A Certain Infinite Possibility

by Darkbetrayer

An ancient organization has emerged from hiding in order to bring the world into darkness. Will Touma be able to stop them or will his actions make everything worse. Will Touma finally develop the harem he deserves? Magic and Science will collide in ways no one thought possible. Touma X Harem (Maybe, he is really dense.)

57. S2 Memories and Alcohol

First, I want to say sorry Mikoto Misaka wasn't able to answer all your questions last chapter. She got a TON of questions and I try to limit how long these introductions are. I never want it to take away from the story. If I let them do the introduction in the future, I promise to allot more time to them.

When I decided to introduce Eve last chapter, the reactions I got were pretty surprising. I designed her to not be the stereotypical villain, Adam's that, and I wanted someone to be his opposite. I designed her specifically to mock what a normal villain would do. Though, she is smart, as she didn't tell the main cast her plan till after it was done, stupid bond villains tell the hero what the plan is so he can ruin it. What I saw in the comments was she is extremely popular and I'm glad. She and Adam are going to have a lot more scenes in the future.

Sergioqsc: In the novels, he actually started gaining a small amount of control over it. I think it's unlikely, but with this story, nothing is off the table.

Swoob: No, I was lucky to get B's in English. I write purely for fun.

Handsomistic1: A lot of people did. It was put in there for a reason. I figured, memories and alcohol, why not?

d3mystic: You picked up on a big thing in this story. Characters can change based on the events that happen to them, but it's hard to change their core personality.

Guest 10032 & Agent Nine: Please read the chapter below to answer your questions.

Itherael: Dang I messed up, you're supposed to hate him and ignore him. Most OC characters are either hit or miss to people, you either like them or you don't.

Haku Katsuki: Already done, couple chapters and you will see them.

Brosephg: Always glad to see new readers who enjoyed the story. Thanks for commenting.

Disclaimer: I do not own Toaru Majutsu no Index or any of the characters. Reading this story may cause you to burst out in laughter or yelling at fictional characters. This may cause nearby people to assume you have gone crazy. Please read responsibly. Also, if you are underage in your country, I cannot condone you drinking, no matter how funny this story makes it look.

---

Several of the church's trucks were heading back to the hotel. The battle was finally over, Eve had left, and now they had to deal with the aftermath. The Anglican forces were leaving as fast as they could, before the knowledge they were involved became public, and the knights were mobilizing in mass to clean up the city as much as possible. Touma was sitting In the back of one of the trucks, with Misaki and Mikoto on each side of him. Kuroko was sitting next to Mikoto, and Jason was next to Misaki. Accelerator was sitting across from Jason and next to him were Saiai, Shizuri, Frenda and Index. Itsuwa was driving and Agnese was sitting next to her. They had been rather subdued, exhaustion had a firm grip on them, but the ride was bumpy and they could hardly fall asleep with all the adrenaline still in their veins.

"So how long have you known about magic?" Shizuri suddenly asked Touma, breaking the silence. This caused everyone's heads to turn to look at him. Even Jason and Accelerator looked interested. Shizuri had thought about it and came to the conclusion Touma knew about it for a long time. It would explain how he knew all the people from the church and how they knew his hand could negate.

"Uh," Touma replied, surprised at the sudden question. "Quite a while actually." He wasn't really sure how to answer, because he didn't actually know. He had lost his memories before meeting Index, so he didn't know if he had known about it before.

"I'm kind of interested in the story too," Mikoto said, turning to look at him. "We've been involved with magic several times, but I don't remember ever asking when you learned about it."

"I suppose," Touma said slowly, thinking fast on what to say.

"It was my fault," Index spoke up suddenly, causing everyone to look at her. "I got him involved almost a year ago." Everyone turned to look at her. "I was on the run, a lot of things had happened, and he stumbled upon me and fed me." She stopped, and looked at the ground for a moment, a slight sadness in her eyes. "He said he would protect me and he saved me, even though he got severely injured in the process. I've been staying at his place since then, even though the problems have been solved."

"Why?" Kuroko asked. "Couldn't you go home once you were no longer in danger?"

"It's not really that simple," Index sighed.

"What did you do?" Frenda asked. "Basically, they should have a reason why they are after you."

"Nothing," Touma said firmly, before Index could answer. "She knows a lot about magic, and people wanted that knowledge. She had done nothing wrong." Touma purposely avoided saying anything about the grimoires in her memory. Even when Mikoto had been briefed by Stiyl, Kaori, and Motoharu back in Jason's apartment, they never told her Index contained that kind of knowledge.

"So in other words," Saiai said filling in the blanks. "You super played the hero again."

"Sounds like him," Accelerator mumbled.

"Can't argue with that," Jason nodded.

"Helping others is one of his best qualities," Misaki added, leaning against Touma.

"I wish he would think of the consequences once in a while though," Mikoto sighed, then caught Misaki's eye. Misaki winked at Mikoto from her position, and Mikoto's face turned slightly red. She defiantly leaned up against him too. Kuroko noticed this and gave Touma a death glare, which he tried to ignore, sweat forming on his neck.

"I can't leave someone alone who needs help," Touma told them.

"He even promised to help me if I needed it," Shizuri said with a slight smirk. She didn't have to say anything about that. She just enjoyed the annoyed looks of Misaki's and Mikoto's face. It was one of her favorite past times, since she couldn't kill them because Touma would get upset at her.

"Touma will be Touma," Index said, shaking her head, and Misaki, Mikoto, and Frenda sighed, while Jason and Accelerator gave a slight laugh.

"I have another question," Kuroko said, crossing her arms, as something came to her. "It was something Eve said." Everyone turned to look at her, and Touma felt a moment of dread for some reason. "She had tried to find out something from you, and your hand went off." She purposely avoided saying kiss, because she couldn't believe it actually happened. Jason winked at her from behind the other girls, and she ignored him. "Well she was only able to obtain less than a year's worth of memory and Index said he met her almost a year ago. Would them meeting somehow prevent her reading his mind before that?"

"Depends on the magic I guess," Jason shrugged and turned to look at Agnese and Itsuwa.

"Most likely," Agnese said. "She was using magic to read his mind and the Imagine Breaker broke her contact. She, probably, only saw the most recent memories. Any idea what she was looking for?"

"No idea," Touma said truthfully. "I couldn't even tell she was reading my mind until she told us." He then had to lie, even though he didn't like it. "I don't see why there should be any relationship between meeting Index and her power." He didn't want to talk about it. Just thinking about the fact he lost his memories made him nauseous. He still remembered the look of Index's face when she thought he had lost his memories before, until he played it off as a joke. He wasn't sure how the others would react, but he didn't want to see that kind of expression again on anyone. The hurt in her eyes while she forced a smile nearly broke him.

"True," Itsuwa agreed. "The fact she got any information at all shows she has a lot of information about your hand. It also looks like Eve might have a slight grudge against all of you now."

"Bring it on," Frenda declared. "Basically, I'll teach her who's boss."

"I see," Shizuri said, frowning slightly. However, she was frowning about something different then the news Eve was after them, as her eyes flickered onto Touma. She could tell he was lying. He really is terrible at hiding things and is so easy to read. There is a connection between his memories being read and meeting that nun. What on earth could it be? Her mind went through several possibilities, but none of them seemed likely. I guess I will find out later. I will get an answer, one way or another. She wasn't the only one who sensed it too.

Misaki excelled at reading people, both with and without her power. When Touma said he didn't know about any correlation between the two events, she knew it wasn't true immediately. He didn't use the same tone he normally used when reassuring her. He knows something about what happened, but I don't think he would keep anything important secret from us without a reason. It must be important or he would have just told us outright. Maybe I can ask him privately. I really want to know if anything is bothering him.

Mikoto also could tell something was wrong, not because she could read people easily, but the fact it was Touma. She had known Touma for a long time, and when he said he didn't know of a relationship, she immediately knew something was wrong. I'm getting the same feeling when he tells me everything is going to be okay, before he runs off into something dangerous. Something DID happen. I want to know what it was. He promised to be more open with me and, if something is wrong, I want to help. He always helps me whenever I need it. It's time to return the favor.

"Oh Misaki," Touma said turning to her, as he hastily changed the topic of conversation. "What were you saying about Eve seeing things differently? She seemed to get really mad about what you saw."

"Ah yes," Misaki said nodding. "With fighting the phoenix, it almost slipped my mind." She frowned and crossed her arms under he chest. "It was weird. I saw recent memories, she was watching our fight, talking to Adam about her plan, and talking with a girl, probably the Juliet she mentioned. Then I saw something I couldn't understand." She got silent as she looked for the right words. "It was a city, it had to be, but the buildings were twisted and warped. They should have fallen down, but they didn't. Then the colors…. There were colors that don't exist. I have never seen something like them before."

"Color's that don't exist?" Index said frowning too. "What do you mean?"

"I can't describe them," Misaki shrugged. "If I describe something as blue, you all know what blue looks like. I could say something is light or dark blue, blue mixed with another color, but I couldn't describe the color blue to you. It's like this. The colors weren't a combination of other colors."

"I want to see that," Frenda said excitedly. "Basically, seeing a color that doesn't exist sounds like a once in a lifetime opportunity."

"Well," Misaki said, taking out a remote. "It would be easier to show you the memories I received. It would be easier than trying to describe, but…" She paused.

"What's wrong?" Kuroko asked.

"Near the end," Misaki said slowly. "There was a monster of some sort that disrupted the memory. I wanted to warn you before showing it."

"I'm not super scared of it," Saiai said instantly.

"I'm interested too," Jason added.

"Can I see it too," Agnese called form the front of the truck. "I'm not driving and I might recognize something."

"Okay," Misaki nodded. "Touma, make sure not to touch your head." He nodded and she clicked her remote. Everyone, except Mikoto and Shizuri, flinched for a second as they received the memory. Mikoto, however, sparked up.

"Hey," she snapped at Misaki.

"Whoops," Misaki grinned. "Forgot you automatically block my ability,"

"Sure," Mikoto said sarcastically. She noticed Shizuri didn't react, so Misaki must have avoided her. She did smirk slightly and Mikoto felt her blood boil slightly. They are both so infuriating. Mikoto figured Misaki shocked her because she was leaning up against Touma. She did notice Accelerator seemed to have received the memory, so he must have allowed her to send him it. I really want to see, but it's not like I can turn off my ability. She felt left out as everyone was watching the memories. She nearly jumped out of her seat when Kuroko yelled out.

"Woah!" Kuroko said. "That was a monster. What the heck was that?"

"It super looked like a dragon," Saiai said thinking. "But I only had a glimpse." At her words, Accelerator, Kuroko, Mikoto, and Misaki all gave Touma a look. He was sitting there in thought too. He couldn't deny there was some semblance to the creature that came out of his hand but, a lot of ways, it was different.

"What is it?" Index asked, looking at them all. She had been unconscious during the trip to Italy and never saw the beast form from Touma's severed hand. When no one answered her, she frowned and pondered the image. "Without any more evidence, it's hard to say if it was a true dragon. Making images of creatures wouldn't be unusual, but I am more interested in the colors. The gold clouds bothered me. Dragons in history have served both God and or Lucifer, and some Fallen Angels have been referred to as dragons. A couple Saints have been known to have slayed a dragon, including St. George, St. Matthew, and St. Martha."

"You know," Mikoto said. "If we didn't just go through a fight with the princess and Eve, I probably would have a tough time believing this. But now…." She sighed. "This is the kind of stuff you do all the time isn't it." She jabbed her finger into Touma's side.

"Nothing on this scale," Touma admitted. "I helped Stiyl intercept a couple magicians before."

"Sounds a lot like what we…" Frenda spoke up, before being elbowed in the stomach by Shizuri. She snapped her mouth shut when Shizuri started to emit a dangerous aura.

"This is just f#$%^%…" Accelerator mumbled and everyone looked at him. He wanted to say stupid, but it wasn't really a good enough word for him. "We should have all visible light on the spectrum analyzed. Let's say it was past the spectrum we could see, then that means this girl sees things at different frequencies. But that would make her unable to see normally, as seeing frequencies like ultra violet and infra-red would interfere with being able to process normal visible light, but the first memories were completely normal."

"Aww," Shizuri said, grinning. "Is the number one having a hard time understanding something?"

"Interested in seeing how far I can throw you?" Accelerator snapped at her.

"I have to think about all the possibilities," Index interrupted them. "I have several theories already, but without more evidence, I can't narrow them down."

"I will pass this onto Stiyl," Agnese told them. "We might be able to find something on our end and pass it along to you."

"I wish I could have seen it," Itsuwa sighed. "But I rather not be distracted while shuttling everyone."

"Don't worry," Misaki reassured her. "I can let you see it when we get back. You have helped us out a lot."

"Jason," Touma said looking at him. "You're awfully quiet." Jason hadn't said anything since they received the memory. Touma wasn't sure, but Jason appeared slightly pale and his hands were gripping his pants, hard. He was obviously distracted by something.

"Ah well the memory was indeed interesting," Jason said after a moment, his voice sounding normal. "But as Index said, we don't have enough information at this time, so no use really worrying about it."

"He's right," Shizuri said speaking up. "Right now, we know more information on Eve, and she seriously pisses me off. I can't wait for another chance to blast her."

"I'm really interested in how she summoned that phoenix," Jason said, leaning back. "It was pretty cool. I wonder if I can learn to do that."

"You're the one who lost the book for it," Accelerator reminded him.

"What?" Touma asked. "Didn't you steal it with your mark?"

"I did," Jason nodded. "But when Eve left, the book disappeared. It must have been connected to her."

"You're so useless," Kuroko sighed, rolling her eyes.

"If you have something valuable," Saiai told him. "You super don't just let it go. At least Accelerator was actually able to do something useful. You were just a distraction at best."

"That's because I'm that strong," Accelerator said, and Saiai grinned at him.

"Ouch that hurts," Jason said, putting his hand over his heart. "I got us there in one piece, didn't I?"

"Only because I teleported us once we got into the city," Kuroko refuted. "Besides," she suddenly got a wicked grin and everyone watched them in silence. "What do you plan to tell Uiharu when you get back?" Touma wasn't sure what happened, but Jason's face went deathly pale and his eyes went wide.

"What are you talking about?" Mikoto asked Kuroko, narrowing her eyebrows slightly.

"Well," Kuroko said, eyes darting between Mikoto and Jason. "We were leaving to help, and the ape's friend managed to procure us a car, Uiharu and Saten-san found out and tried to stop us. Jason went and used his Sloth Mark to put them to sleep so we could leave."

"You didn't…" Touma said looking at him.

"And here I thought you were smarter than that," Misaki said, shaking her head.

"What are these marks?" Frenda asked.

"Probably magic he knows," Saiai whispered. "Shush, I super want to listen."

"You are so screwed," added Accelerator, giving a short bark like laugh.

Mikoto was the only one who really seemed angry at Jason. "You only did it so they wouldn't follow?" Jason nodded and she sighed, but still glared at him. "You shouldn't have used your powers on friends."

"I don't think you're in any position to say that," Misaki pointed out, referring to all the times Mikoto shocked Touma and Kuroko.

"Be quiet," Mikoto said before turning her attention back to Jason and Kuroko. "I've been meaning to ask you both something. When did you start calling each other by your first names?"

"Arg," Kuroko rolled her eyes. "Long story."

"She didn't like my nickname," Jason explained. "Shortly before we fought Knight Leader she was getting mad at me, for no reason," Mikoto didn't believe that for a moment, though she didn't say anything, but she stepped on Kuroko's foot to prevent her from interrupting. "Well she said she rather me call her by her real name then the nickname."

"What was her nickname?" Frenda asked, leaning forward.

"Don't you dare say it," Kuroko snapped at Jason.

"I told her," Jason continued. "I would call her by her first name if she called me by mine." He shrugged. "I prefer my first name over my last anyways."

"You were pretty insistent about it," Kuroko pointed out.

"Lover's quarrel again," Accelerator sighed.

"No it's not!" Kuroko yelled.

"I have a girlfriend," Jason pointed out. It seemed like it was his default response, whenever someone said they had a lover's quarrel.

"Anyway," Mikoto continued, determined to end the argument before powers started flying. "You better apologize to Uiharu-san and Saten-san when we get back." Jason nodded and she looked mollified. Jason appeared subdued and to be lost in thought. Touma believed Jason was thinking of how to apologize and didn't try to interrupt him. Even Kuroko seemed to lose interest in trying to get a rise out of him. The rest of them turned their attention back to Eve and started to discuss what Eve's and Adam's plan was to find the last wing. Agnese and Itsuwa joined in, but none of them had any solid leads.

---

Outside of the city, two individuals stood and watched the Church forces leave the city. One was a tall blond man wearing a clean black formal suit. He seemed to wear a serious expression as he observed the city. "What is the plan boss? Curtana Original has broken and The Fallen have retreated."

"We learned much about Eve's power so the trip wasn't a complete waste." The second individual did not fit the normal appearance of a boss. For being the boss of one of the largest magic cabals, with their headquarters in the UK, she was a young girl of around twelve. She had short blonde hair, blue eyes, a petite figure, and wore a white dress with black stockings. Though young, she held herself in a dignified way, though her bosom was not prominent.

"Curtana's power has weakened considerably," the man said. "We could take the opportunity to examine it."

"The old hag is probably not in the best mood right now," the girl said. "I rather not make her my enemy. We shouldn't get involved if we can help it."

"Didn't you send the young man the letter telling him how to disrupt Curtana?"

"Oh you saw that?" the girl grinned. "I determined it was a necessary risk in order to prevent the princess from succeeding. If I had known it was all part of Eve's plan, I would have avoided it."

"Yet you looked into his history and all of his friends from Academy City," the man said. "Are you still uncertain of letting Patricia work there?"

"Shut up," the girl snapped. "Let's go, we have a lot of preparations for The Fallen's final plan. After all, those students will find out soon enough the final wing is in Academy City."

"You seem so sure about that," the man said seriously. "Yet you have not provided any information to back it up, it is based purely on speculation. Are you sure you are not using it as an excuse to check up on your sister?"

"That's it," the girl said turning to look at him. "You're getting punished."

---

The ride back to the hotel was uneventful, and Touma was perfectly fine with that. After Carissa's coup blew up a good part of the city, and then Eve invading and doing her best to make his life hell, he was ready for a break from the craziness. He was tired, but to full of adrenaline and excitement to think of going to sleep. His wrist was wrapped up with a piece of cloth to help stabilize it while it healed. The injury wasn't serious, but healing magic didn't work on him so he had to let it heal naturally. When Itsuwa pulled up in front of the hotel, they all got out. Most of them were looking forward to changing, since their clothes were either covered in dirt, burn, or torn. Shizuri and her friends were leading the group, but Touma realized Jason was walking slowly in the back, lost in thought. He slowed down until he was walking next to Jason. "You know she's going to forgive you."

"Huh?" Jason asked, turning to look at him. "Oh yea, but I still feel bad."

"That's a first," Kuroko mumbled in front of them and Mikoto nudged her.

"Be nice," she hissed.

"I can't wait to get out of these clothes," Saiai said loudly. "It feels like the dirt is caked into my skin."

"I want a shower too," Frenda complained. "Basically, these clothes are ruined."

"I'm interested in seeing what Takitsubo was up to," Shizuri said. "She better have been gathering information here while we were working."

"I have to agree with them," complained Misaki. "It's so unbecoming to be covered in sweat and dirt."

"A little exercise is good for you," Mikoto told her, smirking.

"Maybe for a tomboy like yourself," Misaki replied with an insincere grin. "But a delicate girl like me can't…" She was interrupted by several people calling out to them. Ruiko and Kazari came running up to them, with Motoharu following close behind. Shizuri and her friends didn't care about them and walked right by, before heading upstairs to their rooms. Accelerator also left and headed upstairs. He had to let a pair of certain brats out of a locked room. He had thrown Worst and Last Order into a hotel room, before he barricaded it with a bookshelf. He knew they would get into trouble if he left them alone for too long.

"You did it!" Ruiko cheered as she lunged at them and pulled Mikoto and Kuroko into a tight embrace. "We heard you all succeeded and were on the way."

"It was tough," Mikoto told her. "But I told you we would come back."

"Can't breathe," Kuroko gasped pushing herself out of Ruiko's grasp. Ruiko let her go and grinned sheepishly.

"Sorry," Ruiko said. Then she gave Misaki, Index, and Touma a quick hug. "We were worried sick since we didn't get a lot of news until it was over. Though," she frowned, looking at Kuroko. "You didn't have to leave did you?"

"Shirai-san and Jason did help us a lot," Touma told her. "I was surprised they came too, but I was glad they were there."

"We had to," Kuroko told Ruiko. "We couldn't let our…" She stopped when she heard a loud slap. Everyone turned to see the source of the noise, and saw Kazari had slapped Jason. Jason didn't look like he was surprised by it, and Kazari had a combination of anger and worry on her face. A moment later they wrapped their arms around each other and kissed passionately. Kuroko had never seen Kazari so boldly exhibit a public display of affection. She turned away, her face slightly warm, but she also felt a weird pang in her stomach. Am… I jealous? Mikoto, Ruiko, Index, and Touma turned away too because they were also embarrassed. Misaki smiled at the scene, before grabbing Touma's arm.

"We will tell you everything that happened," Misaki told Ruiko. "But for now, we really need to get cleaned up, before the party." Mikoto realized what she was doing and stepped between them, forcing Misaki off his arm. She grabbed Misaki's arm and pulled her away.

"I agree," Mikoto said. "We will see you all in a bit."

"Wait for me onee-sama," Kuroko said rushing off after them.

"I want to check up on Last Order," Index told Touma. "Don't get into trouble while I'm gone." Touma and Ruiko watched them all leave.

"I wished I could have been more help," Ruiko said wistfully. "We were really worried and yet we couldn't do anything to help." She kicked her foot slightly. "I even developed my ability and still can't do anything useful, even when my friends are in danger. I'm so weak."

"Don't think like that," Touma told her. "Level's aren't everything. The fact all of us continued to fight was to help everyone, including you. We tried so hard to make sure we return was because we all had friends waiting for us. You know how Mikoto and Shirai-san are. They never once stopped thinking about you and Uiharu-san. In a way, you do help us by remembering what we fight for and what we are returning too."

"Really?" Ruiko asked, and then she gave an involuntary giggle. "If it was anyone else… but you always say what you really believe. Thanks." She smiled sincerely at him.

"Besides," Touma told her, putting his hand on her shoulder. "Remember, you saved me once too. You aren't weak. We may not have amazing powers like Mikoto, Accelerator, Misaki, and Mugino, but we can still protect people. Don't belittle yourself. If you work hard, I'm sure your ability will grow to allow you to achieve your dreams."

"Thanks," Ruiko said, turning away from him. "That means a lot." Her face was burning brightly and she couldn't bear to look him in the eyes. Her heart was pounding wildly. Normally a line like that would be really cheesy, but he always says them with such conviction and honesty. "Well, I should get going and make sure everyone is getting ready. We were told there was going to be a celebration tonight. They are already setting up tables out back." She gave one last look in the direction Jason and Uiharu were heading, before she rushed off upstairs. Touma smiled, glad she appeared to be feeling better, and was about to head upstairs himself and change his ruined clothes, when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Nice skills there Kami-yan," Motoharu told him grinning. Touma had completely forgotten he had been there. He had been uncharacteristically quiet, as he observed their conversation with amusement. That was the true skill of a spy, being in plain sight but being forgettable. "So you were the big hero huh? Taking out the princess and then fighting Eve, just another normal day for you, right?"

"It was thanks to everyone's help," Touma told him. "Accelerator was the one who threw me so I could destroy Curtana and take down Carissa. Eve just interrupted near the end. She told us what her plan and that she got the wing." Touma sighed. "I think she enjoys messing with me too." He frowned and looked at Motoharu. "What skills?"

"Oh?" Motoharu said, raising an eyebrow. "I'll need to hear all the details later. I'm sure Kagere will tell me what Eve is like." Touma started to sweat when he realized what Jason would say if asked. "As for your skills," he grinned, "Making Saten-san feel better, putting your hand on her shoulder, and complimenting her. Such a high level, as expected of you, I bet she's completely yours now."

"Don't be stupid," retorted Touma. "I just told her the truth. We all wanted to return to our friends." He didn't deny the accusation Ruiko liked him, because he knew she had feelings for him at one point. He had heard it back during the Tokiwadai trip and he wasn't sure if she still had those feelings. As for if he had somehow magically gotten her to fall for him with telling the truth, he didn't believe that. There is no way stuff like that happens except in anime or manga. "Well, I'm going to change. I'm actually looking forward to the party. Something normal will be a pleasant change from the craziness we just encountered."

"Going to relive your crowning achievement and pick up as many girls as possible?" Motoharu called after him. Touma replied with a rude gesture and headed upstairs. While he was heading to his room, he had time to remember something he had avoided thinking about for a while. He had hoped he convinced his friends there was no correlation between Eve's words and meeting Index. It had been a long time since he really thought about his memory loss. Now, it was just a part of his life and he didn't really continue to relive it. He had grown to accept it as part of just being himself. So far, there had been no indication he would ever get his memory back and he didn't want to worry his friends. He had no idea how they would react, but he remembered Index's face when she thought he had lost his memory of her. Never again…It also didn't effect what he had to do to help people, so he never had a reason to bring it up.

He entered his room and looked around. Accelerator wasn't there, so he probably was off with Last Order and Worst. Touma sighed and rummaged through his suitcase, when he heard the door behind him open. He looked to see who it was, and got a surprise when Mikoto and Misaki entered his room. They closed the door quickly behind them. Touma saw they hadn't changed yet, and he knew something had happened. "What is it?" he asked, trying to keep his voice calm. He was hoping they would just be up to their normal rivalry, but the seriousness on their faces said otherwise.

"We decided we needed to ask you something," Mikoto said, as she crossed her arms. Her gaze held a combination of worry and accusation. She exchanged a brief glance with Misaki, who nodded, and Mikoto continued. "On the drive back, Kuroko mentioned the timing between you meeting Index and how far back Eve read your memories were the same. You avoided the question, but we could easily tell something was on your mind."

Touma froze, his worst fears confirmed. What do I tell them? I don't like lying, but can I really tell them I don't have memories before last July. He didn't know how they would react, with shock, anger, sympathy, sadness? He opened his mouth to reply, but he seemed to choke on his words. Only a small sound came out, before he pretended to cough and managed to asked, "What do you mean?"

"You are avoiding the question again," Misaki pointed out, concern fully evident in her face. "Something did happen. I thought about what could happen to achieve the outcome Misaka-san mentioned and settled on two reasons. One, there is magic protecting your memories, but the odds are unlikely since your hand can negate magic. The second…" Her eyes were full of sadness. "You lost your memories again and, by the sound of Eve's confusion, it was more complete."

"Again?" Mikoto asked, turning to her in shock. "What do you mean again?"

Misaki sighed, she really didn't want to tell Mikoto about it, but she figured it had to be done. "I've known Touma for quite a while. He saved me and got seriously injured as a result. To save his life, I had to use my power on him, but due to loss of blood and low blood pressure, there was an unintended consequence. He couldn't remember me and any new memories he received of me would just fade away. When all three of us met at the Daihasei," Touma didn't remember the incident, but that was before he could remember her, "I just pretended to not know him."

"Wah?" Mikoto said, her mouth opened. She did not expect this. They had discussed Touma was hiding something, but they were going to persuade Touma to tell them. They only decided to work together because they thought it might be easier to persuade him if he thought more of his friends cared, and neither of them wanted the other to get an advantage over them. She knew him from before? How much have they done together? Shokuhou sure won't tell me, and Touma wouldn't remember if this is true…. Wait, what about her reaction at the hospital after Sloth? "So that's why you were surprised he remembered you after the tournament." Misaki nodded. Ah, I need to learn more, but right now Touma's a bigger priority. "Save this for another time. Is she right?" She looked at him and received a shock.

To her, she normally saw two sides of Touma, well three since she met his friends. One was the nonchalant version she saw around Academy City. He always seemed to be tired or preoccupied with unimportant things. Even when fighting her, he never seemed to be serious. The second version was the serious Touma she saw on occasion. He seemed distracted, but emitted an aura of purpose. She had begun to realize when this side appeared. It was during the museum when she truly understood it. The serious side appeared whenever he was out saving someone. He always radiated an aura of determination and it was hard to imagine him losing. The third version was the Touma that appeared around his friends. He seemed to goof around a lot, but oddly enjoyed himself. She also caught this side of him when they were on their date. Now, what she saw caused her stomach to coil in knots. He looked so…

Vulnerable.

Touma's shoulders sagged and he gazed at the floor. He didn't know how he was going to talk his way out of this. I guess it's time. He took a deep breath and looked up. Mikoto and Misaki were watching him closely. Even he could tell they were putting on a calm front, but their eyes betrayed their worry and fear. He opened his mouth and the words flowed out, but they sounded far away, as if someone else was saying them. "I did lose my memories last July. It is why Eve couldn't read them. My hand only went off because she temporarily froze me, so I couldn't interfere with her." Mikoto's mouth froze open in shock. While it had been guessed this was the case, confirmation is completely different then speculation. Misaki looked at the floor and her hand tightened into a fist.

"So you don't remember when we met?" Mikoto asked nervously.

"Well," Touma said slowly. "I remember when I met you. It was outside the vending machine and you got mad when I didn't remember you name." He let out an involuntary chuckle. "My hand moved out of relax and blocked your electricity. I didn't know why at the time, but I quickly learned about our relationship." He couldn't help grinning slightly, but he stopped when he saw Mikoto's face. He felt nauseated at the look of sadness etched on her face. It was the same kind of sadness he had seen in Index's eyes, when she had smiled, thinking Touma couldn't remember her. This was what he wanted to avoid, this is why he hadn't told anyone. Not for himself, he had accepted it, but for everyone else's smile. "I slowly relearned who everyone in my class was. I still remember when we faced Accelerator, the Daihasei, and a lot more. I never told anyone because I didn't want to worry anyone."

"You…" Mikoto said slowly, closing her eyes, then burst out. "You stupid idiot!"

"Huh?" Touma asked shocked, completely thrown off by her unexpected response.

"As much as I hate to admit it," Misaki sighed. "I actually agree with her." Touma looked at her confused.

"I hate when you do this," Mikoto said, pointing at him. "I told you before, and I will tell you again. Stop keeping things to yourself. It doesn't just impact you. Every one of your friends is impacted by this too. You may still act the same, but something big like this…" Her voice trailed off as tears weld up in her eyes. As she wiped them with her hand, Misaki took over.

"When we met again," Misaki continued. "You still felt the same. You still had the princely aura around you and would always go and rescue others, at the cost of your own safety. I can understand why you may have felt too scared to tell anyone because it's worse for those that truly cared about you. When you couldn't remember me, I tried everything, but nothing worked. I felt sad, angry, and everything in between. In the end, I was actually satisfied with the outcome. You were alive and had helped me find new meaning to my life. Even if you couldn't remember me, I was happy you were safe." Tears began to well up in her eyes. "I didn't care that when you finally could remember me, you didn't have our old memories. The fact I had another chance was more than I could have hoped."

"Yea," Mikoto said, as she found the strength to speak again. "I would definitely be sad if you didn't remember me, but we can always make new memories together. You are always helping others, but sometimes you can be so selfish. Besides, there's always a chance your memories could return."

"I don't think it's possible," Touma told her. "The doctor told me the brain cells were fine, but the memories themselves were gone."

"Do you know what happened?" Misaki asked.

"No," Touma said, shaking his head. "The first thing I remembered was waking up in the hospital. I was told I saved Index and she was there. She must have heard from someone I lost my memories, because the look on her face was so bad." He closed his eyes, made a fist, and his voice shook slightly. "I couldn't tell her I couldn't remember her and I lied. I pretended to be fine just so she wouldn't be sad. I've told so many people I was fine, even though I couldn't remember them. I'm really…" He suddenly felt arms wrap around him and opened his eyes. Misaki and Mikoto had both embraced him.

"Shut up," Mikoto told him.

"We understand," Misaki added.

"I think you should tell Index," Mikoto said. "She's the one who would be the most impacted by it. If what you said is true, everyone else, except your classmates, are your friends because of who you are. Not who you were. It's weird though. You said you lost your memories, but you are the same person I met."

"I noticed that too," Misaki said thoughtfully, looking up at his face.

"Because I might still remember," Touma told them. "In my soul right?" There was silence as all three of them looked at each other. Then Mikoto and Misaki burst out laughing. Even with the situation being so serious, they still couldn't help themselves.

"You say the craziest things somethings," Mikoto said laughing.

"I would say you aren't thinking straight," Misaki added. "But with magic being real, who am I to say a soul doesn't exist."

"So I might not remember every detail of my life," Touma told them. "But I can still move forward."

"If you can still be yourself," Mikoto said, eyes widening as something came to her. "Is it possible there be a chance you still have some fragments of memories left?" She looked at Misaki. "Couldn't you check?"

"I don't like to use my powers on him," Misaki said looking at her. Mikoto raised an eyebrow, because she had seen Misaki use her powers on people for even the smallest things, like picking up her trash after lunch.

"If you want to," Touma told her. "Go ahead. I haven't had any mental users look into it, and it would probably be the best to know for sure."

"If you're sure," Misaki said hesitantly, pulling out a remote.

"Don't try anything funny," Mikoto hissed at her, and Misaki gave her a pure innocent look.

"I have no idea what you mean Misaka-san," Misaki replied. "I'm going to take a quick look at your far past to see If there's any remains." Touma nodded and she pressed the button. They all were silent while Misaki worked. Misaki put down the remote and sighed. "It seems like it's true. There were no memories. Unlike someone who obtained damage, like from a severe blow, there are still broken fragments, for you, there is nothing left. I've never see anything like it."

"Thanks for checking Misaki," Touma told her. "It's best I learn it now, instead of in the far future wish I had checked it earlier."

"Anything for you," Misaki answered.

"I guess it's true," Mikoto sighed. "But at least you are still yourself and still alive. You always protected everyone else's live, and as long as we live, we can make new memories."

"I think I know what kind of memories she wants to make," Misaki said, smiling.

"Shut up!" Mikoto yelled, turning scarlet.

Outside of the room, Shizuri was leaning up against the wall, eavesdropping on them. She had also been planning to ambush Touma alone and figure out what he was hiding. When she saw Misaki and Mikoto entering his room first, she was pissed she was too late. Frenda had held her up. She had decided to just listen and see what they were planning to talk about. She noticed Touma seemed to open up more around those two then her, so it was probably for the best. When Touma told them his memories were lost, she frowned. I think I am beginning to understand what gives him such strength. I knew he fights for others, but he doesn't even know why anymore. It's so engrained into his body and mind, interesting. Her heart started beating wildly in excitement. I look forward to learning more about him. When Misaki confirmed he had no memories, she stood up and left. To her, the past didn't matter. It was the person they were now. The Touma Kamijou now was the person who interested her, not the old one. If he changed to no longer interest her, she would most likely never contact him again.

"What are you going to do now?" Misaki asked Touma, nudging him in the side. "There's a big party being set up and I know they want the MVP there."

"I wish people wouldn't say that," Touma sighed. "I only got the last blow. Everyone else did a lot more."

"But the fact is you did the most important role," Mikoto replied. "No one else's attacks did nearly as much damage."

"Well," Touma said. "I was planning to wash up and change, but…." His eyes darted to Mikoto and Misaki, both of whom were still clutching his arms. It appeared neither of them wanted to let go while the other one was holding on.

"Well," Misaki said winking at him. "If you want, I can stay behind and wash your back."

"WHAT ARE YOU SAYING?!" Mikoto yelled at her in a mixture of shock and embarrassment.

"Fine," Misaki sighed. "WE can stay behind and wash your back."

"Wha… gah…" Mikoto spluttered, turning red. Misaki's unexpected retort shocked her in several ways. One, she didn't think Misaki would ever willingly let Mikoto stay with Touma like that. Two, there was the fact Mikoto kind of wanted to do that, but wasn't sure if she could get up the courage.

"Ok you two," Touma said, leading them to the door, opening it, and then pushing them through it. "Out." Before they could protest he closed and locked the door. He sighed as he headed toward the bathroom. He was glad he made them leave so quickly, because he didn't know how long his restraint would have last. When Misaki mentioned both of them, he had a very, vivid, daydream of her suggestion. His ears burned and he wasn't able to shake the image of the three of them from his mind.

---

There was a lot of ruckus that night, as the church was finishing setting up the party outside the hotel. Touma could hear it all the way up in his room. By the sound of it, he believed most of the church members had arrived. He left his room and headed downstairs. He was still mulling over the awkward conversation he had with Mikoto and Misaki but, oddly, he felt like a heavy weight had been lifted from his chest. I guess I really needed to talk it out with someone. Mikoto's right though, I need to tell Index. Probably should wait till after the trip though. He passed a couple nuns, who waved at him, and started to head out the back, when he felt someone jump on his back. They wrapped their arms and legs around him, nearly causing him to fall forward on his face.

"Hey there lover boy."

"Lessar?" he croaked, trying to turn his head around to verify.

"Right in one," she said cheerfully. "Obviously I made quite an impact on you. Or maybe you realized it from a different way?" She squeezed him tighter and he could feel her chest being pushed into his back.

"I can't deny you left an impression," Touma muttered, his ears burning. "Can you get off me, it's hard to breath." He sighed in relief as he felt Lessar jump off him. A moment later, she moved in front of him, her arms cross behind her back.

"You know," Lessar said. "I never got to thank you for saving me. At the time, I thought you were just doing it to get information, but after everything you did for the UK, I know that wasn't the case." Her dragon tail swished around behind her.

"It was nothing," Touma said dismissively. "You don't need to thank me, I'm sure others would have done the same thing. So you aren't under lock up anymore, that's good."

"You're pretty optimistic," Lessar told him. "They decided we weren't a threat and were only working for the princess. Bayloupe and Floris are outside with the others too. I'll make sure to introduce you. Sadly Lancis is too far away to join us tonight, but enough about that. I really want to thank you. How about I do one thing for you? I mean ANYTHING. I really NEED to thank you for saving me and my country." She leaned up close to him, grabbing his arm. "We could even go back upstairs. Because of my tail, I don't have any spats under my skirt, only panties." She winked at him. "But that could be easily remedied."

"W-what…!" sputtered Touma, trying to take a step back, but Lessar held on tightly. Before Lessar could respond, they heard a girl shout.

"Stop right there!"

"Damn," Lessar grimaced and turned around to see Mikoto rushing toward them. "Hi Sparky, what's up?"

"What are you doing?" Mikoto demanded.

"I just wanted to thank him for saving me," Lessar said innocently.

"Yea right," Mikoto sniffed. "I see how magicians thank people. I knew you were up to something when I saw you sneaking back into the hotel." She grabbed Touma's hand and dragged him away. "And you, learn to tell people no once in a while."

"Yes Misaka-sensei," Touma told her and he saw her spark up slightly. "I mean Mikoto," he added hastily. She didn't say anything as she dragged him out the back door. Lessar followed them with her hands behind her head, looking slightly downtrodden.

Outside the hotel, the party was in full swing. Dozens of large tables had been set up and most were full. A large buffet had been set up, and easily fifty church members were still in line getting food. Mikoto dragged Touma to a table where Misaki, Ruiko, Kuroko, Jason, Kazari, and Motoharu were sitting. He saw Accelerator sitting with Last Order, Index, Worst, and two girls dressed similarly to Lessar. Those must be Bayloupe and Floris, he thought, ashe grabbed a seat in between Misaki and Mikoto. Kuroko was across from Mikoto, and Ruiko was across from him. Kazari and Jason were to her right, and Motoharu was next to Misaki, across from Jason. Lessar grabbed a seat next to Mikoto. Almost instantly, Itsuwa stood behind him and set down a plate for him.

"I figured you would be hungry Kamijou-kun," she told him. "I grabbed a plate for you, so you wouldn't have to wait in line."

"Thanks a lot Itsuwa," he said gratefully, his stomach growling slightly in thanks too. "Are you going to join us?"

"Sorry I can't right now," she said, giving him a look that said she really wanted to. "I have to make sure we have enough food and drinks for everyone first." Touma watched her rush off to the kitchens, while he felt a couple eyes on him. A quick glance told him Mikoto and Misaki were watching him closely, and Jason and Motoharu were smirking at him.

---

Itsuwa was running around trying to make sure all the commendations were perfect for everyone. She wasn't entirely sure how she got stuck with everything, but she wasn't the type of person to complain. After making sure there were enough tables for everyone, including the stragglers, she double checked the food and made sure the cooks in the kitchen, mostly the Amakusa but there was plenty of nuns helping, had plenty of food being prepared. She was lucky the kitchen in the hotel was high tech and was use to accommodating large numbers of people. She was then planning to go into the basement, to gather more drinks, when Saiji, Orsola, and Tsushima walked up to her.

"Hey Itsuwa," Saiji said cheerfully, waving to her. "What are you doing back here? Shouldn't you be out front getting a certain guy's attention before the priestess gets a chance?"

"Wha…!" gasped Itsuwa, turning beet red. "What are you talking about?"

"I believe," Orsola said, holding a finger up to her cheek thoughtfully. "Tatemiya-san is referring to the fact Kanzaki-san prefers younger men." She turned to him. "Knight Leader had come to court her once before and you turned him away, because you said she liked a young male in Academy City, correct?" Itsuwa opened her mouth in shock.

"Well…," Saiji began with a grin, then immediately regretted it. Tsushima had grabbed his ear and twisted. "Ouch… you're pulling my ear off…. I understand I'll work so she can have a break."

"Very good," Tsushima said, glaring at him as he ran off.

"Don't forget to seduce him with your new uniform!" Saiji called out to Itsuwa, before he disappeared around a corner.

"Thanks for the help," Itsuwa sighed, unable to look at Tsushima or Orsola's face.

"He's actually right in a way," Tsushima said and Itsuwa looked up. "You need a break. You aren't working as efficiently as you normally do." Itsuwa sighed in relief, "And if you don't confess directly, he probably won't know your feelings." Itsuwa's face got bright red again. Tsushima gave her a warm smile.

"But… but…" Itsuwa protested, her mind reeling. "I need to make sure we have enough refreshments for the party first. We are almost out of drinks."

"Don't be silly," Orsola said, smiling too. "I'll take care of it. You have been working hard and need a break. We don't want you collapsing out of exhaustion."

"Thank you for the concern…," Itsuwa began.

"No buts," Tsushima said firmly. "We can handle things and I'll make sure Tatemiya actually works." She pushed Itsuwa, out of the kitchen. "Now go have fun." Itsuwa wore a slightly incredulous look on her face before sighing. She took a deep breath to steady her nerves, turned around, and walked out to go sit with Kamijou and his friends.

Tonight, I'm definitely going to do something to get Kamijou to notice me. She made a fist to steady her resolve.

Back in the kitchen, Tatemiya had taken over cooking details and sent Orsola down to the basement to get more drinks. Orsola opened the door to the dark room, switched on the lights, and looked around. Let's see, which drinks would everyone prefer? I probably should use something older to rotate our stock. She walked to the back and saw a rack of bottles with a thin layer of dust. She took one down, wiped it off and looked at the label. Hmm, the label is too old to read. I hope it's still good. She popped off the cork and sniffed delicately. It smells nice and fruity, I'm sure the others will enjoy it. She grabbed as many bottles as she could carry and took them upstairs to pour in the drink bowl.

What none of them knew, at the time, was the bottles Orsola found contained a very special wine, not a nonalcoholic drink like 90% of the basement held. This wine was specially brewed for religious services the church occasionally performed at the hotel. It was made to be diluted with water. One bottle was supposed to be enough for hundreds of guests. The win was imbued with magic, so the flavor would stay the same, no matter how much water was added. It was NOT made to be drunk straight. The magic-infused alcohol was many times more potent than most hard liquor, when undiluted.

---

Accelerator wasn't sure what to make of the situation. He had been a loner most of his life and only recently had he acquired a small group of people that resembled family and friends. Last Order was sitting next to him and Index took a seat across from her. Worst had sat next to him too, but he didn't expect anything else. Worst like to remain near him to be as annoying as possible. What he didn't expect was several of the church members to come up and talk to him like he was some kind of hero. He brushed several of them off, but they just giggled and moved to sit with others. Two girls then sat across from him, and he recognized one of them. "So," he said, nonchalantly. "They let you out of your cell?"

"You make it sound like you almost care," Bayloupe answered, sipping her drink. "Limited seating and all that. Oh, my name is Bayloupe and this is Floris." She pointed to the blonde haired girl next to her, who nodded. Accelerator didn't answer, but gave a curt nod indicating he heard her. "Big talker huh?"

"MISAKA thinks you are being rude MISAKA says as MISAKA points out Accelerator's lack of etiquette. His name is Accelerator, her name is Worst, and MISAKA's name is Last Order says MISAKA trying to be friendly." Bayloupe and Floris looked at each in response to her strange way of talking, but chose not to say anything about it. Besides, they could hardly consider themselves normal.

"Misaka thinks tou-san isn't use to being popular," Worst said with a snicker. "He rather be locked up in his room sleeping."

"Shut up," snapped Accelerator, and then he turned to Bayloupe. "What do you want? Did you come demanding a rematch or are you so in awe of my powers you wanted an autograph." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Touma, Mikoto, and a girl wearing similar clothes to Bayloupe, sitting down with the others. He didn't see Shizuri and her group, but figured they would take forever getting cleaned up.

"You think highly of yourself," Floris interjected.

"You haven't seen my abilities first hand," Accelerator grinned, slightly mocking, at her. "It tends to make people realize their limits."

"You can say that again," Bayloupe muttered. "What the hell is with your power anyway? You reflected every one of my attacks, but can also effortlessly knock me away."

"Simple vector manipulation," Accelerator said, waving his hand. Bayloupe and Floris frowned. Neither of them had a lot of science side education, so they didn't really understand vectors.

"All you science side people have the strangest abilities," Floris muttered and Accelerator raised an eyebrow.

"Don't mind her," Bayloupe said. "She's still upset she lost so easily to the blonde haired guy over there." She frowned when she saw Lessar jump into Touma's lap. "Seems like Lessar took an interest in that guy since he saved her, she better not get into any more trouble. It's hard enough to deal with her antics normally."

"I understand completely," Accelerator nodded. "I have to deal with these two on a daily basis." He pointed to Last Order and Worst. Last Order wasn't really paying attention, as she was deep in conversation with Index about what happened in London. Worst, on the other hand, wasn't going to take that lying down.

"You know you like Misaka's antics," Worst told him. "Tou-san is a huge masochist so he loves it when I prank him."

"I'm going to lock you in a trunk and throw you into the river," Accelerator mumbled and Worst laughed loudly.

"At least she's not a…" Floris said, but appeared to struggle to find the word.

"Slut," Bayloupe sighed and Floris shook her head slightly.

"Besides," Accelerator said, continuing his thought before Worst interrupted him again. "How can you say we have strange powers after the shit the princess and that Eve girl pulled? Being able to take on an army is one thing, I can do that, but dimensional slicing and summoning a phoenix is a completely different degree of ridiculousness."

"Summon a phoenix and dimensional slicing?" asked Bayloupe curiously and she and Floris leaned forward. "Can you elaborate?" Accelerator sighed when he realized they didn't know what happened in London. They started discussing what occurred when the church fought Carissa and up through Eve's departure. During their discussions, they finished their food and drinks and Last Order volunteered to get more. Index answered a couple questions they had about Eve's magic before Last Order returned. She passed them all new drinks, including Bayloupe and Floris. Accelerator nodded in acknowledgement, took a sip and stopped. He sniffed the drink and realized what he smelled.

Alcohol.

He glanced over at Bayloupe, who also seemed to eye the drink for a moment, but Floris seemed unperturbed or just didn't realize. Drinking age is different in England I forgot for a second. Wait, damn brat… He reached over and grabbed Last Order's drink and then, for good measure, Index's. He was too late, as both of them had gulped down over half their drinks.

"Why did you do that MISAKA demands as MISAKA flails her hands in the air in anger."

"You got something you shouldn't' have," Accelerator reprimanded you, giving her a slight chop. "Who told you to get alcohol?"

"Really?" Index asked. "It tasted good though, unlike beer." Accelerator remembered she had drunk some back when she, Mikoto, and Touma had been at his apartment due to a lack of a proper guardian.

"It's not something for brats to drink," Accelerator snapped at them.

"Fine then MISAKA responds gruffly as MISAKA turns away from him. Let's go and have fun with the others Index, MISAKA suggests." Index nodded and they got up. No sooner then they took around five steps away, they were mobbed by nuns who wanted to talk to Index and dragged her away. Last Order looked slightly upset, hiccupped, and wondered off into the crowd. Worst grinned, got up, and followed her. Accelerator followed them with his eyes, until they disappeared into the crowd. He frowned when he saw Last Order stumble.

There's no way she could be drunk already, he thought as he sipped his drink. A moment later, Saiai plopped down next to him. He just ignored her because he felt like she wanted something.

---

Touma's table was quite loud and rambunctious, even compared to the others. Mikoto and Misaki would argue constantly, Touma expected that, but adding Lessar in the mix just caused more complications. At least, to him, it seemed like Jason and Kazari had patched everything up. She was leaning against him, bright red but looking happy. Jason was talking to Motoharu a lot, but would always make sure he spoke up to annoy Kuroko whenever the opportunity presented itself. Ruiko was the type of person who could talk to anyone, so it was a good thing she was in the middle. To Touma's surprise, Itsuwa joined them. She informed him she was given a break since the party was going well. Though they had a lot of things to discuss, their attention turned to one important topic.

"Hey Itsuwa," Touma asked. "What's the plan after the party?"

"What do you mean?" she asked, tilting her head slightly in confusion.

"Well after everything that happened," Touma said, choosing his words carefully. "Won't the church be busy helping England rebuilding after the coup? What's the plan for us?"

"I was wondering that myself," Mikoto said, frowning slightly. "We can hardly ask you to be a guide if you have to work."

"Y-you all don't have to worry about that," Itsuwa told them quickly. "It was already decided Agnese and I should remain as your guides. While the recent events have changed things, I hope you won't think less of England's hospitality. Even avoiding some of the major cities, we have a lot of nice tourist spots out in the country for you all."

"Country side sounds fun," Ruiko said, clapping her hands together. "We have to stay in the city all the time back home. But where is Agnese-san? I haven't had a chance to talk to her since we got back."

"She's currently chatting with several of her friends," Itsuwa said, scanning the tables with her eyes. "Ah she's with Sister Angeline and Sister Lucia."

"I should say hi to them at some point," Touma said, and he felt everyone's eyes on him. What worried him the most was both Jason and Motoharu were grinning evilly. "They helped us a lot before." He didn't sense any murderous aura, so he thought he was safe, but he had forgotten about Lessar. She took the opportunity, when everyone was distracted, to jump into his lap. She had a partial sandwich in her mouth and quickly swallowed.

"That's great," she said. "If you want, I'll give you a private tour of all the best couple spots. W would be out of the way so no one could hear us, no matter how loud we get." Everyone started coughing on their food in shock, before finding their voice.

"You should get off of him now," Misaki said, trying to keep her voice pleasant, but there was steely edge to it. Her hand was slipping down to her bag. "I can't overlook your overzealous attempts on him."

"Get off him Lessar," Mikoto said angrily, as she pulled Lessar off of Touma. Lessar fell off the seat, rolled once, and then sprung to her feet.

"How bold…" Kazari muttered.

"I thought Shokuhou-san was direct," Kuroko muttered. "But this girl is in an entire league of her own. I should take notes on how to seduce onee-sama."

"Wow," Ruiko mouthed, unable to really say anything she wanted to. She's so straight forward. I wish I could be that direct about my feelings. I had a perfect opportunity too and we got interrupted. I doubt I will get another chance like that. She made a fist under the table. I'll have to take my own advice. You have to go and make the perfect opportunity.

"When did Touma attract this girl?" Jason asked Motoharu. "I must have missed it. It's hard to keep track of his harem ability."

"When you were off on your own fighting Floris and the knights," Motoharu told him. "He saved her a couple times I hear. I heard she's also devoted to England. So once he saved England, you know she was his."

"Sounds like a normal day for him," Jason grinned. He felt Kazari poke him in the side for his joke, so he responded by putting his arm around her and pulling her close. "I got this girl here, so I'm good." Motoharu and Ruiko laughed as Kazari blushed.

"You two need to stop saying those things," Touma told them. "Just because I help people doesn't mean I'm trying to get a…"

"That's right," Kuroko said boldly. "Onee-sama belongs to me so don't you dare!"

"Ah Kuroko," Mikoto sighed, putting her hand on her face as all the nearby nuns turned to watch their conversation.

"I didn't know Sparky was into girls," Lessar said, and pretended to cover herself with her arms. "Is that why you don't want me near him? You're after me?"

"No!" Mikoto denied vigorously. Jason and Motoharu started laughing loudly and even Ruiko and Kazari had to try to hide their smiles. Itsuwa was just watching the circus in stunned disbelief. She still had not gotten use to all of their antics.

"That would explain a lot," Misaki said thoughtfully. "Misaka-san does seem to reference my chest a lot, more then what should be natural." She knew it was childish to go that low, but she really couldn't help herself. Mikoto's face flushing just made her laugh even more on the inside. She's so innocent.

"I knew it!" Kuroko cheered and teleported into Mikoto's arms. "There is still hope."

Before he knew what happened, Touma burst out laughing too. After the earlier serious conversation about his memory, he had been slightly distracted. After only spending a short time with all his friends, he found himself back to his old self. I don't know why this is funny, but I can't stop. Mikoto on the other hand, was not amused.

"You guys…" she said, shutting her eyes in irritation. She suddenly sparked brightly and Kuroko fell off her in a smoking heap, still grinning. Lessar dove behind Touma, who had raised his right hand in reflex, and he negated the blast.

"Onee-sama's love," Kuroko said weakly, twitching slightly.

"Seems like you all are back to normal," Shizuri said walking up to them, holding a plate. Frenda and Rikou were standing behind, also holding food.

"What happened?" Frenda asked.

"Fighting over Touma's love," Jason replied shrugging, and Kazari poked him again.

"Oh no," Ruiko cried and everyone realized what happened. When Lessar jumped behind Touma, she bumped into the table and several drinks had spilt. Ruiko quickly grabbed the drinks, but they had already stained the table cloths.

"Looks like you kids made a mess," Shizuri commented.

"It's no problem," Itsuwa said quickly. "It can be cleaned up easily. Don't worry about it."

"I'll get everyone some more drinks," Jason said standing up. "Be right back." He left as Mikoto sat back down. Kuroko was still lying on the ground.

"Where we planning to visit during the rest of the week," Kazari asked Itsuwa, trying to bring the topic back away from all the harem antics.

"We have a lot of ideas," Itsuwa told her. "But we were planning to let you all choose tomorrow. Right now, you should all just worry about enjoying the party." She smiled.

"I have to admit," Shizuri said. "This trip was a lot more excitement then I thought." She grinned, slightly evilly. "I thought it would be really annoying with a bunch of brats, but who would have thought I get to fight such powerful individuals."

"You are such a battle maniac," Misaki said, shaking her head.

"There's more to life then fighting," Mikoto told her, and Shizuri rolled her eyes at them.

"Tell that to the knights," Kuroko said, standing up and stretching. "They obviously trained constantly, especially their leader."

"Were you one of the two that fought Knight Leader?" Lessar turned and asked Kuroko. "How did you escape?"

"I hate to admit it," Kuroko said, crossing her arms and looking slightly cross. "I could injure him, but it only worked because he didn't know our abilities. Once he figured it out, Jason was the one who actually beat him. I couldn't have stood up against that monster alone."

"It's not nice to call people monsters," a male voice said from behind her. His voice was calm, but radiated strength. Kuroko's eyes widened as she turned. Behind her, standing tall, and causing many of the nearby nuns to slink back, was Knight Leader.

"AHHH!" she pointed and teleported to the other side of the table. "What are you doing here?" Touma looked around, and judging by the reactions of the nuns, none of them expected him to show up either. A moment passed, then Knight Leader smiled and transformed back into Jason. His shadow moved from behind him, holding a tray of drinks, and he set it down on the table.

"Couldn't resist," he said and laughed at Kuroko's shocked expression. Everyone else burst out laughing a second later. Touma had to admit, Jason's timing and acting were perfect. Kuroko finally unfroze, grabbed her half empty cup, and teleported it upside down over his head. Jason couldn't react fast enough and he got drenched.

"You asked for it," Motoharu pointed out, roaring with laughter.

"Couldn't resist," Kuroko said, smirking.

"Touché," Jason said, nodding.

"Not even mad at all?" Touma asked him, grinning.

"A good comeback is a good comeback," Jason shrugged. Kuroko's smile flickered. She had been hoping to get a rise out of him and was upset she failed. When she caught his eye he winked at her and she gritted her teeth.

He knew I wanted to get a rise out of him!

When the laughter finally died down, and no one was still fighting, they started to talk normally again. Lessar went off on her own to talk to her friends a short time later. Saiji came up and formally introduced himself to Touma's friends, before dragging Itsuwa away. He said it was an emergency. Itsuwa told them it wasn't anything bad and left with him. Touma got up a few minutes later and stretched. He wanted to see if he could find Index and a couple other people he hadn't seen in a while and left. Without Touma to bind them, Mikoto and Misaki got up too. Misaki was planning to look around and gather information. Mikoto was heading toward Agnese to talk with her for a bit. Frenda got up and left on her own, she got distracted easily and must have seen something interesting.

Where did Index go? Touma thought, sipping his drink. He thought it was stronger than before, but he figured it was just his imagination. He looked over at Accelerator, surrounded by Lessar's group and Saiai, but he didn't see Last Order, Index or Worst. He made his way through the crowd, looking for them, and stumbled over an uneven patch of ground. Because of the loud conversations all round him, he didn't hear the sound of breaking glass, when a small drop of his drink fell on his hand.

---

"Come on Itsuwa," Saiji told her. "It's upstairs. You need to go on the offensive now."

"A-are you sure it's the right time," Itsuwa asked nervously. She still didn't completely trust Saiji's motives. She was aware of a couple other Amakusa listening from behind a tree. She recognized Ushibuka, a large man with short black hair wearing a zip up jacket, and Kouyagi, a younger, short boy with brown hair. She could tell others were also there, but they were hiding better. Why are they taking such an interest? It's not like this concerns them.

"If you don't like your Mythic Spider Web Swimsuit," Saiji told her. "I got the Great Spirit Revealing Maid outfit. Someone tried to hide it, but nothing escapes me. Though, I think he likes swimsuits more than maid outfits." He held up the other outfit.

"But what will the others think," Itsuwa protested. "I don't really want to stand out."

"You were with the other girls tonight," Saiji told her. "You know what you are up against now. If you don't take the chance now, you may never have another. You need to go on the attack instead of playing defense."

"Maybe your right," Itsuwa answered looking at the ground. It was getting difficult for her to think, and she figured she was getting tired. She looked up, with new fire in her eyes. "No, you are right," she said with determination. "I will." She turned around and marched off to the hotel, tossing her empty cup into the trash on the way. After she was out of sight, Kaori walked up to Saiji. She had recovered her strength and was enjoying the party while sipping her drink.

"It's not nice tricking her like that," Kaori told him. "You just want to see her in that outfit."

"Whatever do you mean priestess?" he asked innocently, though the smile on his face gave it away. "I was just helping poor Itsuwa work on her confidence." He looked at her. "Speaking of which, I saved your wedding dress, the Fallen Angel Ero Maid outfit. It's hanging up in your room now."

"I thought I told you to destroy that," Kaori choked. "Why would you go out of your way to set it up in my room?!"

"You know you need it priestess," he told her, putting his hand under his chin and nodding solemnly. "Think of everything he did for us, and you. Don't you think you need to pay him back before you get to a point it would be impossible?"

"Gah!" Kaori said, momentarily stunned. There was no way she wanted anyone to see her in that outfit, it was too embarrassing, but when she thought of Touma seeing her, she grew slightly warm. If it was just him, she might be willing. To hide her confusion and lack of being able to produce proper sentences, she gulped down her drink. "I don't really need something like that though."

"What!?" gasp Saiji. "Do you have something like the Fallen Angel Extreme Ero Maid outfit I don't know about? Or are you planning to go in just your underwear…" Kaori swung her blade, still in the scabbard, and brought it down on his head with her Saint strength. Saiji fell to the ground, and a large bump appeared on her head. Kaori was emitting a dark aura and she turned, eyes flashing dangerously, to the other guys hiding behind the nearby trees. They bolted as fast as they could, leaving their fallen, previous, leader behind.

"Those guys," Kaori sighed as she turned around and started walking back to the party. At the last minute, she turned and made her way to the hotel. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to at least try it on. She grabbed another drink and went upstairs to her temporary room. When she was out of sight, one girl walked up to the unconscious Saiji. They lightly prodded Saiji with her foot and he moaned slightly to indicate he was alive. The individual reached down, picked up the Great Spirit Revealing Maid outfit, and held it up.

"This actually looks pretty nice," Misaki said. "I like the pink and white color combination. It's a little more revealing then I would like, but I'm sure Touma would enjoy it. I knew it was a good idea to spy on this guy and Itsuwa" She smiled to herself, tucked the outfit under her arm, and headed toward the hotel.

---

"I can't believe we might get a chance to see Itsuwa in the Spider swimsuit." The guys from the Amakusa had regrouped and were heading back to the party. They were discussing the recent events and the unexpected development.

"Not only that, the priestess is heading toward the hotel, do you think she's going to go after him too?"

"After that reaction?"

"She's just hiding her embarrassment. It's going to be the ultimate show down between maids and swimsuits."

"It's because they both fill it out well too isn't it." All the guys agreed to the last statement enthusiastically. With the church, nothing stays secrets, and discussions about chest size and outfits began to spread like wildfire. Soon, there wasn't a table where at least someone was talking about it. It even reached a table where Mikoto was talking to Agnese. Sitting with them were two other nuns, Lucia, who was a tall girl with short blonde hair and vicious blue eyes, and Angelene, a short girl with freckles on her face and long honey-colored hair tied in twin braids. These two nuns were dressed in traditional black scapular with white collars and sleeves, but they had completely different personalities. Lucia was extremely strict and tended to be rather ruthless during fights. Angelene was extremely timid and could be easily convinced to do things she doubted was the right thing to do.

"It'ss like no matter where I go," Mikoto sighed. "Ssomeone is alwaysh talking about breashs." Her words were beginning to slur, but she didn't notice.

"That's something we can't ignore," Agnese replied. "Just because they are large doesn't mean they are the best." Mikoto, Agnese, and Angelene looked at themselves and sighed. Lucia glanced at them, but seemed to be indifferent to their suffering. Her chest wasn't huge, but it was decent sized. If it wasn't for her cold demeanor, she could be considered quite feminine.

"They are also talking about it with regards to maids and swimsuits," Angelene spoke up, looking around.

"We have 250 nuns at our disposal," Agnese said, her face slightly red. "We can't take this lying down. We should select someone among us and use them as a countermeasure." Lucia felt a shiver go down her spine, as she saw Mikoto, Agnese, and Angelene look at her. She frowned slightly, as she realized what they were going to ask, and was determined to put a stop to it.

"No."

"We have access to an outfit called the Little Devil Flirting Maid," Agnese told her.

"I thought I was clear in my response," Lucia told her. "Besides, as a devote Christian, I would never wear something resembling a devil."

"It's a little devil, not devil," Agnese explained. "I hear there's a special meaning behind it." Mikoto frowned.

"I heard that too," she said and grabbed her head with a hand. "But it'ss getting hard to think sstraight sso I don't remember. Ish been a long day."

"My answer hasn't changed," Lucia replied, crossing her arms.

"We need someone with appeal," Agnese said, waving her arms, her face also red. "We can't lose."

"I don't think I've seen you this vocal in ages Sister Angelene," Agnese said looking at her. She noticed her face was slightly flush, but not out of embarrassment.

"I'll do it," Mikoto spoke up.

"Huh?"

"I'll do it," Mikoto said firmly, slapping her hand on the table. "It'ss time to sshow breashs aren't everything."

"Yes," Agnese said, smiling broadly. They clinked their glasses together and drained them quickly. "Let's go Misaka-san. We need to get it from the hotel." They stood up and walked together toward the hotel, stumbling slightly.

---

Sherry Cromwell was staring at the woman across the table from her. She had purposely sat far away from the others to eat in peace. It's not that she was antisocial, she just preferred quiet instead of the loud excitement of a party. Sherry didn't really want to eat, she just felt insignificant in the battle against Carissa and Eve and it irritated her to no end. She only grabbed a sandwich out of habit. Now her peace and quiet was interrupted by Orsola. Great, Sherry thought. She's here. Both of them worked together in deciphering scripts for the church, but Orsola was pretty airheaded and constantly made messes, which also annoyed Sherry constantly. "Oh, it's you."

"I have something for you," Orsola told her kindly.

"I don't want it," Sherry replied immediately.

"But your outfit is so worn out from all the battles," Orsola pointed out. "Wouldn't it be better to change?"

"Who cares if it's a little worn?" Sherry asked. "I like it and it's comfortable and easy to move it…" She spat out her drink when Orsola pulled out an outfit from behind her. "What the hell is that?"

"It's the Goddess Goth Maid outfit," Orsola said. "The Amakusa were talking about the Fallen Angel Ero Maid and the Great Spirit Revealing Maid outfits, along with others. They always seem to be on the top of fashion so I figured these kinds of outfits were in."

"Don't make light of Gothic outfits," Sherry said, finally finding her voice. "That has nothing to do with true Gothic design except being old looking. Any experienced designer could tell you that in a second."

"I see," Orsola said softly, looking slightly crestfallen. She realized the outfit had been kind of offensive to Sherry. "Well, I guess I'll put it back where I found it."

"Can I borrow it?" a girl asked and they both turned to her. Frenda stared back at them. "Basically, I'll bring it back. I only want it for a short time."

"It might be a little big for you," Orsola told her kindly, while Sherry scoffed. "Even with the amount of adjustments these outfits have, I don't think it will fit…"

"It's not for me," Frenda said shaking her head. "Basically, I want to give it to someone to wear. Mugino stated she could look better in an outfit then the others."

"Oh Mugino-san," Orsola said thoughtfully, putting her hand on her cheek. "Yes, I'm sure it would fit her quite well." She handed the outfit to Frenda. "I hope she enjoys it."

"Thanks," Frenda said cheerfully. She turned and started to run back to the party, but not before stopping to wave back at them. This caused her to almost stumble, which was unusual for her. She was rather graceful on her feet, but tended to be slightly airheaded, like Orsola.

"Wasn't Mugino the girl who fired those green beams," Sherry said frowning. "I doubt she's the kind to wear those kinds of outfits."

"I'm sure she wants to have fun along with everyone else," Orsola said. "Some people are just not good at expressing themselves. You were the same way when you joined us, were you not?" Sherry's frown deepened, but she didn't correct Orsola.

---

Touma groaned, his eyes still resolutely closed.

He could see sunlight through his eyelids, but he refused to open his eyes. His head was pounding like a drum, and there was a fuzzy taste in his mouth. Moving even slightly was causing him sharp pain in his head. He figured it was late morning, the party had lasted awhile, but he didn't remember when it actually ended. In fact, he couldn't remember most of it or even going to bed. What happened? The last thing I remember clearly was looking for Index… His mind started to stir, the pain wasn't decreasing, so he was forced to wretch his eyes open. He could tell he was lying down, and his head was looking at the celling. The sun was shining through the large hotel lobby windows. When did I come inside? He tried to sit up, when he realized there was a lot of weight on him. He froze, and then slowly lifted his head, despite the pain, to look around.

His stomach dropped.

He was lying on the lobby floor, someone had spread out a lot of blankets, and was completely surrounded by girls. A quick glance revealed who the nearest ones were. Mikoto and Misaki were on either side of him and holding him tightly. Both of them were wearing strange revealing outfits that vaguely resembled maids. Mikoto's was black and red, with what appeared to be small devil wings on the back, and Misaki's was white and pink with fairy like wings. Both of the outfits didn't cover the shoulders and barely covered the girl's chests, though Misaki was putting more pressure on hers. He raised his head higher, and was able to free his arm from Mikoto and prop himself up. Two girls were lying on top of him, Agnese, his blood froze when he saw she was just in her underwear again, and Lessar, who he was relieved was still clothed.

Further down he noticed Shizuri and Frenda, both of whom were using his legs as a pillow. Frenda looked normal, but Shizuri was wearing an all-black Gothic style outfit with white boarders. He looked behind him and saw Itsuwa and Kaori, who were sleeping in a V shape around his head. Itsuwa was wearing the black and white spider web swimsuit she won at the beach, and Kaori was wearing a black and white revealing outfit, with white angel wings on the back. He started looking around again, his panic rising, when he saw Index on the other side of Misaki, and Ruiko on the other side of Mikoto. Index was still wearing her walking church nun outfit, but Ruiko was wearing a very normal looking maid outfit. He managed to slowly wiggle his way out of the girl's grasp and sit up.

WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED!? I don't remember anything. What is with all these costumes? Someone, tell me what's going on. The reason he didn't yell it out loud was it would probably feel like his head exploded, and it would probably get him killed when the girls realized what happened. He looked at the ceiling and begun praying to every deity he ever heard of for someone to help him. He saw a movement to his right and he turned to look. His stomach dropped again when he saw who it was.

Motoharu was giving him a thumb up, with Jason's camera in his other hand.

Touma realized he was in the worst position of his life. He hoped Motoharu would help him out and only joke about it constantly later with Jason, Pierce and Accelerator. Touma would be perfectly okay with that. He reached out his right hand, to say no pictures, and mouthed help me, before he realized another issue. Motoharu mouth opened when he saw it too.

In his outstretched hand, there was a pair of light purple panties.

I am going to die, Touma thought to himself as the situation just became worse. Such Misfortune.

---

Feel free to leave a review, comment, suggestions, or ideas, I love reading them. If you have a question you wish I ask and would like a quick answer, feel free to message me directly. I try to respond to those within a day or two. Comments, I tend to respond to in the next chapter.

Pierce: What do you mean misfortune?

Motoharu: Sup Aogami, haven't heard from you in a while.

Pierce: Family stuff you know, but more importantly, WHAT DO YOU MEAN MISFORTUNE!

Touma: I'm going to die you idiots.

Me: Yet he has achieved every male's fantasy, so I figured he lived a full life.

Motoharu: I agree.

Touma: I did nothing, you idiots are just adding fuel to the fire.

Me: How do you know you didn't do anything if you can't remember what happened.

Touma: …

Pierce: You have lolis, tsunderes, yanderes, foreigners, big and small chested, obsessive, normal, older, maids, swimsuits, devils, angels, nuns, and more. You have almost EVERY fetish at your disposal. When you get back to Academy City, I promise you will suffer the consequences.

Touma: Damn…. Where is everyone else?

Motoharu: Probably unconscious from alcohol. I got it all on camera.

Touma: Is that what next chapter is going to be about?

Me: …. Stop spoiling it for the readers you guys.