Hello, everyone! The previous chapter had Touma, Mikoto, Index, and Othinus go on a nice shopping trip. But in this chapter, St. Germain will begin to strike.

Rekuta: I don't know if Shokuhou would actively try to break them up, or even think that it's likely. But the possibility might give her some amount of hope, at least for the moment, since she is indeed pretty hurt at the moment. Mikoto doesn't accompany Touma to the Dianoid in canon, so she doesn't meet "Aihana Etsu." I do suggest you read the light novels if you can, since my recounting of the canon scenes is often just a summarized version. Othinus does know quite a lot, and that information will help Touma whenever he wants to buy clothes for Mikoto. It's cool that you noticed that parallel! Mikoto probably can't tell Fukiyose the full story of why she fell in love with Touma, since it would involve revealing her Sisters, but maybe she could tell a vague version of the story.

SaSaltyDog: It definitely is a lot of presents, and even with her wealth, Mikoto will probably have quite a bit of stress going Christmas shopping. But she does have Touma and her friends to help her.

dragonghoul9707: The real Aihana Etsu doesn't have a confirmed gender, but the fake one in NT12 is a boy. Touma and Hamazura will indeed get involved in the fight against St. Germain, and they'll find out more about Frenda. By the way, you don't have to leave reviews on random chapters, you can put all the information you want to send me in a single review.

Stryper88: Yeah, Shokuhou doesn't really think there's a good chance of them breaking up, but it could give her a small amount of hope. I'm glad you liked the shopping scene. Underwear would be a spicy present, though Touma would probably want to buy her something else too, since the underwear would be more for his own benefit.

xellos540: Yes, NT12 was on December 1, so every novel from then until GT4 has taken place during the month of December. Mikoto and Kuroko live in the Tokiwadai dorm outside the school garden, so that's how he was able to get to the dorm in the first place. Though while Kuroko is on decent terms with him now, she probably wouldn't let him in again. The image you remember might be one of the colored illustrations from GT2, though Shokuhou wasn't wearing a Santa outfit in that illustration. It could be tricky for the staff if all the students banded together, but they probably expect that most girls will behave themselves, and they might even have contingency plans for that worst-case scenario. Shokuhou is quite proud of her body, and she does somewhat have the right to be. She is having a hard time following the advice, but she does at least want to try. After all, she's gotten along somewhat decently with Mikoto in the past. She mainly wants to spend time with Touma, and isn't really expecting him to break up with Mikoto, though she's still holding onto that small hope. Yeah, the dollhouse is probably quite expensive. That's a good idea for saving money on a bunch of presents. Index's view of them is very dependent on their personalities, I guess. Mikoto buying different books is an interesting idea, though she doesn't really know what type of books her sisters might like. I'm not sure how common it is either, though he knows Mikoto's sizes now thanks to Othinus. Those sizes are canonical, surprisingly. Sexy lingerie would be a fun gift, but that would be more to Touma's benefit, so he'd have to buy her something else too. Later is the translated name I went with for Misaka 10032's cat. Sending Sphinx after Othinus put her in a lot of danger. Well, Index didn't necessarily get to the dollhouse store, she just got separated from Touma and Mikoto, like she did in canon from Touma. That boy is an imposter who is using Aihana Etsu's name, and this imposter was there in canon. Touma has defeated some powerful enemies already, such as Accelerator. I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter.

Soon after "Aihana Etsu" fled away from Mikoto and Touma, they suddenly heard a loud clack. When they looked at the source of the sound, they saw a middle-aged man dressed like a stage magician, with a tailcoat, a silk hat, and even a monocle. He looked directly at Touma and simply said, "Hi."

With the man's appearance, the scenery around them started to become distorted. Touma felt unable to look away from him, he couldn't register any other sounds, and could barely register his girlfriend's presence right next to him. The boy hesitantly asked, "Who...are you?"

The man immediately replied, "I could tell you my name, but someone like you with little knowledge of our side may not know what that means, you negative gap in the lattice."

Although she wasn't the main subject of interest, Mikoto also instinctively tensed up at the situation, thinking, "Our side? Does he mean the Magic Side, or...something else?"

The man gave a quiet chuckle before continuing, "The result of mastering 103,000 grimoires, one who began as a man but then surpassed mankind, that which lies beyond magicians. More simply, I am one who has gone beyond Othinus!"

At this declaration, Touma felt like his heart stopped for a moment, and his thoughts became a jumbled mess, "A Magic God? A Magic God just like Othinus, at full power? What do I do, what do I do, what do I do? And this time Mikoto is in danger too, what do I do? At least Othinus had some amount of kindness I could appeal to, but what if he doesn't? What if he's nothing but raw power? How can I talk this out? I didn't actually beat Othinus in battle, so there's nothing I can do against him if he doesn't want to talk!"

Mikoto also realized what he was referring to, and froze in place. She could tell that her boyfriend was panicking, due to his traumatic experiences with Othinus. She only had secondhand knowledge of an infinitesimal fraction of what he had experienced and how powerful Othinus had been, but even this was enough for her to know that fighting a Magic God, even as a Level 5, was likely futile.

The scene around them melted and distorted, the Magic God being able to do so without moving a muscle. He said, "If I harm you here, I can't wait to see the looks on the faces of those who've built up overly complicated plans."

Before Touma could say a single word, the Magic God exclaimed, "Chambord." Two spikes emerged from the ground, having been formed from the floor itself. The sharp spikes flew towards Touma and Mikoto.

Touma immediately raised his right hand and shattered one spike, while Mikoto hit the other spike with her electricity, causing it to break into pieces and burn up. However, those had only been distractions. A Magic God could control the entire world, and so the entire floor, ceiling, and walls all melted, turning into over a hundred spikes, which approached the couple from all directions.

Of course, there were a large number of people walking around them in the Dianoid, but they were not torn to shreds by the spikes. Instead, holes opened up in their bodies, allowing the weapons to harmlessly pass through.

But neither Touma nor Mikoto had the time to recognize this, since their own lives were under immediate threat. Touma, still reeling from learning that he was facing a Magic God, could only scream, "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

Mikoto gritted her teeth, only having a split second to put up some sort of defense. Knowing it may only delay the inevitable even if it did work, Mikoto wrapped an arm around Touma to shield him, and created a sphere of electricity around them. She couldn't just throw lightning spears in all directions, since they would hit the people whose bodies were being bypassed by the spikes, so she instead created this barrier in an attempt to stop the spikes about a meter before they hit their targets.

Meanwhile, Touma's mind was in danger of shutting down, not from the imminent threat to their lives, but from the psychedelically distorted scenery around him. He wondered if he and Mikoto were no longer in the same world as before, and if they would have to go through another set of infinite hells, only this time without any way to convince this Magic God to return them. Even if they miraculously survived the spikes, the boy was sure that the only thing they'd have to look forward to is more pain and suffering.

But then, the man uttered a single word, "Oops." And just like that, the scenery changed once again. The walls, floor, and ceiling all returned to normal, all the hundred plus spikes disappeared, and the nearby shoppers no longer had unnatural holes in their bodies. All that was left was Mikoto's electrical barrier.

Touma wanted to believe that it was all a hallucination, but based on his past experience, he knew that that scene had been real, not an illusion.

The man spoke again, "This was the perfect opportunity, but it would have caused me to lose my chance at what I actually came here for." He looked away from the couple, and before they could react or question him further, he tapped his cane on the floor and disappeared, after being momentarily concealed by a passing group of students.

Mikoto, realizing the danger had passed, finally dropped her electrical barrier. Touma lost the strength in his legs and began to collapse towards the floor, so Mikoto gripped him tighter and slowly lowered the two of them into a sitting position on the ground.

The girl could see that her boyfriend was having trouble breathing regularly, and she could tell that he was experiencing PTSD from his previous time facing a Magic God. Mikoto wasn't quite sure what the best way to help him was, but she gently stroked his head and said in a soothing voice, "Hey Touma, it's okay, we're both safe." She knew that they would likely have to face the man again, but for some reason, they had unexpectedly been given a respite.

The boy trembled in her grip. He could sense his girlfriend trying to comfort him, but he couldn't stop thinking of those infinite hells he had previously faced, and which could very well happen to him again. It took some time before he was able to speak again, and he said to the girl, "Mi...koto?"

Mikoto continued embracing him and rubbing his head, replying, "Yeah?"

Touma looked down and quietly muttered, "I can't even tell if we're in the same world as before. He may have just added a phase to recreate this peaceful world."

Mikoto frowned as she thought about what he was saying. She didn't fully understand the concept of phases, but she knew he was worried that a world that looked exactly the same could turn out to be completely different. Unfortunately, since she couldn't really tell the difference either, she couldn't provide any clarity on that possibility. So instead, she replied, "I don't know either, but I think we have other things to worry about. There's something he wanted to do instead of finishing us off, but whatever it is, it can't be good."

The boy frowned as he wondered what other objective the Magic God could have. He groaned, "Damn it, how are we supposed to fight against another Magic God? I only came back the last time because I got through to Othinus with my words. What if that doesn't work here?"

The girl was also fearful of the situation, but she gave him a grin and reminded him, "Hey, you did actually beat Othinus in Denmark, remember? But honestly, I'm scared too, Touma. I don't know how much I'd be able to do against one."

Touma gave her a small smile, and sighed, "Well, we're going to have to figure something out. I didn't even realize that there could be another Magic God besides Othinus."

At that moment, the boy glanced upwards and looked at one of the flat-screen TVs. It was showing the mid level of the building, including the TV station, indoor pool, and viewing platform. On the screen, he saw a sight that made his heart sink. He saw both that Magic God and Hamazura. The two of them hadn't made contact with each other yet, but Touma knew that there was a good chance of Hamazura carelessly making contact with the man, which could truly lead to the end of the world again.

Touma frantically stood up and exclaimed, "Damn it, this isn't good at all!"

Mikoto was confused, since she hadn't seen what was on the TV screen. She stood up as well and questioned, "What is it, Touma?"

The boy told her, "Hamazura's in danger! Ugh, and Index and Othinus are still off somewhere else." With all of them potentially being in danger, he knew he couldn't get to all of them by himself. Thus, he pleaded, "Mikoto, can you go look for them while I go after Hamazura?"

Mikoto gave him a skeptical look, not liking the idea. She said, "Are you sure that it's a good idea for us to split up?"

Touma answered, "I don't like it either, but Hamazura might accidentally provoke that Magic God, so I have to stop him! But Index and Othinus might be in danger too, and if you can find them, they might have a small chance of analyzing his magic and figuring out a way to take him on."

In response, the girl just sighed, her shoulders slumping down a bit. She muttered with an exasperated smile, "Of course, I shouldn't have expected anything else. Fine, I'll do it. But be careful and don't get yourself killed, okay?" After she said this, she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.

The boy blushed a little, but chuckled and replied, "All right, I promise." He then ran off to find a way to get to the mid level.

Mikoto started walking around, shouting, "Index? Othinus?" While doing this, she tried keeping an eye on Touma for as long as she could. She saw him try to get on an elevator or into a stairwell, but it seemed that all those exits had somehow been sealed by the Magic God, in a way that wasn't fixable by Imagine Breaker. The crowd of shoppers had also realized this, and were starting to shout in panic.

She saw her boyfriend head into a sporting goods store, quickly purchase something, and then rush down the escalators to the lower levels, which is when she finally lost sight of him. She didn't know what his plan was, but she hoped he wouldn't be too reckless.

Soon afterwards, Mikoto saw Index rushing towards her, shouting, "Mikoto, what is it? Where's Touma?" She looked up and saw Sphinx was sitting on top of Index's head, and Othinus was on the nun's shoulder.

Mikoto sighed in relief, seeing that they were all okay. She explained, "Another Magic God has shown up, or at least that's what it looks like. Touma went off to save Hamazura from him."

Othinus was surprised to hear this, and reacted, "What? Another Magic God?"

Mikoto nodded, and paused for a bit before asking, "Actually, just to be sure, can there be more than one Magic God? Or are you the only one?" She knew that Touma had been too traumatized during the attack to think clearly, but she was considering the possibility that the man had been deceiving them.

Othinus thought for a moment, before musing, "Well, there could theoretically be more than one Magic God. After all, it's just a final destination reachable by humans. And while I stand at the top of the Norse gods, there's a path through many religions and mythologies to reach that state. So that could theoretically lead to a few different Magic Gods." As she said this, she pointed her thumb at Index's head, alluding to the 103,000 grimoires that could potentially allow someone to become a Magic God.

Mikoto nervously gulped and fidgeted with the collar of her coat. She had no idea what she could do against an actual Magic God, and Othinus confirming that it was in fact possible for that man to be a Magic God made the situation feel much more menacing to her.

However, Othinus then added, "But there is something else to consider. I destroyed and remade the world those billions of times. But if there were an equally powerful Magic God, they would have interfered back then. So at the very least, there wasn't another Magic God in this world."

Mikoto's eyebrows furrowed as she thought about Othinus's argument. It would be nice to just accept it, and assume that the man had been tricking them. But she mused, "Hmm, but that was before, right? And isn't this technically a different world than before? What if he only became a Magic God very recently? Or maybe he did exist before, but didn't care about what you were doing enough to interfere."

Othinus sighed and conceded, "I guess that is possible. Well, could you describe your encounter with that supposed Magic God. Perhaps that will help us determine the truth."

Mikoto nodded and recounted, "Well, he melted the walls, ceiling, and floor of the building into a bunch of spikes and sent them towards us. They somehow passed right through other people without hurting them. But he stopped them and returned everything to normal, because he apparently had something more pressing to do."

Othinus brought her hand up to her chin and replied, "Hmm, well, that is quite powerful magic, but it doesn't necessarily require a Magic God to pull it off. Was there anything else you noticed?"

Mikoto thought for a bit more and responded, "Um, he was dressed sort of like a stage magician, I guess? Oh, and I think he said the word Chambord to create the first spike. I'm not sure what that could mean, all I know is that it's the location of a famous French chateau."

As soon as she heard that word, Othinus's eye widened, and she exclaimed, "Railgun, if what you say is true, he's not a Magic God at all! The man you faced was St. Germain!"

Mikoto had a puzzled look on her face, realizing that the name was familiar to her. She questioned, "Hold on, St. Germain? Wasn't that the man with obscure origins who somehow became part of the French court in the mid-1700s? He was an alchemist who supposedly never seemed to age?"

Othinus nodded her head and explained, "Yes, St. Germain is someone so famous that he's even known outside of the Magic Side. If you asked a random magician to name ten famous magicians, his name would be up there with Mathers and Rosenkreuz. Though, despite his name, he's not an actual Saint like the one you battled during the Ichihanaran Festival."

Mikoto put her hand to her head and groaned, "Well, I don't know who those two are, but if he is that famous, then he'll be very powerful even if he's not a Magic God, right?" She knew that even magicians who were not Magic Gods or Saints could have powerful abilities.

Othinus firmly told her, "But St. Germain is just a name." Mikoto clearly didn't get what she meant, so she continued, "It seems you already know a bit about him, but he was known as an exceptional con man. Like many others, he took on a famous name to sneak into a party of nobles, but he built the identity of St. Germain from the ground up. And he was able to fabricate evidence to make people think he conquered aging by either time travel or immortality."

That explanation lined up with the small amount Mikoto knew about the historical St. Germain. She narrowed her eyes and muttered, "And if he's a con man who just tells tall tales, then it's not surprising that he would pretend to be a Magic God, especially since the news from Denmark revealed what a Magic God was." She then looked back up and asked, "Does St. Germain have the ability to do what that man did just now?"

Othinus nodded and explained, "The other legend about St. Germain is that he had the ability to restore scratched diamonds and to melt multiple small ones to fuse them into a larger diamond. Does that sound sort of familiar?"

Mikoto's eyes widened as she realized, "He can control carbon! Diamonds are made of carbon, this entire building is made of carbon, and people's bodies are also made of carbon! That's all he needed to do what he did back there!" She thought back to how traumatized Touma had been, and she was sure that he would feel a lot better about the situation if he knew the truth. She chuckled and added, "That's quite a scientific ability for a magician. There's a girl at my school who has a carbon-based esper ability, so she could probably do similar things if she became stronger."

She briefly thought back to the incident involving Sakibasu Yuri and her violin, which Mikoto now knew was a magic violin. She mused to herself, "I guess Sakibasu-san used her ability to heal the damage caused by using magic. Touma's friend Tsuchimikado can do a similar thing, and I bet Accelerator can heal himself too. But I don't think Saten-san's Aero Hand would have such a healing ability." Despite those examples of espers being able to use magic, Mikoto concluded that it would still be dangerous for her friend to do the same.

However, Othinus had an idea of what she was thinking and cautioned, "Hold on, while he isn't a Magic God, being up against St. Germain creates a different sort of problem."

Index nodded and elaborated, "The original legend of St. Germain was fake, but people kept using that legend with magic to try to make it real. The technique brings together people who are drawn in by curiosity and organizes those people into a single crystal."

Mikoto tilted her head in confusion and asked, "And what does that mean, exactly?"

Othinus gave the ultimate conclusion, "His ideology synchronizes people's minds and infects them. And it's incredibly easy for him."

On hearing this, Mikoto tried comparing it to her previous experiences, "You mean like the Misaka Network? Oh wait, if it infects people's minds, it's more like Shokuhou's mind control, or the Level Upper Network, right?"

Othinus replied, "That's right, though St. Germain has no central or terminal units. All the people under his control are synchronized and parallel."

Mikoto, with a determined expression on her face, looked at Index and Othinus and stated, "All right, let's go catch up with Touma!" She figured that with those two being able to analyze St. Germain's magic, they would have a chance of taking the magician down.

After separating from Mikoto, Touma had initially tried taking the elevator or the stairs up to the mid level, where Hamazura and the supposed Magic God were. However, the doors and other parts had been melted and fused shut by that man's powers, so the boy had been forced to think of a different option. He had bought a diving mask from a nearby store and gone back down the escalators to the ground floor of the Dianoid, eventually reaching the pump room. From there, he had gone into one of the giant water pipes and let the current take him up to the Aqua Palace.

He had been spat out into an indoor pool, and had soon seen an elevator shaft that had been broken wide open. Realizing that Hamazura and that supposed Magic God were likely battling. Touma had then jumped down into the shaft and landed on Hamazura's Power Lifter, knocking them down to where the elevator car was, a few stories down.

Touma had told Hamazura how dangerous it would be to go against a Magic god, and had asked Hamazura to wait until Touma could figure out a way to stop him. However, Hamazura couldn't wait on such an uncertain plan, since his girlfriend and friends in ITEM were also in the Dianoid, and thus in danger. And with the two boys at an impasse, they'd had no choice but to fight.

Despite his disadvantage, Touma had been able to use the oxygen tank that came with the diving mask, as well as his jacket, to disable the arms of the Power Lifter and pull Hamazura out of it. However, Hamazura had eventually gotten the upper hand, and had knocked out Touma with a punch, before going off to save Takitsubo and the others.

Now, Touma woke back up, finding himself lying sprawled out on the floor. He had taken a severe beating, and now felt pain whenever he moved a joint. He saw that Hamazura was now gone, and only his jacket remained. He stared blankly up into the air and muttered to himself, "I really am weak." Despite being the person who'd ended World War 3 and saved Othinus from the entire world, he had been defeated.

At that moment, Touma felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He groaned, unsure if he'd even be able to reach it. He tried sitting up and extended his arm, gritting his teeth in pain, and eventually managed to pull it out and answer it, saying, "Hello?"

He then heard his girlfriend's voice say, "Hey, Touma. Where are you? How did things go with Hamazura?"

The boy flinched at the girl's question, feeling a little embarrassed. But after a moment, he admitted, "I'm in an elevator hall on one of the mid levels. I caught up to him, but he was willing to take on that Magic God to protect his girlfriend and friends. I tried to stop him, but he beat me and went off."

Back on the fifth floor, Mikoto's eyes widened in shock as she heard this. She repeated, "You lost to Hamazura?" Her words caused Index and Othinus to perk up in interest, and Othinus jumped onto Mikoto's shoulder so she could hear Touma's side of the call.

The boy sighed and replied, "I know right? I guess even after all I've been though, I'm still just a weak high school boy." He knew that Mikoto would probably be annoyed by him disparaging himself so much, but that was how he truly felt at the moment. While he knew that he was weak against opponents who didn't use supernatural powers, Touma had hoped to save Hamazura from falling victim to that supposed Magic God, and he feared what would happen when Hamazura went up against that man.

Mikoto frowned as she heard her boyfriend say such self-deprecating things. She briefly thought about the best way to console him, and eventually replied, "You idiot, since when did you care so much about being strong? You would rush head-first into any dangerous situation to save someone, whether or not you had a special power. Even if you're at a disadvantage, you'd accept that and find a way to work around it. You fight smart, and not just strong. So don't beat yourself up over losing one fight, and I say that as someone with experience."

Touma's eyes widened as he took in his girlfriend's chiding words. He eventually smiled and conceded, "Maybe you're right."

Othinus then chimed in, noting, "Of course she's right, human! If all you were was strong, you would never have saved me in Denmark."

Mikoto nodded along, adding, "Exactly, so let's figure out a plan for resolving this situation!"

The boy chuckled, speaking honestly, "Thank you, Biri-Biri. Thank you for reminding me that I also have something he can't defeat and something I can't give up on." Even if he was weak, he had come this far because he never used his weakness as an excuse to not act. He finally stood up with his own strength and continued, "Don't worry. I wish I could've stopped Hamazura here, but even now, I can't just run away and leave that Magic God to him. I'll adjust my plans to match the new situation."

Mikoto grinned, glad to hear that her boyfriend had regained his resolve. She then informed him, "Good, and we figured out some information. That guy wasn't actually a Magic God. He's a magician named St. Germain."

Touma perked up, and said, "Huh, Hamazura said that name too. Wait, he's not a Magic God? But he bent the entire world before our eyes! The entire building turned into spikes, and they passed through people's bodies without hurting them!"

Having expected him to say that, Mikoto retorted, "Touma, he's a magician who can control carbon. That's all he needed to do all of that, since the Dianoid is made entirely of carbon."

The boy heard that information, but he couldn't immediately bring himself to believe it. Could the situation really be that convenient? Instead of having to risk suffering through infinite hells again, he would be able to work with the girls to take down an opponent with a more reasonable ability. He did trust Mikoto, who had probably gotten the information from Index and Othinus. But he still had one source of doubt, and said, "But he knew what a Magic God is. Even a magician with knowledge of all 103,000 grimoires wouldn't fully understand what it's like to be a Magic God! How could he pretend to be one so accurately?"

Mikoto groaned and immediately retorted, "Touma, the idea of a Magic God was revealed to the entire world due to what happened in Denmark. Heck, even my friends were able to get a rough idea simply by accessing information that's public outside of Academy City. To make us think he was a Magic God, St. Germain just needed to lie about being one and use an ability that made it look like the world around us was changing."

His girlfriend's reasoning made sense to him, and Touma started to relax just a bit. Taking on another Magic God was a terrifying task, but going against a normal magician was much more doable.

However, Othinus took this moment to warn him, "Hold on, human. Controlling carbon is not his only ability. He can infect the minds of multiple people and turn them into a synchronized set of St. Germains."

Touma took in this additional information and muttered, "So it's like the Misaka Network, or that Agitate Halation Project?"

Mikoto grinned and answered, "Sort of, though there's not a central unit or a control tower. Anyway, it just means that we'll have to deal with a bunch of carbon-controlling magicians." She pumped her fist as she said this, feeling determined to get into the fight to free everyone who were currently being trapped in the Dianoid by St. Germain.

The boy was just as determined, and said, "All right! Mikoto, could you protect Index and Othinus if you guys run into St. Germain, and have them analyze his magic? We can incorporate Hamazura's actions by allowing him and his friends to escape. I can be a decoy for that, since St. Germain knows what I look like."

However, Mikoto had a major objection to this, "Hold on, I don't like the idea of you going off on your own. We should all gather back together and work together as a single team. It's not like we need to go to two different locations, we can all go to wherever Hamazura is."

Touma was somewhat worried that the girls would be in more danger if they joined up with him, but he figured that they would be in danger in any place they fought against St. Germain from. So he replied, "All right, but all the elevators and stairs are unusable. Biri-Biri, will you be able to make it up here? I don't think this building has any metal for you to use for your magnetism."

Mikoto grinned and assured him, "Don't worry, I'll figure out a way. Don't underestimate a Level 5!" It would be trickier than usual, since she was used to buildings with plenty of metal, but she was sure that she could find a way to overcome the obstacles placed by St. Germain.

The boy chuckled at his girlfriend's boast, knowing that she would likely make good on her word. He teased, "All right, just don't railgun too many holes in the walls, or set the entire building on fire with your electricity!"

The girl rolled her eyes and waved him off, retorted, "Yeah, yeah, I'll be careful."

Touma smirked and then replied, "All right, I'll see you soon. I'll keep you updated on where I am, so stay safe!" He then hung up the phone and let out a deep breath, getting ready to reenter the fight. He wasn't sure where exactly Hamazura had gone, but he figured he could at least distract any St. Germains and prevent them from going after Hamazura.

Indeed, Touma would get the opportunity to do so sooner than he expected. He suddenly heard footsteps along the floor of the elevator hall. When he looked around him, he saw that he was completely surrounded by people wearing tailcoats and dressed like stage magicians. A few dozen St. Germains calmly observed him and covered all the exits.

Since no one St. Germain was the central unit, Touma couldn't hope to stop them all by defeating one special one. He would have to evade or defeat all of them.

At that moment, one of the St. Germains said, "So we meet again, and so soon, Kamijou Touma." Immediately, countless spears formed from the walls, ceiling, and floor rushed relentlessly towards Touma. He knew that he couldn't negate them all with his right hand, so instead he went for a different action.

He grabbed a nearby fire extinguisher and kicked it forward. When it was pierced by the spikes, the compressed gas flew out and covered the entire area in pink foam, reducing visibility to zero. By the time the St. Germains cleared the foam with their spikes, Touma was already gone.

They looked towards the open elevator shaft, but the boy had instead run right past them. While continuing to flee from the St. Germains, Touma mused to himself, "If St. Germain can control the entire Dianoid, why would he need to appear in front of me, instead of just turning the entire building into a bed of spikes like an iron maiden? He didn't do that because he couldn't! He must only be able to control carbon that his synchronized people can sense directly. Plus, he's not an almighty Magic God, so there must be a limit on the tunnels he made in people's bodies, otherwise he could've removed my right arm or plucked out my heart. If I can figure out how to free everyone from his infection, they should return to normal!"

Just as he started to come up with a plan to defeat them, Touma sensed the St. Germains nearby turn to face him in unison. They wasted no time in sending a second wave of spears directly towards him.