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.)

108. S5 Moral Combat

I can tell from a number of reviews, everyone enjoyed the ending of last chapter. Because of this, I figure I have to do those kind of cliffhanging endings more often. Naturally, they won't be added without purpose, but I'll adjust chapter length to incorporate them for sure. Angst fuels and entertains me, so I definitely enjoy it. The question will be answered this chapter along with some other activities that have been in the making for over a hundred chapters. Other than that, not a lot I have to say right now. It's been a slow couple of weeks. Let's move onto the comments and then the chapter to end that last cliffhanger.

Salishious: I decided to change everything based on your comment alone. Or maybe not. I'm pretty fickle in my ideas. Your angst also fuels me. No one really says no to Misaki, she's quite skillful in getting what she wants.

Guest: I can't rush or the story loses its charm.

Guest13: Your reaction made it all worthwhile then. That sounds plausible. We may get a more detailed explanation eventually.

Bluejack222: It's possible. Her mom helped her out a bit.

plantkingman1: The queen may be eccentric, but she's not an idiot.

Destati69: Weird as always, man.

general ironox: Sadly, it wasn't written. So I can't release it.

anand891996: I can tell you really enjoyed that cliffhanger. There's a secret on how I chose the winner. It's at the end of the chapter.

Xenvic: That is the best compliment I have received.

Driugenesis: She does need more screen time, I admit.

Mizericordia: Wasn't supposed to be a fan service chapter, but it did kind of become one. Well, it had to be a student, so they would have to disguise as one, which would be easy enough.

Whwsms: "It's a parent thing; children will one day understand." This is one of the most important things last chapter. Parents love to tease children. Fainting was my favorite choice out of every possible reaction. Most questions will take a while to be answered, but they will at some point.

DivineDemonDragon: That sounds probable, but I bet many people tried to rig the raffle in their own way. Rich people always have the advantage in raffles. Hail, Kuro-nyan!"

Kami: Not dark skin, but that's pretty close. Hmm, I could see that with the tuxedo. Second post about his hand flash, not sure how much that light would work, it's not super bright, but it could.

ReyKingKaiser: Of course it's Thor. No one else stood a chance.

edinosaur22: Was pretty excited when she showed me the color drawing. Heh, you where the one who saw through me. Julunggul is the OC based on the fan base. Not sure about Xochitl. Maybe if the right situation arises.

ultron emperor: There's a group of people who like the Jason x Kuroko route. It kind of developed over the story pretty naturally. You are one of the few that is Accelerator and Fukiyose. Most people have been yelling at me to put her with Touma.

Handsomistic1: I might have updated then too. There's free time to do so because people want you away from the kitchen. Kamikoto is easier to write to allow me to introduce the moms. There are many more scenes with other people showing up.

wildarms13: Ahh, the sweet cries of pain are music to my ears. Shiina does now know, which should lead to some interesting discoveries.

Guest: 1) I started to, but it's a pain so I rather you not spam. 2) Can't always tell. 3) Could be, or maybe just one of them and the other is some nameless OC that represents all other nameless students of Academy City. 4) Probably not next one, but the following one will start on Sunday and she should appear before the end of that day. There are about five separate events happening that day, so it may be a couple chapters.

akd48: Touma likes to convince himself that he has no luck with girls. Princesses are supposed to be in a league of their own.

McLovin: A bunch of people probably tried to cheat with their abilities if we were being honest.

Cyber dragonarmy: Finally, he's gone.

Jujudude: The winner had to be a student of Academy City not in Touma's class, so it had to be Thor dressed up as a girl.

Agent Nine: You touched on an important point. Sure we like to laugh about people having harems, but with Touma, the size is not a laughing matter. While the Sisters can share thoughts, memories, and emotions, there are still many others. Now that the harem is actually out there, Touma will finally be forced to make a decision and not just play it off.

Liuen: Technically Touma could have the Misaka Sisters do that, but the hot n' cold sandwich is a concern. Probably should have thought about that earlier.

Inacio: Kind of got a lot of people already. Adding more is going to dilute people's scenes even more. People do seem to be interested in having Touma with those two. Everyone has requests, sometimes they are possible and sometimes they are not.

amirread97: Every. Chapter. From. Now. On. Carissa would see through that disguise in an instant. Is that Shutaura? Fate? Misaki doesn't need fate, she has logic. Jason is in an interesting position now.

FrodoFighter: Always giving me essay comments. Can't say I dislike it, but I always feel bad I'm unable to respond to you in length. Huh, you are the only one who seems to remember guys can enter this too, except for those who want Thor. With how much you loved that cliffhanger, maybe I should delay the winner announcement? You really are a Kamikoto fan. All the misunderstandings and trying to describe their relationships touched you deeply. "I bet she would find him even more handsome without a suit.." Careful, your pervert is showing. Influence of someone on discord? Mikoto's dad will be the one to kill Touma, calling it now. For Bayloupe thinking of Touma, wasn't sure what to put so I used the full name for now because Accelerator just calls him damn hero and Last Order calls him Savior. The Sisters are perverts indeed. Fukiyose is the fable level 6, able to control both Touma and Accelerator. "Accel is also not a psychopath and Mikoto is also not a Tsundere." Accel is a sociopath and Mikoto is a Thundere. Get with it. Your love for Jason is also showing. Yes, we all know it was a confession without knowing it was a confession. So glad I came up with Mikoto's mom paying for a lot of tickets all on my own. Pretty smart of me. You and Hubb can have some credit for the letter incident though. 50% off in every British grocery store. Best gift Touma could ever receive. "324 different girls who tried to manipulate the drawing were disappointed" Finally! Someone understands. "Small boner in my heart." Never letting you live this down.

Generation Zero: Well Touma wasn't taking the first step, so someone else decided to help out. What are friends for? The Queen is very proactive in her approach. There is going to be some interesting events soon involving Jason. He can't keep up appearances forever. The more buildup now, the more dramatic the fall. I do love how much fun Julunggul can be when she has no stake in any of this. The booth was perfect and now the class has to decide what to do with the money. Try to avoid spoilers here in case some of the readers haven't caught up.

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.

---

"It's so crowded," Ruiko complained, as she tried to maneuver through the crowd surrounding A Certain High School.

"Did you expect anything else?" Kazari asked curiously. "From the lines earlier, this was to be expected."

"Doesn't make my statement any less true," Ruiko refuted and Kazari rolled her eyes.

"Can't see anyone from back here," Mikoto added, trying to look through a wall of people. "But it looks like they set up a small barricade around the school's entrance."

"Probably for the winner to claim the prize," Kuroko pointed out. "And to make sure people don't flood the school looking for the ape."

"So when are you going to use his actual name?" Ruiko asked, turning to Kuroko. "Everyone else does."

"I kind of got used to it," Kuroko answered with a shrug. Mikoto sighed, while Ruiko and Kazari shared an exasperated look. Kuroko didn't push the issue which surprised two of the girls. Kazari knew why Kuroko was much more reserved right now. When they had met up before coming to the raffle, Kuroko told her what happened. There were a few very awkward moments, but they agreed to meet up with Jason tomorrow after the three of them finished their training.

"At least you aren't kicking him in the head anymore," Mikoto sighed, which caused Kazari and Ruiko to giggle. Mikoto knew Kuroko was acting slightly weird since they met up, but she never had time to talk with her about it. With her mother's surprise, the raffle drawing, and her promise to meet up with Touma, Mikoto would not have time until late tonight.

"He has to deserve it," Kuroko replied defensively.

"Misaka-san! Shirai-san!"

Great, Kuroko moaned silently and grimaced for a second before turning around to see Mitsuko, Kinuho, and Maaya making their way toward them. "Hello," Kuroko said courteously, but mainly saying it to Kinuho and Maaya since they were in her year. Mitsuko was in Mikoto's year and Kuroko still did not like her lofty attitude.

"Hey Kongou-san," Mikoto greeted welcoming.

"It's great to see you," Mitsuko told them all sincerely. "You too, Saten-san, Uiharu-san."

"Hello," Kazari said in return. "I take it all of you entered the raffle?" Kinuho and Maaya shook their heads.

"No," Kinuho answered. "We didn't think we could handle the responsibility of escorting a gentleman around school for the day. If Kongou-san wins, I do hope we get to meet him though."

"So we are here to cheer her on," Maaya added.

"How many tickets did you buy?" Ruiko asked curiously. She had managed to rustle up between her, Kazari, and a couple of their classmates twenty thousand yen, which resulted in fifty tickets. From what she saw, most people took the five for two thousand rather than one for five hundred.

"Not that many," Mitsuko answered and held up her hand to cover her mouth. "Only a thousand."

"A t-thousand?!" Kazari and Ruiko stuttered.

"A nice even number seemed like a good spot," Mitsuko pointed out. "It was only four hundred thousand yen and our school was really interested in winning, so I thought it would be helpful." She turned to Kuroko and Mikoto, who had face palmed. "Didn't you two buy tickets?"

"No," Kuroko answered sternly. "I was not interested."

"I bought some," Mikoto admitted. "But Kuroko wanted to make sure I didn't go overboard." She only spent a hundred thousand yen of her own money, which was still a significant sum, even to her. It was a fortune to Kazari and Ruiko, so Mikoto kept playing it down. Her mother, when she found out, somehow magically came up with another four thousand yen for her to buy tickets. Half a million yen bought one thousand, two hundred and fifty tickets.

"It's just a game," Kuroko explained. "And with everyone else buying tickets, there was no need to buy all of them."

"I debated that," Mitsuko mused. "But I didn't want to see overly greedy."

"I suddenly feel like I have no chance," Ruiko whispered depressed to Kazari.

"As long as you have a single ticket," she replied, trying to bolster her friend's spirit. "You have a chance. Don't give up until the drawing."

"Things have a weird way of working out," Kinuho said politely to them. She and Maaya had moved to talk to them easier. "And from what we heard of Kami-san, he tends to hit the extreme ends of a bell curve."

"Thanks for the moral boost everyone," Ruiko laughed. "I wasn't really upset. I kind of knew this would happen."

"Would you have happened to have seen Shokuhou-san?" Kazari asked. "We knew she was going to be here, but the crowds don't allow much in terms of visibility."

"We saw part of her clique," Maaya confirmed. "But they were too far away to notice us." Their conversation dwindled as the chanting started.

"KAMI! KAMI! KAMI!"

Nearly everyone was either shouting, chanting, or cheering as people began to form on the roof of the school. The raffle container was even in a clear line of sight for everyone on the ground. The girls had to squint to see who was on the roof and they could just make out Motoharu and Accelerator. Occasionally, Jason and Seiri appeared, but they were moving around the roof. If they weren't closer to the edge, they couldn't be seen. The chanting suddenly became a roar when a new person stepped near the edge of the room in a mask and very familiar outfit.

Touma, aka Kami the Harem King, had arrived.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Boys and girls! Are you ready?!" Motoharu's voice rang out from a megaphone he was using. The girls, except Ruiko, covered their ears. She was too busy staring excitedly at Motoharu to worry about the noise. "That's what I like to hear!" he continued.

The ground shook under the thunderous cheers. This is what people were waiting for. Touma waved to the crowd and seemed to be confident, but Mikoto, Kuroko, Kazari, and Ruiko knew the truth. He was probably sweating and trying not to pass out. At least from this distance, no one would be able to tell. He was also safe from being mobbed by fans.

"Before Kami does the actual drawing, I want to go over the rules." There was some booing at Motoharu's words and he patiently waited them out. The audience died down pretty quick because they wanted to find out who won. "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!"

From what everyone on the ground saw, Kami walked over to the open raffle container and stuck his hand into it. When he froze and seemed to talk to Motoharu for a moment, a couple of people began to mutter. However, once Kami stepped back with a piece of paper in his hand, everyone grew quiet, with only a few excited muttering. He didn't even look at the name before he handed it to Motoharu, who opened it. There was a moment of silence as he read it.

"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. Mikoto's squeezed her hands tightly in anticipation.

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

He paused to add even more tension. Motoharu was really good at adding suspense.

"Mitsuko Kongou of Tokiwadai Middle Schoooooool! Please come up and verify yourself to win!"

"You won!" Kinuho and Maaya cheered. Ruiko and Mikoto looked depressed, which caused Kazari and Kuroko to pat their backs reassuringly.

"I won…?" Mitsuko coughed. "I mean, it was only natural." She and the others started making their way forward. When the crowd realized who she was, they began to part on their own, albeit reluctantly.

---

No, no, no, noooooooooo! Not her!

Touma recognized the name the moment Motoharu read it out. It wasn't like he had anything against Mitsuko, he actually believed she was a nice person once you got past her slightly stuck up exterior. The problem was, she knew Touma Kamijou, but did not know he was secretly Kami. There was a chance she would recognize him if she spent an entire day with him. Not only that, she went to Tokiwadai Middle school. Mikoto and Misaki he could trust to try to keep everyone calm with his arrival, but part of him considered Mitsuko might try to show him off to the other girls. He remembered hearing stories that most of the girls there had little, if any, experience with boys. Sure, going to an all girls' school would be a dream come true for most boys. Touma, however, understood the ramifications that came with it, the Tokiwadai High School being a key part of that experience. A normal mixed school would have been fine with him. His luck just didn't like for him to be happy.

"A bunch of people are complaining about Kongou-san's victory," Jason commented, as he looked over the edge.

"Sore losers, all of them," Seiri sighed. "They knew what they were signing up for. We were perfectly clear about it."

"Some people spent a lot of money," Motoharu pointed out.

"Then they shouldn't suck so badly," Accelerator muttered. "Can I leave now?"

"One sec," Motoharu told him. He turned the megaphone on and back to the ground. "As the event is now over, anyone not part of this school please exit the grounds. Anyone with issues about the outcome of the drawing, our head on the complaints department, Accelerator, will be down shortly to take care of them." The group of angry stragglers paled and quickly began to depart. "Easy." Accelerator gave him a look that easily said, if that idea had not worked and Accelerator would have had to do something, people would die.

"Once the crowd clears," Touma said, trying to sound nonchalant. "I'll change and head out with some of our classmates. Won't look-…" He was interrupted by the rooftop door banging open and Pierce arriving, red faced and panting. He obviously ran up the stairs.

"You drew someone from Tokiwadai on purpose!" Pierce accused. "I thought you hated being Kami, but then you pull this stunt!"

"Bullshit!" Touma refuted angrily. "This is all your fault. If you and Tsuchimikado didn't keep roping me into these shenanigans, we could have had a normal booth."

"Maybe if you weren't such a pushover," Accelerator pointed out with a smirk. "They wouldn't have so much fun messing with you."

"It is kind of addicting," Jason agreed.

"Accelerator has a point," Seiri said and crossed her arms. "You only bring this upon yourself, but enough badgering you about that today. How much did we make, Aogami?" Pierce grinned and held up a piece of paper. He coughed once before continuing.

"Let's see." Pierce made his voice deep and commanding, like he with reading a royal decree. "They are doing a recount, but we sold slightly over thirty thousand tickets."

"T-thirty thousand?!" Touma and Seiri stammered.

"At 500 each," Jason said and did some quick mental calculations. "Fifteen million? But with our discount if you guys in bulk, it would be less." Touma stared at him in disbelief.

"Vast majority was the discount," Pierce agreed. "Since you could get five for the price of four, but some only bought a single ticket." He shrugged. "We made roughly twelve and a half million. Not bad, right?" Seiri and Touma only stared at him.

"Whatever," Accelerator said with a roll of his eyes and turned to leave.

"Hold it!" Motoharu yelled and Accelerator glanced at him.

"What?" he snapped.

"You and Kagere won't want to miss this," Motoharu said with a smirk and turned to Seiri. "Now, Fukiyose. Isn't there something you wanted to say to me and Aogami?" She clicked her tongue and scowled.

"Do I really have to?" Seiri asked annoyed.

"Ah!" Pierce remembered. "That's right!"

"Of course you do," Motoharu said to Seiri. "We had a deal."

"Oh, no," Touma moaned and face palmed. "She made a bet with them."

"What was it?" Accelerator asked, clearly amused now.

"Fukiyose just has to admit something to us," Motoharu explained with a huge grin on his face. "She didn't believe this idea for a stall was a good one."

"What about if you lost?" Jason inquired.

"Those two would stop using Kamijou in all these ridiculous Kami stunts," Seiri sighed.

"Really?" Touma asked surprised. "Didn't expect that. Thanks."

"Everyone deserves a break once in a while," Seiri reassured him with a small smile and then glared at his two friends.

"Say it," Pierce continued, while Motoharu held up his phone.

"Fine," Seiri conceded. "I'm sorry for doubting you two and your ideas." Touma didn't think this sounded like a punishment, until she continued. "Your genius is only outclassed by your humor and," she looked like she swallowed a lemon, "y-your devilishly good looks." Accelerator and Jason were cracking up. "I am in awe of how amazing you two are and hope one day I can be half as great as you." She grimaced. "Happy?"

"Very," Motoharu confirmed and put his phone away.

"Sorry about them," Touma whispered to Seiri. "But never make a bet with them, no matter how good it sounds. They always have information you don't."

"Stand up to them anyways," Seiri told him stubbornly. "You can't let them walk over you."

"Well, thanks again for trying to help me," Touma said to her and she nodded back, before looking away.

"Aogami," Seiri suddenly snapped and he jumped. "You get to come with me and help clean up."

"Wait, but I just got-…"

"No arguing!" Seiri grabbed his collar and dragged him back down the stairs.

"So," Motoharu said to the three remaining guys. "Interested in going to the arcade once Aogami escapes Fukiyose's grasp?"

"Can't," Touma replied. "I have to meet up with a couple people. Besides, my homework situation is dire." He actually kind of regretted not going, because this was a normal activity for them. It didn't involve anyone fighting or getting embarrassed. Mikoto and Misaki were going to meet him at his apartment soon to discuss the last couple of days. He started making his way to the stairs. "Have to change and leave as soon as possible."

"His loss," Motoharu said with a shrug. "What about you two?"

"Sorry," Jason apologized. "Something came up earlier today about tomorrow and I have to think about what to do tonight. Kind of important, so I'm heading out."

"Pssh," Motoharu groaned and watched Jason leave. "So, Accelerator?"

"No."

"I didn't-…"

"Still no."

"You all suck!" Motoharu cried and through his hands in the air before turning toward the stairs. "Just make sure you have tonight free." His chance from his normal mocking tone to serious caused Accelerator to raise an eyebrow.

"Why? We got a mission?"

"Checking out an old lab," Motoharu said quietly. "Might hold some information about the recent underground drug distribution. There was some movement around it recently."

"Been awhile," Accelerator said and cracked his neck. "Where should I meet you?"

"Musujime will pick you up."

---

"What is it, Misaka?" Misaki asked innocently, as the two of them waited near Touma's dorm. "You look so serious. Is your stomach upset?"

"I heard about the stunt you pulled yesterday," Mikoto growled. They decided not to wait right by Touma's down because it would draw attention if people saw two girls standing right outside the boy's dorm.

"What stunt?" Misaki asked, not dropping her innocent act.

"You know which one," Mikoto snapped. "The fact you were actually serious about the h-h-har…" She couldn't finish the sentence out of a combination of anger and embarrassment.

"Oh! You mean the Harem Plan." Misaki smiled at her. "I'm pretty sure I told you about it already."

"I didn't think you were serious!" Mikoto refuted.

"Why not?" Misaki asked and her tone suddenly turned serious. "What could make you think I was not serious about something involving him?"

"Because… it's you!" Mikoto explained. "You always say things to either embarrass me or annoy me with either a straight face or mocking tone. You not only were laughing at my reaction, you continued to antagonize me by saying once you set it up, you wouldn't allow me in."

"Maybe I do tease you a little too much," Misaki conceded. "But your expression is soooo cute when you are embarrassed."

"Doing it again," growled Mikoto.

"Sorry." Her tone indicated she really wasn't really that sorry. "Then let me be upfront with you, Misaka. After observing him and all the other girls, I have come to the conclusion the harem route is the only way I, and many others, could possibly be with him. Touma has his reasons about why he hasn't been willing to date anyone and I respect them, but…" She misled. "I'm pretty selfish. I want to be with him." Mikoto pursed her lips to keep from interrupting. "However, even after telling him that, he still doubts himself capable of having one. Now, once he found out many girls feel the same way, he doesn't want to hurt anyone. We talked about this, remember?"

"He'd rather hurt himself than us," Mikoto acknowledged.

"Precisely. While he thinks he is only hurting himself, am I correct in my belief you would hurt if you knew he was doing that?" Mikoto nodded to this. "That is how I feel too."

"But you know he isn't going to want to go along with this," Mikoto said seriously.

"I understand he will have reservations about this," Misaki confirmed. "All I want is the chance to talk with him about it, answer his concerns, and see if I can convince him to try."

"What if he still says no?" Mikoto asked curiously. Misaki was being unusually serious this time, so Mikoto wanted to know what she was really going to do.

"I love him, Misaka," Misaki answered instantly. "If he truly hates this idea, I will drop it. That doesn't mean I give up though. I will continue to try to be with him, until he either rejects me directly or finds someone else he rather be with." Misaki stared straight into Mikoto's eyes. "If you were in my position, would you do anything different?"

"…probably not," Mikoto conceded.

"All I am asking for is the opportunity to talk about it with him," Misaki continued. "I do feel bad about springing it up on him and his mother, but I could hardly let Mugino-san ruin all of our hard work on a whim."

"I heard what she tried to do," Mikoto added.

"So you do know his mother is visiting," Misaki pointed out.

"Yeah." Mikoto decided to be honest, since Misaki was actually being honest with her. This was a rare occurrence. "My mother is in town too and they appear to be friends. I found out this morning when we met them."

"Hmm," Misaki mused interestedly. "Wish I knew that."

"I found out less than an hour before we met," Mikoto said defensively. "My mother wanted it to be a surprise."

"You should introduce us," Misaki said with a grin. "She sounds like a blast."

"Never going to happen." Mikoto crossed her arms and tapped her foot impatiently. "Any idea when he is actually going to arrive?"

"He has to wait for the school to clear," Misaki answered. "And then get away from everyone else. Shouldn't be too much longer." She placed a finger on her cheek. "I wonder what he is going to want to talk about first."

"I think he will want to hear about us being attacked," Mikoto answered. "Eve actually sent people to attack all four of us. I'm also curious to where he has been."

"That sounds like him," Misaki said in admiration. "Always worrying about others." She frowned. "Even at the cost of his own health."

"He never learns," Mikoto agreed. "But he wouldn't be the idiot we all know if he didn't." Misaki made a noncommittal hum of acknowledgement and the two waited in silence. It was only a couple minutes longer before they saw Touma arrived. He must not have seen them because he walked straight toward the stairs to his apartment. Misaki winked at her and motioned for her to follow, while also holding up a finger to her lips. Mikoto nodded, slightly amused this time, and the two of them followed him silently. Touma must have been distracted by his thoughts because he didn't notice them at all, even as he was unlocking his door. Mikoto saw Misaki give her one more wink, before opening her mouth.

"Taking two girls into your room?" Misaki asked sweetly. "How bold." Her prank got the desired result and Touma leaped a foot up in the air.

"Misaki!?" he asked wildly. "Mikoto?!" Mikoto waves, but she was trying to hold back at laugh at his reaction. "Don't sneak up on me like that," he gasped.

"Sorry," Mikoto apologized. "She talked me into it."

"To be honest," Misaki added with a smile. "I didn't even have to say a word." Mikoto only shrugged and Touma sighed.

"I did invite you two over," Touma said and held open the door for them. "Come on in… and not a word about it." He added that last part quickly because Misaki had opened her mouth. Mikoto gave her an amused look and walked in. She wasn't sure where they would talk, so she just sat down at the table, rather than the bed. Misaki imitated her action, while Touma quickly began to boil water for tea.

"We have so much to tell you," Mikoto started to say. "While you were-…"

"Hold on," Touma interrupted her and raised a hand. Mikoto closed her mouth and looked at him confused. Touma started checking all around his apartment, under the sink, in the bathroom, the closet, and under the bed. Once he appeared satisfied, he sat down at the table.

"What was that for?" Misaki asked.

"From past experiences," Touma explained to the two girls. "I learned people like to eavesdrop and I haven't seen Lessar all day. She should know most of what is going on, but there's another topic we need to talk about." His eyes fell onto Misaki, who didn't divert her own gaze. "But I first want to say I'm glad everyone is okay. I heard you were attacked while I was gone and I wasn't around to help."

"We are all fine," Misaki reassured him. "A little surprised at the fact Eve sent some famous historical individuals after us is all. We are all capable of taking care of ourselves." She smiled at him and Mikoto nodded.

"We want to hear what happened on your end first," Mikoto continued in Misaki's place. "Shokuhou found out you were sent to Australia, but there wasn't a lot of information after that. Saten-san filled us in on some of it, but I rather hear it from you in case she missed something." Misaki didn't like the fact Mikoto knew more than she did, but kept quiet, knowing Touma was about to explain it all. She only knew where Touma had left, with who, and when they returned.

"I got dragged along by Lessar and Birdway," Touma explained. "Oh, Leivinia Birdway is a magician from a group called the Dawn-Colored Sunlight. Her group opposes Eve too." Misaki nodded at the information he added for her. "Well, Ruiko and Frenda discovered us leaving and followed," Touma continued. "That's how they got roped in. When we landed in Australia, we met a courier working for the church to take us to the main staging grounds. She was our guide."

"Who was it?" Misaki asked. Her interested triggered at the word she. "Do we know her?"

"I don't think so," Touma said and scratched his cheek. "Her name is Oriana Thomson."

"Saten-san told me all about her," Mikoto interjected and face palmed. "Please say she was making up the fact she made you all call her onee-san."

"No, that was true." Touma looked away in embarrassment.

"What else was she like?" Misaki asked and crossed her arms.

"Well, she's blonde, likes to embarrass us, easy to talk too," Touma reiterated. He decided to not mention Oriana was a bombshell. "Actually, she reminds me of an older you."

"Hmm?" Misaki debated on pushing for more information, but ultimately decided not to. Mikoto was staring at Touma with a trace of suspicion.

"She's not the one I was surprised they met," Mikoto said dryly. "It's who they met at the base camp."

"Ah!" Touma scratched the back of his head. "Well, that probably means you aren't going to shock me when I tell Misaki."

"I could if you want me to," Mikoto said evenly.

"Who was it?" Misaki asked in a voice of deliberate calm. She was not happy about Mikoto having this knowledge.

"We met with a combine Anglican Church and knight force lead by Princess Carissa," Touma told her. Mikoto's lip tightened tightly, but Misaki nearly lost her composure and her eyes widened.

"Carissa?!" Misaki gasped. "But isn't she supposed to be locked up?"

"They needed a commander and she was available," Touma explained. "I think it was also part of her redemption for what she did back in England, but that's not the important part." He took a deep breath. "Adam was there and he had set up a very elaborate base. From what I saw, Adam is almost the complete opposite of Eve. He unleashed seven plagues against the entire army before we even started toward him. Flaming hail, sores, insects," Misaki and Mikoto shuttered, "lightning and then the plague of the first born, which would kill anyone who was first born child. The only reason we could escape was because it turned out Adam was just trying to keep us away from him. He couldn't risk me dying."

"How did you find that out?" Misaki interrupted. "Did you do something foolish and heroic?"

"No… well… not really."

"He did," Mikoto answered.

"Hey!" Touma could see the two of them staring at him exasperatedly. "I based my action on everything we found out about Eve and Adam and then there was also the possibility of my hand negating the attack. I thought things out."

"He sounds defensive," Misaki pointed out to Mikoto smugly.

"Think he is trying to convince us or himself?" she replied. Touma sighed.

"I missed you two too," He told them and they both blushed slightly. Touma didn't notice and continued. "Adam defiantly doesn't take chances and as soon as the army closed in, the earth opened up and we fell into a huge underground maze. It was designed to separate us while Adam's… lieutenants is probably a good word here… to take care of us. I didn't meet either, but I was told they were St. Peter, the guy we saw in England, and Julius Caesar. He separated me from the others and I was the first one to reach the surface. We found out what he was doing there and it wasn't good."

"A statue, right?" Mikoto asked and Misaki quickly shushed her.

"Let him tell us."

"It was a statue," Touma confirmed. "And Adam told me it was the body for the fallen angel Lucifer."

"How is that possible?" Mikoto asked. "Saten-san couldn't explain it."

"I don't know either," Touma confessed. "What I knew was that Adam was excavating the area looking for it. I tried to delay as long as possible and I did find some disturbing information. I told the others, but there may be someone else involved in all this." Misaki and Mikoto looked at each other for a second.

"Why do you say that?" Misaki asked.

"Adam originally told me they wanted to infuse the wings they collected into the body to reform Lucifer," Touma explained. "This turned out to be a lie. They wanted me to destroy the jewel core in the center of the body to separate the connection the wings had with it. Their plan is to form a more powerful body so he can stand up against God."

"What's that have to do with someone else?" Mikoto asked.

"When Adam was bragging, or maybe he was stalling, I never really found out," Touma continued. "There was a stab mark in the core of Lucifer's statue. He said he had to thank whoever pulled the Sword of God out because he wouldn't have been able to."

"Sword of God?" Misaki mumbled. "Index told us about that. It was the weapon Michael used to cut down Lucifer, right?"

"Who could have pulled it out?" Mikoto voiced out loud.

"Wish I knew," Touma admitted. "Adam didn't care as long as he didn't oppose him. I do worry about who could have done it. Removing a weapon of God without being an angel or at least a saint would not have been possible, even for them. Adam said this, not me. The power would purify anyone who attempted into dust."

"Great," Mikoto mumbled. "Now we have another person to worry about. I have no idea who that could be. Kanzaki-san is the only saint I know."

"That is interesting," Misaki mulled. "Yet there is no evidence of that person's allegiance one way or another. He could have just wanted the powerful relic and helping Adam was purely coincidental."

"You really think that?" Mikoto asked skeptically.

"It happens a lot more than you think," Misaki replied evenly. "Many people are out for themselves and others simply take advantage of their short sightings."

"Birdway said almost exactly the same thing," Touma agreed. "Then she told me not to worry about it too much because there wasn't anything I could do without more information." He sighed, remembering her berating him for thinking he could look for the person. "Anyway, I destroyed the statue and Adam confessed that was the plan. We were struggling to defeat him when another person appeared out of the ground and finish him off."

"Who was it?" Misaki asked immediately.

"Saten-san didn't catch his name," Mikoto added.

"He was Fiamma of the Right," Touma told them. "Of the Roman Catholic Church. They and the Anglican Church have been at odds for ages, but he disliked Adam even more."

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend," Mikoto stated and Touma mumbled.

"If only things were that easy," Touma sighed and leaned back.

"He wanted more," Misaki whispered. It was not a question.

"He wanted my hand," Touma continued and placed his right hand on the table. "Something about saving the world, but his actions contradicted him, so I refused. He didn't take too kindly to that and separated Carissa and me from the rest of the army on a floating island. He wielded incredible magic and we were no match. I actually surrendered in order to save Carissa." Touma wasn't sure what he expected from them, but it definitely wasn't for them to sigh and face palm. "Really? That's your reaction to that?"

"We have known you way too long to expect you to do anything else," Misaki explained.

"And you made it back with your arm intact," Mikoto added. "So, it worked out. But…" She leaned forward and flicked him in the head, hard.

"Ow!"

"…you still deserve that," Mikoto finished and Misaki giggled.

"I suppose so," Touma conceded. "Well, Fiamma did cut off my arm and we only escaped because of…it." Mikoto's and Misaki's eyes widened.

"T-that dragon... thing?" Mikoto stammered and Touma nodded. "What happened after it showed up?"

"I… don't remember much," Touma answered sheepishly. "Shortly after I passed out, Fiamma was taken into custody and we were victorious. Adam… is gone. Fiamma took care of him permanently." Mikoto and Misaki knew what he meant by that. Even though Adam was an enemy, Touma would never want to kill anyone. He would go out of his way to save even his worst enemy. That was the kind of guy he was. The kind of guy both of them fell for.

"Saten-san said she fought St. Peter," Mikoto spoke up after a moment of silence. She wanted to change the topic to something else. "And from what she said, or what the nuns told her, she purified him?"

"I have no idea what that means," Touma said quickly. "I heard about it though. She became pretty popular among Agnese's forces."

"Agnese was there?" Misaki asked.

"Oh yeah, she was the Anglican Church's representative." Touma blinked and looked from Mikoto to Misaki. "Enough about me, I heard you all were attacked. What happened? Accelerator only said he fought Cain and then I found out Last Order was bitten! We managed to-…"

"Last Order was bitten!" Mikoto interrupted frantically.

"She's fine now," Touma reassured her. "Cain's been truly defeated and Last Order has been cured. So please, tell me what happened to you too."

"Go ahead," Misaki said to Mikoto. "You start."

"Thanks?" Mikoto looked quizzically at Misaki for a moment. "Well, Eve decided to send four of her accomplices after me, Shokuhou, Accelerator, and Mugino. You know Accelerator fought Cain, Shokuhou faced Arthur Pendragon…"

"King Arthur?" Touma interrupted and Misaki nodded. Mikoto looked annoyed at the interrupted, but continued.

"…Mugino fought Oda Nobunaga, and I faced Juliet." Mikoto suddenly looked depressed. "Juliet nearly killed Kuroko and me, but I managed to defeat her by…" She took a deep breath. "I managed to reach that partial transformation state all by myself. It nearly killed me in the process and I only survived because of Kazakiri-san."

"Kazakiri saved you?" Touma asked. "How?"

"I'm not sure," Mikoto admitted. It was her turn to be unable to provide details. "She said she pulled me into the Imaginary Number District. Don't ask me how. It's what she told me when I was there is what's really important. She found it. The wing Eve is looking for is there." Touma sat there in stunned silence for a minute.

"So it's true," he mumbled and slammed his fist on the table. "Kazakiri is in danger. Shit!" He looked back up at Mikoto. "Did anything happen to her?"

"No," Mikoto said with a shake of her head. "I returned and managed to defeat Juliet. I reached some new level of control over that destructive power between level 5 and 6. You have seen that stage before. I can control it to a degree."

"Really?" Touma's eyes widened. "Can you enter the stage freely now?"

"Not sure," Mikoto answered with a frown. "I never tried." She suddenly looked depressed again. "Near the end of my fight with Juliet, she wouldn't give up, even though she knew she would lose. She tried to kill Kuroko since she couldn't kill me." Mikoto's hands clasped together so hard, her hands were turning white. "I trapped Juliet in a barrier of electricity to stop her and… she wouldn't stop. She kept forcing herself against the barrier, even as it destroyed her body. She wouldn't stop, no matter how much I begged." Tears began to form in her eyes. "All that was left of her was a small orb of that shadow substance she was made of. I didn't know what to do with it, so I wrapped it in metal and gave it to Kagere-san. I figured he would want to know." She was shaking. "I killed her, me…" Touma reached across the table and grabbed her hands with his.

"Mikoto," Touma said firmly. "It's not your fault. Jason and I know how kind you are and that you care about others. Juliet brought this on herself and I'm sure Jason doesn't blame you at all." He looked concerned. "Did you keep this bottled up all day today?" She nodded.

"I was looking forward to see and talking with you again," Mikoto explained. "It cheered me up and I was able to act like myself, so the others wouldn't worry." She sniffed. "Kagere-san told me several times he didn't blame me at all. He knew what Juliet had become and was glad I gave what was left of her back."

"Wasn't she just a memory?" Misaki asked seriously. "She wasn't really alive and Eve was manipulating her. It was probably for the best and Kagere-san most likely agrees." She did however, pat Mikoto on the back reassuringly.

"Do not blame yourself," Touma told Mikoto sternly. "I know it's hard, but I know you are the kind of person to do everything possible to stop her without stepping over the edge." Mikoto sniffed again and the tears seemed to stop.

"Thanks, both of you."

"I'll continue from there," Misaki volunteered. She was a little jealous at the attention Mikoto was receiving, but she decided this time could be an exception due to the subject matter. "My fight with Arthur and his knights was similar in many aspects to Misaka's. Thanks to my ability, I was able to do what I did in England. I absorbed the Telesma from the knights and entered my new form too. Thanks to that, along with a little persuasion, I managed to get them to leave." She held up a finger. "Based on what I glimpsed in Arthur's mind and from what happened to Misaka, Accelerator, and Mugino-san, I came to a conclusion."

"That Eve's tired of us meddling with her plans?" Touma asked.

"We knew that already," Misaki pointed out. "We were attacked with the order to push us to our limits. We believe Eve was trying to get us to transform, like she saw me do in England."

"W-what?!" stammered Touma. He had expected many things, but not that. "Why would she want you all to transform? It makes you a bigger problem to her!" Misaki smiled at him.

"During my fight," Misaki continued. "I caught a few glimpses of Arthur's memory about Eve's orders. She definitely wanted them to push us to our limits first, rather than trying to kill us outright. With their power, they could have easily launched surprise attacks and we wouldn't have stood a chance. I thought this was odd, but there had to be a reason, or maybe I invented it."

"I would trust your instinct," Touma said.

"I did," Misaki confirmed, "But I also confirmed it with the others after we were forced to reiterate the events to the city. Our fights caused a lot of destruction."

"Accelerator and Mugino aside," Mikoto interrupted. "It's not like we try to cause damage. Sometimes you can't avoid it."

"Quite," Misaki said with a nod and turned back to Touma. "Mugino's opponent was much more open in his objective. She said he told her that was Eve's plan. Accelerator mentioned Cain focused more on Last order than him and Juliet did the same with Shirai-san, though she played a lot of mind games with Misaka to try to break her."

"She was insane," Mikoto mumbled. "Who would be willing to kill someone so easily?"

"Her emotions were unstable in whatever form Eve turned her into," Touma reassured her. "If it is anyone's fault, it's hers."

"During our discussion," Misaki continued. "We filled in with Kagere-san what really happened and he was able to provide us with some information. We came to two conclusions. One, Eve doesn't understand science abilities and how far they have progressed. She wanted to see what the level 5s were capable of. Most likely she is planning to do something big in the city soon and wants to make sure she can handle groups of ability users if it came to that." Touma nodded. This coincided with what he knew about Eve. She liked to form elaborate plans that took into account all possible outcomes. "The second, and probably most important of the two, is that Eve has someone working for her in Academy City."

"That's not good," Touma said seriously. "She could be able to have a full grasp of our abilities then, or at the very least the security layout. Do you have any idea who it is?"

"We only have one person who it could possibly be that we know," Misaki said. "They would have to have high clearance, understand abilities, experience with the magic side, and have something to gain from working with Eve."

"Remember how Eve likes to make deals?" Mikoto asked and Touma nodded. "She could have easily offered someone power in exchange for information or supplies."

"Kagere-san provided us a name," Misaki continued. "Ricane. Sogiita actually fought him in Rome. Ricane wielded the Mark of Gluttony."

"But didn't all the people with the sin marks… disappear?" Touma asked.

"They did," Mikoto nodded grimly. "Turns out, after Kagere-san did some digging, he found out Ricane made clones of himself and copied his memories before transferring them back to his main body in cryogenic stasis. The person who died in Rome was only a clone with copied memories. He was also responsible for distributing those drugs that boosted abilities."

"So he was responsible for all those deaths!?" Touma demanded.

"Yes," Misaki confirmed darkly. "Ricane fits all the criteria and even knows magic. He would be the perfect spy." She smiled though. "He did slip up and now the city is also hunting him down. He shouldn't be able to avoid detection for too long."

"At least there is a silver lining," Touma said. "Well, without any leads, I doubt we could find him." He eyes Misaki. "Unless…?"

"Sorry, trail ran cold." She looked apologetic.

"Didn't think it would be that easy," Touma admitted. "But you are all safe, Adam is defeated, and Ricane is going to be in custody soon enough. Things are finally starting to look brighter, even if Eve is still on the loose."

"Then we will see you on Monday?" Misaki asked with a smirk. Touma's eyes widened.

"That's right!" he cried and grabbed his head. "Kongou-san goes to your school."

"She's not a bad person," Mikoto reassured her. "A little prideful, but she's kind and helpful."

I kind of know that, Touma thought to himself. Jason, Frenda, Kinuhata, and Hamazura are the only ones who have seen me with her.

"And I can ask a few members of my clique to help keep some of the girls orderly," Misaki volunteered. "However, most of the girls do not have experience with boys, so you might be something of a celebrity."

"But of course," Mikoto added, her stony gaze focused on him. "You wouldn't do anything inappropriate while you are there? Even accidently, right?" Touma gulped as he saw both girl staring at him.

"What do you think I'm going to do?!" he finally cried out. The two girls stared at him for a moment longer, before the corners of their mouths started twitching. The two girls started snickering and Touma realized they were only joking. "Not funny!"

"Come on," Mikoto said dismissively. "It was hilarious. Shokuhou totally saw where I was going with it."

"It was pretty funny," Misaki agreed. "We both know you wouldn't do anything on purpose. If a girl does get attracted to you, it would only be because they see how kind of a person you are."

"Switching topics," Touma stated and his eyes narrowed slightly. He pointed directly at Misaki with his finger. "We need to talk about what you did yesterday."

"What I did?" Misaki asked innocently. "I don't think I did anything wrong then. Could you be more specific?"

"You know what I'm talking about," Touma said irritated. Mikoto grew quiet and watched silently. She knew what this was about and she really wanted to give her opinion, but this was between Touma and Misaki. There was one thing Misaki was absolutely right about. This had to be Touma's decision. "Misaki," Touma continued and sighed. "I'm used to teasing, I even find yours kind of endearing, but what you did yesterday in front of my mom… That was too much."

"I'm sorry," Misaki apologized. Her eyes glanced down at the table and she actually looked sorry. "I was planning to talk about it with you, but when we saw what Mugino-san did, I decided to act." She looked back up at him. "I'm sorry about any aftermath or awkward conversation you might have had with your mother, but I'm not sorry I did it. We were going to talk to you about it anyways."

"Do you have any idea what you are suggesting?" Touma asked incredulously.

"I do," she answered, without the slightest bit of embarrassment. Misaki had prepared herself for this moment.

"This isn't a joke anymore," Touma told her seriously. "My friends may say stupid stuff like that about me having a harem, I even heard you girls laugh about it occasionally, but when you told my mom about that, a line was crossed. It's serious now."

"I know," Misaki replied, still calmly.

"Misaki!" Touma said loudly and stood up. Mikoto's eyes widened. She rarely saw Touma so agitated unless someone was in trouble. Misaki's lower lip trembled slightly, but she held her gaze firm. Touma took a deep breath and leaned forward on the table. "Listen. I don't know why you did it and I'm pretty sure you have an answer to that, but please, listen to me. I appreciate all the hard work you put into this to help me, but it's wrong. This can't happen. I can't have a harem, no matter how much planning you put into this."

"Why?" Misaki asked and raised an eyebrow.

"Why, what?" Touma asked dumbfounded.

"Why can't you have a harem?" Misaki asked evenly.

"Tons of reasons."

"I would like to hear them."

"What good would that do?" Touma asked. "It's not like they are going to cha-..."

"I love you," Misaki interrupted him. "But sometimes you can be so stubborn. I want to hear your reasons because I believe they aren't as ironclad as you make them out to be. Since you regained the ability to remember me, I have heard you talk about yourself in many negative ways that are simply not true. Right now, I merely want the opportunity to hear your concerns and be given the opportunity to put them to rest."

"That's it?" Touma asked.

"That's it," Misaki repeated.

"And if you are unable to convince me?"

"Then I will drop this subject and never bring it up again," Misaki answered flatly. "This is how strongly I believe we can put your concerns to rest."

"We?" Touma and Mikoto asked in unison, as they stared at Misaki.

"Mikoto told me earlier to put my foot down," Touma said incredulously.

"Misaka might not be the biggest fan of my idea," Misaki explained. "And she has her own reasons, but we have talked about a few issues I'm sure will come up in our discussion. Besides, after hearing your reasons, there is no doubt she will not remain quiet."

"Mikoto?" Touma asked and looked at her.

"I… would be lying if I said I wasn't curious about your reasoning," Mikoto admitted. "Any normal guy would jump for a chance to have a group of girls fawning over them. Not that you aren't normal or anything," she added quickly. "I just want to know why too." Touma looked at her, sighed again, and turned back to Misaki.

"You promise if you can't convince me that you won't bring this up again?" Touma asked to clarify. "And you will let whoever else you roped into this know too?"

"I have not rope anyone into this," Misaki refuted sternly. "Not only would such an action only be a mistake in the long run, it would make you less agreeable. Everyone who agreed was fully informed about all arrangements beforehand. But yes, I agree to your conditions and will let them know." She winked at him. "That doesn't mean I personally, have given up on you though."

"There's the normal teasing," Touma sighed, but still relaxed slightly as he sat back down.

"So why don't we start?" Misaki suggested and clapped her hands together. "I'm sure this talk needed to be done ages ago."

"Not sure what you mean by that," Touma replied. "But, okay? How should we do this? Should I just list off the reasons…?"

"If we do them one at a time, we can answer them without accidently missing one." Touma gave Misaki a quick nod.

"Fine." He took a deep breath. "As you know, I don't have my memories of my childhood," Mikoto and Misaki nodded, "but I always imagined a more traditional family in my future. You know, me with someone else. Just one other person. A harem is… unnatural, even if it's fun to read in manga or watch in anime. It should just be two people to form a partnership for a family unit."

"What you are talking about falls under traditionalism," Misaki explained. "This is basically adhering to traditional beliefs or practices. I will admit that the majority of people do believe partners are the way for marriages." Touma nodded content and Mikoto raised an eyebrow. She knew there was no way Misaki would give up that easily. A second later, her belief was verified. "However, traditionalism changes constantly based on the time period, society, and regions. There are a lot of unusual types of relationships now. Some people live together for their entire lives without marrying, same sex marriage is legal in many parts of the world where it used to be considered immoral, and polygamy, or multiple partners, has begun popping up, even in America. Centuries ago, marriages were created because men considered women property and traded them between families to strengthen bonds." She gestured to Touma with one hand. "You obviously don't consider women property, right?"

"What?" Touma asked in shock. "That's absurd. Of course I don't."

"She's being rhetorical," Mikoto reassured him.

"Kings throughout the ages were known to have harems of countless young and beautiful girls," Misaki continued. "Other families would present their daughters to gain favor, prestige, or privileges."

"Which is wrong," Touma stated firmly.

"During that time it was not," Misaki explained. "But by our definition it was. The point I am trying to make is that harems are not necessary immoral or wrong. Forcing people to join them or leaving them no good alternative is. Anyone who joins our group will be completely voluntary, no forcing, no manipulating, or bribing. Everyone will know exactly what they are getting into." She looked Touma directly in the eyes. "I'm not going to lie to you either about this. Some people will think differently of us, whether in jealousy, disgust, anger, or so forth. The point is, we don't care about their feelings. Girls are pretty selfish you know and we want to be with you so badly, we are willing to share the happiness of being with you with others."

"Are you serious about that?" Touma asked quietly to Misaki. "That you are really happy being with me?"

"More than I could ever express with words," Misaki answered and only truth rang from her voice. "I told you about us before you lost your memories. There was a time when life was crushing me and I just wanted to end it, but you saved me. We continued to meet up during that summer and it was some of the happiest memories of my life. I nearly lost you once," her eyes began to water slightly, "and I never thought we would be able to be together again. Then a miracle happened and you could remember me. I was a little jealous of the number of girls interested in you and vowed to make you mine. Eventually, I talked with several of them and observed something interesting. They felt the same way about you as I did. There wasn't any good option at this point. If you got together with anyone, countless girls would be devastated."

"That can't be true," Touma countered. "You, I can see that, but many others?"

"Misaka," Misaki said without turning. "Do you feel similar about him?" Touma turned to look at Mikoto, who was slightly stunned at being asked her opinion so suddenly.

"I... yes, I do." Mikoto was surprised at how quickly her voice grew stronger. She felt like the heat on her face was going to burn, but she continued. "This doesn't mean I approve of Shokuhou's plan, but I kind of understand. It's not easy to be a level 5. People expect so much from you and they rarely realize that we are human. Kuroko was one of the few people I could call a real friend before I met you." She chuckled slightly. "Though I doubt you considered me a friend when we first met. I really liked to challenge and try to electrocute you."

"Still would like to know the reason for that," Touma muttered and Mikoto flushed, if possible, even more. Misaki had to resist cooing at how cute she looked.

"You may have noticed I'm kind of competitive," Mikoto answered softly, but forced herself to maintain eye contact. "And that's what I told myself, but there was more. When we met, you didn't see my level, you didn't see the Railgun, you only saw me, Mikoto Misaka. You treated me like a normal kid, even if you were rude at times like with that stupid nickname!"

"Hehe, sorry about that."

"It was kind of funny when I think about it," Mikoto admitted and then pointed to Touma when he opened his mouth. "No, you don't have permission to call me that." He closed his mouth again. "Where was I… right. Then when I was in trouble, you helped me, risking your own life like it was nothing. You didn't want a reward, fame, or even thanks. You only did it because I needed help." She looked at the table. "I think it was at that moment I truly fell for you, but my pride kept me from realizing it. Then we started hanging out more, even adding Uiharu-san, Saten-san. and, still have trouble believing this, Accelerator. I'm not going to deny there was a lot of crazy stuff since we became friends, but that only made me fall for you even more. Ignoring the crazy magic side adventures, we did have a lot of fun."

"Thank you," Misaki said when she finished. "As you can see, I'm not the only one who feels that way."

"She touched in something else," Touma said and gestured to Mikoto. "All the crazy and dangerous stuff that happens to me. Because of my hand, I have terrible luck. If I'm lucky, it's just having water dumped on me or a dog chasing me around, but recently it seemed to have gotten me and, by extension, all of you involved. I can't have a relationship as long as my bad luck plagues me. I can't risk getting someone else hurt because of it."

"Do you think we haven't noticed?" Misaki asked.

"Huh?"

"Do you think we didn't notice the bad things that happen to and around you?" Misaki clarified.

"Well, no, but-…"

"If your luck was something that turned us off," Misaki continued, interrupting him. "Do you think we would still be pursuing you? It's not like it's your fault and anyone who would hate you because of it does not deserve you. The amount you do for other people, your kindness and bravery, dwarfs something as silly as a little bad luck." She smiled. "Besides, having a couple cute girls around constantly would be a sure way to brighten up your day."

"That's…" Touma's words failed him for a moment when he tried to think of a comeback. "My luck isn't some superstition. It has a huge impact on my life. Shoot, I can't even keep any decent amount of money in my account. How am I supposed to support a girlfriend, let alone multiple ones, if I have a hard time supporting just myself?"

"I got this." Misaki turned in surprise to Mikoto, who had just face palmed. "Just to be clear, it's not like I support her plan," Mikoto stated clearly. "But what era do you think this is? Men don't have to support women anymore. There are rich and powerful women all over the world. We are perfectly capable of helping out with expenses."

"But-…," Touma tried to say, but Mikoto was having none of that.

"If I wanted to date someone with money," Mikoto told him flatly. "I would have gone out with the grandson of my school's director that one time. Money isn't even on the list of things I look for. You may not have noticed, but I'm rather well off."

"Likewise," Misaki added. "I wouldn't dream of something so shallow as to marry for money." She held a hand up to her mouth. "Look at you, trying to act all tough and manly in front of us."

"I don't want people to think I'm using you," Touma defended himself.

"I said it before," Misaki responded with an eye roll. "I don't care what those people think. What happens is between us, not them. Besides, would you really be content to just sitting around at home and do nothing while we worked? You would go insane with boredom in a couple days. Whatever job you find, as long as you enjoy it, is fine with me."

"I… am at a loss," Touma admitted after a moment to let her words sink in. "You really do care about me."

"I've told you I love you many times," Misaki pointed out. "And I will continue to do so until you understand. You tend to be a little oblivious to these things."

"I'm not oblivious!" Touma protested. Misaki only stared at him. "A little backup?" he asked, turning to Mikoto for support. She only stared at him too. "First my classmates, now you two? Am I really that oblivious?"

"Yes." Both girls answered in unison.

"It's partly my fault," Mikoto admitted. "I tend to be a little short tempered and lash out. So it was obvious you wouldn't notice I liked you. If it wasn't for…" She looked at Misaki and frowned slightly. "…our friends, you wouldn't have found out." She sighed. "I'm glad you did though, it made things a lot easier." Not really easy, but easier than trying to do it from scratch.

"Ignoring the oblivious remark," Misaki said to Touma. "I take it you understand our feelings are not something that just occurred. They have existed for a long time and have only grown."

"I think you are missing one of the most important issues," Touma responded and took a deep breath.

"What might that be?" Misaki questioned.

"I'm not going to lie to you either," Touma told them. "A harem… every guy has imagined it at some point." He raised a hand when Misaki opened her mouth. "I repeat, imagined. None of us ever think it's going to actually happen. Some hope more than others, but we eventually come to that conclusion. When you mentioned it to my mother, a small part of me did imagine it. I'm a guy, it's going to happen. Let me finish." He cut off Misaki again before she could interrupt. "The thing is, there is one main issue that is going to haunt me forever if I agree with your plan." He lowered his hand.

"And that is?" Misaki asked curiously.

"What about you?" Those three words caused way more confusion to appear on the girls' faces than he expected.

"Us?" Misaki and Mikoto asked in unison.

"It's not fair to you!" Touma explained seriously. "All this time it's about me, but it's not right for all of you. I would be getting the good deal out of this plan while you draw the short stick. A bunch of girls sharing one guy, it's wrong." Misaki and Mikoto looked at each other and, to Touma's surprise, they smiled.

"I knew he would say that," Misaki said to Mikoto.

"It was pretty obvious."

"Why do I feel like I missed something important?"

"Oh, I'm sure it will come up sooner or later," Misaki said dismissively. "But let me address your concern first. The fact you worry about us means you are the right person for this to work. It's not like I decided this on a whim, I spent quite a bit of time researching and interviewing people to make sure everything was going to work. A harem can only work under several specific conditions nowadays. The first is the individual must truly care about everyone. If he wants to dominate them or does it for his own pleasure, the harem starts to fall apart. The second is everyone must be on equal footing." She sighed at this. "I know your friends have joked around with talking about an alpha girl leading the others, but that does not work. It only causes tension between people. Every individual brings their own talents, skills, quirks, and personality, which must be respected."

"I'm really surprised how much time you spent in doing this," Mikoto mumbled.

"This amount is only natural when one plans for their future, Misaka," Misaki answered proudly.

"You haven't answered my question," Touma prodded. "The fact of bunch of girls trying to share one guy isn't fair to them. How could I manage to keep them all happy?"

"Worrying about them like that is one way," Mikoto pointed out, which surprised herself. She had been caught up in Misaki's persuasion a lot more than she imagined she would. "A boy constantly thinking about how to make their girl happy shows you truly care about her."

"Exactly," Misaki agreed. "You will be surprised at how easily you would be able to manage. It's not like all of us will need your help simultaneously, and many problems would be able to be solved either by ourselves or helping each other. Remember, we are all equal, so it is only natural for us to help each other. You suggest it's not fair for us? No girl who enters the harem will be clueless to how this works. They will know they are sharing you among the others, but that does not mean they will be loved any less." Misaki smiled at Touma. "I truly believe, if you agree to this, every girl who joins, purely by their own choice, will be happy."

"It won't hurt them?" Touma asked softly. The fact he asked that question made Misaki's stomach flutter slightly.

He's being tempted, she thought. Time to drive it home. "Some girls will naturally decide not to take part and be saddened they cannot be with you," Misaki told him honestly and quickly continued before Touma could respond. "However, trying to avoid the issue and not addressing their feelings is only going to hurt them more in the long run. If you choose a single partner, which is your choice, many girls will be saddened. Most will move on and some may not. I can't predict the future. With this plan, the greatest number of girls can be happy if they truly desire to be with you." Misaki felt slightly guilty at playing on this desire of Touma's, but she needed him to try. She did truly believe Touma is one of the few people able to have a harem form and keep it.

"Touma," Mikoto interrupted and the two looked at her. "Regardless of what we want, please, think about yourself. What you desire. This is Shokuhou's plan and, I admit she has brought up some good points, but ultimately the decision is yours. You are our friend and, while we may want to be more than that, we want you to be happy. So please, whatever you decide, do it to make yourself happy, not us." She tried to grin. "I promise if you refuse me, I won't shock you….much."

"What was that?" Touma had missed the last word.

"Nothing," Mikoto denied.

"She's right, you know," Misaki added. "This is what we-…I…," She changed direction when Mikoto glared at her. "…and a few others decided. If you want a single partner, this plan will be scrapped and we will hope you choose us, if you desire to try this, we can end it if things do not work out." She took a deep breath. "I want to be with you, but I want you to be happy too. I'm a little selfish, I admit."

"Misaki," Touma said. "You are not selfish. The very fact you came up with this idea shows you care about others too. You put your own desires to try to make them and me happy. I really don't deserve this."

"I know I told you to put your foot down," Mikoto mumbled, but loud enough for everyone to hear. "But I'm surprised at how well she addressed your concerns." Mikoto looked directly at Touma. "You really are a weird person you know that, a guy who doesn't jump for a chance to get a harem. Maybe you could make it work. It shows you aren't doing this for perverted reasons."

"I don't deserve that praise," Touma muttered.

"Hmm?" Misaki mused and raised an eyebrow.

"I don't deserve even this consideration!" Touma cried out suddenly. "I don't even deserve one girl, let alone multiple ones. I'm not special in any way. The only reason I could help people is because of this hand of mine. Without it, I would have either died or not have been involved in the first place. I manage to help a few people because I could, like anyone would have done if they were in my position. I'm not unique. There are plenty of smarter, better looking, cooler, and who have saved way more people than I have. They should be the ones who get an opportunity like this, not me-…"

The crackle was his only warning as the bolt of lightning flew at him.

"What was that for!?" Touma demanded, lowering his hand after successfully negating it before anyone or anything got scorched.

"For being an idiot!" Mikoto yelled at him. She was about to stand up, but Misaki placed a hand on her shoulder. Mikoto looked at her and appeared to want to continue yelling, but Misaki shook her head. After a grunt, Mikoto sat back down and crossed her arms. Misaki turned to Touma and he noticed something about her. Her eyes were no longer amused and there was no trace of a smile on her face. She looked deadly serious as she stared at him. Misaki took a deep breath and then spoke.

"There is one thing that I dislike," Misaki told him slowly. "And that is when you put yourself down like that. While I can admire you playing down your deeds to stay humble, telling yourself you are not special, especially in front of me, I won't tolerate it anymore." Touma opened her mouth, but she cut him off. "No, this time I need to speak." Touma closed his mouth and nodded. "You may think what you do is normal, that it's somehow not special, but that is not how I… we see it." She gestured to Mikoto. "Or many others. So when you keep putting yourself down, it hurts us to watch. Mikoto may lash out more than I do…"

"Hey!"

"…but I have to admit," Misaki continued without missing a beat. "I felt a twinge of anger. To me, you are an irreplaceable person. So special, no one could ever replace you."

"I agree with her," Mikoto added abruptly. "Defeating Accelerator, everything that happened in England, Rome, and Australia, being able to react to my lightning instantaneously, plus who knows how many things you did for the magic side involving Index and others. Those deeds aren't something normal people could do. Sure, you may not be academically smart," Touma raised an eyebrow, "but you work hard to improve any areas you lack. You treat everyone equally, regardless of level or prestige, and never shy away from helping them in need. I have seen too many people walk past others who are in trouble because they don't want to get involved, but that would never cross your mind. I remember when you did it to me. I may have acted a little…aggressive… then, but I really did appreciate it. To me, that small step you take is pretty special."

"You will be surprised how many times the word special refers to the small things," Misaki spoke up. "Risking your life is significant, but the simple act of wanting to help, even if someone just needs someone to talk to, that is special." She paused. "Try to think about your actions from an outsider's perspective. Imagine if someone knew nothing about you. They were in trouble with nowhere to turn, when you showed up. You, a complete stranger, helped them, even if it meant risking your own life. Then after that, you get up and leave without needing anything, even thanks. Try to imagine what that is like for others."

Touma sat in silence and tried to imagine it. He had always believed helping people was a no brainer. When someone was in trouble, the first thing his body would do is move toward them without conscious thought. Misfortune followed him around and he observed firsthand how when something happened to him, even something small like a bucket of water falling on him. Countless people would walk right on by without offering to help. There was also degrees of embarrassment that never felt good, no matter how used to it he was. He did not want others to go through that. Saving a life at the risk of your own, he could understand why people were hesitant and he didn't blame them. When he realized that, the small sting of recognition began to creep into his mind.

Misaki told me we first met when she was planning to wipe her own mind, Touma remembered. We talked and I somehow managed to cheer her up so she ended up going back to her life. With the Mikoto and Accelerator level 6 shift incident, Mikoto was prepared to risk her life. She needed someone to talk to when she was at her lowest point. I might have been able to convince her to leave, but I took her place. I wanted to save her and her Imouto, but what did she see when I did that? Someone she barely knew risk their own life to fight the person considered to be the strongest in Academy City? It was a no brainer for me… Someone else without knowing about my hand? Actually, even with my hand, that fight was close. Mikoto would have seen someone different. Someone who would risk their lives for roughly a stranger. A her-… His eyes widened in shock. Misaki seemed pleased at his change in expression.

"I take it you understand?" she prodded.

"I… think I do," Touma admitted. "From my view, what I did was only natural and I kept telling myself this stuff is normal. Well it is, to me. People who don't go through this, it would be something at a completely different level. Like when I… and you two now too actually… first met magicians. It's something we can't always explain."

"The fact you consider helping people is normal." Misaki continued. "Is amazing in its own way. I noticed it's a trait you and Misaka here share."

"You're actually complimenting me," Mikoto pointed out surprised. "That's rare."

"Silly, Misaka," Misaki giggled. "I compliment you plenty, though you should try to wear a little more girly clothes once in awhile."

"Shorts are comfy and easy to wear," Mikoto retorted.

Touma ignored the two of them bickering. By now, he learned it was just a sign of the close friendship that the two of them could act like themselves around each other. He was too busy thinking about everything Misaki and Mikoto told him. With most of his questions about Eve answered or unable to be answered with current information, every part of his brain was focused on the absurd notion Misaki had placed before him. All of his questions had been answered, way too well for his liking if he was being honest. It made it thought much harder to refuse outright. He wanted to, but a small part of him kept stopping the words from forming. It was an impossible situation that actually seemed to have become possible. It's like fighting a ridiculously strong opponent. You think you can't win and then there is an opening. But a harem? I… it doesn't feel right? Not completely wrong though? ARGH! Misaki is way too good at this!

"Are you okay?" Mikoto asked him.

"It seems you are considering my proposal," Misaki stated. "Or have you decided to decline?"

"I…" Touma stopped and stared at her. Her expression was interested, but did not betray much else. He then turned to Mikoto. She was looking at him apprehensively. It seemed like she wanted to voice her opinion, but was keeping quiet, which took a lot of her willpower. "This is a lot to take in," he finally admitted. "You two, what you told me, I would never have thought about it that way."

"We know," Misaki said. "And we definitely don't want to change that part of you, but we are worried. Worried you will continue to ignore your own happiness in order to try to keep others happy. It's not good for you and it hurts us to know that. I came up with this idea because I wanted a way to make us happy. Then it occurred to me that you wouldn't accept hurting others at the cost of your own happiness. Other girls would be hurting if you saw someone exclusively. I know it's kind of a weak argument for some, but not for you. This polygamous relationship is not about owning a bunch of girls or even for us to share you. It really comes down to everyone being happy, together." Something in his eyes flickered and she knew she had sown the seeds in him. Manipulating him made her feel guilty, but her feelings were completely honest.

"You answered all my questions," Touma said. "And I do see where you are coming from. I have no choice but to accept this is not a joke." Mikoto leaned forward. "This probably wasn't the easiest thing to come up with, was it Misaki."

"…No." Misaki shook her head. "I really wanted you all to myself. When I saw this wasn't going to be possible, I did some searching and realized what I truly wanted was to be with you. If others were also with us, it didn't matter to me. Others agreed and this plan started to form."

"If I accepted it," Touma said slowly and both girls' flickered. "There are a lot of questions about how it would work I still need answered."

"Are you…?" Misaki asked and trailed off.

"No." Misaki hung her head and Mikoto looked surprised at his declination. "At least, not yet."

"Huh?" Both girls stared at him.

"You put a lot of thought into it," Touma explained, trying to choose his words carefully. "At the very least, I should consider it thoroughly. I have qualms about this still, but I admit you told me things about myself I have to take into account. Any answer I give now will be premature and I may regret it later."

"That's completely understandable," Misaki told him. "I actually expected to have this conversation sometime during summer break. Everything got moved up thanks to Mugino-san meeting your mother. It would be weird not to need some time to consider this. You may have noticed, but I like to plan things about before acting."

"You're… not upset?" Touma asked cautiously.

"Why would I be upset?" Misaki asked confused.

"After everything you have gone through," Touma explained. "The work you put into this, I would have thought you would want an answer immediately."

"Don't be silly," Misaki told him dismissively. "Remember what we talked about. You have to make this decision and I expected it to take days, if not weeks for you to decide."

"Am I that obvious?" Touma asked sheepishly.

"You are impulsive when someone else is in danger," Mikoto said. "But when you have to make a decision involving any normal thing, you are hopelessly indecisive."

"Hey!" Touma said indignantly, while both girls laughed. When they calmed down, Misaki finally stood up with her phone in hand.

"Listen," Misaki said. "I have to get going or people are going to question where I am." She walked over and wrapped her arms around Touma from behind, making sure to press her ample bosom onto his back. "I hope whatever you decide, we can still be close." Mikoto opened her mouth to say something, but Misaki already released him. "If you need to ask anything, just message me. I can bring some of the other girls if you want to verify what I said about everyone being aware of what this entails."

"I don't think that part will be necessary," Touma told her. "I trust you. If you say they know, I believe you."

"You are so sweet," Misaki said to him and blushed. Right before she stepped out of his dorm, she turned over her shoulder. "Don't take advantage of him while I'm gone Miiiisssaaakkkaa!"

"W-what?!" spluttered Mikoto. "As if I wou-…" Her words were cut off by the sound of the door closing behind Misaki. Mikoto frowned and crossed her arms. "As if I would," she mumbled.

"Er, Mikoto?" Touma asked nervously.

"Huh? Oh… yes?"

"I figured you would help me a lot more than you did," he told her slowly. "You seemed to get wrap up in her words."

"Don't get me wrong," Mikoto refuted. "I had every intention too when I came here." She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "Then I heard her words. It's not often I hear her speak like that. Honest, not hiding her true intentions. It was kind of refreshing to hear." She took a deep breath. "I'm a lot like you. I always saw a traditional style of dating. You know, a boy and a girl, no one else. Sure, I've seen and heard of other stuff happening, but I never dreamed it would happen to me."

"So do you think I should say no?" Touma asked.

"Don't push your decision off on me," Mikoto told him quickly and held out her hands. "If I tell you what I think, it's going to impact your decision. One thing Shokuhou was right about was the fact it is your decision. My mother was kind of embarrassing you and she kind of knows I… like… you."

"My mom was really observant too," Touma agreed and they sighed. "I had a talk about this ordeal with her and it turned out to be along the same lines. It's my decision and I need to make it. I can't just leave you all in limbo, it's not fair to you."

"Or you," Mikoto pointed out. "Constantly worrying about how we will act with your decision. It's your life, so live it."

"I kind of wish I had someone tell me this months ago," Touma said with a chuckle. "Maybe my life wouldn't have gotten so far out of control."

"We both know it would have regardless," Mikoto said rationally. They stared at each other and then burst out laughing.

"At least now I have friends to help me so I'm not alone," Touma conceded.

"Yeah." They sat in silence for a bit, not looking at each other. The weight of what they talked about sat in and both realized they needed to think about things. Mikoto finally broke the silence by standing up. "I should really get going too."

"Wait!" Touma said suddenly. "I have one last thing to tell you."

"What is it?" Mikoto saw the seriousness on his face and immediately could tell this was something important.

"There… was one more person who accompanied us to Australia," Touma told her quietly. "I left it out because Misaki doesn't know about this. I think? It's hard to tell with her."

"So it's a secret?" Mikoto asked confused. "Then why tell me?"

"Because it involves you," Touma stated clearly. "It was… Imouto. She was with me with Birdway and Lessar picked me up."

"One of the Sisters?" Mikoto asked and then her mouth fell open. "Wait… Saten-san was there!"

"That's the problem," Touma agreed with a nod.

"What did you tell her?! What did she ask?" Mikoto was frantic. "There's no way she wouldn't have noticed!"

"Calm down!" Touma told her and began to reach out with his hand. "It's Ruiko, remember? She took it in stride. When she asked, I told her Imouto was your sister but the situation was complicated. She promised not to mention it to the others until she talked to you about it. I'm pretty sure she wanted to today, but decided to hold off on account of the festival."

"This is bad," Mikoto groaned and grabbed the sides of her head. "I have no idea what to tell them."

"The truth?" Touma asked.

"You mean the fact scientists decided to make clones of me for Accelerator to kill?" Mikoto asked sarcastically. "That is sure to go over real well with them, idiot."

"I meant tell them enough to explain their existence," Touma amended. "You don't have to even add Accelerator in there."

"You mean like they were just trying to clone me?" Mikoto tried to clarify.

"Yeah," Touma answered with a nod. "But if that's too much, and it might be, maybe you can just say she's your real sister and because she's a lower level Tokiwadai didn't accept her. Don't they only accept level 3s and up?"

"Yeah," Mikoto confirmed and rubbed her chin. "That could make sense, but I would have to come up with a reason why they hadn't met before."

"I'm sure if you tell them," Touma continued. "Imouto will play along. It will allow them to move more freely without worrying about accidently coming into contact with someone who knows you."

"It's not a bad idea," Mikoto conceded. "I'll think about it. Thanks for warning me. I have Last Order's number and she can connect to their network." She stood up. "I'll catch you later. If not tomorrow, Monday."

"Bye!" Touma waved to her as she left and then settled back down. Everything he heard repeated in his mind. This decision was much tougher because he cared deeply for both Misaki and Mikoto. If his feelings weren't a mess, he figured he would have been able to refuse without issue. Well, this day was exhausting. I really should go to bed and sleep on… CRAP! Homework. Should I see if Mikoto… no, you really can't rely on her to do your work for you. He sighed and stretched before turning toward his school bag slumped against the wall. He then noticed the pot of water he set out, dry due to being kept on too long and the water had evaporated. The pot was beginning to burn slightly.

"Such misfortune!"

---

Late that night, two figures were watching a laboratory from a nearby alleyway.

"So are you ever going to wear normal clothes?" Accelerator asked. "Or do you only dress like a prostitute when we do these missions?" The girl next to him scoffed and flipped him the bird. From a normal person's perspective, he would have had a point. Awaki's dark blue coat was over her shoulders like a cape with only bandages covering her chest.

"My style is perfectly fine," she scoffed. "At least I don't dress like an emo wannabe, and those are your normal clothes."

"Bite me," Accelerator growled.

"Kinky, but you are not my type."

"You like little boys, damn pervert."

"Coming from a lolicon."

"In case the idiot didn't tell you," scoffed Accelerator. "I have an older girlfriend, so shove your delusions up your ass."

"Threaten or blackmail her?"

"Both." Accelerator didn't say anymore, mostly because he didn't care and wanted to get this stupid mission over with. Motoharu didn't give a lot of details, but it was mostly just investigating this time. An old lab was seeing more activity lately than it should have and Accelerator was to check it out. Awaki was there for them to escape in case they attracted too much attention. They didn't see anyone enter or leave from their position, but there were several entrances. "I'm going in, just do your job."

"Try not to blow up the lab," Awaki told him.

"No promises." Accelerator walked leisurely to the front door, grabbed the handle, manipulated the lock vectors and walked in. His battery was fully charged so he had the full thirty minutes to go wild. He was leaving it on because a surprise bullet in the back was not something he wanted. All the lights were off except for the security ones and he walked down the hallway. The offices were open and he glanced in them. Someone was here recently. The drawers were open and stuff littered the floor. He systematically checked each room for any sign of an intruder, before finally making his way to the main lab. Through the glass window in the door, he saw flickering lights. Flashlights. Good, this will be quick. He pulled out his gun and then knocked the door off its hinges. "Okay you fuckers, surrender or your guts are about to be smeared all over the walls."

"Are you fucking kidding me?!" an irritable and familiar voice roared. "Why didn't you notice he was coming?"

"…You told me to focus on finding the box so we could leave, which I did."

"Four…fifth rate?" Accelerator asked, purposely mocking her. He put his gun away. It wasn't like he needed it.

"Why the hell are you here?" Shizuri demanded.

"Roped into investigating some bastards sneaking into areas," Accelerator replied, as he walked toward her. "Didn't realize it was you." Shizuri rolled her eyes at him.

"Don't be stupid," she snapped. "We were hired to find these boxes Skill-Out has been leaving all around the city." Rikou held up the small, black metal, brick size box.

"So what does it do?" Accelerator asked. He didn't recognize the metal.

"Hell if I know," Shizuri answered. "There are no openings or even seam marks. It's one entire piece of metal. If you try to force it open, it explodes. Not that strong, but everything inside of it gets vaporized. The city doesn't want them all scattered among the city and are paying us to collect them."

"That would explain why this lab has been seeing increased activity," Accelerator mumbled. "Skill-Out, huh? And a weird metal box? Sounds like that Ricane guy found some new lackeys."

"Yeah, that much was obvious," Shizuri agreed. "One of the computers was on, whoever left must have been in a hurry and managed to see what they were researching." A snide smirk formed on her face. "Seems like they were looking up information on a certain… acquaintance of ours."

"What the fuck are you going on about?"

"Take a look for yourself," Shizuri told him and pointed to the computer in the corner of the lab. This will be sure to knock you down a peg or two. A friend of yours isn't who he appears. Accelerator glared at her for a second before he gave her a noncommittal shrug. He walked over, sat down, and began to examine the access history. There were several interesting files, but one stood out far beyond the others.

Jason Kagere.

They were searching for information on him? Accelerator thought to himself. He works for the city, so I could see that, but what exactly are they looking for? He opened the file and only read a couple of lines before his eyes widened in fury. "WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS SHIT?!" he roared.

"Seems he has been researching us to some degree," Shizuri pointed out superiorly.

"Who fucking cares about that?!" Accelerator turned to her with his face contorted. "That bastard's last name is Kihara!"

"Kihara?" Shizuri asked and then she remembered. "That group that seems to run the important aspects of the city? It's pretty common knowledge in the dark side not to cross them."

"Anything they get involved with is unnatural," Accelerator spat out. "Even more than that magic side crap." The desk began to crack under his hand. "It at least explains why he was looking at the damn hero's hand."

"I might think this was fake," Shizuri said with her arms crossed. "If it didn't make sense. He had access to that ability drug once I blew up Kakine, and now I found out he researched Kamijou's hand? Why did you let him?"

"Because I was fucking curious at how that hand worked," Accelerator retorted. "But everything seemed to run dry after that. I figured he gave up or couldn't do anything more with it, but this says he switched his attention toward us. Seems like he was moved to purely ability development and research for the last couple weeks." Accelerator's eyes were a blur as he read the data on the screen. "I might have passed this off as the city wanting information, but his last name is Kihara. This is not a coincidence. Next time I see that bastard, I'm wringing out every answer from him."

"I want to join in," Shizuri added. Her voice did not have a trace of warmth in it. "There are so many questions I want answered."

Rikou tilted her head slightly and suddenly felt sorry for the boy who had attracted the wrath of those two.

---

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.

I chose the winner of the raffle by a random number generator between several possible candidates. Next chapter will start a chain reaction of multiple events colliding in a single day and lead the inevitable showdown between the forces of good and the forces who believe they are good. Evil is just opinion based on societies.