Hi everyone, in this chapter everyone tried to save index from getting her memory erased.
johnnygat016: glad you like the chapter, well the vision trio might have a strong power because of their vision, but for Ruiko and Hondo, they know a good trick to beat Innocentius since wind could be swirled into a water tornado just like in genshin game. Sadly Uiharu won't be having a vision just like them since i already know that Uiharu could turned into super Uiharu in the railgun manga.
Chapter 21: Index last stand.
It's 11 p.m at 27th July, Kotaru, Touma, Hondo, Mikoto, Kuroko, Uiharu, Ruiko, and Index was currently at Komoe-sensei's house waiting for Stiyl and Kanzaki arrival that night after the battle that happened three days ago. Uiharu, Misaka, and Kuroko excluding index who has already sleeping learned that the magician they fight was also Index friends from necessarius, Index churxh and also Index friends, continued with how every year both of them has to erase index's memories because of her grimoires has took over 85% of index memory percentage and the other function was only 15%.
"Are you serious?!" Mikoto began to talk, "They really believe something like that!?"
"I'm with Misaka," Kotaru join in, "There is no way a brain could be overloaded like that."
"Why's that?" Everyone asked.
"As a son of the scientist, i also learned about brains memory," Kotaru explained, "The researcher has concluded that human brain can store up to 104 years of memories."
"That's true, i just find it on the internet." Uiharu said as she looked at the internet from her laptop.
"If overloaded brains didn't do this to index, then something else must have done it." Touma realized.
"Maybe it's some kind of curse that did it?" Ruiko guessed, "if the grimoires inside her head was used by someone else, they could manipulate the world."
"So in conclusion, the church did something that controled index and keep her in check to not turning her on them, is that what you want to say?" Hondo said, figuring what Ruiko will said next.
"That's right." Ruiko confirmed.
"That really has to be it." Touma agreed, he kneeled down above Index. He then looked down at his right hand.
"What time is it anyway?" Touma asked.
"It's 11.59 now, both of those magicians will arrived soon." Kotaru confirmed as he pointed out.
"Looks like i still got time!" Touma said as he began to searching any kind of curse on index body.
"What are you doing, you idiot?" Mikoto asked, confused on what's Touma currently doing.
Touma put his right hand on Index's forehead as he answered, "Remember when you keep saying i'm always playing the hero, Misaka? I think it's time for me to actually become the hero."
He continued to look up and down index's body, trying to find something like a curse on index body that they suspected the church did something at her. As he still searching for the curse, Touma suddenly notice Index's heavy breathing that was coming from her mouth.
"Could it be?" Touma said as he put his finger inside index's mouth which made everyone shocked.
"You really think that..." Kuroko said as she realize what Touma's trying to do.
"Only one way to find out." Touma said while he still wiggling his finger inside index's mouth. After a few moments of his finger wiggling inside index's mouth, Touma figured that he grazed something inside her mouth and was thrown back and crashed onto Mikoto and fall to the floor.
"Ouch, what are you doing you idiot!?" Mikoto asked irritatedly.
"Sorry Misaka, i instantly got throw back by something." Touma apologize as he picked himself up and giving Misaka a hand to help Misaka stand up.
"Something's happening to index!" Kotaru and Hondo said as both of them prepared in case something's bad gonna happen.
The group saw index started to float up into the air, coated in a black aura. Her eyes were blank and had some sort of runes imprinted on her irises. Suddenly, she charged straight at the students.
Act immediately, Kotaru, Hondo, and Touma try to block whatever what's gonna come next.
As for the magicians, they just arrived at the apartment. Kanzaki now felt better since they use a healing magic due to Kotaru's damage towards Kanzaki. When they approach the door, they were csught guard off when the door suddenly burst open and got blown away in an instant with a blue light emerged from inside the apartment.
The two magicians immediately rushed into the apartment and they find Index floating in John's Pen mode conducting magic. Amidst the destruction of the apartment were Touma and his friends, that former of whom was pushing the apartment's sliding doors off of them.
"Urgent warning," John's Pen said, "Read from chapter 3, verse 2. A rupture has been detected in all barriers, one through three. Regeneration provisions failing. Auto regeneration not possible. Action required to preserve the library. Assigning priority to interception of the intruder. Currently reverse calculating the magic formulas that have penetrated the barriers by accessing the library. Failure, unable to locate relevant magic. Breaking down formula composition to develop local weapon to eliminate the intruder. Locating most effective magic. Desired combination for intruder repulsion has been successfully acquired. Now deploying specified magic. Employing Saint John's Holy Sanctuary. The intruder will be destroyed."
"So she could use magic huh?" Kotaru mused as he and the others pick themselves up from the impact.
"That's true, but she isn't the one in control." Uiharu pointed out.
"That's Index's John pen mode." Mikoto said, giving out some information.
"That's John pen!?" Hondo asked.
"Yep it is!" Kuroko confirmed, "That is 100% John Pen's mode just like when we fight Innocentius a week ago."
"I know something's not right from the start," Touma said straight to index, "You're not an esper, but you told yourself that you can't even used magic at all!"
Index didn't reply at all. Instead, she fired a laser of pure magic straight at the person John's Pen labeled as an intruder to the grimoire library, Touma. Touma throw his right hand in front of him quickly while holding his right arm with his left hand in order to support it. Touma struggled against the blast.
"She deffinitely used magic to me!" Ruiko yelled as she shielding her face with her hands.
"Impossible!" Stiyl yelled in shock.
"She told all of you the truth, Index can't use magic at all." Kanzaki called out.
"You guys don't understand at all don't you?" Kotaru mocked.
"The church's been lying to both of you the entire time about index can't use magic!" Touma exained while he kept struggling block the beam, "You understand now? And along with the fact she will died if she didn't get her memories erased was also a bullshit! The only thing killing her right now is what ever magic the church planted in her! We just have to find a way to stop it! After that's done, there won't be any need to erase her memory! Think about it this way. The church made Index memorize a bunch of evil books without a second thought about her safety or happiness. That's the kind of group they are! Do you think they'd be likely to share their true plans with low level enforcers? Not convinced? Why don't you ask Index about it yourselves?"
While Touma talked to the magicians, Index change her attack since she realized that the attack isn't working at all so she change her attack into a way more powerful beam attack. Since the attack is way more powerful than before, Touma right hand slowly being overpowered as his right hand cracked and his blood vessel popped out which made Touma scream in pain because of the wound.
Kotaru and Hondo immediately helped out Touma by stepped beside Touma and create their own shield with Kotaru covered himself with his triple barrier shield surrounding him while Hondo create a water stone shield that's hanging on his arm helping Touma who's still struggling blocking the large beam blast with his right hand. The girls also helped out with Kuroko and Misaka helped Touma to make sure he didn't lost his balance, Uiharu helped Out Hondo making sure he kept steady and Ruiko helped Kotaru extending his anemo shield.
"Fortis931!" Stiyl introduce his magic name again, scattered thousand hundreds of rune cards on the walls of the apartment. He heard enough from the unlucky student and the other vision user.
"I'm not interested in hearing all of your unproven theories," Stiyl declared, "What we know for certain is this; if we do this then we save her for the time being. I'll do whatever it may take to make sure that happens. I'll kill you if I must. That's what I decided long ago, so give up!"
"LIKE HELL WE WILL!" Touma and Kotaru yelled which made the magicians, the girls, and Hondo jumped out.
Is that really all you can hope for, sorcerer? 'For the time being'?" Touma insisted, "What you're saying now isn't a promise at all! I'm talking about saving her for good! Now answer me sorcerer, do you really want to save index for good or do you preffer to be chickened out?"
The magician with the girls were shocked, they knew that Touma would willing to save everyone no matter what, but they didn't expected that the boys would even took a death threat and not even stuttering was something on another level.
"You guys really want a happy ending don't you?" Kotaru asked, "The time where you don't need to be Index enemy and become friends with her and not only erasing her memories every year and this is our chance RIGHT HERE AND RIGHT NOW FOR ONCE AND FOR ALL!"
"He's right about it." Touma agreed, while still holding out his pain,"You never gave up hope completely! You never stopped trying! You made a promise to yourself not to abandon her! Knowing what you would have to do, you made it your personal mission to save this girl who had been your friend and companion! You wanted to be the heroes of this story, so why content yourselves with supporting roles now? You told me earlier you swore to protect her with your lives, no matter who or what got in the way! If so, your part is far from over, it's not even started yet. Are you going to give up just because that's what turned out to be a little on the wrong side? If you help us instead of fighting us, all of us would be able to reach for a happy ending! So, let's do this now!"
While Kotaru and Touma talking, Hondo looked at Kotaru while he mused in his mind, 'You've changed Kotaru, you become someone who is way more strong willed than i am. And for Kamijou, he sure is really amazing. Now i understand why u admired him so much Kotaru, I'm happy for you pal.' he amazed to understand how great Kotaru and Touma really are, but he soon break away from his thoughts when his shield slowly breaks.
The attack kept continue, the blast began to overwhelmed Touma's right gand, Hondo water stone shield began to destroyed bit by bit and Kotaru's triple layer shield started to cracked. The girls began to panicked when they saw their defense slowly being overwhelmed by index attacks.
Kanzaki stepped in and say her magic name and and released her Seven Flashes. The seven wires that resulting from the spell pulled the floormates from under Index, causing her to fall backwards and fire the attack into space, unknowingly destroying a certain satellite that was rather important to Academy City.
Back on the earth, a several feathers fall down from the sky. Kanzaki recognize those feathers and immediately told everyone to avoid the feathers at all costs, explained that their power was equal to Saint George's Legendary Dragon Strike. Should one of them hit a victim, it would only spell trouble.
The feather not only their own concern since they saw index body got realigned by John's Pen and attack Touma once again, but this time it was blocked by Innocentius who was summoned by Stiyl to take the attack. Mikoto saw the oppoturnity to use her magnetism to magnetize the pins on Index robes to the wall with Ruiko use a high amount of wind to push index to the wall, Mikoto has an oppoturnity to know index pins were made with iron even thought it was coated in gold. Kotaru use his flame attacks to burned down several feathers in case if someone's gonna get hurt by it, Hondo create some sort of stone bracelet that could fit on index hands and legs to make sure she stays on the wall with Kuroko teleported her safety pins pinning her to the wall.
"GO!" Kotaru yelled indicating Touma to go to index.
'God, if this world moving with your system,' Tpuma thought to himself as he ran towards index, 'Then I'LL SHATTER THAT FUCKED UP ILLUSION!'
The sound of shattering glass was heard. The beam John's Pen was casting disappeared instantly and Index's speech became slow and stuttered, like a glitching computer. The last thing she said before falling unconscious was, "John's Pen failing."
Everyone couldn't believe it, they finally saved index from the torture she go through every year of memory erasure. The one who got the Impact was Touma, he's been fighting to save index from the start with his friends struggling together along the way.
Touma kneeled down to index shook her body tried to wake her up, "Index, wake up!" He shook index body for a second until she opened her eyes.
"Mmmm... Touma..." Index mumbled weakly as she wakes up, "Is that.. you?"
Touma and everyone else was happy to see her awake again, "Yeah index, it's finally over now, all of us finally saved you for good, you don't need to get your memories erased again."
"Really?" Index was suprised, she was happy not only the fact she was saved by everyone, she also don't need to go through thay memory loss again.
"WATCH OUT, ABOVE YOU SENPAI!" Kotaru suddenly yelled.
Index looked what's above Touma was a dragon breath's feather which index also recognized since she has the grimoires on her head, she saw the feather was about to land on Touma's head, but Index pushed Touma away and in exchange, the feather touch Index head.
"INDEX!" Everyone yelled running closer to Touma and index as Touma remove the remaining feather with his right hand on index's head.
"Everyone... Thank.. You..." Index said happily as she slowly closed her eyes.
"Index!" Touma called as he shook her, "Index, open your eyes! Index! INDEX!"
"Index, please wake up!" Uiharu begged.
They got no response at all. Despite their best effort to save index, it's unfortunate that Index Librorum Prohibitorum had, once again, died.
The next day, the students has a hard time. After bringing index to the hospital, they learned that the feather from Dragon's Breath had destroyed the brain cells that dealt with memory. Her memories was wiped clean from the news that heaven canceller doctor gave to the students. After hearing what happened to Index, the student ask for visited her. To the matter fact, she got sent to Touma's own hospital room for some reason, but it helped out a bit since everyone know where the location of the room was.
As they enter the room where index was, they saw index look outside the window, sitting on the bed with a smile face.
"Index?" Touma call her name.
"Yes? Oh, hello everyone." She gave them a dmile, but the smile was rather lacking in a way.
"Hi, uhh do you... Remember all of us?" Touma asked, Index only response was dropped the smile she gave to all of them.
"So you litteraly don't remember all of us." Kuroko said.
Inside Touma, he conflicted whether he should be happy that he's able to save index from the one year daily memory erasure or deeling pissed that Index can't remember everyone including himself.
"I'm sorry i can't remember all of you." Index apologize while looking down.
"It's okay index, it's not your fault at all." Touma said giving her a smile.
Suddenly the door swung open, reveal stiyl entering the room.
"Oh it's all of you." Stiyl said walk past the student and sit on the chair. "Hello index." Stiyl greeted her.
"Hello, Stiyl." Index gave Stiyl a smile, but still lacking just like when she gave the smile to the students. Inside, Stiyl was really happy that he doesn't have to erase Index memories every year again since she was finally be saved by the students.
"I was about to show you to your escort but it seems like they showed up first."
"Huh?" The student faced the Magician with a look of bewilderment.
"We talked to the Church. At first, they demanded that we return with Index." He puffed out air, as if he was smoking. "But when we asked them why they lied to us, they reconsidered. And then they had the audacity to request that we leave her in Academy city. With ypu as her guardian."
"Me? But why?" Touma asked in shock.
"How should I know?" He shrugged. "The fact of the matter is, you're her caretaker once again. For now." Touma let that sink in for a moment. "Though, personally, I can't stand any second you're around her."
"Wait, does she even remembered those grimoires?" Misaka asked.
"She does still remember those grimoires," Stiyl answered as he explained, "Those memories are protected by Spells." He explained. "It's so we could not erase them as opposed to that year's memories. Anyway, i would like for all of you wiped that look at each of your faces."
"Huh?"
"Weren't both of you told me and kanzaki that there's another way to save index without made me and Kanzaki become her enemies again even if she lost her memory again? All of you just achieve that do why do all of you have to be sad?"
The student went silent thinking what Stiyl just said. It's true that index forgot them, but this time she's finally saved and for something better, Index didn't see the students even Stiyl and Kanzaki as her enemies for the rest of her life.
This thought only has made the student happy, they could start from zero again.
"I guess...that's really good." Kuroko mused.
"I agree." Everyone excluding Touma agreed.
"Thanks Stiyl." Touma thanked the sorcerer.
"I wasn't even trying to help all of you at all just now, i only do that to stop make all of you look pitiful." Stiyl mocked.
"Ohoo..." Mikoto began to spark giving the magician a deadly smile that made the students step away from her, "Let's have a nice chat outside the hospital shall we?"
'Oh crap, i never know esper could be this terrifying.'
Touma immediately grabbed on Misaka dhoulder as he said, "Let's not make any necessary damage, shall we."
Mikoto sigh before she answered, "Fine."
"Good girl."
"Anyway, i have to go now, have fun all of you." Stiyl said as he leave the hospital.
"I really don't understand what he was talking about." Index began. "But if I'm going to be staying with you, then it's a pleasure to make all of your acquaintance! You guys already know my name, right?" The students nodded. "What's about you guys?"
"Kamijou Touma."
"Hikari Kotaru."
"Kowada Hondo."
"Misaka Mikoto."
"Shirai Kuroko."
"Uiharu Kazari."
"Saten Ruiko."
"Touma, Kotaru, Hondo, Mikoto, Kuroko, Kazari, and Ruiko." Index says all of their names after the introduction, she put both her hands on her chest before she continued, "I don't know why, but those names are really precious to me."
Everyone know it's still sad that she forgot about all of them, but this will be the beginning of Index freedom to keep remember her friends even the long forgotten ones.
*End of chapter 21*
What? You guys expected that Touma will lost his memory? You're wrong! I was planning on getting Index to lost her memories. Caught you guys off guard? Anyway see you in the next chapter and pls reply.