And here we are with another request! I hope that as we alternate between the two of them that you always find yourself amused in some way or form and that, as we return to the requests, you, the reader, and the one making the request have a smile on your face the entire time.
Today's request comes from seiker who asks:
all this parent talk make me suddenly wonder:
what gonna happen if Misaka Tabigake meets Kamijou Touma?
will it be a casual conversation like "what is your relationship with my daughter" and "why did you have my wife's number"
or will it be some kind of dangerous esper/magician-related actions on a nationwide scale
the LN didnt actually mention much about Misaka's father, aside from the fact that he travelled around the world, knew many important people (including Aleister), and apparently rich enough to buy a spaceship or a ballistics missle (lol)
so what is your thought on this?
As you can imagine, this is going to be a hard one to do so I hope you can fully enjoy what is in store for this one-shot and come to enjoy it.
Whatever the case though, as we get into things, I think we'll start with the usual Q & A:
whwsms: As long as you enjoyed last chapter, that is the only thing I can ask for. I would say that other characters guest starring in last chapter would have made for some more amusement, but the risk of that is that things would end up too long. I even debated having the last section with Index at the end, which goes to show how potentially long the chapter would be with some extra bits added in.
paeluclucas: ¡Me alegra que la hayas pasado bien mientras leías el último capítulo!
craytherlay: It has been a while since I did slice of life so I'm glad that it was enjoyed! I'm also liked how you enjoyed Saten and Uiharu were hard core shippers as it were – there some in every single fandom and even in the canon now!
BlueJack22: Thanks so much!
Creation1258: Uiharu barely knows Touma and it's constantly said that, on the surface, he's basically a nobody so that was why I had her first impression of Touma being rather harsh.
Anime-ted Life116: Yeah, Touma has some amazing observation skills that have been refined through constant battles so it does make sense! As for your suggestion, I get the feeling that doing something where it was a dream would be the ultimate cockblock and be flamed so hard so I'll probably pull out of that idea. However…I'm sure I could definitely whip up something where the harem is actually developed instead of it being a dream… We'll have to see where my mind takes me but if you're happy waiting for the chapter then I'm gladly deliver!
onilink500: Sí, recuerdo a Itherael usando a Wannai en su fic (a pesar de que ese fic parece estar un poco muerto) pero solo demuestra lo poco que se usa. También creo que ver a Index como la hermana pequeña de Touma difiere dependiendo de cómo veas su relación, ¡pero no hay una respuesta correcta o incorrecta!
ArmoredCoreNineBall: Yeah, Between the Lines does this thing where it goes between really dark and really fluffy so it's a strange project to say the least. Glad you enjoyed it though!
Guest00: Glad someone got the reference; I couldn't help myself there!
oshudawatta: Thanks so much for your kind words; they really mean a lot. But I have to agree with you; we need more Himegami! And although they can sometimes be kick in the gut, I do intend to do more PROS and CONS going forward; I just haven't figured out when is all. And female Accelerator is a thing….and it is glorious. You're not the only one to enjoy the relationship between Touma and Freyja which is a weird thing how it picked up so quickly and a lot of people enjoyed it? Between the Lines ends up being a weird mix of strange and wonderful things so seeing your reactions each time has been great! I'm pretty sure though that your request where Mikoto meets Touma's parents has already been done in the canon. Were you thinking of an expansion of such a thing or something else entirely?
WwEpsilonwW: I always struggle with writing fluff so I'm glad that you enjoyed last chapter! But, if anything, I'm glad that you could find some inspiration from my writing.
fencer29: Yeah, my brain is a strange place to say for sure! But for two chapters ago, I have to agree: any fire that would have happened would have definitely been contained to Touma's room alone.
Guest: No problem – Between the Lines can be a bit crazy at times so I'm glad that you enjoyed it all the same and thank you so much for taking the time to read it. As for your request, are you talking like a child Touma in the past or a child FORM of Touma? Because the idea in itself has been something I've been wanting to do for some time so figuring out what you're asking for would allow me to hit the nail on the head when it comes to your request.
TheDarkPublisher: So many requests! In terms of the ideas that you put forward, there was one that really stuck out to me so I'll probably end up doing that one, although it might take a while for me to actually get there. Still, as long as you're OK waiting, I'll be more than happy to give the idea a go!
And finally, the thanks. Firstly, to my beta reader PokeRescue18 for everything he has done for both of my projects. All in all, I think the count for the contribution you have made reaches around 200 chapters hasn't it? In a way, that in itself is mindboggling but the fact you have been with me every step of the way is more mindboggling in itself. Seriously man, for everything you have done for me, thank you, from the bottom of my heart. Although he didn't manage to have a look at this chapter, I just felt that I shouldn't forget to thank him for all he's done.
And to you, the reader. For everything you have done with reading my works and reaching this far, I want to thank you too. I realise it might sound a bit impersonal having it like this, but seriously, from the bottom of my heart, you have no idea how much your support means to me and gives me the encouragement to keep on going. Thanks to you as well.
Also to seiker for having made the request and coming this far with the support you have given me as well. I hope that even though this gift is small that it makes up for everything you have given to me over the years through reading my works.
BUT GT 4 HITS IN MAY!? I was oddly excited for the cover (I'm not a lolicon, I swear!), but somehow it feels that this upcoming volume is going to be a bit standalone in terms of its plot despite it featuring R&C Occultics? It's hard to say at this stage but I'm just as keen as I think many of you are too!
But enough of that and let's get into this!
I hope you do what you always do when you read these:
Enjoy.
Mr Question Mark.
The Greatest Enemy In The World. Misaka_Is_Synonymous_With_Misfortune.
It was dark when Kamijou Touma finally woke up.
Wondering if he was still asleep, Kamijou blinked his eyes a few times but as he widened and narrowed his eyes, the fact he was doing such indicated he was awake. At least…he felt awake. He was unsure if this sensation of having his eyes open but having darkness surrounding him meant he was awake or still asleep: after all, he had heard that when you dreamed, you dreamed vividly enough it felt like reality.
For this alone, as Kamijou had his eyes open but darkness still surrounded him, he was unsure whether he was asleep or awake. But as he tried to move and speak, it was the other sensations around him that gave him information which chilled him to the bone.
(What? I…I can't move?!)
Kamijou blinked in the darkness, finding a tugging at his arms and legs; they were restrained. Twisting them made a rough sensation go against his skin, making Kamijou wince. But as he sat there in darkness, he felt the chill down his spine turn into a cold sweat. From the positioning of his body, he could tell he was sitting up with his head lolling forward, his limbs likely tied to the chair he was sitting on.
(What…What's going on? Have I been kidnapped? What did I do this time? You have got to be kidding me; such misfortune! These ropes are tied awfully tight. …Even if I have no idea what's going on, I've got to hand it to my kidnappers, I thought rope tying was a dying art now there are zip ties and everything. I'm not happy about it though!)
Despite bringing attention to a rather strange part of this experience, Kamijou forced himself to calm down and figure out what was going on right now.
Kamijou moved within the darkness but found the chair he was tied to was fixed tight to the floor. Whether it was part of whatever incident he was in at the moment or because the chair had been tied to the floor Kamijou did not know. However, due to the lack of sight, it was feeling around him using other sensations that would tell him what he needed to know.
He could see nothing and scent did not provide much information. Neither did touch or taste but if there was one thing Kamijou felt, it was the vibrations within his body and the sound around him.
(I'm…moving. I can feel whatever is holding me is moving. A car? No, this sensation is too rough for that. And it doesn't match the sound either.)
The whining in the air was distinctive but after having no idea how he had managed to get where he was in the first place, Kamijou felt his mind slowly catching up to where he was and what he was doing. The last thing he remembered was going to sleep in his dorm and the next thing he knew he was tied to a chair in some random place while being moved?! It made little sense to him but with what sensations he could gather, he forced his mind to stay on track.
(This whining through the air. I know it. I've heard it before.)
Kamijou closed his eyes, trying to strain his ears to listen to the whining through the air as best he could within the chair he was strapped to. He knew that sound. But where had he heard it before? It was subdued but definitely there, the sound having to pass from the outside to the inside of the vehicle and through whatever was giving Kamijou this darkness but he knew it.
If only he could place it…
His eyes went wide within the darkness, finding his mind went blank as he finally identified the source of the sound.
(No… What!? What's going on!? Why am I on a plane!? I-Is this Tsuchimikado's doing? Can he not, for once, decide to chat to me about this crap before involving me and whatever it is he's getting me into!? Index isn't next to me in the same exact situation as well, is she? You have got to be kidding me! I don't want to relive what happened last time!)
Kamijou, rapidly moving and jumping up and down despite being tied, felt his mind panic as it identified where he was being carried and what was going on. His slow catching up of his mind to the sound of the plane engines had showed how disorientated he was but now he understood where he was and where he was being held, the fright at the entire situation came to him at once.
(N-No! Calm down. Calm down, Kamijou Touma!)
Kamijou felt his breathing escalate and whatever was covering his face grow rather stuffy. Was he wearing a mask or some kind of bag over his head?
(This is Tsuchimikado's idea of some sick kind of joke. He's throwing me into some war zone and making me deal with it because of Imagine Breaker and the ties it has with the Church. I just know it! And I just know that it's going to have to do with some world crisis I want no part of. And because he knew that would be my reaction, he kidnapped me!? You bastard. As soon as you get this bag off my head, I'm going to cut you into so many pieces I'll be able to serve you as a side dish for my next dinner!)
Kamijou, having managed to piece together some form of understanding of what was going on so far, despite realising this was going to be endless misfortune for him only took a deep breath and yelled into the cabin of the plane he was being held captive in.
"Tsuchimikadoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! You son of a biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitch!"
Kamijou moved from side to side with energy he wanted to unleash in beating that nyah nyah bastard to a pulp.
"This is a new low. For you and for me! I'm not above listening to you when you have this crisis. And knowing you, you have the persuasive power to get me to follow wherever you want me to go. So, if you thought that this issue was one you couldn't get me along for, why did you have to kidnap me!? If you clearly knew I wanted no part of this, why go so far!? Whatever is happening to me, it can wait until after I've beaten the living shit out of yooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!"
The screams came out muffled within the plane cabin because of the bag on Kamijou's head. He moved from side to side but the only thing that did was make more pain course through him from the tight ropes around his wrists and ankles. The now-more-than-awake Kamijou yelled into the air some more, trying his best to rip himself from the chair he was attached to.
"Hoo. You certainly woke up quickly. And here I thought the knock out gas would last for a few more hours. Clearly, Academy City's 'high tech' doesn't mean for much."
The voice of the bastard who had kidnapped him finally came through, although it was muffled given Kamijou was listening to it through a bag over his head.
"Y-You did knock me out!? Tsuchimikado, whatever the hell is going on, it can wait until after you've untied me! And after I've let my fists do the talking."
"I suppose that would be the natural reaction. But…"
There were hands around Kamijou's neck, untying what was there and suddenly, the air Kamijou was breathing felt a lot fresher. Light came in through a gap in the bottom as a hand grabbed the end, lifting it over Kamijou's head and giving him full view of the person in front of him.
Only for Kamijou Touma to pause.
This person…
"Who exactly is this Tsuchimikado character you're talking about?"
…was not Tsuchimikado Motoharu.
The man in front of him looked to be in late thirties or maybe a fraction younger. He gave off the aura of someone younger too, the aura coming from him feeling like he would fit right in with a group of delinquents if he tried. The business suit he was wearing was loose with one button undone, no necktie and a casual shirt underneath. With the tea coloured beard and hair, he looked like someone no one wanted to mess with, whether it was a good or bad day.
He grinned, with the bag in his hand and Kamijou saw the surroundings: a high class plane cabin that looked like it was first class with Kamijou's wrists and ankles tied to a chair. The man sat across from Kamijou, a table in between them.
And more importantly, they were alone.
It was just Kamijou Touma and this…strange man in front of him, giving the impression he was not someone Kamijou wanted to mess with. Even with the aura of someone dangerous, with Kamijou's misfortune, the impression of misfortune this was going to give was surely not going to end well for him.
So, in the face of this stranger, Kamijou did the only reasonable thing that came to him.
He smashed his forehead right into the man's nose.
The man cried out and fell back, Kamijou yelling into the air despite still being tied down.
"Who the hell are you?! Where am I? What am I doing here? What kind of bastard gasses someone else while they are sleeping!? I demand an explanation!"
"Y-You piece of sh – You hit me!" The man seemed to have not expected that, leaning back in his chair, holding his nose and holding up a hand to make Kamijou pause, if only for an instant.
"Why are you the one sounding surprised? You kidnapped me and chucked me on a plane. Where are we anyway? The lack of crushing sensation against my chest tells me this is a normal plane heading to whoever knows where! Who the hell are you anyway?! And what do you want with me!?"
The man, holding a hand to his nose still blinked once and then pushed his hand away from his face. The pain seemed to have subsided for him and he glared at Kamijou in the chair across from him with disdain and…resentment? Kamijou did not know where the latter emotion came from or why it was sent his way when he was the one being kidnapped but the flash in the man's eyes made Kamijou quieten down, if only for a fraction.
"No…I suppose I deserved that. And your questions will be answered in good time. Preferably without further injury to me."
"Screw that! I want off this plane now!"
"Kamijou Touma."
The man's words were forceful but the edge in his voice as he spoke Kamijou's name made the boy flinch and stare at the man. Whatever was going on, the seriousness in his voice made Kamijou's throat go dry and tension run through him like so many times before when the crisis before him was one he could not afford to look away from.
"I need your help. There is something going on in the underside of the world that I think you can be of assistance with. For that alone, I travelled all the way to Academy City to pick you up. Time is of the essence and we haven't a moment to waste. I assume I have your attention?"
The man's voice was no nonsense and Kamijou felt himself oddly entranced…even though, he belatedly realised, he was in his pyjamas. It was hardly the right uniform compared to the loose business suit and the casual shirt the man in front of him was wearing but Kamijou felt that given what the man had done to get him here on this plane, it was hardly the right complaint. The aura and the atmosphere within this plane held Kamijou's attention more than before. He gulped, feeling the nervousness wash over him.
He nodded weakly and the man smiled. He held his hands forward and nodded with his head towards the ropes binding Kamijou. Kamijou nodded in turn.
With quick movements, the knots that seemed complicated were undone. Kamijou brought his hands up to himself and winced as he saw the heavy bruising around his wrists and ankles. Massaging them to at least make sure that blood flowed to them properly, he looked at the man with concern.
"…Did you have to tie me up so tightly?" Kamijou did not know why he complained but the man offered an apologetic smile.
"I apologise for that. Smuggling a student out of Academy City is not exactly the easiest job in the world. Especially when you're using official channels such as the airport. I'm surprised no one has caught up to us yet. …Although I think that might be on purpose." The man spoke but despite apologising, there was something in his tone that suggested he wasn't sorry at all.
Kamijou paid it no mind, frowning.
"Academy City…isn't chasing you? On purpose? They're…letting me be kidnapped?"
"It might have to do with a number of things. One of which is the destination we are heading to." The man explained lightly, furthering Kamijou's frown.
"…Who are you?"
"Unfortunately, that little detail is one I have to hold you at a disadvantage. I know your name…but I can't let you know mine. You can call me what you like, but I think The Consultant might do."
"The…Consultant?"
"It's my job." The man, the 'Consultant', as he called himself, smiled. Kamijou felt his expression souring at the rather unoriginal naming sense but given he lived with a girl called 'Index', he wasn't going to say anything on the matter. The distrust for this man, the Consultant, only increased at the ambiguity he was giving himself. Kamijou felt himself leaning back into his chair and looking behind him.
A single door led to the back of the plane, but it was unlikely Kamijou would be able to get there in time before the Consultant caught up to him and retied him to the chair.
Still, whatever was going on, Kamijou knew it had no bearing on this man or his real name. If he wanted secrecy, that was fine as long as he gave Kamijou the information he wanted.
"…Where are we?"
"Currently?" The Consultant looked out the window, Kamijou doing the same and seeing nothing but clouds and the small dots of the land below. "I'd say we're finally entering Palestinian airspace."
Kamijou felt his eyes go wide and his mouth go dry. He stared back at the man with that expression on his face, his voice managing to choke out in surprise.
"P-Palestine!? We're in Palestine!? What the hell are we doing in Palestine?! Why are you taking me to Palestine?!"
"We're visiting a beginning."
"A what?!"
"We're going to the town of Bethlehem. I assume you've heard of it?"
Kamijou felt faint as the Consultant's words, reaching for the arms of the chair he was sitting at and rising a hand to his head. The name itself he knew but associated with something different, the Star of Bethlehem fortress used by Fiamma of the Right in the climax of World War 3, but even then, any idiot knew of the town mentioned in Christmas songs. This was especially the case for Kamijou who lived with a nun associated with the Anglican Church.
Bethlehem.
The town where Jesus Christ, the Son of God, had been born.
Kamijou's mind spun, not understand a thing he was being told. He rose his head, still finding confusion was filling him as he let out weak words.
"Beth…lehem? As in – "
"Yes, the Bible's Bethlehem. Is there any other?" The Consultant smiled but there was a hint of mocking within it, as if the man enjoyed seeing Kamijou squirming within his seat. What Kamijou had done to be on this man's bad side Kamijou had no idea; it was the first time he had met the man, but the information and the weakness Kamijou was feeling as he sat in the chair made him tremble and speak again, finding that things were coming too fast for him to properly register.
"Can you…at least tell me why we're going there?"
"Of course," The Consultant said, leaning back and tapping the window to his side. "I realise everything might be going a bit too fast for you – "
"Don't worry about me." Kamijou said instantly, shaking his head. "I'll catch up…but if you could give me the basics of what is going on, that would be perfect."
The man said nothing at first, raising an eyebrow and looking impressed but it passed quickly.
"Alright. A key component of my job is to 'find what the world lacks and correct it'. You can sort of think of me as a trouble-shooter for a lot of the world; they consult me to find the problems within the world and then I devise solutions to those problems. As such, I'm in contact with a lot of people, especially those in the higher echelons of government to find the solutions to various problems. This private jet is merely something that arose from one of those connections. You with me so far?"
"Y-You're a big-shot. Got it."
"As of late, Bethlehem has become a rather…volatile point when it comes the world. Being the birth place of Jesus Christ, you can imagine the spiritual importance it has for many a devout Christian. Although a member of the Science side might not really understand it, it really is a big deal for people who sometimes cross country borders so they can be with the Son of God on Christmas Day."
Kamijou nodded. Although he had no intention of disclosing such to this Consultant, the Magic side and the natural influence a place such as Bethlehem would have was obvious to Kamijou. For a magician, Bethlehem would be a feeding ground for magical energies and spiritual power, so it was perfect for the enhancement and growth of any spell.
"Because of this popularity, throughout the years, there have been many…unsavoury motives floating around. What with so many different branches of Christianity such as the three major denominations as well as numerous sub groups which all praise glory to the same God, Bethlehem has also become the feeding ground for a lot of malice and ill intents. You understand what I'm getting at?" The man asked, but there was a hint of sarcasm in his voice. Kamijou did not know what has caused such ill intent to be directed at him but he knew the question provided by the man was rhetorical; as a member of the Science side as well as being Japanese, the idea of getting involved in Christianity and its underside dealings was not exactly a favourable one.
However, unknown to this man, Kamijou Touma was far from being just the average Japanese student who had no involvement with matters of religion. Feeling something like pride and irritation rise within him as the Consultant figured Kamijou did not know the answer, Kamijou forced his mind to work as much as it could to identify what exactly about Bethlehem could constitute something 'the world lacked'.
"I…think so.' Kamijou frowned as he spoke. "The three denominations of Christianity; the Catholics, Anglicans and Russian Orthodox as well as the numerous sub groups all view Bethlehem as the birth place of Christ. But not all of them agree on the points the Bible says: different groups think differently about different parts. But if they all agree on one point but not others, whenever they would gather, it might be the breeding ground for malice as one group interacts with another group they don't like. But at the same time, it's not like they can do anything about it because they all agree on 'Bethlehem' as a key point despite their differences. Bethlehem…would be a point where everyone agrees on but also disagrees with each other. It'd be like water tension: no one wants to say anything because of the sacred space they are on but the bitter feelings of different groups and beliefs mean those feelings are at a boiling point with no one doing anything about it."
The Consultant stared at Kamijou with some surprise but desperately tried to hide it by clearing his throat.
"V-Very impressive Kamijou-kun. Right on all accounts. As you said," The Consultant said, eyeing Kamijou with curiosity now. "Bethlehem is both a point for spiritualism and also tension. Spiritualism in that so many gather because it is a sacred place but also tension because so many who gather there, despite following the same God, disagree with each other on the same source material. And nothing feeds conflict like differing opinions on the same topic. As you put it, it's like water tension. Ready to break, but not yet breaking. A status quo on top of a religious bomb has been created in the town of Bethlehem."
"…I get that. But what does that have to do with me? You said something was happening on the underside of the world? What does that have to do with Bethlehem?"
"Quite a lot. After all, a few days ago, that tension was broken."
Kamijou's eyes went wide and the Consultant smiled mockingly.
"Didn't you see the news? Surely you must have. The attacks in Bethlehem on numerous different groups staying there? No one knows who started it, but one group attacked another because of that difference of opinion. And because no one knew who did it, the group who was attacked retaliated. Whether they attacked the group who initially attacked them, no one knows. But the only thing that came as a result was a free for all: the different groups and their differing opinions escalating and attacking each other. Bethlehem, as of right now, has been placed in a state of emergency. The United Nations and surroundings nations are concerned about where this is going…and whether it will lead to conflicts between groups beyond Bethlehem. Even now, in revenge, groups who follow the same source material are attacking each other across the globe. In the past few days, systematic attacks have been made against St. George's Cathedral in England, the Vatican and the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow."
"…You're joking."
Kamijou Touma went pale, standing up and shaking his head.
The information was ridiculous and beyond his understanding. He had no idea this was even happening on the underside of the world of religion or how it could be happening between groups who technically disagreed on a few points in the same source material; the Bible. But even now, the people who followed Christianity seemed to have gone insane, the small spark arising in Bethlehem turning into a world-wide struggle to determine who was right about the Bible and who was wrong.
Whatever sub groups and denominations there were, they were surely small things separating one from another. Small differences of opinion.
But since they followed the same source material, it was perhaps those small differences of opinion that divided them so strongly.
Who was right and who was wrong?
Those sorts of questions had clearly gone out the window: the only thing that remained being an issue of who could have their dominance asserted the greatest. Despite following the same source material and having some differences, it seemed the small spark created between groups had turned into a massive fire taking the world by storm.
This went beyond inter-religious debates and conflicts. This was intra-religious debates and conflicts escalating way beyond what they should have been and way beyond what was safe for anyone in the world.
Did no one care anymore?
Or was the only thing they cared about being the one who was 'right' and 'dominant'? The small differences of opinion here were far more powerful than completely differing opinions and it seemed like the world had grown crazy just trying to ascertain who was truly right or not.
Kamijou Touma, nor anyone else, and the right to judge those people fighting for their beliefs. But when it came to the scale of things being described, had everyone truly lost sight of what they were fighting for and only thought of fighting for the sake of defeating those who were technically on the same side?
It was beyond friendly fire and went into the realm of madness. Not brought about by what people thought but merely because one idiot with a small difference of opinion felt it right to challenge someone else who had done them no harm apart from disagree with them.
Kamijou felt something else within his mind, a small doubt growing that soon came to affect his entire being. He trembled and shook his head even more, finding something desperate rising within his mouth.
"…I would have heard about this. No, given the scale you're talking about, everyone would have heard about this. Especially me!" Given his roommate was a member of the Anglican Church, any intra-religious conflicts would have been ones Index would have heard about right off the bat and been invested in. Since Kamijou had heard nothing from her, the only thing he could do was deny the words of the Consultant.
But…
There was a small doubt in the back of his mind.
A small possibility he had not considered.
"You're not lying though. …I can see it in your eyes. Not to mention you kidnapped me and chucked me on a plane hovering over Palestinian airspace. You kidnapped me from Academy City: you've gone too far for this to be a joke. But at the same time, I heard nothing about this when I should have. …Which means the only thing I have to ask you…"
Kamijou Touma felt his words escape his mouth, spoken through gritted teeth.
"How long have I been unconscious for?!"
The Consultant only smiled.
And gave the worst answer Kamijou could ever ask for.
"Very good."
There was no way Kamijou could have not noticed something as major as what was happening right now. Even if it was not noticed by him, there were numerous people around him this news of the different denominations of Christianity fighting each other would have affected. Index and Tsuchimikado Motoharu were two such people so the fact they had not mentioned anything of this sort nor Kamijou seen it on the news suggested that what had been suggested by the Consultant was not true.
On the other hand, the man did not seem to be lying. Smuggling an Academy City student from right under the nose of the City and kidnapping him was no small feat. The lengths he would have had to have gone to were ridiculous and doing that only so he could feed him some false story was ludicrous. Meaning Kamijou had to assume he was telling the truth.
The conflicting sources of information was solved through one piece of information Kamijou already had, provided by the Consultant himself.
"Hoo. You certainly woke up quickly. And here I thought the knock out gas would last for a few more hours. Clearly, Academy City's 'high tech' doesn't mean for much."
Academy City knock out gas.
On the outside, knock gas only worked for a few hours, at best.
But for Academy City, that was a standard they would have tried to surpass. If they had developed a knock gas that lasted for days, Kamijou would have believed it.
And he had been exposed to one full force and without expecting it in the slightest.
If that was the case and Academy City had developed a knock gas that lasted for days, then that cleared up a major discrepancy with the problems Kamijou was presented: namely how he had managed to not hear of what was happening around the world in the past few days. After all, if he was knocked out, how could he possibly have heard it during the entire time?
The heavy bruising on his wrists and ankles also made a lot more sense now: had he been tied up the entire time he had been knocked out? His body, now fully rested, felt strangely energetic but was that because of the time he had spent asleep? Kamijou did not know but the twisted man who had knocked him out smiled coldly at him, doing so with a malice Kamijou could not identify the source of.
Kamijou burned with malice, clenching his fists and speaking with both fear and anger.
"…How long?"
"Four days."
"Four - ?!" Kamijou felt the number stop his heart as he reached out for the wall of the plane for support. No, while he had been knocked out for four days, the fact the world had turned into this chaos with infighting between Christian sects was insane and told how fast this was spiralling out of control.
"Naturally," said the Consultant, leaning forward and putting his hands together. "I planned to bring you in before this all happened. However, in the time you were knocked out, the water tension in Bethlehem broke and resulted in this world situation. My role was identifying the powder keg everyone was sitting on and trying to minimise potential fallout if the water tension broke. But now things have turned into this; 'what the world lacks' or the 'flaw' is something else entirely."
"Wh-What? Right now, if you're correct, the world has entered a period where the biggest religion on the planet has engaged in infighting. Even within the Roman Catholics alone, there are 2 billion people! That's something like a third of the entire world population."
"Which only emphasises how time is of the essence. You've been asleep for four days, Kamijou Touma. It's time you woke up."
"?!" The tone and the arrogance held in the man's voice made Kamijou seize up in anger. He strode forward, grabbing the man by the collar and thrusting his face into the Consultant's. "If you had bothered to wake me up in the first place, then I would have woken up sooner! Don't pin what is happening on me!"
"Oh, but I can. And I will."
The man's voice was icy, held contempt and Kamijou stared at him, unsure of what to do with the pressure filling the entire plane cabin. Kamijou had no idea what he had done to this man but for the life of him, he could think of nothing which would have angered the Consultant to this degree.
Seeing Kamijou pause for a moment, the Consultant slapped the boy's hand from his collar and straightened his shirt.
"Where was I? Yes, that's right. The two flaws within Bethlehem right now can be isolated into one of two things," The Consultant held up two fingers. "The warzone that Bethlehem has now become and the people trapped within it. And the people who started this in the first place: the group who first broke the water tension by attacking a Christian sect within Bethlehem."
Kamijou felt his throat go dry and his mind went blank, erasing all emotions towards this man from his head. His eyes went wide as he processed what this man had said…and how he had said he was going to solve it all from the position he stood in. The scale of what was happening hit Kamijou like a truck and he held out a hand to balance himself once more.
He finally found his words and forced them out, slow as they might be.
"You're…going to solve both of those? In the middle of a warzone?"
"Damn straight I am." The Consultant spat those words out without even hesitating. "Right now, Bethlehem is a place no one wants to be. And for those fighting within it, there are also those who are trapped. The fault in the world right now is letting those people stay within that warzone…and for even creating it in the first place. And yet, there is also the flaw of letting the people who caused all of this run free. We have no idea where the perpetrators are, but they can't be allowed to get away. If we can identify them and capture them…chances are that maybe what is happening throughout the world will stop. You with me so far?"
"Y-Yeah."
"And that's where you come in."
"What!?"
Kamijou yelled, going wide eyed as he stared at the man who was holding a hand forward, directed entirely at Kamijou.
"You are Kamijou Touma, are you not?"
"I'll be so pissed if you thought this was a case of mistaken identity right now!" Kamijou responded with frantic words but the way the man had referred and specifically looked at Kamijou with expectation in his eyes made the boy feel a tremor down his spine. "You said there was a warzone down there! Yes, I understand the need to help people through that and I'm all for that. But I'm a normal high school boy you can find anywhere! I don't even know how to use a gun!" Kamijou's voice rose as he spoke, throwing out an arm for emphasis. But even then, the Consultant grinned.
"And yet…you ended World War 3 with a single fist."
Kamijou's eyes went wide as he stared at the man. Where he had gotten that information and what sources he had which had given him access to that made Kamijou tremble in response. Just who exactly was this guy to know something that only a select few knew in the first place?! Nothing about him told Kamijou he knew something about the Magic side given how it had never once turned up in the conversation, and yet, he knew the conclusion to a battle against one of the most powerful magicians in the world.
"An entire world war. You ended it, from what I hear. So, the little skirmish down there isn't anything to worry about in comparison."
"Y-You can't be serious!" Kamijou spoke, frantically. "You can't expect me to go down there and bring an end to what is happening! I have no idea how you came across that information but it's hardly true. The only thing that allowed World War 3 to end was because of the combined efforts of hundreds, if not thousands of people! I was just the one in the right time and place to pull the final trigger. I had everyone supporting me and it was only because of that that World War 3 ended! Not because I punched someone in the face but because of everyone else. The conflict down there…is on an entirely different scale. No one's looking to win; everyone is just looking for everyone else to lose! There's no winning in a war like this!"
"That's what everyone said about WWIII as well. And yet…"
"Are you even listening to me?!" Kamijou felt a cold sweat go down his body as he thrust a finger towards the window and at the sky they were flying above. "Whatever you were expecting of me, I can't live up to those expectations. I'm no hero who can dodge bullets and end wars. The only thing I can do is put together what small power I have and the small power of everyone else to bring about some kind of result. I didn't go into World War 3 for the sake of fighting or ending the war. It might sound cold when said like that but the ending of it was the last thing on my mind. I don't know who you think Kamijou Touma is but facing a war? I'll die. Instantly."
"I see."
The Consultant nodded as he sat in his chair, turning and facing the window with a small smile on his face.
"So, in the end, the war ending boy is nothing but a coward who can't even enter another war."
The words were heavy, ones that made Kamijou pause for a single moment before he turned his head away. Going into that war right now, as he was, without even knowing what he was doing was suicide. Given that attacks had happened across the globe, it was likely that this was not a conflict centred around Magic as World War 3 was.
This was a fight centred around guns and bullets. Mortars and other explosives would be flying everywhere.
What good would Imagine Breaker be against that?
What good would Kamijou Touma be against that?
He knew the answer before he even had the chance to think about it. But no matter how bitter the pill was to swallow, asking a boy who had no training in weaponry and only knew about street fights to enter a conflict such as the one he was being asked to enter was too much.
"You…You can't win every fight. Everyone falls at some point. Everyone does."
"Can you say that to the people who have already fallen and can't get back up?"
"!"
Kamijou Touma froze before he even had the chance to respond. Something within his heart seemed to pulsate out and it ached to even consider the thought presented to him. He kept his head down, clenching his fist and gritting his teeth together so hard the sound of them crushing was audible. But even then, he managed to force out words.
"…You wanted me in this position, didn't you?"
"The choice is yours."
The choice.
The choice to run or the choice to stay and fight. The fight or flight response was so ingrained within the human body and condition it was the natural instinct to stay or to survive. Even for those who had not experienced it, ideas into how one would act in a particular situation were normal ones.
So, the question was simple.
If you had the choice to enter a war, would you do so?
The question presented to Kamijou Touma was that very choice now. Down there, right below his feet some thousands of metres, was a war. An area of conflict where the people were fighting not for victory but just so they could stand above someone else and make them lose and admit defeat in their face of their own version of the 'truth'.
The only thing that would be gained from this fight would be a meaningless victory.
But what would be lost was so much more.
How many people were down there suffering? How many people were down there trapped by the world around them and unable to say anything because of what they were experiencing and how unfair it was? This was not a place for the eyes of anyone and not a place where one could so easily jump into and think everything would be OK.
Down there was a world of blood, violence and death. Nothing more and nothing less. Asking someone to go down there was the same as asking them to die and certainly that was what soldiers did: whenever they served, they did so with the knowledge they would die for their country. And they would die serving it.
But for this one boy here, the one being made to make a choice, he was being asked to die.
If only for the people who had been plunged into the warzone of no fault of their own.
The ones at fault were the ones fighting and the one who had caused all this in the first place.
But for nothing more than strangers not even able to cry out for help, Kamijou Touma was being asked to die for their sake. For the sake of people he did not know, Kamijou was being asked to enter hell itself and charge into a place he did not belong.
The answer to be made was obvious.
And yet, Kamijou found himself struggling to make it.
What if…
Even if there was no possible chance of it happening…
What if, just by him being involved, someone could be saved? Someone, even if it was one person, could be saved just through his presence and him being there?
If he thought of everything as impossible right from the start, didn't that mean he was also throwing out any possible chance of him being able to make a difference? If he didn't do anything, then didn't that mean he was also not giving himself the chance to save someone?
By running away, wasn't he also forsaking the smiles lost down there? Even if he did not know them, that did not mean their smiles did not have worth and their tears were one that did not deserve to be stopped.
Kamijou was being manipulated and he knew it. The feelings going through him as he realised what he was being asked to do and what he was being asked to save were conflicting between what was safe and what he truly wanted to do. Even if he went down there with noble intentions, it meant nothing if he died and that in itself was the only thing preventing him from acting.
But, even if that was the case…
Would he be able to look at himself in the mirror tomorrow in the same way if he so readily abandoned the people beneath him? Even if this was a war, would he be able to stand up proud knowing he made the choice to ignore them simply because of the risk to himself? Would he be able to sleep well tonight with the knowledge he had ignored those silent tears and cries for help?
The Consultant had said the choice was his.
"…No."
"?"
"The choice isn't mine. Not when it's already been made."
Kamijou said those words, sitting back down into the chair he had stood up from with a heavy heart. He found himself trembling as he stared at the man who clearly had it out for Kamijou, although he had no idea why. But the things he had to say to this man were not ones of calling him out on that anger.
"…I don't know what you have against me, sir. Personally, I don't care. But if you think I'm going to sit back and let you do whatever you like with me, you have another thing coming. I'm going to go down there, not because of you, but because of the people down there who need help. And if you have anything planned apart from that, I'll deal with that too. …Remember that."
The man sitting in the chair opposite Kamijou said nothing, but nodded all the same.
"Then I assume you're on board?"
"Damn straight."
"…Excellent."
The Consultant smiled and stood up, waving a hand into the air before walking to the front of the cabin, Kamijou following him.
"Landing is going to be difficult, especially since Bethlehem has become a warzone. I wouldn't be surprised if jet fighters come after us while we're in the air, but we'll organise things on our end to get us on the ground. Once we land though, I need you to stay close to me at all times. You understand?"
The no-nonsense tone made Kamijou nod in response before he spoke up.
"…What are we going to do about the people unfairly caught in the crossfire? You said that that was one of the flaws you were going to correct. Not to mention finding the people who caused all this in the first place in the middle of the gunfire and the bullets. W-What about the language as well? I very much doubt everyone down there is going to speak Japanese!"
"One thing at a time, Kamijou-kun." The Consultant added the honorific that clearly looked down at him from a position of superiority. "Just focus on the two goals we have: finding people who do not belong here in Bethlehem and getting them to safety and finding the people behind the initial attack. We find them, everything ends."
"Do we have any leads on them?"
"Only one. A name."
Kamijou frowned. That was all they had? Kamijou had no idea the extent of what was happening, how far it reached or what repercussions it had for the Magic side, but it was possible the Magic side was also looking for the group or person this 'name' belonged to for the sake of stopping the conflict around the world.
Still, this was where it all started.
The group or person behind everything happening right now was going to be revealed to Kamijou Touma.
"A…name? What is it?"
The man called the Consultant turned and spoke.
"Birdway."
The phone in the Consultant's hand rang but it was barely even registered.
In the room before the cabin, but not yet into the cockpit, a seething anger came through the man.
That was Kamijou Touma!? That little son of a bitch!?
The boy who had not only ended World War 3 but also done something else entirely had pushed so many of the wrong buttons of the man before they had even properly met and even remembering it sent waves of anger coursing through him.
It was nothing more than pride that the man did not reveal his name to Kamijou, instead choosing to use the pseudonym that described his job.
But for the man known as Misaka Tabigake, the simple fact he was in the same room as that boy was enough to fire all cylinders in his mind.
A week ago, the man had not even known the name 'Kamijou'. Asking him would have resulted in a tilt of his head, a search through his mind for colleagues with that name and would have turned up nothing.
But that had changed the moment he had managed to spot something on his wife's cell phone when he had quickly stopped by Japan for a day before continuing the business he was conducting: which was this very job. The Bethlehem crisis and water tension as Kamijou had put it had long since been something Tabigake had needed to focus on and while Tabigake had let his mind be distracted with the issue of Kamijou, this was not something he could so easily pass up.
After all, it was no exaggeration to say that the moment he saw his wife's cell phone that his life had been changed forever.
It had been nothing more than a passing glance at Misaka Misuzu's new contacts but one in particular had turned everything Tabigake had known upside down and inside out.
One contact.
Kamijou Touma.
Or, as was the subtitle…
'Future Son-in-Law'.
Tabigake had remembered staring at it in shock for a single moment before placing his wife's phone down. Thoughts had zoomed through his head, wondering if this was some type of joke but knowing his wife, there was very little chance of that. While he had wished for his daughter to have a strong husband and romance within her life, he was not going to deny her that, the fact she was still in middle school had sent alarm bells through his head.
His daughter had a boyfriend!? Not to mention they were so tight, even his wife thought they may as well be getting engaged?! His mind had spun out of control and a subtle question to his wife about whether Mikoto had talked to her about any prospects when it came to romance had only resulted in a devilish grin and cryptic words.
"Well, you'd have to ask Mikoto-chan about that, darling~."
They implied something.
Something terrible.
When had it happened and how had they met? Tabigake had no idea how this had happened and how he knew nothing about it but that was the price he paid when he was always overseas and rarely got the chance to see his pride and joy; Mikoto. He knew children grew up fast but the idea that even Mikoto had moved into the realm of romance so fast made him tremble and think the worst.
She was only in middle school! What if the person she had set her heart on was a son of a bitch who only preyed on girls who were younger than him? The standards Tabigake had for any potential romantic partner for Mikoto were so high they seemed unreasonable but for that father who would do anything for his daughter, there was no limit for what he would do for his baby girl.
That was simply the requirement that came with being a parent. The things and the sacrifices you had to make for your children were ones Tabigake was more than willing to make and merely hearing the name 'Kamijou' sent a raw malice through him like none he had ever seen before.
It might have been unreasonable when he had been chosen by Mikoto through some means, but to Tabigake there was no way he was going to let his girl be taken by some boy who felt he was good enough for her.
No, the determination of whether he was good enough for the girl, Misaka Mikoto, the daughter of the man, Misaka Tabigake, was not going to be up to Mikoto. Instead, it would be up to the man who would have to give Kamijou his blessing when he finally fulfilled the role Misuzu placed upon him.
And there was no way Tabigake was merely going to give away his daughter to some nobody in Academy City he had never even heard of or seen. The person who had to be able to take his daughter's hand in marriage would have to be one Tabigake had to see and approve of, someone who he knew would be able to protect Mikoto no matter what happened or what she got involved in.
In order for Misaka Tabigake to approve whatever son of a bitch decided to lay his dirty hand upon his precious daughter, he had to at least…
Yes, that was it.
If one wanted to be worthy, you had to at least be able to survive in a warzone.
It had been the moment the (over)protective father had decided on that one point that Kamijou's fate had been sealed.
Tabigake's impression of Kamijou upon gathering intelligence on the boy for the sake of testing him to see if he was worthy to stand by Mikoto's side (read: kidnapping) had only soured when he had spotted him for the first time. Despite having threatened the head of Academy City, Aleister Crowley, into giving him information on the boy (the power of a parent doing something for his child went beyond something even Aleister could handle and predict which also suggested how fearsome Tabigake was being right now for the sake of his daughter), the image provided of the spiky haired son of a bitch did not immediately give Tabigake the impression he would give his daughter's hand to this bastard.
That was the person who had ended World War 3 with a single fist? Tabigake could barely believe it and his scepticism had increased when he had spotted the bastard for the first time.
Stupid looking face, stupid looking hair: the boy was entirely average if not for the constant exposure to misfortune and…women.
If there was anything that surrounded that boy, it would have to be broken into those two categories. At any one time, he was either facing some problem with misfortune or a girl. It was uncanny how he could be involved with so many in any one day and whatever good points Tabigake could of just looking at the boy were deleted from his mind as he saw the flirting bastard.
(This…! He's strung Mikoto on for a ride! This son of a bitch thinks of Mikoto as nothing short of something to play with! Oh, he's going to be in for a nice dealing of justice…)
Throwing the stun grenade in through the window of his apartment had been a task Tabigake had enjoyed immensely. Naturally, he had almost lost himself when he had seen who was sleeping his bed (some silver haired girl wearing one of his shirts when he was supposed to have Mikoto!) and it had taken all his self control to stop himself from choking Kamijou unconscious in his bed (which had been the bathroom, where he was probably fapping to whatever demonic plans he had). Purposefully being rough in his treatment of Kamijou and being tight with the ropes when tying him to the chair, he had wasted no time in taking the unconscious Kamijou to his training grounds/warzone.
But the day he had spent tailing and kidnapping Kamijou had been one wasted.
After all, the crisis and water tension in Bethlehem had been broken and it had taken days for Tabigake to even get the go ahead to enter the airspace of Palestine and this specific location. Any attempts of Aleister to get Tabigake to bring Kamijou back had been quickly squashed and it had been in the final stretch that Kamijou had woken up.
Oh, how Tabigake loved seeing the bastard squirm. The boy who was a lady killer and clearly leading Mikoto along had said some good things now and then as well as showing some intelligence for a Level 0, but it was nothing Tabigake had not already expected.
This was the boy who had ended World War 3.
He would never have survived if he did not have some intelligence to his name and wit.
But Tabigake wanted to see it for himself.
What exactly the boy his daughter had set her eyes on was made out of. And if he was not good enough for Mikoto, then the war below would claim him as its own.
It was the perfect plan for this bastard!
Yes, for playing with his daughter's heart, this boy needed nothing else in terms of punishment! It was going to take a lot for Tabigake to accept him as being good for Mikoto in any way given what he was up to in his normal life, his company and the nature of his roommate.
Struggling to once more restrain himself and not kill Kamijou waiting in the next room merely for leading his daughter along, he peered into the room by opening the door a tiny bit. The boy inside, upon hearing the name of the person who had lit the flame in Bethlehem had seemed extremely agitated, deep in thought and already had given up trying to access his phone which had run out of power after being on for four days.
Did he know it?
It seemed unlikely and Tabigake did not care. If Kamijou Touma was going to be good enough for his daughter, the least he needed to be able to do was survive and stop a war. Second hand information on World War 3 meant nothing to the man and although he had manipulated the boy's good parts to get him on his side, Tabigake had yet to see a single reason why he should let the bastard into his family.
Closing the door, he looked down at his phone and the caller ID. He winced for a single second, considering ignoring it, but decided against it. Holding and ignoring this call would cause more problems than it would solve. As a man who lived his life fixing problems, Misaka Tabigake knew exactly how to prevent problems from arising in the first place.
For that reasoning, he did not even waste time answering the phone now his attention was drawn to it.
"Hello?"
"Tabigake."
"Darling, it's so great to hear your voice!"
Tabigake instantly changed the way he held himself, the soothing voice of his wife, Misaka Misuzu coming through the receiver. He relaxed, sitting down in the chair in the room in between the cockpit and the room Kamijou was in, feeling his fatigue and anger at the bastard Kamijou for stringing Mikoto along disappear almost instantly. The voice of the woman he loved was the only thing he needed for healing and the pressure of what he was going to do in the warzone below seemed to wash away.
He reached for a backpack behind the seat he was sitting in, speaking into the phone.
"What can I do for you? If this is about the work I was talking to you about, I'm not there yet. But I have every intention to get back home to you and Mikoto. Make no mistake about that."
"Oh. I'm not worrying about that right now."
"H-Honey? What is it?"
Tabigake felt alarm bells ringing in his mind. The tone of his wife's voice was tense and sharp with some authority. He had rarely heard his wife speak in this way and the cold sweat running down his back told volumes of how scary an angry wife was. Like the expression said, 'A happy wife equals a happy life'.
And right now, his wife was definitely unhappy.
And yet…there was something else. Something else in the background of the call that caught his attention. It was faint and sounded awfully familiar but…what was it? It was on the tip of his tongue…
"I've been trying to contact you for the past few days. Care to explain why you haven't been answering and checking your phone?"
Tabigake grimaced, putting his phone away from his ear and going wide eyed at the number of missed calls he finally realised he had. They were from numerous numbers, the main ones from his wife and daughter over the past few days, but with this business of Bethlehem and having to go through a lot of red tape in the past few days, Tabigake had never used his phone for anything other than business or had it off as he slept (while Kamijou was tied to a chair in this private plane doing the same thing).
"I-It's nothing to worry about, dear! It's just that this thing with Bethlehem; I'm just arriving now and having to go through all the proper forms to get here is insane. I'm truly sorry and I hope you can forgive me."
"Oh, that all depends on the next answer you give."
"D-Dear?" Tabigake asked, feeling he wasn't liking where this was going at all.
"A student was kidnapped from Academy City a few days ago, before this intra-religious crisis began. One Kamijou Touma-kun. You wouldn't happen to have anything to do with that, would you?" Misuzu's voice was edgy and sharp, Tabigake going wide eyed at her words. He found the phone on his hand was shaking as his hand trembled but shook his head rapidly.
N-No, he had made sure to erase all traces! What with even Aleister trembling in fear from the protective nature of a father for his daughter, there was nothing suggesting Tabigake had had any role in the kidnapping. So how in the world did his wife know about it!?
No, it was nothing but a bluff. A coincidence and Tabigake decided to play it cool.
"Who? I'm sorry, dear, but could you repeat that name again? Kamijou? Why would I know anyone like that?"
"…Wrong answer, Misaka Tabigake." Tabigake froze. "That was definitely the wrong answer."
He felt his mouth go dry as he stared down at the phone in his hands in shock. Misuzu had already continued speaking all the same.
"I know you looked at my phone, Tabigake. In fact, the moment you were coming over, I changed the contact name for that boy to mess with you and laugh at you a bit to mock you for how you aren't in Mikoto-chan's life enough. Did you not think it strange when you turned on my phone and it was unlocked!? Especially when I do your finances for you?! And while when you asked me about Mikoto-chan's love life, I loved the face you made and struggled to hide my laughter, the last thing I expected you to do was kidnap him! Do you have an explanation for me!? Do you?!"
Tabigake found himself standing there in the plane, completely exposed and unable to do anything but blink. He felt like his heart had stopped and it was with shaky words that he spoke into the phone again.
"You…changed the contact name? A-Are you telling me that currently, that Kamijou bastard and Mikoto – "
"Aren't dating? Of course, they aren't! Don't you think I would be the one to tell you something as important as Mikoto-chan's first boyfriend!?"
"Th-Then the boy I kidnapped and have with me now is innocent? Despite being a bastard and surrounded by women and misfortune!?"
"…Granted that is something I noticed with him but that has no bearing on his character! And you did kidnap him!? Are you insane!? You're a grown man! Forget about breaking the law, don't you think you went a bit too far?!"
Tabigake suddenly felt very timid as he stared at the door behind him, going wide eyed as he realised he had basically asked an innocent person to go to war for what was basically a misunderstanding (or perhaps better phrased as misfortune). Still though, his pride and responsibility as a father shone through, making him stand up tall and proud for what was essentially a crime.
"Too far? While that might be the case, I don't think nor will I admit that. The misunderstanding I had was based on me thinking that boy was dating Mikoto. So of course I had to check whether he was good enough for her. Because there is nothing I would rather make sure of than the happiness of Mikoto, Misuzu. And there is nothing I would not do to make sure that is the case."
That was a father's role after all.
To make sure his children had the very best they had and grasped the chance for true happiness.
However, from the voice of Misuzu in response, it seemed she did not see it that way.
"Kidnapping him is still too far! We're coming to collect him right now from you and no matter what you say, you're going to get on your hands and knees in front of that so-called 'bastard' and apologise from the bottom of your heart!" Misuzu's voice was commanding and Tabigake felt something within his heart ache at that.
Ah, it was that forcefulness he had fallen in love with all those years ago. But then again, it was that forcefulness that had resulted in this situation in the first place.
"Misuzu, this is also partly your fault. If you weren't so eager to get back at me for not being in Mikoto's life, then maybe this could all be avoided. What kind of prank is saying someone is your future son in law!?"
"Oh no, you're not doing this now." Misuzu snapped back, the mysterious sound in the background still continuing to bug Tabigake. "What part of the prank make you do this? Tabigake, you're going to have to face Mikoto-chan as well for what you did too! And I imagine that while Kamijou-kun is going to be alright with the things you did to him, Mikoto-chan sure as hell isn't!"
Tabigake glanced to the side, unsure whether Kamijou would actually forgive him for what Tabigake was doing to him on the basis of a misunderstanding but before he could say anything else, something caught his attention.
"Wait…why would I have to apologise to Mikoto?"
"…What?"
"What I did was a mistake based on false information you gave me." Tabigake reasoned. "False information that has nothing to do with Mikoto. So why would I have to apologise to her?"
"Uhh…"
"Unless…that bastard really is… Just who is this guy to Mikoto!? Misuzu, you're telling me right now or so help me, I'll wring the answer from that bastard's neck!"
Misuzu was clearly going to answer, but it was someone else who interrupted, their voice clear through the air.
"Is that Papa?"
The new voice that came through Tabigake recognised instantly. He would be remiss if he could not but it was the tone and the anger within it that made him pause for the briefest of moments. That pause though was not a luxury made by his quick-thinking wife.
"M-Mikoto-chan!? This is an adult conversation so if you could please wait a moment until Mama is done - ?!"
"Papa?!"
The voice on the phone got louder as Misuzu's got smaller. Clearly Mikoto had snatched the phone from her mother and as she yelled into it, Tabigake felt something rising within him now that he was in direct contact with his daughter.
There was one mystery in all of this.
While Misuzu had lied about Kamijou being her future son-in-law, the relationship and what Kamijou Touma was to Misaka Mikoto had yet to be determined to the over protective father.
"Papa!? Where is that idiot!? Is he with you?"
"W-Well, Mikoto, if you listen to your Papa, you'll be able to understand that – "
"He is, Mikoto-chan. Your father actually kidnapped him."
"N-Now wait a minute!"
"Papa, you're dead to me right now. You hear me? Dead. He's with you, isn't he? Place him on the phone. Right. Now."
"M-Mikoto?!"
Tabigake trembled in the face of being hated by his daughter and her harsh words, but noticed something within them that shocked him to the very core. His eyes went wide when he was presented with the basic fact and it was with the trembling voice and fear in his heart that he gave voice to his concerns.
"M-Mikoto, you would…place more importance on the safety of Kamijou Touma than your own father!? You would rather hear the voice of that boy…instead of me?!"
The mere reaction she had had to what Tabigake had done to Kamijou was granted. However, on a normal occasion, Tabigake doubted she would have immediately gone towards the idea of wanting to hear Kamijou's voice. On a normal occasion, she would have berated her father and gone into a long winded rant on how stupid he was being and the idiocy he was demonstrating but instead of that, the only thing she had wanted to do was hear Kamijou's voice.
Inside Mikoto's frantic words, there was a multitude of emotions but especially in the words she spoke now, the concern and the worry directed at Kamijou was obvious, even greater than the ones she was directing at Tabigake.
Right now, who did she care more about?
Her father, who she knew was heading into a warzone?
Or some random boy?
The answer was given in the tone of her voice already and the shocking conclusion presented to Tabigake made him tremble. When it came to choosing between the two of them, the way Mikoto spoke and had acted already indicated her choice. Tabigake felt himself standing blankly as he heard the response from the phone.
"Wh-What!? No! I just want to make sure he's alright! You kidnapped him! You didn't hurt him, did you?"
"Oh my God."
"…What?"
"It can't be… Mikoto, you…you like that bastard?"
"WH-WHAT!? How did you come to that conclusion!?"
But Mikoto's response was all Tabigake needed to know.
What with the hint Misuzu had given him in that Kamijou was not her son-in-law but still meant something to Mikoto and how Mikoto right now had prioritised Kamijou's safety over her father's, that was all he needed to know to place a value on the connection between the boy Kamijou and the girl Mikoto.
And that was all he needed to know to once more make his eyes burn as he imagined the spiky head of hair that belonged to that one boy.
"H-How could you - ?! There's nothing appealing about him! He's an idiot, he's surrounded by other girls, leads them along and spends all day doing nothing but getting into trouble through means I can't even explain. And you like that son of a bitch!?"
"I-I don't like him! I-I'm just concerned!"
"He's plain, average and has nothing to his name except for lewd thoughts! It wouldn't surprise me if he has a mountain of dirty magazines he does adult things in front of and thinks of nothing but boobs all day! You're a Level 5, aren't you? One of 7 in the entirety of Academy City while he's a Level 0. 80% of Academy City are students, aren't they? And 60% of that are Level 0s! You could do so much better than a bastard like that! No, I won't accept someone as good as you starting your romantic endeavours so low! I realise you want to explore romance, but there are better starting points than…average nobodies like him!"
"H-He has some good points!"
"Where? Did he bury them in the mountain of adult magazines he has!? Tell me one thing Mikoto. One thing that separates this guy from everyone else and maybe, just maybe, I'll come to see through the veil of absolute boredom and averageness he gives off. Because I reckon I could pick a name out of a hat and still come up with a better guy than what you've chosen! To be honest, Mikoto, I'm disappointed. The world is your oyster and the pearls before you glitter like gold and yet, you've chosen some weird piece of junk just because it looks cool and it's older than the others? Give me one thing that makes him different from everyone else."
"I like him! Is that good enough for you!?"
Misaka Tabigake was so shocked that he almost dropped the phone in his hand. He felt as though his heart had stopped and he needed to lean against the wall for support to handle the shock.
There was a squeak on the other side of the phone and static as if Mikoto herself had only just realised what she had said and had sparks coming from her bangs. There was silence on all ends, Tabigake finding he was red faced, unable to say anything to what Mikoto had said. She managed to say something first.
"…N-Now can you let me speak to him?"
"…No way."
"Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeh!?"
"Mikoto, as your father… No, as a man who has fallen in love, I can tell you this is not the right choice! This bastard is not good for you! There is nothing, as far as I can see, that even remotely gives me a reason to give him your hand or blessing!" There was another squeak on the other end as it seemed even Mikoto had not thought that far ahead in terms of her relationship with Kamijou. It didn't matter to Tabigake though as he gripped the phone so hard, finding it hard to deny his daughter but knowing this was the right choice.
After all…
Even if she liked him, even Tabigake could find no reason as to why there was a reason to like that son of a bitch in the other room! He struggled to control himself and go into the other room, threatening Kamijou to know what spell he had placed on his daughter to make her like him.
Yet, there was another voice through the phone as Tabigake held it.
"…I thought you would say that, dear." Misaka Misuzu's voice came through the phone and the tone and confidence within it made the man stiffen slightly. "So, we are making our way towards you to get him back. As for your punishment, maybe working will get your brain back in line and make you reflect on what you did wrong?"
"...Towards me?" Tabigake scoffed with confidence in his voice.
That was impossible. Not only was he flying over restricted airspace but his wife and daughter had no idea where he was in the first place despite knowing his destination. Even if they wanted to wait for him at his destination, the warzone it had become meant not everyone would be able to just get in. As a result, the words of Misuzu were nothing more than the confidence that came with someone who felt they knew everything but had yet to realise they had already lost the moment they had issued the challenge.
However, the voice from the cockpit immediately put him on alert.
"Sir!?"
Tabigake looked from his phone and yelled back, moving closer to the cockpit to hear better while shouting at the same time.
"Yeah?"
"Approaching craft! 4'o'clock!"
"4?"
Tabigake wasted no time, racing to the right most window and pressing his face against it, looking through the sky and going wide eyed as he spotted the approaching plane…as well as its speed. The way it ripped through the air and became larger and larger was so impressive and unrealistic there was only one place in the world Misaka Tabigake could think of that could develop such a ridiculous aircraft that could speed through the air like it was an empty freeway.
(A supersonic passenger plane?! B-But the only place that has one of those is - )
"We can see you right now. Give us a wave…and Kamijou Touma-kun."
Tabigake's eyes went wide and he stepped back in shock. He stared down at the phone in his hand and went pale, realising the sound in the background he had now recognised; the sound of a jet engine, much like the one he was riding in now. A new emotion filled his heart apart from the confusion and the surprise: fear.
No matter what he was doing and what he did, he was still a man who cared deeply for his family despite the lengths he had gone to now. And given where he was and what he was doing, the fear of the presence of the people he loved in this warzone chilled him to the bone like a fear he had never even felt before.
In truth, he had never known a person could feel a fear this deep in their life before now.
"Wh-What are you doing!? Do you have any idea where this is!? You two turn back right now! This is no place for you two!"
"Nor is it a place for an innocent boy like the one you have in your custody." Misuzu shot back with a strength in her voice Tabigake had never even known she could show in a situation as ridiculous as this. "You turn around right now or give us him and then we'll do as you say. But until we have him in our hands, we are not going to be leaving you. Even if you do end up going into a warzone. This is your choice, Tabigake. I don't know what you were planning to with that boy but where he goes, so do we. You risk his life, you risk ours. So, what's it going to be?"
There was no need to even ask.
Even if Misaka Tabigake's heart felt bitter at the fact the bastard his daughter liked was in the room next to his and he had yet to change his mind on whether the boy was worthy for the chance to date his daughter, there was no way in hell he was going to risk the life of his precious family for that of a boy he barely knew. While the decisions he had made for his family were indeed questionable, the fact he could make such a quick decision only told of how much Misaka Tabigake truly cared for his family.
But even so, there was just something he had to ask.
Through gritted teeth, he pressed the phone against his cheek and spoke silently.
"Misuzu…you would do that for him? You know where you are, don't you? This is a warzone. Not to mention you're riding in an Academy City supersonic passenger plane. Going to Academy City and even getting the clearance to get one of those in the air with a pilot along with Mikoto… This boy means nothing and you're going so far? Why?"
It was a bitter question, one being asked by the loser in all of this but the fact he could easily admit defeat when he had so much to lose perhaps told of how Tabigake was an adult. Instead of being an impulsive child, he knew what he was going to lose in this and was not prepared to lose it.
But even so, he had to ask.
What about Kamijou Touma had clearly gotten the approval of both Misaka Misuzu and Misaka Mikoto which had not been gained by Misaka Tabigake?
There was silence on the other end for a single moment as the supersonic passenger plane came up beside the plane Tabigake was on, both low enough and moving slow enough that opening the cargo or plane doors would not cause too much of a decompression that would break apart both planes. In the window Tabigake was standing next to, he looked through it and saw his daughter in the plane next to his, livid beyond belief as she stared at her father, and his wife, phone next to her ear as she smiled slightly.
And she responded in a way that made Misaka Tabigake realise that maybe he wasn't seeing the full picture.
"He's a good kid. And Mikoto-chan likes him. …Isn't that enough?"
Despite the blushing face Mikoto was now making, Tabigake stared at the woman standing in the opposite plane with a smile on her face. He blinked once, taking the phone from his face and looking down on the ground, feeling a smile come onto his own face.
The only thing Misaka Misuzu needed to make the decision she had was simply that Misaka Mikoto was happy. Unlike Tabigake who had been looking for something specific, Misuzu had already found what she had been looking for and accepted Kamijou for that alone.
She had already found Mikoto was happy simply with that boy by her side.
And in its own way, as a parent who wanted happiness for their child…
That truly was enough.
Having lost sight of that for a single moment and instead focused on protecting Mikoto, it was with self-derision that Tabigake smiled. He walked over to the door to the plane, twisting the latch and opening the door, the sudden rush of wind from the outside and the ground below making him feel like he was skydiving.
Mikoto was the first to open the door to the other plane, glaring at her father but letting her mother go first. Manipulating magnetism, her mother seemed to float hundreds of metres above the air and across the gap to land perfectly in the plane. Mikoto followed, not even speaking to her father. He sighed, pointing to the door connecting his room to Kamijou's.
Mikoto wasted no time, racing to it and preparing to throw it open.
Yet someone beat her to it.
"Goddamn it!"
Kamijou Touma threw open the door, looking up at the new occupants and going wide eyed. He seemed to pause for a single moment but didn't even bother reacting to the two new people within the plane, looking around and spotting something in the corner of the room: one of the backpacks Tabigake had picked up and was now wearing.
"Misaka. Misaka-san too! I don't care how you got here, but hurry up and grab a parachute! Do it now!"
Kamijou raced to the side, the others staring at his frantic movements in surprise. Mikoto was the first one who spoke, her face turning first into relief before going into anger.
"What the hell do you think you're doing, you idiot? You don't need a parachute when we're here to get you out of this warzone."
Kamijou stared at her as if she were joking, the pale expression on his face suggesting there was no part of this he found funny as he threw a parachute at Misuzu which she caught.
"Are you kidding me!? It's way too late for that now; they've probably already noticed us! And if Birdway has anything to do with this, then whoever is on the ground is surely going to be scanning for any mana trace at all. But with Imagine Breaker interfering with that, there's only one thing they're going to assume: that someone crazy powerful on this plane is heading right for Bethlehem! And how do you think any magician down there is going to react to that!?"
Kamijou threw a parachute at Mikoto who barely caught it, Kamijou grabbing his own and going wide eyed, turning to the cockpit and racing there as fast as he could. Everyone else only stared, Mikoto stepping forward and grabbing Kamijou's arm forcefully.
"What are you talking about? We're here to get you home."
"There's no time for that! We have to move before – "
"Sir!? There's something incoming from below, heading right for us! ETA given current speed is…!"
A voice came from the cockpit, attracting the attention of everyone else who turned to face the cockpit door, only to see that it was thrust open as the pilot came out from his position, his face white and sweating.
"Brac –
There were no more voices.
Only the sound of an explosion ripping through the back of the plane, tearing a hole right through it.
Sending the occupants spiralling out of the plane and into the open air above the most dangerous place in the world right now: Bethlehem.
"Why is it that every time you're around, something happens to me?!"
"How is this my fault!? I came to help you out!"
"Fat lot of good that's doing right now! Such misfortune!"
"D-Don't associate my name with misfortune! And focus on the more immediate crisis right now you idioooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooot!"
"Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"
Kamijou Touma and Misaka Mikoto screamed as they tumbled through the air, Kamijou fumbling with the parachute he had grabbed and frantically trying to put it around both him and Mikoto but finding it impossible. Mikoto turned her head, seeing her parents and the pilot had both managed to get parachutes around themselves: the two men tumbling through the air with her father tightly hugging her mother with the parachute on her back as she screamed.
Pieces of both broken planes given the one they had been on had smashed into the other when whatever had struck it had impacted fell around both Academy City students and it was frantically that the spiky haired boy tried to get the parachute around his own back, keeping Mikoto tightly against him as he frantically worked.
However, she never even got the chance to feel embarrassed about it, realising something very basic as she fell through the air.
Here she was, with her family, tumbling through the air above a warzone and heading it right for it.
And with them, unfairly brought along, was Kamijou Touma.
Her father had wanted to see what she liked about this boy and whether he was worthy of her and of her affections.
And despite falling through the air at hundreds of metres, a somewhat ridiculous thought filled her head all the same.
Misaka Tabigake wanted to see whether Kamijou Touma was good enough for her?
Boy was he going to get a shock.
A very big shock indeed.
That was, only if they survived the hell fast approaching first.
So?
What did you think?
The topic of this one-shot was really that of a 'first meeting' between Touma and Tabigake. But with those first meetings, you will always get impressions and hence, you got something like this; where while the 'first impressions' are given, the chances for there to be a lot more are developed and the chances for there to be a greater understanding of Touma is given. It does feel a bit odd when it is put like that though because it starts to feel like an arc in ACUL0. But at the same time, I didn't want to merely give a one-shot between Touma and Mikoto's father and leave it closed when there is so much you can do with it. As a result though, it turned into this.
Not much is known about Tabigake in the canon which is a shame. But from what we know, we do know that he is a family man and cares deeply about his family. From this alone I sort of got the 'doting father' impression from him and from that single point of reference, it sort of turned into this. While anime and manga are by no means lacking in doting fathers, at the same time, there are very few (I've found) who are in a position of power and can do things to their prospective son-in-laws to determine whether they are worthy of their daughters. And I sort of wanted to show that in this case by having the thought processes of Tabigake being along the lines of 'I want the boyfriend my daughter has to be able to protect her' = 'I'll chuck him in a warzone to see how he goes and see if he can do that'.
That sort of jump is just insane but I hope you went a bit wide eyed at that and felt a bit of fear of the power of the doting father.
Just the interactions between Touma and Tabigake which are based around a misunderstanding at first are sort of the basis of that: Tabigake can't really accept Touma for being the one to take his daughter away from him while Touma is just focused on everything else and has no idea what he did to piss Tabigake off. The conflict I used as the basis of the story sort of mirrors that: it's a difference of opinion about the same topic that can sometimes spark the most heated of debates. While the one-shot used the conflict point of Bethlehem, for the Misakas, that conflict point is Touma. The differences in opinion around him was the main point of the conflict and I hope you sort of found the contrast between the two sort of interesting in how if the Bethlehem crisis is solved, so would the other point of crisis between the Misakas.
But it became a family adventure(?)! What with all this starting with a way of Misuzu teasing Tabigake, I hope you had a good laugh when the reasoning behind Tabigake was seen and introduced for how obsessive and caring he was at the same time. In this case though, it's sort of hard to say whether Misuzu or Tabigake are at fault in this case for the crisis going on. I only hope though that the small insights and emotions into each character was just as on point as usual despite how crazy this chapter was in various ways.
It's sort of hard how to place this in terms of genre. But, as this chapter was nothing more than the 'first' meeting between Touma and Tabigake, I hope that you enjoyed this world changing crisis that was focused on an innocent boy and the man who thought he was his son-in-law as well as the few things that appeared here and there what with Birdway being referenced and the confession of Mikoto.
If anything, I hope that that small confession touched your heart in some way.
And as always,
Review if you please.
And I'll see you when I see you and I won't if I don't.
So, Tabigake, you wanted to see if Touma could protect anyone and if he was worthy of standing by your daughter's side? I guess throwing him into a warzone would prove that conclusively.