Kamijou lost his memories.

That's all I have for you guys. While college might be mentally draining, it will not cut into my writing time since I write at night. And I want to make it clear, as of now I am still having fun with this story. So that means I have no intention of stopping anytime soon.

Please review...

Hope you all have wonderful day...!

-EPSILON