BE WARNED CANON IS GONNA GET SHIN KICKED!

Because reasons.

The next hour instead of an actual class it was Fukiyose and Komoe-sensei trying to make a mummy out of me, with Tsuchimikado and Aogami switching between amused and angry, aside from the various questions of how I even got into a situation that would end up with me getting stabbed.

Safe to say... it was a mess, truly my misfortune will appear at any moment with the mission of making my life miserable, I looked over the window since we had already gotten over the initial shock my history and classes started back again.

If only Fukiyose and Komoe-sensei would stop giving me those worried and very intense stares... it's like they are waiting for me to just die on the spot and be ready for it.

The sky is so clear yet my future is so dark...

Save me the drama, also remember that last tidbit about AIM fields it will come in the questionary she is going to hang out.

Really!? a damn it what was it again? something about being a bi-product of having Espers powers?.

That is a basic way of looking at them, all Espers generate one and act accordingly to their power a pyrokinetic generates heat for an AIM field an Electormaster creates electromagnetic fields, and so forth.

What would a teleporter exude then?.

That... is a very good question, maybe some kind of harmless distortion in space?.

Oh wel- I stopped and glanced out of the window, I swear I saw something through the window it was white and jumping through the rooftops of the buildings but... that's not possible right?.

You should look closer Partner, there was someone jumping through the buildings as fast as they could a little girl if I remember correctly... she looked in bad shape too, like she was hanging by a thread.

My eyes stayed in that direction for a second a pit forming in my stomach, which became a hole after seeing two more people follow after her, the normal Human eye wouldn't have caught them since they are pretty far away.

But I really wasn't normal, was I?.

One looked like a priest, what would a priest want from a little girl?... and that woman following him didn't seem to be religious with the type of clothing she was wearing.

...

Go ahead, I can simulate a loud sound in your stomach to make it more believable.

I suddenly stood up "Komoe-sensei I need to go to the bathroom!" following my shout a loud rumbling was heard and I could feel my stomach tremble from it, the perfect alibi.

Komoe blinked "That sounded... dangerous Kamijou-kun please make sure to deal with it" pushing aside my embarrassment I dashed through the door and ran down the hallway, now how the hell do I leave the school without alerting anyone?.

Jumping through a window should cover that, I did make it sound pretty bad... that should give you about half an hour before someone comes to check up on you.

Hopefully, that would be enough time, and leaped through an opened window when no one was looking which also took me outside of the walls of the school, geez that was quite the jump.

No time to be impressed Partner, there is a job to be done.

Right, and with that, I dashed in the direction the girl was being chased.

He couldn't stop running, if that ever happened he would miss them and only God knows what they would do to that poor nun, but I was close just a couple of moments more and I will reach her.

Why aren't they following closer? it seems that for some reason they aren-

The red-haired man chucked a fireball at the nun with some kind of incantation for some reason I would have shouted but Anthrax kept my own reactions at bay to a degree, that growl was definitely mine.

The nun... was okay? the flame simply did nothing to her even went it clashed on her but It did throw her to the ground and from there she simply stopped moving, I released a gasp seeing her incredibly vulnerable from my position I could see some veins bulging on her head and her face was sweaty along with the ragged breaths she was constantly releasing.

There were no injuries on sight but she was on the verge of death...

I ran faster.

Don't know what we are dealing with, maybe it will be best to keep your identity hidden, you don't really care about people knowing what you do anyway.

I felt my Partner expand and cover my whole body, in a black bodysuit completely concealing my face not that I could tell was I looked like after all I was busy rushing that red-haired fuck!.

"What th-!?" He didn't finish his sentence my fist burying itself on his cheek while I felt a satisfying snap when my fist connected and then he flew back colliding with a metal antenna for TV.

He would have looked dead if it wasn't for the slow movements of his chest, my eyes moved to the woman accomplice of that man, she glared at me and her hand got close to her blade preparing to draw it.

"Why?" I asked her wondering what kind of reason they would have to corner a little girl like she was a criminal and attacking her as if she deserved death, I NEEDED to know.

But no answer came from her, making my frustration rise even more.

She doesn't know you and to be honest, we have no time for this all my senses are telling me she is trouble... take the girl turn tail, and run.

I mentally nodded, everything could wait until I help her... and I had to suddenly duck under some kind of string that I wouldn't have seen in normal conditions making the woman's eyes widen slightly, her drawing hand blurred slightly pulling out her sword but my eyes focused more in the movement of her fingers.

A feint, she is simulating a slash with her sword to hide her use of metal strings, ingenious.

Oh yeah a lot, but I really need to leave before things get out of control, my body contorted in ways I didn't think possible weaving around it like a leaf on the wind but every move had a purpose instead of being simply me following her moves, I was slowly moving towards the nun.

Something that my opponent wasn't about to let me do that, suddenly her wires retracted and she came at me fast, I bent back until the back of my head felt the floor to avoid a swipe of her still sheathed blade she grunted in surprise while I put the palm of my hands on the floor and brought up my right foot towards her face while performing a handstand.

She blocked the kick with her forearm but it still pushed her back, spun to land on my feet while my right arm lashed out in the nun's direction without meaning to and a tentacle flew from it catching the nun and moving her towards me with a pull, at the same time I had already jumped towards the next building catching the nun bridal style and leaving her pursuers.

Not before a large gash appeared on my left shoulder, I didn't glance back and I bit back a scream while my Partner instantly knitted back together the suit that was made of himself.

Tch, she went right through me and I'm pretty sure I can handle high-caliber bullets without problem, does this city make mutants or something?.

Don't think so, hell I first thought she was some kind of magnetic manipulator but then she goes and moves like that... that wasn't normal even for this city's standards.

Yea- why are her clothes off?.

I blinked and looked down at the naked nun in m- something isn't right.

Naked nun.

Huh.

WHAT THE FU-

Well... her clothes are supernatural, also cover her with your button-up shirt for christ's sake!.

Then get off me so I can do so!.

First, get on an alley dumbass!.

"What the hell do we do!?" I exclaimed while on a random alley, the nun now covered in my white button-up shirt that barely worked to cover her exposed body, but that was hardly the problem.

We had no idea what to do!.

Deep breaths partner, while it's easier for me to see the inner working of your body I'm capable of doing the same with other people... problem is even if we find out what's wrong with her, since she apparently had nothing on her it's safe to assume she isn't here legally.

This translates to 'we can't get her to a hospital without handing her over to the authorities on a silver plate' and that isn't going to help, nothing can ever be simple huh?.

Alright do your thing, I saw a small tentacle move from my shirt and stab the girl on the face from there I guess he started working before he pulled back instantly.

There... is nothing wrong with her, I thought I would have to look deeper but the moment I touched her I could tell her body was working as intended.

WHAT!?, that's ridiculous there must be something going on, check again!.

I don't have to, there was only one thing wrong with her and is... this symbol that looks like a 4 under her tongue, it is weird because even if I could see it there was no physical brand on her flesh like it's just there.

So... even if it's a long shot, we should try removing it? I mean it sounds supernatural enough for my hand to work on it...

Yeah I can see the problem too, is it the cause...

Or is it the cure? or preventing her 'illness' from affecting her at least... shit this is just too much and we don't have time to find out anyth-

Behind us!.

I turned around in an instant to come eye to eye with a green-haired man wearing an expensive suit and styling his hair backward with a small smile on his face, said man that definitely wasn't there before, a teleporter of some kind?.

"It seems that I had no reason to fight the current caretakers, but she seems to be reaching the breaking point already..." he mumbled to himself with a frown now, ignoring us completely.

He seems to know her...

Is that a good thing? "Oi, do you know why they were chasing her around like an animal?" I demanded an answer and he paused while giving me a funny look.

"Come again? the church wouldn't be so stupid as to make her an enemy even if they erase her memories constantly... what about her caretakers, they should be a red-haired man and a young woman with a katana" he said with a smirk that said 'please stop saying nonsense'.

I gave him a raised eyebrow "They threw a fireball at her while following her on the rooftops" he stiffened and sighed.

"what the fuck"he whispered lowly and turned to the nun again.

Then his eyes narrowed "You will tell me what your intentions with Index are" My eyes narrowed at the deman-

"Save her of course" my mouth moved without meaning to and I gasped.

WHAT!? there was no physical reaction involved in your body yet you still talked!?.

The man sighed "I'm Aureolus Izzard, Alchemist that betrayed all magical factions for the sake of the little nude nun behind you, a pleasure to meet you" he stated with a smile like he didn't just said THAT.

Give him a second.

Then his smile disappeared "If I hadn't asked you beforehand what you wanted with Index I would question why she is like that... my best guess it was an accident" that... was a very tame reaction.

"So... where do we go from here?" my question was met with a second of silence.

"I have a base of operations not far from here, covered up as being a gang lookout... we can discuss our partnership details there" he nodded at me and looked at the sky with a small smile.

"We will reach with no wasted time, in my workshop, the tea will be ready and warm"and with those words... well they happened.

That... can't be an Esper power.

I thought that was obvious by now partner.

The room was classy and had an old school feeling to it, various books were assorted to my left on a bookcase by colour and volume... there are two couches on the middle of the room red with gold trimming and there was actually tea on the table already served with fancy tea cups.

This... is terrifying.

Right with you there... I glanced at my left and saw a bed where Index was laying breathing heavily making me frown, an action that Aureolus mimicked he took a seat in the couch "Sit boy, there is much to discuss" I stared at him and took a seat at the opposite couch from his.

"What do you know of her situation?" he asked me with a small frown.

Well... "She was being pursued and I simply went to help her... found out that the rabbit hole went a lot deeper than that, oh I'm Kamijou Touma not boy" I answered with honesty and a small sigh at the end making his eyes widen for a moment.

"The world could use more people like you, but right now the only thing that can keep Index alive is the erasure of memory... or that's what the church wants the caretakers to think" he stated with narrowed eyes that highlighted the anger on them.

I rose a brow at that, why would they even do that? "I see you think its stupid, but the church has always been afraid of power while craving it at the same time, Index... has books of magic memorized inside of her head, thousands of them and all with the capability to make a monster out of anyone that learns them and she LEARNED them all" he said gravely.

And while I could see the issue my mind still would never accept what is been done to her "So what they want to erase the books from her mind and everything else because of spite!?" I demanded while glancing at Index again and seeing a Miko standing next to her with a wet towel on the nun's forehead.

"Thank you, Aisa and it's more complicated than that, she is a nun and devoted to the Anglican church and is used as quite literally an Index for all those grimoires the church afraid of the power she could possess if she ever decided to go against them decided to create a system where they would have to erase her memories every year except the memory of the books and her alignment with the church" Aureolus said with a sigh that was obviously tired but the gears on my head were already going at max speed.

This means... that even if she escaped then her apparent devotion to the church would get her back to them, the sick fucks made her a SLAVE!.

I gritted my teeth "There has to be a way to stop this!" I said out loud my partner didn't keep my emotions from leaking out, probably because he was just as livid.

Aureolus nodded "A couple... a transfusion of blood from Deep Blood could potentially help, oh right that's Himegami Aisa her ability is to... either make or destroy Vampires with her blood, you can see where I'm going with this" Aureolus sounded apprehensive at the prospect of turning the nun into a vampire.

I narrowed my eyes "And the other?" there had to be another way.

He sighed "Finding the source that forces her into this state when a year is about to pass and destroy it... but even with all the stolen Knowledge I have I only know of some kind of safeguard spell put on Index..." the magician sounded defeated but I perked up.

Remember like a 4 but slightly curved at the ends.

"Under her tongue, something that looks like a 4 rings any bells?" I said quickly and Aureolus instantly looked up and ran to the bookcase pulling out a green book and instantly pulling the page of a symbol very familiar to me.

He pointed at it after putting the book on the table while pointing at the symbol with a serious expression on his face "Is this the one?" I nodded and he put a hand on his face a nervous expression on his face.

Can't he just warp reality again and be done anyway?

That's... a good point actually "Can't you just warp reality like last time and save her?" his eyes bore into mine and I flinched from the intensity.

"I would if I could... but Ars Magna works with my thoughts and this is an incomplete version anyway" he pulled something from under his jacket a collar... what the hell is that thing!?.

Why is that grey ball with fangs murmuring at the speed of sound?!.

Aureolus pointed with his hand at the thing "This is an imperfect Humonculy created with the blood of Aisa that she gave me, I use it as a medium to cast the spell but with this come flaws, I can't affect something with a greater mana output than me and if used constantly it would destroy the Humonculy" so no easy way... wait aren't Humonculy humans?!.

Not exactly, partner I guess you could call them the robots of Magicians?.

Well... IF a Robot had thoughts would it be any different than a Human?.

Obviously no, but there are issues at hand right now.

I sighed and looked at my right hand "I take it there are even more problems we have to deal with?" I asked him knowing full well nothing can ever be easy.

He nodded "that Symbol is... part of what the Scientific side would call an Artificial Intelligence, used mainly to create living weapons but in this case, or I think it is I do not have full knowledge of it but the pain she is feeling must be the other 'her' taking precautions" he grimaced and I could feel my skin crawl...

I stared at him and gave him a resolute stare "My right hand... it can negate supernatural phenomena, it could be a gamble... but if I touch the symbol it should be gone right?" I asked him and he stared at me and nodded.

He glanced at Aisa "It would be wise for you to go to my workshop the defenses there should keep you safe" Aisa stared at Aureolus and nodded walking towards the door not before giving the Alchemyst a hug and leaving, making the green-haired man stiffen.

Sounds like there is a history there.

And it would be for another day I took the tea and downed it in one go... surprisingly good "Are you willing to fight for your good end Izzard?" I asked the man who scoffed.

"I've been doing so for two years, try to keep up boy" the man got up and stared at Index, I walked slowly towards the nun and carefully opened her mouth looking for the symbol just below her tongue.I reached with my right hand...

OI GET BACK PARTNER!.

"KAMIJOU TOUMA WILL APPEAR AT MY LEFT!"

And then there was light.

I Kamijou Touma had in front of me, a nun with emotionless eyes floating above the ground and wearing a blanket as if it were a toga, it made her look like the old paintings of divinity... she also had summoned a lighting bolt right where he was standing a moment ago.

"I see... so this is their last resort..." muttered Aureolus with a frown adorning his face, thinking of any way to put the girl Index in a position to accomplish their that wasn't the main concern right now, it was to survive long enough to pull it off... I could feel my partner covering my whole body again and while the magician threw a glance in our direction I was busy thinking of what to do next.

Then the girl started saying words that I couldn't understand for a moment, thankfully Aureolus could "That's from the Necronomicon!" he exclaimed and suddenly a... miasma in form of a ball shot in my direction I threw my right hand like a hammer and saw the ball shatter like glass.

The girl tilted her head while Aureolus smirked "I see you weren't just bragging boy,A gun will appear in my hand its purpose to disrupt magical frequency" the last words were spoken with authority and just like that from SOMEWHERE a gun came to his hand a flintlock to be more specific and aimed at Index, he shot a bullet right at at her which instead of harming her made the area around her ripple and she frowned quickly changing the language she was using to something else.

That must be our chance!.

Trusting my partner I rushed forward, my long strides not even bothering the girl in front of me who continued with what I could only guess was an incantation, then the floor under me glowed with orange letters on the floor.

"Nordic Runes!? WHEN!?" Exclaimed Aureolus with confusion while a tentacle snapped from my back and grabbed the wall behind me while pulling me away from the pillar of flames that came from the runes.

I landed on a back-roll next to Aureolus who was reading his gun again but Index had finished her next spell already, when she finished I felt my entire body lock up from pure PAIN and I screamed at the top of my lungs, Aureolus doing the same while falling to his knees.

Don't worry, I have your back!.

Suddenly I could no longer feel the pain but my body was still hardly responding, but it still moved without my say so... having Anthrax around is just a gift that keeps on giving.

My right hand touched my knee and I regained all of my senses, said hand lashed out and touched Aureolus on the shoulder and she almost let himself fall face-first on the floor before he put his hands to stop his fall "Shit... I don't know... what kind of curse... that was..." he said between gasps, the gun he once had disappearing for some reason.

The girl frowned and started to chant again while Aureolus's head snapped in her direction "Dragon's Breath!..." well anything with dragon on it can't be weak...

"This is it... all or nothing" I said to him and he nodded at me after a moment of silence she fired and I met the beam with my right arm, this... white line that seemingly could destroy everything clashed with my hand I heard a hiss at the back of my head.

That hurts! fuck!... not only that but it's pushing us back, a little girl shouldn't have this kind of firepower...

Ignoring the complaints of the voice in my head I glanced at our magical partner that was glaring at his weird necklace "Shit... out of uses, no matter" he bit his thumb and drew blood while clapping his hands together and smacking them on the ground, red lighting cursing through it and the floor began to reshape itself a moving pillar of wood going through it and coming out hitting Index on her heels making her body move backward and the beam to angle itself higher.

And then my leg muscles exploded with strength and I was in front of the nun already punching the base of the beam right where it began breaking itself from my power, and then my right hand lashed out again towards her mouth with precision right when she had opened her mouth...

and then she went limp my left hand grabbed the back of her head gently and I cushioned her fall while I landed on my knees...Her chest moved up and down while I pulled out my right hand from her mouth and smiled "We... did it" I said and Anthrax turned himself back into a shirt.

Today has been just full of surprises... but damn was it worth it, by the by Fukiyose is going to kill us.

A small price to pay I guess... "We need to move... this whole debacle should have garnered the attention of her previous caretakers..." Aureolus said while panting, that's when the door opened, and from it came the Miko carrying a first-aid kit.

"Aisa... I'm fin-" and then he tumbled forward, falling unconscious... damn where do we go now?.

I mean your house is small but it should work for now.

My eyes landed on Aisa and I smiled "Do you have fear of heights?" I asked and she stared at me awkwardly."Maybe..." she said slowly.

Oh, she is going to hate being carried through the buildings.

Aisa was staring at us from my bed while treating Aureoulus "Never. Again" she all but stated while I was busy putting Index on a futon, she was safe now and no one can harm her if I had anything to say about it.

AHEM!.

If WE can say anything about it, really now I have to worry about what to do next... or how not to die by Fukiyose express, "So... how long have you been with Aureolus? kind of looks like there is a history there" I tried to start a conversation and find out information at the same time.

Congratulations you are only half stupid now.

Woah, real mature there Partner, Aisa kept adjusting a bandage around the magician's torso while glancing in my direction once "About a year now, he... helped me with some problems and kept someone at bay" she mentioned with her usual blank expression but there was a great deal of respect in her voice.

... Oi Partner, he has a bite mark on his neck, what's up with that?.

I took a glance at Aureolus and like Anthrax said there was indeed a bite mark to be seen along with some minor scars from claws, four of them that just seemed... off.

That... didn't he say this girl had something called Deep Blood? to make and kill Vampires or something... did he fight a vampire!?.

You know what? considering how my life has been going right now that wouldn't be that farfetched... and it makes me worry about the normalcy of my life "Does it have anything to do with Deep Blood?" I asked her.

Are you stupid or just blunt?.

Oi watch it!.

"... I don't know, he just came, he didn't mock, he didn't brag, he didn't explain, he just kept coming... he went through all of them, Aureolus was able to use Ars Magna to help us escape and buy time to make this outfit and keep me hidden" she revealed with a... absent expression on her face, haunted even.

I flinched at her words "Sorry, I shouldn't have pried..." now I feel bad, damn it, I should know better!.

Damn right you should! why did you even open that can of worm?.

I get it... but the Miko only smiled at me it was small but I was capable of registering it thanks to my heightened senses "Don't worry, that just means you care, just like you cared about her" and then she went back to healing Aureolus while I was stunned.

Well... I scratched the back of my head at that reaction feeling a little embarrassed "Umm... thanks I guess?" way to sound sure of yourself Touma.

She is really mature, or was forced to mature... wonder which one is it?.

Hopefully, she is just like this normally "Sorry but I have to go back to school, they are going to get worried since I left for so long" I started to get up while the Miko nodded at me.

"Be careful" was the only thing she said with absolute seriousness.

That sounds impossible considering your luck.

Shove it! "I will thank you Himegami" and left through the door... where are they?.

Up there, on the building just in front of us... they are being awfully obvious, they want our attention.

Anthrax covered my body and I leaped, reaching the roof with that single jump seeing the red-haired man with a bandage covering most of his face and smoking a cigarette, he also looks incredibly angry to meet me... the feeling is mutual.

He is hardly our main concern, what I'm actually wondering is... why does that woman look so lacking? like she saw something that shouldn't be.

...I guess I'm starting the conversation "What do you want?" my voice sounded deeper and more menacing, something I wasn't used to but didn't find an issue with.

The black-haired woman took a deep breath "What... what do you know that we don't? what did you find out to save her?... where did you succeed where we failed?" the question... threw me through a loop.

Caretakers, I guess they had a deep relationship with Index before... well you know what happened.

Is there even a right answer here?.

No, let's be realistic... we got lucky with our find and we even gambled on a flimsy theory, it's not that they lost and we won, we both tried the same thing and left with different outcomes.

Then what do I say?.

You already know what to say.

..."I told you this was a waste of time Kanzaki" stated the priest with a defeated grumble.

I sighed loudly "I didn't know anything, she looked in pain and went to help, I took a gamble that paid off... that's it" not the words they wanted to hear but that was the everyone that wants to help gets the outcome they want.

Someone took it very badly, the priest rose to his full height "So you just winged it with the life of the girl without second thought!?" he snapped suddenly and I grimaced.

"Where would she be if we hadn't done that? again without memories for the rest of her life... at some point she would reach her 30's and wonder how she ended up like that? she would grow to be an old lady wondering if she was born like that!? WHAT KIND OF LIFE IS THAT!?".

It took me a moment to realize that Anthrax had spoken out loud, his small face and serpentine body appearing over my shoulder leering at the Priest who reeled back in shock.

But he recovered from that quickly "At least she would be alive! at some point, we would have found a way to SAFELY get her out of it to finally get her a normal life!" but those words rang hollow even to me.

"As a Lapdog to the Church you follow? just a girl used like a BOOKCASE of all things!? is that ordinary to you magician?" I demanded an answer that never came he knew I was right but he refused to cooperate and he looked ready to fight.

But that wasn't about to happen "STYIL ENOUGH!" demanded the woman known as Kanzaki with a stern frown on her face making Styil glance at her in surprise.

"But..." the words died on his throat at her solemn face.

She turned to me and Anthrax "You are right we were hoping for the best, so did you... but unlike us, you were able to see past the fear and actually try to get her back and you didn't even know her..." she bowed to me and I blinked in surprise.

"Thank you for giving Index her life back, please keep her safe" she stated with conviction while holding back a sob and I frowned under my suit, she turned to Styil her hair shadowing her eyes but by the expression on the priest face it must have been heartbreaking.

"Let's go Styil, we officially lost Index from our sight and we are reporting back to the Archbishop" A lie, one that anyone could look through... but she didn't seem to care about it.

Styil watched the retreating back of Kanzaki and turned to me "... I don't like it, but... I guess sometimes we can't get what we want" was the only thing he said with a carefully put neutral facade that was waiting to break down, he walked away with no more words being said and following Kanzaki down the building...Anthrax hid again and only my black suit was on.

Maybe they aren't bad... maybe there could have been another way to fix this... but don't you dare take the blame for this.

Sorry, I can't help it... that Kanzaki girl looked dead inside by the end of our talk.

Then hold up to her words, protect the girl that now can live her life to the fullest.

Heh... you are quite the smooth talker huh? I jumped off the building while Anthrax was moving my arms while shooting black tendrils from building to building using them as ropes to swing through the streets of Academy City.

Maybe taking a punch or two from Fukiyose would have wonders with my self-pity.

Careful with what you wish for partner...

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Slow Poison: It is made to make you suffer for a long time, to make you and those around you lose hope, some times it may even work but remember that a cure could always be there as long as you are brave enough to take it.

YOLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

The canon is fucked and you know it!