I'm glad I have a couple people willing to beta for me, because one of them was stuck with school work and couldn't do any work on this. When I pass the chapters to them, a lot of work needs to be done. My reviewers work hard to try to make everything flow and straighten up weak scenes for me. Saves me a lot of time trying to critic my own work. I'm not sure if you the reader have ever tried to review your own stuff. It's quite difficult. So let's give them some quick thanks for all their help. Now to the comments and then the main show.
Renato Borba Brum: I suppose that's a possibility.
Blankow: If, and a big IF, I bring Jason back, Touma would be allowed to punch him.
Craytherlay: I know your feelings, you tell me enough on discord. I have stated my position. Coming here and trying to restate the same thing is going to contribute anything. I'm sorry.
SoulReaver267: Really? I think it's where I lack. I don't do them much. My editor probably had a big part in making the emotions pop. This is one of 'those' stories, so that won't really happen.
Aminadab Brulle: Had to happen at some point. Touma is human, regardless what others say about him. I think Mikoto would be tempted to save them, but the others wouldn't let her. In a way, similar to how it was in the Light Novels. The exact arguments for against her sacrifice might vary a little though.
Acpeters: This chapter is more a transition one so starts off a little depressed and moved to more action scenes.
KHVSFF: After the next 2 chapters, Shizuri will be more prominent.
Chris8787: We know more of what's going on than they do.
The Immortal Siegfried: It has grown quite a bit. You can skip over a lot of the comments though. That does seem to be what most people agree with.
DanganMachin: Think so? I bet she has something up her sleeve.
TheDarkPublisher: Those are excellent points. Maybe I should bring him back. I would like to see what Touma's other option would be instead of those two. I asked my discord channel and a popular option was 'reset.'
Shinso: Touma's a human, so he is entitled to have dark thoughts when bad things happen. He's just the type to not want to act on them. It would be a shock for other people to see it though.
Guest10032: Oh, boy. Long post and you start it off with a bang. The entire story does take a long time to read now. Pain for me to just go back and try to find something I wrote as a refresher. It's a popular opinion that Jason is still alive. Though, I could write it either way, I have plans already. Jason was definitely a weird character to many. He's an OC, yes, so people naturally dislike those, but I felt like I did a good job keeping him from being the main character and making people hate him while liking him too.
Touma and Carissa have to have a long talk at some point. Maybe after Eve is beaten. Harems do take a lot of work, and even adding 1 more person requires a lot of adjusting. Stability is important, as the level 5s were pretty bad in that regard early on. Aleister won't get involved in all the planning and back stabbing until those plans interfere with his, then he'll stop them. For now, he's content with letting people fight each other.
When I get the itch to write Electric Trainer, I do that. It's a different style of writing than this saga.
Mr. X: 1) I struggled a bit with trying to decide how I wanted to describe that scene with how far Touma would go. He's a human, so he's allowed to have those thoughts. 2) No, don't think Touma's going to meet Shizuri this round. This is something she'll take care of. 3) They are side characters and not super important to the plot.
Belial Hieronymus: Obviously, that's my plan. Make his death quick so everyone thinks he will come back. Then when he doesn't, everyone is surprised.
GunsAndMagic: Telling those two is going to be an adventure of its own.
xaxiel1572: Stiyl is someone who wants to keep science and magic separate. He won't tell them anything they don't need at that moment. He was also under orders to keep things secret. There was a scene in an earlier chapter that explained that.
Noxlux013: It's the reason I try to explain things in ways anyone can picture them.
Master Knight Trolling: Carissa would get pissed if Touma just ignores her calls.
Disclaimer: Random people do not own Toaru Majutsu no Index or any of the characters. Reading this story may cause you to burst out in laughter or start yelling at fictional characters. This may cause nearby people to assume you have gone crazy. Please read responsibly.
The early Saturday morning light was something that was not welcomed by the tired spikey-haired boy. He mumbled curses under his breath as the annoying ray of light continued to beam straight into his eyes through the uncovered window, forbidding him to go to sleep again. Resigning himself to the annoyance, he chose to slowly sit up in bed, finding the act difficult as an unusual load was placed upon his chest.
Prying his eyes open and getting blinded by the light peeking through his window, he couldn't do much but wince as he rubbed his tired eyes. Looking down he found the source of the sudden weight, the chestnut haired Level 5 Railgun having claimed him as her pillow.
Not to be outdone, the girl's rival and newly formed friend Misaki Shokuhou, also claimed a part of him for herself. His left hand was being cradled to her chest as if it was a charm to ward off evil forces. Before he could freak out and stammer in embarrassment, all the events of the previous night flooded back into his brain, halting any flowery thoughts to occupy his mind.
It hadn't all just been a horrible nightmare.
Eve's conversation, Stiyl killing Jason, and Mikoto and Misaki rushing over to his apartment in the dead of night, all of it turned out to be very real. Last night was one of his weakest moments, an event that left him shattered and stricken with all kinds of emotion. He always swore he would do whatever he could to protect people struggling in front of him, yet he failed when it really mattered. Not only did he fail but he failed to save a close friend. It didn't matter much what everyone told him about Jason, he couldn't care less at the moment as the only thought that spun through his head was of his failure.
No matter what kind of person he was, he had failed to save him. Failed to make a compromise or find that elusive third option many struggle with. He failed.
Yet, there was nothing to do but move forward.
Eve needed to be stopped before others would fall to the same fate, and he couldn't lie in his sorrow while the world burned.
Touma slowly pushed himself up, trying to escape the bundle of girls like he had done many times in the past. As he raised his upper body, he was able to see others. Both Index and Kyoka were sleeping on the bed too. They must have snuck in after he had fallen asleep as he couldn't remember them returning. Surprisingly, Lessar wasn't there. That could only mean something else had attracted her attention, That could either be good or bad in which case he should be worried. Leivinia wasn't there either, which was most worrisome. Out of all of them, she was the one that demanded the most attention.
Touma finally managed to sit up while gently moving Mikoto off him without accidentally waking her up. He thought he was doing a good job too until she opened her eyes at the slightest bump. It turned out Mikoto was a very light sleeper compared to his other roommates. Living with a crazed teleporter who was obsessed with you must have caused her to adapt.
Mikoto blinked her eyes a couple of times and looked up to see him.
"Morning?"
The boy said the first word that came to mind.
Mikoto stared at him for a minute in response. Her brain was trying to process everything after just waking up. Like Touma, she was not a morning person either and as her gaze took in how close Touma was, her unusual resting place atop his chest, and the fact they were in the same bed, her tired brain only came to one conclusion.
"EEEEIIIII!"
She bolted backward, stumbling on the mess of limbs occupying the bed and falling off the bed as a bolt of electricity hit the light in the ceiling, short-circuiting it.
That resulted in a not so pleasant wake-up call for the rest of the girls..
"Mmmm… good morning to you too, Misaka." Misaki yawned a bit begrudgingly at having her comfortable sleep suddenly ended. And as she noticed her position she couldn't help make a sly comment. "No wonder I was so comfortable."
"Why are you so loud, Short Hair?" Index snapped before yawning.
"Misaka would prefer not waking up to screaming, says Misaka agreeing with the aforementioned statement." Kyoko added, sitting up and stretching.
"Sorry," Mikoto apologized, climbing back on the bed and trying to smooth out her shirt. "Forgot where I was."
"I guess I can't write it off as a bad dream," Touma muttered, more to himself than any of them. "I kind of wish I could."
Misaki sat up slowly, putting a hand on the lone boy's shoulder. She couldn't exactly say she wanted her first night in bed with him to feel this saddening, though she was more than glad to comfort her Prince.
"Touma?" Index asked softly, looking unsure of herself. "What are you going to do?"
Touma looked at the ceiling, and the entire conversation they had come rushing back to him, clear as day. It hadn't been pleasant, and just recalling it made him queasy. The talk had helped him a bit. He felt more determined and looked ready to find out what was truly going on. But he still had lingering doubts about the whole situation.
"We need to figure out what Accelerator and Bayloupe discovered last night." The boy decided, in a tone much stronger now. "We also need to find out what Jason was doing. It's possible he was onto something. I'm also going to try to contact Carissa and have her tell me what happened to Stiyl."
All the girls in the room were looking at him intently and were relieved that the boy was looking a bit normal again. Touma continued with his plan, his voice not faltering.
"Then we have to look for Eve. She was involved in this. The only reason she came to me last night was for me to see Stiyl kill Jason. She had to have set this up. This leads me to believe whatever Jason was doing was either a threat to her or something she wanted to keep quiet… that he was working for her, maybe."
"Do you think he was? Misaka asks uncertainly. You were rather adamant about it yesterday."
"No… I'm not going to believe it without more evidence," Touma declared. "I trust my friends. Though after everything we discussed… I'll keep an open mind if we find out more. Jason… Jason is Jason. I wouldn't be surprised if he was trying to sneak into her group and was found out."
"It does seem like a plan he would set up," Misaki agreed, thinking about it for a minute with a finger on her cheek. "So it's possible Stiyl found that Jason was working for Eve and he wouldn't have realized he was a spy."
"So you're saying this entire thing could be over a simple misunderstanding?" Mikoto retorted.
"A lot of problems throughout history have been caused by a lack of communication, Short Hair." Index pointed out. "It's not exactly uncommon."
"We don't know for sure, Misaka reminds you all. This is only a theory."
"It's about as much information we have unless Carissa or the church tells us more, and from what we found out from Lessar and Bayloupe, they aren't sharing squat with us."
Touma rubbed his temples as he spoke, annoyed and still angry.
"You… really should eat something," Mikoto said, her voice weak. She was trying to act calmly to help Touma, but she was still picking up the pieces inside. "We won't be able to… umm… concentrate otherwise."
"No, we wouldn't." Touma agreed with a tender smile. He threw himself off the bed and slowly made his way into the kitchen, followed by the others.
"G-Good morning," Itsuwa stammered as she saw the group exit the boy's bedroom, soundly believing she had missed a crucial event in her life. "Er… would you like some breakfast?"
Touma and the others nodded as they slipped into spots around the table. Leivinia was there, reading a newspaper, while Lessar was hanging up her phone. Touma looked at them expectantly as Itsuwa prepared some plates.
Leivinia ignored him, but Lessar spoke.
"So I was talking to Bayloupe… and she just woke up herself. She and Accelerator had a busy night. Too much sex if you ask m-…" Touma glared at her, and she returned it with a more serious tone. "They have some news about what they found. It sounded pretty big, but she didn't want to explain it all over the phone. It seems like your friend was working on something important, Lover Boy, but it's incomplete, and they want her-" She gestured to Leivinia, "-to help decipher what they've scavenged. Could be something involving Eve."
"Looks like we'll see if he was really on our side or not." Leivinia commented, turning a page of her paper.
"You're just a bundle of sunshine, aren't you?" Mikoto asked.
"Comes with being a cabal leader," Leivinia answered nonplus. "Have to be one step ahead of your competition, or you lose your life. Like you all found out."
The silence that fell over the table at her words was palpable and not at all comfortable.
"That's enough." Itsuwa told Leivinia firmly.
Leivinia looked like she was about to argue, but one glance at the girl caused her to stay quiet. Itsuwa was not smiling and instead was glaring at her. She sported a look of utter disappointment and frustration aimed at the blonde, which was ill-suited on the normally chipper girl. She was aware why, as her words had brought a pang of guilt to course through the boy sitting opposite her, and the Amakusa member didn't want to expose him to more pain than he was already feeling over the fact. Instead of arguing, Leivinia went back to reading her paper.
Touma looked down at his plate but didn't move. Leivinia's words rang true. They underestimated Eve's cunning, and one person paid the price. Misaki, Mikoto, Index, Kyoka, Itsuwa, and even Lessar observed him in silence. Knowing what he was going through and while he was better off than yesterday, only time would be able to heal those wounds he carried.
Then a sudden sharp ringing made them all jump in surprise.
"Crap!" Mikoto realized, fumbling around in her pajamas as she pulled out the noisy device. "Kuroko!"
The heart in Touma's chest sunk even more. He and Kuroko had never fully seen eye to eye. It was only recently she had accepted his and Mikoto's weird relationship. She was Jason's girlfriend, at least one of them, and deserved to know what happened. Honestly, he had no idea how he would break the news to her about what happened.
Everyone else who knew that girl looked equally anxious.
"Kuroko!" Mikoto exclaimed. "I'm sorry for disappearing; it's just… what?"
Kuroko's voice was loud enough for all of them at the table to hear. She didn't sound panicked, but she didn't sound calm either.
"Tell me later! Right now, all Judgment is being called to assist Anti-Skill. I wanted you to stay out of the downtown area. The riots have gotten out of control."
The one thing with Kuroko is that she was used to Mikoto's late-night wanderings. With Eve and her group messing around in Academy City, there were even more reasons for her to sneak out. She was probably a little upset that she was left behind but Mikoto had promised herself she would tell her what happened. Kuroko deserved to know. No small part of her was glad for the delay in talking about Jason's fate. It was hard enough hearing about it, let alone explaining it to someone else.
"How bad is it?" Mikoto asked. "We found out Eve's responsible for stirring things up."
"That would explain a lot," Kuroko agreed. "It's bad, and we heard it turned violent. Just stay away from the central districts- I'm sorry. I have to go!"
There was a click as Kuroko hung up.
"Turn on the news," Misaki ordered Lessar, who was nearest to the remote. "If it's that bad, there should be someone reporting on it."
"On it!"
The TV flickered to life, and Lessar began flipping through the channels as everyone turned to watch.
"…with the riots already covering nearly two districts-" The female reporter commented, nearly drowned out by the noise of a helicopter. "-Anti-Skill has been trying to contain the scene, but with every passing hour, the destruction widens."
"This is… horrible." Mikoto gasped, her hands covering her mouth.
From the scene shown by the camera on the helicopter, the streets were in chaos.
Cars were flipped over, buildings were being ransacked, and large groups of protestors were pushing against the shielded forms of Anti-Skill. Most of the students had to be low levels, either 1s or 0s, but higher-level ability users were joining the fray as they watched. One person even picked up a car and threw it, causing multiple Anti-Skill members to retreat as the vehicles exploded right in front of them. They fired gas canisters in response but were repelled by other students back at them.
The Parameter List has agitated people in every level range, and now the peace of the city was paying the price.
"This was all caused by that list being released, correct?" Itsuwa asked. "The one that told students in this city what level they would be?"
"Yeah, it is." Touma confirmed, despairingly.
"Why, though?" Lessar asked. "Are they upset they can't progress any further? It's not the city's fault they were born that way."
"It's not that simple," Misaki sighed, setting down her fork. "For years, Academy City told everyone they could reach higher levels if they worked hard enough, and of course everyone believed them. Students would work on developing their abilities tirelessly. Some would give up if they didn't see improvement, while others would push themselves to their limits."
"And that's where the anger starts," Leivinia interjected, looking up from her paper. "Two people would put in the same amount of effort, but one would get further ahead than the other. The gap would continue to widen no matter how much effort the loser would put in. They get upset, blame the city, and rebel."
"That's how Skill-Out got formed," Touma continued from there after Leivinia hit the nail on the head. "They were an organization made of Level 0's who attacked higher levels out of jealousy. They believed the city didn't care about them and only focused on more powerful ability users,"
"In a way, that is true, Misaka states informatively." Kyoka noticed everyone looking at her. "The city uses information gained from abilities to improve their research, Misaka explains. The stronger the ability, the more information obtained."
"I hate to say this, but in a way, this seems to follows the 'life isn't fair' mentality," Itsuwa spoke up, after listening to the situation. "Just like in sports, some people are naturally gifted while others have to work three times as hard for the same improvements. I can't say I understand your abilities but based on what I've learned here; they seem to be unique to the individual. It would only make sense for them to follow the logic that improvements vary from person to person. Magic is the same way. Some people catch on instantly, while others take years of study to cast even simple spells."
"That's exactly it," Misaki agreed with a short nod and a somewhat forced smile. "It just gets worse here. There's a limit to what we can do on our own. Our abilities are unlocked through drugs and other stimuli. The city is in charge of what we can take and also measures our growth. It costs a lot of money for them to pass out these drugs. What that Parameter List did was tell everyone who the city chose to administer the best drugs to. They knew who would give them the most return on their investment. This caused people to get passed over and stay stuck at their current level."
"I could see them getting upset at that," Lessar agreed, leaning back in her chair. "I would hate to find out the city was keeping me back from reaching my full potential."
"I don't know, sounds like a good plan," Leivinia shrugged and then noticed the glares. "What? If I had a choice between giving money to someone who would pay it back and someone who would use it and never pay me back, I would go with the latter."
"Ignoring Birdway being selfish…"
"Don't be a child."
"…as much as I hate that the world works like that, I understand it." Touma continued. "Academy City is full of corporations that are in this to profit. We just benefit from them because they benefit from us. However, I don't support people using violence, especially against people who had no control over the city's choices. Most of us are doing our best day-to-day and have nothing to do with the city's decisions. It's a crappy situation, but no one's found a better solution."
"There you go," Leivinia congratulated him. "You're learning. Life isn't fair. Suck it up."
"Sparky?" Lessar asked, noticing Mikoto had gone oddly quiet. "You okay?"
"I'm fine." Her voice was monotonous and forced. "Just… I benefited from that system, and I feel bad for everyone else."
There was more to it than that. If it hadn't been for Misaki and Touma being by her side, she probably would have spiraled into depression. Yes, she had benefited from the system, but she wouldn't have felt like this if that was it. It was because, for the longest time, she believed that all the hard work she put into developing her ability and skills were what led to her being a Level 5. It was a hard pill to swallow and her stomach always twisted into knots whenever she thought about it. She felt Touma's eyes on her and deliberately avoided eye contact.
He would be able to tell what she was truly feeling.
"What we found out was that some people could progress but didn't due to their own laziness," Misaki responded to the table. "Anyone could have the potential, but if they don't work toward improving themselves, nothing will come of it. Time will pass, and they will go from being a genius to simply average. Applying oneself takes a lot of discipline and is hard to do when you're the one in charge of improving yourself and not the city."
Mikoto turned in surprise to lock eyes with Misaki.
Obviously, it was directed at her, though most of the people at the table probably weren't fully aware of that. The two who were most aware of Misaki's words were grateful. Touma was thankful to her for helping Mikoto, knowing they had their differences in the past. Their relationship had changed once they started to be a little more honest with each other. It also helped that Mikoto and Touma were two people Misaki couldn't manipulate if she ever grew weak with her self-control. Still, her words touched Mikoto, and she was incredibly thankful.
"Like you and exercise?"
Okay, Mikoto still couldn't resist teasing the blonde now that she felt better.
"Some of us don't need it as much to keep our figure."
Misaki's smug smile and the twinkle in her eye as she responded were on point, indicating everything was back to normal. She wasn't going to let Mikoto fall into despair.
"So, does that mean we can't leave the apartment?" Index asked Touma. "Because of the riots?" Her request wasn't entirely innocent. If they couldn't leave, Touma would be here to spend more time together.
"Eve's using the riots as a distraction for something," Touma replied seriously. "For now, you shouldn't go out alone."
"But you always get into trouble when I'm not around!" Index protested.
"She's got you there." Lessar agreed.
"So you aren't allowed to go out without me!" Index declared. "You spend time with everyone else, but it's been ages since it was just us! This way, I can make sure you don't get into trouble."
"Index…" Touma buried his face in his hand exasperatedly. "I go to school. It's not like I go out to amusement parks. Then in the evening, I get sucked up into magic stuff when some random cabal leader virtually blackmails me into helping her."
"No idea who you're referring to," Leivinia replied absentmindedly. "But they sound like my kind of girl."
"Misaka can confirm that a boy his age is supposed to go to school daily, Misaka confirms." Index looked over at Kyoka. "It's important for social interaction along with learning basic fundamentals."
"Index, I'm sure he will love taking you out when he's free," Itsuwa assured the small nun. "For now, we need to contact Accelerator-san and learn what he and Bayloupe-san found in Kagere-san's apartment."
"Speaking of which…" Touma trailed off as he turned toward Lessar. "Do you think you can contact Bayloupe? We need to meet up."
"Can't you call Accelerator?" Lessar asked. "You said he's the one who took the information you found."
"If I call him, he'll cuss at me and hang up."
"That's a pretty accurate description of him when he's in a good mood." Mikoto confirmed, causing Misaki to put a hand over her mouth to stifle her laughter.
"Are you sure this is the place?"
Shiage slowed down the windowless van he was driving as they entered the warehouse district. A few random vehicles passed by without issue. A large warehouse was open, and something was being moved by heavy equipment that was under supervision by a couple of employees—nothing unusual there. He was probably the most unusual sight there. A simple van, rather than a truck of some kind, was roaming through the area. If anyone stopped them, they would discover the three girls sitting in the back.
Then they would quickly regret it.
"Up ahead and turn right."
Shizuri was directing him without even looking up from her phone. There was no need to, as the map on her phone was precise to the foot. FERRET made sure of that. She wore a wireless earpiece where her pocket magic encyclopedia was feeding her information. She was keeping a low profile in the back seat, even with it being uncomfortable and downright degradable to be sitting in this tin can. While her face wasn't as well known as the other Level 5s, some people might recognize her.
With the city's current state, that wasn't a good idea, not for her safety, but the others. If a bunch of idiots attacked her, she would have to resort to protecting herself. That usually involved some green energy beams and a mountain of corpses. Genocide was something she was avoiding. Not for the reason FERRET implied involving Touma's displeasure, but for the fact the city would come down on her. The freedom she enjoyed would be taken away, regardless of what the trashy computer program insinuated.
"What are we super looking for exactly?"
Shizuri looked up at the three girls across from her. Saiai was chewing on some gum when she asked the question while Frenda was double-checking her hidden explosives. Rikou was sleeping with her eyes open, an impressive feat.
"We aren't looking for anything," Shizuri told them. "I know exactly where we're going. Take a left now, Hamazura."
"It all looks the same." Came the responses from the front seat. "Is there a warehouse number?"
"666."
A sneer began to form on the Level 5s lips. It was just like Eve to broadly advertise herself like that.
"Mugino knows the way," Frenda snapped at Shiage. "Just follow her orders."
"Ugh… I don't have to go in, right?" Shiage groaned, used to the disrespect.
"No, you can stay out with the van, coward," Shizuri assured him maliciously. "If things get bad and we need a quick escape, that's your job. Takitsubo!" The snoozing girl awoke with a start. "You're with me in case I need that power up."
"…Are you sure it's safe?" The tired girl asked.
"If there's someone on a similar level of the last trash Eve threw at us, I want to have all my options available."
"Have you learned to control it?" Saiai asked. "Last time, it super nearly killed you. If anything is off slightly…"
"I can… to a degree," Shizuri admitted slowly, as the words left an unpleasant taste in her mouth. It was hard to admit she couldn't fully control that power. "It's gotten easier, but I still need drugs or Takitsubo's ability to break that wall." Her lips formed into a dark smirk. "There have been improvements that leaked through, and I've been getting stronger. It's only a matter of time."
"Just… make sure you don't destroy your body, Mugino," Frenda warned. She was still upset she never got to see Shizuri transform, but she had been off fighting in Australia. "Basically, our group centers on you. If you die, who's going to lead? Hamazura?"
Saiai burst out laughing with Frenda.
"Oh, that was great!" The small girl wiped a tear from her eye. "Hamazura? Leading?"
"…I'm sure he could if needed," Rikou spoke up. "He was able to distract and put up a fight against Oda Nobunaga."
That sobered Saiai up instantly. Her power had been useless against that monster of a man. It still stung that a Level 0, let alone it being Shiage, was able to put up a better fight than her. She crossed her arms and huffed, not wanting to make a scene.
Meanwhile, in the front of the van, Shiage was wearing the biggest shit-eating grin on his face.
Takitsubo is the best girlfriend ever.
Shizuri ignored the back and forth of her team. Again, she didn't care if Shiage and Rikou dated, as long as their relationship didn't interfere during the mission. In some ways, it made it easier to control the blond delinquent. Taking Rikou with her would make sure Shiage didn't bail in the middle of a shitstorm.
Rikou was insurance because there was still a chance his fear of death would be greater than his fear of her.
"Pull in between those two warehouses and slip around back," Shizuri ordered. "Do not go right up to that warehouse."
Shiage followed her order to the letter and parked, turning off the van but leaving the keys in the ignition. A running van sitting in one spot would draw attention if it were spotted. A parked one wouldn't cause as much suspicion as long as they didn't take too long. They would break into the warehouse and destroy Eris, along with whatever garbage she had manipulated into protecting her. The world didn't need people like that.
This was a simple extermination mission.
Shizuri, Frenda, Saiai, and Rikou left out the back while Shiage watched them go in silence. Anything he said would fall on deft ears. His eyes did fall on Rikou's back as his girlfriend left. Nervousness filled his stomach as the door closed behind the girls. Shizuri had told them all this was a simple search and destroy mission, but his encounter with the magician Oda Nobunaga taught him dealing with magic was anything but simple. His gut warned him something was off.
Over the years, the boy learned to trust his gut.
"Umm, Mugino?" Frenda asked as the four girls made their way on foot to the warehouse. There were some old security cameras active, but they were all professionals and avoided them easily. "Since we don't know what magic this Eris person can use, shouldn't we ask Kamijou to come?"
Instantly she quelled under Shizuri's death stare.
I was super wondering the same thing. Saiai thought but was smart enough not to say anything.
"Do you think we're incapable of completing a mission without him?"
Frenda shivered as those words were devoid of any sort of warmth.
"No… but-…!"
"He's too soft for this kind of mission," Shizuri cut her off. "If he joins us, he'll want us to take her in. That's not our job. Our job is to kill Eris and end the riots."
"Will killing her actually do that?" Saiai asked curiously. "I thought you super didn't know her powers."
"I withheld some information from you until now." The Level 5 pulled out her phone. "My informant provided me with information about her. This is all the information I have about her power, and you need to memorize this immediately."
There was a click as her finger hit play, and FERRET's voice began to speak.
"Eris is not a combative type magician. While she is not actually the Goddess of Strife and Discord, her magic is based on those legends. Her greatest power comes from manipulating and turning individuals against each other. When you face her, you need to engage her in direct combat immediately. The longer you listen to her words, the harder it will be to separate truth from fiction. In the worst-case scenario, you will end up killing each other, and the last one standing will join her."
"That's not inspiring," Frenda muttered, imagining what would happen if she was on the receiving end of a Meltdowner blast. "Basically, I'd probably lose my lower half."
For some reason, it gave her a nasty sense of déjà-vu, as if she could actually feel herself getting ripped in half.
"Should we come up with some code phrases?" Saiai suggested. "In case we get separated, and she tries to disguise herself as one of us?"
"…I doubt it will be that simple." Rikou pointed out.
"No, but it's not a bad idea," Shizuri agreed with a frown. "We know illusions and transformations can be done with magic, so here are the phrases…" She recited off some rules to all of them. "It has to change in case they are spying on us. If you lose sight of your partner for any reason, make sure you question them."
"Do we have permission to kill anyone we see?" Saiai asked.
"Are there any ability users in that warehouse?" Shizuri asked Rikou. "If it's just magicians, we're free to finish this quickly."
"…One moment." Rikou's eyes dilated as she stared and slowly scanned the entire warehouse they were targeting. "There are no signs of any AIM fields there."
"So just magic people then?" Frenda asked. "Basically, this means we don't have to hold back."
Shizuri crossed her arms as she thought about it.
"Something wrong?" Frenda asked, noticing Shizuri's expression. "Do you think it's a trap? Should we bail?"
"Possibly…"
This was not the first mission the Level 5 had participated in that didn't feel right. There was something off about that warehouse. The feeling just screamed this was the wrong place. FERRET continued to indicate this was the right spot, and Eris' magic signature was located here. A glance at her phone told her the signature hadn't moved.
The nagging feeling in the back of her mind told her this was a trap and she should leave.
"I don't like this," Saiai commented. "I think we should leave. This seems like a super normal warehouse."
"…I wouldn't mind leaving." Rikou added.
It suddenly all clicked into place.
"That…bitch!" Shizuri hissed. "This is the right place after all. We're in one of those People Clearing Fields. That magic bullshit that makes people leave."
"Are you serious?" Frenda asked. "How do you know?"
"When was the last time all of us wanted to abandon a mission?"
The three girls' eyes widened as Shizuri's words sunk in. Sometimes, they had to retreat if they were outgunned and Shizuri was somewhere else, but they never just ran away like cowards before something happened. Once they realized that, the desire to flee quickly dispersed from their minds.
"So we are close." Saiai punched her fist into her other hand. "I'm super going to crack some skulls."
"You two, the back entrance," Shizuri ordered. "Takitsubo, you're with me. We're going in the front."
A knock from Touma's apartment door interrupted the inhabitants enjoying their breakfast.
"I got it," Itsuwa volunteered, rising from her chair and answering the door. "Er… hello? Can I help you?"
She had never seen the couple on the other side of the door. The boy had black hair, was kind of tall, and was current scowling. The girl was shorter with curly blonde hair and looked a little bit like a delinquent. Itsuwa was confused for a moment at the unexpected pair until the girl spoke up.
"It's us." The air around the two flickered and revealed Accelerator and Bayloupe. "With Academy City in chaos, we had to put on disguises."
"Come in. Hurry."
Itsuwa waved them in. Illusions were a specialty of New Light, so it wasn't strange for Bayloupe to perform something simple like that. It was pretty smart on her part to do so. With the Level 5s being targets of those upset with Academy City, it would be hard for someone like Accelerator to go out in public. Bayloupe was a little less known, but people had begun to see her with him, so if someone recognized her, she would be targeted as the girlfriend of the Number One. To avoid a situation, a simple disguise was in order. Not a single person noticed those two, and they were able to come here with impunity.
Accelerator's eyes scanned the room, along with the visitors who hadn't been there the night before.
"Tsk, should have known you two would be here."
"Why wouldn't we be here?!" Mikoto snapped back.
Lack of sleep was making them all testy. Mikoto was exhausted, and the stress was getting to her. Dark circles were under her eyes. Accelerator looked a little more rested, but it was apparent he was also tired. Bayloupe tried to stifle a yawn, showing she didn't sleep much either. She did hide it a little better. Her past job experiences probably led to a lot of sleepless nights with how magicians operated in secrecy. Only Leivinia seemed to be immune to lack of sleep.
"Now, now, can we try to be a little more respectful, given the situation?"
Misaki was trying to be diplomatic and kept a neutral expression to hide her own exhaustion. They had bigger things to worry about than Accelerator's and Mikoto's attitudes toward each other. He had been called over for a specific reason. The information he had taken from Jason's apartment could be vital in dictating their next move.
"Accelerator, please tell us you managed to discover something." The blonde continued, looking directly at the albino.
"Oh, we fucking found something all right!" Accelerator's tired look vanished to be replaced by anger as he tossed a packet of papers between them. "Turns out that bastard has been researching us a lot more than we thought."
"Touma did mention there was some information about us," Mikoto admitted, picking up the folder and opening it. Misaki peeked over her shoulder. "But remember? The city had him 'monitor' us after all our battles with Eve's forces. The city was thinking we were running rogue and needed to be watched."
"Yeah, fuck that reasoning, Third Rate." Mikoto scowled at Accelerator's words. "This was the hidden file he kept separate from the city. The information was relating to us transcending past Level 5. You know, all our transformations that just happened to start after we met him?"
"We heard he was researching stability," Misaki confirmed. "That it was centered around Touma. It is possible his hand played some part in it."
"More than you think," Bayloupe interjected, sitting down across from them. "We have reason to believe Jason Kagere was planning to use you all in a ritual of some kind."
"WHAT?!" Touma, Mikoto, and Misaki cried out in disbelief.
"A ritual?" Index asked in shock after everyone's initial outburst. "Let me see!"
"A ritual like a ceremony? Misaka asks, uncertain of the significance of this.
"Kind of," Itsuwa explained. "It's a way to channel mana into a larger form than one would be able to produce with just your body. You have to have certain items to symbolize certain things, like elements, directions, or even locations."
"How interesting." Leivinia mused, looking over the papers. "Hmm, this looks incomplete. Did he stop in the middle of this?"
"I think he might have," Bayloupe admitted. "It's possible he was developing something with this that Eve considered a threat. It's a pretty simple structure, but I'm curious as to what he's representing each direction with. Vengeance, Hope, Protection, and Redemption."
Misaki's eyes widened as the magicians continued to talk. The more Bayloupe explained what she learned, the more it clicked that Jason was planning something with them. Now she, like the others, wanted to know what that diagram was for. Even if she wasn't a magician herself, being immersed in their world taught her a lot.
"I still can't see him betraying us," Mikoto muttered, sinking back in her seat. "It's just so… unbelievable. For all we know, Eve attacked him because of this."
"That's what I've been saying," Touma agreed, relieved someone was entertaining his belief at least. "He could have pretended to work with her to discover a way to beat her. It seems like something he would do."
This is beyond optimism, Accelerator thought. The hero just refuses to admit the truth.
"We shouldn't rush to judgment," Misaki warned. "Again, Eve is a master of manipulation. For all we know, she wants us to doubt him. Touma… are you going to contact the second princess and see if she'll tell you anything?"
"I don't… want to speak to her right now." Touma hesitantly spoke under his breath.
Misaki's gaze softened, and she placed a hand on his cheek.
"I know you don't want to after what she told you," Misaki consoled him. "However, you can't let yourself get consumed by anger that you can't think straight. We need her information and Stiyl's information. With only a few pieces of this complicated puzzle, we aren't going to solve it. We need everything."
"I hate that woman, but even I agree with Shokuhou," Mikoto added gruffly. "After we figure this out, then you can tell her to leave and never come back."
"Ah… sorry." Touma apologized as he looked at the ground. "You're both right as usual."
"Of course we are," Misaki reassured him. "We're girls. Naturally, we're smarter than boys."
A snort from Accelerator was his only response to that statement after holding his tongue.
"This… is this everything?!"
The panicked voice caused them all to stare at the magicians crowded around the documents Accelerator had printed off.
"We don't have anything else to work on?" Index pressed. "I need to know if there was anything else besides this. Symbols, documents, books, anything."
"No, I made sure we had everything," Bayloupe answered grimly. "Even if it didn't look important, we all know that details matter in spells like this."
"This… isn't good." Index twisted her habit nervously. "If we combine this with what we know of Eve's plan… I think we can infer what the spell is supposed to do."
Touma's mouth went dry at the nun's words, but he had to ask the question. They kept arguing if Jason had betrayed them to Eve and Touma needed to know. If Index deciphered his spell, then they would know for sure. The words came out of his mouth.
"Is it to help her or us?"
"Yes."
There was a moment of silence as everyone stared at Index. Out of all the responses that could have come from that girl, that word was not one anybody expected.
"Did… did you just sass him?" Mikoto asked in disbelief.
"Fuck," Accelerator swore. "She and the brat have been spending too much time with Worst."
"That is a typical response from her." Bayloupe agreed.
"Wow, didn't expect that from Index!" Lessar exclaimed, still laughing.
"What do you mean?" Index tilted her head in confusion as she looked around. Her innocent expression betrayed no sign she was sarcastic in her response. "As a member of the church, I do not sass or lie. You're supposed to answer 'Yes' to a question where both parts are correct, but there's more in play so that choosing one would not suffice."
Worst was definitely feeding her wrong information when she hung out with Last Order. That would have to be addressed at a later date because there was something more pressing at hand. When Leivinia started listening intently, that was a dangerous sign.
"What do you mean both?" Itsuwa asked for everyone. "How is he helping both Eve and us?"
"Remember, this is only a theory based on the information we have available to us." Index told them, looking at each person in turn before stopping on Touma. "I don't think Jason was against us because the spell could be set up to help us."
"Just… tell us what you know." Touma answered, trying to keep his voice calm, even as he was internally yelling at the girl to spill her guts. Index didn't deserve that. "We need to figure out what's happening around us."
"As you know, Eve and her group are planning to revive the fallen angel Lucifer and use him to kill God," Index went into an explanatory mode, similar to a teacher at school. "They are gathering wing fragments in order to recreate Lucifer's body. How they are doing that, I don't know yet. Assuming they succeed, they would then have to confront God. That would require them to enter the Realm of God, or Heaven which it is commonly referred to as."
"How would they reach Heaven? Misaka asks doubtfully. Most people do not believe such a place exists as there is no evidence for it." Everyone knew Kyoka by now that her question didn't trigger anyone.
"After all the cool magic you've seen, you don't believe?" Lessar asked surprised. "What's it going to take to make you believe Heaven is real?"
"Misaka supposes going there would be the best way to prove its existence, Misaka admits thoughtfully, thinking of possibilities. Heaven is supposed to have everyone's greatest desires, so would there be cats and ice cream there?"
"That's what most religions believe," Mikoto confirmed. "If you're good, you live for an eternity in the afterlife without pain or suffering. It also would depend on the person. If you're lactose intolerant, there wouldn't be ice cream."
"Please, no one's lactose intolerant in Heaven," Lessar interrupted with a roll of her eyes. "That's why it's Heaven."
"We're getting off-topic," Bayloupe said forcefully. "Lessar, knock it off."
"Sorry." Lessar replied weakly, sinking in her seat.
"Where was I… oh, right!" Index tapped a finger on the table. "So Eve and the Fallen may or may not follow Lucifer into the Realm of God. We don't know exactly how they plan to accomplish a supposedly impossible task. This spell that Jason developed looks like it's designed to be used if they actually succeed in their goal."
"For argument's sake, let's assume they succeed." Misaki was keeping a very leveled head in all this, while Mikoto looked like she wanted to say something rash but deliberately kept her mouth shut. "Not that we would let them, but hypothetically. What exactly would this ritual spell do?"
"If God died, the entire world would receive a backlash." Index explained, gesturing as she talked like she was explaining things to little kids. In a way, the science side students were children in relation to the knowledge of magic. "God is more than just a powerful entity watching over humanity, but a being who is tied to this world. If He were killed, the lynchpin holding the world together would break."
"So God's like the heart," Mikoto muttered. "Break…? You mean like the universe would collapse into nothing?"
"That's one outcome," Itsuwa confirmed darkly. "It could always twist the world into something completely different than what it is now. We don't know for sure, as there's no historical precedent of someone killing God."
"I doubt there even is one," Accelerator scoffed. "If there is some all-powerful person in the sky, it's probably just some magician who did shit like that."
"You're referring to a Magic God," Leivinia corrected him, twirling her wand absentmindedly. "They supposedly can alter reality as they see fit. In a way, they might as well be god to a normal person."
"Bah, like they exist."
Touma sank in his seat. Not everyone knew about Julunggul. Most of the people here did, but they were smart enough to keep quiet. This wasn't information that should be spread, especially since she was killed. Which led to the question, was she really a god or just a powerful magician? Either way, Touma was thankful for her help, but telling people about her was just embarrassing.
"Please let Index continue," Bayloupe suggested to the table. "We'll be here all day otherwise."
"Sorry." Mikoto apologized.
Everyone was feeling guilty for interrupting. It was easy to get off track.
"Thank you!" Index thanked gratefully to Bayloupe. "Naturally, we don't want the world to break apart in the case of His death. What we would have to do is create something new, something to take the place of the lynchpin." She tapped the paper in front of her. "This is what we're thinking Jason is trying to do."
"Create a lynchpin…" Anyone watching Touma could swear they heard a loud click as his brain processed the information and finally reached a conclusion. "He's trying to create a replacement god?"
"I believe so." Index confirmed. "Honestly, that's really sacrilegious, and I'm not sure it would work. This is diving into completely unknown territory. He's trying to use your science side abilities to act as replacements for archangels. Whether this is permanent or just a stage remains to be seen. A lot of information is missing, so it must have been taken, or maybe this was incomplete."
"He's using us?" Misaki frowned. "I know he said he was assigned to watch over our activities because of the city, but he never really abused that authority. His position would gave him full access to our data."
"So he's counting on Eve to succeed in order to initiate his new system?" Lessar asked.
"Not necessarily," Itsuwa put forth her own thoughts. "Let's say Eve did succeed and killed God, which would cause the world to break down. That would mean we failed to stop her obviously. If Kagere-san cast this spell, would it be able to stabilize the breakdown?"
"Yes," Index confirmed with a vigorous nod. "There's a chance it's a failsafe he set up. When we hung out after Touma would leave me alone for days on end, he would say he liked to be prepared and work on many projects. Some of these portions I gave him information on. He was nice and loved learning when he cooked for me."
"He bribed you with food to get the information he needed." Leivinia face palmed as Index spoke. "He's been planning this for a while."
"Will you stop jumping to the worst possible conclusions?" Touma demanded angrily. It was getting rather annoying to hear people speak ill of the dead. "Index even said it might be a failsafe. He probably didn't tell us this because he wasn't planning to use it unless he had no choice."
"Or until it was finished and knew it would work." Mikoto added supporting her boyfriend.
"When did you start teaching him?" Bayloupe asked Index.
That was an important question. The timing was everything here.
"Not long after we met," Index recalled perfectly. "Touma went on a vacation for a weekend, and that's where it started. Before that, it was just an occasional conversation in his apartment."
"Vacation?" Touma thought about a vacation he had without Index knowing. "Wait… the Tokiwadai field trip?"
Accelerator frowned. Tokiwadai was an all-girls school, so as a guy, Touma wouldn't be allowed. He didn't speak his mind, as it wasn't essential, and it seemed like something stupid that would happen around the hero. Someone else realized the significance though.
"He was the one who approached me…" Misaki recalled, eyes widening as she remembered this. "It was spun as me taking you there to escape everyone trying to find you after the tournament. I thought it was strange, but he just said I would owe him. Now that I think about it, he never did ask for that favor."
"Wait…" The gravity of the situation was sinking into Mikoto's mind too. "We didn't meet Eve until we flew to Rome to rescue our friends. That means…" Her eyes began to widen as she realized what it meant.
"He knew about this ahead of time," Accelerator spat out. "The moment he met us, or even before that. The bastard has been playing us all along."
Touma didn't have the strength to fight anymore. The more they talked, the more the pieces were falling into place in a way that he didn't want to believe. Jason had integrated into their lives in Academy City pretty thoroughly, and Touma never questioned it. He got along with his friends at school, found a girlfriend, then another one, while helping them with their problems and fighting against Eve. Yet the fight against Eve might have been a front. They never actually defeated her, and she kept toying with them. Jason also had perfect access to all the information Eve was seeking in Academy City. AIM fields, their abilities, everything.
At this point, there was no reason to deny the truth without just seeming like a clueless child.
"The question now is, why would he want to do this after all the work the Fallen did to set this up?" Lessar asked.
"Because Eve doesn't want to kill people unnecessarily," Itsuwa gasped. "After God's death, the world would collapse and everyone in it would die or just vanish. This way, her curse would be lifted and she wouldn't feel guilty about the repercussions to the billions of lives on earth."
"Unlike Adam who was willing to involve innocent lives, Misaka adds angrily."
"But why would he join Eve's forces?" Lessar asked. "She had to promise him something."
"Probably just to see if it would work," Accelerator offered curtly. "The fucker would do whatever just to do something he found interesting. Seeing what would happen if he were to create a new magic system once God was out of the way was probably pretty tempting for him."
"No…Emiko."
Everyone turned toward Touma. Those words were meant to remain in his mind, but he accidentally muttered them out loud. He gulped once under their gazes before being forced to continue. Since he attracted attention, he had to explain his words. This wasn't easy for him, and it wasn't going to be easy for the others to hear.
"That's all I can think he would want." His words were bitter. "Emiko died in the cooperative experiment between Academy City and Eve's forces. She probably promised him to revive her or something."
"But he was shocked to see her!" Mikoto pointed out instantly.
"Her form, maybe," Misaki suggested. "Eve might have been slowly bringing her back or was planning to betray him. It's hard to understand what she's thinking. If she were keeping her as a memory, it would force Kagere-san to work with her."
"But… if that's all true," Mikoto's lip quivered. "His relationship with Kuroko… and Uiharu-san…?"
"Yeah, he used them," Leivinia stated bluntly, not caring about tact as the others stayed quiet. "He used all of you."
Sparks flickered around Mikoto as her eyes flashed. Disbelief quickly changed to anger. She just found out that Jason had been playing with Kuroko and Kazari's hearts, something so twisted she just couldn't stomach it. He had used them to stay hidden within their group. Those two girls were in love with him, and that bastard used their feelings to further his own goal. All those dates, all those words, none of that meant anything. Mikoto still remembered how happy Kuroko had been at night, texting him while talking to her about their boyfriends. Those were happy moments in the current chaotic state of the world that brought any normalcy to their lives.
But those moments were all lies.
Her friends were nothing more than mere pawns to him.
"Misaka…" Misaki tried to reach over, but a burst of electricity forced her to pull her hand back.
"He's going to answer for this," Mikoto growled through clenched teeth. "For everything."
"Revenge, I can get behind that." Leivinia sneered.
"Stop it, Birdway," Touma told her angrily, putting a hand on Mikoto's shoulder. The electricity around her vanished instantly. "I hate to ask this-…"
"You want us to see if we can finish this spell," Itsuwa finished for him. "I think we can. Just in case everything goes wrong, we can have this ready."
"Pretty much," Touma was glad she caught on so quickly. "Though, since it combines magic and science, it might be difficult."
"Accelerator can provide nearly everything we need about ability users from this city," Bayloupe assured him. "At this point, it's mostly symbolic. It makes sense he was responsible for those transformations of yours, as, for a spell of this magnitude, you need strong anchor points. Using a normal person wouldn't accomplish much."
"It's been a while since we did something on this scale," Lessar actually looked eagerly. "We keeping it a secret from the church and the princess?"
"Yes." Everyone was actually surprised Touma was the one who said that. They expected Leivinia or Accelerator to not want to share this information with those organizations. "After last night, Carissa is hiding a lot from us. I don't think we can trust her with this information yet. If I have time, I'll make her see clearly, but for now, keep this between us." He looked at Leivinia. "I know I can't-…"
"This is too interesting not to try," Leivinia spoke over him. "I have no desire for annoyances to interfere. I won't speak of it for now."
Accelerator wanted to know more, but he was conflicted. A large part of himself wanted to kick Jason's ass and beat him over the head with his own arm, but that was impossible now.
"What about us?" Misaki asked. "I doubt we could do much to help them."
"We have a much more difficult task ahead of us. We have to let them know about Jason's death."
Touma's mouth was dry as he uttered those words. Misaki's eyes widened slightly in surprise, but she instantly realized what they had to do next. Mikoto and Touma would probably break the news, but she wanted to be ready to support them. Misaki wasn't that close to who Touma was talking about and Mikoto was a little slower on the uptake. It took a few moments, but the seething anger faded away to be replaced by a pale face and eyes full of worry.
Mikoto understood now and spoke with trembling lips.
"Kuroko and Uiharu have to know."
There was a small flash of green light as Shizuri conjured an energy orb to burn away the primitive lock.
"You would think in this city all the locks would be electronic."
Rikou shrugged and continued scanning the area, looking for any signs of possible AIM fields of students coerced by Eris. She couldn't locate magicians, but there was no way an ability user would sneak up on them.
"Stay behind me," Shizuri muttered to Rikou. This wasn't out of concern for the girl's health and safety, but because her power wasn't combat-oriented except under particular conditions. Magicians did not fall under that umbrella. "Keep an eye out for anything suspicious."
Rikou didn't say anything but continued to look around as Shizuri pushed the warehouse door open. An annoying creak greeted this action, and Shizuri flinched. There went the element of surprise unless they were occupied with something else. Judging from the lack of sounds coming from the dark storage building, that didn't seem likely. Shizuri waved for Rikou to follow her, and they slowly moved in further, looking at the boxes and crates.
It looked like this warehouse was one of many holding building supplies. Concrete, mortar, cement, those kinds of things. In a city with super-powered children and crazy scientific inventions, a lot of accidental damage was caused, not to mention entire streets being torn up by the Level 5s in their fights. Her Meltdowner was exceptionally destructive, second to only Accelerator's power.
Still, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
The warehouse was clean, except for a little dust on some of the crates in the back. The security lights were dim, and a few were flickering, indicating this place was pretty old but still usable. None of the items appeared suspicious, and there weren't any places to hide. There wasn't much choice, and Shizuri decided to throw away being stealthy and focus on finishing this quickly.
She reached over and turned the lights on.
After blinking a few times to get adjusted to the sudden brightness, Shizuri did another pass, trying to find a rune, a sign, any kind of clue there was someone here. Frustration only grew as more time passed and they discovered nothing. Taking the opportunity when Rikou was looking down another aisle, Shizuri pulled out her phone.
"There's nothing here!" The girl hissed at FERRET. "Are you trying to waste my time?"
"No, she is definitely here." FERRET replied, the virtual older woman keeping calm. "You are trying to rationalize this with science. You are dealing with a magician of discord. Try to think like her."
"What the hell do you mean by that?!" Shizuri's voice was rising as her temper began to flare.
"…Mugino?"
Shizuri slammed her mouth shut and pocketed her phone.
"Did you find anything?"
"No!" Shizuri growled. "Nothing! This place is nothing but a storage area used for Academy City's building materials. There's no one here." FERRET must be malfunctioning. "Let's find the others and lea-…"
It hit her like a ton of bricks.
"Takitsubo…? Have you seen Frenda or Kinuhata since we've arrived?"
The warehouse was large, but it wasn't endless. They walked around the perimeter multiple times, including passing the back entrance. After turning on the lights, Frenda would have yelled out in surprise. The fact she didn't made Shizuri mentally kick herself for overlooking something so simple yet significant.
"…No, I have not."
"Shit!"
Shizuri pulled out her phone again and messaged Frenda. The only reason she didn't call was just in case the airhead forgot to set her phone to vibrate. If she hadn't been caught, her ringtone would give away her position. There was no immediate response and her teeth began to grate. Frenda and Saiai knew the importance of getting back immediately on missions. That meant they were either in trouble or out of range, maybe both.
"They vanished," Shizuri informed Rikou. "That means we are at the right place."
"But where do we check?" Rikou asked. "We've already scoured the entire warehouse."
The girl had a point and Shizuri took a moment to compose herself. It had been a while since anger and panic caused her to lose her cool on a mission. After a couple of deep breaths, her brain clicked into gear as she processed what they knew. They had checked the entirety of the warehouse and found nothing. FERRET continued to detect that they were indeed in the right place. Frenda and Saiai had vanished. If there had been a struggle, Shizuri would have heard something. Those two were not quiet in a fight after all. FERRET's words rang in her ears again.
You are dealing with a magician. Think like her.
Magic didn't follow customary scientific laws, so she had to backtrack about why the other team would get targeted and not Rikou and herself. The only difference was they…
"…Entered through the back." Shizuri let the last few words slip out.
"Pardon?" Rikou asked, tilting her head.
"Frenda and Kinuhata entered through the back door while we entered through the front!" Shizuri began to march toward the back of the warehouse, and Rikou quickly made her way after her. "That's the only difference I can think of. It's not like they were attacked right when we entered, so maybe the trap was at the door."
She stopped at the back door then proceeded with a swift kick.
The door flew open but remained on its hinges. That seemed unlikely with such an old door, especially since the Level 5 was pretty strong physically. Shizuri inspected the door, but nothing seemed off. Even the door frame didn't seem to have any marks. Taking a deep breath, she stepped through the door back outside. The warm air greeted her, but there were no signs of a trap. With a finger, she motioned Rikou to follow her. Once they were both outside, she shut the warehouse door.
"I'm going to go in and repeat what they did," Shizuri explained. "Pay attention. If I vanish, go and meet up with Hamazura. You're not useful alone here."
"Yes, Mugino." Rikou agreed without an argument.
Shizuri opened the door and stepped through into the lighted warehouse.
Then everything went dark and some invisible force yanked her inside. Her fingers grasping the door handle suddenly closed over nothing as the girl began to fall. Further and further through the darkness, she continued, unsure how far she had gone before composing herself. Right as she conjured a sphere for some light, her feet met solid ground. After falling so far, landing daintily like that all of a sudden didn't make sense. Her acceleration should have caused some damage in her legs at the very least. Of course, the fall was caused by magic, so normal physics didn't matter.
Besides, Shizuri was distracted with something much more pressing.
The lights had turned on to reveal where she was.
"What the hell… did I just fucking fall in a painting?"
All around here, there were staircases. What separated these from normal ones was they were going in every direction, not just up and down. Some were perpendicular to each other; others were upside down on the bottom of other stairs. No matter where she looked, there were staircases and platforms with a few walls that blocked her vision. It was like a giant 3D maze.
"I was wondering when you would show up." An amused voice called out.
Instantly, Shizuri looked up. Standing on one of the upside down staircases in the distance over a large gap looking down at her was a girl. Slender with dark cascading hair covering one eye, she wore large black boots, with denim overalls tucked into them and hooking over her shoulders. A cropped, black tank top went beneath the straps, barely covering her exposed sides that peeked through the large bomber jacket she had on. There was only one person this could be.
"Eris, I presume."
"You were always the smart one!" Eris answered, not exactly saying yes. "It's why Eve always warned us about you. Are you here to stop me from encouraging the riots?"
Shizuri was observing the girl sizing her up in what she would be able to do. The idea of thinking like a magician still lingered in her mind and she would be sure to use it as much as she could to give her an advantage.
"I normally don't give a damn about what idiots do as long as it doesn't involve me," Shizuri sneered as several bright green orbs appeared around her. "The problem is, thanks to your instigation, the trash in this city is beginning to whine and complain. It's inconveniencing me, to say the least. I'm pretty direct, and I cut off the problem at the source."
"Would the Imagine Breaker boy condone this?"
A flicker of hesitation ran through her. It was only a second, but the grin on Eris's face widened slightly. There was no way she would have missed it. Steeling her resolve, Shizuri pushed down any unnecessary feelings.
"I do the jobs he's too soft to do. So just accept your destruction!"
Five eerie green beams shot out from the orbs across the gap toward Eris. The girl didn't have time to dodge them. While the energy wasn't light speed, it was still incredibly fast. Unless you were prepared, they were not easy to avoid.
However, it turned out Eris didn't have to avoid anything.
As the beams reached about halfway across the gap, they suddenly veered off down and to the left. They never even slowed down at the sudden change in direction. Explosions followed as they hit a staircase, sending rubble and dust into the air. As Shizuri watched, the dust seemed to stay near the staircase rather than spread out. This was going against the very nature of gravity and force.
"What the fuck is this?!" Shizuri demanded and Eris didn't reply. "Answer me, damn it! Is all that blood rushing to your head?"
"From my point of view, you're the one standing on the ceiling," Eris replied coolly. "Is that where all that anger is coming from? Everything is just relative anyways."
Relative.
That one word was all it took.
This place reminded her of the print called Relativity by the Dutch artist M. C. Escher. It depicted a world in which the normal laws of gravity did not apply. In the world of Relativity, there were three sources of gravity, each being orthogonal to the two others. Each inhabitant lived in one of the gravity wells, where normal physical laws apply.
The structures in the print had seven stairways, with each stairway used by people who belong to two different gravity sources. This created interesting phenomena, such as in the top stairway, where two inhabitants used the same stairway in the same direction and on the same side, but each using a different face of each step. One descended the stairway as the other climbed it, even while moving in the same direction nearly side by side. In the other stairways, inhabitants were depicted as climbing the stairs upside-down, but based on their own gravity source, they were climbing normally.
Eris' just seemed to have taken it a step further.
The space was much larger and had many more staircases than what one artist could draw at a time. The differing gravity wells also messed with her ability. In order to kill Eris, Shizuri would have to navigate this maze, while dealing with any unwelcome surprises that may lay in store for her.
Eris began to walk up… down… the stairs? It was confusing as hell and Shizuri felt a headache coming on before she began to run up her own stairway. The calculation needed for this would probably end up giving her a migraine. It didn't stop her from what her true goal was.
One of them was dying today, and this weird world wouldn't change that.
Feel free to leave a review, comment, suggestions, or ideas, I love reading them. If you have a question you wish to ask and would like a quick answer, feel free to message me directly. I try to respond to those within a day or two. Comments, I tend to respond to in the next chapter.
Wishez: My third time betaing for Dark, and my first comment. Doing this is pretty fun, but Dark doesn't ever give us food. Ben and I are on our last legs. My only hope is that you guys can check out my work, called 'The Fool and Fortune', and hope that sustains me