A Certain Infinite Possibility

by Darkbetrayer

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

107. S5 Secrets Revealed II

Hope you all had a good Halloween and now Turkey Day. Huh, been about a month sense that last doozy of a chapter. The reactions were pretty much what I expected. Huge build up and then Sogiita Gunha decides to ruin it for everyone. Never going to make a chapter that long again. Thirty thousand words were way too much for me. It was a pain to review and a pain to write because the ending took forever to get to. I kept feeling like I wanted to just skip past things and finish it. Going back to my normal chapters, which were about half that length, felt so much better. My reviewer seemed to enjoy this chapter and hyped it up for a few people on discord, so I trust you guys will like it too. I was looking forward to this chapter for quite a while. Anyways, let's answer comments real quick and move on to the main event.

No wait, I have one more amazing announcement. You may have noticed the cover art is now in color thanks to my friend Sponge. You can visit her on her twitter, sponge ( SpongeKatze). She did this for fun and I hope she's willing to do more. If anyone has any specific scenes they may be interested in seeing drawn, I'll pass it on, but ultimately it is up to her. She did an amazing job.

vietnamese guy: I told him I was going to use that one day and that day has passed.

anand891996: Pierce needed a time to shine. It gave people time to read it before Halloween.

wildarms13: Yes, that was part of being a troll. The winner of the contest was random bystander #17.

amirread97: Accelerator and Bayloupe is the best couple. Pierce was never supposed to visit a school consisting of nothing but girls. It's just bad manners.

general ironox: Random bystander #17.

MarkJ: It was getting way too long in the end. I was trying to cram too much into one SS. It could easy become its own FF easily 4-6 chapters long. Part of the joke between my friends and me was that it ended so abruptly. Two hours of reading? Yeah, I could accept that.

Seeker: Glad I got a couple people with that. Mr? likes to post super long chapters. I break mine into more manageable lengths. "Pumpkin head skeleton in the middle of it as the last boss, only to be crushed by Santa Claus?" That wasn't enough for you? This is a one shot remember, but this could become its own story at some point. Probably have to finish off my other projects first. Winner was random bystander #17.

edinosaur22: No one expected Santa Claus.

Whwsms: Incident #28 could be its own story.

Guest00: Kami takes ALL the girls.

ReyKingKaiser: I do like Touma x Misaki, but I'll find some time to add Kanzaki.

Bluejack222: Random bystander #17.

Anon Guest: Seems like Aisa would be the one to say Mikoto's line. Mikoto would say something about him being an idiot.

Kami: You too.

Guest 13: Don't think I can add that.

Guest: 1) There were way too many people as is. I couldn't add more without the story becoming even more stupidly long. 2) Touma doesn't use weapons except for his fists. 3) Because he's a dick. 4) It was part of the joke, but I probably could have stretched it out a bit longer. 5) Eh, they were just enjoying the spirit of Halloween.

Salishious: Sorry, Random bystander #17 won. As for The Incident, it was never not canon. I had to make cuts. There are too many people to put them all together.

xaxiel1572: Nah, those two can take care of themselves.

Kami: Finally, someone appreciates the joke!

Cyber dragonarmy: Dang it Satan. Why have you failed me?!

aGuestfromGreece45: Random bystander #17 won. As for Aogami, his pervertness gives him enhanced power.

Salishious-chibi: Oh, no. The next time Eve visits our main group, terrible, terrible social things will happen.

Agent Nine: It wasn't the wrong costume, it was perfect. Gunha is pretty amazing and doesn't have a lot of canon scenes.

Kami: Already made one.

Generation Zero: Touma was totally involved, he had to be punished. Accelerator's fights would be pretty boring with his ability, so that's why I skipped his. Mugino would have been in the same boat. I would have had to add bosses that would have taken too long to wrap up. Aleister would have done something before things got out of hand, but since others were taking care of it, he didn't have to. Smuggle-chan is a very mellow goddess and loves to spend her time hanging out with fun people. She might do something if Othinus messes with her toys. Remember, this isn't canon so it won't have any effect on the main story.

Inacio: Man, people really want her with Touma for some reason.

Guest: They are professionals and Itsuwa already saw him in a swimsuit.

Savaris: With the harem route, I don't have to make tough choices. Easier for me. My reviewer loved the luncheon with the two moms, so be prepared for laughter. Ayu is a good character that just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. Touma's evolution through this story changed him mentally. He will have different weaknesses and strengths at that point.

jujudude: Might be tough for a holiday chapter, as the story is in spring/early summer.

FrodoFighter: You really went all out this time. I would love to respond to every little bit here, but that would be way too long. I'll cover some of the highlights and you can ask anything else on discord. I love how you pick out the weirdest quotes and comment on them. You make me laugh way too much and I nearly die on a couple of them. '"It wasn't terribly revealing, the shirt had short sleeves, but the skirt was extremely short, even by Tokiwadai uniform standards." - So, her skirt somehow has a negative length? Cause that much shorter than the normal Tokiwadai skirts should not be possible.' Also, your love for Jason is showing through. You might need to dial it back a notch. Ruiko Saten is indeed very popular among the high school girls. Takitsubo was referencing the group had made it to their location. It was an assumption. Don't nitpick. And you always focus on the important questions Frodo. Mikoto could have shared her ice cream cone. Though, ice cream is serious business and Nevermelt Ice Cream is important.

Oh, for everyone asking about the winner, random passerby #17. His request was to remain anonymous so that people wouldn't hound him for meeting Kami. Naturally, Kami respected his request.

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.

---

Things did not get less awkward for Touma and Mikoto.

What do I say in this situation? Touma thought to himself as he took a seat next to Mikoto. His mother conveniently sat down immediately next to Mikoto's mom, Misuzu. He could feel her eyes on him and he looked at her to avoid being rude. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Mikoto staring straight ahead, determinedly avoiding accidently catching his eye. Misuzu was wearing a black silk dress and looked amazing in it, but she was also leaning forward slightly, with her arms positioned to enhance her rather large bust. Touma's own mom, Shiina, seemed to be watching the two of them with a smile on her face. There were a few moments of silent, before Misuzu finally broke it.

"Kamijou-san," she greeted with a smile. "It's good to see you again."

"Pleasure is mine," he replied and he saw Misuzu's eyes flash over to Mikoto for a moment.

"Glad to see you and my daughter are still friends," Misuzu continued cheerfully. "She's told me all about you. Thank you for taking care of my daughter."

"Mother!" Mikoto protested embarrassed.

"Heh," Touma chuckled. "I think she's helped me a lot more than I have helped her recently." Mikoto flushed at his words and Misuzu had a knowing gleam in her eyes.

"Oh, my," Shiina said. "If that's true, I have to thank you Misaka-san for taking care of my son. I know that can be difficult."

"Mom," whispered Touma and this time it was his turn to be embarrassed. Mikoto snickered slightly, as she knew exactly what Shiina meant.

"It's been rather interesting since I met him," Mikoto told Shiina with a small smile. They were temporarily spared further embarrassment as the waitress stopped by and gave the four of them menus. Touma, relieved to have something to distract his mom, took the menu without even looking at the waitress. He had never been to one of these fancy restaurants before and he had to admit he was curious at what the food was like. Being poor prevented him from splurging on the finer things. It only took one second, after opening the menu, to discover a huge problem.

He didn't know what all these French names meant.

How do I even pronounce this? Touma thought to himself. Looks like I'm going to make a fool of myself again. There was an English description below the French names, so he started scanning those instead to figure out what was on the menu. He noticed Shiina pointing out a couple dishes to Misuzu and remembered his mother had been to France before and knew some of the language. Don't pay attention to them, you have to figure out what to order. Something poked his leg and he looked over to see Mikoto leaning slightly closer to him.

"I take it you don't know what most of these dishes are?" Mikoto asked in a hush whisper to avoid drawing their mother's attention.

"Do you?" Touma asked back, just as quietly. "I was scanning the descriptions, but a recommendation would be great."

"Second page, fifth down on second column," Mikoto told him. "Bœuf Bourguignon. It's beef braised in a red wine sauce. I think you would like it."

"I'll trust your recommendation," Touma replied with a nod and set his menu down. Mikoto took a moment to help him through the pronunciation so he didn't embarrass himself when he ordered. Touma noticed his mom and Misuzu watching the two of them closely with smiles on their faces. This puzzled him for a minute and then made him suspicious. They are up to something. Mikoto realized the same thing, but she went quiet again instead of voicing her thoughts out loud. I know we are at a high class restaurant, but I didn't think she would get so quiet. His eyes fell on her dress again. When she shifted slightly in her seat, Touma immediately looked away, not wanting to be caught. Judging from the expression on Misuzu's face, she saw everything. His ears started to burn.

"Are you ready to order?" a female voice said politely, as their waitress returned.

Touma froze.

He recognized the voice.

Noooooooooooooo! No, no, no, no! No amount of protesting was going to change who was standing there. He turned and saw an attractive dark skinned woman with long black hair wearing a professional waitress uniform for the establishment. She looked pretty normal, except for her eyes. They shined with every color of the rainbow.

Miss me? Julunggul's voice in his mind asked innocently.

How…? What…? WHY?!

Figured if I am going to be living in your apartment, I should get a job to help pay the bills.

Lies! Touma accused. We both know a magic god wouldn't lower themselves to that level. Besides, you could probably summon anything you needed!

You caught me, she admitted. I just wanted to watch your date from a better position than your pocket.

It's not a date! Touma refuted. Our mothers just brought us along with them.

I wonder why that is? Julunggul answered mockingly. Especially since the thread between you two is one of the strongest I have seen. Anyways, you better order, the others are wondering what you are doing. Touma snapped out of his stunned stupor and saw that everyone was staring at him.

"I'll… take the Bœuf Bourguignon," Touma told Julunggul with only a brief pause. She nodded, jotted it down on her bad and turned to the others. Shiina, Misuzu, and Mikoto ordered after him and the only thing he could remember of the names was Mikoto ordered something called Bouillabaisse. To his relief, Julunggul left without incident and Touma reached for some water.

"So," Misuzu commented and leaned forward with a grin. "Kamijou-san. You were staring at that waitress for some time. Any particular reason?"

"W-what?" Touma stuttered, coughing slightly on his water.

"Oh, my," Shiina added and put a hand on her cheek. A dark aura began to form and Touma felt sweat form on his forehead. It didn't help he could feel a penetrating stare from his left. "I hope that was not your father's aloofness emerging. You have a rather pretty girl sitting right next to you that you could be paying attention to." Touma glanced automatically and saw Mikoto look away from him.

I know I am very attractive, Julunggul commented, but Touma ignored her.

"I wasn't staring," Touma argued with a lie that did not fool anyone. "I'd rather be talking with Mikoto than-…" He slammed his mouth shut when all eyes were on him.

"I-idiot," Mikoto whispered so softly it was almost silent. "Not in front of my mother."

"Seems like you two are really close," Misuzu pointed out and winked at her daughter. Mikoto's face was beet red and she was silent with a mixture of happiness and mortification. This is what she wanted, but that didn't make it any easier. She got embarrassed easily.

"They were close the last time we visited," Shiina reminded Misuzu. "And I believe Misaka-san joined Touma-san and his friends on a trip to England during break."

"She told me all about it," Misuzu replied. "It sounded like they both had a great time."

"It's important to see the world if you get a chance," Shiina said. "I'm glad they had the opportunity while they are so young. It was a good experience for them."

"So," Touma asked Mikoto, now that their mothers were distracted talking about their trip to England. "Did you know your mother and mine had this planned?"

"Not at first," Mikoto answered honestly. "I found out shortly before we arrived. I think I would have preferred finding out when you actually arrived. My mother is going to embarrass me."

"Mine too," Touma sighed and they both snickered. "I'm surprised my mom didn't mention we were meeting you. Like that dress by the way. It looks really nice on you." Touma's ears burned slightly, but he said everything with a straight face.

"Thanks," Mikoto replied and looked down at her lap. Her hands fiddled with the fabric. "You look… handsome… in a suit." They both avoided eye contact, but Mikoto was proud of herself. Finally said something more intimate than friend would. Mama was right, I need to force myself forward or someone else will grab him, but it's sooo embarrassing. "After this," Mikoto muttered softly. "What are you planning to do? You still have some explaining to do about where you were this week."

"I promised someone I would visit the fair with them before the raffle," Touma answered. "After that, I make a fool out of myself and then I can explain everything. You still available to meet up?"

"Yeah, that hasn't changed. We have a lot to tell you too."

"It's going to be a long day."

"You have no idea," muttered Mikoto dryly. "You have an idea what happened here?" Touma nodded.

While the two of them were whispering, their mothers were monitoring their children's reactions. Misuzu wanted to whip out her phone and take a picture of Mikoto's pure maiden face when she was telling Touma something personal. Her rosy red cheeks, embarrassed eyes, and a hint of a smile would make Misuzu's husband faint. Shortly after, he would probably try to kill Touma, which is why she resisted the urge. Shiina was monitoring Touma's reaction to see how he truly felt about Mikoto. With the scene she had witnessed yesterday, she wanted to check one last time on how Touma was treating the girls. From her observation, the two of them could be embarrassed one minute and then talk about some secret between them a moment later. Shiina could tell they had a connection, but it was not up to the point of boyfriend and girlfriend yet. She was curious where they were.

"Excusse me," Julunggul said, as she moved next to their table with a pitcher of ice water to refill their glasses. When she was filling up Misuzu's glass, she whispered, just loud enough for the others to hear, but soft enough to make it sound like an accident. "Thosse two make a cute couple."

"I know, right?" she replied with a laugh. Smoke came out of Touma's and Mikoto's ears at this and Julunggul walked away, mission having been accomplished. Misuzu and Shiina glanced at each other, nodded and turned to the person who was not their child.

"Kamijou-san," Misuzu said seriously. "I want to ask you something important. What is Mikoto to you?" Touma's eyes widened and his heart stopped for a moment. Before he could say anything, Shiina turned to Mikoto.

"And what is my son to you, Misaka-san?" she asked, her tone firm, but relatively mild.

"Eh?!" Mikoto squeaked. She and Touma looked at each other.

Both of them were struggling to answer this question. Sure, they normally said they were friends to others, especially their parents and teachers, but something stopped them for saying it. After everything that happened to them recently, saying they were friends seemed somewhat hollow, almost like it would be an insult to the other. Best friends might be closer to the truth and that was a fall back. They weren't dating, even though Mikoto had confessed to him. She and Misaki knew the reasons he had been avoiding answering them, so she didn't blame Touma for it. Touma on the other hand kept thinking about what Seria told him at school and he kept trying to think about what he wanted. They were at a strange spot in their relationship. The same question passed through both of their minds, even if the details surrounding it were different.

What are we?

---

"I have to ask," Shiage said to Frenda and Saiai. "Why are both of you with me today?"

"What's with that question?" Saiai asked irately. "You should super be happy a couple of hot girls are willing to spend any time with you."

"Uh, huh," Shiage commented absentmindedly, as he took the flashlight and checked behind a wall of crates containing construction materials. "It couldn't be that Mugino has been in a bad mood since yesterday?" Saiai and Frenda made clicking noises with their tongues.

"Shut up," Saiai snapped. "You're super useless, so Frenda and I have to be the muscle."

"I haven't seen her in that mad of a mood in ages," Frenda confessed. "Basically, when she gets like that, you only let Takitsubo near her." She sighed and checked her own side of the warehouse. "Nothing here."

"This one is empty," Saiai agreed, as she finished her side. "We can't expect Skill-Out to have left those devices everywhere."

"This doesn't seem like their usual work," Shiage muttered. "This Dr. Ricane guy Mugino mentioned must have a reason. Have we figured out what those things are for?" Besides being small black metal boxes without any openings and the size of a brick, they had no other information.

"No," Frenda answered. "Every time they were opened, they exploded. X-rays don't work on them either, so we are only tasked with retrieving them." She kicked the edge of a wooden crate. "I wish at least a couple of those robot androids would show up, so we could at least destroy something. Basically, I could be doing other things instead of rooting around in dusty warehouses."

"Eh." Saiai shrugged. "We are super getting paid a lot to find these boxes, so might as well stock up on the cash for our next shopping trip."

"It almost sounds like you had other plans before Mugino sprung this on us," Shiage commented to Frenda. She gave him a nasty glare.

"Not that it's any of your business," Frenda snapped. "But my sister wanted to visit the festival. Basically, because we suddenly got this mission, I had to skip it and she went off with her friends instead." Frenda sighed. "It would have been nice to see the festival with her."

"Or maybe Kamijou?" Saiai called out with a laugh.

"S-shut it!"

"I wonder," Shiage spoke his thoughts out loud. "Think something might have happened between him and Mugino?" Frenda and Saiai turned to him with surprised expressions.

"That…makes sense," Saiai admitted.

"We didn't think of that," Frenda agreed. "We don't know if they met yesterday."

"Who are you and what have you super done with Hamazura?!" Saiai demanded suddenly and jumped at him, grabbing him by the collar.

"W-what?!" Shiage gasped.

"He must have been replaced by someone intelligent," Frenda said to Saiai. "Basically, let's make him spill everything."

"My thoughts exactly."

"Don't be stupid!" Hamazura cried out, trying to get away from Saiai's iron grip. "It's meeeee!"

---

Bayloupe regretted her offer to watch Index and Last Order.

Kill me now, she moaned to herself, as it turned out she had to watch three girls instead of two. I think I rather babysit Lessar again. Bayloupe glanced up at the three girls ahead of her. They had managed to make it to Accelerator's school, after a very tiring morning of trying to get them all to actually eat, stop watching TV, and leave. Then Last Order managed to contact her friend Fremea Seivelun to join them, without telling Bayloupe or Accelerator. Fremea was extremely similar to her older sister Frenda. The biggest difference, besides age, was her particular dressing style. Her clothes were mainly white and pink while also being very fluffy and full of frills and lace. Her lower half was very plain in comparison, with only a miniskirt and thick, wine-red tights. Her slender arms and legs, fluffy blonde hair, white skin, and her transparent blue eyes all add to the impression that she looked like a doll. Like her sister, she wore a beret along with her outfit.

It seemed to Bayloupe, they were trying to decide what to do first.

"Look at all those food stands!" Index cried out and pointed. "Let's try them all!"

"MISAKA won't get into that contest again, MISAKA says as MISAKA feels queasy when she remembers the last time." Last Order's eyes brighten. "Let's play those carnival games! Misaka suggests instead."

"Look at all those craft stalls!" Fremea interjected. "We need to visit those. Fremea promised to get her big sister a souvenir since she had to work."

"Let's do them all!" Index suggested and the other two agreed instantly. "But food first. I'm starving."

"You're always hungry, MISAKA snickers as MISAKA remembers your appetite."

"Why do you get to do your thing first?" Fremea demanded.

"I'm the oldest here," Index said proudly. She puffed her chest out superiority. "Plus, I have a perfect memory and will remember what everyone wants to do and where we have been so we don't miss anything."

"But do you have money? MISAKA asks slyly, as she holds up a wad of cash." Accelerator had given her the money for her and Index to enjoy themselves until he was off. He had been about to give it to Bayloupe, but Last Order had complained until he gave in.

"I have money," Fremea said and held up her wallet. "My big sister reminded me I couldn't use a card for these kinds of events. Nyah."

"You said that money was for both of us!" Index gasped.

"It is, MISAKA confirms. But MISAKA is the keeper of the money and has final say on what we do with it! MISAKA clarifies as MISAKA imitates Accelerator's smirk."

"Hey, you three," Bayloupe finally interrupted. "I know you are excited to be here, but don't wave your money around in the open like that. It's a surefire way to attract thieves."

"Sorry," Last Order and Fremea apologized.

"And don't tease Index," Bayloupe sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Listen, I have to go find Accelerator and let him know you three are here. Please, please, don't go running off. Enjoy the carnival here, but do not leave the grounds without him or me. Understand?"

"Yes," the three of them chanted.

"Good." Bayloupe took a deep breath, glad things were going smoothly at last. "I'm going to go find him and then I'll be right back." I swear, if they get into trouble, I'll never complain about Lessar again. "Oh, why not buy Index a snack and then you can play some games while checking the stalls to see what Fremea wants to get her sister?"

"Sounds like a good idea, MISAKA admits."

"I'll be the mature one and let my friends do what they want first," Fremea boast.

"Hey!" Index said indignantly. "Food is important for life. Besides, we could play better full than hungry."

"That's debatable, MISAKA says as MISAKA remembers trying to beat the Evil One when she had a full stomach." She looked around. "Should we start there? MISAKA asks, as MISAKA points to a food stall. MISAKA thinks it smells good."

"Yes!" Index said immediately.

"We have a lot of places to visit," Fremea said excitedly. "Think we can get them all?"

"There is only one way to find out," Index answered and the three of them took off. Bayloupe sighed again, but she smiled.

Heh, I remember Lessar, Floris, and Lancis being around that age. Bayloupe froze at the thought. Crap. Am I getting old with thoughts like that? She shook her head. No, don't think that. You're plenty attractive. Deciding to limit the time the three trouble makers could get into, she took off to find Accelerator. Finding the booth for Accelerator's class was easy enough, as it was right next to the entrance. All she had to do then was ask one of the guys keeping people in line where Accelerator was. She shouldn't have been surprised at the weird look the guy gave her, but it was obvious why he did. Accelerator's personality probably kept a lot of people away. Before Accelerator's classmate could answer, an explosion went off on the distance several stalls away in the opposite direction her wards went.

"Ah, he's over there."

"Thanks," Bayloupe replied and turned to find him. As she walked over, she noticed something strange. Weird, the only people who seem to be surprised at the explosion are the guests. The students running the stalls seemed oddly accepting. The explosion had come from a stall, which was now completely destroyed and a pile of whatever they were selling were either scorched beyond recognition or on fire. They were paintings but, of what were lost to her. She turned to one of the people using a hose to put out the fire. "What happened?"

"One class thought they could be cute and make some suggestive paintings of Accelerator," one person said and three others started laughing. "Well, he found out."

"No one died," a girl piped up. "I did warn them not to do it, but they wouldn't listen. Idiots, all of them."

"We made good money while it lasted," the first guy laughed. "And only a few were of Accelerator, most of it involved Kami. He was the one selling well."

"Any idea where Accelerator went?" Bayloupe asked.

"I heard him say he was off to kill one of his classmates who bought a painting," a third person told her.

"Has to be one of the Delta Force," the first guy agreed.

"Okay, thanks." Bayloupe was about to turn and leave, when she noticed everyone staring at her. "Yes?" she asked suspiciously.

"I don't think you go to your school," the girl pointed out. "And few people actually go looking for him. How do you know him?" Bayloupe raised an eyebrow. A dozen responses passed through her mind and she finally decided on the simplest one.

"I'm his girlfriend," Bayloupe replied sweetly. The shocked expressions on their face made her decision worthwhile. "He said to find him after his shift." The guys stared at her in silent disbelief, until the girl pointed to the school.

"I would check around back," she suggested. "That was the last time I saw him. He sticks out."

"I know," Bayloupe laughed. "Thanks for the help." She turned and started walking behind the school, pausing for a fraction of a second when she heard two of the boys whisper, but far too loudly so she caught it.

"Damn, she was hot."

"Didn't think Accelerator had good tastes. He always has the little girl around him."

"Boys," the girl huffed.

Bayloupe felt a lot better with those compliments.

Turns out, the girl was right. As soon as Bayloupe reached the back half of the school, she heard an angry, but familiar, voice.

"KAGERE! Get back here and I promise to make your death quick and painless!"

"Sorry, man!" Jason yelled back. When Bayloupe rounded the corner, she saw Jason standing on the roof with Accelerator on the ground. Standing further back, Kazari, Ruiko, Kuroko, and two girls Bayloupe didn't know were watching. "This painting is payment for someone who helped me out. Can't give it up. Besides, just because you don't like it, doesn't mean you can destroy it. They have a right to creative expression."

"The right of creative expression you have," Accelerator retorted. "Is for your mangled corpse spread across the city!" The ground exploded around him and Jason bolted out of sight. Accelerator flew into the air and continued his pursuit. Bayloupe sighed and waved the remaining girls down.

"Hey, Bayloupe!" Ruiko called out. "Lessar not with you?"

"No," Bayloupe answered. "She's out doing something and wouldn't say what. You should probably warn Kamijou about that. I brought Last Order, Index, and some of their friends over. Accelerator was supposed to watch them after his shift, but now he's busy playing with one of his friends." She sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Children, every one of them."

"You're preaching to the choir," one of the two girls she didn't know said. "Oh, names Seiri Fukiyose and this is Aisa Himegami. We are Accelerator's and Kagere's classmates." Aisa gave a brief nod.

"Bayloupe. I'm Accelerator's girlfriend." Seiri nodded and Bayloupe raised an eyebrow. Ruiko's, Kazari's, and Kuroko's eyes widened slightly and they stared at her.

"His friends blurted it out to the class when they found out," Seiri informed her. "People were a lot more surprised than they should have been."

"At least it wasn't him getting another girl," Aisa muttered.

"Accelerator-san's not really angry enough to hurt Jason, is he?" Kazari asked. "He seemed really upset this time." Bayloupe's eyes fell onto a painting Kazari was holding.

"Nah," Ruiko reassured her with a wave of her hand. "At most, Accelerator will destroy the painting if he catches Kagere. I bet Kagere will escape and Accelerator will forget about it after a while."

"Accelerator snaps a lot," Bayloupe added and couldn't resist a laugh. "But won't really do anything unless someone is a real threat."

"I feel that way too," Seiri agreed with a nod. "Though, he lets his temper get the better of him way too often."

"I'm worried about the collateral damage," Kuroko said and pointed to the overturned ground where Accelerator had been standing. "As part of Judgment, we really should do something, but this is Accelerator."

"As long as the damage is kept to a minimum," Seiri finished. "They treat it like anyone else and consider it an accident. All it takes is a few seconds for an earth ability user to fix this damage."

"How often do they do stuff like this?" Kazari asked Seiri.

"Nearly every day," she sighed. "Tsuchimikado and Aogami mostly start it and then drag Kamijou, Kagere, and Accelerator into it."

"Really?" Kuroko asked surprised. "I expected Jason to start a lot of things."

"He does," Aisa confirmed. "But usually he is responsible for it escalating."

"Accelerator's temper spurs them to new heights," Seiri finished. "So it's a combination."

"I still think your class sounds like fun," Ruiko said amused. "Uiharu's and mine are so boring."

"Because we are supposed to be learning," Kazari sighed. "It's not supposed to be an amusement park."

"Why can't we combine them?" Ruiko asked.

"Because no one would learn." Kuroko cut them off and she turned to Bayloupe. "If you are dating Accelerator, couldn't you… I don't know… stop his rampage?" Bayloupe stared at for a moment with a raised eyebrow.

"You know him and think anyone can stop him besides Last Order?" she asked in return.

"True," Kuroko admitted. "I never did hear why he was watching her. They don't seem related. She looks a lot more like… but it couldn't be." Ruiko diverted her eyes and looked away from everyone.

"As much as I want to go after them," Seiri sighed and turned to Aisa. "We have our shift starting up."

"The lines are really long and they need everyone there," Aisa said.

"And since Accelerator is gone." Bayloupe also sighed. "I'm going to have to make sure those three don't get into trouble." Seiri and Aisa bid goodbye to the others and left.

"Shirai-san," Kazari exclaimed suddenly. "You're the only one of us who could catch up with Jason and Accelerator-san. Maybe you could talk some sense into them."

"Me?" Kuroko asked in disbelief and pointed to herself. "You expect me to convince those two?"

"Saten-san and I can help Bayloupe-san out until Accelerator-san comes back," Kazari continued. "I know he can be rather stubborn, but you might be able to convince Jason if you get him alone." Kazari threw a knowing glance at her.

"Huh…oh." Kuroko realized what Kazari was referring to. "I suppose I can try. It might prevent some more destruction of property."

"You don't really have to," Bayloupe said to Kazari. "I did volunteer for this."

"It's no problem at all," Kazari replied with a smile. "Index and Last Order are our friends and festivals are always more fun in groups."

"Yeah," Ruiko agreed. "We haven't seen everything yet and if Accelerator still isn't back then, we can visit a couple other schools in the area."

"If you're sure," Bayloupe said with a shrug, though she was slightly amused. I suppose it won't be any worse and they might be able to keep Index and the others distracted. "I don't have a problem with it."

"Good luck, Shirai-san," Ruiko said and then turned to Bayloupe. "So where are the others?"

"Out in front of the school," Bayloupe answered and then looked concerned. "I left them alone longer than I planned. I hope they didn't get into trouble." She walked off at brisk pace with Ruiko right behind her. Kazari was about to follow and then stopped. She took a deep breath and faced Kuroko.

"Regardless what his answer might be," Kazari whispered slowly. "Be completely honest with him."

"I will," Kuroko answered with a nod. "Thank you again." She suddenly vanished and Kazari gave a small smile. It wasn't truly a happy smile because there was a small about of fear and doubt.

She couldn't be completely sure what Jason's answer would be.

---

(Misaka has bad news, Misaka 19090 reports depressed. While the rumors about an artist painting the Savior and Accelerator together, Accelerator found out about it before Misaka was able to procure said painting and reduced the booth to cinders.)

(Would it be possible to find the artist and acquire one through commission? MISAKA 17867 asks hopefully.)

(Unfortunately not, Misaka 19090 answers glumly. The artist has been sent to the hospital and is most likely traumatized from being on the end of Accelerator's displeasure.)

(He didn't kill him at least, MISAKA points out as MISAKA occasionally checks the Network between having fun with her friends. MISAKA thinks it shows he has come a long way, MISAKA adds as MISAKA sounds slightly proud of Accelerator.)

(It means tou-san has gotten soft.) All the sisters flinched when Worst got on.

(It is a shame, Misaka 13577 states in a combination of acceptance and depression. A picture of Accelerator and the Savior holding cats would have been an amazing sight.)

(You sure you all just didn't want a nude portrait of both of them together?) Worst's laughter echoed across the network.

(…) For the first time in ages, the Network grew unnaturally quiet.

(Don't suggest things like that! MISAKA cries wildly as MISAKA flares her arms wildly while ignoring the curious glances and her burning face.)

(Aww, looks like the Moderator is enjoying the image. Let Misaka share her own imagination for you.)

(Too much! MISAKA yells as MISAKA wishes she could control the Evil One.)

(…. So can Misaka be released from forced confinement? Misaka 10032 asks. The savior will be wondering where Misaka has gone at some point.)

(Your punishment was decided by ninety-nine percent of the network, Misaka 13577 reminds you. For now, Misaka 19090 will be the one to primarily interact with the savior to limit onee-sama's friends from finding out about the project.)

(As a reminder, Misaka 10032 interjects. Ruiko Saten believes Misaka is onee-sama's biological sister. The savior had her promise not to mention it to the others until she talks with onee-sama.)

(Misaka remembers, Misaka 19090 says in acknowledgement. It is the reason Misaka is wearing a mask and trying to avoid prolonged exposure with onee-sama's friends.)

(We will cross that bridge when the time comes, Misaka 13577 states firmly in order to end any arguments.)

(Changing topics, Misaka 14294 requests. Could the Evil One possibly continue what she was doing a moment ago?)

(Nooooo! MISAKA wails as MISAKA needs to concentrate on her friends.)

(Too late!) Last Order was not happy with Worst's antics that day.

---

"There are quite a few people here," one of the members of Misaki's clique commented.

"Did we expect anything less?" Misaki asked with a smile and then glanced around. "I see at least ten other girls from our school." She and ten other girls from her clique were standing in line, waiting their turn for the Kami raffle.

"We seem to be drawing a lot of attention," another girl pointed out. The others looked around and had to agree. A large number of students from other schools were staring at them, mostly boys, and they were not being sneaky about it. Being part of an all-girls school, the majority of them had little contact with boys around their age, except when they went out. Since they traveled in groups and wore Tokiwadai uniforms, they were usually left alone. It was the unscrupulous people that tended to bother them. Due to their upbringing, they were taught to remain polite in all circumstances, even if they did not like the company.

"I think it might be because of our uniform." The girl with long lilac colored hair in ringlet curls and eyes of the same color turned to Misaki. "What do you think, Queen?" The girl's name was Junko Hokaze and she was arguably the most loyal member of Misaki's clique.

"It is," Misaki agreed. "I believe I mentioned our presence would draw attention. Kami's school is opened to the general public, unlike ours, and you have a greater variety of individuals." The line moved forward and they were about to reach the table. "It's one of the reasons I decided on our number. Too many would draw way too much attention, but too few might allow a few bold young men to approach us. I was not keen in using my powers constantly to keep them away."

"Queen," a quiet girl with black hair and glasses spoke up. "I know you are looking forward to this, but do you think it's wise for someone with a title like Kami to come to our school?" The other girls glanced at her with surprised expressions, like it was blasphemy to question Misaki. Misaki, however, giggled slightly and everyone relaxed.

"Your concern is justified," Misaki reassured her. "But as I mentioned before, he's not as bad as people have made him out to be. It will actually be a good experience for our classmates to meet a young man. Many rarely leave the School Gardens." She put a hand on her cheek. "I was actually asked by several people outside our group if they could help me win. They were interested in meeting Kami, but nervous at the thought of a boy in our school. With a level 5 escorting him, it would put their fears at rest."

"Is Misaka-san not planning to enter?" one of the girls asked.

"I believe she is," Misaki mused. But she's too proud to spend all her money and Shirai-san would probably talk her into spending a more reasonable amount. "But she never told me how many tickets she was planning to buy."

"Is your boyfriend okay with you spending the day with Kami if you win?" Junko asked. "He seemed nice enough when we met him, but you would think he would be nervous at least."

"I talked with him about it," Misaki lied. "Our bond is much too strong than to worry about me escorting Kami around our school." The fact he is Kami makes it so I know he won't deliberately flirt with the others. The problem is he attracts girls to him without meaning to. Before she could add anything else, the girl at the table on the left waved her over.

"Hello," she greeted Misaki and her friends. "How many tickets would you like? They are five hundred each or five for two thousand."

"I'll take this many," Misaki said sweetly and passed over a wad of bills bound together. The girl's eyes traveled over Misaki's uniform and then moved to the cash. She freed the bills and started to count, her eyes growing wider with each bill.

"F-five h-hundred…. t-thousand yen?" the girl stuttered.

"Is that too much?" Misaki asked innocently. "Do you not have enough tickets? Sorry, I didn't realize there was a limit."

"It's not that," the girl said and blushed. "The amount is just kind of…" She took a deep breath. "Tsuchimikado-san warned us this would happen eventually." She glanced to her right and Misaki's imitated her action. Motoharu was sitting at the table where the actual tickets were passed out. "Okay, with five hundred thousand yen and five tickets for two thousand, the total number of tickets will be one thousand, two hundred and fifty." She passed over a receipt to Misaki so she could verify. When she nodded, the girl gestured for her to go to Motoharu. "Present the receipt to him and he will present you the tickets."

"Thank you," Misaki said politely. She and the others girls moved out of the way for the next person.

"Hello, Shokuhou-sama," Motoharu greeted her with a lot more etiquette than he normally used. "I figured you would arrive at some point." He held out a hand and she presented her the receipt. "Heh, about what I expected."

"Several of my classmates requested my help in procuring Kami's visit," Misaki said neutrally.

"And someone of your status was more than happy to help," Motoharu finished. "I understand completely." Misaki knew he was being sarcastic, but his tone was disguising it well enough she couldn't comment on it. "Each ticket needs to be filled with your name, school, and ID number. I would say you need to print legibly, but I know you ladies won't have any problem with that."

"It is okay for my friends to help fill these out?" Misaki asked to clarify.

"Of course. Having one person fill out this many tickets would be mean. I would have someone assist such a generous benefactor such as yourself, but we barely have enough people to fulfill our current needs."

"I understand," Misaki reassured him sweetly. "Okay girls," she told her clique with a clap of her hands. "Let's finish these quickly, so we don't block the traffic."

"Yes, Queen!"

Motoharu smiled to himself as the girls worked as one efficient machine, even Misaki was helping out. She really wants to win, he laughed to himself. The entire reason he and Pierce suggested this was they knew many wealthy ojou-sama girls would be clamoring for this opportunity. With the buildup of the tournament and the cops and robber game, Kami's popularity only soared. You know, I still haven't seen Misaka-san. Did I miss her?

---

"We're finally up," Yuna cheered.

"Can't believe you two are doing this," Hibiki sighed. "Wasting all that money on a slim chance for him to attend out school."

"Live a little," Yuna said and nudged her shoulder into Hibiki's side.

"I knew this raffle would be popular," Hanabi said. "But look at the number of tickets they have sold already." She pointed toward the raffle container and it was already past the halfway mark. "And the line is still winding outside of their school grounds."

"I should have brought more money," Yuna complained. "But my father would get mad if I spent anymore on this."

"You brought a hundred thousand yen," Hibiki pointed out. "I'm pretty sure that's a lot of money for the people who go to this school."

"Be nice," hissed Hanabi. "Not everyone is as well off as we are."

"Sorry," Hibiki mumbled and until she saw the person working at one of the tables. "Tsk, why is he here?"

"I would assume Accelerator is here because it's his class's booth," Yuna answered with an amused grin of her face.

"You know what I mean," Hibiki huffed. "With his attitude, there's no way he would be working here."

"Maybe he actually does stuff with his class?" Hanabi suggested.

"Yeah, right."

"You can find out first hand," Yuna told her friends. "We are being directed to his table." The three of them walked over and Accelerator looked up.

"Heh," he laughed. "Figured you would show up." His eyes fell onto Hanabi and then Yuna. When they rested on Hibiki, he snorted. "Really? Did you fall for him too?" Hanabi turned red while Hibiki glared at him. Yuna just laughed.

"I'm trying to prevent these two from wasting all their money on this," Hibiki snapped at Accelerator.

"Wouldn't be the first one," Accelerator answered with a shrug. "I can't believe the popularity of this stupid raffle."

"Hibiki would be more interested if you were the prize," Yuna said and Hibiki spun around instantly toward her.

"Don't tell him lies like that," Hibiki fumed. "It's going to enlarge his already over inflated ego."

"We all know I'm a better choice." Accelerator joined in laughing. "Anyway, give me your money and get moving." Yuna passed over hers first and Accelerator gave her the receipt. Hanabi went second and, as Accelerator was writing the receipt, Hibiki couldn't resist asking something that had been bothering her.

"How did they convince you to work the stand?"

"Was only supposed to help set up," grumbled Accelerator. "But that damn Fukiyose had other plans."

"Excuse me?" Seiri said, appearing behind him. Yuna, Hibiki, and Hanabi watched in a combination of amusement and anticipation. "The reason you are being forced to work is because you decided to go on a rampage and cause property damage. Consider this your punishment."

"Why don't you leave and stop bothering me," Accelerator snapped. "Ask the damn hero out or something and stop taking your frustration out on the rest of us."

"Shut up and behave yourself in front of our guests," Seiri ordered and slapped him in the back of his head. She left, but not before Yuna noticed the faint reddish glow on her face.

Damn hero? Yuna thought to herself. Accelerator mentioned that a couple times and I feel he mentioned it before… the restaurant! His friend, Kamijou was called that. Dang, here I thought Fukiyose-san would be after Accelerator or Kami. Wonder if I will get the opportunity to see Kamijou today? Maybe get his number? Hibiki then broke the tension with her laughter.

"I like Fukiyose-san," Hibiki said, still laughing. "She puts you in your place."

"I'm rigging the contest so your sister doesn't win," Accelerator growled.

"Why is it my fault?!" Hanabi cried out. "I haven't said anything!"

---

Hurry up already.

A girl stood in line, tapping her foot impatiently. She had long black hair with streaks of pink, light blue, and purples. Her outfit consisted of a black tank top with a band on it and jeans. Her dark eyes were fixed on the girl in front of her. She was taking way too long because her money had blown across the table when it slipped out of her hand. The girl had long pink hair, tied up, and pink eyes behind her glasses. She wore a loose smock-like light pink shirt, and blue pants. A light blue newsboy hat with a dove on the left side covered her head. The first girl would have been more upset, if the pink haired girl wasn't so polite and apologetic. Eventually, she bought her tickets and moved on.

"One ticket," the girl with black hair told the white haired boy behind the table. So that's Accelerator? First time I've seen him up close. She passed over the yen and he took it.

"Whatever." Accelerator held out the receipt. "Not going to help you much." He jabbed a thumb to the huge container that was easily three-fourths of the way full.

"A single ticket is all I need to win," the girl replied with a laugh and took the receipt. "As long as the probability isn't zero, I have a chance." She smiled and headed toward the next table to receive the actual tickets.

"Idiot," Accelerator muttered.

---

"I hope you win," Kinuho said to Mitsuko. "I'm really interested in meeting Kami, but I don't think I could muster up the courage to escort him around the school."

"Me either," Maaya agreed. "You will introduce us if you win, right?"

"Naturally," Mitsuko said pompously and held a fan up to her chin. "You two are my closest friends." The two girls smiled at her.

"You also have the most experience with boys out of any of us," Kinuho added. "I would feel much more relaxed with you around."

"I bet you even have a boyfriend," Maaya added.

"Not at the moment…," Mitsuko muttered, but quickly regained her composure. "I've had many suitors in the past though."

"Do you have someone in mind?" Maaya inquired.

"There…might be one gentleman occasionally on my mind," Mitsuko mumbled. Kinuho and Maaya instantly closed in on her, their hands clasped together and eyes sparkling.

"Who is it?" Maaya asked.

"We really would like to know about him," Kinuho pressed Mitsuko. "Can you tell us anything?"

"He saved me from a dog once," Mitsuko remembered. Kinuho and Maaya looked at each other, eyes wide, and squealed slightly. I wonder if that was a mistake. They might want to meet him and it's not like I've talked to him recently.

---

"Konori-senpai!" Kazari called out welcomingly. She had recognized Mii because she was wearing her normal uniform; checkered skirt, blue vest over a white t-shirt, and a yellow ascot.

"Uiharu-san?" Mii turned around and saw Kazari waving to her from next to Ruiko and a silver haired girl. She walked over and greeted Kazari and Ruiko, before turning her eyes to the third girl. "Don't think we have met, I'm Mii Konori and I work with Uiharu-san at our Judgment branch. Saten-san might as well join Judgment with the amount of time she spends there."

"Hey!" Ruiko replied and then laughed at the joke.

"Bayloupe," the girl replied. "Nice to meet you."

She seems about my age, Mii thought. "How do you know these two?"

"She's Accelerator's girlfriend," Ruiko answered before Bayloupe had a chance to.

"Really?" Mii asked. She hadn't really met Accelerator, but heard stories about him from the others.

"We met in England," Bayloupe elaborated. "And I'm staying in Japan for a while."

"Ah," Mii answered. "Well, I hope the long distance relationship works out."

"Thank you," Bayloupe answered. If they only knew.

"What are you doing here, senpai?" Kazari asked Mii.

"Finished my shift about half an hour ago," Mii answered. "With the increased activities, patrols have been increased to monitor the situations."

"I thought our normal patrol area doesn't come by Jason's school," Kazari said confused.

"Heh," Ruiko snickered. "Could you perhaps have come here to enter the raffle to have Kami visit your school?" Her eyes narrowed slightly and she held a hand up to her mouth. Bayloupe and Kazari turned to Mii, who was scratching her cheek embarrassed.

"Is that true?" Kazari asked amazed. "I thought you weren't interested in him?"

Accelerator was right about Touma Kamijou attracting girls, Bayloupe thought to herself, highly amused. No wonder he can resist Lessar so easily.

"I'm not personally," Mii replied and held out one hand. "But a lot of my friends are hoping someone in our school can win. They asked everyone to help out if possible. Besides," she shrugged. "It might be fun to hang out with a level 5 all day. Misaka-san is pretty nice, after all."

"True," Kazari conceded. "I had to help out Saten-san so she had a chance."

"A slim chance is better than no chance," Ruiko replied and crossed her arms. "You have to be in it to win it." All the girls laughed.

"That is true," Mii conceded. "Are you three here enjoying the festival?"

"I'm watching a couple people until Accelerator gets off from his shift," Bayloupe sighed and her eyes darted over to a stall where there was some kind of eating contest. They made the mistake of letting Index compete. "He got in trouble for chasing after Uiharu's boyfriend for some reason and was forced to work an extra shift."

"What did Kagere-san do?" Mii asked.

"He bought a painting for someone that sort of had Accelerator and Kami in a… compromising position," Kazari sighed and then pointed to the painting she was holding. "This one here isn't quite as bad, but Misaka-san and Shokuhou-san might find it embarrassing. He bought it for a laugh and planned to give it to Kamijou-san."

"Shokuhou-san might actually be okay with this," Ruiko pointed out reasonably.

"Kagere-san not with you then?" Mii asked and looked around. "I don't see Shirai-san either."

"He's laying low for a bit until Accelerator cools off," Kazari answered.

"Probably a good idea," Bayloupe agreed.

"Shirai-san is probably lecturing Kagere about what he did," Ruiko laughed. "She was chasing them down and only Accelerator returned." Kazari shifted silently and didn't say anything about it.

"That does sound like her," Mii agreed. "Well, it was nice seeing you all. I'm off to meet a couple of my friends. We might see each other when they have the drawing this evening." Ruiko, Kazari, and Bayloupe waved goodbye and Mii left.

"Well," Bayloupe spoke up. "I'm going to go over there and convince Index that since she won the eating contest, she doesn't get all the food for the future events." Ruiko laughed loudly and even Kazari giggled.

---

Think I got away, Jason thought to himself, as he leaned up against the wall of building. Kat, you better appreciate this. I could have died. He was deciding what to do, when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Before he could even turn around, the ground beneath him disappeared and he found himself high up in the air. The scenery around him kept flickering as he traveled instantaneously from one point to another. He turned his head to the person who had a firm grip on his shoulder and grinned. "Hey, Kuroko. What's up?"

"I need to talk to you," Kuroko answered. "Privately."

"I swear Accelerator overreacted…"

"Not that," Kuroko interrupted. "Something else."

"Okay?" While Jason racked his mind to figure out what Kuroko was going to yell at him about, Kuroko had her own internal dilemma.

Keep calm, Kuroko kept repeating to herself. You already talked to Uiharu about this. Find a secluded spot and tell him exactly how you feel. No yelling, no jokes, completely honest. Whatever his answer is, you prepared yourself. Even if he needs time from this sudden confession, you know what to do. Keep calm. They passed over a park and Kuroko noticed it was almost empty. Most people are at the festival, so it's as good of spot as any. She teleported them down behind a row of trees and took a deep breath to steady her nerves.

"Are you going to tell me why we are here?" Jason asked, after he set down his covered painting up against a tree. His expression was a combination of curiosity and amusement. Kuroko turned to look at him, while biting the corner of her lip.

"Jason," she said slowly. "We're friends, right?"

"I feel we have had this conversation before," Jason pointed out.

"Jason!" Kuroko snapped with more force than she intended. "I'm calling in the bet and this is what I need you to do. Take this seriously, please." The way she stressed the last word gave him pause. His expression lost its amusement.

"Are you okay?" he asked and raised a hand toward her. For her to use the bet reward from the cops and robbers game here meant this wasn't some trivial matter.

"Answer the question," Kuroko ordered and pushed his hand away.

"Yes…," Jason answered and trailed off.

"We have a weird friendship, don't we?" Kuroko asked, as she turned to face away from him. "We started off arguing…. actually we still do. We have fought side by side together and with our friends in life or death situations, saved each other's lives, and still we manage to keep acting like ourselves when it's just us."

"Most of it was Touma's fault," Jason clarified and Kuroko gave an unwilling chuckle.

"You're annoying." Kuroko suddenly spun around and pointed at him. "Sarcastic, rude, arrogant, full of yourself, and don't recognize boundaries."

"And you're stubborn, nosy, noisy, overreact to everything, and you don't recognize boundaries either," Jason retorted. "I remember the stories Misaka-san told us."

"Still," Kuroko sighed. "You're a lot more than that. You're kind, intelligent, helpful, loyal, and strong enough to stand back up to enjoy life after everything that has happened to you. I'm… proud to call myself your friend."

"Kuroko…? I'm sorry for what I said. I kind of got caught in the momen-…" Jason was interrupted when Kuroko pressed her hand against his mouth.

"I know, but let me finish." Jason nodded and she removed her hand. "Anyways," Kuroko continued. "I wanted to tell you that before everything changes." She took a deep breath and Jason's brow narrowed slightly. "I figured I needed to be completely honest this time and not hide the truth any longer. Most of our friends know, or I bet at least guess." Her eyes bore into his. "I hope you forgive me for what happens next." This wasn't planned, but her body began to move on its own.

"Wha-…?"

Jason never got the word out.

Kuroko grabbed his shoulders, pulled herself forward, and planted her lips against his.

Her chest felt like it was going to explode, but in a good way. All the stress, all the doubt, every worry she hid within herself was released with this one simple action. Jason's lips were warm against hers and she tightened her grip on his clothes to prolong their contact. He stumbled backwards because of Kuroko's surprise assault, but they remained standing due to them falling back against a tree. This one moment removed any trace remains of doubt still within her and solidified her belief. She, Kuroko Shirai, was in love with Jason Kagere. This kiss was different than any she had shared with Mikoto and those had each been a surprised gift like this one. Her body grew hotter the longer they were one. All good things eventually have to come to an end and Jason finally found his strength. Kuroko felt his hands move against her a second before he forced her back.

"Are you crazy?!" Jason demanded. He was huffing slightly and, for once, his face was red with embarrassment. "What are you doing?!"

"I love you!" Kuroko shouted to him. Those three words caused him to freeze and stare at her. "I finally found the courage to tell you directly and that kiss was the result." Her eyes began to water. "Even though I told myself I was just going to tell you, I couldn't help it. My body moved on its own. Forgive me, please." She sniffed. "I'm really a horrible friend." She wiped her eyes with her arm and then felt Jason embraced her.

"It's okay," Jason shushed her, while he held her against his chest. "Listen, you are not a horrible person. We all make mistakes when feelings run wild. I've seen it around Touma way too many times to hold it against you. So, Kuroko, don't beat yourself over it." When a girl was crying in front of you, there were not many appropriate responses besides consoling them.

"I'm sorry," Kuroko sniffed, refusing to raise her head. "I shouldn't have kissed you like that."

"I'm… sorry too," Jason said. This surprising revelation caused Kuroko to actually look up, wide-eyed.

"Why?"

"I knew you had feelings for me," Jason muttered. "And I tried to ignore them so that I wouldn't treat you any different. I liked having you as a friend. If you confessed, the plan was to handle it then, but… it's always when you least expect it."

"Heh." Kuroko sniffed again and then chuckled. "Onee-sama told me you knew after our skirmish with Eve's forces. I was surprised then, but now… it should have been obvious. You are a lot more observant than the ape."

"I should hope so." Kuroko chuckled again and Jason continued. "You know what we have to do next, right?"

"What?"

"We have to tell Kazari. I'm not hiding something like this from her."

"She might… already know…"

"That makes things… what?!"

"I sort of talked with her before coming to you," Kuroko muttered sheepishly. "She's the one that told me I should confess."

"Okay," Jason held her back at arm's reach and looked into Kuroko's eyes. "I need to know context there."

"I hated myself for falling for you," Kuroko explained, focusing on a tree behind Jason. "Uiharu is one of my closest friends and she loves you so much. When we talked, I realized how much she truly cares for you and it made me feel even worse." Kuroko clamped her eyes shut for a moment and took a deep breath before she could continue. "But instead of getting mad, yelling, or even trying to hit me, she was understanding. She comforted me after I betrayed her trust!"

"She didn't see it as a betrayal," Jason reassured her. "We can't help who we fall for." A hint of a smirk formed at the corner of his lips. "I am pretty great after all."

"That cocky attitude is rubbing off on her," Kuroko told him. That's the attitude I'm used to though. It makes me feel better that he can stay the same. Maybe there is hope. "We talked and, instead of her trying to stop me, Uiharu encouraged me. She wanted me to confess." The confusion on Jason's face was evident.

"Why?"

"Sound stupid, doesn't it?" Kuroko asked and she managed to chuckle. "Why would a girl who loves her boyfriend give the go ahead for a rival?" Kuroko raised her hand and flicked Jason's forehead. "Don't look worried. The reason is simply because she loves you, so she is willing to put your happiness before your own. If you believe someone else would make you happier than her, she would be willing to step aside for you."

"That selflessness is going to get her hurt one day," Jason muttered and, this time, he was the one to avoid eye contact.

"But it's one of the things you like about her, right?"

"Yes. There really is no one like her."

"I agree." Kuroko stared at Jason's face for a moment before continuing. "So that brings us to where we are now. Jason, I love you. This wasn't love at first sight. It was a slow process that grew the more we spent together. I hated you at first, but the more time we spent together, those feelings shifted and became stronger. I have finally come to terms with them. Whether you feel the same way or not, I have to tell you."

Jason remained silent.

"Regardless of what you answer is," Kuroko continued and took another deep breath to steady her nerves. "Uiharu and I will accept it. We both love you and leave the choice in your hand. Just… please don't worry about hurting one of us with your decision. We both prepared ourselves."

"This… is a big thing to dump on me like this," Jason replied after a moment.

"I know and I'm sorry."

Jason took a deep breath and looked up at the sky for a few minutes. "Okay," he finally said and Kuroko stared directly at him.

He made a decision that fast?

"Tomorrow you and Kazari have Judgment training, right? I have Anti-Skill training that day too."

"We do," Kuroko confirmed. "Why?"

"I'll give you both my answer then," Jason explained. "With this coming out of the blue, any answer I give will be given hastily. It would be disrespectful to the both of you. I want to be completely honest."

"I figured you might need time," Kuroko muttered. He didn't choose Uiharu outright? Does he consider us that close? I have a chance! She immediately felt guilty at how happy she felt. The feeling would have been stronger if Kuroko knew it wasn't happiness at stealing Jason from Kazari, but the fact Jason cared about her greatly enough to honestly consider her. "Just…whatever you decide… try to stay friends with both of us." She disappeared before Jason could respond. A second later, Jason slumped down at the base of the tree and stared at the ground.

You knew this was going to happen.

Shut up, Jason thought angrily.

Hehehe. It's one thing to say you will act a certain way in a scenario, but another when it actually occurs. I can't believe my cute little Romeo is considering this at all considering the fact…

Shut up, both of you.

---

Julunggul was enjoying the sight before her.

With her power, it was easy to infiltrate a restaurant of normal people. Unless she was carrying something over to the table where her favorite new toy was, she was unnoticeable. All she was interested in was the show before her. Touma's and Mikoto's mom were interrogating their offspring and Julunggul realized Touma and Mikoto would try to avoid answering the questions honestly. She used her magic to help encourage them to be more honest with themselves. They could still lie, of course. She didn't want them to only confess the truth if she forced them. It would be better for them to figure it out themselves. Julunggul just gave them a little shove in the right direction. Even if they didn't admit the truth completely, the children would at least realize it themselves.

This is why Touma and Mikoto were having a tough time deciding how to answer their mothers about their relationship.

"Mikoto is…," Touma tried to explain.

"Touma is…," Mikoto tried to explain.

Their mothers weren't too concerned about their difficulty in answering. In fact, it only confirmed their suspicion that they both had feelings for each other. Mikoto did confess to Touma, something both parents knew, and Misuzu wanted to see how Touma felt about her daughter. Shiina had a few more details about Touma's side and his worries, but she was more focused on how Mikoto was dealing with her son's uncertainty. Neither was in any hurry to rush their kids for an answer. A slow honest one is always better than a rushed one.

"It's kind of hard to explain," Mikoto finished.

"She's a very important person to me," Touma finally said. This caused all the women at the table to turn toward him.

Don't say things that might lead to a misunderstanding! Mikoto screamed internally. I know we aren't dating, but don't you understand how that sounds?! Regardless of her mental protests, she wanted him to continue. The mothers did too, as they stared at him intently.

"I guess," Touma continued. "Saying we are just friends seems kind of hollow after everything we have gone through." He gave Mikoto a small smile. "A lot of crazy stuff happens here."

"That's to be expected," Misuzu said with a nod. "You do have a bunch of young men and women with powers running around. I'm sure there are a lot of interesting accidents." Touma met her gaze and understand what she meant. Neither of them had told the others Touma had saved her from Skill-Out that one time and how his actions caused her to allow Mikoto to stay in Academy City.

"Go on." Shiina gestured to Touma with a hand.

"Mikoto has been a close friend for a long time," Touma finished. "Even if we go to different schools, we always seem to have time for each other. I know if I ever need help, she will be there for me, and I'll be there for her. I'm very lucky to have someone like her in my life."

Do you listen to yourself!? Mikoto roared internally. Her face was burning and she wouldn't be surprised if smoke was coming out of her ears. Embarrassment kept her from being able to say anything. Butterflies were dancing in her stomach at his words. To her, it sounded like he wanted to be in a relationship with her. Apparently, her mom and Shiina did too.

"What about you, Misaka-san?" Shiina asked. "Do you feel the same way?"

"Yes," Mikoto confirmed meekly. Touma was confused at why she looked so embarrassed.

"Well, Shiina-san," Misuzu stated with a slightly chuckle. "It almost sounded like a confession. What do you think?"

"Mother!" Mikoto squeaked mortified.

"Oh, my," Shiina commented and placed a hand against her cheek. "It does seem that way."

"Gak!" Touma realized how his words sounded. Great, I probably embarrassed Mikoto to no end. Thinking back, it would be easy to confuse his words with someone confessing their love for someone else. It would be a lie to say he didn't have some feelings for Mikoto or that he occasionally imagined her as his girlfriend, but he did that with a couple other girls too. Until he worked out his own feelings, it wouldn't be fair to them for him to go out with anyone. He talked with his mom about it, but Misuzu wouldn't know. He and Mikoto now refused to make eye contact. Thankfully, their salads arrived and they had something to focus on while their mothers whispered to each other.

"Misaka-san?" Shiina asked and Mikoto looked up at her.

"Yes?"

"How well acquainted are you with Misaki Shokuhou from your school?" Touma's eyes widened at Shiina's words and Mikoto had an expression consisting of confusion and suspicion.

"We are in the same year," Mikoto answered slowly, but in a respectful tone. Don't jump to conclusions. "Not in the same class though, but we occasionally spend time together outside of school."

"You've mentioned Shokuhou-san before," Misuzu pointed out and then smiled. "I remember a few complaints you mentioned."

"They were only small quirks," Mikoto interrupted quickly. "She's nice once you get to know her." Only Touma knew how tough that was for Mikoto to say with a straight face.

"She seemed like a nice girl," Shiina said mildly. "I met her after meeting a Miss Shizuri Mugino." Mikoto nearly choked on her food.

"Y-you met Mugino-san?" Mikoto asked and Touma debating if he needed to pat her on the back. "W-what did you think of her?"

"She seemed like a very put together young lady," Shiina answered. "Straightforward in what she desires and Touma-san here seems to respect her.

Partially out of fear, Mikoto thought.

Out of fear, Touma thought.

"Seems like Kamijou-san knows a lot of young ladies," Misuzu suggested to Shiina. "If he and Mikoto are not dating, does he have someone else in mind?"

"Mom!" Mikoto cried out.

"No!" Touma denied quickly. "I'm not dating anyone."

"Oh, my," Shiina responded. "Then what about poor Shokuhou-san's plan?" Touma's eyes widened in horror. His mom was smiling neutrally like normal, but there was a hint of a dark aura beginning to form.

"Mom," Touma said quickly. "I don't think that's relevant here."

"Oh?" Misuzu asked and her eyes began to sparkle. "This sounds like an interesting story."

"It is," Shiina agreed. "I was surprised when I found out yesterday. You see, I thought I would surprise Touma-san at school…" Shiina began to describe what happened yesterday to Misuzu in an undertone. Mortified, Touma buried his face in his hands.

My life is over. Such misfortune.

"What did Shokuhou do?" Mikoto asked in a hushed whisper. "Did she pretend to be your girlfriend when she saw your mom?" She gripped her leg tightly to remain calm and not accidentally flip something over or let electricity escape.

"No," Touma replied, equally as quietly. He didn't really want to say, but Mikoto was bound to find out eventually.

"Oh, thought for sure she would." She sipped her water in relief.

"Mugino did." Mikoto almost spat out the water.

"S-she…w-what?" Mikoto asked, coughing.

"I guess she thought it would be funny," Touma sighed. "She got along with my mother way more than I could have expected."

"So how does Shokuhou play into this?" Mikoto prodded. His mom saw through Mugino's lies, right? Touma just mentioned he wasn't dating anyone.

"She and a couple other girls stumbled upon us," Touma explained. "And then…" He trailed off. This was something he really didn't want to tell Mikoto about.

"Shokuhou either moved the conversation so that Mugino-san accidentally let something slip or just told your mom the truth," Mikoto finished.

"It would have been fine if it was just that," Touma muttered dryly. Mikoto frowned and looked at Touma's resigned expression.

"What happened…?"

"Misaki… told my mother about a ridiculous plan of hers."

"Oh, no," Mikoto gasped. "She actually went through with it?"

"You knew?" Touma demanded, keeping his voice down.

"I didn't think she was serious," Mikoto defended herself. "I mean, you know how she is. Shokuhou wouldn't want to share anything or anyone she likes. When she told me, I thought she was either joking to embarrass me or said it out of spite."

"Well," Touma continued. "My mother knows about it and we had a very long and awkward talk about it." Mikoto would have laughed, if the situation wasn't so serious. "And now your mother probably knows."

"You have to cut her off before it gets too far," Mikoto told him.

"It is way passed that point," Touma groaned. "Tonight, after the raffle, she's going to have to explain herself."

"Knowing Shokuhou." Mikoto groaned too. "She's going to have a very persuasive argument prepared. Put your foot down and don't let her walk over you." That reminds me, I have to enter the raffle this afternoon. Hopefully mother won't want to shadow me all day.

"I'll try," Touma sighed. "Arguing with her… I don't see me winning."

"Just remember to say no," Mikoto warned him. Touma nodded in agreement, but both of them had the ominous feeling it wasn't going to be as easy as they made it sound. Misaki did not take no for an answer.

---

"That was an interesting lunch," Misuzu commented happily to Mikoto, after Shiina and Touma departed.

"Speak for yourself," Mikoto mumbled. "It was humiliating."

"I was trying to figure out how Kamijou-san felt about you," Misuzu reassured her daughter. "The good news is he does, a lot, but Shiina told me of a few… complications."

"I figured," Mikoto sighed. "It's why I didn't want to push him for an answer. I really wanted to though."

"He's too considerate for his own good, it seems," Misuzu mused. "Well, I think I took up enough of your time today. I'm sure you rather hang out with your friends during the festival than spend time with your mother."

"It's not that I don't like you visiting," Mikoto protested. "But some warning would be nice." She sighed and nodded. "I would like to see the festival with them and there is one booth in particular…" Misuzu grinned.

"Would it happen to be the raffle to have Kami visit your school?" she asked in mock suspicion. "I saw you glancing at each poster we passed."

"Yes," Mikoto answered, after a moment's hesitation. "Everyone at my school has been talking about it." She wasn't going to tell her mother everything.

"I'm surprised Kamijou-san dresses up like that," Misuzu remarked. "He doesn't seem like the showboating type."

"His friends tricked him into it," Mikoto laughed and then Misuzu's words sunk in and she spun around in shock. "How did….!"

"…I know?" Misuzu finished. "Because you never were interested in these kinds of things unless it was someone you knew. And, from the fact you like Kamijou-san, I assumed this Kami had to be him." She smiled at Mikoto's stunned expression. "You can't hide things from your mother, Mikoto. You should know that by now."

"…" Mikoto didn't say anything and pursed her lips tightly.

"So," Misuzu continued in a singsong voice. "How many tickets are you planning to buy?"

"… A few," Mikoto muttered. "I promised Kuroko I wouldn't go overboard. I mean, she had a point. I can see him almost every day, so it's not like if he visits someone else's school-…"

"Nonsense!" Misuzu cut her off firmly. "All is fair in love and war and you can never relax for a moment until he is one hundred percent yours."

"Don't say it like that!" Mikoto cried, red faced. After she calmed down, she continued. "What did you have in mind?"

"You promised not to go overboard," Misuzu pointed out. "But if someone, let's say your mother, decided to pay for some tickets for you, then you would keep your promise with your roommate." Mikoto stared at her mom in shock.

"You would do that?" she asked quietly.

"Mikoto," Misuzu replied. "You're my daughter and I will do anything to help you achieve your dreams. You love this boy and I want to help you win his heart. Promise me though, if you win, to go for the gold. Never settle for second place or… a tie." Mikoto shared a quick hug at her mother's words.

"You're the best, mom."

---

"Have a seat anywhere," Touma offered to his mom when they reached his dorm. "Would you like anything? Water, tea?"

"No," Shiina replied and smiled at her son's manners. "I wanted to talk to you about one of the reasons I came to visit."

"Wasn't it to meet Mikoto's mom and visit us?" Touma asked confused, as he took a seat across from her.

"Those were two reasons," Shiina confirmed. "But there was a third." She placed her purse on the table and pulled out a letter. "Before I continue, I received this a short time ago." Touma's warning sense went off and he felt like his life was on the line. "Did anything happen in England that you might not have mentioned to me?"

"Umm," Touma muttered. Besides things dealing with the magic side, I'm pretty sure I told her everything of significance. "No. There might have been a few small insignificant things we did that I missed."

"Oh, my," Shiina replied and placed a hand on her face. The dark aura flashed and Touma immediately realized he had given the wrong answer. "You didn't happen to meet anyone special, maybe famous?"

"I told you we saw the Queen," Touma defended himself. She couldn't know… could she? He gulped under her watchful eye.

"Would anything have happened during your audience with the Queen?" Shiina prodded.

Oh my god! She knows! "During the audience?" Touma repeated. "No?"

"Touma-san," Shiina reprimanded him sternly. "I know you may have secrets, but hiding them is going prolong this conversation." She passed the letter to Touma, who picked it up and looked at it. It was addressed to him, but there was no return address. When he flipped it over, he gasped.

The letter had the Royal Seal of England.

Touma's eyes slowly traveled back up toward his mom. "How…?"

"Your father received a very interesting call."

---

"Hello?"

"Good evening, am I talking to Mr. Kamijou? Father of a young man named Touma Kamijou?"

"Yes. How may I help you?"

"Excellent. I was worried my information might have been out of date. Good evening, Kamijou-san. My name is Elizard Regnant, current queen of England."

"Very funny. Is this some kind of joke?"

"I can assure you this is no joke, but I understand your disbelief. As proof of my identity, please refer to my messenger." The doorbell echoed around the house.

"I have it, dear!" Shiina called out and opened the door. "Hello? How many I help you."

"Good evening," a tall blond man with blue eyes and one of the most expensive suits they had ever seen greeted them. "I am Knight Leader, serving under her majesty, Queen Elizard Regnant of England. I was task to deliver two letters to the parents of a Mr. Touma Kamijou." In one hand he held the letters and in the other he had identification. It must have been real, because Shiina took the letters and turned to her husband.

"Dear?" He nodded and addressed the speaker on the phone.

"You have my attention."

"I apologize for the sudden intrusion," Elizard continued. "And the letter addressed to you will have the details, but I wanted to speak with you, even if it is just for the moment, about an incident involving your son."

"What did he break? Whatever it is, I'll pay for it."

"One young maiden's heart."

"Excuse me?"

"One of my daughters and your son had an interesting encounter back when he visited. I believe she has feelings for him."

"Touma… drew the attention of a princess?"

"Indeed he did. I met with him briefly and approved of such a fine young gentleman. Sadly, my daughter was heartbroken when he left to go back to Japan."

"And why are you contacting me?"

"For the sake of formality," Elizard answered and her tone became much more businesslike. "Any possible suitor for a member of royalty must go through the proper channels, one of which is contacting their individuals parents. Do we have your permission to add Mr. Touma Kamijou's name to the list?"

"Well… wouldn't that be up to Touma?"

"Yes, but we would prefer the parents to be agreeable."

"For arguments sake, what would happen if we did not agree?"

"It would be up to my daughter on how she would like to proceed. While we prefer cooperation, it is not always required. It has happened in the past where a princess married a young man without parental approval."

"We should talk," Shiina told her husband, glancing up from the letter. Knight Leader stood at ease behind her.

"I think it would be up to my son," he finally relented. "But if he wishes to be with your daughter, I won't stand in the way. My son's happiness is important. Though, you will allow him to finish school in Academy City? Right?"

"Of course," Elizard confirmed. "While engagement can occur at an early stage, an actual marriage ceremony could not occur until he reached eighteen."

"My wife and I are going to have a lot of questions."

"It is why I sent Knight Leader personally to answer them all. I'm afraid, for now, I must be off. It was a pleasure talking to you Mr. Kamijou."

"Likewise." When her husband hung up, Shiina turned to Knight Leader.

"I need you to start from the beginning."

"Of course. Everything started when your son saved the princess's life."

---

"I'm proud of you," Shiina told Touma. "For saving her life from a drunk driver. Though, I'm still a little upset you put your life in danger."

Drunk driver? Touma thought in disbelief. So the Queen knew not to talk to my parents about magic? I wonder what else she told them. "The princess and I only talked a little bit, to be honest." He figured a mixture of truth and lies would be the best choice too. "And most of the time I didn't know who she was."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Shiina asked. "That seemed like an important piece of information."

"Well," Touma muttered and rubbed the back of his head. "She never mentioned she liked me and the Queen always seemed to be goofing around when she brought it up. I didn't take it seriously. Besides, it's not like a princess would be interested in someone like me. I'm just a normal high school student."

"You're special," Shiina reassured him with a smile. "In your own way. Some people will be able to see that and some won't. So, don't put yourself down."

"What does this letter say?" Touma asked, scared to open it and find out.

"Most likely what we were told," Shiina answered. "I respected your privacy and did not allow your father to open it."

"When you came here," Touma couldn't resist asking. "Were you trying to see if I had a girlfriend or not? To see if you should deny the Queen's idea?"

"That was one of my objectives," Shiina replied with a slight nod. "I was mainly wanted to see if you were doing well here." She smiled. "It appears I worried for nothing. You have great friends, you're healthy, and your grades are improving. I have some reservations about this arrangement, but your father was right. This is a decision that has to be made by you."

"What was dad like when he found out?" Touma asked and Shiina giggled.

"He was rather impressed at the fact you caught the eye of a member of royalty," Shiina remarked. "We knew you would do great things one day, but marrying into royalty had not been one of them."

"Crazy stuff happens to be because of my luck," Touma admitted.

"I feel it's time I departed," Shiina said suddenly. "I've monopolized enough of your time."

"Would you like me to show you around the festival?" Touma offered. "At least for a little bit?"

"Thank you, but that will not be necessary. Misuzu-san and I were planning to sightsee together." Shiina glanced at the clock on the wall. "I'm sure you have friends who want to visit the festival with you." Her smile widened ever so slightly. "I will be here all weekend if you would like to meet up again. Maybe tomorrow?"

"I'd like that," Touma replied. "It's been great seeing you again, mom. Even if you embarrassed me in front of Mikoto."

"Touma-san," Shiina replied with a delicate laugh. "I'm your mother. It's part of my responsibility." Touma sighed and leaned back in his chair as she stood up and looked at her phone. "My cab arrived." They hugged and she gave him a kiss on the forehead. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye, mom!" Touma watched from his balcony, until she disappeared into the distance. He took a deep breath and headed back inside. The letter still sat ominously on the table. It had to be read and he knew it. Dreading what it was going to say. He might have some problem recognizing the Queen's jokes when written down. She wouldn't be laughing when telling them. With a fingernail, he broke the seal and pulled out the letter. It was written in English, so it took him a little longer to finish.

Dear Mr. Touma Kamijou,

I hope this letter finds you in good health. The reason I entrusted this letter to your parents is there was some concerns about Academy City's acceptance of this offer. Due to you being a student there. You see, Mr. Kamijou, it has been decided that you have all the necessary qualities to become a suitor to my second daughter. In the face of adversity, you have shown bravery, determination, cunning, and above all loyalty. Few individuals could claim to have accomplished what you did when you and your friends visited our great country. Now, I am sure you have a great deal of questions and many can't, or at least should not, be answered with a simple letter. Attached is the information of a contact of mine who should be able to answer any questions you may have.

On a more personal note, I'm sure you are stunned about these events. Rest assured, the information given to your parents does not encompass all the events that transpired in England. Some things are best left unsaid. I would also like to thank you. You see, my daughter does not normally open herself up to others, being focused on her own work, and I was worried about her future. Somehow, you managed to achieve what no others have done. Her punishment has not been lifted yet, but I'm sure this letter will reach you after her most recent excursion.

As a mother, I cannot express the joy I felt with the changes I saw in her after her encounter with you. I received reports that even her knights saw positive changes in her. Selecting you as a suitor was the only natural choice after that. I'm sure you have some concerns about this arrangement. My own daughter expressed some of her own. This is one of the reasons I didn't push the issue before you left. I believe I can alleviate all her worries and yours too.

I eagerly await your response.

Sincerely,

Queen Elizard Regnant.

P.S. The next time you visit England, I would like to present you with a reward personally for your assistance in our problems. There may be more, based on more recent events.

Touma had to read the letter twice for it to sink in. This was no longer a joke by Elizard to embarrass her daughter. The letter in his hand sort of finalized everything. His mother must have been bursting with questions, but restrained herself until this sunk in. Touma's grip tightened on the letter and there was only one reasonable course of action available for him at this point.

He fainted.

---

"KAMI! KAMI! KAMI!"

The crowd around Touma's school was massive. The courtyard had been filled to capacity and was flowing out into the street. Due to the sheer volume, his class decided that having the lottery drawn at ground level was going to cause a riot. Accelerator had been kind enough to move the raffle container to the roof, after some persuasion from Seiri. Jason, Motoharu, Accelerator, and Seiri were the only ones on the roof at this time. Everyone else was blocking the entrance to the school to make sure people didn't rush in. When the door leading to the roof opened, they turned around and saw Touma emerge, fully in his Kami disguise.

"About time, Kami-yan," Motoharu said with a grin. "It would have been a riot if you didn't show."

"I hate you," Touma growled. "I had promised several people I would tour the festival with them this afternoon."

"Yeah, yeah," Accelerator yawned. "Hurry up and draw so I can go home."

"Is everyone in position?" Jason asked Seiri.

"They should be." She used her walkie talkie and checked with the other groups. "Aogami says the main entrance is blocked and the back entrance is being watched."

"Then let's get this show on the road." Motoharu pulled out a megaphone and stepped up to the edge of the building. The raffle container was also placed there, to allow the audience a clear view of the drawing. They didn't want anyone accusing them of rigging it. "Ladies and gentleman! Boys and girls! Are you ready?!"

The response was an explosion of applause and cheers.

"That's what I like to here!" Motoharu shouted back. He was laying it on thick to increase the hype. "It is time! May I present the man of the hour, the one you all came to see, he who made this entire raffle possible! KAMI, THE HAREM KING!" Touma sighed and stepped forward to the edge of the building and was almost knocked backwards.

The cheers, chanting, and shouting intensified tenfold.

Wave and act confident, Touma told himself. As he waved, his eyes traveled around the crowd to see if any of his friends showed up. Due to the numbers, he only saw Misaki. She stood out due to her blonde hair and being surrounded by a plethora of girls.

"Nice of you to play the part," Motoharu whispered and then raised the megaphone again. "Before Kami does the actual drawing, I want to go over the rules." There was some booing and Motoharu waited it out. "We want to make sure everyone understands what is going to happen. When Kami draws the ticket, he will present it to me and I will read the student's name and school. The winner needs to come forward and present his or her ID in order to win. If the winner is not here, Kami will draw a second ticket. The process will repeat until someone wins." He grinned. "Now, let us move onto the main event. Kami, take it away!"

Touma nodded and walked over to the raffle container. The lid plopped up and he saw it was almost completely full. How many tickets did they sell? He wondered silently. Doesn't matter I suppose, it's good news for us. He took a deep breath and plunged his right hand into the mound of papers.

The sound of breaking glass was heard.

What the…? He turned slightly to Motoharu, who had the shadow of a frown on his face Being the only two close enough, both had heard Touma's hand go off. Knowing it would look weird to stall, Touma grabbed a ticket and held it up. The crowd began to fall silent as they waited. Motoharu took the ticket, looked at the name and school.

"Nice choice," Motoharu whispered deviously and Touma's heart sank.

Shit.

"We have a winner!" Motoharu yelled to the crowd and held up the ticket. The silence was palpable as everyone waited to see if they had won. "I have to say, this was an obvious choice for Kami."

"Shut up and tell us who won!" Someone yelled and there was a collective murmur of agreement. Motoharu grinned and nodded.

"Fine! Just wanted to add a little flair. The winner of having Kami the Harem King visit their school is…!"

---

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.

Again, thank you Sponge for the cover art.