ATTENTION: During this chapter some characters may say things that are not aligned with current theology or beliefs. Please remember this is a FICTIONAL piece of literature and many FICTIONAL characters do not follow normal beliefs. At no point am I campaigning for or against any religion. This story is purely for entertainment purposes. There is no need for any insulting, bad mouthing, or whining about something I really don't care about. I have respect for all beliefs. I only put this warning because a couple people early on have mentioned they had issue with a few things. Thank you. Now, let's move on to the comments.

Brosephg: He has to be a beta male. No Alpha would run away from that. I do like how you have completely different feelings for two of the Fallen, even if Eve always has the number one position in your heart.

Jujudude: Knowing that I deprived you of sleep fills me with joy. I have a feeling you don't like Caesar. A magic god doesn't just disappear. I'm sure Julunggul will do something at some point to make Touma's life fun. I like your plot line. Maybe I'll make it an alternative ending. Ruiko Saten uses Friendship, it's super effective. Huh, you already know my last chapter? Who told you? Only two people knew that! I didn't see your story updated recently, but I'm going to steal all your clone names so I don't have to think of them. Muhahaha!

anand891996: Huh, you are one of the few people who actually miss Jason. He's an OC, so I can throw him to the sidelines at any time. He will get an appearance with Kuroko after Australia. Character development arc after this for everyone.

general ironox: Carissa is best girl.

Simmering Teapot: There are ways magic gods can enter our world, usually by weakening themselves. Some information about that is in this chapter.

Whwsms: The harem plan will explode in popularity after Touma talks with a single girl. It's all set up for the two harem sides to class without Touma's knowledge.

Guest: 1) Was it Athena? It's been awhile, though she wasn't really part of Kamisato faction, she was just hit by the WR. 2) She has legs, but a god can probably make themselves look like whatever they want. 3) I have… other plans… for that. 4) Yes, there are quite a few, but I choose this one for a reason. Can't add too many magic gods or I'll have to add someone to clean them all up. 5) I don't recall a virtual on short story. 6) No, that's half the fun. 7) Depends who she is flirting with.

Guest00: Jason's a fun character to write because it's easy for him to joke with everyone, yet he has a reason for it all. He's currently in the something stage of conquering the world.

Liuen: Magic was sealed because it was an attempt to mimic Telesma, man's version of divine power. St. Peter's spell would work on all magic, though, it didn't come up, but it only works on people and their belongings, due to the nature of man turning their back to the Son of God and by proxy, God. Summoning can take a while to perform and Mark wasn't there with his cards.

Salishious: Oh, he will, and that is when the harem plan can proceed. He will explain it all to one person who spreads it around. Snuggle-chan must be Touma's new roommate. Soon, all weakened magic gods will gather in Touma's room! You might need to do some research. Saten… read this chapter and you might understand where she is going. South Park: St. Peter was a rabbit.

Acpeters: Oh, our goddess isn't done yet. There was a reason Ruiko Saten was pitted against St. Peter. Caesar definitely isn't my favorite Fallen member by far, but he has a purpose. Lots of your questions should be answered in this chapter. For every question answered, two more questions develop.

wildarms13: Noooooooo! Here's the next chapter.

Handsomistic1: No, that would only happen if he went through with it. Touma fought Wrath, Sloth, Herald, Cain, and Carissa with Curtana on the magic side. The lieutenants were fought by his friends. Skits at the end are always kind of fun when characters comment on the story.

Guest13: Carissa is definitely best girl.

MightyImpulse: Going to steal all the names from Jujudude when he isn't looking.

shitty review: Someone is going to notice it, I'm thinking Leivinia. If they are about to face Aleister, it sounds like the end is drawing near, unless Laura jumps in with her plan. My only hope is they don't just throw a random powerful enemy in that comes out of nowhere for the purpose of extending the series.

Agent Nine: Most wars are fought be people who don't want to fight only because their higher ups order them to.

GameCguru: She does. I try to stop her, but she waits until I'm a sleep a lot. ERB did say that yes, but that's a common joke. It's like calling a General named Tso a chicken.

FrodoFighter: Fluffy is a peace loving dragon that only wants to dance in fields of flowers. People force it to fight. I don't know if skeletal girls have the guts to do it with him. I enjoyed the modern day cultural references, but at the same time made it so it was obvious she wasn't used to them. Do you have some repressed desire for tables? What's your favorite design? Touma if you don't want a powerful snake goddess to pine over you, be honest and tell her so, otherwise don't complain when she sneaks into your dorm… oops, spoiler. St. Peter's fight was funny to me. You put the strongest fighters there who can't do anything against him. Lot of good questions about him and science, but that will be answered shortly. Caesar is an ass. No getting around it. He dominates those used to be followers, which Frenda and Imouto were. I wanted to put the waiting in because it shows Caesar doesn't care if others have to wait for him. He considers himself superior.

Draigg99: Of course.

Generation Zero: Yes, a TRUE magic god... Anyway, Adam is muscle yes, but having a brain would make him quite dangerous too. You make it sound so easy to defeat Adam. I doubt it will be that simple. There was a reason I set Saten against the Saint. No all fights can be solved with violence or brute force. Sometimes, you have to talk things out. Caesar made a very big mistake, which will be evident in this chapter, but he did his job. Bringing in cheap labor to find whatever Adam was looking for. The ending of Australia arc might surprise you with what happens, but can't give out to much for you now.

xaxiel1572: I talked with someone about if Othinus was brought in. I could do destroying the universe thing, but it would be kind of repetitive. I have my own idea for a take on it, but make it different in a key way to represent the way Touma changed over the course of my story.

321jaz: The craziness continues.

Disclaimer: Random people do not own Toaru Majutsu no Index or any of the characters. Reading this story may cause you to burst out in laughter or start yelling at fictional characters. This may cause nearby people to assume you have gone crazy. Please read responsibly. Magic Gods own all so they can do what they want.

Touma emerged from the tunnel outside in the bright sunlight.

"Finally," he gasped. "We are out-…" He instantly cut off when he noticed Carissa was no longer with him. "Damn it! There was a trap set up there too!" Touma looked around to try to get his bearings. It took a moment as his eyes had to adjust from the soft green glow in the tunnels to the bright daylight. He was out of the maze at last and it seemed like he was now on the surface right outside of the mining site. He vaguely could make out the pit ahead of him. Huh, who's that? He squinted as his eyesight returned. A single lone figure was visible, but until his sight returned, they were nothing more than a dark blur. Then the black shirt and pants became apparent, along with the jet back hair of a person a little taller than Touma. When Touma recognized who it was, a chill ran through his spine. The air began to turn cold, which was an unnatural occurrence in the deserts of Australia during the day.

Touma had found his objective at the worst possible time.

He was alone.

"ADAM!" Touma bellowed and stepped forward. It didn't matter to him if he had to stand against Adam by himself, or if he had to stand against an entire army. Adam had to be stopped before more people were hurt. He was staring off into the pit in front of him with his back to Touma.

"There is no need to shout Imagine Breaker," Adam responded in a monotone. He never turned around. "I can hear you perfectly fine."

"I'm here to stop you," Touma continued and took another step. For some reason, his body felt heavy and it was hard to move forward, but he persisted.

"That much is obvious." The way Adam's voice betrayed no emotion worried Touma.

"Why do you sound so indifferent?" Touma asked. Is it because he believes I can't win?

"Your presence poses no threat to our plans," Adam replied. "You can't defeat me on your own and I can kill you at any time once you outlive your usefulness."

"There are others stronger than me," Touma retorted. "We are slowing taking out your allies, even the goddess tricked into serving you has agreed to let us pass so we can take her shard away from you."

"The enslavement of Julunggul was one of my finest moments," Adam commented. "Magic gods believe they are all powerful, but they are merely children who desire something they can never possess."

Does he really not care about anything? Touma thought to himself. Come to think of it, this is the first time I have actually spoken with him at any lengths. The last few times he barely said anything except for his desire to kill is. Why is he so different now? "We have stood against everything you have thrown at us and survived," Touma continued. "Even the plagues you used to try to wipe out our army."

"Who said I was trying to wipe out your army with them?"

Touma froze.

"Wha-…!?" Touma stuttered for a moment before he managed to collect himself. "You did, multiple times!" He took a deep breath and realized what Adam was doing, or at least what he believed Adam was. "Your lies won't work on me. After your assault on the base camp, our forces endured and they will endure your maze too. I seriously doubt you would waste so much mana on magic that imitated God's plague if you didn't think it would stop us. You would have used something else." Touma did not know a lot about magic, unable to use it himself due to his right hand, but he knew enough magicians to have a basic understanding. Mana was refined from life force, which meant everyone had a limited amount they could use. Minus immortal beings like vampires who had virtually endless amounts. Touma might have considered Adam as an immortal being, if Eve had not mentioned they could die, but kept being reincarnated.

"I wonder if that's true," Adam continued, completely unperturbed by Touma's outburst. He crossed his arms behind his back, but still never turned around.

"What are you implying?" Touma finally asked.

"Tell me," Adam continued. "Why did God set those specific plagues upon Egypt?"

"It was to force the Egyptian Pharaoh to free the slaves," Touma answered. He had heard the story several times from various magicians.

"That is what the church teaches, yes," Adam confirmed. "But let me pose a question in response. With all of God's power, the ability to unleash cataclysmic disasters upon the world, revive the dead, and create the universe itself, why would he send plagues that caused only annoyances, hardship, and destruction, before the final plague which actually killed the Egyptians?"

"Obviously, he was trying to avoid death by showing his power," Touma answered. He was slightly confused at where this conversation was going. "He wanted the Pharaoh to let the slaves go without having to be forced to use the last one."

"If that is true," Adam pointed out. "Why did God harden the Pharaoh's heart?"

"What?"

"God hardened the Pharaoh's heart so he would not let the slaves go," Adam explained. "If God was going to manipulate the man, why not make it so he would free the slaves? That outcome would have resulted in even fewer deaths and suffering. Why didn't the omnipotent being choose that route?" Touma was silent for a moment.

"I… don't know," Touma admitted hesitantly. He hated to say that out loud in front of Adam, but Touma only had a basic understanding of the events. He never studied the bible. I never heard of God doing that. It doesn't make any sense. Why would God want something and then do things to lead to the opposite result? His first instinct was to brush off Adam's words as lies or misrepresentation, but something stopped him. It was deep down in his very core, he knew. Adam was not lying. Unlike with Eve, who was impossible to discern truth from lies, Adam was easier to read. Touma felt Adam didn't want to kill him back at camp and that was why he stepped out into the light. The lies he told was only to keep Touma trapped. Now, his instincts were telling him the opposite and Touma learned to trust his instincts. He's planning to tell me the truth or, I hope, his version of the truth. He suddenly recalled Julunggul's words.

The truth can be much more painful than lies could ever be.

"God unleashed the plagues upon Egypt for two reasons: to mock and control."

"You are lucky I'm not very religious," Touma responded irritated. "If my friends on the magic side heard that kind of talk, they wouldn't take it lying down."

"Because they don't want to see the truth," Adam continued. "It would be too much to hope for that you have an understanding of the Gods of Egypt. The Egyptians worshiped a wide variety of gods and attributed their powers to the world around them. There was a god of the sun, the river, of childbirth, and countless more. The annual flooding of the Nile was evidence of their gods' power as it fertilized their crops to allow their civilization to thrive."

"What's that have to do with the plagues?" Touma didn't like talking while everyone else was still trapped in the maze below. However, he was still hesitant in engaging Adam directly by himself. As long as he was distracting Adam, Adam couldn't focus his attention on the others, which gave them a better odds of survival and escape. At least, that is what Touma hoped.

"I'm glad you asked," Adam replied, though his tone did not match his words and it dawned on Touma that Adam had steered him into this topic. "The ten plagues were not chosen at random. Each one was specifically designed to mock the Gods of Egypt. God wanted to show how powerless others were before him. Turning water to blood was a strike against Sobek , the god of the Nile, Anuket, goddess of the Nile, and Khnum, guardian of the Nile. The Nile was also believed to be the bloodstream of Osiris, who was reborn each year when the river flooded. Frogs were a strike against Heqet, the frog-headed goddess of birth. Frogs were believed to be sacred and not to be killed. Gnats mocked Set, the god of the desert, flies mocked Uatchit, the fly god, and the deaths of livestock were against the goddess Hathor and the god Apis, both of who are depicted as cattle." Adam finally turned around and Touma involuntarily shivered.

Adam's brown eyes were devoid of any light or warmth. Touma could not find the strength to speak, so Adam continued.

"The first five plagues were only a demonstration of God's power, and then he began the true torment. Boils mocked several gods that governed over health and disease, Sekhmet, Sunu, and Isis. Fiery hail from the sky mocked Nut, the sky goddess, Osiris, the crop fertility god, and Set, the storm god. Yes, Egypt's gods could govern over more than one domain. Swarms of locusts from the sky attacked those three deities once again. Darkness was a strike at one of the more famous deities, Ra, the sun god. Ra symbolized the Pharaoh himself, so God pointed out the leader of Egypt was nothing before his might. The final plague, the death of the firstborn, was directed at Isis, the protector of children." Adam once against paused, but Touma could not find the words. Adam purposely waited until mentioning the death of children to shock Touma.

"God showed the Egyptians and the rest of the world he was one to be feared. The church today tries to depict him as a kind and merciful god, but actions will always speak louder than words. They gloss over the suffering he caused by viewing it from only one side. Now, I would like to know from you. Why do you fight to protect a being who is willing to kill nations, including children? From what I know about you, you fight against those who wish to harm others." Touma finally found the strength to speak and fill his lungs with air.

"At what you said," Touma started off slowly, as he tried to weigh his words carefully. "I don't have a rebuttal, because I don't know enough about religion. From what I heard, the plagues saved the Israelite slaves and allowed their nation to thrive. Though, the point you mention about the observing events from a single side I can understand." He remembered the Level 6 experiment involving Accelerator and Mikoto. Scientists in Academy City and Accelerator had viewed the Sisters as dolls to be mass produced, but he and Mikoto had seen them as living beings. "As for why I fight to protect him, I was not thinking about that, but yes, I would protect God if I had to. I will protect anyone I see who needs help. The reason I stand against you is because you and Eve are causing so many people to suffer to achieve your own goals. That is why I fight." Touma stared defiantly at Adam for a moment. "Let me ask you a question now. Why do you care so much about Egypt? Wouldn't it be after your time if you are truly the original Adam, and the way you keep saying you are willing to kill everyone, you don't seem like the type to care about others." Adam waited a moment before replying.

"Because they suffered under the same oppressor I did," Adam answered and his tone grew cold. Touma actually shivered. "I saw the way God punished people when he could have easily solved the problem with less violent solutions. He cast Eve and me out of the Garden of Eden for disobeying a rule we could not understand, because he created us not to understand, knowing that we would one day eat the fruit of knowledge. When we did so, he cast us out and then our suffering continued endlessly. We were cursed to constantly be reborn into this world. You ask why I concern myself with them? It is because they stood where I did. They may not have been good people based on current society's standards, but it was the way things worked back then."

"You actually have feelings?" Touma asked in surprise. A hint of a frown appeared on Adam's face.

"I am not a machine," Adam replied calmly. "I simply have more self-control over my emotions than Eve does."

"So that's why Eve always seems to be the one who contacts us. Her emotional personality puts people at ease so she can gather information easier."

"No."

"Excuse me?" Touma thought he had figured that out. Eve was the face while Adam was the muscle, even though Eve was strong in her right.

"People are more relaxed around her because of her aspect," Adam explained.

"Aspect?"

"Eve represents life and the chaos that accompanies it. You cannot always predict what living things will do. I represent law and the absolute law of death that accompanies it. No matter how strong someone is, eventually, all things will pass. Well, except us." He sighed. "The reason Eve can manipulate others so easily is because people are much more likely to believe a beautiful lie, no matter how ridiculous, then they are to accept a painful truth. They enjoy the beauty of life but fear the inevitable truth of death." Adam lowered his arms to his side and started to step toward Touma. "The truth is that death considers all things equal. No matter your status, your power, your belief, death will one day come for you. It treats all equally, and that is why it is so terrifying." Touma instinctively took a step back as the air around Adam seemed to become stale. "Once God is taken care of, we too can walk with our heads held high and accept our fate."

"You actually want to die?!" Touma asked in shock. This was a new concept for him. All the stories of people trying to achieve immortality were to avoid death. Why does he want to die? Many people would kill for merely an opportunity to live forever.

"Most would never understand unless they experience it themselves," Adam elaborated. "Those that thirst for eternal life do not understand the curse that accompanies it. Even the strongest man will eventually wish for their life to end. Humans are not meant to live forever."

"But you are willing to hurt so many people just to achieve your goal!" Touma pointed out. "That's why this is wrong. I can't understand why you want to die, no one should want to, but I can accept death as a part of life." He had a hard time grasping his head around someone wanting to die when they could always find a choice to live, but he had read a book about someone who discovered how to prevent himself from aging. He could only watch as his friends and family grew old around him and passed on, while he was left behind. "Then you involved my friends in your struggle!"

"Did we?" Adam asked slowly. "Or is it possible they involved themselves."

"Nonsense!" Touma started to argue. He remembered the first time he met the Herald. He and Wrath has invaded the museum to steal an artifact, but Touma had intervened. Mikoto then followed him and they forced the Herald to retreat. Saten-san was turned to stone because of one of their companions, so she was involved. It wasn't on purpose, but that disregard for others is what caused it. The time at the tournament, Sloth had put the arena to sleep, but was only going after Touma. If it hadn't been for Misaki and Jason, he would have been captured. Then, the Sins had gone after him and his friends by taking their mutual friends in Rome. "Your men involved them when they used their power against innocent people."

"The first time Eve's puppet met you," Adam replied passively. "That was entirely accidental and then one of your friends willingly became involved. When Sloth was sent to retrieve you, your friends willingly involved themselves, which was the only reason all the ones cursed with the Sin Marks were sent. If you had just gone with our forces from the start, they would never have been so entwined in the magic side. In short," Adam paused. "Your desire to fight us is what caused your friends to get involved. Now that I think about it, Eve mentioned your trip to England was because of you too, was it not?"

"I…" Touma was momentarily stunned. The words Adam said were definitely true, but phrased in a way to make Touma look like the villain. Is he trying to imply my selfishness puts others in danger? "You know I had no idea of anything you and Eve were planning. I'm not the one killing people! I'm not the bad guy here!"

"Are you trying to convince me, or yourself?" Touma glared at him and Adam shrugged. "You suggest you are not killing people? Let me enlighten you then. If you had come with us in the first place, our plans would have changed to gather the last couple wings. Because you resisted, we had to use force." Adam leaned forward and stared Touma directly in the eyes. "I killed countless people because you chose to resist us."

"You bastard!" Touma roared and charged. He made a fist and brought it back before aiming a punch directly at Adam's face. Adam sighed. Moving at speeds of a professional martial artist, he took his right hand, slipped it under Touma's fist, and grabbed his arm, right below the elbow, to guide the fist away from its target. Simultaneously, Adam's other hand moved and grabbed Touma's shoulder. Touma tried to protect himself, but Adam brought up a knee and buried it into Touma's gut. "Gack!" Touma coughed and spit flew out of his mouth to the ground. Adam did not show mercy and delivered an upper cut into Touma's chin with enough force to lift him off the ground. Touma flew backwards and landed on the ground with a thud. Touma was conscious, but it was hard to breath and his head was spinning.

"Yes," Adam continued, as if he had not been interrupted. "Choices have consequences, foreseeable and unforeseeable. You chose to resist us because you did not believe in our cause, and thus others died for your selfishness." Touma tried to speak but could only continue to cough loudly. "Oh, you probably don't know, but Eve set out her forces to kill all your friends last night."

"W-what?!" Touma gurgled and his thoughts focused on Adam's words before his entire body began to grow cold.

"Your friends have shown they will continue to interfere with our plans," Adam pointed out. "As long as you are a target. Thus, she is going to eliminate them."

"N-no!" Touma gasped and struggled to sit up. Not them. I can deal with people attacking me, but I can't let my friends suffer for my actions. Adam's right, I put them all in danger. He had never hated someone so much as he hated Adam right now. Something occurred to him when he managed to sit up and his head stopped spinning as fast. "H-how do you know this? Eve betrayed you."

"You believe that?"

Touma froze and his face paled. "It can't be…" It was the worst possible outcome. They had believed there was a chance of a trap, but when Adam spoke of Eve's betrayal, the chance had shrunk immensely. Adam's location, Eve's playful hint, and then Leivinia and Lessar picking him up, all had been a part of Eve's and Adam's plan.

"That was her plan," Adam said slowly and admired Touma's expression. "One of the few lies I had to tell. She had to get you away from that bastard's grasp and come to me. I only played along." The corners of his mouth twitched ever so slightly as Touma face turned, if possible, even paler. "We have been together since the dawn of man, and you thought we would betray each other? Such a thing no longer exists. Only we truly understand each other."

"Why are you telling me this?" Touma asked. He struggled to his feet, but Adam made no effort to stop him.

"I do not like lies," Adam continued. "Any I am forced to tell, I must confess them. It is who I am."

"Was Julunggul's shard a lie too?" Touma asked.

"No," Adam answered. "It is real, but it's probably not what you think."

"Try me." Touma's entire body was shaking at the thought of his friends' dilemma back in Academy City. There's nothing you can do right now, so focus on what is in front of you. Mikoto and Misaki both have told you before you can trust them, Accelerator won't go down easily either, and Jason is resourceful enough to get out of any mess. Mugino might also be a target, but I saw firsthand how powerful she is, so I can believe in her too. Wait, if Adam is in communication with Eve and he said she was going to eliminate them last night, why did he not say they were dead. He doesn't like to lie, so things must not have gone their way either. Good job everyone. Once I finish with the job here, I'm going to head back and see you all again.

"The shard is not a physical item," Adam explained. "It's a connection to the Rainbow Snake's core." Touma must have looked confused because Adam sighed. "There is no original Rainbow Snake God or Goddess. The Rainbow Snake is merely something that has been passed down in legends of countless mythologies. Each legend attributes the snake with different significance and domains. In short Imagine Breaker, the Rainbow Snake Deity is one of the most powerful magic gods in all of history, formed from the gods of countless religions passed down through centuries of traditions. The shard she spoke to you about was her connection to the Rainbow Snake as a whole. Her power is severely diminished without it, but she is still a fearsome opponent. Why the Rainbow Snake split up, even I do not know."

"How did you take her shard then?" Touma asked and narrowed his eyes. "I promised her I would take it away from you."

"You would not understand the complex ritual I set up," Adam mocked, but still betrayed no emotions. "A more simplistic explanation would be I substituted myself as the host for the shard and separated her from the main body."

"So you became a magic god?" Touma asked. He feared the answer, but it was information he had to know.

"Never," Adam hissed and Touma was surprised to hear the first bit of anger from him. "I will never lower myself to the same level of those children. I took her shard into my body, but I will never use that accursed power."

"That's all I needed to hear," Touma muttered and charged Adam again. Adam didn't look disturbed in the slightest. Adam grabbed Touma's right arm again to prevent Touma's fist from connecting with his face. When Touma smiled, Adam raised an eyebrow. "I actually have a plan," Touma whispered.

"Really?" Adam asked and then a flash of light erupted from Touma's hand and engulfed both of them. The sound of shattering glass went off and Adam narrowed his eyes. Touma's smile didn't leave his face until Adam delivered a fist into his gut. Touma gasped and Adam grabbed Touma's shoulder. Touma felt his feet lift off the ground and the world spun as he was flipped in midair before being slammed onto the ground. Touma cried out in pain and then Adam let go of his shirt. "I forgot you have learned how to Roar. Not many hosts figure it out and you rarely used it."

"Heh," Touma laughed and then flinched as pain coursed through his back. "Did I destroy the shard?"

"You risked everything just for that?" Adam asked. "I could have easily ripped off your arm."

"I had a promise to fulfill," Touma explained simply.

"Ah, yes." Adam shook his head. "Most people who stand in my presence are too fearful to move. Do you not feel fear or are you just stupid?"

"I've been called stupid more times than I can count," Touma replied with a chuckled and then grimaced with pain again. It hurt to laugh. "Right now, my goal is in sight and I can't give up now. I will stop you."

"I see," Adam muttered. "Then I suppose you leave me no choice." Adam knelt down next to Touma and put both hands on Touma's left arm. "Again, your choices have consequences."

"Stop," Touma gasped. "Don't do it." He tried to move, but Adam had a vice grip on his arm and the pain was preventing sudden movements with the majority of his body.

"I shall use you as an example to all," Adam continued and used mage to connect to the maze below him. Their voices would now reverberate through the catacombs like a speaker system. Adam looked back at Touma's arm and then quickly moved his hands.

Crack!

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Touma screamed in pain after his bone was broken.

"Imagine Breaker," Adam declared. He only said those two words so everyone in the maze knew who had suffered. "Did you honestly think you could defeat me alone? I only require you alive, but that does not mean in once piece. It's time for you to learn the difference in power between us." Touma almost fainted from the pain, but he forced his eyes open and stared at Adam though the water clouding his sight.

"Bite me!" Touma spat out the first two words that came to mind.

"Uh, hi?" Ruiko greeted nervously and waved. She really had no idea what else to say in this situation. She had observed the fight, but it wasn't like a lot happened. William had been the only person to attack and none of his blows had any impact. Everyone else mentioned being unable to use magic, but Ruiko had no idea how that was possible. It was not like she had any knowledge of magic. What she did understand was nothing was working against St. Peter.

"Saten?" Agnese asked in shock. "When did you get here?"

"Well," Ruiko replied. "I guess… the entire time?"

"Yet, you didn't try to help!" yelled Leivinia.

"There is no need to get worked up," William told Leivinia. "She is not a combat specialist. I doubt she had ever engaged in a fight of this caliber."

"That doesn't matter," Leivinia argued angrily. "She still has a tiny bit of power. It may not be mag…" Her eyes widened and she shut her mouth. There was no way she was going to reveal anything to St. Peter. Her eyes darted to Ruiko. She may be our only hope. She caught Agnese's gaze and they both nodded ever so slightly. Ruiko was slowly walking toward St. Peter and Leivinia started to scoot near her.

"Young lady," St. Peter addressed her again. "May I have your name?"

"Ruiko Saten," Ruiko replied automatically and Leivinia almost face palmed.

"Well met, I am St. Peter." The kindness never left his eyes. "I am sure you heard of everyone's predicament. If you wish, you may wait here with the others so you do not have to wander around in the tunnels full of horrors. There is a chance Adam will let you go after his objective is fulfilled." Leivinia scoffed.

"Saten," Agnese said. "He neutralized all of our magic, including our items. Unless he is either defeated or gives us permission to pass, we are stuck here. None of us can risk going back into the tunnels." Ruiko nodded in understanding.

"An accurate description of your predicament," St. Peter agreed and turned back to Ruiko. "Miss Saten, you will also be unable to use magic, nor can you inflict violence upon me."

"I know," Ruiko admitted. She looked at him and felt deeply conflicted. St. Peter was not facing them of his own free will. Adam had used his magic to revive him and force St. Peter to go against his nature. Ruiko felt pity and anger at his predicament. She wanted to help him, but she doubted anything she did could. Ruiko also didn't like violence. If she had to, she would fight, but fighting someone who was being forced to fight left a bad taste in her mouth. St. Peter also wasn't attacking her and even said they could wait here safely. Do I actually have the power to do anything? If Birdway-san and Agnese-san couldn't, what makes me think I can? The image of her friends swam to the front of her mind, mainly those who had come to Australia with her. She took a deep breath and fortified her resolve. "But my friends are being attacked in Adam's maze, so we need to help them. There has to be a way."

"I'm sorry," St. Peter told her and his eyes showed he meant every word. "I can't let you proceed any further. You have to find a way to defeat me or find another exit."

"Strike him down," Leivinia called out. "You are the only one who can." Ruiko jerked her head stiffly to acknowledge her words.

"I'm sorry too," Ruiko whispered and held up a hand. The air started to spin around and she was forced to concentrate solely on her attack. This wasn't just creating a small gust of wind to blow clothes around. Ruiko was actually trying to create an attack strong enough to hurt another person. Even though St. Peter wasn't technically living, seeing him up close was enough to make Ruiko understand the gravity of her choice. The closest she ever came to attacking someone with her ability was diverting a strike from a sword back in England. Her clothes started to whip around as she focused every last bit of concentration into her attack. St. Peter's eyes widened slightly. His brown cloak started to whip around too as the wind reached him. Ruiko stepped forward and held a ball of swirling wind in her hand. Throwing the vortex would only result in a strong breeze after losing most of its raw power. Please work. Her stomach churned and she felt slightly sick. Ruiko closed her eyes, unable to watch what she was about to do, and thrust the ball of wind directly into St. Peter's chest.

A blast of wind erupted between her and St. Peter. It wasn't strong enough to knock anyone around them down, but Leivinia, Agnese, and William all felt it.

"Yes," Leivinia cheered and made a fist. She's not as strong as the others, but a direct attack to the chest should have worked. Her greatest strength is how unthreatening she looks.

Her happiness was short lived though.

"You were able to use wind without mana," St. Peter said and put his hand lightly on Ruiko's hand pressed against his chest. He gentle removed it while Ruiko was too shocked to resist. St. Peter looked fine. His robe was slightly wrinkled from the wind, but there was no damage to his chest area. Ruiko's face paled and her mouth fell open. "Your shock is understandable. While you have the power to control wind, you used it for violence. While in my presence, all violence is prevented. I realize my earlier words might have made you believe I was only referring to physical blows. That was unintentional." He smiled at her. "Your effort was admirable."

"Thanks?" Ruiko replied in confusion and stepped back while pulling her hand out of his grasp. St. Peter sighed.

"I do not enjoy this, so please do not believe I am making fun of any of you."

"I believe you," Ruiko reassured him and he smiled once again. Ruiko could not come to hate St. Peter, but she still had to find some way to defeat him so they could all continue. Suddenly, a hand grabbed her shoulder and yanked her backwards. Ruiko was jolted out of her confusion and saw Leivinia dragging her to Agnese.

"That wasn't a bad attempt for an amateur," Leivinia told her. "But did you think a direct attack would seriously work?" She looked over at Agnese. "We did learn something though."

"Your wind originally interacted with St. Peter," Agnese explained. "Until you actually used it as an attack, which means his spell to prevent violence might be affected by intent."

"Now that we know that," Leivinia huffed. "I doubt we could try to accidently attack him. We would still have the intent."

"I have a suggestion," William said, as walked up to them. "Girl," he addressed Ruiko directly. "I would like you to just talk to him and get him to answer questions."

"Why her?" Leivinia asked indignantly, as she rounded on him. "She doesn't know anything about magic and won't know what to ask."

"Is it because of her personality?" Agnese asked. "From my experience, she never poses a threat and is easy to get along with." Agnese smiled at Ruiko, who could only think of giving a small smile back.

"That," William confirmed. "And because she doesn't know about magic."

"That doesn't make sense," Leivinia scolded. "Explain why that is important."

"She will not be able to make assumptions we who have studied magic would make," William pointed out quietly. "She will ask questions we will not think of. St. Peter appears to be willing to talk and having someone who can't use magic question him will not draw as much suspicion as one of us. We can pretend to be discussing plans while she could pretend to be a distraction. From his answers, we might be able to get a glimpse into either his power or Adam's." All three girls glanced at St. Peter, who only appeared to be gazing down one of the tunnels. "I do not believe we have many other choices since her attack did not succeed. He will not assault us with his magic, so talking appears to be the best option right now."

"What should I ask him?" Ruiko questioned nervously.

"Anything," Agnese explained. "About him, Adam, whatever you can think of that might be even a tiny bit useful."

"Just try not to be obvious," Leivinia warned. She was the one worried most about the plan. She didn't care about the chance St. Peter would attack Ruiko, she worried about Ruiko being too obvious in her intentions. If he realized what she was doing, he could lie or just not answer her questions. "We will be discussing what we learned and will signal you if we want you to press an issue."

"If you are sure," Ruiko said hesitantly. "I'll do my best."

"Good luck," Agnese said and patted Ruiko on the shoulder and then leaned closer to whisper. "It's something only you can do. Remember that."

No pressure, Ruiko thought, but she nodded. After all, this is what she wanted to do last night. Help out anyway she could. William and Leivinia watched her turn and walk slowly toward St. Peter, who turned and looked at her with a curious expression. "Excuse me," Ruiko asked him. "Since we are all stuck here, would you be willing to talk to pass the time?"

"Of course," he replied. "Would you care to talk standing or sitting?"

"Sitting sounds good," Ruiko answered and she sat down cross legged on the ground. St. Peter imitated her action and they faced each other. Okay, what should I ask? This is so nerve wrecking. You would think fighting would be more mentally taxing, but I think it is actually more straightforward. "So... umm… you are really St. Peter… then…"

"Yes, but take a deep breath and steady yourself. I'm not going to bite." Ruiko nodded and did what he suggested.

"I heard stories about you," Ruiko continued much calmer than she had been. "About the miracles you have performed and who you traveled with. I was wondering if you could tell me a little bit about the Son of God."

"An interesting request," St. Peter commented with a nod of his head. "But not entirely unexpected. To many people, he appeared to be a kind and compassionate man. He hated to see people suffer. No matter what anyone did to him, he would be willing to forgive them. He was truthful and always kept his word. He lived the way he preached. He would never say one thing and then do the opposite. As his followers grew, we may have seen less of him, but he would always make time for us. Those that believed would always be able to find comfort around him. All the traits the church values now, he was a personification of." He smiled and looked up at the ceiling as he reminisced.

"I kind of know someone like that," Ruiko said softly and looked down at the ground in embarrassment. Touma swam to the front of her mind, a boy whose very presence comforted her. He would go to the ends of the earth to protect others and his word could be trusted to the letter. The advice he preached was how he lived his own life.

"A rare breed in this age," St. Peter told her. "I would treasure your time with him."

"I do."

"The Son of God's personality seemed perfect to many," St. Peter continued. "But those of us who knew him for a long time saw different sides of him too. He took enjoyment in all things, flowers, animals, and people. Laughing with even the smallest of creatures. He treasured his time with us and was saddened when he had to leave. His wit was also something to be desired. Human experiences were tied into his stories, while sharing truths of the Kingdom of Heaven. Above all, he was generous. Not only did he give his life for all of us, he would give everything he had to anyone who needed it. Every individual was important." St. Peter paused. "Then there was the feeling of the divine. When he was cheerful, we felt at peace, when he was forced to chastise someone, you could feel the world churn. It was those otherworldly signs that brought many people to believe, but it was his personality that caused them to stay." He sighed. "I feel that being forced to follow Adam's orders, I have disgraced his memory."

"It's not your fault though," Ruiko said quickly. "Adam is the one who violated the laws of nature."

"Yet, I continue to let him control me."

"How did Adam actually bring you back to life with all your memories?" Ruiko asked. "I was told normally necromancy creates a… false soul? I think that's right, and then puts it into the body."

"Normally, yes," he confirmed. "But Adam's aspect made from being created directly by God allows him to perform magic unattainable by normal humans."

"Aspect?" Ruiko had no idea what that meant, but she noticed Birdway, Agnese, and William seemed to be paying close attention from behind St. Peter. She hadn't realized they had moved to the other side of the room. This seems like a topic they would need to know.

"Eve and Adam were the only two humans directly created by God," St. Peter explained. "Their very cores are different in ways we cannot understand, but they did not have their aspects at first. It was not until Eve was tempted to eat from the Tree of Knowledge and persuaded Adam to join her did the events that lead to the rise of mankind occur. God cast them out of the Garden of Eden, the paradise where they were born and spent their entire life. It was at that time they took their aspects. As only those two existed, their aspects had to coexist together. Adam took on the aspect of law, to remind himself of why he must follow the rules of the world. Eve was not able to take on that aspect because her core had been forcefully changed by temptation. She took on the aspect of chaos, where it is impossible to predict everything that will occur. Life was no longer strict and orderly outside the garden. Chaos ruled and the future was uncertain. Then Eve was tasked with creating new life, which only added more chaos into the world."

"Law and chaos," Ruiko murmured. There was an old saying where you can't have the idea of good without the idea of bad. That could hold true with law and chaos. Would we be able to recognize one without the other? If law did not exist, would chaos then become the law? I didn't think this was going to get all philosophical. She blinked, shook her head, and forced herself to focus on the task at hand. "So really those two are opposites in order to complement each other?

"A more accurate description would be they keep each other in check."

"If Eve's aspect of chaos ties with life," Ruiko contemplated. "That would explain why she can create things so easily with her book." St. Peter nodded. "Then if their powers kept each other in check, the opposite of life… would be death." He nodded again and Ruiko eye's widened. "Which is why he prefers magic like the Plague of the Firstborn."

"Well," St. Peter corrected gently. "That's more in align with Exodus being a section where God's law began to solidify in human civilization as a whole, but for someone without any magical training you are managing quite admirably in your reasoning."

"You know I'm not a magician?!" gasped Ruiko while he smiled at her. "Ah, I shouldn't be surprised. Where was I?" She frowned and thought for a moment. "Oh, yes. Adam controls death so that would encompass necromancy, which is what he did to you. Then with the power of his aspect from his core, he could go further than normal magicians."

"Death is one law in the world that would be impossible to overcome without the creation of magic," St. Peter said. "One of the many reasons it was. Mankind wanted to imitate God in order to achieve what they would not have been able to otherwise. It's kind of ironic. Adam represents law, but uses magic which corrupts and distorts the laws of the world. The distortion suits him though. He sees the world through a different perspective. Few can understand the pain he has gone though. He lived in paradise, but was cast out for breaking a law he didn't understand."

"Do you know a way to dispel his magic on you?" Ruiko finally asked.

"I do, but I have been forbidden to tell. I can neither speak, write, gesture, nor transmit it in anyway."

"I see," Ruiko said depressed.

"I wish I could help you reach your friends," St. Peter added.

"I do want to help them," Ruiko admitted. "Even though I know they can take care of themselves. I was actually thinking more about your predicament and freeing you."

"Mine?" For the first time, St. Peter actually looked surprised.

"You remember the person I mention before when you were talking about the Son of God?" He nodded. "He's the kind of guy who would never abandon another person. If he was in my position, he would do whatever it took to save you." Ruiko stared directly into St. Peter's eyes with determination and ignored Leivinia's face palm. "It's not your fault what happened, it's Adam's. Remember that. He is taking his anger out on all of us. The way you talked about the Son of God, there is no way someone so kind could be doing this of their own free will. Help us find a way to save everyone." St. Peter stared at her for a moment, his face unreadable.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!" The cry of pain echoing around the room interrupted them.

"What was that?!" Ruiko cried out in alarm.

"Your friend is in trouble," St. Peter muttered darkly.

"Imagine Breaker," Adam said, as clearly as if he was standing next to them. "Did you honestly think you could defeat me alone? I only require you alive, but that does not mean in once piece. It's time for you to learn the difference in power between us."

"Defiant to the end," Adam commented mildly. "Oh I really should kill you and end this charade, but you have proven time and time again to be quite useful." He pulled back his foot and kicked Touma in the side.

"Oof!" Touma grunted loudly. Adam was much stronger than a normal person and the force of the kick lifted him up into the air. He flew a meter and started rolling on the ground, which meant he fell on his broken arm. He stopped on his back and was barely conscious as he gazed up at the blue sky. His arm was on fire and now there was a sharp pain in his side. It took everything he had to stop crying out anymore. He prayed a rib did not break. Adam tossed him a bored expression.

"I expected more," Adam continued. "What happened to that confidence you had before?" He shook his head and turned away from Touma. The only reason he let everyone in the maze listen was to demoralize them. Even if Touma would not admit it, he had become a sort of symbol. A powerful individual who continue to fight against all odds to protect people he didn't know. The knights saw his courage, the nuns saw his power, and Carissa saw his determination. By showing them how their champion had fallen so easily, their will to fight back would break as easy as Touma's arm did. "You never stood a chance Imagine Breaker. Everything you did, everything your allies believed you did, was aligned with out plans. Eve never betrayed me. She just lured you all here. Today, I will finish what I came here to do and your army will be decimated." He paused and looked back at Touma. "I want to ask you again: Do you not feel fear in my presence or are you just stupid?" There was only silence, before Touma answered.

"Of course I'm afraid."

"You finally admit the truth," Adam replied after a moment to this surprising revolution. He didn't expect the boy to say it so easily. "All your bravery was naught before me."

"No," Touma continued slowly. "I've always been afraid."

"What?" Adam did not expect that answer.

"I have never walked into one of these situations without fear." Touma managed to sit up and stabilized himself with his right arm. "What kind of person could? I get pulled into things I never fully understand. I'm just a normal kid with a strange power. I'm not a super hero, I'm not invincible, and I'm not some savior. Yet, I get drawn into a battle for the fate of the world between servants of an archangel and God. Even before that, I got attacked by magicians without even knowing what magic was. I stumble into life and death battles way more than I should, even if they never involved me. I would be crazy if I walked into any of this without fear. I'm terrified way more than I ever let others know!"

"Then why-…?" Adam started to ask.

"Because none of that matters!" roared Touma. "Someone needed help and I was there! Why would I ignore someone just because I was afraid?! I would be lower than trash! No matter if my knees shake, my feet freeze, or I want to flee, I will keep moving forward! Every day people fight for their lives in battles we know nothing of. We all need help at some point, even if we refuse to ask." He struggled to his feet. It was difficult because his left arm was useless. "The knights and nuns trapped in your maze are all fighting for their lives to protect people, friends, family, and citizens. They believe in their cause so much, they are willing to give up their life. They are protecting innocents who can't stand against people like you, Adam. I am proud to stand beside all of them." He paused for breath. "You said all these events are because of my actions? There may be some truth to that, but you're the one who chose to go down that route when your first path failed. Someone with your power should have been able to figure out a peaceful solution. Then… you made a big mistake."

"Oh?" Adam asked in a monotone. "Do tell."

"You involved my friends."

Adam froze as Touma finally looked up, his eyes partially hidden by his sweaty and dirty hair. There was no indecisiveness in Touma's eyes that Adam had slowly been putting into him. They were unnaturally clear and were focused on the only person before them. It was probably a trick of the light, but Adam saw a red gleam in those eyes, almost beastlike. Anger radiated from them, but hatred was absence. Righteous fury, as expected. Adam did not fear the glare, he was too focused on something else. The air around the boy changed. No longer did Adam see the harmless creature that once stood before him. Now, the boy had become something more. It was something that could not be seen or heard, but was felt in the deepest parts of his soul.

Touma Kamijou's aura had changed.

Adam was not surprised at the transformation. It was a special trait he expected Touma to possess. Touma was not the first hero Adam had encountered. Heroes were quite diverse in both personality and background. Some would become stronger to protect people important to them, others would seek redemption for a past mistake, while few follow their own belief of right and wrong. There were even rare cases of someone trying to become a hero for fun. Not all heroes had happy endings though. Many died on their journey to protect people. Those without special powers or qualities that still insisted on rushing into the fire of conflict to protect a single child were no doubt heroes, but on a much smaller scale than the world would remember. There was only one trait that all true heroes possessed that Adam had witness over countless years.

Until they were dead, they would keep standing up to face their foe.

Again, this was not a surprise to Adam. His aspect of law would prevent anything going against the laws of the world from working. This trait of heroes was a natural occurrence, even if it seemed to defy logic and reason. However, he hesitated for a fraction of a second. There were two variables that were hard to account for and both involved the Imagine Breaker. The Imagine Breaker could actually neutralize Adam's aspect of law on the wielder. That would allow something that defied the laws of the world, like a miracle, to be able to occur, even if it wouldn't. The Imagine Breaker would neutralize any chance of that. The issue was, what would happen if laws preventing anything unnatural from occurring were destroyed, but simultaneously allowing unnatural things to occur but then get neutralized? Logic would dictate the fight would be won by the more powerful individual. As Adam had been able to crush Touma up to this point, all signs pointed to him. However, this fight could hardly be considered normal. Then the second issue popped up.

What happens when the Imagine Breaker is used by a hero?

The only person before Touma that Adam encountered personally, who wielded the Imagine Breaker, could hardly be considered a hero. Adam did not actually fight him, because the man had surrendered immediately. It had been centuries ago, or maybe even longer. Years blended together for a person who couldn't die. Now, an uncertain combination was standing before him. The natural trait of a hero was in the boy, along with the power of the Imagine Breaker, a creation made after the moment mankind discovered magic. Eve and Adam were not the first people to use magic, but they were the strongest, until mankind reached into a place they should not have. The boy had no special powers besides his hand and the hero trait, an unknown combination. The hero trait was normally seen as a person overcoming their limits to become stronger for a brief moment. What would happen if that trait and the Imagine Breaker combined? If Adam was as curious as Eve was about the way the world worked, he would have stepped forward and challenged the boy. Instead, Adam just stood there and looked at Touma, who had just stepped forward.

"I won't stop fighting until I'm sure my friends are safe," Touma continued. "No matter how many bones you break, no matter how much stronger you are than me, I won't give up. I will face you with my head held high. You can knock me down and I'll get right back up. I believe everyone in the maze is the same way. They will face your forces and win, so until they arrive, and I know they will, I will be the one to face you!" He took another step forward. His arm was screaming in pain and his side burned with fire after each breathe he took, but he would not falter.

Things were not going the way Adam would have preferred, but Eve did warn him the boy would take some work to manipulate. Adam had wanted the boy to demoralize England's army, but the boy had spectacularly countered him. If they had not been enemies, Adam might have been impressed. It wasn't like he had to kill the army, he just kind of wanted to. Only the boy had to stay alive. He demonstrated time and time again he would not willingly work for them, so he had to be tricked. The magic connecting their conversation to the maze was released, as it was no longer needed. Adam finally stopped mulling over his options as he saw the damaged, but not yet broken, boy continue to stagger toward him. All logic and reason would say Adam would win. The boy was on his last legs while Adam was at full strength. One well-placed blow would kill the boy and even a glancing blow would knock him out. Still, Adam knew the outcome if he attacked. From the monitoring of Touma Kamijou, he had seen the results when someone attacked the boy at this stage. The hero with the Imagine Breaker became a creature that should not exist. The existence defied all laws and reason. Experience told Adam what to do to disarm the beast.

Adam turned around and walked back toward the cliff, away from the boy.

"What are you doing?!" Touma demanded. The surprise of Adam's action confused him. He expected Adam to strike him again and he would be prepared to do… something. Touma wasn't sure what he would do, but figured his body could react like it has so many times before. Adam was walking away from him, but it didn't look like he was retreating. What happened? Before, he was focused purely on me? Can he tell how injured I am? It was taking all his concentration to stand.

"Your presence tires me," Adam replied and stopped near the end of the cliff. "I feel it would just be easier to show you what I am doing here and you can understand how insignificant your efforts truly are." He was not retreating. He was only changing the flow of battle, which negated the activation of the hero trait.

"I'm going to stop you from obtaining it," Touma muttered angrily. "Showing it to me is just going to make my job simpler."

"It is a risk," Adam agreed. "But I do not believe you will be able to stop what I am excavating from this desolate place." He pointed down into the site. "You will understand Imagine Breaker. Right now, you only see pieces of our plan. Look at the final goal." Touma frowned and slowly walked forward. He grabbed his left arm with his right hand to stabilize it. The broken bone shouldn't be moving any more than necessary. Touma didn't trust Adam's motives, but the opportunity was too good to pass up. He staggered to the edge of the cliff and looked down.

"No," he gasped softly in shock.

"It does make you feel insignificant," Adam agreed.

The clang of metal against metal echoed across the room.

He's not bad, Carissa thought as her eyes met Julius's. She had to suppress a smile at the 'bite me' comment she heard from Touma. I knew Adam couldn't be fought alone. Hold on boy, it shouldn't be long. She pushed her blade against his and Julius was forced to take a step back to stabilize. Simultaneously, they both jumped backwards, as Adam's and Touma's conversation continued.

"…Oh I really should kill you and end this charade…" Carissa tried to block out anything unimportant so she could focus on the task at hand. She jumped toward Julius and made a quick flurry of jabs with her sword. One was parried by his sword and sparks flew form the collision, one was dodged by a hair's width, and two were blocked by his shield. Touma's painful cry echoed again and Julius capitalized on her second of distraction. He swung his sword vertically downwards and Carissa was forced to dodge to the left, However, Touma's cry had slowed her reflexes by a fraction of a second, which was all it took for a magically powered individual to get a grazing strike in. A few strands of Carissa's blonde hair fell to the ground.

"You seem distracted," Julius pointed out mockingly. "I didn't realize I was supposed to teach a brat how to fight today."

"I'm going to enjoy killing you," Carissa seethed and swung her sword. Several sparks erupted with a clang when her metal hit Julius's shield and a loud screeching sound echoed around the room as the sword slid down the shield. Carissa spun on her heel and kicked out against the metal wall. The force of her blow pushed Julius backwards and she continued to barrage him with another flurry of blows. She was forcing him on the defensive for now, but her attacks were not connecting. No matter how much she tried, she couldn't block the mocking voice of Adam in the background and that might have been slowing her reflexes.

"…Everything you did, everything your allies believed you did, was aligned with out plans. Eve never betrayed me. She just lured you all here…"

Bastard, Carissa thought when she heard Adam's words. She knew immediately what he was trying to do. He's attacking the boy in his most vulnerable area, his mind. The boy can be determined to a fault, but I don't believe he's use to mental assaults like that. He takes the direct approach. If Adam can actually breaks the boy's focus… I have to hurry. Julius's sword came very close to her shoulder and she was forced to pivot on one foot. She swung her sword upwards, knocked the other sword away from her, and immediately switched to her own strike. Again, her blade only met cold steel of the shield. That shield is getting annoying. Both of the fighters were similar, using magic to amplify their physical attributes, but their techniques were completely different. Carissa focused on quick strikes and fluid motions, while Julius used slower but more powerful blows and then the large shield to protect himself from counters. Carissa's ears twitched when she heard Adam ask if Touma felt fear. His response surprised her.

"Of course I'm afraid."

What?! Carissa was actually so shocked she jumped backwards from Julius to avoid fighting in her condition. How did the boy fall so easily? He stood against me when I wielded Curtana, and yet Adam did something to make him waver? Her thoughts must have appeared on her face, because Julius grinned.

"Seems the Imagine Breaker discovered Adam's true nature," Julius laughed. "When he falls, what do you think will happen to your army?"

"They will still fight."

"Their morale will-…"

"I've always been afraid," Touma's voice continued and that stopped their argument. Julius frowned, but Carissa deliberately kept her face passive. Then the boy began to explain himself. Carissa listened, but couldn't stop a grin from tugging on the corner of her lips. She heard what the boy thought of himself. A normal kid, who was forcefully dragged into disputes between monsters, fought because someone needed help. He mentioned her forces, their desire to protect their own country and people. When he told Adam what his biggest mistake was, she froze. "You involved my friends." Those four words had sent shivers down her spine. Touma's words held a strength that even surpassed what he had said to her In England, about how he would save her. That tone was enough to say attacking his friends was a sure way to lose. She couldn't help herself. She threw back her head and laughed.

"What's so funny?!" Julius demanded angrily, but it wasn't Carissa who answered.

"You underestimated Lover Boy!" Lessar called out and punched the air. "You don't know the first thing about him! He won't lose that easily!"

"If he even could lose," Oriana added. "Judging from his words…" She paused and they heard him continue.

"…I won't give up. I will face you with my head held high. You can knock me down and I'll get right back up…."

"…Adam would have to kill him and we know that it isn't in the cards right now."

"You pests are getting annoying," Julius snapped.

"You sound pretty childish," Carissa laughed, as Touma finished his speech. "You know, I thought a person directly under Adam would be more powerful. You are decent, but not nearly as powerful as the last individual I encountered."

"Heh," Julius chuckled. "Maybe because I'm a better leader than a fighter. If you want, I can show you why-…" They were interrupted by the sound of heavy footsteps making their way towards them. Through the tunnel Lessar and Imouto had entered the room from, six knights in full armor burst in, led by Amelia.

"Princess?" Amelia asked in surprise. It was obvious she and the knights had not expected to run into her.

"Ah, Amelia," Carissa mused. "I was about to finish up here and go rescue the boy."

"It didn't sound like he was backed into a corner yet!" Lessar called out, but they ignored her.

"I heard," Amelia admitted. "We all did. Their words appeared to be transmitted through the entire maze."

"An attempt of Adam to demoralize us," Carissa huffed. "And the boy splendidly rebuked him." Amelia actually nodded. She had heard it all and was rather impressed at Touma's speech. "We can hardly let him down after placing so much faith in us, can we?" Carissa's eyes widened slightly. "Amelia, counter behind now!" Amelia did not hesitate at all. She drew her sword, spun around, and deflected three swords aimed at her back.

"What are you fools doing!?" Amelia demanded.

"They have been taken over by Julius Caesar's magic!" Oriana yelled.

"What is the meaning of this!?" Carissa said rounding on him. "I thought you wanted to duel. I should have known better than to think garbage like you could keep your word."

"We are dueling," Julius corrected her. "They," he gestured to the others, "Are unneeded. They can die while we settle our fight." He smiled mockingly. "I must thank your companion. Bringing a bunch of men who are used to following orders makes my job much, much easier. Based on how easy it was to establish control, I figure I could take over ninety percent of your army still lost in the maze. A civil war would be rather interesting to watch. You know what I'm talking about, right?"

"You two," Carissa fumed and looked at Lessar and Oriana. "Help Amelia knock out those knights while I finish this bastard." Amelia could probably handle all six knights at once, but Carissa couldn't guarantee Julius didn't have the ability to increase their strength once they were under his control. It would be just like him to hide that until the perfect opportunity. They nodded and Carissa focused her attention back to Julius. She heard the sound of metal striking against metal, but she ignored it. Her eyes held fire and she held her sword slightly higher.

"In the end," Julius muttered and raised his sword. "We are all human and resort to our most basic instincts." He raised his shield and held his sword up.

"Indeed," Carissa agreed and lunged forward. Her sword struck against the shield and sparks flew off, while Julius brought his sword down toward her neck. She brought her sword up and pushed his blade to her left as she parried. Julius then pushed forward with his shield and caused her to lose her footing for a moment. He didn't fail to notice and swung his sword horizontally toward her side. She was forced to spin her sword and block it directly. He's physically stronger than I am, she thought when she felt herself getting pushed back. I can't keep trying to meet him with pure force. Then she grinned. I wanted to try this for a while. She jumped back and moved into a fencer position. Her sword was thin enough to not be a liability when she held it out in front of her with one hand. Her other hand was hidden behind her back.

"What's wrong princess?" Julius asked. "Am I too strong for you?"

"That never once crossed my mind," Carissa replied instantly. "I'm only planning to end this quickly." She heard more footsteps approaching them. Damn it, now is not the time for reinforcements. This bastard can take them over as soon as they arrive. Amelia and the others will soon be overwhelmed. Julius noticed too, because he grinned maliciously.

"I see why," he said softly. "Maybe I should just leave and let your own troops handle you."

"That's why you resemble a chicken," Carissa pointed out again. Julius's face narrowed in anger and he rushed forward. Perfect, Carissa thought, but kept her face passive. Julius thrust his sword straight at her heart. Instead of blocking or parrying, she stepped forward while dodging the blade by a fraction of an inch. She had to get close for this to work. While moving forward, she jabbed her sword at Julius's neck, but he only had to move his large shield upwards to block it. This left his arm open and she grinned while moving her other arm from behind her back. With her close proximity, Julius couldn't get his sword in the right angle to strike Carissa, so he stepped back to put distance between them. To his surprise, Carissa didn't push the advantage and instead retreated. His confusion was evident on his face and to the fact Carissa was smiling. She pointed a single finger at his left arm. His eyes slowly followed where she gestured. A small metal sphere had been shoved under his arm guard.

It was a grenade.

"You bitc-…!" Julius never finished his sentence as he was engulfed by an explosion.

"It was worth taking a couple of explosives from that girl," Carissa mused. While she was skilled in magic, she was not above using scientific weaponry. In fact, she enjoyed using them. After seeing Frenda's explosives in action, she had requisitioned several for herself last night. If enough time had passed, she was sure she would be able to strike Julius down with her own sword skills. The problem was Touma was currently in a life and death battle with Adam, which meant time was not on their side. The smoke cleared and Carissa wasn't surprised to see Julius still standing. He didn't look good though.

His entire left arm and shield were gone.

"You will pay for that!" he roared.

"Will I?" Carissa asked amused. "Without your shield, you won't be able to block my strikes."

"I can't believe royalty like you would resort to cheap tricks," Julius hissed. "Even after I accepted your duel request."

"Cheap tricks?" Carissa asked in a slightly irritated tone. "Let me explain something to you Caesar. We did not come here to play your games. We came here to crush Adam and his forces. I only antagonized you into a duel so I didn't have to waste time fighting your enslaved troops." Her eyes darkened and she looked at him with disdain. "You lost, now quietly accept that once more your name will be etched into history as one of the vanquished."

"Never!" Julius roared. "All troops, kill the princess and her allies!" The sound of hundreds of footsteps surrounded them from every tunnel. Carissa made the decision in an instance. She rushed forward and prepared to strike Julius with her sword before backup arrived, but was forced to stop. Spears had begun to rain down where she would have been if she had kept moving forward. Men and women started flooding out of tunnels. "My troops have always been nearby brat."

"Amelia," Carissa called over her shoulder.

"Yes?" Amelia replied respectfully, as she dodged three blades. Lessar jumped forward and grabbed one of the knights and threw him away from the others with her Steel Glove. Oriana tossed a piece of paper and crystal formations erupted from the ground, which separated the knights from Amelia.

"It is time to use that."

"Understood." Amelia turned back to Oriana and Lessar. "Cover me." Lessar jumped behind Amelia as she made her way toward Carissa. The knights were struggling to get around the crystal formation Oriana had made. Knowing Amelia was going to do something, another rain of spears flew at her from Julius's troops. Oriana tossed a piece of paper that quickly turned into a cyclone. The spears were drawn in and thrown back at the source. When Amelia stopped a couple meters away from Carissa, she pulled off a metal tube strapped to her back. Instead of a weapon, she pulled out a rolled up cloth and a collapsible metal pole. She unrolled the cloth to reveal it was actually a flag.

"What is that?" Julius asked suspiciously as his troops formed solid lines in front of him. "Do you think a moral boost is going to help you?"

"The boy already gave us a moral boost," Carissa pointed out with a smirk. "This is only one of many trump cards I prepared in advanced, but I'm sure not going to tell you what it is." Julius gritted his teeth. The flag was actually a copy of England's Union Jack, but the magic purpose behind it was completely different. The original Union Jack was the foundation for Curtana's power, but that power could not normally leave the borders of the United Kingdom. When Carissa was first told of the mission to Australia to fight Adam, she knew Curtana's power would be required to face him. This led to the flag in Amelia's possession. Nicknamed the Conqueror's Flag, it was designed to temporarily create a space that was considered part of the United Kingdom, regardless of distance.

There were a lot of problems with this method though. First, it could only be used in areas that were once part of the British Empire. All of the United Kingdom had once been part of it, so she had focused on that aspect. All of Australia had also once been part of the empire. There had been a time when the sun never set on the British Empire. Because this condition was met, the Queen of England could send out a burst of Telesma to the location. The force would burn the flag, but all the troops nearby would receive a short increase in power, as if they had been on actual United Kingdom soil. Another problem was the duration. Once the flag was burnt, the Telesma lasted one minute at best. Another issue was the area affected around the flag was pretty small, twenty meters or so at most. This time, the distance did not matter, as they were all nearby.

Amelia connected the flag to the pole and slammed it into the ground.

A second later, the flag burst into flame.

"My control," Julius muttered as he glanced at the knights shaking their heads. "You broke it over your troops."

"Don't have time to explain," Carissa replied and charged forward. Her body was light as the Telesma from Curtana Second engulfed her. Sure, it wasn't as much as when she wielded the Original, but her speed and strength multiplied several times over. More than enough to deal with a couple rows of mind controlled individuals and an overconfident ruler who died once before. She reached the first row of people with shields and swords. The second they tried to swing their blades at her, she jumped over them. Her heels slammed down on a couple of them as she used them as a platform to jump over the next row of people with spears. She grabbed one spear that would have actually hit her and broke it with her bare hand. She landed in front of the last row, and parried two blades with her own, before punching the guy in front of her. The force sent him flying several meters. Only Julius was left in front of her. Her sword began to vibrate slightly and glow with a bright white light as she charged forward at super human speeds. Julius swung his blade horizontally at her neck, but Carissa ducked under it. She pulled back her sword and thrust it forward.

The sword pierced Julius right in the heart.

"Heh," Julius gasped. "Using Telesma… because your own skills are inferior."

"Winning is all the matters," Carissa told him and she ripped the sword out of him. "Losing means death, as you just found out." She flicked her sword and the blood flew off onto the ground. Julius fell to his knees and all the mind controlled individuals behind Carissa collapsed too. "Which way to the surface?"

"Like I would tell you," Julius coughed. "Bitch… go to hell." His body began to glow with white light before it disappeared into a pile of dust.

"He kept his allegiance to the end," Carissa muttered. "I can respect that to some degree." She sheathed her sword and looked at the one tunnel Julius had come from. That's probably the best bet. She turned around and saw Amelia with five conscious knights. All of them saluted. Lessar and Oriana stood by the two unconscious girls. "Anything to report Amelia?"

"I assume you know our troops are spread out and the maze is transporting us to different locations." Carissa nodded. "I have not encountered anyone or anything of note so far until now."

"This was the second one of Adam's minions I encountered," Carissa said quickly and turned back to the tunnel. "We need to hurry through that tunnel there," she pointed, "and rescue the boy. I owe him for help against an earlier opponent."

"Of course," Amelia replied, though Carissa thought she heard something more.

"Leave one man to wake the others," Carissa ordered. "Everyone else, it's time to crush the bastard that started all of this." There was a collective yell in agreement and she, Amelia, Oriana, Lessar, and four knights stepped over the unconscious citizens and made their way toward the battle between Adam and Touma.

"No!" gasped Ruiko.

"That idiot!" Leivinia cried out angrily, but she looked concern. "He knew not to fight Adam alone!"

"Saten," Agnese called out. "Don't get distracted." William remained silent, but that was because he probably didn't have anything to add. Touma's cry echoed across the room again after Adam mocked him.

"Please," Ruiko begged and tears filled her eyes. "You have to let us through and help him. He's not only fighting for us, but everyone who is suffering because of Adam, including you."

"I truly wish I could," St. Peter replied and his tone was one of deepest regret.

"You know how much courage it takes for him to stand against-…" She stopped when she heard Touma's response to Adam asking if he felt fear.

"Of course I'm afraid."

Ruiko's heart nearly stopped. How? He's the strongest, bravest guy I know. What could Adam have done to him? The way Touma had talked to her last night made her believe he knew something she didn't. He could afford not to be afraid because he knew what the outcome would be. Now, she found out he was afraid… that he had always been afraid. Touma's words kept flooding out as Ruiko listened.

"I have never walked into one of these situations without fear. What kind of person could?" Ruiko's ears perked up. While Touma was obviously addressing Adam, she felt like he was also addressing her too. Touma seemed to be releasing all his pent up stress as he mentioned how he was dragged into all these dangerous situations. Ruiko began to realize what it all meant. Touma had always been scared because he was like her. They considered themselves normal students. He didn't understand everything that was happening around him, yet he kept moving forward. She was surprised how he could continue to face those problems, when Touma answered her, and Adams, question. "Because none of that matters! Someone needed help and I was there! Why would I ignore someone just because I was afraid?!"

"Is that the friend you spoke of before?" St. Peter asked.

"Yes," Ruiko confirmed. She felt something well up inside of her. Pride in how Touma was able to face his fears, but something else too. It was courage. Thanks to his words, Ruiko finally understood. Touma was able to overcome all these challenges because others needed help. Even if he was afraid, that did not mean he could not act. That's the kind of person I want to be, she reminded herself. Someone who others can count on to help them, no matter how dangerous things had become. Then Touma said four words that made her heart race when he informed Adam of his mistake.

"You involved my friends."

"A person like that is hard to find," St. Peter commented. "Courage in overcoming fear is a very difficult thing to do."

"I agree," Ruiko told him. "I know personally how hard it is to actually take that step." She looked at him while Touma's voice continued. Ruiko made a shaking fist when she heard him say he would continue to fight until his friends were safe. His words filled her with strength. Her eyes darted to Leivinia and Agnese, both of whom had small smiles on their face before they caught Ruiko's eye. Agnese gave her a slight nod in understanding, while Leivinia quickly made her face passive. William had a very curious look on his face as he stared up at the ceiling. It was almost like he regretted something. Everything went silent, and Ruiko wasn't sure why. Neither Adam nor Touma spoke again. "You are a Saint. Can you sit back and let someone like him suffer at the hands of Adam?"

"I have no choice," St. Peter replied. "I have gone over all options available to me. I do know several spells and rituals that would free me from his grasp, but I cannot perform them or tell others how to. The only spells I may cast are those designed to stop people from proceeding and prevent myself from being defeated."

"There has to be something you can think of," Ruiko continued. The knowledge that there was a way to remove Adam's hold on St. Peter filled her with hope. There had to be something Adam didn't plan for. Maybe she could jolt an idea in him since she didn't know any magic. "My friend, his name is Touma Kamijou, is the one fighting Adam. His luck may not be very good, but he always seems to be able to appreciate everything he has. His hand, as you know, was supposed to negate all supernatural things, including God's Miracles, but I think that only applies to himself. He never relies on miracles, but his own actions. From what I have seen, when he helps someone, a miracle always seems to occur. Maybe not for him, but everyone else experiences it. They manage to solve their problems without deaths and many of my friends are living much happier lives after meeting him. Maybe all we need is another miracle."

"Adam's aspect of law prevents miracles from occurring," St. Peter explained to her. "Miracles go against the laws of the world. Though, he is facing the Imagine Breaker…" He started mumbling to himself and Ruiko sat in silence. She couldn't be sure what he was doing, but something told her not to break the silence. "You are an interesting girl," St. Peter finally spoke up.

"W-what do you mean?" Ruiko asked startled.

"You care deeply for your friends," he answered kindly. "That is obvious and you want to help them anyway you can."

"I wish I was braver though," Ruiko mumbled.

"Nonsense," St. Peter reprimanded her. "As your friend stated, no same person would not feel fear in a situation like this. You are afraid, but you admit this to yourself. This is the first step to overcoming your fear. Then you must be willing to take the next step to protect someone. You revealed yourself after seeing how your companions were unable to defeat me. You managed to gather the courage to attack me, not out of anger or hatred, but purely the desire to save your friends."

"I didn't really want to hurt you," Ruiko admitted softly.

"That is what makes you special," St. Peter continued and smiled at her confusion. "You worry about your enemies."

"I don't consider you-…"

"Precisely my point. You care about everyone, even those you don't know. I knew a woman like that. She always saw the good in everyone. No matter who they were, Saint or sinner, rich or poor, she would always give them a chance for salvation. She was close to the Son of God and the two were very similar. She existed for a person to kneel down and pray for the safety of their families, friends, and companions… and sometimes even their enemies. Many people consider me the leader of the apostles and one of the greatest Saints, but I am nothing compared to her."

"Who… who was she?" Ruiko asked softly, but immediately yelped and scooted back on the ground when St. Peter started glowing brightly. "What's happening?!" She stood up.

"A miracle," St. Peter replied and rose to his feet. His entire body was glowing with a powerful, but oddly warm, light.

"I thought you said a miracle wasn't possible?" Ruiko asked. Leivinia shouted something, but her voice seemed so far away.

"It should be," St. Peter agreed. "But your friend, the one who possesses the Imagine Breaker, is fighting Adam. He is negating the aspect of law, which permeates the world around Adam. Miracles are not spells, they are events that can't be predetermined, and therefore Adam's orders do not apply to them. His aspect was the only thing keeping them at bay. Even being forcefully revived, my bond with the Son of God has not broken and he answered my prayer." He smiled and his body glowed brighter. "It was thanks to you my child."

"Me?" Ruiko mouthed in shock and pointed to herself.

"I was trapped by Adam's hatred and lost track of my faith. You reminded me of why I followed the Son of God. Many people can easily forget why they started on a path." He reached out a hand and put it on her shoulder. "You have a gift in making others remember why they are fighting. Thank you Ruiko Saten, for the kindness you have shown this old man who lost his way." He lowered his head and bowed. At the same time several men rushed into the room, only to stop in awe at the powerful light radiating from St. Peter. Then in a whisper so soft it was like the wind in Ruiko's ear, St. Peter continued. "I hope you and your friends find the happiness you truly deserve. I promise to watch over you all."

The light retracted and St. Peter disappeared.

The room felt much colder and emptier.

"What just happened?" a man asked and Ruiko turned to see George followed by half a dozen knights. Ruiko wasn't sure how to answer that question, but luckily the others took over.

"St. Peter had the power to prevent us using magic," Agnese explained. "We were lucky Saten showed up when she did or we would have all been trapped here."

"That light though," George pointed out. "Wasn't that from him? How did you manage to defeat him?"

"That's what I would like to know," Leivinia added and crossed her arm. "You were talking like we planned and we learned a lot of valuable information about Adam, but suddenly we couldn't understand your voices after he mentioned miracles. Then he started glowing and the room rose in temperature for a little bit. What did you two discuss during that time?"

"Well," Ruiko explained hesitantly. She wasn't entirely sure what she did. Before she could decide how to phrase her words, an unlikely person spoke up.

"She reminded him of who he was and what he stood for," William explained. "A pure soul could achieve something we could not." Before Agnese or Leivinia could respond to this statement, he turned to George. "Did you hear the conversation between Adam and the Imagine Breaker?"

"We did," George acknowledge and the other knights nodded. "It sounded like Adam was planning to use the boy's suffering to demoralize the troops, but he wouldn't give in. I have to say, my blood was boiling at his words, so I think it had the opposite effect."

"Speaking of which," Agnese interrupted. "The barrier protecting the passage is gone. We need to hurry and help him."

"Obviously," Leivinia said and brushed her hair back. "We can interrogate the girl later. For now, let's go rescue the idiot." She flicked her wand and a small string of flames shot out. "Good to know my magic is back." She walked toward the tunnel that was no longer blocked by water. Agnese shrugged and followed. George gave the other knights a brief gesture with his hand and they rushed off after the girls.

"Girl," George said as he passed Ruiko. "I don't know how you did, but to actually defeat a Saint without magic, that is the stuff of legends. Good job."

"I just…" Ruiko tried to explain, but George had already passed her and her voice trailed off. A large strong hand fell on her shoulder and she looked over at William.

"I would not forget what he told you," William told her quietly. "Few people can get advice from someone like him."

"You heard us?!" Ruiko exclaimed in surprise.

"I did," William confirmed.

"Do you know who the woman he referred to was?"

"I do, but it's best you not dwell on it. What he said about you is true, so if you want to honor him, keep that light you showed him."

"I will," Ruiko replied embarrassed.

"Now let us go and help your friend." Ruiko nodded and they both followed the others.

Touma could not believe what he saw.

When they discovered an excavation site, it became obvious Adam was looking for something. The exact 'what' was still a mystery. As far as Touma knew, all the wings except for the one in Academy City were in their possession. Based on the area Adam was mining and how many people were being controlled, Touma had assumed they were looking for a small object that could have been anywhere in the desert.

He had been wrong.

The thing they were extracting was enormous. It would have been several stories high, if it had not been lying down. From his position, Touma could see the outline of the entire structure. A white substance composed nearly all of it. It appeared to be a combination of stone and plastic but, unless he examined it closer, he couldn't tell for sure. It reminded him of the dark matter Teitoku had made. What he could see was the substance was roughly in the form of a human. There was a head with blank eyes, nose, and a mouth. There were waves on the scalp that resembled hair. The body was average build and had four appendages that acted as arms and legs. Gold and silver veins ran over the entire body forming intricate patterns. Without the veins, the sculpture would have been pretty ordinary. The most noticeable trait was right in the center of its chest. A large jewel was glowing slightly with pure white light. A large deep cut was in the gem, as if it had been stabbed. Even though it was clear out and the sun was rising above him, the light seemed to reach much further than it should have. Touma stared at it and felt slightly colder, like heat was being absorbed.

"What is that?" Touma asked. He couldn't tear is eyes away from the jewel. Minutes had passed and he hadn't even realized it.

"That, Imagine Breaker, is what remains of our lord," Adam replied.

"Huh?!" Touma jumped and managed to turn and look at Adam. He had assumed at first glance it was some kind of construct weapon.

"When the Archangel Michael ripped Lord Lucifer's wings from him and cast them into gems," Adam explained and Touma detected a very slight trace of anger in his voice. "He used the Sword of God and stabbed our lord in his core. The force of that attack cast Lucifer down from heaven and upon the earth. As the last light faded from his eyes, Michael raised his hand and the earth swallowed our lord. This forsaken land was to be his tomb." Adam actually made a fist. "All because our lord developed consciousness and questioned God." Adam turned to face Touma. "Are you capable of realizing why I came here looking for it?"

"You… need a body to fuse the wings into!" Touma gasped as it dawned on him.

"Correct," Adam confirmed. "For now, it is merely a statue, missing all the beauty and power of our lord in his prime. Once we have all the wings, we can merge them with this to reform him. Then his greatness will lead us against our greatest foe."

"You're insane!"

"Perhaps," Adam conceded. "When one lives too long, they very well might become insane without knowing. It was only recently, with the help of many unsuspecting people, that we have come so far. You helped us greatly in England. I must also thank the person who removed the Sword of God from our lord's core. Removing a weapon of God without being an angel or at least a Saint would not have been possible, even for us. The power would purify me into dust if I tried. It's almost like fate itself wants us to succeed."

"Someone removed the sword? Who would even know this is here?"

"I could care less as long as that person doesn't oppose us," Adam answered vaguely. "Many people used to know this area was not for the weak of heart. All those sayings the current generations mock about this land was based on old myths and legends that got warped over the years. People began colonizing and technology allowed them to move closer and closer to this place, the legend of a battle that nearly destroyed everything broken down into childish jokes."

Touma remained silent as he thought about what to do. His arm was burning and he was going to pass out eventually. This is getting worse and worse. Everything is proceeding according to their plan and nothing we do seems to be stopping them. From his expression and words, he doesn't consider me a threat and, after what happened when we fought, I can't really blame him. At least I know more than I did before. If we could destroy that statue, his plan would fail. The question is, how can we destroy something like that easily? Maybe Carissa could call in an air strike or something. Though that jewel… His thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of footsteps coming up the stairs. He and Adam turned to see a group of people flood out of the tunnel.

"Finally," Carissa muttered and her eyes fell on them. "What the hell, boy? Are you just standing there chatting?"

"Spread out and surround him," Amelia ordered the knights.

"We heard your speech," Oriana said and smiled at Touma. "Have to say, you have a way of inspiring people." Touma's eyes widened and then he had to look away in embarrassment.

"Nice job, Lover Boy!" Lessar added. "I'll take a look at your arm when we are done." She licked her lips. "I'll also examine every other part of your…"

"NOT THE TIME, LESSAR!"

"So you managed to defeat Caesar," Adam commented. "That was not unexpected. He never was the most reliable man. His attitude got on the nerve of many people. Eve particularly did not like him."

"We don't care about your opinion of others," Carissa snapped. "Boy, give us all the information you learned on him."

"He's really strong physically!" Touma called back. "But that's not important! Adam's unearthed the body of Lucifer and is planning to use it as a host for all the wings!" Carissa's eyes widened. Before she could bark out an order, the ground began to shake and everyone began to stumble, except Adam.

"It seems we have finished," Adam remarked and then glanced at the others. "Did you honestly think I would devote all my effort to your feeble existences? We have much bigger targets." He raised a finger and pointed upwards. That's when Touma noticed.

"The body is beginning to fly upwards!" he warned the others. However, there wasn't much they could do. They did not have aerial support or long range ballistic missiles to blow Lucifer's body out of the sky. Oriana pulled out a piece of paper and threw it at the ground. A fist made of earth rose into the air and flew at Adam. His only response was to make a back handed motion. The earth grew dark and broke apart into dust before vanishing completely. The knights began to charge with their swords drawn, but all Adam had to do was take a single step and the earth shifted beneath their feet and knocked them backwards.

Touma saw the white stone form of an inactive archangel float higher and higher, but Touma noticed the arm was very close to where he was. He glanced over at Adam, who managed to knock away Amelia's and Carissa's blades of light. Lessar swung her Steel Glove at him and it shattered against his arm. Lessar used her tail to jump high into the air to avoid Adam's outstretched hand, which was going for her throat. Everything was moving in slow motion. Touma managed to catch Carissa's eye and he felt a grin form on his face. Carissa recognized that expression.

He's going to do something stupid.

"Sorry," Touma mouthed and turned around. Before Carissa could yell at him, he took a step back and ran toward the edge of the pit. He could have sworn he heard her yell 'idiot,' but he was too focused on the jump at hand. The target was the large jewel in the middle of Lucifer's chest. The problem was it was too far away to reach with a single jump and he couldn't ask for help because then Adam would know what he was planning. Also, a delay meant the body might rise higher than the pit where Touma could not reach it. He was planning to land on the arm and crawl toward the gem. Please don't let me land on my left arm! With the body rising, Touma was hoping he could land on his feet and then lunge toward the core. Suddenly, a thought occurred to him.

Will my right hand negate the stone material?! Oh shit, I didn't think this through!

Adam turned around and glanced down at him. Neither Touma nor the others could see his reaction or they might have tried to warn Touma.

Adam was grinning.

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.

Misaki: Adam needs to be punished.

Mikoto: Painfully.

Pierce: Let's focus on something more pleasant.

Accelerator: Like the fact Saten defeated a Saint without any real effort?

Shizuri: Seems like the author had problem finishing the fight and pulled crap out.

Motoharu: That may be true…

Me: Hey!

Motoharu: …but think how this is going to affect Saten-san in the long run.

Mikoto: How?

Jason: Well, she defeated a Saint by effectively… purifying him? If this gets out, many religious people are going to seek her out and ask her to bless them.

Misaki: That could be serious.

Jason: And if they see something, like her flipping skirts, they might actually believe that to be a religious activity.

Kazari: Oh no!

Shizuri: I doubt that would happen.

Motoharu: I don't know, people worship really strange things.

(**********)

Notice: The Church of Skirt Flipping is holding an open house next week.